Volume I, Issue vi

February 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

Carly/Jason/Robin

Carly/Jason/Robin cont.

Sonny

The Cassadines

The Cassadines cont.

Mac and Felicia

Justus

Jax

The Spencers

Bobbie

Lucky and Elizabeth

Laura

The Quartermaines

General Hospital

• Carly and Bobbie prepare for Michael's birthday. Carly's disappointed when Robin shows up just in time, and she and Bobbie bicker over Carly's opinion of Robin. Carly inquires after Sonny, and then insists that she won't be the one to leave. (12/28)
• Emily tries to sneak out of the house, but her family catches her and she's forced to admit that she's going to Michael's first birthday party. Despite her best efforts, the family crashes the party. Robin asks Jason to compromise and let the Qs stay for a while, and Carly is appalled--until Edward gives Michael the gift of admittance into a prestigious school. (12/28)
• Robin prepares to attend the auction, but Carly pokes at her for going where Jason is not invited. Jason sends Carly as well, so that Robin won't have to worry about her spending the evening with him. He and Robin talk about their resolutions and plan to spend his upcoming birthday together. Meanwhile, Carly promises Michael that his parents will finally be together in the New Year. (12/30)
• At the event, Katherine and Robin chat, and then face the onslaught of Carly in her sable and diamonds. (12/30)
• Later at dinner, Robin and Justus discuss the mob. She admits to wanting out but fearing that she never will be free of it. She hopes that Justus will stay out, and he doesn't correct her with the fact that he is only getting in deeper and deeper. (12/31)
• Meanwhile, Carly and Reginald chat about the Quartermaines over their dinner, and Reginald tells her to keep Michael away from them. (12/31)
• Jason and Michael spend their New Year's Eve together at the bike shop, where Lila, who's bid a large amount of money to do so, joins them. Theirs are the last faces we see as 1998 ends on GH. (12/31)
• Jason informs Carly that Sonny will be coming home and that she will have to move out of the penthouse. She's amazed, and tries to play the "Michael-isn't-ready" card again. It doesn't work. Jason insists that he and Robin will move into one place and that Carly and Michael will move into another; the most he'll grant is that he'll stay with Michael for a few days while Robin gets their place ready. Bobbie arrives for a visit, and, hearing the situation, tells Carly that she can move into the Brownstone's empty apartment. Carly hates the idea, and asks her not to say anything, but Bobbie mentions it to Jason. To both women's amazement, Jason refuses. Faced with a viable, shared-custody arrangement, he says that he has to stay with Michael. (1/4)
• At this point, Carly shifts gears. She tells Jason that she agrees with Bobbie; Michael has to learn to be with Carly part of the time--and without his father. Carly knows that this will prove to Jason that joint custody is not what he really wants. Jason agrees, reluctantly, that this will be best for Michael, and Carly moves into the Brownstone. Bobbie warns her not to manipulate Jason, but tells her that she'll be there for her and Michael. She receives a call to come in for an emergency surgery, however, and has to leave Carly alone. Carly phones Jason, who goes to the Brownstone, much to Robin's dismay. (1/5)
• Once Michael is in bed, Carly asks Jason to stay the night in case he wakes again, and Jason agrees. Robin is even more put out. Bobbie, when she finds Jason on the couch, tells him that Michael will take some time to adjust and that he can't let Carly manipulate him. Jason says that he knows what Carly wants and what she is doing, but he will always be there for Michael. (1/6)
• While Jason is gone to see Sonny, Bobbie comes to pick up one of Michael's toys at the penthouse. Robin asks her for her help with Carly, but Bobbie surprises her by saying that Jason will pick Michael, and that means Carly's going to stick around. Robin can't believe Bobbie is asking her to let Jason go for all their sakes. Robin remembers a scene from the past with Jason, and runs into Sonny's arms when he arrives home. (1/7)
• When Bobbie leaves for the juvenile diabetes program with Lucas, Carly asks Jason to stay with her, turning her anxiety over her mother's departure into an opportunity to prove to Jason that he doesn't really want joint custody. To her relief, Jason agrees to stay, but she's actually disappointed when he won't let her come with him to have dinner with Sonny and Robin. (1/8)
• Meanwhile, with Jason gone to visit Michael, Robin tells Sonny that she believes she's losing Jason. She asks for his help. (1/8)
• AJ visits Carly at the Brownstone and brings her a stereo system and CDs. He talks to her of what a lady she will make and how Michael will grow up with every advantage. Jason arrives and AJ leaves peacefully. (1/11)
• Jax warns Robin again to stay away from Sonny. Robin argues that he just wants to get back at Sonny, but Jax points out that Jason is putting Michael, Carly, and even Sonny ahead of her. Later, Robin speaks to Felicia about her problems. (1/12)
• Meanwhile, Sonny asks Jason what's going on with him and Robin. Jason says that Michael is his priority, and Sonny asks him if he's willing to give up Robin for his son. (1/12)
• Robin is amazed that Sonny knows the truth about Michael--that he's AJ's son. She tells Sonny about Carly and asks him to try and make Jason change his mind about her. Sonny, in return, tells her that she has to speak to Jason herself. Later, Robin talks to Felicia again and decides to try to save her relationship with Jason. Meanwhile, Sonny tells Jason that he has to make a choice. (1/13)
• Robin tells Jason that she can't live like this anymore, and he tells her that he's going to move in with Carly and Michael full time. They argue, and Robin tries to change his mind about Carly; that's not the issue for him. Michael is. He will stay with his son. Robin refuses to put her life on hold for him until Michael's old enough to understand, and Jason apologizes for letting her down. She returns the ring he gave her, and they break up. (1/14)
• Carly agrees to go to breakfast with AJ, but when Jason arrives she sends AJ away. Jason tells Carly that he's moving in with her and his son, and tells her that he and Robin have broken up. She assures him that things will be alright. (1/14)
• Sonny comforts Robin. (1/14)
• Jason and Robin speak again; she tells him she's moving to Paris. Then Jason tells Emily, who's come to visit, that they have broken up. He gives her the presents he got her for her birthday. Later, Jason promises Michael to always be with him. (1/15)
• Carly tells AJ that Jason's moving in with her and Michael again, and that Jason and Robin have split up. (1/15)
• Robin goes to confront Carly, first asking for a compromise and then blaming her for manipulating Jason with Michael and breaking them up. She swears that she will protect Jason from Carly. (1/15)
• Afterwards, Robin calls AJ and meets him on the docks, where she tells him that Michael is his son. (1/15)

