The Week in Review: March 2 - March 6

It was a pretty solid week on GH, though not particularly a stellar
one.  There were some really dead spots for me, mostly in with Brenda,
but some in the other storylines as well.  At this point, I was still
not into the Mac/Felicia/Tess stuff, and I was getting weary of that
darned docks project.  But we had good Spencer scenes, for which I am
always thankful, and some nice moments with Nikolas.

I.  The Spencers

A.  Luke and Lucky

Lucky:  "And suddenly it hit me.  I know people like that.  I mean, in a way I've known them all my life.  The Cassadines, Dad."

Lucky:  "You know, and when I see Elizabeth and when I see how she's hurting and I put that hurt into mom, I don't even understand how she can look at Nikolas."
Luke:  "There's no explaining your mother's heart."

On Monday, Lucky and Luke continued their discussion.  Lucky started to feel like he was driving his father nuts, and said that he realized why Luke was so uncomfortable talking about Liz's rape.  He thought it was because Luke was thinking about Laura's rape at the hands of Stavros Cassadine.  He said that he now understood Laura's experience on that island better, and I was sure that this would make his hatred of the Cassadines greater.  I was also convinced that this would mean that Nikolas would look the same in Lucky's eyes as he does in Luke's.  Luke's quiet delivery of the last line above was, perhaps, my favorite line in this storyline so far.

B.  Bobbie and Luke

Luke:  "Why do you wanna go there, Barbara?  The past is the past.  It's dead; it's done; it's over.  Buried in stone, finito.  I mean, the only thing you can get by going back to that trough is more leftover garbage."
Bobbie:  "The past is not over.  Don't you see that?  It's lurking and it's hiding and it's ready to pounce just when you think everything is safe.  And that's exactly what's happening to you right now."
Luke:  "Well it's my past, Barbara.  Not yours.  And not Lucky's.  And there is no good reason for me to hurt my son with ancient history.  I won't do it; I'll never do it.  Drop it."

Luke:  "And he's drawn a parallel between the man who raped Liz...and the man who raped his mother.  Stavros."
Bobbie:  "I see."
Luke:  "Do you?  Do you see, Barbara?  I hope so.  Because what happened between Laura and me is not the same.  Not the same as Liz.  And certainly not the same as Stavros.  I will not be judged in my son's eyes by those standards."
Bobbie:  "Luke, you are one of only two people who can tell him it was different.  And the other one isn't here.  I don't know why that doesn't surprise me..."
Luke:  "Don't go there!!"
Bobbie:  "Ok, ok.  God forbid."

Bobbie:  "Thanks for the drink."
Luke:  "Any time."
Bobbie:  "You really are infuriating.  You know that."
Luke:  "But you love me anyway."
Bobbie:  "Ya, but I wouldn't if you weren't my big brother."
Luke:  "Oh, I don't know, Barbara.  I have a certain rattlesnake like charm.  You're the one that pointed it out."
Bobbie:  "Ya, you do.  See ya."
Luke:  "Bye."

Bobbie came to visit next, and told Luke about going to the hospital with Liz.  She needed a drink.  And probably her big brother.  She was remembering her own feelings of helplessness when she was pregnant with Carly.  Luke told her to stop dwelling in the past, but Bobbie reminded him that the past was still alive no matter how much he wanted it to die.  Luke told her again that he would not tell Lucky what had happened, and insisted that his rape of Laura was different.  He described Lucky's response to the rape thus far, and announced that he was not about to let Lucky see him in the same light as Stavros or the man who raped Liz.  But they quieted down, and shared a sweet moment at the end.  And we almost saw that twinkle in Luke's eye of which Patt laments the loss of lately.

And he has a point.  There are different kinds of rape, and Lucky's in no position to distinguish between them.  But that's also a defense mechanism on Luke's part, because he doesn't want to face just how similar he is to those other men.  But I was glad that somebody had finally voiced the fact that the Luke and Laura rape was different than the one at hand.

C.  Liz and Lucky

On Wednesday, Elizabeth and Lucky went to Mercy to pick up her test results.  She was edgy and paranoid, a bit, but glad he was there with her.  I was glad he was there with her, too.  The HIV test was negative, and Lucky declared that they should do something to celebrate--something small, but fun nonetheless.

Lucky:  "Well see, I have this theory.  You can tell a lot about a person by the way they eat embarrassing food.  You know, the only kind you get into if you don't care how you look eating it."

