Volume I, Issue v

January 1999

GH in Review by Amy McWilliams

View a section by clicking on the links below, or read the entire review by scrolling down. The review takes up 8 separate pages, but the navigation at the top and botTom of each remains consistent.

General Hospital

The Quartermaines

Carly/Jason/Robin

Mac and Felicia

The Spencers

Bobbie

Lucky and Elizabeth

Luke

The Cassadines

Jax

Sonny

The Spencers

Bobbie

• Bobbie and Jerry spend the afternoon in the park with Lucas. Jerry had brought in artificial snow so that Lucas wouldn't have to wait for Mother Nature any longer. Tony interrupts them and tells Bobbie that he'll gain access to Lucas very soon. After he leaves, Jerry offers to deal with him, but Bobbie doesn't want him to do anything drastic. (12/2)
• When they meet at Kelly's, Luke tells Tony that he won't help him get visitation rights to Lucas. (12/3)
• Bobbie and Laura meet at Kelly's, and Bobbie blames her for the ongoing trouble for the Spencers and Cassadines. (12/4)
• Jerry has planned a dinner on the docks decked out like Bermuda for Bobbie, but Tony is there ahead of them. He announces his progress towards gaining custody of Lucas. After he leaves, Jerry comforts an angry and upset Bobbie and tells her that he'll always be on her side. (12/11)
• Luke arrives and tells Bobbie to steer clear of the Cassadines. He's taking Stefan down. (12/11)
• Bobbie sees some papers about the Cassadines and asks Jerry if he's working for them. He says that he and Jax are thinking about moving against the Cassadine business interests, and that the deal is bringing him closer to Jax. Bobbie warns him to stay away from them anyway. (12/15)
• Luke visits Jerry at the brownstone. He says that if Jerry doesn't tell Bobbie about working for Stefan, he will. Later, Jerry tells Bobbie the truth, and she forgives him. (12/23)
• Jerry helps Bobbie trim the Christmas tree. (12/24)

Bobbie: "You know, Jerry, there's something to be said for teaching a child that he can't have everything he wants."
Jerry: "What's the hurry? You learn that soon enough when you're a grownup."
Bobbie: "Hmm. Sometimes not even then."

Jerry: "There are ways to make things appear more favorable to our side."
Bobbie: "What do you mean?"
Jerry: "Reports could be altered. They could disappear altogether."
Bobbie: "Jerry, you can't."
Jerry: "I made it snow, didn't I?"
Bobbie: "You have pulled off plenty of miracles for this family. I think you better pass on this one."
Jerry: "I'll do anything you ask or nothing at all. I'm here for you. Just know that I'm all yours."

The scene in the park with Tony was just another in a long line. No variations, simply repetition. I grow tired of Tony showing up only to threaten, but that wasn't going to stop soon. Oh, wait--it would be alternating, soon, with scenes of him playing nice until somebody said something he didn't like. Let's not forget that. Brad Maule has said that he loves playing Tony this way. When it first happened, I loved seeing him play Tony this way. The decline and fall of Tony Jones made perfect sense. It's simply gone on too long in the same vein. We've got to have progress one way or another--something has to come to a crisis or turning point.

Tony: "Morning, Ruby. I'd like one of these, thanks. Leaded, unleaded--fill it up. What does a guy have to do to get a cup of coffee around here?"
Ruby: "Get it yourself. And anywhere but here."
Luke: "You don't discourage easily, do you, pal?"

Crack me up. This was to be the last scene with Ruby and Luke (it's continued in the Luke section), as well as Ruby and Tony. But she sure was the Ruby I knew and loved.

Bobbie: "Hi, ruby."
Ruby: "Hi, darling."
Bobbie: "How are you feeling?"
Ruby: "Better."
Bobbie: "Oh. Why, was something wrong?"
Ruby: "I had a pain in my foot."
Bobbie: "Oh. Well, did you see a doctor?"
Ruby: "Shoemaker."
Bobbie: "Oh. Well, whatever it takes to stay healthy."
Ruby: "Ok."
Bobbie: "Have you seen Luke? I was hoping I could catch him."
Ruby: "No, but I've got to go in the back and stir the chili. Are you going to be around for a while?"
Bobbie: "No. I'll--I'll track him down later."
Ruby: "See you later."
Bobbie: "Love you."
Ruby: "Bye, darling. Love you."

And this was the last scene with Bobbie and Ruby. I was glad that both Jackie Zeman and Tony Geary had these last scenes in Kelly's diner with Ruby before Norma Connolly passed away, because that threesome was incredible in its heyday. Heck, it's pretty incredible now. We'll miss you, Ruby.

Laura: "Hi, Bobbie."
Bobbie: "Hi, Laura. Ruby's in the back."
Laura: "Thank you."
Bobbie: "Unless you're looking for my brother. Oh, let me guess--you're here to get some hot chocolate for the boat ride out to Spoon Island. Luke, Stefan. Stefan, Luke. Just can't make up your mind anymore, can you?"

