It feels like dark days lately between Sam dying and Drew and Willow knocking boots, but there are some flashes of light. Let’s discuss in a new General Hospital commentary for the week ending November 15, 2024.
Dear readers, I have been a little gloomy this past week, and I have had to work to pay attention to TV of any kind. The TV that captured my attention best this week was a new Netflix Christmas movie called Hot Frosty, about a snowman who comes to life in the form of a hot guy clothed only in a scarf. That’s a concept I can handle. But lying, scheming, fighting, and angst — I have had my fill of it. I told my co-writer Liz Masters that I found myself getting really angry this week watching soaps because the characters who get away with things and never get caught just hit me a little harder this week as we watch it play out in real life.
The two faces of Drew
Maybe that is why Jason sucker-punching Drew in the face was incredibly satisfying. Drew has an image as an all-American guy, Navy Seal, and hero, and in truth, he’s a sleazy, lying scum ball who is sleeping with his nephew’s wife AND her mother. (Gross) He only got the congressional role because he blackmailed Nina to introduce him to McConkey. He schemed to boot Ned out of ELQ, and before Sam died, he was a negligent dad who hardly ever saw Scout.
Did you watch when Billy Miller was in the role? I loved that version of Drew. When he was recast with Cameron Mathison, they removed all of Drew’s heroic characteristics and turned him into just another rich, privileged white man who takes what he wants. His one act of heroism was to go to prison for Carly, but truthfully, he’s the one who gave her the insider info that got her in trouble in the first place.
I hope Drew goes to Washington, stays there, and only comes home twice a year when Congress is in recess. The final straw for me was the baby playroom floor sex in a house full of people, which was broadcast by the nanny cam onto Michael’s phone. Those two idiots deserve one another. I am jonesing for Willow to find out her crush is also sleeping with her mom. Ewww.
A marriage in crisis
Michael asked Willow if she wanted things to work, and he said they needed to be completely honest, but they were hiding affairs from one another. Was Willow going to come clean before she was summoned to provide health care to her lover?
I love Leslie Charleson and am so sad that she’s not returning to the show, but the writers must address her absence. Why would they call the fledgling nurse instead of the surgeon if Monica is in the house? They need to say, “We sure will miss Monica since she bought that condo in Boca Raton,” or something to let us know she’s not living there anymore.
Everyone in the house knows about Drew and Willow except Lois, and they won’t tell her, citing that she can’t keep a secret. Every time they say that she makes sketchy eyes in Gio’s direction, and I wonder how long it is until we find out he’s Sonny’s love child.
A mansion divided
With all the chaos going on in the Quartermaine mansion, why not add a little more mayhem? Elizabeth suggested that Jason move into the Q house because Danny wants to stay with Scout and Rocco. She said he should not make the kids separate so soon after Sam’s death. Can you imagine Drew and Jason sharing bunk beds at the Q mansion? Ha, that thought makes me laugh. But think of it, if they had grown up together, they might have, so why not make up for lost time now?
Not feeling Lucky
I’m feeling underwhelmed a lot right now. I was over the moon when I heard Jonathan Jackson coming back. I adore him, and I have always loved Lucky. But this slow-burn story that’s taking so long is wearing on me. Lucky continually tells everyone he wants to leave, hoping they will beg him to stay, which is annoying. When Luke Spencer left town, there was no hemming and hawing. He said, ‘I need to get out of here.’ And off he went. Luke never asked Laura forty times whether or not he should leave. So, the writers cannot realistically pin his wishy-washiness on Luke.
There was a glimmer of hope today when Liz told Terry that she still has feelings for Lucky. Maybe if Lucky knows he can have his first love back, he will wash his hair, shake off his blues, and stay in town for Liz, Aiden, Laura, and Lulu. But I don’t want him for her if she has to beg.
Dear General Hospital writers
Also, my plea to the writers, who probably will never see this since we are off off-Broadway right now, is this: Please stop trying to force Natalia and Sonny on us. It’s not working. We don’t want it. They aren’t growing on us. I’m not rooting for them. Sonny and Alexis had more chemistry together while they were grieving Sam together.
The car crash with Kristina and Natalia made me wish it had ended both of them. I know that’s mean, but neither character has my heart right now. Kristina asked Alexis why Sam had died, and Kristina had lived, and many of us asked the same question. I hope the court case blows up on Kristina. I am firmly on Team Ava.
So bad it’s good
I enjoy Ava and Ric together, but I know they would be a terrible influence on each other. But that could be fun. As a bonus, Sonny would hate it if they were together. That alone should be reason enough for them to date.
The scene on Friday with Jason and Ric made me giddy. The way they hate each other is exceptionally entertaining. When Ric dared Jason to hit him, Jason moved his arm, and Ric flinched; I laughed and laughed and rewound the scene three times to watch it again. Ha. Also amusing, when Ric asked Jason if Jason wanted to punch him and Jason replied, “Who doesn’t?”
