Dear readers, I had planned to title my column "Love Potion Number Leo" all week because it made me laugh, and I hoped it would make you laugh, too. But then Friday happened. And I can't very well lead with anything other than that our beloved Ava took a fishhook to the gut at the end of Friday's show!
We don't know whose hand was inside that fishing glove or who in Port Charles is a lefty. Our suspect list is long. The possibilities include a resurrected Esme, a drunk Spencer, and Austin's creepy cousin Mason who was seeking Ava because she saw him and Austin fighting. Or maybe it was Ryan, who, as we all know, is not locked in, and if he heard his daughter was missing may have broken out of Spring Ridge. Perhaps it was Liz's alter ego Biz because she's got blood on herself and is acting crazy again. What about her long-lost sister Sarah who may have been calling Finn from the boathouse and wants to destroy Liz's life like always?
Confession: I hated Sarah back in the day. As Helena Cassadine would say, she was insipid. Finally, let's reach deep into the realm of possibility and say maybe Franco is back from the dead with an out-of-control brain tumor.
Who do you think it is? I just don't want Ava to die. Ava is one of my favorite characters. Yes, I know she is flawed and has done terrible things; even so, I root for her. Maybe something is broken in me. I am always drawn to the broken characters. I don't know, but I feel for Ava, and even when she does awful things, I am still on her side. Probably because of Maura West and how compelling she is in every scene with every person she plays against. Her eyes and expressions are worth a million dollars.
Ava is bleeding out at the Q house, but sadly, I didn't see many doctors at the party, not even Monica, who owns the house they are partying in (because Alan gave it to her). There is Finn, of course, but he's moping about Liz telling him for the 50th time to stop meddling in her life and dumping him. Who will find Ava and get her help?
I'm hoping it's Spencer. They have both been wounded by Nikolas, and I am still hoping for a reunion of these two lost souls who used to be friends.
Readers, I cannot gush enough about the spectacularly talented Nicholas Alexander Chavez. It's so hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that Spencer Cassadine is his first significant acting role. Here he is, day in and day out, running rings around veteran actors and holding his own in scenes with legends like Genie Francis, Maurice Benard, and Maura West. Every time Spencer looks at Trina with that deep soulful longing, it makes me physically ache. If his scenes on Friday don't win this young man a Daytime Emmy, I will drive to L.A. and protest.
His ability to go from being a wounded child to an enraged man made me go from wanting to hug him to wanting to hide from him in a split second. He was able to conjure up real tears and break our hearts when many of his more experienced contemporaries couldn't cry on cue after decades on-screen. I am wowed and amazed by him. His scenes on Friday were FIRE. I made my husband, who pretends not to watch GH, come in and watch every minute of his Friday scenes because I wanted him to witness a star being born.
But readers, I confess that Nicholas Chavez's level of talent scares me a little because we never get to keep nice things. I have watched several old Soapnet specials called They Started on Soaps, which showed us that Meg Ryan, Mark Hamill, Tommy Lee Jones, Laurence Fishburne, Justin Hartley, Brad Pitt, John Stamos, Demi Moore, Leo DiCaprio, Morgan Freeman, and many others started on soaps, then went on to become megastars.
I think Mr. Chavez has that potential. I hope we get to keep him for a few years, but if we don't, I will understand. He is destined for great things.
If you are curious, here's a comprehensive list of other celebs who started on soaps! https://ew.com/gallery/celebrities-soap-operas/ Mind you, many incredible performers chose to stay on soaps because they wanted the stability of being able to go home every night and be with their family, so maybe he will decide to stay. Time will tell.
But let's get back to Port Charles. The secret Nikolas (Marcus Coloma) wanted to never come out has come out, and Nik looked shell-shocked as Spencer railed at him, his eyes darting back and forth, searching for a way out. Nik wanted to focus on Ava's big mouth instead of his infidelity, and Spencer wouldn't have it. Spencer pinned his dad to the rails and refused to look away. Nikolas has lost Ava, lost his son, and if my soapy senses are still in tune, he is probably stuck with this mistake for a long time because we know that Esme will show up again, and I'll just bet she's pregnant with a new prince.
