Dear readers, before I watched Violet and Finn say their goodbyes, I preemptively got a new box of Kleenex from the shelf in the garage, because I knew it would be a multi-tissue crying kind of day on GH.
Here's a personal story to begin. One of my favorite memories of childhood was one day my dad picked me up from elementary school and told the teacher I had a doctor's appointment. Then, instead, he took me to the matinee to see Snow White, and we went for ice cream. It was an awesome day! I was so happy! I loved it. But my Dad had no recollection of this day or seeing the movie or picking me up. Like Finn, he had a bit of a drinking problem. Like Finn, he was a good dad who loved me. Like Finn, he made a point to stop drinking and became a better version of himself.
So, watching those scenes hit me in the way a scene hits you when you have lived it. My Dad is gone now, but I thought back to those days. He ended up becoming a chaplain and served at a hospital for kids with substance abuse problems. I was so proud of him. So, when I cried with Finn and Violet, I really cried.
Jophielle Love is a phenomenon. This young actress gave a performance that half of the adult actors in daytime cannot pull off. She can cry on cue with actual tears, convincingly enough to make me weep. When Violet looked at her Daddy and tearfully pleaded, "We can take care of each other," admit it, she made you cry, too. I forced my husband, who pretends he doesn't watch GH, to watch those scenes. I can't say for sure that he cried, but I did see his hand move up to his eyes like one does when wiping away a tear. I started to say, "She's a fantastic young actress," but I must amend that. She's a fantastic actress, period.
(Side note: Here we are with a child absolutely worthy of Emmy recognition with an Academy that removed that award category. It still bothers me. If there was controversy about the age ranges, then put an age limit on it versus removing it altogether.)
Back to Violet. I have a feeling that part of her sorrow was genuine because she knew those would be her last scenes with her TV dad, Finn. I admit I was shell-shocked by his announcement that he was leaving GH. I hope they are merely writing Michael Easton off for a project or a summer vacation and Finn will be back in a few months to reclaim his life and Violet, but his goodbye video seemed rather permanent.
There has been a lot of good news for GH this week (Jonathan Jackson back long-term! Bryan Craig back for a visit!), but I'm sad to lose Michael Easton. I have loved him since his OLTL days. I have not been a fan of his relationship with Liz, but I adored him with Alexis and hoped the show was heading in that direction. Clearly, I was wrong.
I'm glad we get to keep Violet, but I worry about how becoming instant parents will affect newlyweds Chase and Brook Lynn. How do they write this story? Any child who was abandoned by two parents would start to act out. Will sweet Violet become a menace or still be a little ray of sunshine to us. I'm hoping for the unrealistic latter option because the world is depressing enough. I need Violet to stay adorable for my sanity. She can be sad and cry, heck, I will even cry with her, but please don't change her at her core.
Besides the stellar work by Michael Easton and Jophielle Love, the entire supporting cast of this storyline have made it incredibly believable and heart-wrenching for me. Jane Elliot as the tough but tender Tracy stepping in to make sure Finn understood he had lost his daughter. Amanda Setton as Aunt Brook Lynn, again graciously agreeing to mother a child who isn't hers out of the goodness of her giant heart. And Uncle Chase, the sweet Josh Swickard, has moved me as a brother who is both disappointed in his brother and standing by him, caring for his niece and grieving the loss of his dad all at the same time. I wouldn't be surprised if Chase started drinking, too. He has lost his dad and his big brother all at once. That's a lot.
Why did Finn suddenly become an alcoholic and get shipped off into the night? Maybe because we had to get him out of the way so Liz would only have to choose between two exes, Lucky and Jason, instead of three? I don't know but I cannot begin to express my level of giddiness about Jonathan Jackson's return.
Readers, do you know how hardcore I am? I have been to the Triple L Diner. The diner they filmed in is in New York State, and I went there years ago and took pictures and went inside and saw all the Triple L (Luke, Laura, Lucky) memorabilia. I adored Jonathan Jackson from the day he was introduced as Luke and Laura's son. I loved him all through his GH run, through his entire Nashville run, and I am 100% positive I will love him this time, too.
But will I love Lucky? I don't know. How will they explain his absence, staying away from his kids and family for a decade? Was he in cahoots with the FBI, too? I am anxious to see what's in store for him. But I hope GH uses all the old flashbacks. Give me the old Liz and Lucky scenes from their teenage years -- I insist! There is so much history to draw from. I hope you are excited, too.
If Lucky is coming back, will he go see his brother Nikolas in prison, or is he still peeved that Nik slept with Liz? I am anxious to see Genie Francis in scenes with Laura and her son. I feel hopeful that maybe the Spencer family will be made whole again someday.
But what about Morgan's return? Since it's a one-day return, one must assume it's either a ghost Morgan or a hallucination we will see. But who will be hallucinating Morgan? An undermedicated Sonny or a guilty Ava? Either one would make sense. Maybe Ava's guilt over not telling Sonny his meds have been tampered with will kick in, and she will do the right thing and let him know what she discovered to try to get back in his good graces. Or maybe Morgan's ghost will haunt Sonny? It's going to be an exciting Summer in Port Charles.