As to Ric’s daughter Molly, I am so confused about what they are doing with her. First, after she lost her daughter, she was hysterical and inconsolable. Now, she has lost her daughter and big sister, and she’s all smiles and flirting around town. Are they going to chem-test her with every single guy in town? Dex, Isaiah, and maybe Cody, too? When does TJ get to flirt with someone? After all the Q men are done with Willow, she can have a fling with TJ like they accused her of in the past.
Love on the run
In another instance of being underwhelmed, I have wanted a Robert and Holly reunion for years, but now that it’s happened, I am not feeling that immense satisfaction one should feel at the end of a perfect love story. We didn’t get to see the fall back in love. It was more about Holly fleeing town to avoid Sidwell and danger. It was great that Robert showed up in the end and flew off with her into the sunset, but I missed the in-between part. Robert was still declaring his love for Diane right up until that moment. We missed the heartbreak of ending one relationship to go off to be with your own true love. We missed witnessing the cost of that decision.
Thankfully, they aren’t gone for good and will eventually be back to pick up their relationship with their daughter Sasha, who will most likely be pregnant with Michael’s baby and about to make them grandparents.
Sleeping beauty has overslept
I am also underwhelmed by Lulu’s awakening because, after all the hype about her recast, she is still in a coma! Fast-forward, please.
A bright spot
One of my favorite relationships on General Hospital right now is not a couple but a sisterhood. I love Alexis and Diane. When Alexis came in to work this week and Diane walked in, Diane could see Alexis’ need to stay busy, and she just quietly let her work while letting Alexis know she would be there to support her. I have loved their friendship for so long. I’m only sad that they made Alexis an alcoholic because I loved it when those two went on drinking binges together.
Diane got her heart broken by Robert, but she’s not one to wallow, so I expect her to pick a new boy toy soon. Max and Magic Milo are due for a visit.
I hope that as we move into the holiday season, the writers will give us more magic, romance, and holiday joy instead of so much death, heartache, and destruction.
What will happen tomorrow, dear readers?
Will Jack and Carly ever have a fling, or are we still pretending that Sonny and Carly are a couple? (Or have we just forgotten about Jagger’s murder and dropped that entire storyline?) Will Spinelli find Valentin before Christmas so I can watch Anna smooch him under the mistletoe and then have him serenade her at the piano while wearing a tux? Will Felicia become Sasha’s surrogate mom? Will Lulu listen to Laura’s plea and finally wake up before 2025? Will Kai Taylor ever do his homework and get back on Trina’s good side? Will Dante survive the pain of saying goodbye to Sam? Will Isaiah take the job at General Hospital so we can have doctors there again?
Only tomorrow knows, dear readers, and I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows.
Tamilu
More of Tamilu’s commentaries
To read more of Tamilu’s “Greetings From the Road” series of columns, visit her Author Page.
Since you’re a woman, I’m curious about your take on one scene this week. What did you think of Michael showing Jason the willow/drew video? Do you think that Michael crossed the line doing that? Personally, I don’t think that Michael had any malicious, revenge porn-like intentions. I think he just showed it to Jason so that Jason could understand why Michael was so upset. But I’m a guy, so it’s probably easier for me to dismiss that. What are your thoughts?
I’m not Tamilu, but I am a woman. I was not bothered for two reasons:
1. We don’t know which portion of the video that Michael showed Jason. It’s unlikely that Jason sat there watching the whole thing because Jason doesn’t strike me as the type that would watch a video like that in its entirety. Seeing Drew and Willow kiss, begin to undress each other and grabbing a pillow and blanket to throw on the floor would be enough.
2. Jason isn’t just his uncle. He’s a father figure that Michael has always been able to count on to have his back no matter what. He’s also been someone he can trust with a secret.
Thank you for your input. I agree with everything you said. Plus, there’s a difference between showing it to one person and putting it online.
I don’t think Michael would show it to Jason in a revenge sort of way, and I think Jason would be the only person he would show it to because there is absolute trust between them. Jason would never post it in social media or shame Willow about it. But he will definitely hold Drew accountable. But in general, no, no one should show an unauthorized video of anyone else having sex. I always feel sympathy for celebrities when their private moments are broadcast to the world.
So do you think that Michael was wrong to show it to Jason?
The scene between Ric and Jason was good. There are not many good scenes any more. You know it’s getting bad when the writers actually make you lose interest in your old favorites, like Robert and Holly. I used to like
Lucky, but now someone needs to tell him to get over himself.
Sasha goes to GH for a bruised shoulder and they send in a patient advocate? It seems like they just add characters to the show and don’t have a plan about what to do with them.
I agree with all of that. I hope that once Liz confesses that she still has feelings for Lucky he will spring back to life and become the Lucky I used to love. As to Sasha, I wonder what she will do moving forward? I am guessing it won’t be so fun baking brownies in the Q kitchen when she can’t make out with her boyfriend in between batches. 🙂
To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in Terry. Why does Liz admitting to having feelings for Lucky mean that those feelings are necessarily romantic?
