The Week in Review: January 26 - January 30

I.  Jason

A.  Jason, Mike, and Bobbie

At the beginning of Monday, Mike was at the penthouse visiting the baby.  He tried to reassure Jason that he was the best thing for the kid, but Jason was still grumpy about the close call at the docks and the possibility that the kid could have been there.  Bobbie arrived next, to get the report on the pediatrician's checkup.  He asked her if she would help him provide for the child.

He announced that he was going to take action because Carly's absence was postponing the child's life--keeping him from things he was entitled to have whether his mother was there or not (Bobbie amen-ed that).  He then launched into his plan, and it was just like a business meeting as far as his approach to it went--very methodical.  First of all, the child deserved for his father (ahem) not to be a target (Mike amen-ed that).  Jason would work on that himself, but the child also needed the right people looking after him.  He asked Bobbie to recommend a home care nurse; Bobbie said she'd be glad to come by two or three times a week.  Finally, he needed a name.  He was worried Carly might mind, but Bobbie confirmed his decision.

Jason:  "Alright, so the priest gives him his name, which makes it from God, so it can't be taken away."
Bobbie:  "Ya.  Something like that."
Jason:  "And there's a certificate that says so."
Mike:  "Mmmm.  More or less."

What ensued was a conversation about christenings.  Mike suggested having the birth certificate legally altered, but Bobbie suggested a christening, calling it "indisputable."  We were left to assume that Jason would have Justus take care of the legal matters as well, but Jason latched onto the idea of the christening as a way to declare his child's name and protect him from the Qs.  Bobbie and Mike didn't really correct him.  Bobbie tried to get Jason to soften up on the Qs, but Jason insisted that they had tried to steal the baby once and would do it again.  They weren't invited and were not to know anything about it.

Bobbie:  "You know, you may be easy to shoot at, but you're very hard to object to."

They turned to the subject of godparents.  Not the same as grandparents, they could be anybody Jason wanted and trusted.  They would take responsibility for the baby in case something had to the parents.  Bobbie went off to call Jason's church (ahem again) and ask about a christening, and in the meantime Jason called Justus to do a job.  Of course the church remembered Sonny from the organ he had bought them (ha!), so everything was set.  The priest just wanted to visit with Jason beforehand.  Bobbie was worried, but soon realized that Jason would be just fine.

Jason:  "Well Mike, I've never been to a christening.  I've only ever been to funerals."

Jason:  "The kid needs godparents."
Mike:  "You're okay.  You've got 'til Friday."
Jason:  "Did you have godparents?"
Mike:  "Well I must have, but I was a rotten kid so they probably changed their names and went into a witness protection program."
Jason:  "Still, you know how it works?"
Mike:  "I don't think there's any special trick to it."
Jason:  "Well are you...you busy Friday afternoon?"
Mike:  "I don't have to be."
Jason:  "You wanna be one of them?"
Mike:  "Me...be the godfather?"
Jason:  "Only if you want."
Mike:  "I can do that."
Jason:  "Cool.  Hey!  The kid's got a godfather."
Mike:  "And I got a godson."

They talked about whom Jason would invite.  Mike was excited because he was starting over with this kid.  Jason was worried, and Mike comforted him again.  They talked about godparents, and Jason asked Mike--as only Jason could--to be the baby's godfather.  I cried.  Of course, in the back of my mind there's the thought that AJ will not approve of Jason's choices and that this isn't fair...but it was only a passing thought.  I'm so thrilled with Jason-as-father and at the things this is making him think about and at the possibilities this brings out that I'm perfectly happy to revel in the moment and not play nay-sayer.  It's nice to see Bobbie so happy over a child too that I don't think about the negative possibilities there either--I know that she and that baby are family.  And I'm enraptured with the joy on Mike's face as he contemplates his kid--and the same joy he has for Jason.

Bobbie came back downstairs and noted that she had been making goofy faces at the baby; Jason said that everybody did that but him.  They went back to the subject of who was--and was not--invited.  No Quartermaines, despite Bobbie's belief that if she just talked long enough, he'd agree.

B.  Jason and Justus

Justus:  "You're the perfect neighbor.  Invisible."

Justus:  "What is the job; what isn't it?"
Jason:  "You do what needs to be done.  Outside of that, you do whatever you want."

Jason:  "I do trust you.  You wouldn't be here if I didn't."

