Sonny and Carly (cont.):

Sonny was very earnest when he said things were for the better, and it took Carly off guard. He looked away immediately, and she simply looked stunned. She was even more so when he said "I" hurt Jason, and recounted to her the accusations that she had once flung at him. He choked up, and she was visibly shaken.

Carly: "You're taking me out to dinner to celebrate."
Sonny: "Huh? What's the special occasion?"
Carly: "Well, we bought the bring the baby home from the hospital outfit today, and--"
Sonny: "No, no, no."
Carly: "It's a big deal."
Sonny: "You bought the outfit."
Carly: "You refusing to take me out to dinner?"
Sonny: "No. Why not? But I got to run and check on Michael."

Carly: "I'm just calling to check on the arrangements I made for a birthday party."

I loved that she wanted to do something for him, even if it was just silly of her to choose the birthday when Mike had pointed out that Sonny didn't like birthdays. Perhaps she was trying to make that better for him too, not realizing the enormity of the reasons behind Mike's request to keep it quiet.

V. One Party Down in Flames (4/21, 4/24)

Carly: "You look nice."
Sonny: "Yeah?"
Carly: "Yeah."
Sonny: "Well, so do you."
Carly: "Yeah? Carly Babes loves stepping out."
Sonny: "Oh, yeah?"
Carly: "Yeah."
Sonny: "I bet Carly babes likes to wear those, like, high boots that come up to her--"
Carly: "Do you like those? I could maybe wear them again sometime."

He whistles as she enters (in the last episode), dressed for dinner. Personally, I loved the line about the boots.

Sonny: "You keep--you keep saying you're taking me out, but that usually means that the person who says that has to foot the bill."

Sonny: "If you really want to go to the Port Charles Grill that bad, I'm not going to fight you over it."
Carly: "Oh, my god!"
Sonny: "Yeah."
Carly: "You're learning!"

Now, I understand that we needed a run-in with the Qs, but it's a little obvious to have Sonny and Carly go to a restaurant the Qs own over and over and over. I don't know whatever happened to The Outback, but this is why we need it--so Carly and Sonny will quit going straight into Quartermaine territory.

Carly: "Maybe you'll actually enjoy this evening in spite of yourself."
Sonny: "It would be a lot better if we were going to no-name."

Alexis: "I need to speak with you about a mutual friend."
Sonny: "Oh, can it wait? Because we're just about to have a dinner."
Alexis: "Actually, it can't."

Carly: "What are you looking at?"
Ned: "A human wrecking ball."

Carly: "You know, Ned, you of all people I would think would be the one to understand the Quartermaines left me no choice."
Ned: "A.J. deserves anything he gets, but my grandmother doesn't. You will arrange for her to see Michael?"
Carly: "Of course. I already called."

Carly had her arm up on Sonny's shoulder when she faced off with Ned, but at the mention of Lila, she took it down and took Sonny's arm instead, as if not to affront even the mention of Lila.

Alexis: "I don't need for you to pick up the tab. I just wanted you to know that your friend is in trouble."

Alexis: "Is this a ceasefire?"
Sonny: "Carly's hungry. It happens."

Carly: "You know what? You can be a real pain sometimes."

Carly: "Ms. Davis doesn't like me very much."
Sonny: "I'll have to agree on that. But then again, most people don't."
Carly: "That's because most people don't know me."
Sonny: "You got a point. There's more to you than someone might realize at first."
Carly: "Are you feverish?"
Sonny: "No. Why?"
Carly: "Because I thought I just heard you give me a compliment."
Sonny: "Well, maybe you're feverish because you're hearing things."

Carly: "I'm sorry. Obviously, this wasn't a very good idea."
Sonny: "No, you had no way of knowing that birthdays aren't good for me. Ok, we should go."

Sonny went from smiling at their "argument" to that cold, zoned out look he always gets. He was remembering fragmented scenes from his childhood: Deke's voice yelling, his foot stomping a birthday cake. Carly asked if her was alright, and he shook his head mutely once, than again. Carly immediately realizes that something is wrong and moves to leave.

Edward: "Oh, so, now we're hosting birthday parties for the criminal element and their molls. How did I forget to have you two banned from this hotel?"
Sonny: "I'm not really in the mood for you tonight, Edward."
Alan: "Why? You in a hurry to leave? You in a rush to get home to see my grandson? How does it feel to steal another man's child, you piece of garbage? You poison everything you come into contact with."
Carly: "Alan, stop!"
Sonny: "Let's go. Get out of my way, Alan. If you don't--"
Alan: "Or what? Or what?"
Sonny: "What?"
Alan: "What? What are you going to do? You threatening me? Go ahead. You think I'm afraid of you? I'd love to give you what you so richly deserve."

Terry: "I noted in my update that Leticia seemed to be played a different actress in this episode. She looked younger and her voice was different. If Sonny had not said her name, I would have assumed it was a different sitter."

And, speaking of Terry's update, here's her coverage of today's scenes:

"Today was a very boring episode, in my opinion, except for some exceptional work by Maurice Bernard and Sarah Brown (Sonny and Carly)."