Lucky:  "That was nothing.  Mild sauce?  Naw, now we're moving on to extra spicy."
Liz:  "Ow.  I don't know."
Lucky:  "Wimp.  I'm just...I'm just kidding.  That's not true at all."
Liz:  "Lucky, I can still take a joke."
Lucky:  "That's a good sign.  You know what, I'm gonna...I'm gonna go get some more.  You want me to get you anything?"
Liz:  "Sure.  Uh, extra spicy, please."

They ended up in a diner, where Lucky told her that you should take fun in life where you can find it, and that he didn't take to people--women--who refused to eat messy foods.  Lizzy downed ribs, proving that she was his kind of girl (and I thought that perhaps he was, in part, tricking her into eating something), but I was very disappointed to find that cheese fries were nowhere to be seen.  She thanked him for everything, and when she asked why he "got her" better than anybody else, he told her about his mom's rape at the hands of the Cassadines.  He assured her that this wouldn't always be the biggest thing about her, but she was still doubtful.  At this point, Terry was concerned that Lucky was conflating Lizzie with his mom--a problem if they were to become romantically involved because of that conflation, and a problem because he'll equate the two rapes, which are not the same.

On Thursday, Lucky called and asked Liz to go to the movies, but she didn't particularly want to go out.  He said that he would bring the movie to her.  In the meantime, Audrey tiptoed around Liz, who finally asked her for help directly, telling her about the awful nightmares she'd been having.  But Audrey evaded the issues again, while managing not to be completely cold.

Lucky arrived with a silent movie, which he said his dad turned him on to, and which he thought would be a safe bet.  He also came armed with microwave popcorn.  They talked about things for a minute--easily, and in contrast to Liz and Audrey--and Liz admitted that she was missing her mom.

Lucky:  "I'm telling you, you Webber girls are murder on a guy's ego.

During the movie, Liz fell asleep despite his attempts to keep her awake (the comment from Lucky, above, was a hoot), a testament to how she feels safe when Lucky's there, but she started to dream about the rape.  Lucky tried to wake her, and she started to fight him.  Before he could calm her down (and I think, perhaps, that the better plan of action was to back away), she scratched his face.  I wondered if that hadn't been planned, since they didn't mention it for a while, but then it did show up in the dialogue in a pretty planned way, I thought.  Ah, well.

Afterwards, she spoke of not being able to fight back when she was raped.  She also told him about Audrey not being of any help and not being able to call her mother.  Finally, she admitted that she can't sleep at night, and Lucky said that he would sit with her.  Upstairs, he talked about Lulu, and Liz finally dropped off to sleep.  Audrey came by and looked sadly on the pair, and then Lucky went home and called his mom.  He wanted to ask about the rape, but instead said that Foster was in the garbage and he had to hang up.

D.  Luke and Lucky

We've never had a "Keeper of His Eating Habits" or the like in FGC Luke, but Friday brought another treat for those fans of Luke's diet like me.  Lucky came into the kitchen for breakfast to find Luke making a mess of some refried beans and a skillet.  He opted for a bagel.

Lucky told him that he'd called Laura, and Luke asked him where he got the scratch on his face, and Lucky told him about the incident with Liz.  He noted that Liz had been so scared that she couldn't even see who Lucky was, and he commented that this must have been the way Laura was.  Luke said that she had been, for a while.  Lucky told him that he had called Laura to talk about the rape, and Luke played calm and asked him what he'd said.  Lucky admitted that he couldn't bear to bring it up, and Luke said he'd done the right thing--this should wait for a face to face talk.

Lucky:  "She asked me if I'd rather she'd died.  And in that moment, for that one second, I think I almost wished she had've.  And she must have seen it, Dad.  And she must have hated me for it."
Luke:  "Look, hold it.  You stop right there.  Your mother has...not for one millisecond of your life hated you.  She's never even had a shred of a negative thought about you.  You're her hope.  Her heart.  You're a living symbol that if you get through the pain...and you put the past behind you...there are good things ahead.  Sometimes profound things.  That's the way she feels about you.  That's the way I feel about you.  You're a blessing in our lives.  You got that?"
Lucky:  "Ya, I got that."

Lucky wasn't sure that he'd ever ask her--didn't know if he could look into her eyes.  Lucky admitted, in a beautifully done moment, that he used to blame Laura for Nikolas--that he used to think that she could have made Stavros stop.  He had blamed her for her weakness.  And when Laura had asked Lucky if he would rather have her dead than have Nikolas alive, he admitted that he had, for a second, thought that her death would be preferable.  And now he was worried that Laura knew that and hated him for it.

I loved this moment with Lucky because it was so honest and so self-aware, and yet so vulnerable and insecure at the same time.  And I loved that he could tell these things to his dad, with no fear of blame or anger.  But instead, Luke simply reassured him that his mother loved him more than he knew.  And the revelation of parental--and paternal--love made me cry, most especially for the allusion to the rape that was buried inside.

