The Cassadines

The Spencers

The Scorpios

Roy and Bobbie, Hannah and Taggert

Sonny and Carly

The Quartermaines

Jax and Carly

Rae Cummings

Rae Cummings:

• Rae Cummings arrives at the penthouse looking for the bible that is in the desk Carly bought for Sonny. Johnny and Benny won't let her in, and they won't give her any information about the flat's tenant. Later, she meets AJ and Hannah at the bar of the PC Grille and AJ warns her away from Sonny. (4/3)
• As the Qs continue to fight about AJ, Rae arrives. As a past business associate of Edward's, she hopes that he can help her find the desk. The Qs warn her about Sonny. She and Alan exchange a look at one point that suggests they know each other. AJ arrives, greets Rae, and agrees with Monica that he should move out, over Alan's protests. (4/5)
• Later, Rae stops at Kelly's, and Tammy tells her how to find the coffee warehouse so that she can leave a message. While there, she runs into an old friend: Tony Jones. (4/5)
• Rae finally meets Sonny, who tells her that he donated the desk to charity. Later, Rae meets up with Tony, who says he can help her out by getting her into the thrift store that has the desk. (4/7)
• They desk is there, but the bible's been removed, so Tony and Rae begin to look through the old books in the store. When the shop owner collapses, they take him to the hospital. (4/10)
• Ready to look through the books at the hospital, Rae comes looking for Alan and runs into Monica instead. She takes a break at Kelly's for coffee, and has a chat with Carly. Later, back at GH, she sees Alan again, and Tony tells her that their patient is doing just fine. Meanwhile, the bible is in his room. (4/11)

I. Johnny Bar the Door (4/3)

Rae: "Hi. You coming out or going in?"
Johnny: "Neither."

Johnny: "Sorry, ma'am. You're wasting your time."
Rae: "Excuse me, but how exactly do you know that? I mean, do you get sort of a special vibe by just standing here, or do you have some telepathic thing going on with whoever lives in there?"

Rae: "So this mystery man--the one with no name--what, is he a dictator in exile?"
Benny: "No, he's a very private man."
Rae: "Oh, he's got privacy issues, yeah. You know, I'm really very good with badly socialized people. Especially if they have a good sense of humor. Even if they don't."

Benny: "We are not allowed to discuss the contents of that apartment."
Rae: "You have to be kidding me. What do you think, I'm with the K.G.B.? I'm only talking about a piece of furniture."

I loved this scene. Johnny just smiled at her, while Benny was dead serious. You can read our general reaction to Rae at the end of this section, but I have to say this search for Sonny, predictable as it was, succeeded the most with me. That's because I really enjoyed thinking about how an outsider coming into Port Charles with absolutely no connections to anybody would see these people about whom we know so much. Most characters come in as a relative or friend. But while Rae had convenient connections all over the city, she was a blank slate where Sonny was concerned when she started, and this mysterious greeting and her continuing responses to and about Sonny were a scream.

II. The Quest Moves to the PC Grill (4/3)

Hannah: "No more charging people with bottles, huh?"
A.J.: "Unless I'm inspired. Hey, what's the worst that can happen? Mini bar bottles are tiny."

Rae: [to the bartender] "I actually slipped by the doorman, but there were a couple of suits in front of the door, if you know what I mean."
A.J.: "Yeah, well, there's a good reason for those suits."
Rae: "Yes. Protection, I think. Tell me, do I look like the dangerous type to you? Hello."
Hannah: "Hello."
A.J.: "Not for the man inside. To protect the rest of us from him."

Rae: "You see, I don't really want to bond with this guy. I--I'm sorry. I should really introduce myself. I'm Rae Cummings."

A.J.: "Look, I am speaking from experience here. This guy is--he's a walking plague. If you don't believe me, just ask this lady."
Hannah: "What do you want with the man?"
Rae: "It's really a long story."
Hannah: "Involving what government agency?"
Rae: "Agency? Who is this guy? The Ayatollah of hell, is that it?"

III. A Visit to the Quartermaines (4/5)

Alan: "Trust me--if you never meet Sonny Corinthos, you will live a longer and happier life."
Rae: "I don't want to marry the man. I only want to look in his desk."