Laura: "I know you're concerned about me, Bobbie. But, actually, where I go and who I see is none of your business."
Bobbie: "Yes, it is. Because, with the exception of Stefan, every person you're hurting happens to be someone I love--Luke, Lucky, Lesley Lu--even Nikolas."
Laura: "That I'm hurting? You don't know anything about this."
Bobbie: "I know that you came back to Port Charles after a nice, long rest in the country and immediately drove your husband out of town. Then you dangled yourself in front of Stefan."
Laura: "That's not what I did."
Bobbie: "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot--nothing is ever your fault. It's always, 'I had no other choice.'"
Laura: "Bobbie, do you really believe that I wanted Luke to leave?"
Bobbie: "Who knows what you want anymore? One minute your heart is breaking over your husband, and the next minute you're buying yourself a season pass on the launch to Spoon Island."
Laura: "My son lives on spoon island. I have a right to visit him. You know something? I have been defending myself to you for years, and, quite frankly, I am sick of it. But since you are so interested in my romantic life, I'll let you in on a little secret--I love Luke. He knows it, and so does Stefan."
Bobbie: "Then why is he living over Kelly's instead of in his own home?"
Laura: "That's his decision, not mine."
Bobbie: "Well, for reasons I have yet to understand, Luke would never choose to be away from you unless you made it impossible for him to stay."
Laura: "Oh. You never change, do you? When it comes to your brother, he's always right and I'm always wrong."
Bobbie: "Do you want to explain it to me? I'm right here."
Laura: "No, I don't."
Bobbie: "For the record--I know my brother has faults and I don't pretend to know everything he's done, but one thing I do know is he did it all for you."

I complain about repetition so often that you'd think I'd grow tired of these clashes with Bobbie and Laura. I don't. They've been doing this since the late 70s, and I don't think they'll be stopping any time soon. Bobbie's amazing, though, in the way she can scream at Laura one minute and tell Luke to forgive her the next. The last line was the kicker. The irony is that it's exactly what Laura can't believe anymore, even though it's true. Luke has made some really stupid moves. They've all been for, or at least about, Laura.

Tony: "You know, you two kids just look so romantic."
Jerry: "And you're the kind of ex-husband that stalker movies are made about."
Tony: "I really do feel like I'm in a tropical paradise--except for that smell of fish from the water."
Jerry: "I'm sorry. This wasn't the surprise I had in mind."
Bobbie: "It's ok. I'm used to this. I'm Tony's inspiration. He just can't get enough of me."

Bobbie: "Congratulations. You must have worked very hard. You took a judge's sentence, so many hours of community service, and you turned that into something meaningful--something that really will be a service to this community."
Tony: "You shocked?"
Bobbie: "Hardly. Because I know what kind of man you used to be--what kind of doctor, what kind of father."
Tony: "I can still be that kind of father. Why can't you believe me?"
Bobbie: "Because I'm not a clinic, Tony. Being a father to my son is not a job with sick time and severance pay. It's a whole life."
Tony: "And that's what I'm asking you to let it be--my whole life."
Bobbie: "Do you remember telling me that you were prepared to take Lucas and just disappear? What kind of mother do you think I would be if I could just forget about that? If I could just turn around and let you be alone with him? No. I won't live without him, either. So I guess the lines are drawn. You do what you have to do."

Tony: "Well, I guess there's no middle ground, so I'm going to have to stop looking for it. And even though it's going to seem like I'm doing my best to ruin your life, I really am sorry that I ruined your dinner."
Jerry: "Well, I'll pull the plug on this, and then I'll take you home."
Bobbie: "You want a watery Mai tai? You know, there must be days--and I'm sure this must be one of them--when you wonder why you ever --"
Jerry: "All I ever wonder is why I didn't meet you before he did."

I'd like to believe Tony when he says that this is not about revenge. That look on his face and the obvious pleasure he gets from scenes like these, though, disprove his claim. What impressed me about this scene, however, was Bobbie's line of congratulations. She's out for revenge too, perhaps, but she also regrets that things have to be like this. I'm not at all sure that Tony regrets anything except what others have done to him, as he sees it.

Luke: "I just had an extended conversation with your ex-husband, Stefan Cassadine. I want you to be careful and stay away from the whole crowd. All of them--including Nikolas."
Bobbie: "Why? What are you going to do?"
Luke: "I'm taking him down. All the way down."

We've heard that before. It amused me that everybody knew exactly where to find Bobbie and Jerry on their big date, though. Luke's warning was to Bobbie, but I suspect it was to Jerry as well.

Bobbie: "I don't want to be the person in your life who makes you do things you don't want to do. I hate the thought of you even being in the same room with Stefan. And I wish you could find a way to reconnect with Jax without risking Stefan's revenge. But if I didn't give up on you when you were arrested for racketeering, I'm sure not giving up on you now."
Jerry: "You're a bullheaded woman, all right. That's one of the reasons I'm so crazy about you."

Jerry: "Close your eyes before you come in here."
Luke: "When I do that, I tend to bump into things."
Jerry: "Hello, Luke."
Luke: "Luckily, I have eyes in the back of my head."
Jerry: "Must be a pickpocket's nightmare."
Luke: "You could say that. Where's Barbara?"
Jerry: "Still working. Anything you'd like me to tell her?"
Luke: "Yeah. Tell her you're working for her ex-husband--not the one that used to carry around a little doctor bag, the one with the fangs."

