I. Sonny and Luke (4/21)
Sonny: "You heading out for Moreno?"
Luke: "What makes you think I'm not looking for you--partner?"
Sonny: "I know you want to fight back after what happened to Lucky. And if killing me is the answer, I won't stop or defend myself. But if you're going to do it, don't do it right now, especially right after the fire. You'll be--the cops will know, and you'll be throwing your life away."
Luke: "I don't want to kill you, Sonny. Whatever part you had in the death of my son, I want you to live with it."
Sonny: "So you're heading out for Moreno?"
Luke: "Well, you know, somebody's got to take care of him, and you didn't."
Sonny: "I promise you that if Moreno set the fire that killed Lucky, I will see to it that he pays for it."
Luke: "What do you mean, 'if'?"
I liked these scenes, of course, bit Luke and Sonny fan that I am. Though Lesley would tell Laura that she was the only one that could understand Luke's emotions at this point, I think that Sonny was the only one that could understand Luke's rage. These two have been on parallel courses, in various ways, at different times in their lives. And I think that Sonny knew that he needed to fill Luke in, and that he was, perhaps, the only one who could keep Luke from doing something he would regret--or at least the one whose responsibility it was to face Luke and take his anger, even the one to whom Luke would freely express it. Yes, finally I think that Sonny knew that Luke would and could take out anger on him, and that Luke needed that release so he wouldn't do something stupid.
II. Luke and Bobbie (4/23)
Bobbie: "Hi. I thought you might need a ride to the church."
Luke: "I don't do churches."
Bobbie: "I know."
Luke: "What's the point, anyway, huh? What's the point of a funeral? Does it make dead people any more alive? Sort of like a seance, you know--that crap where everybody gets together and thinks about the dearly departed, and then they expect a spirit to appear. You know, what it is, Barbara? It's like those fairy tales. Just one more fairy tale that people tell themselves before they close their eyes against the dark."
Bobbie: "I invited people to the brownstone afterwards. But you don't have to come if you don't want to. I couldn't tell Lucas. I sat him down, I couldn't tell him."
Luke: "Oh, sweetheart. You want me to talk to him?"
Bobbie: "No, thanks. I'll do it. If you can go to a church and speak to a crowd, I could do that much."
Luke: "My son liked churches. How did that happen--a kid of mine."
Bobbie: "Well, you know, you do what you can, but sometimes they stray."
Luke: "Don't they? He believed in God. He believed in everything. He believed in love that doesn't die. He believed in the persistence of the soul and good and evil. Sin. Angels. He believed in angels. He believed that there were angels protecting us. I'd love to believe that. But if there are, Barbara, where were they that night? God. Who am I to question my kid's beliefs?"
Arda did an amazing article under the "A Study in Character" on Luke's existentialist worldview a few episodes back, using this scene as her launching point. I'll refer you to that piece for the "theology" in this scene. Personally, I find that Luke contemplates faith a lot, even though he doesn't profess to having much of it. But he had faith in Lucky, and Lucky's been taken away from him. It's a hard question, the one that asks why God lets bad things happen.
But though Luke doesn't have answers, he does have Bobbie. The parallel of family coming to the home to escort Luke and Laura to the memorial was nice; Luke's home was the club, at this point, and his only family remaining was Bobbie. At least that's what he felt like, I think.
III. The Memorial Service (4/23)
Laura: "Thank you for loving my son."
Edward: "You look wonderful, Lesley."
Monica: "Yes, you do. Gosh, I wish happier circumstances would bring you back here. Are you going to stay?"
Lesley: "Not this time, but I'll be here as long as Laura needs me."
Edward: "Oh, Lila is going to be so sorry that she missed you."
Lesley: "Oh."
Edward: "But to tell you the truth, I'm a little afraid for her. She took your grandson's death pretty hard."
Lesley: "I just wish she hadn't been alone."
Edward: "Mm-hmm."
Lesley: "I know that Laura would want to know you're here."
Edward: "Right. We'd better go in now. Let's go in."
Monica: "Take care."
Lesley: "Yeah."
Audrey: "Luke, I'm so sorry."
Luke: "Thank you, Audrey. Thank you. Princess. Hello, my love. Oh, how beautiful you look in your pretty hat. So glad you're here."
Laura: "I think I understand now how you felt when you lost B.J. but I don't understand how you can ever be whole again."