Lucky then asked how Luke got past his anger over the rape.  Lucky said that he still wanted to kill Lizzie's rapist, but knew that he couldn't.  He declared the rapist a coward and noted that it could be anybody--that Liz could have to see him every day.  Luke told him that revenge wasn't the answer because it wouldn't make the pain go away.  He said Lucky should learn from the pain, because the only thing that would help was time.  I was struck by the fact that typically revengeful Luke wasn't recommending such action, and I thought that while his words were wise, they were also self-protective, and I was surprised that Lucky didn't ask why he wasn't following standard Spencer operating procedure.

Luke:  "I love you."
Lucky:  "I love you too, Dad.  Thank you."

Luke left, after a hug (hug patrol was happy!) and "I love you."  Lucky told Foster that he was going on an errand.  I was just happy to see the big mutt.

E.  Lucky and Nikolas

Nikolas:  "I uh...got a letter from Laura the other..."
Lucky:  "Don't say her name, alright?  Just do...don't say anything at all.  Just keep walking, ok?"
Nikolas:  "What's your problem?"
Lucky:  "What's my problem?  I'll tell you my problem.  It's your father and what he did to my mother."

Lucky returned to the park where he found Lizzie--looking for clues, I suppose.  Unfortunately, Nik was there, on his way to see Sarah.  Nikolas greeted him, and Lucky said that he was glad he'd found his voice.  But Nikolas mentioned his letter to Laura (I think he was just mentioning it as a common topic, probably to say he was happy that she was doing well--it was certainly not an attack), and Lucky jumped down his throat, saying that he should never mention her name because his father raped her.

Now, a little context.  I loved the set up to this moment.  Nikolas has recently heard from his uncle that he is a child of love, and I think he felt great relief in that.  He's more recently read a letter from his mother saying that she loves him and wants him in her life, but is not convinced.  He's thinking that she loves her other family more.  And he's had a good morning with his Uncle, who loves him.  On the other hand, Lucky's facing Liz's rape and that's lessened his tolerance for his mother's rapist--meaning Stavros.  But these two had come to an uneasy peace back at the hospital, and Nikolas was completely blindsided by Lucky's attack.  After all, his greeting of "hey" wasn't that of their initial or past meetings, it was rather familiar, and definitely not on guard.  He had no way of knowing where this anger was returning from, and I think Lucky did deserve some retribution.

Nikolas:  "Who the hell are you to point fingers about rape..."
Lucky:  "I'm the son who watched her get over it.  And you're the result.  That's right.  You wouldn't even be here if your father wasn't a rapist!"
Nikolas:  "Oh that's a lie.  My father married Laura and you know it!"
Lucky:  "So what?  He's still a rapist!"
Nikolas:  "What's the matter with you?!  Huh?!  You better get your facts straight, Lucky!  My father didn't rape our mother, yours did!"

But I hated what came next.  The encounter turned physical (Lucky pushed first, but Nikolas pushed better), which I thought was warranted, but then Nikolas declared that his father didn't rape Laura, Lucky's did.  I HATED that--let me repeat, HATED--because it came out of the blue and was sloppy.  We didn't know that Nikolas knew this.  We didn't know how he knew.  It made no sense to me that Stefan would have told him.  Sure, he would have, perhaps, used it to explain Luke to the boy, but it seemed wrong to me for him to have told the boy about his own mother's rape.  We needed to have seen this set up a bit--to know it was possible--before the moment.  In terms of the sons, however, the moment was perfect symmetry.  Lucky has thrown Stavros's rape of Laura in Nik's face many times.  And he's been told about it by his father.  Now Nikolas, probably told about Luke's rape of Laura by his father, is throwing that knowledge in Lucky's face.  And one other thing that I did think was good was that Nikolas didn't do this intentionally, nor did anybody else.  If Lucky did have to find out, I'm actually glad it was an accident, rather than somebody's cold calculations.

But my main complaint with the backwriting comes with Stefan.  If he knew this, he would have let Luke know about it before this.  I'm not saying that it would have been blurted out in a fight--Stefan's more in control than that.  But he would have used it calmly and carefully, to let Luke know that he had the upper hand.  And he would have mentioned it to Laura.  He would have used it to threaten her further to get her out of town, or he would have used it to persuade her that she was only with Luke because she was scared of him.  Or we would have seen him figure the information into his understanding of Laura, somehow.  And I don't like the thought that Laura told him.  I don't think she would.  I don't think that their relationship on the island was that close, that personal.  I see them as desperate yet hesitant friends who became lovers once, maybe twice.  Who talked about generalities, rather than the ugly particulars of either of their lives.  And I don't think that she would have betrayed Luke's trust by giving that information into the hands of his enemies, even if she thought he was dead.