Jerry: "You have me at a disadvantage. Just how many ex-husbands does Bobbie have? A gentleman never asks."
Luke: "You don't have to count that high. Just think of the last guy who gave you a big chunk of cash. Name rhymes with "asinine."
Jerry: "Cassadine."
Luke: "Oh, yeah!"

Luke: "You're good. You're good. That's gold medal-winning lying. Yeah, for artistic merit, the Romanian judge gives you a 9.8. Very worthy accomplishment, but not at the expense of my little sister. Now, like you, I have kept her in the dark about various things through the years to keep her life pleasant. But I've done it one or two too many times, or so she says. So I ain't going to do it anymore. Now, I'll--I'll definitely tell her about this. But she's not here. So you have time to tell her yourself."
Jerry: "There's no story to tell."
Luke: "Well, you may lose her if you tell her. But you'll lose her for sure if I tell her. Your call."

Bobbie: "So, what you're saying is Stefan is trying to frame my brother and he's using you to do it."
Jerry: "No, no. Luke loosened the parapet railing."
Bobbie: "You actually expect me to believe that my brother attempted murder?"
Jerry: "Come on, Bobbie. Is it as incredible as all that? I mean, think about it. I very much doubt that Katherine Bell was his real target, don't you? Why don't you just ask him yourself. The only reason I'm telling you now is because he said if I didn't, he would."
Bobbie: "Oh. I see. So, the clean slate that we said we were starting out with when you got your reprieve from prison--all you've done is fill that up with new and different lies?"
Jerry: "I did it, all right? There's no point accusing me while I'm confessing. I had nothing, no prospects, and Cassadine came to me out of the blue. It seemed like easy money, and it was. So I took the job. And I prayed that it wouldn't cost me you. Has it?"

Bobbie: "What's in it?"
Jerry: "Nothing extravagant. Isn't that what we said?"
Bobbie: "Ok. Maybe it's a good test. I'm going to open this. And if it's a necklace or a deed to a platinum mine, then I will know never to believe you. If it's a garage door opener, then maybe we have a chance."
Jerry: "Just stop. I am not going to bet our relationship on the contents of a box. I take a lot more risks than most people. But I never risk anything I can't do without. And I don't think I can do without you. By rights, this should go down as the worst year of my life. But everything that went wrong pales beside the fact that I met you."
Bobbie: "Jerry, I'm not difficult. I cut people a lot of slack. I know that life isn't perfect, and I don't expect you to be, either. But trust, to me, is a bare minimum. And if I can't believe what you say to me, then I don't know how to take the next step. Everything just looks like quicksand to me. My brother and Laura have loved each other as long and as hard as any two people can. And now they're tearing each other to pieces because they don't have any faith left in each other anymore. As an ending, that is heartbreakingly sad. But as a beginning, it's impossible."
Jerry: "I'll do better."
Bobbie: "You see, maybe the problem is that we just don't agree on certain key phrases, like "honesty" and "extravagance."
Jerry: "Maybe you should open it. 
Bobbie: "It's licorice. You gave me licorice."
Jerry: "In a very nice box."
Bobbie: "In a very nice box."
Jerry: "Which is not to say that you shouldn't throw me out, if you think about it."
Bobbie: "No, it's not."
Jerry: "But then again, it is Christmas."
Bobbie: "Yes, it is."
Jerry: "I'll do better. I will. I'm very motivated."

I was almost disappointed at how easy he got off. Part of that is Bobbie's need for a constant in her life, perhaps, but the other part is her own knowledge that she brings as much crap to this relationship as Jerry. We've seen that in their conversations before. The licorice was adorable, however, and once again Jerry was willing to tell somebody he loved the truth. Sure, he's always prompted by something (jail, Luke), but unlike Laura, he stands up tall and says what he has to say. The contrast between those two continued to strike me in scenes this month, for some reason.

