GH and PC in Review: August by Amy McWilliams

View a section by clicking on the links below, or read the entire review by scrolling down. The review takes up 7 separate pages, but the navigation at the top and bottom of each remains consistent.

General Hospital

The Spencers

Luke and Laura

Lucky and Elizabeth

Bobbie

Port Charles

The Spencers

Luke and Laura

• Not able to catch up with Luke at the courthouse after her testimony on behalf of Stefan, Laura goes home. She grows desperate when Luke isn't there. (8/17)
• Stefan visits Laura to find out what Luke knows and to see if she's alright--and to thank her for testifying. She makes tells him that Luke may know that she was lying. He urges her not to tell Luke the secret about Nikolas, and she promises. (8/19)
• While Stefan met with Laura, Alexis comes across Luke on the docks. Shaken and unshaven, he tells her that everything has changed. His manner worries Alexis, but he leaves without giving her any information. (8/19)
• Nikolas, worried that Luke will harm Laura, goes to Lucky and asks him to check in on his mother. (8/19)
• When Luke does come home, he demands the truth from Laura. She admits to the affair with Stefan, but when he accuses her of still loving Stefan, she vehemently denies it. Luke then realizes that the one thing that could account for her behavior is...Nikolas. Laura doesn't confirm his suspicion, but he leaves, confident that he knows the truth. (8/19)
• Lucky arrives to see Luke leave, stopping Laura in her tracks. She tells him that she and Lulu are fine, and he leaves as well. (8/19)
• When Stefan comes to see her again, Laura refuses his comfort, informs him that she testified only for Nikolas's sake, and sends him away. (8/19)
• In the back room of the club before the L&B showcase, Bobbie is amazed to hear that Luke's leaving town, since she thinks he's getting his family back in order finally. She can't believe that he thinks there's something between Stefan and Laura; he doesn't tell her about Nikolas. Lucy also comes by to say goodbye. (8/21)
• Meanwhile, Laura takes Lulu to the PC Grill for a nice dinner and Stefan joins them unexpectedly. She has to admit that Luke knows about Nikolas even though she didn't say anything. (8/21)
• Later, Luke said goodbye to Lucky and tried to give him some advice. He then ran into Laura and Lulu. He only said goodbye to Lu, but looked regretful, rather than angry. (8/21)
• Felicia and Laura visit at the hospital and Laura has to admit that Luke has left. Later at the Spencer house, Bobbie accuses Laura of driving Luke away and quizzes her about Stefan. Laura refuses to answer her questions, but Bobbie gives a knowing look when Stefan arrives at the front door. (8/26)
• Laura, however, tells Stefan to leave her alone, for the sake of her marriage. She will see Nikolas, but wants him to keep his distance. (8/26)
• Alexis arrives next to tell Laura that she will not stand in the way of Laura's visits with Stefan. Laura is enraged and insists that nothing is going on with her and Stefan. (8/27)

Nikolas: "Don't worry. I only came to pass along some information."
Lucky: "Well, that is your specialty, ain't it?"

I grew quickly tired of all of the insinuations--from Nikolas, from Stefan, and even from Lucky--that Luke would physically harm Laura. As much as I liked the fact that Nikolas would go to Lucky, I wanted him simply to inform him of the trial and ask that he go home and be with his mother, not insinuate that Luke would hurt her and put in one last jab about how Lucky wouldn't care anyway. Not that Lucky was any less hateful. It amuses me, actually, how these two seem to feel they need to carry on in this exchange of blame or accusations or threats even when they're not fighting. They just calmly say these lines as if they were exchanging telephone numbers, and it's something about the delivery, though certainly not the content, that I find a bit silly. I like that, and it was to get even better in the weeks ahead.

Stefan: "I didn't think it was possible for you to help me and still protect Nikolas. But I was wrong. What you did took amazing courage."
Laura: "I did it for Nikolas."

Laura: "You always used to tell me that the truth was in my eyes. If that's so, then--he knows I lied."

Stefan: "Did Luke accuse you?"
Laura: "No. And whatever happens when we finally see each other is just between the two of us. My marriage is none of your business. Do you understand that?"
Stefan: "You haven't seen him in two days."
Laura: "No."
Stefan: "Where is he?"
Laura: "It's just between the two of us. Please, just go."

Stefan: "Lasha, a lie told to defend a life is just."
Laura: "Is it?"

