April 14, 2008

Please come in and have a seat.  Would you like to try our Turn a New Leaf Salad, a tart dish with watercress, arugula, and a miso dressing?  Perhaps you’ll have a palate-cleansing basil lemonade to follow?  When done, you might just leave with a small bit of hope that things may change in Port Charles. 

I believe that Sonny wants to transform himself at last, that he wants to find a way out of the mob for his family’s safety.  I believe that Johnny proceeds with his eyes wide open from here on out, that he gets how the “code” of mobster life is balderdash.  It is all about power; seeking honor and protecting loved ones is but a façade behind which to hide.  I believe that Carly finally, FINALLY, realizes that choosing to raise her son with mobsters, regardless of any inner goodness in those men, was a selfish decision.  Heck, I even believe that Diane and Max will continue to see that there is blood on their hands even though they are but accessories.  I don’t yet believe that this tragedy will actually change anything on the landscape of the show.  Why?  Because our head writer describes the show as “…romance during wartime, for lack of a better term.”  If that’s supposedly the focus of our show, then Michael being shot will but briefly bring clarity into the lives of our main characters. Sure, change could happen and I’ll continue to hope for it but for now, I’ll just enjoy throwing tomatoes as the emperors parade through town wearing their new clothes. 

I’m seriously in love with Kate mentoring Maxie.  I’m not in love with Kate’s unwavering support of Sonny, as she seems to have forgotten she ever had apprehensions about dating a mob man.  She’s the only person in town not having those thoughts presently, which just confounds me.  I’m choosing to believe that she sees Sonny as a man in desperate need of support and once he’s past the darkness of having a child in a coma, she’ll cut all ties.  A girl can dream, can’t she? 

Strangely, I think casting Lulu back in role of a villain makes me enjoy her character again.  She hasn’t been this outwardly snotty since she plotted with Diego to break up the newly wed Georgie and Dillon Quartermaine.  Villainy just suits her better than being the flame to which all young men are drawn.  Don’t get me wrong, just because I can watch this Lulu does mean I’m on her side.  I’m still Team Maxie, all the way! 

It has been so nice to have friend scenes the past couple of weeks!  Liz and Robin talked about life with Jason, Leyla got Nadine to admit that she does have feelings for Nikolas, and Alexis and Diana continue to be pure fun.  These scenes just add so much to the overall make-up of the show because they can give us a chance to understand character motivations without having to resort to voiceovers.  The increasing amount of scenes like these and all of the reflection on the innate fallacies of mob life heartens this viewer’s daytime-watching soul.  Now, if they could just spread out the screen time more evenly...I know, I’m dreaming again. 

Wasn’t Monica’s new hairdo nice?  The lowlights and shorter length become her.  At least she got to appear in front of the judge looking her best!   

I’m glad someone is encouraging Luke to try and be heart healthy even if it is just Alice.  Has his heart attack been transformed into nothing more than just a gag?  That crazy Luke, drinking his scotch even though each sip is building up like seismic energy by a fault line--what a crazy guy! 

Sometimes, when I’m able to get past the inappropriate chemistry that defines the Zacchara siblings, I see them as something else.  Something fishy.  Something like a pair of moray eels circling their prey.  I realize my knowledge of eel behavior is limited to the Little Mermaid animated film but that’s how I see them, ready to strike out at any little crab floating their way. 

Claudia strolls through the Quartermaine mansion just like another character used to do in the mid-90s with her short dresses and long, dark hair.  Yep, she reminded me of Brenda as she flirted with Edward.  Intentional?  Probably not but I figured I’d note it down just in case. 

Ian’s quite the piece of work, isn’t he?  Not just anyone can shoot a kid in the head then calmly assist in the same child’s surgery minutes later.  Are we sure he’s not some sort of cyborg?  I think evil robots have yet to be covered in daytime. 

I still can’t get into The Tale of the Prince’s Grinning Tumor.  Besides the obvious selfishness of letting himself waste away rather than be a parent for his son, there’s the fact that I was never a fan on Nik and Emily.  This entire supposedly romantic story just falls flat for me.  Heck, my favorite pairing for Nik is still Gia.  I don’t think our prince should be matched up with demure little princesses who can do no wrong but women with fire and spunk instead.   Emily’s been boring for me for so long that I just can’t wait for her to float off into the light.  But I do still mourn the loss of yet another Quartermaine especially since the first of their next generation was just put into a coma.  I likewise bemoan the return of Nik’s blubbering sorrow.  He cries like a spoiled five-year old who doesn’t want to take a nap.  Alfred must think there’s a beached whale onshore once Nik starts wailing.   

Come back next week—we’re going to install a new dartboard by the back wall with interchangeable faceplates for all the characters.  Methinks Nadine is eyeing the one with Emily’s photo already!