Ava is trying to line up witnesses to stand up for her in court, and she manipulated Laura into saying yes, even though Laura was clearly skeptical when she said, "Don't make me regret this, Ava." I think Ava genuinely respects and cares for Laura, but I think Ava also wants what she wants and isn't above using people she loves to get it.
I would like to shine a light on the contrast of Sam and Liz. Sam is actively trying to keep Danny from seeing his father, while Liz is actively trying to foster a relationship between Jason and Jake.
Sam is breaking laws that could get her sent to prison for life, just so she can spy on Jason while being afraid that he's too dangerous for Danny to be around. Dante's heart-to-heart with her seemed to sink in, but she's behaving recklessly and putting Spinelli in danger. That man needs to learn to say, "No." Spinelli, you just got Maximista back. Do you really want to land in prison?
Meanwhile, Liz is happy that Jake reached out to his dad, and she is giving Jason tips on how to connect with him. This seems like topsy-turvy world to me. I was happy when Carly called out Sam on her hypocrisy. I love the SORASed Danny (played by the wonderful Asher Jared Antonyzyn). I think he has great chemistry with Steve Burton, and the two look like father and son. I look forward to more scenes with them. Jason told Danny the truth about his accident, his brain damage, and his whole life story. I wonder how Sam will feel about his candor.
I am also curious to see how things go with Jake and Aiden when Lucky returns. Will they welcome him with open arms or give him the cold shoulder?
In other parenting news, Kristina is planning on taking a maternity leave and asked Blaze (her girlfriend of only a few months) if she wanted to co-parent a baby with her. Yikes, Krissy. Blaze gave a firm, "Nope." Blaze made it clear that she wanted to focus on her career. Kristina looked disappointed, but what did she expect? Consider that in order to parent that baby, she would have to take it away from her sister Molly and brother-in-law T.J. No one wants to wade into that mess with you, Kristina.
Readers, I think it is a shame that Carly will hate Jagger now that she knows he was using her to blackmail Jason. Why? Because when they are together in scenes, they are very pretty. I like their on-screen chemistry. Unless Carly uses that to play Jagger, it doesn't seem like a romance could be in the cards.
Carly confronted Jason, and he begged and pleaded with her to drop it and let him complete the deal he made with the FBI, but... Carly's gotta Carly. I feel certain that she will not leave it alone and will end up getting herself or Jason arrested.
Readers, I am starting to suspect Ms. Wu. She's been awfully silent for a long time, and who is to say she wasn't the one who taped that meeting? I would kind of love it if Ms. Wu was an undercover FBI agent and her poker game at the Savoy was just a cover to get dirt on shady people in Port Charles. Plus, I miss Lydia Look, so that would be a good reason to bring her back.
I am distraught about Valentin and Anna. I love them together, and it feels like the writers are writing him into a corner he won't easily escape from. If Valentin is running Pikeman, smuggling weapons of war, and framing Anna for it, how can we keep loving him? The lines he said about not wanting to leave Port Charles because then there wouldn't be a chance for him to unexpectedly bump into Anna melted my heart. Do you have someone in your life that just the sight of them makes the world a better place? Oh, I hope this isn't the end of Vanna.
I wonder if James Patrick Stewart is heading back to Disney Channel for a while. Is he going to suddenly develop a taste for gin and end up in rehab with Finn? What is happening? We are running dangerously low on Cassadines these days. Uncle Victor, gone; Spencer, gone; Nikolas, in prison; Charlotte, in Europe; and Valentin, about to be in prison. I do not like it when entire core families get erased.
And what about Jack Brennan? Is he a good guy or a bad guy? Is he a Robert Scorpio or a Jerry Jacks? Carly keeps confiding in him, and I don't understand why she trusts him. Did she not learn anything from Jason and Sonny about staying quiet about your crimes over the years? Do the writers want Carly with Jagger or with Brennan or with Jason or with Sonny? I honestly can't tell which direction it's heading. At least Brennan was honest enough to tell Carly she can't trust him.
What will happen tomorrow dear readers? Will Jason and Jake go to the baseball game together and have hot dogs? Will Finn have Door Dash deliver booze to him at the rehab place and then pitch it at the wall? Will Gio and Dex spend a lot of time in Joss and Trina's tiny garage apartment this summer, or will they all go to Bobbie's for BLTs? Will Sonny really sign an affidavit that Ava killed Connie, or does he know she could sign a lot of affidavits about his crimes, too?
Will Scott Baldwin ever tame his hair? Will Dante visit Lulu and beg her to wake up from her coma so he has a good excuse to rid himself of his criminal girlfriend Sam who just inadvertently made him an accomplice to a felony? Will Dex and Joss be back together by kissing time at the Fourth of July fireworks? Will Chase regret telling Brook Lynn they can move in with the Q's after he has to eat Sasha's 1970s casseroles all summer?
Only tomorrow knows, dear readers, and I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows.
Tamilu
What are your thoughts on General Hospital? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.