Stefan came to visit Laura, thinking that she would have already had this out with Luke. I didn't like his visit, not only because it drives me crazy that he doesn't have the sensitivity to leave her alone (his drive to see her has ceased to be endearing to me long since), but because it was clear he was only there to make sure she hadn't blown their secret about Nikolas and/or to find out the extent of the damage. It was as if he wanted to see if, perhaps, her action had turned out to be a choice--if her husband had seen it as a choice. It seemed self-serving, not as though he were truly concerned. I loved that she set him straight more than once: it was for Nikolas, her marriage is none of his business. Her turning to him for comfort, when he was, even if indirectly, the cause of her suffering, would have been impossible for me to believe.

I was glad to have my understanding of his reaction confirmed. He didn't want her to testify because he didn't believe that she would lie on the stand about Nikolas. I could take that negatively--that he didn't trust her to protect their son--but I think it's a little sadder than that. I think that he didn't think she would do it for him, because of him. He doesn't ever expect her to choose him--and it was after this scene that I made my peace with the Katherine appearance discussed above.

Alexis: "She was absolutely believable."
Luke: "You believed her."

Alexis: "So don't do this now, Luke. I know it was tough for you to hear what Laura said on the stand, but try to think about what is going your way."
Luke: "My way changed a couple of days ago."
Alexis: "What does that mean? Why are you acting this way? What are you going to do?"
Luke: "Run along, Natasha. Get your little verdict."
Alexis: "Luke, this is not the time to make any stupid mistakes. Luke?"

Unlike her male counterparts in the Cassadine family, I think Alexis knew that Luke wouldn't hurt Laura physically. On the contrary, I think she was worried that he would do something stupid that would reveal that they had been responsible for Katherine's death. And I think that, maybe, she was worried that he would make the decision that he was to actually make--to leave his wife because of her testimony. I don't think she realized why it upset him so much, because I don't think she's put together the fact that Laura and Stefan had an affair (I may have forgotten this scene, so feel free to correct me; I find it ridiculous that she hasn't, just as I find it ludicrous that Nikolas would so easily give up the notion that there was something going on between them on the island).

This was the first of several mentions of Luke's "way," and I found the sequence truly interesting. Here, he announces that his way has changed: his way of life, his way of understanding the world, etc.

Luke: "Hello, sweetheart. Oh. It's time for your nap, I think. I've got to put you down for a little nap, tuck you in. Ok? Baby? Daddy will tell you a story later."
Luke: "I love you, too, boo-boo. Sleep well."
Laura: "I'm not gonna...waste our time asking where you've been over the past couple of days. I'm just so glad that you're home...so we can start...dealing with all of this."
Luke: "Sorry I was out of touch. Took me a little time to get used to the idea of my wife in bed with Stefan Cassadine."

Laura: "I'm not in bed with anybody but you. Yes, I...I testified for Stefan, and...and right here in this room I tried to tell you about it ahead of time to prepare you for what I was going to say. But...you wouldn't listen to me, and then you left. You said to do what I had to do anyway."
Luke: "What you had to do. God, the things my wife has had to do. The day we hacked our way through the rape, Laura, you said something about...if we added up everything that you had done wrong since then-is...is this what you were th...thinking? This? These lies? This betrayal? Were you thinkin' about every time you made a fool out of me?!"
Laura: "Oh, Luke, don't you think I wanted to tell you? I did. I went to the ball at Wyndemere because Nikolas had been to see me in North Carolina. I hid that from you because you hate Nikolas because he is a Cassadine. But that is what he is. And I love you both. I'm not good at splitting my heart and keeping one son separate from the rest of the family. I'm so not good at it that I make mistakes sometimes, big ones, and I made a mistake that night. But you know, you're just so inflexible when it comes to the Cassadines. There's no room for me to make a mistake and admit it. Luke, I tried to tell you that I was gonna testify for Stefan and that there were things that I had kept from you. But you said that you couldn't bear to hear one more word about my other son and to leave you out of it, and...and then you just left. I mean, so when do you wanna know and when do you not wanna know? You know, you seem to want it both ways. I don't know how to do that. No, no, I'm wrong. You...you don't want it both ways, do you? You just want me to have absolutely nothing to do with Nikolas. You wish that he was never, ever born. Well, he was. And I love him."
Luke: "Look, stop it. Stop--stop trying to turn this into something that it isn't. In court, under oath, the DA asked you if you had slept with Cassadine. Stefan, not Stavros, because we all know you did that. And I waited. And I waited. For you to look at me, for our...eyes to meet or something so that we could share a wink or a laugh or a smirk because the idea was so absurd. But you didn't look at me because you couldn't. And there's only one reason for that. Because when you said that you hadn't had sexual relations with Stefan Cassadine, you were lying. You had an affair with him, didn't you? Say it!"
Laura: "A long, long time ago, yes, I had an affair with Stefan."

