Note: Guys, I'm raising money to attend GH Fan Club Weekend, which falls on my birthday this year, for the 1st time. I'd greatly appreciate any donations you'd like to offer; just follow this link: http://www.gofundme.com/oi2rm8. Thank you in advance.
Nikolas
On 1/13, Nikolas (Tyler Christopher) was revealed to be behind the rigging of the mayoral election in which Felicia was the true winner. Nikolas got Janice Lomax in, who promptly fired Anna (Finola Hughes) as police commissioner and replaced her with the shady Kyle Sloane (Grayson McCouch), so Nikolas can have someone to execute his dirty deeds and evade law enforcement. At first, I thought this was all a rouse to convince his grandmother, Helena, that he was conceding to her threats to his inheritance, but after he secured his assets under her nose and banished her to Cassadine Island (2/20), he began following through with the plot she hatched to acquire controlling interest of ELQ, which involves keeping the secret that Jason Morgan is alive and well. What broke the noble prince's moral code? Getting dissed by Liz and deceived by Britt. Sigh. Again, something I long thirsted for came in a disappointing and anti-climatic form. I've always wanted Nikolas to one day go to the dark side of his genes, but not like this. All of the sudden, he went from "No, grandmother, you won't extort me into evil-doing," to "You don't have to extort me. My post-widowing love-life has sucked, so I want to wreak havoc on PC." He went on about how goodness died with Emily and how much he loved her, but he's targeting her family's company and hurting the brother (Jason) she worshipped, who also happens to be the husband of his beloved cousin, Sam. This for ELQ? Nikolas doesn't need that company, he's a prince! He has his own island! Wasn't ELQ Luke's target anyway? When did it become of Cassadine interest or necessity? *face-palms* I need real goals with real motives. Additionally, anytime he expresses guilt over his actions, he hardly mentions Emily as a factor, which is a writing oversight. The best part of this so far was Nikolas holding a knife to Helena's neck on 2/5. In another random event, Lulu had faux beef with Nik and held him responsible for not alerting everyone that Helena and Luke were putting their heads together. *rolls eyes*Meanwhile, Spencer's (Nicholas Bechtel) hilarious and entertaining 10th birthday party (I couldn't with his Rocky entrance) went left in an accidental fire caused by Cameron (2/25) that resulted in Spencer needing the care of Shriner's Hospital.
Ric, Liz, Jake (Jason), Sam & Patrick
I've said many times that I can't stand how Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) is written to have a fair-weather heart and that the character is worthy of more. Once again, she questionably drops a guy-without even sweating-to explore an illogical option. Ric (Rick Hearst) survived being framed, hidden away in police protection, kidnapped from police protection and nearly killed to get back to Liz and his child, and she's given up on trying to make it work with him (3/13) for a stranger with amnesia that could be married (i.e. Jason, who thinks his name is Jake and required facial surgery after an accident, so no one knows his identity). Right.... that makes sense. She's already super jealous too; nosey and in JakeSon's (Billy Miller) grill every time he has a moment alone with Sam or Carly. She was going to take him to bed on 3/20 when a woman claiming to be his wife showed up on her doorstep (Rebecca Budig, formerly of AMC). I about died! They said Budig's role (Hayden Barnes) was going to be a doozy (hey, girl, hey! Welcome back to daytime)! Wait, I just realized something. Hayden Panettiere's character on Nashville, which is on the same network, has the last name Barnes. That's funny. Anyway, Liz's reaction to Hayden was intensely accusatory, borderline angry and territorial, when she should've been written as devastated, but concerned, to make sure he was going with the right person. Liz spoke to her like she was an evil intruder (which she is, but Liz doesn't know that), instead of a woman who's loved one's been missing for months. The audience knows that Jakeson's true wife is Sam (Kelly Monaco), so either Hayden was nuts (ala` Mary (Connor) Bishop) or a con sent by Ric. It was option B for $200, Alex (3/24). This is a fun angle; I just hate that Ric is digging himself in deeper ultimately with Liz and proving he hasn't changed much.
I enjoyed the Haunted Star bomb scenes in early February; any day we have action, which GH is known for, it's a good day. It was supposed to be Luke's show, but the exchanges between other characters, like Jason and Sam, were more interesting. Miller and Monaco play off each other well; I loved their deliveries on 2/3 and 2/4, as Sam went from angry and afraid, to concerned and compassionate, learning that Jason was under Helena's mind control when he held her hostage to free Faison, broke into her home with the intention to kill her and planted a bomb on the Haunted Star. 1 handcuffed to the table and 1 free, Jason tosses Patrick into it when he shows up trying to be a tough guy, which made me moist (it gave me happy memories of him doing the same thing to Carlos too). The break-in was also nicely done (1/19 & 1/20); Jason nearly had a memory breakthrough, pacing around the familiar surroundings of his home and seeing photos of himself. The swaps between Sam and Patrick making love and Jason having a hallucination of Robin as he last saw her was a great directing/editing choice. Jason recognized the Dragon and Phoenix figurines he and Sam received on their wedding night and took the Phoenix. Sam was naturally distressed when she realized it was missing. Despite her explaining the sentimental value of it to Patrick, he referred to it as a "knick-knack," and she didn't check him. In fact, he practically convinced her that she was overreacting (as usual when she has a hunch) and she used the phrase herself. Totally out of character. She would've been extremely insulted by Patrick's passivity. Full of resentment towards Robin, Patrick (Jason Thompson) has been on this "screw my ex" tour and wants Sam to buy a ticket. It's as if he wants Sam to be as dismissive of all things Jason as he currently is of all things Robin. On 3/24, when he suggests Sam move in with him and she asks if it would be weird for her to come in the house he shared with Robin, he says it would be no weirder than the time he's been spending in Jason's home. Patrick is so pressed to move on (literally and figuratively) that he didn't think twice about how such a decision would affect his daughter Emma; Sam had to bring that up. Sam mentions that Emma (Brooklyn Rae Silzer) lost the presence of her mother yet again and a live-in girlfriend with a baby might be a hard adjustment for her. Patrick shrugs this off and emphasizes that Emma likes her, as if that changes the situation. In just 3 years, this little girl has endured 3 serious girlfriends and 2 failed pregnancies right along him. That's a lot of changes. I love when Sam's motherly instincts are displayed, like when she was able to soothe Spencer into telling what he knew about Luke last September.