Comments through November 21, 2003

(Spoilers are like adding spices for flavor.) 

This week I caught a cold.  Now you’re probably thinking here comes the whine about the terribleness of trying to function with my nostrils alternating clear and stuffed up sides but I’m not.  Because my cold became a catalyst for improved behavior, which even with my sneezing, coughing, stuffed up head issues, made for a fine week after all.  Simplistic as it sounds, the cold made me slow down, made me seek my bed earlier, and made me relax in a way I hadn’t for a long time.  And of course, more relaxation meant more time to enjoy GH instead of viewing my tape with half an ear while I listen to my daughter read, fold clothes, supervise bedtime, etc.  Thankfully, my cold has faded away but the good feelings from allowing myself time to rest have remained. 

 +   +  =

I am currently lounging in front of the computer contemplating the striking, the funny, and the silly that I saw on GH this week.  I enjoyed as usual but I kept thinking that something was off.  It hit me that while November sweeps offered a major high point, Carly’s delivery and bullet in the brain, that’s about it in the edge of my seat department.  For the past couple weeks GH has seemed rather unsweepish (I know it’s not a word, just try to run with it).  Not that intriguing scenes and twists haven’t crossed my viewing path – Faith pulled off a massacre, Tracy showed up, Sage hit town, and Luke’s screen time increased – but it seems like normal pull-me-in GH fare.  I guess I expected tense confrontations, life altering decisions, perhaps some calamitous fallout.  Oh well, maybe that’s planned for the remaining three days of November sweeps. 

By far, my favorite scene this week occurred between Nikolas and Emily watching time run out on the detonator.  Great dialogue!

Nik:  If we live through this, you might want to reconsider spending your life with me. 

Em:  I’ll take my chances. 

Nik:  My mother’s catatonic.  My father, insane.  My uncle, insane.  You know why?  You know why?  Because they felt too strongly.  They loved and they hated with everything they had and that is the very definition of madness.  When you obsess over what you feel.  You obsess over what you feel.  For a long time I thought I’d be OK, that it had somehow skipped me over.  I thought I’d be cool and distant like Alexis.  But you know what?  She’s crazy too now.  And you know why?  Because she loves too much.  She loves too much.  I love too much.  I love too much.  I don’t think just like Emily’s here and she’s wonderful and I’m glad.  See, I don’t think like that.  I think like I love you, I love you and it’s the point of everything.  It’s the reason why I was born.  And if the bomb explodes and we die, I will die with you and that comforts me.  And that’s insane.  That’s insane. 

Em:  No, Nikolas, it’s in love.  It’s in love.  And you want to know the difference?  You’re not destructive, Nikolas.  You’ve never tried to change me.  You’ve never tried to control me.  If you had to choose between us dying together or me surviving alone, which would you choose? 

Nik:  I’d want you to live. 

Em:  Then you’re not crazy.  You’re not crazy.  And if you ever doubt yourself again, you come check with me.  OK? 

Wow!  I’m in love with both of them for delivering the words without overplaying the emotions and drawing me closer like a magnet.  Even though I loved the dialogue, a few inconsistencies made me laugh.  Nikolas and Emily strolled into the little cot room through an unlocked door with a puny latch, no keyhole or deadbolt and the door mysteriously locked itself.  Appropriately wearing coats in November, apparently, as soon as they discovered the bomb the temperature rose and they began sweating profusely.  I didn’t know a bomb could do all that.  Did you?

Emily laments, “I should have taken Bombs 101 while I was away at college!” 

My next favorite scene couldn’t have been planned but it was wonderful.  Sonny held Morgan in his arms talking to him about how much his mother loved him and the baby gazed at his Daddy absorbing every word.  My heartstrings pinged as I remembered holding my children and watching them absorb my face and voice.  There is something magic about cuddling a newborn, safe and warm in your arms.  I highly recommend the sensation.  And if you don’t have a newborn of your own, borrow one for a few minutes so you’ll know what I mean.

Total meltdown of my heart during this scene. 

I’m getting impatient waiting for Jason to take over The Business.  So far, Jason’s role has been caretaker for Sonny in his unexpected absence due to gunplay in his laboring wife’s vicinity.  I’m waiting for the scene when Sonny asks Jason to do something or where he’s been and Jason gives him a blank stare that means Sonny’s out of the information loop.  Not that I really think it’ll happen but I have a rich fantasy life.

