GH in Review
by Amy McWilliams

The Spencers: (cont.)

Luke: "I have to know for sure. I have to because if Helena paid Faison to take Lucky, then there's a chance that she's still got him."

As many readers know, I pay lots of attention to what goes on in Luke's office. Somehow that place fascinates me. When Felicia poured them both a drink, I remembered all of the times that Luke has poured himself a drink and offered her one, but she's refused.

Luke: "Why do you insist on kicking this dead horse?"
Felicia: "He'll be reasonable. He'll understand."
Luke: "Felicia, darling, your husband knows that there is a--connection here. He doesn't have a name for it yet. Hell, neither do I. But it's real. And he knows it. And he doesn't like it. Now, if you tell him, he's either going to insist that you stay away from me, or he's going to try and take over. He might even tell Laura about this."
Felicia: "No, I don't think he'll do that."
Luke: "Well, I can't take that chance. Do you understand? I promised myself that I won't let Laura know anything until I have facts, real proof that Lucky is alive."
Felicia: "Ok. If we have to keep it from Mac, then that's what we'll do."
[knock on door]
Mac: "I had a feeling I'd find you here."

It was interesting to me that, when Mac entered, we cut first to Luke's reaction and second to Felicia's.

Luke: "Here you go. Oh, don't forget this. It's why you came."
Felicia: "I left it in the restaurant when we ate the other night. Remember?"
Mac: "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm."

As Luke handed her purse, coat, and scarf to her, I thought that, like his improvisation in Mac's office ("Haven't seen you in a while."), this almost over acting to cover was simply more proof to Mac that there was something between them to hide. And, of course, Felicia's reactions here were completely different than when Roy handed her back her scarf to give her a reason for being in that same room.

After Mac leaves with Felicia, Luke curled his lip and took a drink. Crack me up.

III. One Out, One In (2/1)

Stefan: "I love you."
Luke: "Not here to interrupt. Just here to see my daughter."

Just as Faison's love for beige cracked me up, coming as it did from a character I consider truly a villain, the color play between Stefan and Luke has always amused me as well. This time, Luke was in black and Stefan in brown. In most of their early scenes, Luke would be in lighter colors or brown, and Stefan would be in darker blues, greys, and blacks. He almost never wore his pinstripe brown suit in a scene with Luke. Of course, the irony is that they haven't truly changed places in any real sense, even if Laura seems to be with Stefan now. I do so admire the wardrobe people on the show.

Luke: "So, how is cupcake?"
Laura: "Well, she's been asleep for hours."
Luke: "Oh. I lost track of time. Sorry. Do you mind if I just go up and sit by her bed for a while?"
Laura: "Of course not. Is everything all right?"
Luke: "It's getting there."
Laura: "Why do I have the feeling you're going to leave town again?"
Luke: "Because you've always been psychic."
Laura: "How long are you going to be gone? I know. It's none of my business, right?"
Luke: "It is better if you leave it."
Laura: "Do I have a choice?"
Luke: "I won't be long."

Laura's outfit matched Stefan's more than Luke's, but as she watched him leave, I knew that she knew there was more going on than he was telling her. When she turned to Luke then, I enjoyed the line about "you've always been psychic." Lately, Laura's used the rhetoric of being able to read Luke (similar to Chloe's lines about wanting to be the woman who could read Jax's face; the nineteenth-century novel student in me is as thrilled with this as she was with the footsteps from Faison in earlier months). She doesn't think that she can, doesn't think that he lets her, etc. But she can still read him, even if, at this point, he's wanted her to read him more than he has recently. Actually, this reminded me a little bit of the old days, when he wouldn't tell her something, but she'd know something was there, and he'd revel in her continuous questions until she figured it out or until he broke down and told her. He was letting her know without letting her know again, and it was familiar. I wondered if it also served the same purpose as it used to: to keep her attention on him, rather than the other guy.

Luke: "Is it possible that that little angel is even more beautiful when she's asleep?"
Laura: "Did she say anything?"
Luke: "N--No--"
Laura: "Yes, yes, yes."
Luke: "She doesn't."
Laura: "She just started."
Luke: "Oh, my--her, too? Lucky started talking in his sleep when he was about that age. I remember in the middle of the night he used--he used to have entire conversations with himself."
Laura: "Now Lulu."
Luke: "So our little princess is quiet by day and a motor mouth at night."
Laura: "Yeah. That's our girl."
Luke: "Well, it's late."
Laura: "Um--did you ever find what you had promised her?"
Luke: "Not yet."
Laura: "Maybe you shouldn't make so many promises, Luke."
Luke: "I said I'd deliver. I will find what I'm looking for."
Laura: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just know that you love her way too much to ever disappoint her."
Luke: "You're right. You'll tell her I was here?"
Laura: "Oh, yes, I will. She'll be thrilled."
Luke: "And you'll tell her that I'll come back?"
Laura: "I will."
Luke: "Good night."
Laura: "Good night. Luke?"