The Birthday Party

Monica: "Ok. Well, it was good to see you again, Bobbie. Thank you so much for telling me about my grandson's birthday."
Bobbie: "Monica, I didn't do the inviting. And your relationship with Jason is not in my power to change."

Michael's birthday party was predictable, even if it did give us some great one-liners (I especially liked the one about Unca Luke). We've seen this before; we've seen the Qs come, unwanted. We've seen Emily plead then rant and we've seen Ned stand chiding on the edges. It's so routine by now that Lila can set her watch by it. Even the "fight" between Monica and Bobbie has no heart--no drive. I've heard a rumor that the actresses have requested to play certain scenes "down," rather than truly go at each other's throats, and I think that doesn't make sense. It's more bet-hedging, and it's turning the tap on a story that's already watered down by too much repetition.

The things Edward and AJ noticed later, however, I noticed as well. Robin's snarking at Carly elicited not word one from Jason. It was clear to them that things were not at all happy in the penthouse, and that wasn't clear to them before.

Carly: "A.J.'s not so bad--for a weasel. But the best present Michael ever got, today or any other day, is you as his father."

Other than the repetition, the thing that cripples this story is inequality. We're treated to happy scenes with Michael and Jason, even with Carly, and we've been led to believe that Robin really is an impossible fly in the ointment. Lots of people are complaining that Guza has stacked the deck too clearly in Jason's favor, and it certainly seems that way. AJ appears to be only an insensitive manipulator under Edward's thumb. Although some people are actually cheering for him for various reasons, the writing doesn't support it. Guza doesn't seem to want us to have any reason to see this as an equal battle, or to cheer for AJ at this point. And that's harmful to the story, in my opinion.

That said, we were to see in the weeks to come that this story, like all of Guza's stories, is cyclical. And the wheel was beginning to turn with the events that were going to come immediately after the New Year. Things were about to change.

New Year's Eve

That attitude lasted just about as long as it took to goad Robin. When Jason suggested that she go as well, his treat, she didn't hesitate. Crack me up. Carly's transparent sometimes, but the effect is no less grating for her intended target.

Robin: "And maybe I won't have to spend the whole night pretending to have a good time while I'm thinking about Carly alone here with you."
Jason: "That, too."
Robin: "Have I ever told you what 'chivalrous' means?"
Jason: "No."
Robin: "It means you."