Jason tells Sonny, “Sorry, can’t say what I’ve been doing. 

It’s strictly need to know.” 

I’d planned to write a paragraph about Jax the Louse because he’s willing to step past romancing Sam and sweep her into his arms for another round of lusty whoopee so he can con her for the Luke’s gambling permit.  Even though Sam has not shown much concern over right and wrong, Jax has always behaved with a certain code claiming a few ethics.  Clearly, he’s moving on to a new phase in his life.  So I guess the next time he puts his snooty face in Sonny’s tough guy face Jax can’t hold himself on that high moral pedestal saying, “I don’t take advantage of women.”  Because now he does.   That’s what I planned to write until I figured out what was going on.  A.J. is leaving.  GH needs a new weasel so maybe Jax is auditioning to take his place.

Sam thinks, “It’s so nice to do a love scene without fangs.” 

Sam gets credit this week for her scenes with Luke.  If Luke’s in a scene, I watch Luke and I see everyone else play off Luke.  When he’s talking with a twinkle in his eye, the other person twinkle’s back.  It’s Luke for goodness sake, who wouldn’t twinkle for Luke?  Sam didn’t.  Luke and Skye discussed the Haunted Star and what they could do with it as though Sam were no more than an irritating fly buzzing around while Sam stayed completely in character insisting that she owned the boat.  She loses all sense around Jax the Jerk, but she kept her personality around Luke.  Even tough Skye responds to Luke as he pulled her into his scheme to outmaneuver Tracy and Jax by turning the Haunted Star into a floating casino.  My only question is why do Luke and Skye need the cards?  They have the boat and gambling permit thereby thwarting the Troublesome-Twosome.

Do you, Sage, accept Luke as your new partner,

Through profit and loss,

In high seas and low,

Til storyline do you part? 

As the Haunted Star arrived in port, it emanated a tingly, shivery breeze that affected those standing on the docks.  More please.  Can we maybe have an unhappy ghost or two?  Not a bloody, gory I-See-Dead-People kind of ghost but the kind that knocks over drinks, slams doors and takes a definite like or dislike to certain patrons.  Who needs old cards, if there’s a ghost onboard?

The new dance in town is called the Haunted Star Shiver. 

Usually, being a woman, the women tend to receive more sympathy from me than the men, but this week, I felt sorry for Dillon.  On one side, he had to deal with spoiled, rich, boarding school Sage and on the other stood insecure, unreasonable Georgie.  Georgie’s thought processes made me laugh.  Let’s make love.  Don’t defend me.  Defend me.  I’m outta here!  Sage used a little more subtlety but made the same moves.  Let’s make love.  Rescue me from a table.  Save me from your insecure girlfriend.  Get out of my face, you’re fired!  Maybe Dillon should run to Tracy begging for military school so he won’t have to deal with the emotional females who have become attached to him.  Of course, as soon as he begged to leave, Tracy would refuse to send him packing. 

“Pick me, Dillon,” pleads Georgie.

“No Dillon, pick me,” Sage says persuasively.

Pick me, pick me, pick me. What’s a guy with funny hair to do? 

And while I’m feeling sorry, you know Faith can’t catch a break.  Sonny calls her names, Jason grabs her by the neck, and Alcazar dismisses her as not too bright.  The only person showing her respect is Zander and she’s paying him for it.  Though for her part, Faith can’t seem to figure out that poisoning, murdering, or massacring relatives and business associates hasn’t worked for her so far and perhaps she should come up with a new innovative tactic like the ever popular kidnapping or blackmail. 

“You see, Faith, I’m exploring my emotional inner child.

I’ve learned how to reach out, bond, manipulate,

and pay for plastic surgery.

I don’t have time to play crime games with you.” 

Who says men can’t shop?  Zander jumped from jeans and casual shirts to suits and overcoat in one episode.  Funny thing though, he still looks like the loose cannon guy I’ve enjoyed so far. 

A couple quick hits of scenes I liked: 

- Zander told off Emily in the police station.

“I broke up with you, Emily.” Zander insists.

“No way, Zander, I broke up with you first!” Emily argues.

