**The Week in Review: June 30 - July 4**

I. The Spencers

A. Luke and Alexis

Alexis:  "What deep, dark Cassadine secret are you on the trail of tonight?"
Luke:  "Well, actually, I'm a devoted bird watcher.  Hadn't anybody told you that?  And currently, Spoon Island is the nesting spot of the rare but deadly yellow-bellied bloodsucker."

This cracked me up.  I was all prepared for him to launch into a reprise of the birdcalls he and Sonny once did in the middle of one of their capers (when they were bringing the assassin into the country in, oh, Fall 1993 or so).

Alexis:  "Keep watching the third floor windows.  You may get to see Mrs. Lansbury take out her teeth.  She thinks no one knows."
Luke:  "Well actually, I, I can't really see the House of Usher very well from here, but I can smell the rot and mildew.  I imagine that's why they can't sell these pricey condos.  Who wants to live downwind of Wyndemere."

Terry, here's your chance for a Poe discussion.  One of the standard psychoanalytic readings of "The Fall of the House of Usher" says that the brother raped the sister before she died, or that they were having consensual incest.  And Luke continues to refer to the Cassadines and their mansion as The House of Usher.  Coincidence?  I think not.  I'd like to think it's a nice, subtle suspicion and/or insult on Luke's (or at least Geary's) part.  Now whether there has ever been anything between these cousins I remain unconvinced either way.  But it's something to think about.

Alexis:  "Well keep fiddling with the focus.  I'll wave to you from the front stoop.  How's that?"
Luke:  "That'd be great.  A hand is kind of a small target, though.  Could you moon me?"
Alexis:  "Goodnight, Luke."
Luke:  "Oh, uh, what's your rush, Alexis?"
Alexis:  "Well, it's late, I'm tired, the launch is waiting, and as fascinating as you are, I'd rather be unconscious."
Luke:  "Even if I had a scintillating proposal that would be to our mutual benefit?"
Alexis:  "I know I'm going to regret this.  What the hell.  What's the proposal?"

This was so very fun.  This exchange is from Monday's episode, and obviously Luke was stalling her to keep her from interrupting what he thought Bobbie was managing to do in the house, but I suspect his offer to work together to get Bobbie out of there wasn't mere repetition.  I suspect he was feeling Alexis out again, trying to find out if her relationship to Bobbie had brought out any chinks in her Cassadine armor.  Maybe not, but I like to think so.

Luke:  "Did you see that movie, uh, 'Bride of Frankenstein?'"
Alexis:  "Um-hmm."
Luke:  "Um-hmm, you did?  You know, with Elsa Lanchester that played the bride of the monster with that...on her head...that beehive from hell?  You know?  Every time the monster went to touch her she would go 'Hisssssssss'.  She would have run from him, except that, you know, she had those big shoes and her, uh, joints were stiff from regeneration.  Now my question to you would be how do we get Bobbie to wanna run from the monster."
Alexis:  "Excuse me?"
Luke:  "Oh, don't rev up you indignation engines, Miss Davis.  Come on, now.  Hear me out.  Bobbie in the master's master bedroom is no good to you and it's no good to me.  And they say two heads are better than one, unless yours is only good for tossing your hair."
Alexis:  "So you're inviting me to what?  Plot the breakup of my cousin's marriage?"
Luke:  "Oh, I wouldn't call it a marriage.  It's a sort of variation on all those years that my mother in law spent.  You know, when Stefan drugged her?  She literally drooled into a dribble glass.  See, that's the prototype for all his relationships with women.  See, right now the drug that he's pumpin' into Bobbie is green.  And it's got portraits of dead presidents on it."

Alexis:  "Listen, if you're lonely with your wife away, you should try talk radio.  Your opinions will be very important to them."

And along the way we got not only a cigar *and* a great shot of Luke's Doc Martens (though that was on Friday, I think), but so much wonderful dialogue.  I'd love to know exactly what appears on the page before Geary and Grahn get a hold of it.

I think, in the middle of all of this, that Luke's hit something about Stefan.  In his talking about Stefan's relationships with women, he said that Stefan gives all his women drugs, and the drug he's giving Bobbie is money.  Now, to lighten Luke's exaggerations up a bit, I think that's right.  So far, we've seen a Stefan who always believes he will win the woman if he can give her exactly what she wants.  He did it with Bobbie.  He tried to do so with Laura, offering her mother as wedding present and a relationship with Nikolas as a way to come back into her life.  The thing is, I don't think Stefan realizes that this is what he's doing.  And I wonder what he thinks he can give Katherine to win her.  Maybe it was the listening ear and encouragement.  Maybe it will be the money.  Maybe it's just the belief that he's the only one in the world she can love and who can love her the way she deserves.  Or maybe, just maybe, he has found a woman he could actually love, rather than buy and/or obsess over.  I'd like to see that happen, but I don't see it in the writing yet.

Luke:  "Hey, aren't you supposed to be the mistress of the manor?  Isn't that what you were groomed for?  I mean, it's gotta be hard on you every time Bobbie puts bean salad and tuna surprise on the menu, every time she wonders if the Elvis on black velvet look best at the top of the stairs or over the fireplace.  Why do you play second banana to such a low rent peasant?"
Alexis:  "I don't think of myself as a number.  Or a tropical fruit.  And you don't think of your sister as a dimwitted bimbo with bad taste."
Luke:  "No, but I know how you people look at her.  Because you prefer your intimates like your Faberge eggs.  Ornate on the outside and inside, no yolk.  Hollow.  Bobbie with her big heart and her guts and her goofy dreams.  Man, she's like, she's like, been abducted by aliens."

And this struck me as well.  Alexis seems to like Bobbie, and I hope they can salvage some kind of peace out of this thing.  But do we think that part of Alexis' objections to that marriage were because she thought Bobbie was an inappropriate choice for a Cassadine wife?  I don't think so, but at the same time I'm beginning to wonder about the reasons she dislikes Katherine so much.  Is it because she knows about Katherine's background?

Luke:  "You don't know Spencers at all if you think my sister or me are forgiving souls."
Alexis:  "Really?  Because that's exactly what she is."
Luke:  "Well then you haven't crossed her yet."