Lucky and Elizabeth

• Liz is worried about testifying and Lucky comforts her. Meanwhile, Dara and Justus have a moment of softening towards each other as Dara prepares to give Liz the bad news. Justus hints that they may be on the same side in the near future. When the kids arrive, she tells them that she won't be calling Liz to the stand because they can't risk having the rape come up. Liz is upset and tells Lucky that she just wants to let go of that night in the park. Lucky tells her that they can figure it out together. Later, Dara and Taggert bemoan the fact that their hands are tied where Liz is concerned and go to Jake's together. (12/2)
• At the trial, Liz insists on being in the courtroom and Bobbie agrees to sit with her until she has to go to work while Lucky testifies. When Emily takes the stand, however, the defense suggests that the kids made up the story to further Emily's modeling career. Elizabeth starts remembering her confrontations with Tom and stands up, screaming that he had raped her. The defense calls for a mistrial while Lucky and Nikolas drag Liz out of the courtroom. (12/8)
• Lucky sits with Liz outside the courtroom while Emily continues to testify inside. Later, Alexis assures the foursome that the jury appeared convinced of Tom's guilt and Emily says that she will testify as many times as it takes. Elizabeth is inconsolable. She is positive that she's the cause of Tom going free, and when Tom comes out, Lucky attacks him when he comments to Elizabeth. Tom protests, but Taggert says he didn't see anything. Later, however, Taggert tells Lucky and Elizabeth to rein it in and pretend Tom is invisible. He asks Liz to stay home if there's another trial to make it easier on herself. Later, Liz tells Lucky that seeing Tom push his buttons showed her how Tom controls people. She wasn't going to let him control her anymore--she was letting it go. While they embrace in the park where this all started, Dara phones Lucky with the news that Tom's going to prison. (12/9)
• Nikolas brings Lulu home from the park. Lucky's at the house; Liz has gone to a spa in Florida with Audrey. The brothers agree that their elders' feud will not be theirs, especially for Lulu's sake. (12/11)
• Coming home from her encounter with Luke and Stefan in the park, Laura tells Lucky about the trouble between her and Luke but is happy to hear that he's made peace with Nikolas. Luke finds him next, at Kelly's, and Lucky says that Luke must leave him out of his war with the Cassadines. (12/14)
• Liz comes home from her spa vacation with her grandmother and Lucky plays the message from Dara. Elizabeth says that she's glad to know that it didn't affect her the way it might have before. Nikolas visits to ask Lucky if he would like to give Laura a picture of her three children for her birthday, and Lucky agrees. Elizabeth and Lucky then decorated their Christmas tree together. (12/16)
• Liz and Lucky hang stockings and prepare for the guests. Nikolas, Lulu, and Emily arrive, and they turn on some music (after quickly changing the tape from Elizabeth's song) and start taking pictures. (12/18)
• Audrey confronts Liz about her curfew in front of Lucky. They fight, and Liz threatens to go out her window and do as she wants. In the end, they come to a compromise, but Liz is still mortified. (12/21)
• The next day, Lucky is surprised when Audrey invites him to Christmas dinner, but he agrees. He came to the hospital because she called, and so runs into his father, who seemed to remember only when Lucky told him that it was Laura's birthday. (12/22)
• Laura is thrilled by the gift of the photo from her three children. She also received a bouquet from Stefan, but nothing from Luke. (12/22)
• Elizabeth gives him a painting of the boxcar, and Lucky gives Elizabeth a pearl ring for Christmas as a token of his love for her. They say "I love you" for the first time. Then Nikolas and Emily arrive and they exchange gifts and take a photo of the four of them with the camera Nikolas bought Elizabeth. Of course, the girls had to buy the guys' gifts for each other. They all went to the GH Christmas Party. (12/24)

Lucky: "Look, I know why you want to be in there--and it makes so much sense, nobody would need it explained--but they have things set up so the way it makes sense isn't the way it works. Tom raped you. He can only be punished if nobody says so. As far as the courts are concerned, you can't exist. Now, nobody can tell me that's right, but I don't know how to fix it--except by doing this one thing. I can be your voice. I can speak for you. I can't say what you would say, but I can be the best witness I can be for you."
Elizabeth: "Thank you."

Elizabeth was jumpy before the trial. Everybody saw it, but nobody could tell her to just go home. She took everything Lucky said the wrong way, but finally he told her that he would do the best job he could in her stead. She steeled herself and they went into the courtroom. I was glad to see Bobbie there, at least for a little while. They explained that Audrey didn't know Elizabeth was there, and it made sense that she wouldn't want to be there herself because of the rape. It made no sense, however, that Laura wasn't there, except to give the backstage explanation of Genie Francis's light schedule. Stefan wasn't there either, however, which made it seem as though Emily was the only one who'd told her family about the trial--except, of course, that Bobbie was there. Ah, well. One of those things, I suppose. I would have liked to see the looks passed between the adults, however, even though that might have made the scenes unwieldy.

Attorney: "And how did you and Mr. Cassadine come to be in my client's studio that night?"
Lucky: "Well, we knew Emily might be in trouble. We didn't even know Elizabeth was going to be--"
Attorney: "I asked how, not why. How did you gain access?"
Lucky: "Oh, I picked the lock."
Attorney: "Uh-huh. Well, that wasn't the first time, was it?"
Lucky: "What were we supposed to do, knock? We knew he had Emily in there."
Attorney: "So? A well known, respected photographer in his own studio with a model for a prearranged shoot. Now, you found this alarming? Why?"
Lucky: "Does he normally lock his models in the darkroom?"
Attorney: "Your honor--"
Lucky: "Does he normally use a gun instead of a camera?"
Attorney: "Would you please instruct the witness to answer the question asked?"
Judge: "I don't think he's doing so badly."

Lucky on the stand reminded me of Luke on the stand. Of course we knew that Tom would be found guilty; it's the only reason this storyline had continued in this way. The way they let us know that with the judge's responses, above, though, was amusing.

Elizabeth: "I played right into his hands. If there's a way to make it easier for him, trust me to find it every time--starting with when you and Bobbie wanted me to go to the hospital so I could get physical evidence to press rape charges. God, that would've been a smart thing to do, but --"
Lucky: "How smart do you think most people are when they've just been attacked?"
Elizabeth: "Taggert warned me. He warned me not to listen to anything Tom had to say. You practically begged me not to go see him, but I insisted on seeing him and let him play with my mind. And Dara--she didn't even want to hear from me in that courtroom. I blew it. You knew I would blow it."
Lucky: "You didn't blow anything. I just didn't want to see you upset."
Elizabeth: "Naturally, I've got to open my big, fat mouth and wreck the prosecution's case."
Lucky: "Elizabeth, if you want to stop doing Tom's dirty work, quit taking all his blame."
Elizabeth: "The thing is Tom's going to continue to hurt people--rape, extortion, whatever. We were this close to nailing the jerk. Now he's going to get off."