Nope, I didn't like it one bit.

II.  Jason and Carly

A.  The Meeting

Jason:  "Bottom line.  We're makin' the most money for the least risk possible and we run a major port with no outside interference.  There is no problem here.  Why you makin' one?"
Sam:  "The problem is you are a brain damaged kid who has no idea how to do the job."
Jason:  "The problem is I'm doin' it too well."

Jason:  "Rinaldo.  Escort Mr. Hadden out."

Jason defended himself on Monday by pointing to profit and good business sense, then exposed Sam, who had been ranting about Sonny and Jason alike, as a traitor.  I was glad to see that Benny wasn't one of the detractors; I love Benny.  Justus actually arrived just after Jason's ultimatum; it was now clear that he was going to be a major part of Jason's organization and there wasn't any turning back, especially after he witnessed the next event.  Jason ordered Rinaldo to take him out of the room, and the way Sam was pleading with Jason made it clear that Sam would be sleeping with the fishes.  Jason had clearly reestablished himself as head of the mob, and I loved this typical Mafia scene.  They went on to discuss the strike against the dock renovations.

B.  Carly and Robin

Robin:  "You might be Michael's mother, but you're nothing but a liar and a blackmailer, and Jason knows that."
Carly:  "Jason likes me fine just the way I am Robin; he and I are friends."

Robin:  "So if I tell Jason AJ needs to know he's the father, even though he's hurt and angry he'll know it's the truth and he'll understand why."
Carly:  "You mean he'll obey?  He'll follow orders?  Like a desperate-to-please little puppy dog.  And maybe you'll pat him on the head?  If he's really good, maybe you'll smile for him or let him spend an extra ten minutes in your radiant presence?"

Carly:  "You're not here to protect Jason or Michael, much less AJ's rights as the biological father.  You're here to protect yourself."
Robin:  "What?"
Carly:  "That's right.  You can't stand the fact that I make Jason happy.  That me, low life, you know, dirt shoveling Carly makes your boyfriend happy and so does my son.  The truth is, he doesn't miss you at all, Robin, and that makes you plain ol' fashioned jealous."

Robin:  "Yes, Jason does listen to me.  And when we broke up he accepted it.  And he didn't stop loving me and I didn't want him to.  But none of that makes me happy or gives me power over him or any of the sick things you implied."
Carly:  "Oh, I see.  Well, there's one other option.  You're telling the truth.  You're here to protect Jason from me, which means you think he's too damaged to take care of himself."

Carly and Robin's argument continued on Monday.  Robin claimed that she was going to tell AJ.  Robin pointed towards Carly and Jason's past, then claimed that Carly was using her baby to get a free ride from Jason; Carly responded that Robin was using Jason's love for her to get him to behave as she wanted.  Carly accused her of not letting Jason think for himself--of not believing that he could--and of being jealous of Jason's happiness with his new family.  She insisted that Robin had hurt Jason--was hurting Jason.  She ridiculed the way that Robin treated Jason and threw their sex in her face.  And she dared Robin to tell Jason what had happened.  She said that she would be fine, and Jason would be alone.  Robin claimed that Carly was twisting the truth, but I think she saw the actual truth behind the words.  I just wish that Carly would see the truth behind Robin's.

By the way, we had a beautiful cut from Carly's last line above to Jason at the meeting, being very capable at taking care of himself...and anybody who gets in his way.

C.  Robin and Jason

Robin went to the bridge to be alone and ponder her relationship (non-relationship) with Jason.  He showed up there, after the meeting, and she said that she hadn't recognized him--that he had seemed as a stranger to her.  They both admitted that they still cared about each other.  Jason said that he would never be completely happy without her, and that his love for Michael was the same kind of love.  For her part, Robin announced that she was not going to interfere in his life with Michael any more, that she trusted his judgement.  I would believe that when I saw it.  But it was nice to see her try to do right by Jason--to see her realize that perhaps she was at fault.

D.  Jason and Carly

When Jason returned and said he'd seen Robin, Carly was worried that Robin had said something about their argument.  She told him about it, and Jason said told her what Robin had said about staying out of their lives.  She looked so relieved to realize that there wouldn't be trouble out of what she had done.  And Jason was just glad to greet Michael and tell him that he had come back after all.