At the same time, I love that Alexis had Luke's number on Bobbie.  She can see very clearly that he loves her, and it clicked right then that they were still close and still a team.  Of course, she believed that this had been a hoax from the very beginning, which gives them a little more credit, actually, in thinking that they could turn Stefan's marriage to Barbara on its ear and use it for their own gain.  But even though she's giving them some credit for scheming, her belief that Bobbie never loved Stefan shows that she doesn't know Bobbie.  And in the above exchange, I think she would have done well to take Luke's words to heart about Bobbie--even though she's right as well.  It always amazes me how these two families can be so right about each other and so wrong all at the same time.

Of course, at the same time Stefan was telling Bobbie that she was a whore, Luke was telling Alexis that if she confronted Stefan with her suspicions, she'd be the one out on the pavement.  Nice juxtaposition.

B. Bobbie with Stefan

The scenes on Monday between these two were excellent.  They brought out everything I like and dislike (or at least worry about) in both of these characters.  I want to talk about the scene from both points of view, however, so the comments on Stefan appear in the Cassadine section.

Bobbie:  "It came off when you were asleep."
Stefan:  "That's funny.  I don't remember falling asleep."

Stefan:  "You drink this.  And you drink it for me.  You show me that the best life has to offer is not wasted on you."

Bobbie:  "Stefan, you have no right to play the injured party here."

Bobbie knew she was caught from the first moment Stefan grabbed her.  She did her best to lie her way out of it, but when Stefan said he had never been asleep she knew this could only end badly.  I was proud that she continued to protect the whole truth, giving him only enough to meet his demands.  When Stefan faced her down over the drugged glass of port, she responded by moving into angry wife mode, claiming that all her curiosity was based in her suspicions about him and Katherine (I loved the reminder that Katherine isn't all sweetness and light).  Each time he called her on one of her lies, she admitted just enough to move on to another complaint of her own.  She never admitted everything she knew, and, in fact, let him think she was simply stupid and angry.  Good job, Bobbie.

Throughout these scenes, you could see the fear and pain just under the surface, but Bobbie never cracked.  She stood her ground, demanding that she was the injured party.  And indeed she is.  She's been used, manipulated, lied too, etc.  Despite this, she is at fault as well.  She broke her trust and promises in this sham of a marriage too, and she has betrayed the man she chose to marry.  Of course I think she chose wisely when she chose loyalty to family over loyalty to this man who used her.  But not everything between them was a lie, and her actions will have repercussions on Nikolas.  And that is her main transgression, in my eyes.

Bobbie:  "How could I ever compare Tony to you.  Next to you, he's Bambi.  Do you have any idea how it turned my stomach to lie in bed next to you knowing what you are?  First you shot her, and then you figured, hey, as long as she was on her back.  If you had killed her would you have climbed up onto the corpse?"

At the same time, her anger at Stefan's relationship to Katherine wasn't all a fabrication.  I think it hurt her to realize not only that she chose poorly for the squillionth time when it came to her relationships, but also that her husband preferred another woman to her.  She was already insecure about being his wife, and to know that all those times he was placating her he was actually in love with someone else must really hurt.  He didn't want her.  And Bobbie is a woman who needs to be wanted.

Finally, though, I hope that she comes to a realization out of this about her past problems with Tony.  She always faulted him for his jealousy of her and Damien Smith, and she never understood.  Finally, she even, at times, blamed him for her actual affair.  I hope that she can, at some point, look at her feelings about Stefan's affair and see that just because he was, technically, not cheating on her, the transgression was real.  I'm not saying I want Bobbie to have to relive the pain over that whole Damien Smith thing.  I just don't think she's ever been able to clearly see Tony's side in all of their problems, and I'd like to think this could help.

Stefan:  "What are you waiting for?  What are you doing?"
Bobbie:  "I was just looking for something that I used to see in you.  And I just realized.  It was never there."

Bobbie:  "I don't want anything that you gave me.  You only thought you bought me.  If I'm a whore, I'm a whore you couldn't afford."
Stefan:  "Don't keep your brother waiting.  I'll ruin you both."
Bobbie:  "We'll let a judge decide who gets to ruin who."

When Stefan threw her out, Bobbie pulled herself up straight and landed a few parting blows, and then she donned her plain old trench coat and went to the docks to find her brother (I was surprised we didn't have a shot of Alexis and Bobbie passing each other).  And I don't think she was talking about the divorce court with that last one.

C. Sibling Comfort

Luke:  "See, that's the great thing about fightin' an octopus.  When he's got you with one arm you can always chop off seven others.  We'll make him bleed."

Luke:  "There's a silver lining here, and it's not that hard to see.  I got you out of that nightmare.  And you're not goin' back.  And he's not gonna touch you anymore.  And tonight you're gonna sleep safe in a bed just down the hall from my bed and you're gonna have to put your, your uh, pillow over your head just like I do because I have a teenage son who snores.  Barbara, really.  If the Cassadines are gonna rule the world, to hell with 'em.  Let 'em have it.  I got you under my roof and out from under his."

When Bobbie came out to Luke, it was clear things were terribly wrong.  Bobbie apologized for not succeeding, but Luke was more concerned that she was hurt.  She even apologized about not being able to convince him Luke wasn't involved, but he reassured her it didn't matter.  She wanted to succeed, for her brother and for herself, and this was one more thing she thinks she didn't manage to do quite right.  And the strain of the entire confrontation was coming down on her.  I felt so sorry for her, but she had the comfort of her brother, who was just happy to have her out of there safe and sound.  She went with him to the Spencer house because she thought Tony was still at the brownstone.  And because she just wanted to be with Luke.

Luke:  "Well, Ruby always did know how to show a guy a good time."

Luke:  "I don't think it'll be that hard on him, Barbara.  I mean, maybe to a kid a place like that is, uh, like a big fun house, you know, the hall of mirrors and the house of horrors all rolled into one, but nobody wants to live on an E ticket ride."
Bobbie:  "How do our kids survive our personal lives?"
Luke:  "I guess the same way we did."

Luke:  "That's ok.  We still got breakfast foods.  I got, uh, leftover pizza, and I got two-day-old tacos I don't recommend.  Ah, but if we're lucky there's still some take-out Thai."