Tom: "Oh, isn't this sweet? It's four musketeers."
Officer: "Ok, Baker."
Tom: "Elizabeth, I--I hope you have a better valentine's day next year."

Elizabeth blamed herself, of course, for her outburst and for setting Tom free. She was nearly inconsolable, and would hear nothing positive that they were saying to her. Tom's words to her, however, were amazingly disturbing. The actor has done a fantastic job, and while I resent them turning Tom into a monster, it's certainly given the actor a chance to shine. Great job.

Taggert's response was great, not only with Tom, but also with Liz. He told her point blank that if there was another trial, she should stay home for her own sake.

Elizabeth: "No, but that's the point, Lucky. Tom is good at pushing buttons. Today I saw him push yours. He makes himself the focus, and it puts him in control. As long as I keep reacting to Tom, I'm never going to get free of him. And if he can make me angry and he can make me sad, then it's almost like he's still forcing himself on me. I have to take that power away from him."
Lucky: "Yeah, well, it's like Taggert said--you have to shut him down in your mind, right?"
Elizabeth: "You've been telling me that for how long?"
Lucky: "Well, it's one thing to say it --"
Elizabeth: "No, but it's not just me. He did it to you. I saw it. I watched him work. And it was like this bell went off--"this is what Tom does. Don't let him do it again." And I--I don't know why, but at that moment, I could almost feel myself disengage. I was here and then I was there. I just don't know why it took me so long."
Lucky: "No, it didn't take all that long."
Elizabeth: "You know, the trial can go on without me--stop, start, whatever. I think I'm finally getting to a place where Tom Baker can't reach anymore."
Lucky: "Yeah."

It was interesting that Lucky's outburst was the thing that made this click for Liz. It let her get outside of herself and see what was going on. This wasn't because she had been raped; it was because Tom was a wacko. She wasn't the only vulnerable one; Lucky was vulnerable too. And perhaps it was because she didn't feel like a failure for her reactions that she could give them up. Whatever the reason, her resolution this time convinced me, and I knew that she'd be alright.

Lucky's voice: "Hi, I'm not in. Leave a message. [answering machine beeps]
Dara: "This is Dara Jensen. I tried Elizabeth's home. I wanted you guys to know as soon as possible. Tom Baker has changed his plea. 20 minutes ago, after some wrangling, he pled guilty to third-degree larceny. He's on his way to prison."
Lucky: "You cold?"
Elizabeth: "No. I love this--when everything is sprinkled with fresh snow. It's like the world is immaculate. And the stars--look at them. Isn't it great?"
Lucky: "Beautiful."
Elizabeth: "Yeah. It really is beautiful. You know, I never thought I'd see that again. But I do. I do."

She was. Immediately after, we had this nice scene where Dara called with the verdict (there was a deal made--Dara's style, I suppose) but Lucky and Liz weren't at home. She had gone to the park, the place where it all started, and she had seen beauty again. Lucky's line, given while he was staring at her upturned face, was fantastic.

I didn't much care for the Tom Baker addendum to the rape story when it first started. I still don't think it was the best choice. That said, they've convinced me that it was a good choice with the beautiful payoff from Elizabeth. I look forward to Lucky and Liz being about something more than getting through the rape and his parents' lies, however. Not that I want that to go away, and not that I think it's been bad. I just look forward to more elements being added into their relationship and story.

Lucky: "So, what did he want?"
Nikolas: "Luke? I think he was as surprised to see me as I was to see him."
Lucky: "Yeah. Probably just as thrilled."
Nikolas: "That, too."
Lucky: "He has this annoying habit of just suddenly being there when you least want him to be."
Nikolas: "I know. And I really didn't want him to be there today. You probably don't remember--there's no reason why you should, but I was taught never to forget--today's the day, years ago, your father killed my father."

Nikolas: "Look, I didn't mean the way it sounded before--what I said about your father and mine. I wasn't there. We don't know what really happened."
Lucky: "No, I think we do. It's pretty well documented."
Nikolas: "What do you mean, the version Luke told the newspapers?"
Lucky: "Yeah. I guess that's right."
Nikolas: "Yeah. I only know the version my family told me, and they don't know what happened, either, so--I--I hope this doesn't, you know, change what we've kind of got, you know."
Lucky: "Why should it? Lulu? Want to come say good-bye to Nikky?"
Nikolas: "Whoa, whoa. It's one thing for her to say that, but you--I don't know."
Lucky: "All right, see, here's my trick--whenever you start getting too obnoxious--which happens a lot--I just think of all the ways you helped Emily and Elizabeth. Reminds me how you've changed, how you're grown."
Nikolas: "Oh, I've changed? And I've grown? No, I think you have."
Lucky: "No. I'm sorry. I'm just the same."
Nikolas: "Whatever you say, man. Say good-bye to lulu for me, will you?"
Lucky: "Will do."
Nikolas: "Thanks."

I was glad that Lucky was at the house when Nikolas brought Lulu home. It helped remind Nikolas that there was a resolution to put the feud aside, and it helped him speak about Stavros and calm down. That they could calmly talk about this and then end up joking proved just how far they've come, perhaps more than anything has.