E.  Tony

On Tuesday, Tony Jones sat at his cabin and remembered BJ in scenes from when their family was happy.  He was drinking, and after he remembered he wrote a note to his family, saying that they would never see him again.  At this point, it sounded like a suicide note, but I assumed that it would have something to do with the kidnapping, since I'd read the spoilers.  ;)

Carly:  "And it suddenly hit me that it was my voice that was making him happy.  It was me."
Jason:  "He loves you."
Carly:  "I just can't believe it."

On Thursday, Carly was happily talking to Jason about Michael when Tony showed up.  Jason wanted to throw him out immediately, but Tony had brought letters from Virginia that Carly had hidden away in their apartment.  He returned them with snide remarks about their importance and her lies.  He announced that he was leaving town, and told Carly that she didn't deserve Michael.  Once he was gone, Carly looked at the letters and admitted that she had been a coward.  She was glad Tony was leaving and spoke of getting on with her life.

Bobbie:  "And what party would be complete without Amy dancing with every man in the room?"

Meanwhile, at the Brownstone, Monica and Bobbie talked about the engagement party and Bobbie gave her the news about Tony.  Unfortunately, Lucas overheard them and grew very upset.  In an odd scene, the thought of plane rides to visit dad made the kid happy again.  Monica left when Tony entered, and Tony announced that he was going to San Francisco for a new job.  He then spoke with Lucas about how he needed to learn new things by moving away.

F.  Carly and Michael

On Friday, Carly fished for compliments on Jason about her taste, and then told him that she was meeting with a decorator and wanted to take Michael with her.  Jason wanted her to be sure she was ready to take the kid out by herself, and she said that she was.  They agreed to meet for lunch at the Grill, and Jason left.

Carly talked to Michael about his wonderful father (I was happy to see her doing a little monologue with Michael after all of the Jason monologues which I love so much), and then told him that he wouldn't make any more mistakes like the fight she had with Robin.  Of course at that point, Robin rang and Carly got nervous when she said to the answering machine that she had something she needed to tell Jason.  In a hysterical moment, Carly tried in vain to get the answering machine to shut off, and at one point found the scissors and moved to cut the phone cord.   But Michael's crying stopped her, and Robin's news turned out to be that Mac and Felicia were engaged.  Carly took the whole thing as a sign that their day together would be perfect.  Too funny.  I love her logic, and the way she makes up her own omens to make herself happy.

G.  Jason v. Taggert

Meanwhile, down at the docks, Jason and Justus discussed the Q's docks project (and, as Judy pointed out, the tackiness of the proposed mall).  Jason pointed out the discrepancies between the actual plans and what he'd been told, and said that they couldn't let everything shut down at once or their business would be exposed.  At this point, I gave up trying to figure out the actual logistics of the Q plans, because things started not making sense and it was clear that they weren't going to explain them any better because the renovation was not the point to the story.

Taggert arrived to question Jason, and Justus started hollering 'harassment.'  Taggert made a threat about Alan, but Jason was unimpressed because he didn't know what Taggert was talking about.  Dara phones Taggert from several feet behind him (what cell phones have done for soaps) and calls him off.  She assures Jason that Taggert does not speak for the DA's office.  We had some snarking between Dara and Taggert and then Taggert and Justus.

In the middle of everything, Luke made one of his no-apparent-reason appearances (not that I'm complaining) to side with Jason.  I'm assuming he was on his way to the club after talking with Lucky at breakfast.  Dara sent Taggert away and left herself, and Justus, Jason, and Luke spoke about the docks for a bit.  He supported Jason's position.

H.  The Kidnapping

My anger for this scene was only overshadowed by the revelation that Stefan and Nik knew about the rape.  This scene was poorly conceived, and while most people were grumping about Guza, I blame this on whoever wrote the breakdown script for the day.

Carly rolled Michael into the PC Hotel lobby, which was oddly vacant, and noticeably so.  There was a phone call for her at the front desk and for some unknown and stupid reason, Carly left the stroller out in the lobby rather than bringing it with her.  There was no excuse for that, but it was not Carly's fault, it was the writer's.  This was the first sloppy day on GH since Guza's return, and this scene was not excusable by any means.  It started an uproar on ratsa, including some Carly bashing.

Anyway, while Carly was chatting with the desk clerk after waiting on hold for Edward (who's supposed to be on the other end of the line), she turned back to the stroller to find Michael gone.  She began to scream.  Basically, it was a bad day for the Spencer clan all around.

III.  Jax and Brenda

A.  Jax and Brenda

On Monday, Jax sidestepped Brenda's ultimatum, telling her that he wouldn't marry her but also that he knew she wouldn't carry through on never seeing her again.  Personally, I couldn't believe that she thought he'd fall for it.  Jax said that it was impossible for him to be the right man for her and that they should simply be friends.  They had a long discussion about their past, her choice of Sonny, the impossibility of promises, etc.  Brenda asked why he kissed her; he admitted his attraction to her.  But he would not risk their friendship over something so impulsive.  Brenda assured him that it would be different this time and that she wouldn't give up.