Bobbie:  "But most of all, thank you for not saying 'I told you so.'"
Luke:  "Did I leave that out?  I hope I'm not losing my edge."

The next morning (Tuesday's episode) at the Spencer house dawned bright, and Luke and Bobbie chatted about Lucas a bit.  I absolutely adored the line about the E ticket ride.  I remember those so well.  Bobbie passed on breakfast and thanked him for everything--even badgering her into questioning Stefan.  He told her he was proud of her because it took guts to look a mistake square in the eye, but she was still worried about Stefan's retaliation.

Luke:  "That's right.  Bobbie left that pile of rocks and mold in the middle of the water and she and Lucas are gonna hang with us until they get sick of us."

Luke:  "So we all keep our antennae open for any signals, because I guarantee you Stefan is one unhappy gargoyle this morning.  Who's for Thai food?"

Lucky came downstairs and was very happy to see his aunt there safe and sound.  They updated each other, and Luke was almost giddy with happiness over the promise of Stefan's frustration.  Too funny.  On Lucky's way out, he called his dad aside to tell him that a disk from the WSB was coming in that day and to offer to stay home.  They covered with a louder conversation about Lucky borrowing money (quite humorous) so Bobbie wouldn't be worried.  Lucky was off to his volunteering, and Bobbie said Stefan had mentioned the person he hired as a big bad wolf, but she didn't know who he'd hired.

Bobbie:  "How could I trust that man, let alone marry him?  Tony was right to wanna sue me for custody.  I know I've made some, uh, wrong choices with men, and I certainly don't have to tell you that, but, wow.  This was the regression of all time.  It was stupid, it was self destructive, and it was dangerous.  And the worst part is people I love are going to have to live with the consequences of my irresponsibility."

Tuesday marked my one-year anniversary with GH.  Bobbie drove me crazy from the moment I saw her, but I've learned to see her potential and even love her in the same way Luke does.  She still drives me batty, but I don't want to see her hurt and hate to see her make bad choices (which I still slap her for).  Now, I actually admitted that I had considered becoming FGC Bobbie to mark my anniversary, but since there was no begging from Adrian, the offer's been retracted for another year.  ;)

Bobbie:  "Nikolas is not Stefan."
Luke:  "No, but he's sittin' on the bench.  He's definitely part of the Cassadine team."

Seriously, though, I loved this moment of full self-understanding.  The thing I fault Bobbie for most often is her lack of self-awareness, and she got it all right this time.  She's worried about all the right things now.  And she, like Alexis, is worried about Nikolas, while Stefan and Luke don't give him a second thought, seemingly.  Yet here is another woman who loves Nikolas and has chosen sides against him in his eyes.

After the family left, Luke got the disk and started hacking away at the computer.  Not only can the man dial the phone and keep me entertained, he can type and accomplish the same thing.  ;)

D. Bobbie

Back at the hospital, Bobbie ran into Amy straight away, who made an uncomfortable comment about Wyndemere.  Amy went on to squeal over Audrey, who was there to pick up messages and little things.  Sarah was there to work in the volunteer program, and went off to the meeting.  Bobbie came back to hug Audrey as well, and Audrey thanked her for saving her life.

Stefan greeted Audrey and stopped Bobbie and Tony as well to let them know he wanted them to investigate the drug theft and that he planned to press charges.  Bobbie's face was great when she realized what he was doing.  Now at this point, I was assuming that Bobbie would tell Tony or Audrey what was going on--the whole truth, or as much as she could tell.

She confronted Stefan instead, and told him that she wouldn't let him get away with it.  She said she would put up a fight and do as much damage as he did.  He threatened her, telling her this was only the beginning.

E. Lucky and Sarah

Sarah:  "Well, may the best woman win."
Lucky:  "Yes!  Yes!  I did it.  I won.  I'm the best woman."

Sarah:  "Well, I challenge you to a rematch, mister."
Lucky:  "I accept.  Laptops at dawn.  Foster will be my second."
Sarah:  "Well, who's Foster?"
Lucky:  "My dog."

Lucky and Sarah chatted a bit before the meeting.  They talked about the job and about Lulu, and she recognized immediately that he adored his sister.  His story about Lulu throwing the toy on the floor was a scream.  He admitted she was out of the country but gave no details, then they settled into a computer game.  Lucky won, and not graciously, but was a scream!

Nikolas showed up and reprimanded Lucky.  Lucky told him he was working here, and Nikolas revealed that he was in charge.  Lucky began to spout, and understandably so, given this surprise (next time it wouldn't be understandably).  Argument ensued, and Nikolas brought up the stuff with Bobbie.  Lucky left, saying he wouldn't work there.  Now, as I said, up to this point I was behind Lucky all the way.  Yes he should have controlled himself, but he's a teenager, and he's seeing everything that happened the night before through very emotional eyes.  I can excuse it and feel for him...this time.

But Lucky came back, and Sarah got him into playing a game with one of the kids.  She told him he was good at this, but despite his predictions she didn't say he should try to get along with Nikolas.  She still says she doesn't like Nik.  But she told him also that he shouldn't let Nik stop him from doing something that he loves to do.  Good advice.

Lucky:  "I wouldn't call it that."

Nik came back as well, and Lucky kept his temper a bit better this time.  But Nik made a snide remark about what the hospital had done for Lulu, and it came out that they were brothers.  Nik explained that they shared the same mother, but Lucky wouldn't comment.  He just left, leaving Nik to explain to Sarah.

F. Luke v. the Cassadines

Luke:  "Well then you better have me tossed off.  Yadda yadda, boom boom boom, same ol' song.  But the duet is over Stefan.  You and I ain't singin' together anymore because now you've gone too far."

Stefan:  "Why don't you do something novel and get to the point."

After seeing the Russian writing on the screen at the end of Thursday's episode, on Friday Luke showed up at the retreat house baiting Stefan.  Now of course we knew he wasn't going to tell Stefan everything he knew, and I thought it a hoot that he had shown up to follow up Bobbie's performance.  And, at the same time, make sure Stefan thought he didn't know anything.  Smart move, and I was sorry to see Stefan write him off so easily...again.