Still moving to make the kid safe, Jason spoke with Justus on Tuesday, telling him that he needed a decision on the job offer.  Jason needed him to broker a truce with Marino (sp?)--for the safety of the child.  And he was willing to pay big.  Justus wanted to know more than Jason could tell him; Jason promised that he could answer the questions once Justus was on board.  Jason told him what he could and promised that Justus would never be in the dark the way he was at ELQ.  Justus said Jason would have his answer that day and went to his new home to contemplate, accompanied by a photo of Mary Mae.

I have loved these two together in all of this. The two Quartermaines, outcast by choice, banding together in a company that is so alike and so different from ELQ and the Q family all at the same time.  Really nice.  And they both speak the truth to each other in different ways, pointing out things that the other doesn't see.  I like them very much indeed.

C.  Jason and Emily...and Justus

Emily arrived at The Outback, meanwhile, to meet Sarah and other giddy teenage girls.  One of them had seen Jason outside and wasn't he dreamy?  Sarah and Emily just smiled, until Jason arrived, hugged Emily, and asked her to join him at the other table.  Sarah filled the gals in on the family (Family) connection.

Justus:  "You got yourself a lawyer."

Jason asked Emily to be the baby's godmother, and of course she accepted.  He told her the plan for the Christening and told her also that the Qs were not welcome.  She asked if she could at least tell Sarah (uh-oh).  Soon after, Justus arrived, much to the thrill of the table of girls (another connection explained) and accepted Jason's offer.  I was almost as excited as the teenagers.

C.  Mike and Robin

As Thursday begins, Mike was at the cottage (such a pretentious name) talking to Robin.  Brenda was surprised to see him when she entered, and headed straight for the kitchen.  Mike tried not to be disappointed; Robin tried to be supportive.  Mike had told her that he should leave, though, and informed her about the christening (he thought she already knew) and the godparent decision.  I think Robin might have been a bit disappointed, even though she approved of Emily wholeheartedly.  Or perhaps it was simply a sorrow because it wasn't her child.  Hers and Jason's.

D.  The Baptism

Jason:  "You're gonna be baptized.  The Priest will come, he'll bless you, and I think pour a little water on your head.  And I'll promise to protect you and promise to teach you about God.  And then I give you your name.  Now, I'm giving you the best one I know.  But once it's yours you can do whatever you want with it.  Be whoever you decide to be.  Not that you'll be deciding anything soon, but until you're ready at least you'll have a name of your own.  So from now on, you're not anyone's baby.  Not mine, not AJ's, not even Carly's.  Because you belong to yourself."

Jason spoke to the baby a while at church, telling him what was going to happen and promising him that he would get everything he deserved.  His monologues to that child are some of my favorite material on the show these days.  They are so touching, so sad, and so dramatically ironic.  Jason pours his heart out to that little boy, slowly investing everything he has and is into that tiny life.  And I have to tell you that I'm on his side a hundred percent.  I know that isn't really fair; if it were AJ holding the child and talking to him I would feel the same kind of emotion.  But there is something in the juxtaposition of Jason and the child that can leave me weeping.  Perhaps it's the utter simplicity; perhaps it's the fact that Jason sees things differently than anybody else and thus sees that child with different eyes as well.  And perhaps it's because he sees in that child everything that he has struggled to understand about family and independence.  But whatever it is, I love them.

Jason:  "God's in Heaven and made everything.  The world, people.  When you're born you can be anything.  Now, if you're lucky you get people to help, and that's what a church is supposed to do.  Help you figure out what's right.  And some day you die, but you don't just end.  I mean, the part of you that's real--your soul--goes to be with God."
Bobbie:  "Robin told you that?"
Jason:  "Sonny.  I think I already knew.  Because there are some people who love so much, who are wise and brave, and they could never just stop.  They have to be somewhere.  Now you can call that God or Heaven, it doesn't matter.  It's a word that no one really understands anyway.  You trust it.  Even if you haven't seen it.  That's faith."

Mike:  "This morning I...I kept remembering Michael's baptism.  The wailing, the weeping..."
Bobbie:  "Sonny was a difficult baby?"
Mike:  "OH no.  That was me.  Sonny was perfect."

Bobbie arrived first, and they talked for a bit about Jason's understanding of Heaven and God.  She decided that he'd be just fine in his discussion with the Priest.  As Jason went to take care of that (so to speak), Mike came in and told Bobbie about Sonny's baptism and talked about Sonny.  He was looking forward to this as a new beginning.  When Jason returned, the Priest announced that he had a very "original" understanding of Catholicism.  I was glad to see that he was unfazed by that originality; this Priest seemed very laid back, and I liked him very much.  He does want Jason, Mike, and Emily to attend religious classes. Man, I wish we'd get to see that.