Laura: "I didn't tell you about the affair because it began and ended when I thought you were dead. It never would have happened otherwise. And also because I knew how you'd react. I knew that you'd never forgive me. And that you might retaliate. Nikolas' uncle...might die. You might end up paying. You see, both sides of my family could be destroyed. If you could just put yourself in my place for a second, can't you see why I didn't tell you?"
Luke: "I want specifics. I want to know when it started. I want to know where you and your brother-in-law met. Was there a special place? Was it a cove or on a boat or in a cave? And how did you keep it a secret from the brother that you'd married, the paranoid, homicidal...how? How? That must have taken incredible planning, a lot of guts, and motivation. You must have had a great deal of need. So no more lies. I want details."
Laura: "I don't wanna dredge up past history that's only going to hurt you, Luke. That's the reason..."
Luke: "Oh, come on, come on, come on. Confession's good for the soul. We've already found that out."
Laura: "Please don't make me do this. This is just ridiculous."
Luke: "Come on, Laura. Put some truth with your lies. All this time, I thought there was one undeniable fact that this marriage was based on--the foundation of this family. And it was a lie. All this time. All this time there's been another man between us..."
Laura: "What?"
Luke: "...and he's a Cassadine!
Laura: "No. Stop! Stop doing this! Don't--stop thinking these things. My god, Luke. All right, you want details; I'll give them to you. Turning to Stefan in Greece was a move to save my own sanity, to save my own life. You were right about Stavros. He was cruel. He was controlling. I made a bargain for my freedom and...in return, it meant that I had to go to his bed whenever he called. And I thought that you were dead. Luke, I wanted to be dead, too. My god! I wanted to be with you. But I couldn't do it. That affair with Stefan saved my life. But as soon as I found out that you were alive, I chose you."
Luke: "Oh, wait--no. No, no, no, no, no, no. Don't say you chose me. I've been in a coma for a long time, but I'm awake now. This affair is still going on."
Laura: "No!"
Luke: "You are still in love with him."
Laura: "No, Luke! No! No."
Luke: "Then if it isn't love, Laura...there's something more...like a son."
Laura: "Luke, wait a minute. Wait. Wait."

The confrontation was amazing, precisely because of the way the dialogue echoed that of Lucky and Luke back when Luke retold the story of the rape. And just like that retelling changed Lucky's view of his parents, so this retelling changed Luke's view of his wife. In these scenes, we saw that his suspicions, which he had kept at bay for a long time, had crystallized into true fear and anger. He made her tell the story; he wanted details.

I have said for months that when these two fight, they talk about Nikolas instead of Stefan. Laura does it so she doesn't have to think that the other argument is a possibility; Luke does it, usually letting her shift the focus, because he doesn't want to face his suspicions. So I actually cheered when he told her not to make this about Nikolas.

I don't think that this thought crossed his mind for the first time in the courtroom, and I don't believe for a minute that he thought she would turn to him so they could share a smile. But he told that tale perhaps because he didn't want to admit how long he's suspected and feared this, perhaps for effect. But that was indeed the moment that he had his confirmation--the moment where he couldn't belay his suspicions any more.

His fear has always been that Laura was in love with Stefan--would choose that family over his. Someone pointed out to me that they found it strange that the thought of Nikolas hadn't come to Luke before, but I think it made sense that he had only gotten as far as he had known to fear. The thought of his wife in love with Stefan was the most horrific thing he could imagine, and he didn't think past that in the time since the trial.

The pain of this is, again, that he wasn't there to comfort her--that he wasn't there to save her. Stefan was, and by doing so he usurped Luke's place in her life. It almost isn't about Laura; it's almost all about Luke and his same guilt about the rape and his same drive to protect her because he's afraid that's the only role he can play for her. It's why he stirs up trouble when there isn't any; it's partly why he grows restless in "normal" life. He doesn't believe that he deserves happiness; he doesn't believe she'll have any need for him if there's not an enemy threatening to beat down the door.

But it is, at the same time, all about Laura. As well as he knows her and sees all of her faults, Luke still has her on a pedestal. Part of that pedestal is the belief that she could only ever truly love him. It's clear to him now that she loved somebody else, at least in some form. His accusation that she is still sleeping with Stefan comes, I think, out of the fear that she still carries that time of her life with her. Yet when she vehemently denied it and he looked into her eyes and saw that she was speaking the truth, he was left to see the last possibility. Nikolas is her son with Stefan Cassadine. That's why she doesn't hate the man as strongly and consistently as he does, that's why she visits Wyndemere, and that's why Stefan is still a part of her life. And he resents that lasting bond between them more, perhaps, than he would resent an affair that he believed was truly of the past.