Luke:  "It may be difficult for you to understand this.  But marriage to a Spencer means you don't splash around in someone else's pool."

Luke ranted about Barbara being thrown out of the house, about Katherine, etc.  Of course, at the above line I expected some kind of snide comment from Stefan, given the histories of the Spencer women.  But he proves again that he can play the game better than his protégé Nikolas.

Luke:  "You seduced a woman in a wheelchair so she wouldn't finger you as her shooter.  Even I find that repellant."

You know, with all this talk about Katherine walking again and what Stefan did to her, I almost forgot that this secret hasn't come out yet.  I thought that maybe Alexis was nervous around Katherine because she knew her history as a fortune-monger.  But she didn't have to go that far back to find reason not to want Katherine around.  If something goes wrong between her cousin and Katherine, she could let go this little bomb.

Luke:  "And when the computers crashed at the hospital and you turned into Mr. Fix-it, it occurred to me.  On-line.  E-mail, chatrooms, bulletin boards.  Little messages left on heart-shaped screens for each other.  See, there's Blondie, alone in her apartment, confined to a wheelchair.  And then there's you, in the bowels of the mausoleum after everybody goes to sleep, exchanging intimacies in the romantic glow of electronic candlelight."

Luke:  "Is she walkin' today, or are you two still playin' roller nasty?"

Stefan:  "This is absurd.  Clearly I don't have Katherine hidden in the bushes or some such nonsense, and whatever it is you thought you would find here is obviously alluded you, so leave."
Luke:  "Wrong, Romeo.  I got everything I need.  Enjoy life while you can."
Stefan:  "Define everything you need."
Luke:  "Oh, whoa.  Sorry.  This conversation just took a much too philosophical turn for me."
Stefan:  "Indulge me.  What is it you think you have?"
Luke:  "Everything I wanted has happened.  Barbara and her kid are off island of the damned.  Mission accomplished."

But back to the men.  The best moment was when Luke started in about the hospital and what he'd realized.  Stefan almost looked concerned, but Luke simply said he had figured out that they conversed via email.  He said maybe Bobbie found the files, or maybe that's what was in the big bad box.  He claimed Barbara saw a file with Katherine's name on it and he went in to look around.  He even called out for Katherine.  Ha!  Even Stefan laughed at that one.  But he was laughing because he thought Luke was as dumb as he looked.  There was a moment of hope during the above exchange when I thought Stefan would realize that Luke knows more than he's telling.  No such luck.  Either that, or he doesn't care what Luke knows because he doesn't believe Luke can do anything to stop him.  Wrong move on his part.

Alexis:  "Trespassing again, Mr. Spencer?"
Luke:  "Ya, you wanna slap me silly?"
Alexis:  "Don't tempt me."

Luke threatened him, saying if he laid a hand on any Spencer he'd kill him.  Alexis showed up just about then.  The wink he gave her as he left was priceless, as was her reaction.  He went home and called Laura, elated that the message he had on his screen was the same as Stefan's and saying he was working on figuring it out.

G. Bobbie

Bobbie:  "I'm, um, concerned about how all of this is going to affect Lucas.  He shouldn't have to suffer because I have a stupid attack."

In the meantime, Bobbie was at the hospital finding Tony.  I wanted her to tell him the truth and explain things.  He'd be on her side.  But she didn't.  She did, however, tell him about Stefan throwing her out.  She apologized for her misjudgment and for her treatment of him.  She told him she was dropping the suit because Lucas needs his father.  Tony assured her he needed his mother too.  But the conversation went from there to Carly, and Tony had to admit they were back together.  Bobbie looked stunned, but she said she was happy for him if that's what he wanted.  

Audrey came up as Tony left, though, and asked her about the drugs.

II. The Cassadines

A. Stefan with Bobbie

Stefan:  "What kind of poison was that?"

Bobbie:  "Katherine Bell is trash, and she always will be."
Stefan:  "Oh, that's a presumptuous judgment coming from a woman of your choice background."
Bobbie:  "Well, at least I never pretended to be anything but what I am, unlike the two of you."
Stefan:  "And for that you were going to murder me in my bed?"

While Bobbie came out of this confrontation looking pretty good, Stefan came out looking pretty bad to me, at least at first viewing.  He threw Bobbie's past in her face, made her feel like trash, acted as if she was the only one at fault in their marriage, etc (and he began attacking Bobbie about her past just as she started attacking Katherine).  I was angry with him for calling her a whore and for calling her stupid.  I was disappointed that he would lose control so badly that he would stoop to such low blows (but he was such fun to watch!).

But then, later on, I realized that Stefan believed she had tried to *kill* him, not just knock him out.  And that would indeed be a transgression, whether spousal or personal, that would rattle anybody.  Finally, while I would hope he would recognize his own mistakes and crimes (for lack of a better word) and breaches of trust with Bobbie, I ended up as much on his side as hers.  He has given her everything she thought she wanted.  He would have defended her in the custody battle, and he wanted her to be there for Nikolas.  His lies were lies of omission, rather than commission.  And while I believe that he would not have been able to keep himself from an affair with Katherine if this marriage had gone on, he had not, technically, cheated on his wife.  I do fault him for insisting that he hadn't broken trust with her at all; while he doesn't want to term what he has with Katherine an affair, there was definitely emotional disloyalty.

Stefan:  "But you know, nothing I've done deserves this vile act from you.  Nothing.  Now I think you know this much about me.  I never forgive.  And I never forget."

Finally, the only thing reason Bobbie really had for turning on him was because she was a Spencer and he was a Cassadine (unless, of course, you count that world domination plan, but that makes things too simple for my taste).  Personally and as a couple they had their problems, but he had done nothing to warrant an attack on his life, which is what he thought this could be.  Even when he granted that she wasn't trying to kill him, such a physical attack and attempt to steal information for her family was not a warranted action.  He has never attacked the Spencers through Bobbie in this direct and quantifiable/demonstrable way (though I believe now that part of his reason, if not his only reason, in marrying her was to anger Luke).

Bobbie:  "Stefan, I found the box.  I saw the slot.  I asked myself what could conceivably fit in it."
Stefan:  "You don't have the wiles or the intellect to make that deduction."