Luke went to those always-important photos on the mantelpiece, and Laura smiled broadly as he talked about Lulu. She talks about her relationship with Luke by way of Lulu these days: that he doesn't come to see Lulu, that he doesn't tell Lulu where he's going. And Lesley knows that she's talking about herself. So this scene, that put the smile back on their faces together, but by means of Lulu, was a very nice touch.

I also noticed Luke's pronouns, as I often do, and as I would seem to do more and more as the search for Lucky escalated. Here it was, "my" princess, but also "our little girl."

Laura smiles when Luke says that he'll come back, but he doesn't turn as she calls his name when he leaves. I wondered what she was going to say.

We cut to Helena making plans to see Lucky, and when we say Lucky sleeping in the room where Helena was holding him, I thought, "Don't wake Lulu or Lucky." With the talk of Lucky as a child, this shot of him sleeping, just as his little sister was sleeping, was a nice one.

IV. Hiram and Orphey Ride Again (2/3)

Felicia: "You're going after Lucky right now."
Luke: "Yeah. Right now. I have to."
Felicia: "Not without me."

Luke: "Look, you know I'd like to have you with me on this, for so many different reasons."
Felicia: "Well, so then, what's the problem?"
Luke: "It's just less complicated if I do it solo."

Luke: "We lead very different lives, darling."
Felicia: "What if my daughter was presumed dead and we found out that Helena might have her? What would you do? You would he me. And I couldn't stop you. You would just help me."
Luke: "Felicia, people don't depend on me. My marriage is over."

Felicia: "Let me worry about Mac."
Luke: "That's the problem. You will worry about him."

Luke: "How'd Mac take it?"
Felicia: "Not very well."

Felicia: "He knows I'm going somewhere with you. Well, he has to know."
Luke: "Last chance, darlin'. Stay here."
Felicia: "I love my family. I'll make it up to him."
Luke: "Stay here and take care of your family. Let me go take care of mine."

Felicia: "Yes, I know you can manage. But if we find Lucky and we bring him back, everyone will be so--so happy. And I know Mac'll understand that. He will."

This reminded me of Luke not letting Laura go with him at various times way back when. Of course, the difference is that Laura wasn't delusional, and Felicia clearly is, the way she keeps hanging onto that "Mac will understand when he finds out about Lucky" line. They stood very close for much of this conversation, and he smiled as she left. His face changed to concern after the door closed, however.

When she got back, Luke was packing liquor and cigars, which cracked me up. He raised an eyebrow at her re-entry, and I wondered how much personal experience he was bringing to his doubts about Mac's reaction to her news.

Luke: "Oh, no, darling, Orphey--Orphey won't work. Orphey Goodlove is on the run from the federales."
Felicia: "Oh, are you planning on hanging out with the federales?"
Luke: "Well, no, but even federales have compadres that they talk to now and then, mi poquita bonita. Chica."
Felicia: "Orphey Goodlove brought us good luck."
Luke: "Orphey Goodlove landed you in the slammer, my dear."

Felicia: "Greece."
Luke: "Where this whole mess started."

They moved to their accustomed place, each on an opposite side of a desk, and facing nose to nose over the top.

Amy: "A pal of ours on ratsa suggested that Felicia wants to use these same aliases because Mac knows about them and, subconsciously, she wants him to find out what's going on. That might be, either because the choice would then be out of her hands, or because she hopes he might help find Lucky. Of course, as the pal said, she could just be stupid."

"Personally, I think I've figure out why we haven't seen much of Mac all this time. If Felicia would actually be talking to Mac about this search for Lucky (and that would be another thing to complicate matters--if she'd actually confide in her husband when Luke asked her not to), she would know that Mac and the PCPD had been interested, at one point, in figuring out why Helena was paying Faison large sums of money. It would be lovely for Mac to put two and two together and figure out that Luke was barking up the wrong Cassadine."

"I have to say, however, Felicia is lookin' mighty bad these days. So bad I don't know how Luke is still attracted to her, though I do understand that, really. I can't wait to see Mac call her on the carpet."

Terry: "Elsewhere, Joan has nailed what has bugged me about Felicia. She should have/could have been the voice of reason, and she wasn't. And in the end, while Laura back in the park seemed genuinely tortured by the idea that you could only choose one path and you couldn't lead two lives (okay, Amy, I hear you saying that she never chooses, and you're right; choice here paralyzes her), Felicia seemed all gee-whiz wistful--wouldn't it be nice to be able to have my cake and eat it too?"

Amy: "It is a contrast in tone. Laura tries to pretend that there is no choice to be made--that she can have all her children sit at one table, that she does not have to choose between her husband and Stefan, or vice versa. When she can't avoid it, she looks at it and just can't make it. Felicia seems to write it off in a different way: 'Mac will understand.' But I wonder if it's not a similar defense mechanism? Laura seems more affected by the tension, though."

Arda: "I think there's a lot of similarity. Both Laura and Felicia are married to men who've cherished them. Luke had a more idealized approach to Laura, but despite Mac's more practical vision of Felicia, both Luke and Mac act as protectors of their wives. And although they're grown women, there is a child-like aspect to Laura and Felicia that easily translates into childishness and indulgence. Because they are so well-loved, they almost expect privilege and favor. Laura is then incredulous when she perceives Luke moving on with his life, and Felicia naively believes that Mac will understand and is shocked when he doesn't."