But I liked hearing Jason's common sense versions of very theoretical and abstract religious things.  He sees things very simply and clearly--and there's not always anything wrong with that.  Finally, I think he dismisses all the trappings of religion, much as he does with anything else.  But his description of why he believed in heaven was simply beautiful.

Emily arrived just as Bobbie was telling the bodyguards not to be so...obvious.  Emily noted the irony in the fact that she'll be attending religious classes because of Jason.

Justus arrived next, with news of Marino.  Justus was glad that he was doing something to bring peace to the streets of PC.  Jason invited him to stay--for family (or Family) support.  Bobbie asked Jason if she could put the christening dress she had brought for the baby on him, and Jason agreed.  So sweet that when she finds out the truth, she'll know that she was there for her grandson.  The boy's choir came in, the service started, and just as the episode ended, Robin arrived.  Jason turned, saw her, and she simply smiled.

Priest:  "Do you clearly understand what you're undertaking?"
Jason:  "I'm gonna have to learn along with him."

The baptism took up most of the Friday episode.  At first I didn't know what to make of it--the mixture of the seriousness of Jason's intent and the comic relief of the Q invasion.  But in the end I liked it.  I liked that it was messy; no matter how much Jason tries to keep things nice and neat he'll never succeed.  I liked that it was irreverent; I'd expect nothing less from the Qs--I can't see them simply filing in quietly and sitting in the back, much as I would have liked them to.  I like that it was Godfather-esque blend of family meeting Family; Marino's visit was the perfect touch to show the threat that child lives under as well as the motivation behind the ceremony itself.  And, finally, I liked that it was touching, with the looks between people saying more than anything else.

Justus:  "Touch the baby and you will go to jail, people.  Sanctuary went out with the Middle Ages."

Lila:  "Jason, dear.  No one can argue with your decision to exclude us.  It has good sense and painful experience on its side.  But if the ceremony is allowed to go on, without incident, in silence, and uninterrupted, would you consider throwing us out a little later, please?"

But I get ahead of myself.  Just as the baptism began, the Qs swung open the doors and demanded that their presence be acknowledged.  It was, of course.  They started in on Emily not telling them about the service (oh, like she's the one to blame in all of this) and AJ moved on to the absent Carly.  Throughout all, the boy's choir sang until somebody finally cut them off.  Too funny.  After Jason lost his temper, Lila simply asked that he delay throwing them out until later, provided they remain quiet.  He grudgingly agreed.  Emily read from a letter her mother had written her, then Bobbie read from the bible.

Edward:  "Oh God, Justus!"
Priest:  "Yes, let us pray for God's mercy and justice."

But the next interruption was from Marino, just as the Priest asked Jason if he renounced Satan and all of his works--nice touch, and a nice allusion to The Godfather (you know I'm fond of the GH/Godfather connection).  When he arrived (more quietly than the Qs, I might add), Jason stopped the ceremony once again and he and Justus went back to speak with him (telling Mike to get the kid out the fastest way, if necessary), much to the disdain and displeasure of the Quartermaines.  Marino expressed his respect for the upcoming peace treaty and Jason asked him to stay.

Meanwhile, Monica raged at Alan for being barred for guilt by association and glared at Bobbie from across the aisle.

Priest:  "What name do you give your child?"
Jason:  "Michael.  After a...a friend who gave me so much.  Michael Corinthos, Jr."
Edward:  "Over my dead body!"

Jason:  "This is God's house.  And I can't believe he wants you here any more than I do right now."

The Priest continued, only to be disrupted again by the Qs when Jason announced that the child's name would be Michael.  The Qs ranted about their newest being named after a mobster and Emily tried to smooth over things (as did the Priest) until Jason ordered them out.  AJ demanded to know why the thug could stay while they had to leave--Justus warned him to quite while he was ahead--and pointed out that Jason wasn't doing this just for Carly anymore.  Meanwhile, Robin insisted to Bobbie that Carly should be there--and she did not have a pleasant tone to her voice.  Bobbie said that maybe it was for the best, that Carly didn't know how to keep him happy.

But when Jason ordered the Qs out, right on cue Robin ordered him out into the hall where she instructed him that he should let them stay because they are Michael's family and because he was testing God's patience with his lies just as the Qs were testing his.  Sigh.  But at least she saw that Jason can and does lie, even if he can't keep elaborate fabrications straight in his mind and wouldn't lie to her.  At least she doesn't have that delusion to fall back on anymore.