As the girls both ended up headed to the auction, we were given a contrast. Robin walked into the room quietly and gracefully, and Jason complimented her sincerely. Carly, later, fairly flounced into the room and demanded praise. In a nutshell, we had the difference between Jason's two women.

There was another contrast, however, and it began with the above lines. Several people noted that the above lines irritated them. Instead of saying, "You're so chivalrous," and waiting to see if Jason needed an explanation, Robin, at least in her rhetoric, assumed he wouldn't know and assumed that she would be the one to teach him. This line, intended to be sweet, actually highlighted one of the main problems in Jason and Robin's relationship, and it would come to the surface strongly and surely in the days to come. As the scene continued, we had Robin teaching Jason about New Year's resolutions, and remembering his upcoming birthday; all of this reinforced the idea that he is young and in need of teaching in her eyes, when that wasn't, perhaps, the intended effect. Robin's relationship with Jason has suffered because of Carly, but not for the reasons Robin believes. Carly's treatment of Jason has put Robin's in stark relief, and Jason and Robin can't help but see the differences.

Jason: "Why do you care so much what people think?"
Carly: "I don't--when I'm with you. Are you getting rid of me tonight?"
Jason: "I don't want to shoot pool. And I don't want to spend the evening helping you make Robin crazy. Carly, the only time I get angry with you is when you try to hurt her."
Carly: "What a coincidence. The times that I hate her the most are when she hurts you. Go figure."

Carly: "Yeah. Sounds like a real fun way to spend New Year's Eve."
Jason: "A lot more fun than being stuck in the grill, trapped in a tux with a lot of people I cannot stand."
Carly: "You have a point. So, what are you going to do at midnight? You going to bang on an oilcan with a socket wrench?"
Jason: "Yeah, Carly, that's what I'm going to do--bang on a can with a socket wrench. No, Robin said to make some kind of resolution. But I'd rather think about how lucky I was last year. I have a lot to be grateful for, starting with Michael. Thank you."
Carly: "Thank you. I mean, you know, diamonds and sables--it's all very nice, but you're the reason that I have my son. Happy New Year."
Jason: "You, too."

The scenes between Carly and Jason seem equal. Jason is often the authority in their relationship, and she defers to his judgement, while not refusing to give her own opinion. They don't see eye to eye on everything, but their relationship works because they know they don't have to. Oddly enough, I get the feeling that Jason sees Carly more clearly than he sees Robin. Carly, for her part, manages to see things about Robin that Jason won't let himself see. All three of these characters have strong opinions about the other two, and all of them are both right and wrong about the others. But where Robin and Jason have a teacher/pupil relationship as a part and pattern of their love, Carly and Jason are more like sparring partners--but on fairly equal footing, for the most part.

In a post to ratsa, Joan made several good points about this very comparison between Jason's two relationships, and I want to include an edited version of her post here. About Carly, she says, "That's the point. He HAS changed, and Carly acknowledges that more often than Robin does. (Robin notices the change, but it disturbs her, so she tends to pretend it hasn't happened.)" She continues, "Part of what makes Carly's machinations both interesting and effective is that she is always careful to tell Jason the truth. The truth works with Jason, and even if she may not tell all of the truth (she stupidly let Tony spook her into concealing her carelessness in the park, for example) Carly is clever enough not to lie to him. She's also clever enough to use Robin's teaching methods to her own purpose, i.e., repeating her points until they hit their mark."

On the subject of Robin Joan argues, "Loving Robin is a habit to Jason. It's either a failure in the writing that requires us to take Jason's love as a given, or else it's part of a greater plan that we cannot see the love as more than the two of them endlessly (and boringly) telling each other that they love each other."

As for the comparison? Joan continues, saying, "Surely Jason is beginning to realize that he feels more alive with Carly than he does with Robin, more amused, more stimulated and more aware of his potential. It's unfortunate that Carly's agenda is to lead him back into a life that endangers her son, but Carly doesn't see it that way. To her, the more power he has and exerts, the greater protection he can provide. It may not be logic I endorse, but it's her logic, and she's following it. Finally, she concludes, "Everyone is driven by an agenda. Obviously I want a Carly who is free to wheel and deal all over the GH canvass, but that doesn't necessarily mean I want her to be Jason's lover. I do want her to be Jason's friend and ally, however. And if I were his friend and ally, I'd probably be telling him pretty much what she is now: loving Robin is a habit he's outgrown."