He left, then, and walked as though the wait of the world was on his shoulders. His worldview was utterly shaken, and Laura wasn't the one who could fix it this time.

It was a beautiful set of scenes with Francis and Geary, and painful to watch. This had to come out, however, and I'm a big fan of this storyline, even though I'm quite adamant that I want Luke and Laura back together after it all plays out. This scene, however, convinced me that reconciliation might not, down the road, be possible. This couple is seeing all the cracks and flaws in a relationship they've always taken as a given. It had to be done. I would find it believable, however, that Luke wouldn't get past this, even though I hope that he does.

Elsewhere in this issue appears my piece on Laura's confessions, in which I talk about the series of revelations about the Cassadines she's had to make to Luke and Lucky dating back to the summer of 1996. This was, after all, the long-delayed last secret, and it's interesting to watch her pattern of keeping something back as she tells her story.

Stefan: "Is there anything I can--I can do for you?"
Laura: "I'm fine. And Luke will have to find his own way."
Stefan: "Lasha."
Laura: "No, don't touch me. Please go."

Perhaps just to drive me crazy, Stefan came back again after Luke and Lucky had gone, and she angrily drove him away, much to my satisfaction. But the line about Luke's way showed up again, and was to return in a conversation with Lucky later. Fantastic.

Stefan: "Would it altogether ruin your plans if I were to dine in your company? She gets that from you."
Laura: "Oh, please. I'm one of the few people who actually knows what you're saying more than 50% of the time."

I hated this sequence of Stefan joining Laura and Lulu for dinner with a passion. Most of you know that I am not diametrically opposed to the Stefan/Laura relationship. On the contrary, I would love to see Laura deal with it head on, rather than remain in denial that her past relationship with Stefan is affecting her now in positive ways. But I am no longer such a staunch supporter of Stefan; the past non-Guza writing has lessened my affection for him, perhaps forever. No longer complicated, he moved from one-sided mushiness with Katherine to one-sided villainy in the horrid computer chip storyline. Now Guza is trying to recover his creation. He's doing a great job, but my response to Stefan is still tainted by what has passed.

That's not why I hated these scenes, however. Yes, pushy-Stefan drives me up the nearest wall. His obsession with Laura that was once so romantic now makes him follow at her heels begging for attention like some neglected dog. He inserts himself into her time with Nikolas, not thinking of what he might be depriving his son, and he gives her little choice but to let her join him when she might very well want to be alone with her daughter, away from the man who was the indirect cause of her breakup with Luke. He causes pain, then, to both people whom he loves, without a thought.

More incredulous was the fact that Laura would happily allow him to join her so soon after the recent scene on the porch where she sent him away. Reporters wouldn't be a concern now? She would give no mention of the fact that Luke, who has a way of showing up anywhere at the worst time, might see them? Feh, as Joan would say. It was too soon--too soon after the horrid scene between Laura and Luke--for her to submit happily and willfully to a nice "family" dinner with Stefan.

Luke: "I'm going to fire Claude as soon as I don't need him to run this joint anymore."

Luke: "Barbara. You know, when you were a little tiny girl, mother put you in that play--remember that little play that was written by that dead English guy, and you were all dressed up like a little fairy or something. And in the play, there was another play. And in the play within the play, there were these two lovers, and the only way they could talk to each other was through this wall. I just got tired of being the wall."

Bobbie: "Unlike you, I have never put her on a pedestal. But one thing you have never heard me accuse her of and never will is insufficient devotion to you. The only connection between Laura and Stefan is Nikolas. And if she wants to spend a little time with her son and she has to dance to his guardian's tune, so what? Luke, do you know how much Stefan would love to hear that he finally succeeded in rupturing your marriage?"
Luke: "Oh, if reverse psychology was going to work, that would have done it."
Bobbie: "Ok, fine. What can I do for you besides keep an eye on lucky until you get back?"
Luke: "What makes you think that I'm coming back?"
Bobbie: "Because my big brother doesn't run away."
Luke: "Well, it's not running if nobody's chasing you."
Bobbie: "Bull. Besides, I have a whole bunch of things I haven't punished you for yet. So don't even think of not coming back to face the music. I love you, but I hate this. I'm not sticking around to watch."

But Luke didn't see. He was at the club making plans to leave and taking out his frustration on the pool table in the back room (oh, how I love that back room). It was as if the powers that be had given me a rundown of vignettes of some my favorite Luke-pairings to ease my pain at the prospect of Anthony Geary's yearly vacation: Bobbie, Lucy, Jason, Lucky, and Laura.