Stefan:  "You betrayed me with another man.  But not just any other man.  My mortal enemy.  Your brother."
Bobbie:  "That's right.  Luke wants to see you burn in hell.  And I wanna light the match!"

But Stefan underestimates Bobbie.  He demanded that she admit she was working with Luke--actually, that she admit this was Luke's idea.  She hedged with some talk about the affairs she wished she had, and told him that she found the box herself and figured out that the medallion would probably fit in it.  He called her stupid.  And I think that he believes she is.

Actually, I think this is what made him the maddest of all.  He had pegged Bobbie as a simpleton, a woman who could be easily controlled.  He's said so all along, that he could control her.  He was wrong, and again his mistake in judgment has affected--or nearly affected--the plan, and has, at the very least, affected Nikolas.  Possibly more importantly, Bobbie's kept him away from Katherine, and for nothing.

Stefan:  "So.  All along.  The two of you.  And you let him use him like a common pimp."
Bobbie:  "Well that pimp saved your nephew's life, so spare me your piety."
Stefan:  "Oh yes, If only to turn him against me.  As if I were helpless to prevent it.  Well his wife knows better, I promise you."

Stefan:  "So you allowed your brother to send you to my bed?  You full of make believe ardor, he full for make believe outrage?"
Bobbie:  "You give me far too much credit.  I don't have the wiles or the intellect to pull off a plan on such a grand scale.  No.  The truth is, I was stupid enough to love you.  Stupid enough to choose you over the brother who raised me and supported me all my life.  But that's really all you ever wanted from me, isn't it?  So what right do you have to be disappointed."

But he doesn't believe she's intelligent.  He just believes that he misjudged her loyalty to her brother.  He believes that Luke's controlling her now, and doesn't have a sense of the myriad of reasons Bobbie's turned against him.  And not all of those have to do with his plan to take over the world (resisting another Pinky and the Brain comment here).  They have to do with his everyday treatment of her.  And it's clear from the above that he doesn't fully understand the importance of the Nikolas-and-the-cliff incident either (though the writers seem to have dropped that one too, so it doesn't matter).

Stefan:  "But you were as poison as that glass.  And it's now time to cut the poison out."

I was immediately reminded of Stefan telling Laura the same thing when he sent her away to Switzerland.  He talked of her as poison too.  By this time he was ranting about her whore's clothes and out of control.

This break up was inevitable.  I knew that when it started.  And I don't think we would have bought it if it had been pretty.  While Bobbie's stealing the drugs may be sloppy writing, I'm less concerned with the faulty logic there (on her part and on the writers') because of the way in which they used that scenario to demonstrate so many things about this pairing even as they split it up.

And now we get Bobbie v. Stefan, which could be very much fun.  But I hope that somewhere along the way he'll understand that she did love him once, and that he did play a very real part in her turning against him.

B. Nik and Katherine

Nik:  "I think he finally realized that he had to let go...of you."

Nik came to visit Katherine on Monday's show.  He commented that she was tall and made her walk around.  He gave her a present and she immediately assumed it was from Stefan.  He didn't take issue with that, but he told her that he believed his Uncle, when he saw her walk, realized that he had to move on.  Katherine was none too happy about that.

The present was a pair of ice skates.  A sweet gesture, full of faith.  He had bought them for her before her accident, but didn't want to give them to her until now, when he was sure she could use them.  He's still worried that she won't want to see him anymore, but she told him it was over and they were still friends.  I do like Nikolas, and I fear for what Stefan and Katherine's relationship will do to him.  And what Bobbie's actions will do to him.  I know that he's strong and that I can't wish that nothing bad would happen to him again, but sometimes I think he'll never get a chance to sort things out or to choose a stand on things because disloyalties come his way much too quickly.

Katherine lied to Nikolas.  She told him her feelings for Stefan came out of a neediness and that she misread his feelings for her.  She claimed she didn't need that anymore.  And when things change, Nik's going to feel lied to and manipulated again.

I find it interesting that Nikolas persists in thinking that he has to be useful to Katherine for her to want him around.  Perhaps this comes from all the rejection he's been through at the hands of women?  And the woman who remains a constant in his life--Alexis--finds him useful as the head of the family, in his eyes.

C. Cousin Power

Stefan:  "Are you the only person on this earth I can trust?"

Alexis went to Stefan immediately, and he updated her.  But she cut straight to the point--that the Spencers knew how to get into things, and might have gotten into the egg.  But Stefan dismissed it, because it took two medallions and he believes they only have Laura's.  Not smart.  He tells Alexis he trusts her, but he dismisses her concerns over and over.  Aside from that, he could have owed her his life, as far as they know, and I loved the scene of her putting the medallion back around his neck.  I also loved Alexis' resolution that Nikolas would miss Bobbie but that it couldn't be helped--and her admission that she would miss Bobbie too.  But at the same time, she was the one that immediately thought of Nikolas.

Stefan:  "But his suspicions aren't enough to stop us."

Stefan:  "My misjudgment and inattention are unforgivable."
Alexis:  "We were all taken in."

The next morning, on Tuesday's episode, they rehashed the same conversation.  By this point, Stefan was at least convinced that Bobbie wasn't out to kill him, but out to get the disks.  Alexis pointed out that they would have put those disks back and he would have never known.  Alexis still insisted that they should worry about Luke getting into the egg, and again Stefan dismissed it.  At least Stefan knew better than to believe that this was about Katherine.  And also, by the light of day, they both saw that it wasn't clear how long the Spencer siblings had been in cahoots.  After the irrationality and assumptions of Monday's scenes, I was glad to see the cousins sizing things up and being smart about them.

Stefan:  "Stupid woman."

Stefan:  "Luke Spencer's dupe will regret betraying this family."

Again, however, Stefan railed on about how much he had to offer Bobbie--how much she had thrown away.  He doesn't understand her at all.  And, finally, he should stop and wonder about her drastic turnaround and perhaps suspect she has greater reason to hate him than that her brother tells her so.  Alexis' facial expressions throughout this scene told me that she isn't comfortable about going after Bobbie, but that she will.  For the family.