B.  Brenda and Robin

We had more of the same talk from Brenda on Friday, though Brenda did let her get in a few words about Nikolas.  Brenda received her new genie costume and a contract for six more commercials, and quickly worked out her new budget (Raman noodles, anybody?) to see how much money she now had to spend on Jax.  Sigh.

IV.  The Cassadines

A.  Nikolas and Robin

Tuesday found Nikolas and Robin having lunch at Cafe Matisse, so that Nikolas can practice his French with strangers.  They chatted for a bit, and then he asked her to tell him something that nobody else knows about her.  She came up with the fact that Robert and Anna taught her to shoot all kinds of firearms.  Maire noted in her update that most likely Mac would know about this, and I wondered whether this little tidbit would come into play in an upcoming storyline.  They both admitted that they've been warned about past conflicts between their families, but decided that they are both different, and will be friends.

Later, they went to the dock, where Sarah overheard them talking.  She approached Nikolas, who couldn't speak to her.  Sarah was hurt, but Robin explained that Nikolas would be able to talk when it's not so important to him.  Sarah wasn't convinced and watched Nikolas and Robin from afar.  Robin told Nik again that he would recover.

Nikolas:  "She once...made everyone...believe she was dead...just...just because Luke told her...to.  She...does what he says always."

Nikolas:  "It's just words, Robin.  Not trust."

Nikolas:  "But I don't hate her!  I can't!  I've tried to but I can't.  All my life, I've heard that I should hate her for leaving me.  My Uncle wanted me to, and I wanted to please him so that's what I did.  I mean, he was there for me.  He was there for me and she wasn't, so I hated her just for him.  But when she said that she loved me, Robin, I knew that she meant it.  And that's what hurts.  But she'll always choose them over me.  Always.  Luke, Lucky, all of them.  They're more important to her than I am."

On Thursday, Robin found Nikolas sitting on the stone bench.  She had brought him a French newspaper, but she noted that he was holding something.  It was a letter from Laura, and he hadn't read it.  He said that it was all lies.  Robin suggested that she read it, since that way the words would be tempered by her voice, and Nik agreed.  Robin realized that Laura didn't know anything about Nik's accident as she began.  It was a sweet letter about wanting Nik back in her life.  As Robin read, however, Nikolas grew upset, and when Robin started talking about her parents, Nik started talking about his mother.  Because he wasn't concentrating on the words, but rather was emotional about what he was saying, he could speak.  And what he said was that Laura would always choose her other family over him.  But I loved that the person to make Nik speak was his mother.  And I look forward to the day that he tells her so.  But for now, the contrast between Nikolas's passionate declarations about his mother and Lucky's actual phone call to her was striking--and painful because neither boy feels confident in his mother or her love for them.

B.  Nikolas and Stefan

Nikolas:  "Before I bid you both good morning, let me just convey to you that I decided to sleep in today.  Since I have not yet partaken any nourishment, I am immensely famished and wish to eat my breakfast before answering any more questions.  So, having said that, good morning."

At Wyndemere on Friday, Nik entered, speaking clearly (and leave it to Nik to use the typical Cassadine rhetoric combined with his own brand of teasing as his tool to pronounce himself well), and told Stefan and Katherine that he should apologize for his behavior since the accident.  Katherine went off on her own recovery again, and Nik said that he needed to apologize to Sarah and left the room.  Kathy went on again for a while, and actually admitted that Stefan had been right about leaving Nik to recover on his own.  But she was calling Robin to thank her, and Stefan declined to do so.  She was miffed and concerned, but Stefan looked like he was steeling himself for a confrontation.

Stefan:  "I always trust you, Nikolas."

Stefan:  "I admit...I've been mistaken before.  And I doubtless will be again.  But any wrongs I've done you I did with the best of intentions."
Nikolas:  "You never wronged me.  Ok?  You've wronged other people on my behalf before, which is...almost harder to take, but...just like you said, it was with the best of intentions.  And I don't thank you enough for that.  I don't.  And I just want you to know that...thank you for understanding me.  I app...I appreciate it."

Nik returned, and Stefan told him that it had been hard for him to stand back and watch Nik struggle.  He told a story about Nikolas trying to climb the large marble staircase at age two and refusing all help.  He was pleased to see that the same determination was still helping Nikolas succeed.  Then he apologized to Nikolas for making mistakes, even though they were well intentioned.  Nikolas said that Stefan had only wronged others for his sake (and I think he was talking about his mother).  Nikolas thanked him for understanding him, and kissed Stefan on the forehead just as Stefan so often kisses Nik.  Tears welled in both their eyes, and Nikolas left.