Bobbie: "I'm not whole, but I'm still standing. And you will be, too."
Nikolas: "Uh, I realize that you probably don't want me here, so--"
Luke: "Save your good manners, son. You're as welcome here as anybody. This day's about Lucky, nothing else."
I love the little bits of scenes we sometimes get between Audrey and Luke. My favorite on recently is the sidebar of them standing at the nurses' station together watching the nun thank Stefan for his generous "donation."
But the scene with Nikolas and Luke was remarkable. Something has shifted between those two, and I don't think either of them realized it. Perhaps it was in Lucky's death, perhaps it came when Luke stopped fighting for Laura and with Laura. Nikolas doesn't have to represent certain hidden, awful things about his wife anymore, because Luke knows them for certain. So Luke can see Nikolas more clearly now. And he sees a boy growing into a man, near Lucky's age, who loved his son and respected his wishes on one awful night. He put his hand on Nikolas's shoulder as he passed, and I think Laura saw. They looked at each other and hesitated before they went to each other and embraced; Luke was the first to open his arms to her, inviting her in, and it was as not as though permission had been granted, but like he had been willing to put his guard down first. Still restrained, they did allow themselves the comfort of that hug, in honor of Lucky.
Elizabeth: "Luke? I need to be sure of something."
Luke: "You can be sure of me until the day I die, Elizabeth. Lucky told me you were the most important thing that ever happened to him. So anything that he would've done for you, anything that you need, you just ask."
Elizabeth: "I need to be sure, and I know Lucky would want me to be, that you know you were his hero."
Luke: "A long time ago."
Elizabeth: "No. And not in spite of anything, but because of what he learned about you and how you faced it. He loved you as much two days ago as he did the last time you carried him on your shoulders."
Luke may or may not believe Elizabeth (though he should), but she should believe him. He couldn't protect Lucky, so he will do everything he can for Elizabeth. For Lucky's sake, and because he couldn't protect Lucky from death, or her from losing him. He held both of her hands in his in this scene.
Tony: "I just need to know if it's all right if I stay."
Bobbie: "I think Luke and Laura would be shocked not to see you."
Tony: "And Lucas is not here? That's good. How's Luke?"
Bobbie: "I don't know."
Tony: "I just pray to god that he is better at this than I was."
Jerry: "Come on."
I wanted a scene with Laura and Tony. I would get it later. I'd even have liked a moment with Luke and Tony. And I don't think we've seen that one yet.
Elizabeth: "Guess it's time."
Laura: "Yes. Elizabeth, I'd like it very much if you sat with the family."
Elizabeth: "Thank you."
Laura: "Thank you. Come."
In the following pages, Elizabeth will remain in the Spencer section. At this point, she did feel like family in this storyline. But it was interesting to see Laura sitting with Lulu, Elizabeth, and Nikolas (with Nikolas between Laura and Lulu in this grand moment of his inclusion) on one front pew--all the children, all the people through whom she could look towards the future--and then to see Luke with Bobbie, his long-time support system, and Jerry, with whom he has no relationship but a slight animosity. In the room full of people, Luke seemed extremely alone. Perhaps more so than that scene at Kelly's before. It was interesting, though, to see so many major GH families brought together on the front row: Spencer, Jacks, Cassadine.
Laura: "Good afternoon. I thank you all for coming here today. My heart is broken. But my heart is also full. Full because I am surrounded by the people that I love and the people who loved my son. We think that our children belong to us, but the truth is children belong to god. Their souls are given into our care for a time--a precious time--and it's a blessing. Every day, every moment we have to love our children is a great gift and a great blessing. My son Lucky was god's great gift to me, just as my other two children are. I would like to encourage you all not to waste a moment of time with the people that you love. Thank you."
Elizabeth: "Hi. Laura asked if I wanted to say anything, and I do--if I can just figure out how. I feel so lucky to be the girl he loved. I guess what I wanted to tell you was Lucky saved my life. If you know me, you know I'm not exaggerating or trying to sound poetic. He literally picked me up off the ground, from the snow and the ice, and took care of what hurt and watched over me at night. He took all my anger and my bitterness and turned it into something shining that I will always, always have. And this is why it's not right that he's gone. Someone who--who saves a life should have an extra life. More time, not less."
Luke: "Thank you, Elizabeth."