Everyone took their seats and the baptism concluded...just as Carly opened the doors and looked around the room.

II.  Brenda

A.  Brenda and Robin

Mac:  "You know, you look better in person, just not as tall."

On Monday, Brenda announced that she had put together some photos, but she told Robin that she didn't really want to look at herself.  They left Mac's office and went out into the restaurant to arrange her portfolio, even though they didn't really know what they were doing.  Brenda was edgy about Dara too, but they were quickly distracted by the antics of Uncle Mac looking for Felicia--too funny!

Brenda:  "My whole entire world changed when I saw that boy.  I mean, Port Charles went from being the worst place in the whole entire world to being the place I wanted to spend the rest of my life."

Robin:  "It's funny how things work out."

Tuesday had one of the most amusing sequences in quite a while.  Brenda and Robin went to Manhattan, where Brenda was to look for a job.  They talked about old times on the plane, remembering Jagger and the rest.  Brenda commented on how bad she used to be.  But it was that Brenda that I liked--spunky and determined and definitely not co-dependent.  Brenda spoke of Jax helping her get back on her feet, but was determined to do everything for herself.  Good for her!  Finally, this is what I missed in the un-Guza interim.  I love these little mentions of history.  I tell stories about my life to my friends all the time, and for a while there, nobody was acting as if they'd done anything earlier than 2 months ago.  Ah, SWATCH.

Brenda:  "I think I just have a little bit too much baggage."
Robin:  "I prefer to think of it as experience."
Brenda:  "Well, whatever it is, I just hauled it up four flights of stairs and it felt like baggage to me."

Then, in a rip-off of an old movie that has been done before and will be again but is almost always effective, Brenda went from interview to interview (How long it must have taken them to shoot this--at least to set up all the background sets/sofas!  And there were some wonderful sofas!).  Nice, and it reminded me of various types of scenes we used to always have but haven't seen in a long while.  I love it.

Brenda:  "I am dangerously nuts!"

After a long line of questions about personal history and drug testing, Brenda ended up at the bottom of the barrel with a quick-talking woman in the middle of a messy office who wants her to pose nude.  Brenda played wacko and she and Robin left laughing, stopping for a moment in the lobby to dissuade another would-be model from taking that first step into oblivion.  Even these scenes were fun and different than what we've been having lately, and I enjoyed them, both for the SWATCH and for the humor.

B.  Brenda and Jax

On Thursday, while Robin was talking to Mike, Brenda answered the phone.  She came back out, shaken, and told Robin that it had been V on the phone, calling to tell her that Jax's plane had--quite possibly--gone down.  Brenda was very upset, rattling on about losing Jax and what she could do to find him and wanting to make everything up to him...and then he walked through the door.  He had deviated off course to avoid a storm and hadn't been able to call in.  Brenda ran into his arms while Robin took her cue to leave--she was headed for the church.

Jax was comforting but a bit distant.  It was as if he knew why she was so upset--knew what she was beginning to think.  He told her about getting Jerry out of a spat with some gorgeous woman who had stolen Jerry's jet and left him stranded.  Then he commented on her modeling portfolio, saying that the ponytail had "worked" for him.  He left soon, saying he had to phone V, and went to the PC Grill...where some tall skinny chick named Ashley--the one who stranded Jerry--approached him at the end of the episode.

And after he left, Brenda put her hair up into a ponytail.  Somehow that little touch was very very nice--so real!

III.  Mac and Felicia

A.  The Proposal

Monday found Felicia hiding from Mac behind the bar.  When he couldn't find her, he pulled Dara away from Justus (this was one of those scenes I love, with lots of characters in the same room and the conversations and action crossing into each other) and asked her to look in the bathroom.  The look on her face was a hoot, but she did it, after a brief conversation about the botched proposal.  Suffice it to say that Dara wasn't completely on his side.

Mac got on the microphone and started in on a ramble...ending up in a proposal of marriage!  Robin, Brenda, and Dara were all floored, but Justus was having a ball.  Felicia, however, was fit to be tied.  She drug him into the office, shocked and angry and mortified all at the same time.  How many clues do you need that this is not your Mac?

Felicia:  "Gosh, I'm so happy for you.  You're so in touch with your feelings now; you know what you want.  But you know what I miss?  I miss the Mac who knew what I wanted.  Get out."