I thought this was a nice scene, and I rather liked the contrast of the scene with Nik and Stefan to the scene with Kat interposed.  These two understand each other, and Kathy does not.  I also liked the contrast between this moment of complete understanding between father and son (although I'd point out that we haven't seen the proof of that yet--we only are sure of the Uncle/Nephew standing) and the Spencer father and son, who do not have a complete understanding of each other at this point.

C.  Stefan and Robin

Now, in one of the most hysterical juxtapositions ever, Brenda opened her front door while wearing the new genie outfit and saying, "Hello Master."  It was Stefan.  Ha!  Some people ridiculed him for being so cold to her, but I thought he was simply trying to ignore the weirdness of the situation.   Brenda was the one who insisted on trying to explain herself.  Robin entered, letting her off the hook, and Stefan thanked Robin, telling her that her services were no longer necessary.  Robin (perhaps pretending not to understand what he meant) said that she was glad to do it because Nik was her friend.  Stefan told her then that Nikolas was busy and wouldn't be able to spend time with her anymore, but Robin didn't buy it.  Stefan offered her money for her time spent helping Nikolas, and she refused to accept it.  She would not be bought off.  Stefan left her, telling her in a way that sounded like a warning that everything he does is in Nik's best interest.

V.  Mac and Felicia

A.  The Plot Thickens

On Tuesday, Mac and Felicia talked about Tony, Tess, and the fake engagement.  V arrived with the update on James, and encouraged Mac to work on Tess so that they wouldn't have to keep Jimmy under wraps for much longer.  Tess arrived next, and they invited her to the engagement party.  Felicia announced a month-long honeymoon, which clearly upset Tess, but she still wouldn't give.  She went aside and made a call, while V went aside and traced the call, and we heard a man's voice.  He told her that they would simply move up the schedule.  When Tess told Mac that he could go ahead with the wedding and the honeymoon, Mac and Felicia assumed that very thing.  V came back with the phone number.  V rocks.  On Wednesday, V brought the news of the trace.  She had tracked down the number to a business in Miami.  Mac decided that the target was Jason, but Felicia and V were not convinced.

B.  The Engagement Party

As they were discussing business, the guests started arriving for the engagement party.  Katherine and Robin were the first to show up, and Katherine made some stupid remark about her giving Mac up being the best thing that had ever happened to him.  I couldn't agree more.  She announced her intentions to throw Felicia a shower, and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.  Mac briefly greeted Robin, then moved on to instruct Tess not to bring their business into the party.

Amy:  "My favorite brother-in-law!"
Luke:  "Your only one.  Let's dance."

More and more guests arrived, and I was surprised and pleased to see that Luke was among them.  Better yet, Amy arrived and invited herself to stay, and I just knew that we'd get some moment with two of my favorite in-laws.  I was not disappointed; the two tangoed through a scene at one point.  Too cute.

But off to the side, Tony announced to Bobbie that he was going to leave Port Charles.  She was stunned, but Tony described his reasoning and assured her that he would see Lucas as much as possible.  Luke overheard, and imposed himself into the conversation to ask when Tony was leaving.  Tony couldn't/didn't give a date.

Kathy called for a toast and Felicia announced that the wedding would be on April 18th.  Of course, it's now May and nobody seems to notice that the two aren't married yet.  Robin hugged Felicia, saying it was from Stone, who had been convinced that Felicia and Mac would get back together.

Meanwhile, Luke questioned Tony about his departure.  Tony said that the further he was away from Lucas, the better for him.  Tony told Luke to stick close to Bobbie.  I didn't know what to make of that, but I decided it wasn't a threat.  Perhaps it was a note of concern, but I doubt that.

Tess and Mac chatted for a minute about business, and Mac is convinced that Jason isn't the target.  Checking back in with the gals, they suggest that he ask Jax if he's ever heard of the company V tracked down.

Later, Audrey congratulated Felicia and said that she thought that this was better than Tom and Felicia any day (I'm paraphrasing, of course, but the sentiment was well intended).  And, of course, the happy couple cut the cake and kissed, feeling guiltier than ever about lying to all of their friends.

Jax:  "What's this?"
Luke:  "Engagement party.  But the engaged are otherwise engaged."

Jax:  "You haven't seen V, have you?"
Luke:  "Who?"

Luke:  "Kind of an uptight Brit for an Aussie, aren't ya?"