The writing wants us to cheer for Jason and Carly in some way, and to see her as a better match for him here, in the present. Robin's relationship with him hasn't had new growth, new connection, since she came back from Paris. The seams are starting to show the strain. It also asks us to desire Carly, Jason, and Michael as family, against Robin, AJ, and the entire Q family. The imbalance, however, must right itself (even slightly) at some point, and then our happy family won't be so happy. It seems that time was coming quickly.

Now there's a blast from the past! I was thrilled to see this moment between Carly and Katherine; I'd almost forgotten that they had so many scenes together in the past. If I liked Katherine at all, I'd wish for more of the two of them butting heads, because Katherine has no sweet image to live up to (or tarnish) in her dealings with Carly.

Carly: "Oh, I've died and gone to heaven. That's it."
Reginald: "Which is it--my dashing good looks or the scintillating conversation?"
Carly: "The chocolate cake."

Crack me up. I loved all the pairs at the New Year's Eve bash. They were unexpected and yet made complete sense, every one. Carly and Reginald were delightful, and while went after her desert with glee, he seemed to be deciding just what to make of her.

Carly: "Wow. It must be great having, like, a full-time staff, huh?"
Reginald: "Well, it comes in handy if you want to play bridge. Never have to go looking for a fourth."

Reginald: "Well, that would depend upon which Jason you're talking about. See, they adored Jason Quartermaine. I mean, not that they treated him all that well. They spent most of their time lying to him and getting themselves into fights that he was supposed to somehow resolve and, in A.J.'s case, creating disasters that he was supposed to make excuses for, you know? But he never gave up on them, you know? He was the best of them. And they knew that, which is probably why they were so devastated when he changed. Now, ok--now, Jason Morgan--I mean, he frightened them. He's wild and rebellious and damaged, which, I think, probably scared them more than anything. So they wanted the old Jason back, and they went about it all the wrong ways. They--you know, they talked down to him. They tried to discipline him. They had arguments about him like he wasn't even in the room, you know? So he responded by taking off and leaving a hole in the family, which, if you ask me, will never be filled. So, anyway, all this might go some way towards explaining why they are so frantic to have your son in his place."
Carly: "I realize I asked and everything, but why did you just tell me all that?"
Reginald: "Oh, I--I don't know. Sugar buzz."

Why did he tell her that indeed! It must have been a sugar buzz, because at first I wasn't sure that Reginald would speak about the Qs to an outsider in such a way (and somebody on ratsa pointed out the same thing, so I know I'm not alone). It made sense, however, somehow, that Reginald would open up to Carly, though I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps it's because of her naivete about having servants, or because she was speaking in glowing terms about living in the Q mansion. Some would argue that this was another example of weak writing and the bending of a character to serve the glorification of Jason at the expense of the Qs. Whatever it was, I'll admit it worked for me. It also amazed me to think that Carly has never heard this story. I wondered how it would affect her opinions of the Qs and Jason's relationship with them--and into whose face she'd throw what she'd just heard.

Lila: "You're a good father, Jason. And Michael is a happy child, no matter what your grandfather says."
Jason: "You know you can visit him anytime. You don't have to pay lots of money to a hospital just to see him."
Lila: "I paid to see you. And I was pleased to make you the biggest draw in the bachelor's auction. Happy New Year, dear Jason."
Jason: "Come on, Michael."
Lila: "Happy New Year, darling."
Jason: "And Happy New Year to you, Michael. Can you say, 'Happy New Year'? Yes."

It was a lovely lovely way to end the year, with Lila's mystery bid turning out to be for Jason (and I didn't even mind that we were getting one more happy picture of Michael and Jason added to all those we already have--balance be damned). While everybody else was scrambling to keep Jason's name unassociated with the event, leave it to Lila to gracefully roll in and make it clear she would have her way, even if her way was in Jason's garage. Lila and Anna Lee are so wonderful; it was a treat to end the year with this tableaux.

Joint Custody

Jason: "Carly, this is Sonny's place."
Carly: "Was."
Jason: "No, it is. And what he's going to want is you not living here. He doesn't like a lot of people around here on a good day, and right now his temper's not so great, ok? If he lost it, he could upset Michael, and Sonny would hate himself for that. So it's better if you and Michael aren't here."
Carly: "Mm-hmm, and Robin gets to stay, but Michael and I don't."
Jason: "No, Robin doesn't get to stay. Sonny does. I'll find a place for you and Michael, and I'll find another one for Robin and me."
Carly: "When? When is he coming back? Tomorrow? Next week? What?"
Jason: "I can't answer that."
Carly: "I can't--I can't believe what I'm hearing. It's like Sonny Corinthos is more important than your son."