“I did.”  “No, I did.”  “Did not.”  “Did too.”  “Not” “Too” 

- A.J. and Lydia connected on the docks. 

- Jason and Carly talked about the similarities and differences in how they felt after their respective brain injuries.

I’ve always appreciated the friendship between Carly and Jason.

Don’t tell the writers or they’ll mess it up. 

- LuLu came up in conversation between Luke and Lucky.

- Coleman met with Sam.

- Carly held her baby and had no clue what to do with it.

- A.J. informed Edward to take his heart medication because his life is about to become rocky and then he threatened Tracy.  (I’m sad that A.J.’s leaving.)

Oh, A.J. wherefore art thou?  And why must you leave us? 

A couple new spoilers caught my attention and tickled my funny bone. 

Faith is dead-set on getting Skye.  (GHFF)

Where did this come from?  I don’t recall Faith and Skye interacting, ever.   

Luke asks an old friend for a favor.  (GHFF)

Happy dance with me, “Luke and Sonny, Luke and Sonny, Luke and Sonny”.  Luke and Sonny in a scene together are moments to savor.

Tough guys in real time.

One of my favorite pictures and I’ll use any excuse to post it.

Photo credit to JimWarren.tv 

Sonny takes Sam hostage.  Sam helps Sonny gain insight into Carly's point of view.  (GHH2)

As long as they don’t go for romance here, this could be interesting.  Can you imagine?  Sonny makes a friend.  Aaaaw, how nice.  Plus, Sam could use a powerful friend in her corner since Jerky Jax is yankin’ her chain.

Sonny listens in disbelief to Sam’s offer of her

boat for nefarious shipments. 

Carly and Sonny head to France.  Lorenzo flies to France.  (GHH2)

Talk about points for persistence.  I don’t even know what to call Lorenzo’s love – obsessive, stalker, insanely overboard – Carly should be afraid, very afraid.  At least Sonny only breaks glass and suffers the occasional meltdown and depression. 

GH is planning a cool concept for Fan February this year (almost anything would be better than the slap of last year), which appeals to me.  From ABC Soaps in Depth, “ABC Daytime president Brian Scott Frons tells Soaps in Depth that Fan February 2004 will land three lucky viewers on their favorite soap in a scene with their favorite star.  Entering the contest is easy:  Starting Monday, December 1, visit ABC.com/daytime and name the actor you want to share a scene with.  One winner for each soap then will tape an episode to air the first week of February.”  I hope every fan goes for the gold!  For me, the problem would be figuring out who I’d choose to be in a scene with…Jason? (Be still my heart)  Luke? (To stand in the presence of greatness)  Sonny?  (Scary, but I’m up for it)   Alexis?  Carly?  The Q’s?  How could I possibly choose one?

C’mon, everybody enter and we’ll be happy for the three lucky winners. 

The holiday season swings into gear this week.  I know because already radio stations are playing Christmas music 24/7.  I enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s celebrations because life and relationships tend to heighten and become more intensely filled with meaning.  Conversely, that is precisely why stress levels rise alarmingly and why what would constitute a small disappointment in June can become a melodramatic depression inducing incident in December.  Again I state my goal to concentrate on the meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas letting trivial, materialistic, small spirited thoughts, ideas and actions slide by me into a calm pool of clear water where bad stuff sinks to the bottom like a stone and disappears.  This pool of water is very large and can hold unlimited stones.  So, if you feel yourself slipping into a bad place because your turkey burned or your spouse or significant other or Aunt Susie Q didn’t treat you like the princess or prince you are, or your gift ideas are larger than your current checking account balance, pick up the stone that’s weighing you down and throw it into the pool.  Watch the ripples, shrug your shoulders and let it go.  If you still feel bad, feel free to e-mail me.  I can’t solve your problems, but I’ll listen (OK, read, it’s e-mail), sympathize and send you a warmhearted word or silly joke.  May your Thanksgiving be filled with, well…thanksgiving.  I’ll be giving thanks to EOS for letting me express my thoughts and the friends I’ve made here.  Lots of love to you and may your gravy not be lumpy! 

http://www.internetbumperstickers.com 

I love screen caps!  Thanks, Terry.

http://groups.msn.com/GHWorld4 

Have a happy, joyful Thanksgiving!