Felicia told him that she did not take marriage lightly and told him that her answer was "no."  She was tired of him pushing and was tired of his insisting that he knew what she wanted more than she was.  He continued to profess his love.  And in the end, when he tried to kiss her again, she simply told him that she missed the Mac she used to know.

Afterwards, Felicia and Robin discussed Mac.  Felicia asked if Robin knew Mac had wanted to marry her.  Robin said that she knew, but she didn't know Mac did.  Felicia insisted that it was a phase.

B.  Felicia and V

V:  "Then there are times that he looks at me like, uh...phew, how should I put this?"
Felicia:  "As if you have no clothes on?"
V:  "Well, he always did that."
Felicia:  "Didn't know the whole world noticed."
V:  "What's different is...well, to be perfectly honest?  I look a whole lot better without clothes on than he suddenly seems to think, and this is not injured pride speaking by any means."

On Friday, however, V showed up at the Brownstone to give Felicia the rent check.  Felicia pushed her, asking her why she wasn't giving it to Mac at The Outback, and V admitted that Mac had been acting strange and dressing differently, etc.  The two began to compare notes and V agreed to keep an eye on Mac.  I loved that V was the one who finally brought this issue to the forefront, and I looked forward to her in this storyline--and hopefully becoming friends with Felicia.

Afterwards, Felicia had to tend to Maxie, who was scared because of the pod people in the movie she had just seen and was convinced that Mac had been snatched.  Felicia comforted her, but when she went to answer the door and it was Mac she pictured him in a pea pod as per Maxie's descriptions.  Too funny.  Better yet, she gave "Mac" the kiss test after putting him through the general ringer and left him to wonder what she intended.  Later, she went to the funeral parlor.  James had allegedly been cremated...

I'm so glad this story's finally picking up.  It's as though with V's articulation of things we got a jumpstart.  And I love the two chicks working together and Jimmy, clueless, left in the middle of the whirlwind.  And I loved JJ York in that pea pod suit...

IV.  Justus and Dara

Justus:  "Well, I've never known Brenda to have a problem thinking about herself."

After greeting Robin and Brenda in The Outback, Dara and Justus took a table at the beginning of Monday's episode.  Dara was worried about Brenda and the contract with L&B; she didn't want Brenda to worry about her when she needed to worry about herself.  Justus's response to that was choice (above).

Dara:  "Well, he mentioned a proposal, but I didn't know it was gonna come off being more like kareoke."

Dara spoke of Mac's weird behavior, but Justus turned the conversation onto a serious subject.  He asked if there was anything between Mac and Dara; she filled him in, briefly.  Justus was appalled, and he turned from questions to declarations....

Dara:  "Don't look so shocked.  I mean, once in a blue moon I do actually attract a man."
Justus:  "Well, you could do that in moonlight, daylight, or no light at all.  Just the sound of your voice.  I'm not shocked.  I'm just sitting here...mentally singing 'praise be' and 'hallelujah' that Mac is such an oaf."

Dara:  "Well, how exactly should a woman like me be treated?  Just for my information in case, you know, somebody ever wanted to know."
Justus:  (laughing) "Well....  Well, in case anybody wants to know, you tell this guy he's got to take his time.  He's got to move slow.  Maybe not as slow as I've been moving, but, uh, slow enough so that you know he wouldn't mind taking a year just to count your fingers.  To him, being with you in the same room is about all the happiness he can imagine.  Hearing your voice, having you in his eyes, having your eyes on him only.  I mean, this guy has got to be ready to stand with you at the top of the city and say, 'Baby, I'm laying it all at your feet.'  And then, after he's known you for a year or two, and if he's really really lucky, and after he's thought of you in private and in public and every which way in between, maybe, just maybe, you'll think of him too.  And wanna touch his face.  Maybe stand next to him.  Whisper something naughty in his ear...."

Dara:  "You thought you had blown it and I thought I didn't even have a chance."
Justus:  "Well for two people who hate to be wrong I sure am glad we were."

My word.  Out of the blue, Justus was speaking romance like there was no tomorrow.  And I say if this is what happens when he leaves ELQ?  He should leave more often.  Phillips was wonderful with this scene...and that laugh!  Scenes with Justus are the only scenes in which I'm not bored or irritated with Dara, but this I could get used to.  Lovely.  Simply lovely.  Oh, and Dara was charmed too.  ;)  They continued to talk about their mutual attraction, and the scenes were sweet and tentative and warm.  Justus was a bit embarrassed that he'd said too much, but he had realized that he had almost lost her.  When Jason called, Dara thought their evening was over, but Justus took her to the penthouse (she knew it was across the hall from Jason's), opened the windows onto the night skyline, and told her that they were at the top of the city and he was laying it at her feet.  They stood together, looking out.