"There are way too many set-up scenes going on, but we finally get to Carly. The scene opens with Carly alone in the penthouse living room, talking on the phone to plan a birthday surprise for Sonny. She now looks slightly preggers, as they've begun to pad Sarah Brown."

"Carly and Sonny are going out to dinner, and she insists they go to the PC Grille. Sonny complains he'd rather go to the No Name. A different Leticia brings Michael down for a goodbye kiss."

"As Alexis is heading out the door to see Bobbie, Carly and Sonny are headed in. Alexis asks to speak to Sonny alone about a 'mutual friend.' Of course, no one in town, it seems, can resist an opportunity to take potshots at Carly. Ned rants about the way she's damaged his family and calls her a 'human wrecking ball.' Alexis, after Carly moves on to the table, tells Sonny that Roy is in trouble, and he tells her to do all she can to help and send Sonny the bill. Carly, meanwhile, checks arrangements for Sonny's birthday surprise with the waiter."

"Sonny and Carly are finishing dinner so some time has passed. Carly is trying to wheedle information out of Sonny about his conversation with Alexis. Three waiters appear, the lead waiter bearing a cake with a single burning candle. Carly joins them in singing 'Happy Birthday' as they place the cake on the table. This one brief scene makes sitting through the entire episode worthwhile. Sonny freezes and his face goes deep red. How Maurice Benard grows flushed on cue is beyond me."

"Commercials, and then we rejoin Sonny and Carly. We get insight into his stunned response as we see a flashback of a birthday cake being smashed as a table is knocked over, while we heard 'Happy Birthday' being sung in the present. Carly prompts Sonny to blow out his candle and make a wish. As he automatically blows out the candle, we see a man's shiny black shoe grinding into the cake in another flashback. Carly realizes something is amiss and sends the waiters away smoothly. 'Are you okay,' she asks as soon as they are gone, and Sonny remains in a daze as he shakes his head."

"Carly apologizes to Sonny for her obviously bad idea. They agree to head home, and when they start to leave, they walk directly into a pack of Quartermaines (Monica, Alan, Edward, and Lila). Trust Edward and then Alan to give him hell for breathing the same air. Alan snarls, 'I'd love to give you what you so richly deserve.'"

On the next day:

Alan's voice: "It's time you got what you deserve."
Deke's voice: "Now it's time you got what you deserve."

Carly: "You better back off, Alan. You should be kissing the ground that this man walks on. If it wasn't for him, your son would be doing time right now for arson. You'd be all dressed up for visitors' day at the state pen instead of a night out on the town."

Carly: "Oh, Alan, I'm shaking in my thigh highs."

Carly: "You're just afraid of him--you all are. Not because he's dangerous. He makes Michael feel secure and safe, and you-all made Michael's life a living hell. And you're ticked off because your two grandsons are a wannabe rock star and a drunk. You have to watch Sonny, and it must tear you up inside to know that he's got everything that it takes and your own male flesh and blood don't even come close."

Lila: "No, Edward. No. I won't have a scene."
Monica: "I'm afraid it's too late for that, Lila, thanks to Carly and her latest sperm donor. How many men has Michael called daddy? Let's see--Tony, Jason, A.J. Now Sonny. And the child isn't even 3 years old. You are a slut, Carly. You always have been. And your impassioned defense of your gangster boyfriend is to say the least laughable, not to mention pathetic."
Sonny: "Enough already! That's it. You will apologize to Carly now."

Monica: "Apologize to Carly after the way she has trashed this family? Not on your life."
Sonny: "You might want to rethink that position."
Alan: "What, are you threatening my wife?"
Sonny: "Your son has a drinking problem. Going cold turkey in the pen is a tough way to dry out."
Alan: "You wouldn't."
Sonny: "It's up to your wife."
Monica: "I apologize."

Throughout the face-off, Sonny remained calm and quiet, never flinching, save for one yell at Alan early on. He was working hard to keep himself under control, and would later tell Carly how close he was to punching Alan. Yet when the subject turned to Carly, he roused himself out of his own thoughts to defend her. Monica just laughed at his demand for an apology, and I did too--but for a different reason.

Sonny: "All right, you know what? It's time to lay down some ground rules."
Edward: "Oh, this is incredible."
Sonny: "Listen to me--hey! From now on, you keep these people in line. I don't want this family anywhere near Carly or me. If we happen to run into each other, you show her respect. She is the mother of your grandson. I don't know if you forgot that. Your great-grandson."
Lila: "Well said, Mr. Corinthos."

Sonny: "Never look back. Come on."
Carly: "You got that right."

Sonny: "So--are you upset? You were all right a while ago."
Carly: "Nothing was all right about tonight. It's your birthday, and I blew it, starting with coming here."
Sonny: "What are you talking about? You meant well. It's the thought that counts. Come on."

And by the time Carly punched him, teasingly, for the "thought that counts" line, it seemed like Sonny's black mood had actually passed already. I would continue to believe that the reason Sonny didn't fall back into his typical emotional reactions to things--shutting down, etc.--would be because this time, instead of being left or betrayed, he had people left to watch out for. He had Carly to watch out for, and that would keep him out of the dark hole he usually crawls into after a trauma. This was one of the early signs that having to be concerned for her would keep him from falling so far into his own emotions this time around, and it was nice to see the change.

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