Luke and Laura were in black, but Elizabeth was in brown, as if she couldn't bear to wear actual mourning. That would link in to her search for a sign from Lucky, later, and I like to think it was that smart of a choice by somebody backstage.
Luke: "They say, them that says things, that the child is the father of the man. I heard that all my life and I never paid much attention to it until Lucky became a teenager. No, actually, you know, the truth is he never was a teenager. He went right into adulthood. It happened in one day. If there were any warnings, I didn't see them coming. But just because it was fast, it doesn't mean it was smooth. It was painful. It was so painful for him. And it was the hardest thing I've ever done--letting my boy be a man at the same moment that my child was telling me that he hated me. And believe me, I wouldn't have done it if I had known then that I was going to miss so much time with the son who was here so briefly. But at the end of the day, he was a Spencer. And, uh, we Spencers, we're connected. I am grateful. I am so grateful for my connection to Lucky. He taught me a lot. He taught me about things that I couldn't see and I only half believed in half the time--things like honor and truth and love. It would not have been my choice that my adulthood would come at the price of his."
When Luke said that the Spencers were connected, we cut to Laura. Nice. There was a song, then, and clips of Lucky. I noticed, in a passing moment, that his hair has changed almost as many times as his father's. And I loved that there was a shot of Ruby included.
IV. Luke and Tammy (4/23)
Luke: "Shot?"
Tammy: "You know, the first time we ever met, right in here, you almost shot me, remember?"
Luke: "Oh, yeah. Hmm. Well, no guns tonight, baby. You're safe."
Tammy: "Well, I would just like to know for sure that you are."
Tammy: "That was a beautiful service today. You didn't go to the cemetery."
Luke: "What'd I miss?"
Tammy: "You know what, Luke? I never told you this, but I knew your son a little. I would've married him if he asked me to. You did right by him, Luke."
Luke: "What do you want, Tammy?"
Tammy: "Just--is there anything that you need?"
Luke: "Let's see. Shall I make a list?"
Luke: "Oh, you're sweet."
Luke: "You're very sweet."
Tammy: "It's all right. It's all right."
These scenes were incredible. Luke's hand shook as he first touched Tammy. He smelled her hair, held her close, and then he cried. The great contrast was that, at the end of this episode, Luke was with Tammy but Laura and Elizabeth were both alone. As Monday started, he'd be with Felicia, while Laura would be alone in Lucky's room with only things and photos.
Some complained about them; some denied that Luke and Tammy had sex at all. But here was Luke, who so alone in the previous scenes this week, reaching out for comfort--the kind of comfort he didn't have to analyze, the kind that was tangible, that made him feel connected to somebody. Others complained that in that scene, Tammy made herself a hooker again, or they claimed that she didn't know anything else to do. On the contrary; I think she knew exactly what to do, and gave what she (perhaps she alone) could give. And I think she understood why Luke needed it.
But you'll have to forgive us if we got a little giddy at the prospect. After such a tension- and sorrow-filled week, we didn't need much to let us give way to other, happier emotions *g*--even before the scenes had aired:
Terry: "Joan (and the rest of the gang)--have you seen this week's Daytime Dilemma for GH? (That title still makes me nostalgic for the time when they used to have those silly "DD" commercials on TV, way before the 'net was born, and we were supposed to phone in our vote on what would happen next.) It says one of the following couples will have sex next week--Sonny/Hannah; Stefan/Laura; LUKE/TAMMY. And we know which couple it will be, right? Even though under 15% thought that it would Luke and Tammy. I'm gonna like this, I think."
Amy: "I love it. Yes, there's a blurb in the new Soap Opera Weekly that says Laura will see them together (not doing the deed, I suppose), and that the irony will be that while Laura has technically not cheated on Luke, he will have technically have cheated on her. Makes sense to me, especially since I think Luke can't get the image of Laura and Stefan out of his head--from past or present. Luke sincerely believes it's over, and the 'technically' may not matter to him (and I doubt he'll be thinking of her anyway); Laura still doesn't seem to--she still wants it, even as she says she doesn't. Just because it doesn't make her happy and Stefan does doesn't mean she doesn't hope it can be worked out."
Arda: "Over on Port Charles Online, somebody asked the question, 'Does Luke Have Bedroom Eyes?' We already know the answer to the question, but it never hurts to hear it over and over again. I was going to respond that 'Luke has bedroom everything,' but someone beat me to it. *g*"