V.  The Quartermaines

A.  A Typical Quartermaine Morning

Lila:  "Coffee is the most important meal of the day."

Alan:  "Don't start with me, Ned."
Ned:  "Alright, I'll start with him."

Monica:  "Well, I can't vouch for the whereabouts of your heart, Alan, but I have a pretty good idea where your brains are located."

Edward:  "Well why don't you evict us now and get on with it."
Monica:  "Don't tempt me."

Edward:  "Oh, on the contrary.  He's already taken half the family with him.  First Emily and now Justus.  That boy is a combination of the pied piper and Al Capone."

Ned:  "What are you reading, grandmother?"
Lila:  "An American tragedy.  Under the circumstances, it should cheer me up."

AJ:  "Let me explain something to you Ned.  Shut up."

Tuesday was a cold day the Quartermaine house.  Monica and Lila shot rapid-fire volleys from the high ground at the guilty men down below (who were stupid enough to try and explain themselves) and flaunted their own camaraderie.  Ned joined in for good measure, of course, though Lila had some of the best lines.  And in the coldest, cruelest move of all, Emily entered and asked Ned--in front of Alan and everybody else--to accompany her to her school's parent/student dance.  She also came down hard on AJ, who arrived and apologized profusely but to no avail.  And in the end, Alan and AJ spoke about Emily and Alan told him it would be easier to regain Emily's trust by being in her life...back at the house.  I'm not sure I like this for AJ....

Emily:  "Ned, will you be my father this Friday night?"

I understand that Emily is hurting.  And I understand that she wanted to strike back.  And what was done was done, in part, to her.  But I couldn't believe that she would make such a spectacle of her disdain for Alan, even if the symmetry of one taking a child from his father and another leaving her father was nice.  It was cruel, and while it was excusable, I was still surprised and shocked.

AJ:  "Em, you have something that I need."
Emily:  "What's that?"
AJ:  "Forgiveness."

And as for AJ, I still think that he joined in this crazy scheme because he wanted to throw in completely with his family--wanted to show them a thing or two about Jason.  For no matter what he says, he's still measuring up to his family and to his now-absent brother.  But I think he didn't take Emily into consideration, and his apology was painful to watch.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure he learned his lesson well enough.

B.  Emily

On Wednesday, Emily dismissed both her father and AJ again (Reginald let him in--yay!).  In her wake, AJ noted that Alan looked--off, somehow, and asked after his health.  Alan said it was nothing.

Sarah was there about Nikolas.  The girls also chatted High School and christening, with Emily making Sarah swear she wouldn't say anything (so we knew she would).  But Sarah was there to ask Emily to go and ask him if he'd read her letter yet.  Surprise, surprise, Emily was already scheduled to visit Nik that night.  And I settled in for more boredom on the teenage front.  Sigh.

After returning from Spoon Island, Emily met Sarah again.  She told her that Nikolas had little response to the letter, but that he had read it.  Emily was supportive while being vague, but Sarah was not happy--and again it was clear that she was starting to be jealous.  I was just bored.

C.  Ned

While Emily did teenage things, Alexis asked Ned to help her with the next move in their very adult game.  He agreed to get Stefan away from the island for a while without asking why--she would just have to return the favor one day.  Stefan arrived and she slipped out.

Stefan was set for a fight, demanding to know why he'd been called here as if it were an emergency.  Ned told him that the Qs knew he was behind the Djakarta takeover and informed him that he would be repaid in kind.  Stefan didn't believe it for a minute, but Ned let him know that this was personal because of the way Stefan interfered with his relationship with Alexis.

AJ:  "When it comes to ELQ, I'm more interested than you can imagine."

AJ:  "Afraid I'm gonna steal your job?"
Ned:  "You couldn't handle my job.  In fact, you couldn't even carry my stapler."
AJ:  "You are your job, Ned.  That's the most pathetic thing about you."

After Stefan left, AJ entered to inform Ned that he was coming back to ELQ.  Ned was neither impressed nor amused, but Alan came down on the side of his son.  That's probably the one thing that could get AJ and Ned to stop their bickering, and they both just stared at him in wonder at one point.  Alan got too excited, however, and had to go outside--and AJ noticed commented on his father's condition and again Alan dismissed his concerns.  They went round again about AJ and ELQ.  Ned relented a bit, but warned AJ that he wasn't up to the job and would fail again.