I feel a little bit bad for Marcus Coloma. His job this week has been taking it -- he's been at the receiving end of Ava's and Spencer's rage. He has tried to deflect but knows he is in the wrong. He has played humble and apologetic, but no one is ready or willing to receive his apologies. Where does he go from here? How does he make it right? Will Uncle Victor be able to herd the warring Cassadines into a happy family?
Hard to say, but if he does nothing else, I hope Victor, Sonny, or anyone helps Spencer find a way out of Pentonville. All he did was visit his mom's grave. Geesh.
Now I will move on to where I thought I would start all week. Leo's love potion, Nonna's Sicilian Thunderbolt.
Leo heard his mama lamenting about the love potion that could help people who were destined to be together finally figure things out. So, Leo found the recipe and whipped up a batch to try to help our floundering couples find their way together. It was a Russian roulette of beverages because he mixed up two cups full, but they got mixed in with the other drinks, and we don't know who drank them.
We know that several couples who have been stalled finally made moves this week. Dante and Sam figured it out, and Dante and Rocco will move in with Sam and her kids. Chase and Brook Lynne finally kissed, and though Brook Lynn worried it was just the magical punch and not honest, Chase assured her he was into her way before he drank it. Carly and Drew kissed and nearly burned down the Q house. Terry and Yuri became instantly attracted to one another. They started getting to know one another poolside, and Curtis and Portia got engaged. Still, suppose Jordan has anything to say about that. In that case, it may be a short-term engagement because she overheard Portia's phone call about genetic testing for Trina, and Jordan knows that Portia is keeping secrets.
How does she know that? Because Jordan finally got to meet Marshall, and the two had a long conversation where they discussed which one of them was responsible for Tommy's demise. Marshall also explained the mental health issues that made him fearful enough to leave his family.
I really enjoyed their scenes together. Since Jordan was recast, we have not had enough scenes with her in anything other than police mode. It was good to see her as a person talking about her life and relationships. I think there is still hope for her and Curtis.
Hear me out. As we know, Curtis and Portia can't get married because Aunt Stella had a stroke on her way to the Post Office and never mailed their divorce papers. Portia has been lying to Curtis about Trina's paternity her entire life. Curtis is about to find out the truth because either Portia will tell him, Jordan will tell him, or he will find out when he hears Jordan talking about getting Trina tested for the schizophrenia gene. Is there such a thing? I'm afraid to Google it, or Google will think I have it and start sending me ads for meds!
Curtis will be furious when he finds out Trina is his and that he is still legally married to Jordan. One night of revenge sex, and boom! Their marriage is back together. Maybe. We will see how it all plays out.
Let's move across town to the Corinthos clan. Readers, heaven help me, but I love a mobbed-up Sonny. Mike was a swell guy, but when Michael slammed the door on Sonny, he burst in and screamed, "If you ever do that again, it will be the last time you close a door." I was in heaven. I don't know why it is. I would hate a person who acted that way in real life. But on TV, I can't resist it. I grew up with a dad who loved mob movies like The Godfather and Goodfellas -- The Sopranos was his favorite TV show. I can feel my daddy smile when I watch Sonny go all gangster on his kid.
But also, I am glad because I just want someone to tell Michael about himself. I used to love Michael and feel sad for all his heartache and the love he has lost. He was a sympathetic guy. But for quite a while now, he's been acting like an entitled jerk, and I can't stomach him. He's been totally self-absorbed. When Willow's mom died, and she was in intense pain, he only cared about his ELQ deal, sticking it to Sonny, and battling Nina.
Right now, Willow is afraid to tell him she has cancer because, in part, she is worried about his war with Sonny and doesn't want to add to his stress. Every person has the absolute right to decide who they tell about their illness. I am the total opposite of Willow. I would have posted it on all my social media because I am definitely the kind of girl who needs a support system and friends to walk with me through the fire.
Other people I know are private people and don't want anyone knowing their business and would not tell a soul until they dropped. I think Willow wants a support system, but if Michael knew, would he stop and focus on her? I think he would still be out trying to stick it to his dad and Nina. I'm not so sure. I read that Robert Adamson is returning to sub for Michael again, and I'm looking forward to seeing him. I loved him as Noah on The Young and the Restless, and I wish GH could find a place for him.