Lucky: "Does Nikolas take care of her by himself a lot these days?"
Laura: "They were only alone in the park together for a very, very short time, and I thought that maybe --"
Lucky: "Mom, mom, mom. It's ok."
Laura: "Well, unfortunately, not everyone shares that point of view."
Lucky: "Well, hey, I'm not everybody. Neither is Nikolas. And "everyone" is just going to have to get used to it--both of them."

It's sad that Laura immediately has to be on the defensive, even if she's brought most of that on herself. I was glad that Lucky let her know that things with Nik were ok as far as he was concerned, and the look on her face was quite moving--the relief, the happiness.

Luke: "Do you know this is the second time you've referred to Nikolas as "your brother"?"
Lucky: "Guess I wasn't counting."
Luke: "Well, I am. And if there's any connection at all, it's strictly biological."
Lucky: "It's more of a family matter. I mean, I heard that word so much growing up. So did Nikolas. And can you blame us for taking it seriously?"
Luke: "You are going to use the words "Nikolas" and "family" in the same breath to me?"
Lucky: "Why not? Why should Nikolas and I be at each other's throats just because you and Stefan are?"
Luke: "Lucky, he's a Cassadine."
Lucky: "It's just a name."
Luke: "It's a name that means you can never trust him."
Lucky: "Well, I already have. And you know what? He came through, dad. Didn't even have to think twice. Now, I'm not saying we're bonded to the death or anything. All right, I don't know how it's going to be. But I can say it's just like mom said--he's not Stefan, and I'm not you."

Lucky: "Look, if Nikolas did want revenge against the Spencers, he has his reasons."
Luke: "Is that so?"
Lucky: "You killed his father."
Luke: "Well, actually, I can't take full credit for that blessed event. A lot of it was just dumb luck. But if the kid wants to give me all the kudos, I'm flattered. Stavros was this close--"
Lucky: "He was going to rape mom."
Luke: "Yeah. One of life's little ironies, huh?"
Lucky: "So you figure you had the right to avenge her? Guess I would have, too."
Luke: "I take care of my family, cowboy. I always have. That means I protect them from danger by any means I think is necessary. Danger is the Cassadines. That won't change. And don't expect me to change because you've been duped into brotherhood with one of them."
Lucky: "Ok. But if you want a truce between us, you got to stop expecting me to fight your battles. I mean, you can't expect me to hate somebody just because you do. You can't."
Luke: "I don't. I don't expect you to hate them for my reasons. You just hang on. They'll give you plenty of reasons of your own. And I say that with complete confidence. Thanks for the chat."

We had a similar conversation between Nikolas and Stefan. Stefan played it cool, backing off any objections he might have, while Luke insisted, basically, that Lucky was making an unwise choice. I suspect that Stefan wouldn't be so understanding if things weren't going his way, and that Luke lashed out just a bit there at the end because he hadn't gotten Lucky on his side. At the same time, he has to be worried about Lucky, both because his understanding of Nikolas doesn't allow for any small trust and because where Nikolas goes, Stefan is sure to follow. This was another point at which Lucky and Luke had to check in and reconfirm what they went through at the cabin, I think. Luke wants to have his son on his side, but Lucky can't go that far again. Lucky will stand strong, I'm sure, and Luke will finally get the picture. Some day, they'll both be able to begin a new and different relationship--one that doesn't depend on a mutual response to the Cassadines. They still have common ground, but Luke's priority is Stefan. Lucky's isn't.

Elizabeth: "Why can't you just admit that if Nikolas went away, you'd miss him?"
Lucky: "And this is important because?"
Elizabeth: "Because--because I've put away my stuff, and I don't want to leave you behind."
Lucky: "Look, my dad raised me to hate everything Cassadine. Hate. I mean, it's not that he preached they were the evil people and we were the good people. He doesn't believe in good or evil the way most people do. But I think that's what I heard. And I thought dad was good, so I thought he said we were the good guys. But I don't know if he actually said that. See, there was business in the past before mom and dad were married that went way beyond our family. I never--I didn't really hear much about that. You know, when I start to think about it, what got hammered into me was really all about mom. It's like--it's like one of lulu's fairy tale books. See, there's this princess who, for whatever reason, loves this prince. And he wears silver armor in all the pictures. And then there's this other kingdom--east of the sun, west of the moon, or whatever--and all their knights wear black armor. And these two kingdoms are in a centuries-old feudal war, and what it's boiled down to right now is who's got possession of the princess. See, I mean, she's--she's like a trophy. And whoever has her is the current most powerful. I know that sounds a little weird, but --"
Elizabeth: "No."
Lucky: "When I start to think about it, it's like it was all unspoken, but it was--it was always there, hanging over everything. See, the evil Cassadines wanted mom because that would mean they defeated dad. That's why I was raised always protect mom. First thing, always protect mom. I mean, it's almost like everything else was just a drill to keep us in training for when they came after mom. Because they play dirty. I mean, I definitely understood that. They're vicious. They plunder. They--they burn. They leave heads on stakes. They--they just want the cosmos to know that they're the most powerful. And that's really all I knew about Nikolas and the Cassadines. That's it. I mean, I didn't even consider the possibility that Nikolas was as disinterested in this centuries-old feudal war as I'd become. But he is. And he's proven himself so far. He was solid through all the stuff with Emily and the trial."
Elizabeth: "Did something happen with your mom while I was gone? When I left, your dad wasn't staying with her at the house."
Lucky: "Yeah, he's still not, as far as I know. I think something's about to break. You know, when we were on the run, sometimes you'd get this feeling ahead of time. Like when we were down in Texas for a while, and sometimes there'd just be this eerie stillness in the air, like the birds and the trees and everything knew something was coming. And it'd be a tornado. The last couple days, I've been getting that same feeling."
Elizabeth: "You think something's going to happen between your mom and dad and Stefan Cassadine?"
Lucky: "Yep."
Elizabeth: "Do you think it's going to mess with how you feel about Nikolas?"
Lucky: "After that time we caught mom over at Wyndemere barefoot, wearing that white dress, she claimed she got stuck in the rain. Nikolas and I just decided to keep that separate from us. Seemed to work."
Elizabeth: "But your dad's back now."
Lucky: "Yeah, but you know what? I've kind of realized it's not the worst thing in the world to admit that Nikolas is my brother. That's because of you."
Elizabeth: "What?"
Lucky: "Hey, you made me at least give him a chance."
Elizabeth: "No, I didn't. If anything, I distracted you with all my garbage. You know, so maybe you had to put down some of your stuff to help carry mine. In which case, now that I've put the whole Tom Baker and the rape thing behind me, I think I need to come up with new ways to keep you distracted. Which reminds me--I had an idea of something I wanted to do."
Lucky: "What?"
Elizabeth: "Come on. I'll show you."