I fear he may be right.  While AJ has changed for the better over the past few months, he hasn't become a businessman suddenly.  And for whatever reasons he's coming back to the bosom of his family, he needs to hold a part of himself separate from them.  Right now, it looks to me as though he's diving right back into a bad situation, and I worry about him.  And as for Alan, I'm glad that it looks like it's going to be AJ that figures this out first--I hope.

D.  In Which the Family Finds Out

On Thursday, Emily headed out.  The family wondered where she could be going, but Edward quickly changed the subject back to business when AJ announced that he was ready to return to ELQ; he was skeptical that AJ would be back permanently.  But a phone call from the mother of one of Emily's friends made Monica wonder where Emily is, since she wasn't with the friend in question.

Ned:  "Your sneaking skills could use a little work."

Edward:  "Alan is just indulging in his favorite form of exercise.  Aerobic lounging."

Meanwhile, Emily was out in the foyer trying to retrieve the dress she had hidden behind the potted plant.  Ned found her, but promised to keep her leaving a secret.  I love the two of them--but I know Ned did it in part to have one up on the rest of the family.  The family decided that she was at Jason's and would call.  In the middle of it, they noted Alan asleep in the chair...he must be exhausted.

Edward:  "If you think that Jason and Carly together are absurd, you try Jason and God."
Ned:  "The Lord's not exactly on speed dial in this house either."

When they called Jason, the housekeeper said that Jason and Emily were at church.  Of course everyone had something to say about that (Ned's line was the line of the week for me), but after going through funerals and weddings and religious mobster rituals only AJ thought of the possibility of a baptism.  Fortunately for them, Sarah came by at that point (Why was she there asking if Emily was back yet if the baptism hadn't even started?  Did Emily not tell her the time?).  We had a delicious scene of Edward out in the hall trying to trick her into giving them answers while the rest of the family listened at the door--AJ prompted him at one point, a la Cyrano.  But it only got better when Alan awoke, ignored the pleas for silence, and went out into the hall to demand answers from Sarah.  Ha!

Sarah:  "Queen of Angels."
Edward:  "Isn't that a Catholic church?"
AJ:  "Why not?  Sonny's Catholic."
Edward:  "Do not say that name in my house!"
Monica:  "It's my house."
Alan:  "I gave it to you."
Edward:  "Who cares!"

Edward:  "Jason isn't a Catholic, he's a devil worshipper.  And this family is not going to stand by and watch him ruin that child's life."
Monica:  "Ya, that's right; that's our job."

Once they had the information, they left a stunned Sarah to ponder the error of her ways and headed off to the church, with Reginald tossing coats at people as they filed out.  The above exchanges were a scream!  I love the Qs en masse.

VI.  The Cassadines

A.  Katherine

Mrs. Lansbury:  "Well, I've been ordering this bouquet for the last six months.  Mr. Cassadine always comments on how much he likes it."

Wednesday's episode opened with what was, at first glance, a throwaway scene.  Katherine simply suggested to Mrs. Lansbury that she order different flowers in the future.  But that one scene turned into big discussions (led mostly by Terry <G>).  Was Katherine trying to play lady of the manor?  Was she anxious about the servants' response to her?  We hadn't ever seen our dear Mrs. Lansbury or other servants being rude to Katherine, and we've never been given anything else of the Katherine/staff relationship.  The other discussion that arose was about the flowers themselves.  Mrs. L. always orders birds of paradise (I think that's right--and I think I've seen the same arrangement in Jason's house), and Katherine suggested yellow tulips.  Now, no scene with Guza is a "throwaway" scene, so I think there was indeed some symbolism going on.  The writers in the Guza interim seemed heavily invested in making Katherine the All-American girl (not to be confused with Helena's All-American Boy Toy) to Stefan's European stuffiness, and perhaps this was a subtle sign that things aren't going too well in that quarter.  Whatever conclusions you draw from the scene, I simply wanted to smack Kat for condescending to Mrs. L., who is clearly beloved by Nikolas and respected (and trusted, if also used) by Stefan.  For me, it simply showed Kat's pretension at Wyndemere and her need for dominance--to prove that she is no longer the cook's daughter.  In that light, even though I was grumpy with her behavior, it was at least a brief glimpse of the Katherine before the shooting.