Luke and Bobbie's conversation followed the lines of many of their conversations, in that he wasn't telling her the whole story. He does that often--keeps things from her, doesn't open up completely, even purposefully taunts her, as here, with assertions he knows she won't believe. Perhaps that's because he knows what she will say about him, and he doesn't want to hear it. She does tend to speak her mind--and the truth--where he's concerned quite often. Perhaps that's because he wants to protect Laura from Bobbie's wrath. No matter what she's done or what he suspects, he is her protector, which is precisely why he's leaving. It's not to punish her or to scare her. It's to protect her from himself, as well as to give himself time to decide what to do and think about everything that's happened.

And I do so love it when Luke quotes Shakespeare.

Lucy: "Jason. Hi. It's good to see you. Of course it's always good to see somebody that people think a lot less of than me. Anyway, just tell me where he is, and don't ask who."
Jason: "Who?"

Lucy: "So I know you will tell me."
Jason: "Why?"
Lucy: "Why? Because I figure you'll do just about anything to get rid of me."
Jason: "Hmm. He's in the back room unless he already left."
Lucy: "Hmm, thank you."

Lucy and Jason are almost as fun as Lucy and Sonny used to be. While she had little reason to be there, I was glad the writers had found some little reason for her to make an appearance before Luke's departure.

Lucy: "Then I'm going to go, but before I go, I'm going to say, you'll be back, right? I mean, this is just another one of those little vacations from life that you take from time to time, and you always make me think I am never, ever, ever going to see you again, but I do see you again, so I'm not going to say good-bye because what's the point? I'm not really saying good-bye, because if I thought it was good-bye, I'd have to do something very desperate. So come here. This is not good-bye at all. This is--this is you be very, very careful, ok?"
Luke: "You, too, Luce."
Lucy: "Ok. Ooh, you make me so darn mad. Ugh. Ta."
Luke: "Ta."

Their conversation was non-existent, however, and I wanted so much to see what he told her to compare it to what he told Bobbie. I wanted a quiet scene where each one retold their troubles to the other. Instead, we simply got Luke's toleration of her babbling before Jason got her to leave.

Even as he leaves, Luke protects his family, trusting in Jason to keep an eye on Lucky. I also loved his description of the other people he "protects," in some small way. Luke's is a fascinating space for me, and in some future episode I want to write about it. There was a rumor floating around the internet before this episode that Luke's was going to explode. Somebody clearly had taken "explosion at Luke's" to mean "explosion of Luke's." Instead, we got this great departing line from Luke.

Lucky: "Why are you looking for me?"
Luke: "Because while you've been busy abusing your mother and torturing me, there's a couple of things that I forgot to tell you. The first is you're still the best thing I ever did. And I'm not taking credit. I've driven a couple of great cars in my day. They weren't great because of the way I drove them. You're smart. You got guts. You deal with life on your own terms, and never mind how many people, including me, pile on to tell you you're wrong. You have your own mind and your own conscience to reckon with. And the fact that I'm sick to death of reckoning with them right now is beside the point."
Lucky: "You're going someplace."
Luke: "Ya."
Lucky: "Is that going to be better?"
Luke: "It'll be worse if I stay. Worse for you, your mother, everybody. And it's not going to get good for you, lucky, until you can leave this park and everything that happened here behind you. That's the other thing I needed to tell you. You can't undo what's been done. You can hate it, you can like it, you can punish it, forgive it. But if you think you can change it, you're standing on the roof shaking a stick at the stars. The only thing that makes anything change is having the courage to turn around and move on."
Lucky: "I appreciate this, dad. But, you know, I've learned a lot in the past few months. Mostly I've learned not to take your way out of anything."

This is the last mention of Luke's "way." The consistency in the writing from one Spencer to another with that little phrase was very nice. It showed, in that one word, the way they see things so differently. Luke sees his way as determined by Laura's actions; he is just as much a fatalist as he is a believer in his own will. Laura sees his way as something he will have to find, and though she usually believes that it will bring him on the right path and will lead him back to her, we can see that she doubts that this time. Finally, Lucky sees his Dad's path as something he chose, something he sticks to no matter what, and, most importantly, something wrong.

The conversation with Lucky was nicely done. Luke was speaking his heart and trying to help his son, even though he knew that Lucky wouldn't hear him. It was, however, a moment of civility and regret from both of them, and therefore a powerful scene in light of the events and words of the recent past.

Luke: "There's my sweet girl. Hello. Oh, daddy loves you so much. Oh. You keep your eye on the mailbox. There's going to be something in it with your little name on it. And I'm going to be--aw, hell. Who knows how I'm going to be? But it doesn't really matter, does it? Because you have never asked me to be anything for you, and I thank you for that. I love you, sweet little girl. Bye-bye."
Laura: "Luke?"