Jax arrived, and Luke took the opportunity to ask him a few questions as well.  I was reminded that Luke has never met V, and I was hoping for a moment with them at the party as well--I think he might kind of like her, and I would love to see her respond to him.  Jax replied by pointing to Luke's relationship with Jason.  Jax left him and went to congratulate Mac, after which Tess reminded him that he was supposed to have a bad relationship with Jax and to play the part.  Meanwhile, Tess asked Jax if he knew about this Miami business, and he said he didn't.  I think we were supposed to doubt him.

Bobbie:  "If you blow this, I will never forgive you."

And Bobbie piled on more guilt with her line above.  At this point, I thought that they were laying it on a bit thick, as if Mac and Felicia were the end all be all of their friends' hopes for romance in this lifetime.  Kevin had even sent a present; with Lucy in the hospital he had still remembered.  Awwwww.

And in the end, when Felicia called Amy on the fact that she hadn't been invited, Amy responded by announcing that Mac and Felicia should dance together.  They did, and for the duration muttered about lying to all of their friends.

VI.  The Quartermaines

A.  Lunch at the Grill

The Q men went out to lunch at the PC Grill on Tuesday's episode to discuss the possibilities for the next ELQ counsel now that Justus had resigned.  Alexis arrived in the middle of things and she and Ned argued, with him accusing her of trying to get ELQ secrets for Stefan.  In the middle of things, Alan popped a pill.  She left them to discuss her just as Garcia and Taggert arrived.

They quizzed Alan about the pharmacy break-in the night of the blizzard because they had found out that he borrowed a key to the room.  He said that he was in there to get aspirin for Virginia (convenient, since she's dead), but it was clear that the police weren't sold.  They left, however, and Taggert told Garcia that Alan was a junkie.  Garcia can't believe it.  Personally, I'm looking forward to watching Taggert deal with this one.

After that, AJ stopped by Alexis's table to offer her a chance to prove herself.  He had been maintaining that Alexis hadn't been given a fair shake, while Ned was lambasting her to the ceiling.  It was quite clear that this out-of-the-blue fight was not a fight at all, and that AJ was playing right into Ned's hands.

B.  The Meeting

Ned:  "We're having a little difficulty replacing Justus Ward, and for some reason, Junior here finds that amusing.  Then again, he's made a career out of unmotivated giggling."
AJ:  "Don't be so modest, Ned.  He had a very public falling out with Alexis Davis, his first draft pick for corporate counsel.  You see, they turned lunch hour at the PC Grill into Wrestlemania."

Jax:  "I'll let you know...when the time comes."
Jason:  "Don't wait to long.  I'm not all that grateful."

Justus:  "This is my coming out party.  I finally found my rightful place in the Quartermaine family.  Outside of it."

Ned:  "Goodbye James Dean, hello Donald Trump."
Jax:  "Just about sums up the last 40 years of Western civilization."

On Wednesday, everybody was ready to meet concerning the docks project at the Q mansion.  AJ was lauding the scene with Alexis over Ned's head so Ned took him aside.  Ned then turned to Jax and the question of Jason.  Like the proverbial devil, Jason arrived, decked out in his new clothes and prompting the above line from Ned.  He asked Jax what it was going to cost him for the information Jax had given him.  Jax said that he would know when the time was right.  After the initial squabble with the family, Jason went to the other room, where he spoke to AJ about Michael.  AJ said that he thought things were turning out for the best, for the baby and for him, since he was "Carly-free" now.  Alan and Monica entered, and then Justus arrived, much to Edward's displeasure.  And it only got worse when he found out that it was at Jason's invitation.  But he assured Jason that he was ready for the Qs.

They got down to business, with Ned and Edward arguing over the docks project while Monica shushed Alan about commenting on his sons in suits.  They then turned to the issue of the new legal counsel.  AJ wanted Alexis, and Ned started arguing with him before he could even say her name.  Alexis arrived, and Ned grew more belligerent.  She left them to their decision, and as Ned wanted, AJ and all voted in Alexis as the new counsel.  Jason and Justus, of course, had caught on and were the only ones to vote against Alexis, besides Ned himself.  And, finally, back to the docks project with warnings from either side.

Alexis:  "So AJ gets what he wants..."
Ned:  "Uh-huh."
Alexis:  "You get what you want..."
Ned:  "Uh-huh."
Alexis:  "Now it's my turn."

When it was done, Alan complimented AJ on his contributions to the meeting and his dealings with Ned, and welcomed him home.  At the same time, Ned was at Alexis's hotel room, kissing her fervently and welcoming her to ELQ.  Very nicely done, both from Ned and the writers.  :)