It was a beautiful irony when Carly realized that Robin wasn't her only problem. The consummate castle-builder realized quickly that her penthouse life was not to be, at least in the old penthouse. It's odd to me how much Carly both tries to escape and re-claim the past, sometimes all at the same time. And it's amusing to me, somehow, that the one Jason would stick up for more than Robin is Sonny. I knew that, in theory, but Jason moved faster when Sonny was in question than when Carly was in Robin's cottage.

That is, in part, because he knows Sonny's temperament. The flip side of that is that he knows Robin's as well, and while this promise of action amused me, it also demonstrated to me that Robin's not the only problem in her relationship with Jason. Jason counts on her to be a certain way, and the fact that she is lets him move in a certain latitude--and allows him to take advantage of her. His delay at the cabin looked even worse in light of the speed with which he moved now. But Sonny's another story. And I couldn't wait for him to meet Carly.

Carly: "What about her? Oh, I'm sure she'll show up eventually. She always does. See, what we need is a good bell tower to put her in. Or an attic--like that stiff, old biddy, you know, in the movie 'Rebecca.'"

Funny, I thought Rebecca was the motif for the Cassadine stuff with Laura and Katherine a few months ago. *G*

Carly: "I just got out of a mental institution. I am not moving in with my mother."

Carly: "You know what? Just stay out of this, ok? This is not your business."
Bobbie: "It is my business! Michael is my grandson. I know what you're doing, Carly, and I don't like it, and I'm not going to stand around and watch you use that precious, little boy to try and manipulate Jason."
Carly: "Then don't watch."

Well, at least she's honest. Or is she? I wondered at this remark. I wondered if Carly really believed that she was manipulating Jason, or if she was simply offering precisely what her mother wanted to see. Carly seems to do that sometimes, both to infuriate Bobbie and to insure a safe distance from the mother she still fears won't love and support her. Of course, she is manipulating Jason, and Bobbie knows it.

Carly: "Jason? This is--this is what you wanted, you know. You wanted Michael and I to have a place to live that was away from you and Robin. So you have to admit, in a lot of ways, this is ideal. Unless what you're saying is that that is not what you want anymore."

Jason: "I guess I have been putting it off. For Michael, I thought. But maybe it was just for me. I mean, if you both think this is right, then it probably is."
Jason: "But do it today, ok? You take him tonight. And don't let this thing drag out."
Carly: "Ok."

Carly: "Hey, how low do you turn the heater down at night?"
Bobbie: "Oh, I don't know. Somewhere below 65."
Carly: "I hope you have blankets."
Bobbie: "Yeah, I have blankets."
Carly: "Soft ones?"
Bobbie: "No. Lucas sleeps on sandpaper because I think it's good for his character."
Carly: "Don't make fun of me, all right? I'm a mom now. I have to think about these things. Why am I getting the feeling that this is, like, a huge mistake?"
Bobbie: "Hey, I haven't asked you for rent yet, did I?"
Carly: "Oh, right. You think I'd pay money to live with you?"
Bobbie: "No. But I think you'd tell Jason you needed the money for rent and keep it."
Carly: "Oh. Ok. Tell me, exactly at what point this afternoon did I lose my mind? How could I think living with you would be a good idea?"
Bobbie: "Well, maybe you just thought Jason's heartstrings needed a good yank. Don't think I don't know what you're up to, daughter of mine."

Carly: "He actually has a friend named Earl? The things people do to their kids. How--how fast, do you want to bet, when he turns 18 he changes it to Justin?"
Bobbie: "Oh. Well, you know, 'Lucas' isn't exactly an everyday name, you know."
Carly: "Yeah. Either is 'Bobbie,' unless you're a character from a country-western video."
Bobbie: "Hmm. Yeah, well, neither is 'Carly' unless you're on a music video and you got a big fan blowing your hair back off your face."
Carly: "Are we weird or what?"

Bobbie: "Ok, well, so what are your--what are your alternate life plans, ok? You must have a plan b."
Carly: "Yeah, I do. Sure, of course, you know. It's a lot like plan a, except it takes a little bit longer. See, I'm sure that Robin will dump Jason eventually."
Bobbie: "I think I'll make a salad. I feel like chopping something."

When Bobbie suggested that she and Michael move into the Brownstone, Bobbie was hoping that it would prove to Jason that Michael could survive joint custody. Carly, on the other hand, saw it as a chance to prove to Jason that he didn't want joint custody at all. The thing is, Carly's right; Jason doesn't want joint custody. Her manipulations are simply speeding along what would have happened anyway, to my mind, so I can neither give her a lot of credit for her scheme nor blame her for what was happening to Jason and Robin.