Finally, we had had Luke saying goodbye to Lulu. She is indeed the center of his hope right now, because she doesn't judge him. I think that's what came through in his words, rather than a condemnation of Laura's own behavior towards him. He looked regretful and pained, but he said nothing to Laura. Not out of cruelty, I think, but because he couldn't say anything that wouldn't hurt her--couldn't make her any promises.

Felicia: "Oh, Laura, I am so sorry."
Laura: "Well, I've been through worse. I mean, at least this time I know that he is alive. He's hurt, he's angry, but he's out there somewhere."
Felicia: "But you don't know where he is."
Laura: "All I know is that he will come back, eventually."
Felicia: "Sometimes eventually isn't good enough."
Laura: "I owe Luke some time."

When we started the scenes with Laura and Felicia at the hospital, I thought it would be simple filler. When we got to the last two lines above, however, I realized the brilliance behind this exchange. This was not simply a way to show Laura having to tell somebody she barely spends time with these days that Luke was gone (and I do wish we'd have more of these two moms!). Felicia knows about absent husbands, and she has chosen to go on with her life without Frisco and is now happily married to Mac. All of that was behind her line though it almost slipped by me it was so subtly done. It was a nice contrast of these two stories, one from the past and one in the present.

Laura: "I'm not going to discuss my marriage with you."
Bobbie: "Is there anything left to discuss?"
Laura: "I'm not going to fight with you, either."
Bobbie: "Or admit you did anything wrong."
Laura: "Bobbie--nobody's perfect, not even you. The rest of it is between Luke and me."
Bobbie: "No, it's between you and Luke and Stefan. So where does that leave your kids?"

Stefan: "Barbara."
Bobbie: "Well, what a coincidence. When I hear from my brother, I'll be sure and tell him I saw you."

While some people wanted to slap Bobbie for just showing up and railing at Laura, I loved it. It goes back so far, and is so in character for both women, that I never tire of it. Of course Bobbie would take out her anger about the situation on Laura. And of course she would imagine the worst. Laura has never been good enough for Luke in Bobbie's mind; she's only ever caused trouble, and several times she has taken Luke away from Bobbie--the presumed death at the hands of Scott at the Smith wedding, the Left-Handed Boy adventure, the ten years on the run, and the times since then that Luke has had to leave because of Laura.

Her snarky response to Stefan's appearance was exactly the flavor of Bobbie in the late '70s and early '80s, and it was lovely to see it. When I have too much sweet, caring Bobbie-as-mom, I really miss this side of her (even though I sometimes agree that she needs to be slapped for it).

Stefan: "Is there anything I can do to help?
Laura: "Yes, as a matter of fact, there is. Could you please keep your distance?"

Before she said it, my response was, "Yes, you can leave." I couldn't believe that she actually said it, and I cheered out loud. This is what I know Laura would do at this point, not that happy dinner at the Grill.

Stefan: "Well, I didn't come here to impose myself on you."
Laura: "I'm not implying that you were. I..."
Stefan: "Helena was arrested for Katherine's murder. I thought you'd care to know."
Laura: "I was too harsh. I'm sorry."
Stefan: "No, no, you were perfectly clear. You want me to retreat."
Laura: "I'm not saying that you have to act like you're a stranger or anything."
Stefan: "Unless that is what Luke requires. I will respect your wishes and leave you now. Future contact will be initiated by you. Unless, of course, this is our last. In which case, then, I wish you well."

And of course, this is the Stefan I know too--the one rejected because of Luke, the one giving ultimatums and declarations to cover up his emotions, the one retreating to cold formality. Of course, Laura backed off really quickly. I would rather her have said, "You could have called."

Alexis: "I was hoping that we might be able to look for something together."
Laura: "And what might that be?"
Alexis: "Common ground."

Laura: "My only reason for going to Wyndemere or being in the company of your brother is to visit my son, Nikolas. I have no feelings for Stefan other than gratitude for the way he has cared for my son."
Alexis: "All right, I stand corrected."
Laura: "I also have a husband who has a great deal of hostility towards Nikolas. He doesn't need a reason for any more, so I would really appreciate it if you would not assume that there is anything romantic between me and Stefan when there isn't."
Alexis: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I came here, honestly, to try to mend fences between us. I certainly had no intention of upsetting your husband. He's not home, is he?"
Laura: "You already know the answer to that. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. Why are you here, Alexis? Who are you spying for? Not Helena. Stefan told me yesterday that Helena was arrested for Katherine's murder."
Alexis: "Stefan came here straight from the police department?"