Nikolas:  "Uncle, you promised me that you wouldn't hurt her.  You swore to it."
Stefan:  "And I've kept my promise."
Nikolas:  "Then where is she?  You must have done something to her."

Her main reason for being uncomfortable came down the stairs just then--Nikolas.  He thought it was because of Katherine, and then assumed Stefan did the hurting.  Alexis insisted on telling him the truth when Stefan wouldn't, but he refused to believe their story, and went to find Bobbie.  Alexis didn't want him to confront Bobbie, but Stefan thought he should do it sooner rather than later.  And I agreed with him.

Stefan:  "Barbara has mistaken my generosity for weakness.  It's an error that will cost her dearly."

Alexis:  "Nikolas loses no matter who he believes."
Stefan:  "It'll make him stronger."
Alexis:  "Great, you think that's what they said to Sisyphus as he had to haul his stone up the mountain for all eternity?"

Stefan:  "Nikolas may question the family and its traditions, but underneath, he remains a Cassadine."

Alexis was worried that Bobbie would make trouble with a messy divorce, but Stefan's convinced she won't for Lucas' sake.  And he had another method of dealing with her--and retaliating--already in mind.  They headed for the hospital to find Bobbie and Audrey and Tony and let them know that "someone" had stolen drugs.  Alexis, however, was more worried about Nikolas, and at least Stefan admitted he regretted having encouraged Nik to open up to Bobbie, saying he had made the same mistake with his mother at one point.  They hoped that Bobbie wouldn't string him along like she did.  Alexis said she would take care of the divorce papers.

D. Nikolas

Nikolas:  "I can't believe how much like my mother you are.  Your only loyalty is to Luke."

Nikolas showed up at the hospital to ask Bobbie about what happened.  She didn't lie to him, but she tried to explain herself without giving anything away.  She told him she wouldn't hurt him and that she loved him.  But all he heard was that she had betrayed his family with her brother.  And he insisted that he would never understand what she had done.

Nikolas:  "I just must be all kinds of amusing to you today."

After Lucky left, Nik sparred with Sarah.  She alternated between being amused at him and criticizing him unfairly, as far as I'm concerned.  Nik's fairly patient with her so far, and held his own in the teasing, but I really don't like these two together.  You know I adore Nik, but I like Sarah less with Nik.  She comes across as judgmental and biased.  But she made some good points to him about Lucky, even if it wasn't her place to make them.  At the same time, he probably would take such things better from a stranger than from anyone near to him at this point.  And he needs to hear them, as does Lucky.  But for my money, that's all Sarah is right now--someone in the middle pointing out the flaws and failings of both.

E. Dinner at the Outback

When Thursday's episode started, we had some mushy stuff between Mac and Katherine mixed in with her veiled remarks about Stefan.  Stefan and Alexis arrived and he said he wanted to stay; Mac offered to throw them out but Katherine declined the offer.

Stefan:  "The best way to deal with these people is to overlook them."

Stefan and Alexis talked about the plan.  She was worried about the Spencers, and reminded him that this week was very important.  Nik arrived and filled them in on his day at work.  He mentioned Lucky but said it didn't bother him or make him uncomfortable.  I agree with his cousins that he should ignore Lucky, but as I said about Lucky, he's still an adolescent, and he's seeing the whole thing through very emotional eyes right now.  I was more concerned with Stefan's comment above, which I took as further evidence he was ignoring the threat of the Spencers.

Stefan:  "Betrayal is a difficult thing to accept."
Nikolas:  "It's pretty simple actually.  She lied about everything.  Including her feelings for me"

Alexis:  "I know you put the family first.  Just my job to be a pest about it."
Nik:  "Well you do it very well."

Nikolas mentioned seeing Bobbie.  Stefan didn't correct him about the above, which was expected, but I expected Alexis to say something, not in Bobbie's defense, but to correct his exaggeration.  Stefan left, and Alexis cautioned him not to share what happened with anyone else--especially Katherine.  I think she didn't want Katherine to know because she wanted Stefan free from her until the plan was through this critical stage.  While I agree with the sentiment, I don't agree with the means.  She's asking Nikolas to turn away from the person he would most likely need to talk to about this.  And Nik said he wouldn't say anything, and didn't give details, but he did tell Katherine that Bobbie and his Uncle had split up.  And he still doesn't think she wants him around if can't do something for her.

Out at the country house, Stefan loaded disks into the computer.

Katherine came up to Alexis' table after Nikolas left.  She knew Alexis had been watching her.  Now, at this point I thought she was going to confront Alexis about her attitude towards her relationship with Stefan, but we had to wait until the next day to find out if she would.

Alexis:  "Katherine, a basic truth in the Cassadine family is that we don't discuss our personal lives with anyone else.  We rarely discuss them with one another."

She didn't.  She played nice.  She told Alexis she wanted to help Stefan and the family any way she could, and Alexis didn't like it one bit.  She played nice too, though, and simply told her that Stefan wouldn't want her help.  Katherine was fishing for information, but Alexis wouldn't be caught.  I wondered again at the precise reason Alexis doesn't want Katherine around.  Now, it's clear from the recent past that she would be worried about her cousin's attention to detail when he's involved with Katherine.  And the plan's going down soon, so that could be all.  But somehow I think there are things she doesn't like about Katherine. And she's worried that the secret of the shooting will come out.  And I don't know if it's simply the gatekeeper in her coming out or if it's personal.  But she was fishing too, for Katherine's motives.  And Katherine wasn't saying.

After Katherine left, Audrey arrived.  Alexis told her that she had seen Bobbie in the meds closet.  She seemed uncomfortable, and I remembered her words at the first of the week.  It can't be helped.  I don't think she wants to take revenge on Bobbie, and while she may think steps must be taken to protect the project, she's still not comfortable with Stefan's emotions on the situation, I think.

F. The Retreat House

Stefan:  "Whatever he and Barbara have been up to they know even less than I thought."

After Luke left, Alexis and Stefan caught each other up to speed.  She said she'd spoken to Audrey and then asked about Luke.  I was hoping for the right answer, but got the above instead.  Now, Luke's a good liar and a good actor in these situations, but Stefan should know better.  He's fallen for the Spencer's acts far too many times by now, and it's starting to wear thin.  Fool him repeatedly, shame on him.  I hope that Alexis comes up with the proof what Luke knows so maybe he'll listen to her.  But, to be fair, he paid lip service to the chance that Luke was playing dumb, but is confident that nothing can stop the plan now.