In the meantime, I loved the fact that we finally got a look at Carly living in the Brownstone. I was sad it didn't last longer, actually, because the conversations were fantastic. I was disappointed that Carly chose not to tell Bobbie about her plans to be a decorator. It's the same thing as the sarcasm above; by not admitting to her interest in interior design, Carly both irritates Bobbie with her answer that she only wants Jason and keeps her mother from finding a way in, a connection.

I noticed a couple of things in particular about their above dialogue. First, I'm willing to bet that this separation of Jason from his son is only foreshadowing to a larger and more painful one later. Jason will lose Michael at some point, for some length of time. Of that I am sure. Second, I've written about Carly's materialism before. I believe that she grabs for physical signs of the things she never believes she will have, so sables mean social standing and penthouses mean families. This time, however, the material was the sign of what she couldn't give, rather than what she couldn't get. Her questions about blankets were, on the literal level, a sign of her nervousness. Her insistence that she's a mother now, however, tells me that pickiness about a blanket is a concrete way for her to show love and care to Michael when she is unable to show it emotionally. All she manages to do, however, is to annoy Bobbie, who doesn't see what Carly's really anxious about.

Carly: "Ok, but you dragged me out of my house with my son, telling me that you're going to be here for me, you're going to help me, and what do you do? You take off, and you leave me here by myself. What was I thinking? This is a disaster."
Bobbie: "Honey, it's a disaster for the poor woman they had to pry out of her car on the freeway, not for you."

Carly: "You'd just better get your priorities straight."
Bobbie: "Hey, I just moved you and your son into my home. Do I get any points for that at all?"

Robin: "Do you know what Carly wants us to do with her leftover things?"
Jason: "There's more?"
Robin: "Well, she's like a tornado. There will always be some trace of her."

Jason: "Seriously, Carly, it's no problem. I'll just crash here tonight. I can leave in the morning."
Carly: "Really? You can do that? I mean, that'd be great. I mean, we could give him his breakfast together in the morning. I could even try to make coffee."
Jason: "Oh, yeah."
Carly: "No, really. Bobbie's got this machine, and it claims to be automatic, although it looks like it's on loan from the space shuttle."
Jason: "Carly, you'll sleep late, like you always do. I'll make the coffee. Good night."

Carly is an insecure mother because she believes she will fail her son. Her anger at Bobbie for going on an emergency call was irrational and selfish, but understandable. Bobbie encouraged her to take the time to find some confidence around Michael with their time alone; Carly called Jason immediately. Perhaps she doesn't look so bad because I have the example of Courtney from PC in my mind, who called Joe to come home precisely because she wanted to bust up his romantic evening with Karen. In Carly's case, I'm fully willing to believe that Carly couldn't quiet Michael, and that Michael was upset. I'm also fully willing to believe that Carly tried for all of five minutes before calling Jason. She needs Michael's daddy as much as Michael does, at this point, and it is her gut-level survival instincts that make it so easy for her to believe that nobody can help her son but Jason, and that her only chance at happiness is to keep Jason with Michael. Where Courtney's scheme left me rolling my eyes, Carly actually managed to garner another shot of sympathy from me for hers. So sue me. I'm prejudiced. *G* I think the comparison is still valid, and that it proves, at the very least, there's somebody worse than Carly (though if she's in the market for listenting devices, I'm sure her Unca Luke can help).

There's been lots of talk about Carly as a mother as this storyline has progressed, and about Carly as a daughter. Some people complain, with Monica, that Carly has had more love in her life than most people, but that she can't see it. Knowing it as a fact doesn't make up for the years of feeling it emotionally, though. I don't know that finding that out about Bobbie just a short time ago, regardless of their newfound closeness, can erase so easily those insecurities about parents and love.

She believes she's bad news, and may blame herself, in part, for Bobbie's abandonment as well as her adoptive father's. And certainly she may still blame herself for Virginia's death. If she's driven away all these people in some way or another, why shouldn't she be afraid that she'll drive her son away--or harm him--too? Her greatest fear when she first had him was that she would hurt him. It seems to me that explains her hesitancy now. She's certainly not become any more rational, truthful, or secure in the meantime, and Jason enables her to hold back by being omnipresent. So our girl Carly is stuck in a vicious circle. The very thing she should do to break it--live with Michael away from Jason--she can't. And circumstances keep tripping up her fledgling dependence on her mother.