While I think I'll scream if Lucky mentions Laura's bare feet one more time, his discussion of his family and of the way Luke taught him to understand the world and the Cassadines was incredible. His description seemed simply, but it's absolutely true. For Luke, some things are simple. Protecting Laura is the botTom line, plain and simple. The flip side of Lucky's disillusionment with his father's worldview is that he is now able to give Nikolas the benefit of the doubt and judge his brother by his own standards. That's an incredible thing to see, especially given their first encounter in Lulu's hospital room when Nikolas was filled with such hatred and Lucky such shock and horror--and insecurity. In the loss of a secure family, he's found the security in himself to accept Nikolas. Now perhaps he can return to the task of putting his family back together.

Lucky: "Well, your attitude, ok? I'm telling you, you're going to be the next Diane Arbus."
Elizabeth: "Who mostly took pictures of freaks."
Lucky: "What could be freakier than Nikolas and me and my sister in the same family photograph?"
Elizabeth: "Oh, now, you guys looked adorable."
Lucky: "Yeah, you got to admit it was weird."
Elizabeth: "A good weird."
Lucky: "Example?"
Elizabeth: "Ok. Unicorns are a good weird."
Lucky: "Fine, but they don't exist."
Elizabeth: "Well, neither did shots of you and Nikolas and lulu until I captured you on film tonight. The group portrait of the children of Laura Spencer, a rare and magical sight."
Lucky: "Yeah, but not in the category of unicorns. I mean, as a group, we're much, much more bizarre."
Elizabeth: "Ok, ok. So how about a trio of unicorns?"
Lucky: "A herd of unicorns, all with three eyes."
Elizabeth: "Oh, you're insane."
Lucky: "I'm not the one running around taking pictures of three-eyed unicorns."

Audrey: "I'm not mad at him, darling. I am--I am--I'm confused and I'm--I'm worried. The more leeway I give you, the more you seem to withdraw. You don't feel like a part of this household. You and Lucky are in your own universe. I mean, what has happened to make the two of you shut yourselves off from the rest of the world?"

Audrey: "Will you stop it? You just stop that right now. Now, you're standing here in my house quivering with indignation that I would have the nerve to be concerned that my teenage granddaughter is running around at all hours of the day and night, unsupervised, with her teenage boyfriend. I suppose you think I should be, what, more highly evolved or more politically correct or whatever passes for the current excuse for not paying attention to your children's comings and goings. Well, I am not. There are all kinds of ways you can get into trouble, Elizabeth. And forgive me, Lucky is one of them."

Days after the trial, Liz was perfectly happy. She and Lucky were in their own world--and that was the problem. Audrey, who perhaps had been hesitant to chide Elizabeth before, couldn't keep quiet anymore, and called her on the carpet for breaking curfew and disregarding her rules. Audrey knows that she failed Elizabeth just after the rape, and she doesn't want to fail her again. It's more than that, as Joan pointed out:

"Oh, I think Audrey was quite right [to confront Elizabeth as she did]. Her concern didn't seem at all to be about Lucky or sex or control, but rather about the mutual responsibility parents and children have to each other. Audrey is not just Elizabeth's grandmother, she is in loco parentis, a defacto parent in the eyes of the law and Elizabeth's mother and father. It's an enormous responsibility, and whatever Audrey's private inclinations or assumptions may be, the fact remains that she would be remiss if she did not have issues with Elizabeth's cavalier attitude toward house rules.

"Think of Elizabeth not as a recent rape survivor or as an appealing young girl in love. Think of her as your charge, a precious human being who has endured horror after horror on your watch. You have tried to be as sensitive to her needs as you can. For her sake, you have countenanced things few parents would ever have done in the same circumstances. Is it really unreasonable to want a little accountability from your underage charge?