As for Willow, when Carly finds out Willow is sick, will she finally cave in and tell Willow that Nina is her birth mom? When Willow needs a blood transfusion or bone marrow transplant, Nina may be her only hope.
Readers, did you see the look on Mac's face when he met Cody? Methinks that Mac is definitely Cody's birth father. Dominique and Mac were hot and heavy before Scott entered the picture. Mac and Dominque broke up in 1992, 30 years ago, and Josh Kelly is 40, but hey, in soap logic math, it works. I confess, I had to consult my handy dandy GH encyclopedia because I didn't remember all the dates and details, so I read up. I wish they'd make an updated version of that book. I would be first in line to buy it. Hey! Maybe Liz, Dan, and I should write it.
Maybe that's what all the baby talk Mac and Felicia had a while back was leading up to -- Mac lamenting that he'd never had a kid of his own, and now he may find out he does have a kid. If Mac being Cody's dad will get Cody out of the stables, that would be great. Imagine a "Scorpio and Son" P.I. agency or something. That could be fun. I love the scenes where Mac, Felicia, Anna, Lucy, and other veterans get more screen time. I loved Lucy doing light, flirty spy work for Anna with Victor this week. But even though it may call for a rewrite of history, I find myself loving the idea of Mac getting to be a dad. Mac has always been one of my favorite guys on GH, and John J. York deserves a meaty storyline.
My dearest readers, what are your thoughts on Liz? I know she is not well. I know Finn is all up in her grill against her wishes. Is he right to pursue it, or should he respect her and leave her be? These flashbacks she is having are starting to seem like maybe Liz pushed someone down the stairs due to something having to do with her dad. But what? I can't begin to imagine what the GH writers have conjured up. Rebecca Herbst is stellar, and I know she will play it to the hilt, whatever story they give her. I just hope it's worthy of her.
By the way: a mystery! Where the heck are her kids? I have barely seen Aiden since Franco died, same with Jake, except one day he showed up after Jason died, and we all got to see he'd had a growth spurt and looked remarkably like a young Steve Burton. Cameron gets more airtime than Liz's other kids, but I worry that we may not see him as often if Joss dumps him. I still like the idea of Cam being the one to be kind to Esme when she comes back -- maybe his goodness can soften and save her. And with this, I admit, I miss Esme. Even though she's a conniving little troublemaker, she's fun to watch.
Some hopeful news: Emma Samms is set to return as Holly Sutton, and we can finally get Holly out of captivity. I hope this plot involves bringing Ethan home, and we find out Ethan is Robert's son, after all, for a plethora of reasons.
Also, since Rena Sofer quit The Bold and the Beautiful and was talking with the GH team, does that mean Brook Lynn's mama, Lois, is on her way back to town to reclaim L&B records? Yes, please. Plus, can you imagine a catfight over Ned between Olivia and Lois? Yes, please, sign me up.
What will happen tomorrow, dear readers? Will Selina Wu cash in on her favor to Curtis by turning his bar into mob warehouse central? Will Liz get to wear more lovely summery flowered dresses instead of scrubs? Will Drew and Carly set any more houses on fire with their passionate kissing? Will the good people of Port Charles pick a new hangout as fall creeps in, or will they keep lying by the pool, fully dressed? Will Terry stop calling Liz "Biz" a hundred times a day?
Will couples all over America google the recipe for Sicilian Thunderbolt? Will Ava have revenge sex with Victor? Will Lucy have secret spy sex with Victor? Will Spencer actually get to fly to Greece, go horseback riding, and eat souvlaki after Pentonville? Will Ava heed Victor's threats and get back aboard the sinking ship of her marriage? Will someone tell me when Maxie became a vegetarian? Will Mason return to Pautuck, where he belongs, or will Austin strangle him to death? Will Anna continue to hallucinate Valentin's head in the cornhole board?
Only tomorrow knows, dear readers, and I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows.
Tamilu
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