The visit from Alexis amused me. It was clear to me that Alexis was there fishing for information that Stefan wouldn't give her, and Laura, trying not to give out any, gave out plenty. The lady doth protest too much, indeed, and that has to be what Alexis was thinking. I was also sure that Alexis was somewhat amused by Laura's belief that Alexis and Luke would be opposed.

What always bothers me about the writing for Alexis is that we get this kind of scene with her and then we don't get to see her response to it. She always drops away. We don't get enough of her reacting to things--not enough of her thought processes.

Lucky and Elizabeth

• At Kelly's, Lucky and Liz prepare for their non-date at a nice Chinese restaurant. An obnoxiously smoochy couple from school asks Lucky and Liz to go with them to a cabin, implying that they would have a "romantic" weekend. The pair declines, and looks uncomfortable. Liz thinks, from Lucky's response, that he's mad that somebody could think they were a couple. (8/17)
• Lucky tells Liz that he's not sure how he feels about his Dad's departure. Liz thinks that he now has nobody to hate; she says she felt that way when they found out that Murty wasn't the rapist. She encourages him to make peace with his mom while Luke isn't there. He asks if he can stay with her. (8/24)
• Laura runs into Liz at Kelly's and they talk. Laura tells her to make healing herself the priority. Lucky joins them, but is cold. When Laura leaves, Elizabeth asks Lucky to go with her to the police station to have her case reopened. Taggert helps them look through some mug shots, but Liz remembers nothing. (8/27)
• Lucky and Liz are spending time together when Taggert calls. She goes to the station to look at a lineup, but remembers nothing. She knows that this means that she never will. Thinking that Lucky is gone, she trashes her room and then lies down on the bed, sobbing, while he sits outside the window. (8/31)

Elizabeth: "Hey, stranger. Where have you been?"
Lucky: "Oh, knocking around, detailing cars. You know, the usual stuff."
Elizabeth: "We are the usual stuff, aren't we? I haven't seen you in two days."
Lucky: "Well, careful. You'll have me thinking you missed me."
Elizabeth: "Maybe I did."
Lucky: "I like that."

Lucky: "I find myself in the park sometimes, you know? It's not like I mean to go there. I just--I just end up by the fountain. And even then, I don't always think about it. There are moments where it's just a fountain. But then other times, I can--I can picture you sitting there in your pretty red dress, just all alone, unprotected, and it kills me all over again."
Elizabeth: "I didn't know."
Lucky: "Well, that's where I was tonight when he found me."
Elizabeth: "Who?"
Lucky: "My father. He's going away. I don't know when or if he's coming back."

Lucky: "All he said was he was proud of me. Can imagine how thrilled I was to hear that. He took credit for teaching me how to find my own way, as if this whole nightmare was deliberately designed as some kind of growth experience for me. He's so full of it, I can't even believe it."
Elizabeth: "So what bothers you the most?"
Lucky: "Why am I not glad he's leaving?"

Elizabeth: "Because you won't have anyone to hate."

It amazes me that Elizabeth still doesn't trust Lucky's unshakable loyalty to her--that she could actually think he'd turn away from her because of something she did. It was lovely to see him tell her things that he would tell nobody else, and I liked hearing his thoughts about his dad. I think he'll miss him not only because he won't have anybody to hate anymore. I hope, at least, that he's realizing that the bond with his father is still there despite the changes.

And I always knew I liked Lizzie. She knew that Luke would never physically harm Laura, and she told Lucky so--told him that Nikolas had been wrong.

Laura: "Well, listen--whatever you two decide to do, I just hope that you remember that it is about you and your own recovery and not about the man who did it."
Lucky: "Well, that's easy for you to say. You always knew who raped you."
Laura: "Well, I certainly don't mean to minimize how devastating it is for Elizabeth not to know. I'm just saying that I think you have to work with what you're given. You know, and absent the chance to put the guy behind bars, I think Elizabeth healing should be the priority."
Elizabeth: "Can I ask how long it took you?"
Laura: "You know, I don't think you should try to put my timetable on your own experience. You will find your own way. I have confidence in you."

Elizabeth: "You weren't listening too closely to your mother, were you?"
Lucky: "I'm getting good at that."
Elizabeth: "Well, she made a lot of sense. So I'm not waiting around for something to happen so I can get better. And I'm going to be thankful for everything that I do have--which is a lot. And I'm going to make sure I do something good with it every single day."

I always love Laura and Elizabeth, and I frown at Lucky for being rude during their conversation with his smart remarks. Notice, though, the talk of Elizabeth finding her way--such a nice tie-in.