Final activation takes place in one week, he said.  That would make it July 18th.  And Alexis reminded him (and informed us) that their timing must be precise.  If there were to be any deviation, the whole thing could be useless.  Remember that kids, it'll be important next week!

Katherine:  "Happy Independence Day."

Alexis went inside, and Katherine showed up.  So much for the solitude of the retreat house.  ;)

III. Sonny and Brenda

A. The Escape

On Monday, in the aftermath of the escape, Taggert threatened Sonny and Garcia called him on it.  Sonny and Valentine had a good laugh at the police trying to find her and not being able to prove he had anything to do with it.  They updated each other in code and half sentences.  Crack me up.  Dara showed up and gave them crap too.  Too funny.  She actually told Taggert to put his attitude back in his pants.  Ha!  Jax showed up and accused Sonny of getting Brenda to take the fall for him.  I don't like his attitude, but I can't fault him for it since it's pretty much justified.

Mac:  "Look, Bowen, I'm a civilian now.  You can call me butt-head if you want."

Mac:  "Well, you could arrest me, but then you might forget where you put me, and how would that look?"

Taggert:  "Sleeps with your niece, which I guess is all it takes to pay you off.  Kinda gives a whole new meaning to the term safe sex, huh."
Mac:  "You know, I remember now why I didn't fire you.  I wanted to knock you down three or four flights of stairs first.

Outside, Mac couldn't believe that this was why Jason called him in to help.  But he believed their theory about Taggert setting up Sonny and let them go.  I like the dynamic between Mac and Jason, and I look forward to seeing it change now that Mac's not official.  Mac came back in and wanted to talk to Taggert, razzing him about losing track of Brenda.  But they asked him why he was there and he didn't have a good enough reason.  Dara questioned him about the scuffle with Jason.  He lied through his teeth and I loved it.  I especially liked Dara's response to his threat.  Ha!

Jax:  "You know, it seems to me the question nobody's asking here is what kind of idiots would charge a violent murder to a woman about the size and weight of the victim's shin."

Taggert:  "That is, unless someone catches a bullet while they're on the run."
Valentine:  "I didn't hear that last part.  Would you care to repeat it?"
Sonny:  "No, he just wants me to pray for his soul.  So just in case I see it somewhere, maybe I will."

Jax made a good point.  But he was mostly worried about Brenda getting hurt in the hunt.  Of course Officer A. came up with news from the "trenches," as she put it.  Meantime, Sonny asked Mac if Brenda made it away from the building.  He wouldn't answer, and suspected Sonny of setting her up.  Sonny reassured him, but then a call came down that they had found her.  Turns out it was a dummy in a car.  Ha!  Sonny and Valentine left despite Taggert's protestations.  But they knew they'd be followed.  And in the meantime, Jason was setting Brenda up at the safe house, reassuring her, telling her about the passageway out to the forest, and giving her directions.

Jax and Officer A. conferred about Brenda's escape.  She said it couldn't have been done without outside assistance, and Jax just hoped someone made the right call.  In the meantime, the call came in that Jason had been found asleep at home, pretending not to know about the escape.  Jax asked Mac what he knew, and Mac only said that he thought Brenda was safe.  Close Monday's episode with a shot of Brenda alone and scared in the safe house.

B. The Switch

On Wednesday's episode, Jason showed up with some vitamins that would make Sonny appear sick.  He took them and started to sweat and have trouble breathing.  Jason was wonderful, pausing for a moment to think about his performance before he opened the door and called for help.  Ha!  But the cops bought it, and Sonny was really miserable.  But when the ambulance got to the hospital?  It was Jason on the stretcher grinning up at Taggert and Garcia while Sonny ran into Brenda's arms at the safe house.  Jason was the more entertaining of the two.  ;)

In the meantime, we got lots of boring scenes of Brenda being edgy out at the house.  She watched Veronica Bowles' coverage of her escape on the television.

On Thursday, Sonny reassured Brenda, who was still nervous yet convinced Sonny could fix it all.  Sonny *finally* showed his brains and admitted that someone other than Taggert could be setting them up--a thought that never crossed Brenda's mind.  He said they'd know tonight.  He again told her she didn't need to know the details and she said she didn't like it but would accept it.  People complain about his keeping her in the dark, but I say that he's keeping her from knowing too much is a good thing when what he's doing is illegal.  He's already made her a fugitive, and for him to make her an accessory in anything else would just be more ammo against her.  Not that I condone all the secrets.  But in this case, I wouldn't have told her either.

More scenes of Brenda nervous and bored at the safe house followed after Sonny left.

Jason:  "Alright, I'll I'll make a statement."
Taggert:  "Good boy.  Go ahead."
Jason:  "You're wasting your time."

Taggert:  "When I get done filing my murder charges against Corinthos, I'm naming you as an accessory."
Jason:  "I didn't do anything."
Taggert:  "You never do."

At the same time, Jason was downtown being questioned.  Crack me up.  Taggert demanded his cell phone, thinking that he would intercept any call from Sonny or Brenda, and passed Jason on to Garcia. This was an interesting scene, with Jason turning the tables on Garcia a bit.  Jason talked about Taggert and about Lily and about Sonny.  Then he asked if Garcia was still a good cop if he didn't stop the bad cop.  Garcia booked him, but I'm hoping some of that got through.

In the meantime, Joseph had Taggert in a vice grip and Sonny was demanding answers.  End of Thursday's episode.

C. Closing in

On Friday, Mac had talked Officer Rick (yay!) into letting him into the evidence locker.  He looked at all the evidence and found the origami bird.  That was the closing shot of Friday's episode.

Sonny:  "You just made a big leap of faith, my man...assuming you'll be alive to do your job."

These scenes continued on Friday, and were very well done.  I truly believed Taggert couldn't breathe.  These two put in excellent--and very fun--performances.  Sonny demanded to know whether or not he was setting Brenda up.  Taggert said he wasn't (he swore on Deke's grave the evidence was real, and he still thinks Brenda did it), and Sonny believed him.  So now he has to figure out who is.  He pushed Taggert about his sources, but Taggert wouldn't give him much.  When Taggert came to, alone in the car, he called in an APB on Sonny.  And now there were two fugitives.