"Any parent has a right to know where her child is when she is out of her home, and to expect to be called if there is a deviation from the agreement both have negotiated. Audrey's ground rules are actually quite lenient. They are not designed to oppress Elizabeth, and in fact do take into account Lucky's special place in her life. Audrey's call to Lucky inviting him to spend Christmas with them was not an unusual occurrence or a gesture of reconciliation; she has routinely assumed that Lucky is a given in Elizabeth's life. As far as I'm concerned, Audrey's little freak-out was not only understandable, it was long overdue, considering Elizabeth's recent sleepover at Lucky's. (I never saw Elizabeth call Audrey then, or allude to a call, did you?)"

Luke: "Well, who says there's no such thing as coincidence?"
Lucky: "You."
Luke: "That's right. I know I heard it somewhere."
Lucky: "Here about your leg?"
Luke: "Yeah, I was just up with the doctor. He gave me the ok to pole vault again. He thinks it's amazing--you know, my recovery, down one day, up the next. And he wants to see a picture of that wolf trap. He can't believe it."
Lucky: "Well, I'm glad you're feeling better."
Luke: "Thanks. I guess I'm a lot better off than Mac."
Lucky: "You know, I saw Robin and Felicia. What's going on with that?"
Luke: "It's bad, I guess. You want to get a cup of coffee? I'll fill you in."
Lucky: "Well, actually, I'm running a little late."
Luke: "Oh."
Lucky: "On my way to mom's."
Luke: "It's her birthday."
Lucky: "Yeah. You going over there?"
Luke: "Is there a party?"
Lucky: "Not really. Just going to stop by with Nikolas."
Luke: "Oh. Well, I guess I'll pass. My doctor says the leg's ok, but I shouldn't strain my patience."
Lucky: "I got to go."
Luke: "Yeah, me, too. I got a bunch of important things to do. Shall we go out together?"
Lucky: "Sure."

On the heels of their disagreement at Kelly's over Nikolas, I thought it quite telling that Luke was overly conciliatory when he met Lucky at the hospital. He doesn't want to lose his son as he's lost his wife (he believes), and perhaps he's realizing that the above approach just doesn't work. That doesn't mean he won't take a pot shot, of course, *G*

Lucky, for his part, was willing to avoid an argument too. People have noted that Laura doesn't make an effort with Lucky. She doesn't seem concerned with how this has all affected him, some would argue, but only cares about how it's affected her. That seems a bit extreme, but the point that she hasn't tried very hard with him makes sense. She hasn't gone to him and told him what's going on, doesn't, in January, even mention that she should go and tell Lucky the truth about Nikolas as well as Nikolas himself (by that time, she seemed focused only on her Cassadine family, just after Luke broke up with her). Instead, he has to come to her and confront her about things, seeing her as able to tell the truth only when cornered by somebody who already knows what she has to tell. I believe that the reason he has come to the above point with Luke is simply because Luke tries. He tries in stupid ways, and he fails in a lot of his objectives. He tries, however, to explain himself and to let Lucky speak his mind. And so he succeeds, just a little bit, where Laura does not.

Lucky: "I know we agreed not to see other people a while back, but I just wanted to make it official. I mean, I--I wanted you to have something you could wear that says--well, tells you that we belong together."
Elizabeth: "Hmm."
Lucky: "Something you can look at any time, day or night, and be reminded of how much you've changed my life and how much I love you."
Elizabeth: "You just said you love me."
Lucky: "I know. You don't have to say it back. I mean, you don't even have to love me back. I mean, you can consider this just an ordinary best friend's ring. I just thought you ought to know."
Elizabeth: "Lucky, I thought you already knew. I am in love with you. I have been all along."

Lucky: "You just said you love me."
Elizabeth: "I do. I've been wanting to tell you for a long time. I--I just didn't know how."
Lucky: "Me, too."
Lucky: "I love you."
Elizabeth: "I love you, too."
Lucky: "I want you to know something so you never have to question it. There will never be another girl for me. Never."
Elizabeth: "Do you remember when we first met, and you said your name's Lucky--"
Lucky: "Yeah, and you said, "we'll see."
Elizabeth: "Well, it turns out I'm the one who's lucky."

I did like the reminder of their first meeting. Liz's come a long way since then, and so has Lucky. I wondered, however, how many times we'd have to see these two confirm that they're an item. It's as though this has been milked for all it's worth, from the date at the No Name, through the scene at Luke's, to this. I understand that they need to go slow, and I applaud that. But after the third or fourth time, I wonder if it will become predictable. We need romance, and we need their lightness. It's the fact that the dialogue is so similar in every case that makes me feel like we've seen this before.

Lucky: "Oh, very appropriate. It's you."
Nikolas: "Oh, yeah. And the best part's going to be the look on my uncle's face when I wear it around the house."
Lucky: "You wouldn't."
Nikolas: "Oh, I would. I'm crazy."

The gift exchange was fabulous, especially Nik's gift of a camera to Liz and the subsequent picture she took of all of them. The above gift, however, was my favorite. Emily gave Nikolas an ELQ hat. Crack me up.