Becky Herbst did a fantastic job with the lineup and Elizabeth's subsequent destruction of her room. It was a lovely performance from Jonathan Jackson as well. Liz thought that she had to keep fighting to feel better, even after Laura's words, and I hoped that the "failure" at the line-up would be just the thing to let her get away from that drive to find the man who raped her and let her heal.

Bobbie

• Bobbie throws a birthday party for Lucas, with Felicia's help. The two friends talk about Bobbie's relationship to Jerry, and Felicia notes that Bobbie's falling for him while Bobbie protests that he's not one for commitment and she's worried about his effect Lucas. Jerry brings Lucas a pony, all expenses paid and housing arranged. Later, he and Bobbie...check their excitement levels...with a kiss. (8/18)
• Bobbie talks to Jax about his brother and her own concerns for Lucas. Jax assures her that Jerry likes her but would never use a child to further his own interests. (8/20)
• Jerry tries to sweet talk Bobbie into a trip to Tuscany, but Bobbie tells him that she's worried about Lucas and quizzes him on the possibility that he used her for an alibi the night of the bombing. She tells him that she needs some distance. (8/26)

Bobbie: "So Betty knows what time the party starts?"
Felicia: "Betty knows what time everything starts."

Bobbie: "And to make up for not being able to have Tony, I told him that he could invite any other person of his choice."
Felicia: "Oh, yeah? Who'd he pick?"
Bobbie: "Jerry Jacks."
Felicia: "How convenient."

Felicia: "I just have one question--is this new outfit for Jerry jacks or is it for the party?"
Bobbie: "well, actually, it does happen to be his favorite color."
Felicia: "I knew it. Why don't you just come right out and admit it--"I am falling for an international playboy."
Bobbie: "Because I'm not. I mean, yeah, I like him a lot, but it's not going anywhere, so what's the point?"
Felicia: "Where do you want it to go?"
Bobbie: "Actually, it has been a while."

I find it amazing that, of all the things on the canvas right now, it's this thing about Bobbie and Jerry that I find the most engaging--and, more importantly, the most fun. While I was in heaven (and hell) over the Spencer/Cassadine developments, it was Barbara Jean Spencer who gave me the balance I needed. While much of what's going on bores me (Jason, the Qs), and the rest of it is very tense (Brenda, Luke and Laura), this adds the lightness that GH is lacking right now. The scenes with the two friends chatting about kids, the birthday party, and the guy in question were a hoot.

Felicia: "The pony has a trust fund?
Jerry: "Doesn't everybody?

Jerry: "His name is Thunder."
Bobbie: "Well, hello, Thunder. Welcome to the family."
Jerry: "Don't worry, boy. Takes her a little while to warm up."

Jerry: "Mac Scorpio, police commissioner. You know, it sounds like one of those oxymorons, like sweet sorrow, living dead."
Felicia: "Or Jerry Jacks knowing when to keep his opinions to himself."

Add Jerry into the mix, and it's delicious. His back and forth with Felicia amuses me to no end, and the flirting is just what the doctors should have ordered. Doesn't hurt that he's just plain sexy.

Mac: "Your point is?"
Jerry: "People change. Why not me?"
Mac: "Because you can see my changes. Where are yours?"
Jerry: "Look at my eyes when I watch Bobbie. I'm wild about her."

I found myself wishing that we'd settle down into an uneasy truce between these two and have the fun of a double date with the newlyweds and Bobbie and Jerry. Too funny. Unfortunately, things with the Jacks family were going to heat up and we weren't going to have much more of this lightness and fun. It's a shame.

Taggert: "Is that chocolate cake with some kind of berry filling in it, sir?"
Mac: "You're on duty."

And Taggert was the icing on the cake. I do enjoy his interaction with Mac, even as I resent the fact that Taggert has more of a storyline than Mac and Felicia. That's just not right, in my book.

Bobbie: "I think I just realized something about you. Half the things you do are motivated by the need to be noticed."
Jerry: "The only criteria I have for the things I do are fun and money. The only person I'm trying to impress is you."

Bobbie: "Lucas is already too attached to you as it is."
Jerry: "The feeling's mutual, so I don't see a problem there."
Bobbie: "Well, he's also attached to his father and to his Uncle Luke. Unfortunately, there's been a bit of a pattern."

It amused me that Bobbie would say they needed a break when they really hadn't gotten together yet, but it did make sense that she would need some distance when she realized that she could believe the worst of Jerry. Good for her, though I looked forward to Jerry winning her over. These two are fabulous, and I want them to work out so much.