Amy: "Well, and Laura blames Luke for his intolerance when she refuses to either bring Stefan completely into her life (their life) or kick him completely out. I'm thinking of 1996, 1997. Lots of excuses from both of them, and lots of 'He will understand' or 'He should understand.'"

Terry: "Oh, Felicia. I am more convinced than ever that this Luke/Felicia relationship will be used to give Luke a way to 'forgive' Laura by having watched Felicia deal with the same sort of circumstances as Laura did once upon a time, loving her husband but lying to him for the sake of a man she also has feelings for. I hope that isn't the case, especially since the parallelism is flawed. Felicia fell for Luke after they started hanging around together, after she was married, etc. Laura had a pre-existing relationship with Stefan that she had not told Luke about, and a child, and it was a whole different kettle of fish."

Judy: "Oh PU. I hope not too, but I can see it happening. It's sweeps, after all, and it would be a simple quick way to wrap things up. I do so wish Guza would be true to his word and 'complicate the hell out of' something...anything!"

Joan: "But Luke could make a strong case for his having a relationship that pre-existed hers with Stiffy, even if she thought he was dead. And if we're dealing with dangling ploticiples, please let us deal with Stefan knowing that Luke was alive and not telling Laura."

Terry: "I am still of the opinion that a great story would be for the return of Lucky to cause Luke and Laura to reconcile temporarily (but not because she thinks Stefan took Lucky, dammit), feeling that their marriage can be resurrected like their son. But I want them to then realize that, as Amy (I think) pointed out elsewhere, that they were on the rocks well and truly before he died not because of problems related to the family but problems related to the two of them. Then I'd like to have them go back on their separate paths and try to figure out how to live in a post-marriage but not post-love world."

Joan: "You know, this could be a great compromise, but I'm betting some of the L&L fans online wouldn't go for it."

Terry: "Of course, I'm still Stefan&Laura nutty enough to want Laura to then see that she was questioning her choice of Stefan not because she doesn't love him, but because her infamous radar was telling her something was amiss in Spencerland and because she's not good at clean breaks, etc. I don't mind see a woman dealing with divorce second-guessing herself. I think it's part of the process for a lot of folks. I do hate, however, when everyone online jumps to the easy conclusion: 'See, she has seen the error of her ways and she just loved Luke all along.' I hope the show doesn't just to that same conclusion."

V. Laura and Lesley (2/8)

Lesley: "He certainly does work hard at being thoughtful."
Laura: "He is thoughtful."

Laura: "I also like the fact that he really, really wanted to see me and that he cares enough about me to let me know where he is."
Lesley: "As opposed to--"
Laura: "That's not what I'm doing."
Lesley: "Could've fooled me."
Laura: "I don't expect Luke to update me about his life anymore, but Lulu--you know, she's only 5 years old, and he didn't even say good-bye to her. I know it's not that big of a deal, but I can see the effect that it had on her."
Lesley: "Well, maybe there was a reason. Maybe something came up and he just had to leave right away."
Laura: "Yeah, well, that's just it. What is it that is so important that he can't say good-bye to his own daughter?"

Laura: "Anyway, whatever Luke does or doesn't do is none of my business, and I know that. But when it comes to Lulu, I need to know that I can count on him."
Lesley: "Are you sure that this is just about Lulu? He's been away from her before without it unsettling you so much."
Laura: "Were you always this perceptive?"
Lesley: "When it comes to you, yeah. Baby, you have to make a decision. You have to either let Luke go forever or start working your way back to him."
Laura: "I have let him go, and he's done the same with me. There is no going back. It's over."
Lesley: "If you say so."
Laura: "And all the time I spend looking back only hurts the people around me. Especially Stefan."
Lesley: "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about Stefan. He seems more than capable of taking care of himself."
Laura: "No. No, he's not. Not always, not with me. There's a lot of uncertainty between us and a lot of bad timing and secrets. But, still, there is kind of a bond between us, one that I'm not able to break. I mean, most of the time I don't even want to, but--anyway, anyway, things are pretty good between the two of us right now, and I'm hoping that things will work out for the two of us."
Lesley: "He is a very secretive man. It would be foolish to ignore that."
Laura: "I'm not. But I think that he has finally learned that the truth is something that we can face together."

Laura gave Lesley at least one of her patented eyebrow raises during this conversation. But when Lesley asks her to make a choice, she says that there's none to be made. When Laura talks about Stefan, it's Lesley's turn to raise an eyebrow.

Amy: "Loved that conversation with Lesley--Lesley tells her that she has to make a decision, but Laura denies that there's one to be made, that there's still an option to choose Luke. That's her reassurance, after all. Yet afterwards, when she talks about the bond she can't break with Stefan (and I was interested that she cut herself off as she said she usually didn't want to break it, but), I wondered if she herself recognized that she's never made a choice--but she doesn't let that part of what she's saying sink in. Lesley rocks, by the way."

Continue to Next Page of Review

Back to Front Page of Issue

Back to Top