My parents divorced years ago, but they remained the best of friends until the day my dad died. Each went on to marry other people, but after my mom’s husband died and my dad’s second wife decided to move back to Austria to be closer to her daughters and grandchildren, my parents were always there for each other.
They were each other’s dates to events, they went out to dinner on a regular basis, they gardened together, and my mom would stay at my dad’s whenever the kids and I visited. However, there was no romance. It was just two people who shared a family and loved and respected each other. They were companions and friends.
My dad’s 2nd marriage didn’t end either. It was just slightly unconventional. My dad did business in Europe, so he would fly to Europe for 3-4 weeks stretches every couple of months to visit his wife.
It makes sense that Liz will always have a special place in her heart for Lucky because of everything they’ve been through together. But romance?
As a friend, I would never encourage someone I cared about to pursue a relationship with a guy who abandoned her child like Lucky did Aiden and is always threatening to leave. Lucky is a walking red flag and definitely not in a place to have a healthy romantic relationship.
I’m afraid a confession at this point won’t really snap Lucky out of anything, but rather give him an opportunity to jump to the good part without doing the necessary work. A recipe for disaster.
I’ve been watching episodes from the 90s when he and Liz fell in love. I want that lucky back. He’s so different now.
I want Lucky to grow up and be a man not a spoiled child who only thinks about himself and acts impulsively. Aiden deserves better than a father who is constantly looking for excuses to leave.
I love the story about your parents. It’s wonderful that they have such a warm and civil relationship post divorce. <3 – But as for Lucky, I don't want to see the work. I want immediate soapy gratification of a reunion I have been waiting for for year. 🙂
Dear Tamilu – Once again, you have read my mind and articulated it onto paper.
I loved Jason’s one -two on Drew.
I hate that Holly got Robert to leave with her. I am sorry to TR, but I have a hard time imagining a 78 year old man being able to protect Holly from the danger she is in. I love Rebert Scorpio, but this fiasco left a sour taste in my mouth.
Alexis learned much about her middle daughter with Krissy’s rant this week. Alexis’s gentle attempts to forewarn Krissy about the justice system should have been a 2X4 to the head, with a “snap out it” for good measure. Krissy needs help, and perhaps Ric’s grilling on the stand will be what send her to Ferncliffe for a much needed rest and intensive therapy.
Willow – there are days that I think she needs out patient therapy (perhaps she and Krissy could meet for coffee in the FernCliffe lounge?) – she has a problem with the truth – the real truth – and not her reality of truth. Her savior complex has clouded her thinking – again, and she is on the verge of losing everything she loves and values in her life.
I look forward to Lulu waking up for all the ripple effects – who will move where? We already have a housing dilimma for Dante and “the kids” (who goes where and withe whom). Yes, this is silly and tedious in the bigger frame of the story, but Lulu coming out of the coma affects a ton of people! Maxie and her family, Scout, Danny, Rocco, Charlotte (amon the missing), Jason, Dante, Drew, Lucky (who I think is in Laura’s condo). That said – I hope she wakes up in the middle of the funeral – Sam’s gift truly would be a saving gift.
Are we betting on morning sickness for the reason Sasha’s Thanksgiving dinner for the Qs fails this year? I know viewers are getting tired of pizza, but I love the reason for the pizza – a small gift of creativity from the writing team. The live turkey was one of the best….
May the grocery stores have everything you need as you prep your list for your Thanksgiving dinner!
I also love the Q’s pizza fiasco every year. It’s a holiday tradition for me just like watching Miracle on 34th Street. 🙂 I also agree that Krissy and Willow could benefit from some counseling. Both Willow and Kristina were in Dawn of Day, so maybe it’s part of their cult brainwashing popping up. LOL
Thank you for mentioning Billy Miller’s version of Drew. The Roku Channel has been airing episodes of GH from that era recently, and it is such a bittersweet delight to see him onscreen again (as well as Roger Howarth’s Franco). Cameron Matheson’s Drew is an entirely different person and definitely not in a good way 👎🏻
Yes, totally agree on all counts
See, now I feel like I need Roku channel. I would love to see them both. I miss their faces. When I watch GH now with so many recasts and new faces it is jarring sometimes. I go to YouTube a lot and watch classic GH scenes to remind myself why I fell in love with it in the first place.
I found you Tamilu and Liz and I am soooooo happy to read your takes on our beloved show that they seem to be doing their darnedest to turn into an icky depressing mess. I could not agree more that the scenes between Diane and Alexis were the best in recent memory (with Jason clocking Drew coming in second.)
Again I’m so happy to have found and been able to enjoy your writing, and thank you!
I speak for Lizilu (their smooshed name 😆) when I say that I am glad you found us over here.
I am glad you found us, too, and also glad Dan gave Liz and I a smoosh name. LOL