Katherine turned from the flowers to Nikolas, who did not condescend to Mrs. Lansbury, trying to cajole him into taking on a speech therapist and regaled him with tales of her own recovery.  Sigh.

Alexis:  "And if you don't help me, my life is worthless."
Kat:  "Then I strongly suggest that you get your affairs in order."
Alexis:  "After everything I've done, I don't blame you for hating me, but are you really prepared to watch me die?"
Kat:  "Prepared?  I'd dress for it."

Later, while Stefan is at the Qs (arranged by Alexis--see above section), Mrs. L. entered and said there was an unknown woman down at the docks wanting to see Katherine.  Katherine went, clearly intrigued, and supposing it to be Helena.  Right cape; wrong woman.  It was Alexis, begging for her life and for Nikolas's intervention.  But interwoven into that wonderful performance of humility was the seed for Helena's first trick on Katherine.  Alexis mentioned the name of a phenomenal speech therapist, telling Kat that she could take all the credit if it would only help Nik regain his voice to plead her case.  Katherine was cold to her in the extreme, and made no promise that she would act on the recommendation.  She sent Alexis away.  One note, though.  She allowed Alexis to hide when they heard somebody coming.  Although it was only Emily, I wondered at her generosity, so different than her harsh words.

B.  Nikolas

In the meantime, Nikolas read Sarah's letter.  Emily later arrived.  She wanted to know if he had read the letter; she was asking on Sarah's behalf.  And by this time, I was more bored with Nikolas and Sarah and that darned letter than I can even tell you.  But I do like Nikolas and Emily together...as friends.  Her giddiness over his few words was infectious.  Which is why I enjoyed the continuation of this scene.  He dismissed the letter and they ended up by swapping lessons--Nik would teach her fencing if she would help him with his speech.  A bit amateurish, and I was sure Stefan wouldn't approve (they agreed it would be a secret, but I figured it would come out quickly), but it was cute, none the less.

Once Emily had left, Nik went out to the docks and shouted his name in desperation.  A very brief but very touching end to the episode.

C.  Stefan and Helena

After his visit to the Quartermaines, Stefan arrived at his mother's hideaway to warn her away from Katherine.  Helena played the grandmother card, but Stefan retorted that Katherine would not be her way to Nikolas.  She simply smiled, and I noted that again Stefan was underestimating--or at least misjudging--the women around him.  He doesn't believe that Alexis would throw in with Helena despite his refusal to accept her back; he doesn't think that his mother will be able to get to Nikolas through Katherine; and he doesn't understand the insecurity and arrogance that will drive Kat right into his mother's clutches.  Poor man.

Stefan:  "What did you do to her?"
Helena:  "Nothing.  I was considerate enough to remember her birthday.  I sent her a gorgeous arrangement."

Before he left, Helena dealt her parting shot.  She let Stefan know that she knew where Laura was--in North Carolina--and that she'd been close to her.  Stefan demanded that she leave Laura to him.  Personally, I think she's got a suspicion and is fishing for more information.  His reactions certainly should prove to her that Laura's a hot topic for Stefan.

D.  Katherine and Stefan

Stefan:  "Trying to guess what my mother will do is an exercise in futility."

Alexis reported back to Helena, who was thrilled with how well the evening had gone.  Alexis wasn't convinced that Katherine would react as Helena wanted her to, but back at Wyndemere, Katherine spoke of Nik's speech therapy again, and we knew she had fallen for it.  But one point in her favor.  Katherine did ask Stefan if Helena was as evil and relentless as Stefan and everybody said.  He assured her that she was.  I took that to mean that Katherine, while she spouted bile at Alexis, was actually wondering whether Alexis's life were really in danger.  And I don't mind that at all.

On Friday, after a scene with Nikolas struggling to speak and Katherine watching, the conversation about his need for speech therapy continued.  Katherine fumbled through her suggestion about that very same specialist which Alexis recommended.  She had no convincing story to explain how she knew about the man, and Stefan was, thankfully, suspicious.  He knew, I think, that Helena was behind this--but I don't think he suspected Alexis.  Unfortunately, he didn't seem irritated with Katherine either.  Poot.  She's not telling the truth, and I don't know that Stefan will continue to be this forgiving for very long.  Personally, I don't know how he can put up with her.

Once she left, Stefan informed Nikolas that Helena was trying to move through Katherine to get to Nikolas.  Nik asked him to protect Katherine.  I could only hope that if he knew of Helena's implied threats to his mother his reaction would be that much more insistent.