Meanwhile, Brenda was still nervous out at the safe house and thought she kept hearing things.  That day it turned out it was just fireworks and Sonny's return.  Sonny told her that Taggert wasn't behind this but that he didn't know who was.  But there was someone standing outside at the end of Friday.  A man with a ponytail and a beard.  People on ratsa recognized him as the drug guy who confronted Dorman in the hospital.

IV. Carly and Tony

Tuesday's episode opened with Carly's nightmare about waking up next to A.J.  She got up to answer the door--A.J.  Tony invited him to stay for breakfast, much to Carly's chagrin.  They chatted about things while Carly got ready for work.  I do like these two together, and I'd like to see more of them.  Carly left quickly for work and A.J. offered to eat her share.

Tony walked Carly out, reminding him not to tell anyone she was pregnant, and A.J.'s eyes followed her.  It's clear he's beginning to envy Tony his relationship with Carly, and if he finds out this baby is his, I can't decide if he'll make trouble or not.  A.J. thanked Tony for everything.  But after Tony left, he found the pamphlet about pregnancy and realized what they weren't telling him.

Tony stopped in to visit Carly when he got to the hospital.  They chatted about her attitude adjustment and he complimented her on her "infinite grace."

A.J. came by as well and let Carly know that he knew her secret.  She thought Tony had told him, but he told her he had seen the pamphlet.  She asked him not to tell anybody for Bobbie's sake.  They reassured each other they were friends.

Keesha came in with some kids from Ward House to get a basketball, and she and Carly chatted a bit about a pregnant girl she had brought in.  The conversation was meant to show us why Carly was worried that A.J. would remember everything, but when Carly started saying how sad it was that the girl was pregnant I couldn't help thinking of her different reaction to another pregnant girl in her own past.  Anyway, to make a long series of scenes short, Carly got the idea to play matchmaker with A.J. and Keesha so A.J. wouldn't remember what had happened.  I don't understand the logic.

V. The Quartermaines

Monica:  "You've got to stop reading those pop psychology books, Edward.  They don't look good on you."

On Wednesday, Ned and Monica talked about Emily getting back to normal and Monica's fear about leaving her alone.  Monica still doesn't like keeping secrets, but it because clear that both of them still believed Emily killed Dorman.  Edward criticized her for not going to work.  Ha!  He also wanted to send her to camp.  Double ha!  They chatted about Emily for a bit.

Reginald came in and told Monica to turn on the television.  She called Ned, and then asked him if he had done this.  Ned was appalled she could think such a thing, and told her that he would never set up Brenda.  He said the scalpel was under forty feet of water, so I can only assume that the scalpel Ned took from Monica was not the murder weapon, but was covered in blood from Audrey's operation.  Now the Qs are completely out of the loop of the evidence, and we're left with Monica and Emily each covering for each other.  Not that this couldn't be fascinating, but I still resent the murder being taken out of the Q sphere.  At the same time, it wasn't that long ago that they had so many investigations on their hands they couldn't turn around without Sean Donnelly coming in the door.

Alan:  "Are you telling me we need a therapist present in order to tell each other the truth?"

Alan:  "Forgive me.  I have a very hard time accepting you as the gold standard for open communication."

Lila:  "We all want to do the right thing.  The only trouble is that we often don't understand what that is."

Lila:  "Edward, it's time I took my medicine."
Edward:  "I didn't know you took medicine at this time of the day."
Lila:  "I don't."

On Thursday, Monica tried to smooth over the lies to Emily, but Alan entered and repeated the news.  Emily was hacked off at Monica for not telling her, and demanded to know everything.  Alan agreed that Emily should have been told while Edward was angry he hadn't been informed not to tell Emily.  Emily said she already knew so much that she should have been told.  Monica told her she loved her, and Alan backed her up.  Edward insisted that they leave her alone.  At least Lila was there to take Edward out and give Emily a kind and supporting word, and Alan to go after her when she left.

Meanwhile, Ned was down at the station.  Taggert didn't like his being there, but Ned insisted.  He checked stories with Jason, who told him they had the scalpel.  Ned still thinks he's disposed of the murder weapon, so he immediately believed the set-up theory.  Ned claimed he'd return with lawyers once Taggert sent him away.  I'm glad Ned's getting involved with this; I trusted he would once he found out Brenda was in trouble.  I never believed he could or would set Brenda up this way.

Ned:  "Monica, this is not a smart move."
Monica:  "Well, at least I'm consistent."

When Ned got back, Alan had just gone outside with Emily and Monica was on her way out.  She said she was going to confess.  Ned talked her out of it, saying that they would question her and she would lead them back to Emily.  He told her to let the police and Sonny fight it out because it was keeping Emily and the family out of the spotlight and that they would help Brenda when they could.

Alan:  "You're an extraordinary young woman.  And as much as I love you, which is a lot, I want you to know that I admire and respect you too."

The scene with Alan and Emily out on the veranda was wonderful.  Alan just talked, not waiting for a response.  He talked about childhood and growing up and how things were different for her.  Then he told her how proud he was of her, of her courage, of her desire to get things right.  She cried and I cried.

Inside, Monica lamented the things Emily had to go through and worried that she would remember killing Dorman.  Ned said they'd do all they could to lessen the chances.  He's betting on Sonny to be able to keep Brenda out of sight and on Justus to clear him.  But he repeated that if she confessed they couldn't keep it quiet.

VI. Jax

On Thursday's show, Jax showed up at the Outback to hire Mac to investigate the Dorman murder and prove Brenda innocent.  Mac didn't want to work for him, but he finally agreed to see what he could come up with.  In the meantime we had an awkward exchange between Katherine and Officer A. before Mac went upstairs to fix her hot water.  Officer A. stuck her nose in, mentioning Jax's hiring Mac in front of Katherine, and he jumped down her throat.  She said she was just observing.  Jax asked her to let him know if she heard anything, offering her "work", but she said she would report him for bribery.