IV. Rae Runs Into an Old Friend (4/5)

Rae: "I want no harm to come to this man. He's got some papers that really belong to me, and I just want to talk to him about it. That's all."

Rae: "Yeah, well, that's me, all right--Dr. Rae, woman who gives advice and can't take it. You see, nothing has changed about me."

Rae: "You know what, Tony? I have a daughter. I was told she died at birth and unfortunately was illegally adopted. I'm trying like hell to find her. And the only record of that adoption is in a bible, and the bible is in this desk. And I know for a fact that it was delivered to Sonny Corinthos just last week. So now you know why I want to see him, but I can't seem to reach him. The waitress was nice enough to tell me that he's got a warehouse two piers down. I thought I'd go there and leave a message."
Tony: "If he doesn't call you back, my ex-wife, Bobbie, knows him pretty well, so maybe I could fix it so he would call you back or you can connect with him."
Rae: "You know what? I knew when I saw you that you'd bring me good luck."

Tony: "Pay for my pie, would you?"
Rae: "Call me."

Rae had a big hug for Tony, and it was clear that here was no past affair. These two were my other favorite thing about Rae's business. There was a balance here of exposition and not telling us things we already knew. There was a sparkle with these two friends, and I enjoyed their hugs and the way they almost invariably left a scene together arm in arm.

V. Rae Finally Meets Sonny (4/7)

Rae: "I just need to meet one of the owners--a Sonny Corinthos. And please don't warn me about him. I already know he's a hoodlum and a blackmailer and a plague on Port Charles. I really don't care about his little life of crime. I just want to talk to him, just for a minute. And then I will be out of his life forever. I promise you."
Sonny: "What do you want to talk to him about?"
Rae: "No, no. I think that's between him and me, don't you?"
Sonny: "Ok."
Rae: "Ok. You're--oh, you're not."
Sonny: "Oh, yes."
Rae: "Oh, no, you're not."
Sonny: "Sonny Corinthos."

Sonny: "People do it all the time."
Rae: "Do they? I bet they do with you."

Rae: "Well, the Quartermaines didn't hold back when it came to you. Lila was the only one that didn't say anything bad about you."
Sonny: "Well, I guess I can't be all that bad."

Rae: "You are not at all what I expected."
Sonny: "Well, see, the Quartermaines have a tendency to exaggerate."

Sonny just shook his head when Rae left. I enjoyed this scene, and Rae's talk with Carly at Kelly's, but then she had no more scenes with either of them. And I might have liked to see a scene with her and Bobbie, both about her daughter and Tony.

VI. My Kingdom for a Desk (4/7)

Rae: "I've already met him."
Tony: "Not too unpleasant, I hope."
Rae: "Actually, I found him charming and gracious, even humorous, contrary to what everybody's telling me."
Tony: "No comment."

Tony: "Well, I actually kind of know what you're going through. Bobbie and I had a child that died."
Rae: "I'm sorry. I didn't know that."
Tony: "Yeah. And after that, you know, Lucas, my son, became the whole focus of my life, and--I had a couple of bad years and I couldn't see him, so I know the hell that you go through when you know that your child's out there somewhere but you can't find him."
Rae: "But you see him now?"
Tony: "Oh, yeah. Yeah, all the time. And maybe while you're in town you could meet him."
Rae: "Oh, I'd love that."
Tony: "I hope that if you get to meet your daughter, she's one half the person that you are."
Rae: "How could she not, huh? She's got my blood running through her."
Tony: "Well, on the way over to the thrift shop, I'll tell you a cautionary tale about a mother and a long-lost daughter."
Rae: "Oh, boy. Sounds like a story not with a happy ending. I'm right, aren't I?"

VII. Found the Desk, Now Where's the Bible? (4/10)

Rae: "Oh, god. I'll be here for a week."
Tony: "No, two days, tops."

Rae: "You weren't this diligent in college."
Tony: "I absolutely was."
Rae: "You were not."
Tony: "I was, too."
Rae: "You fell asleep in Mrs. Stinson's poetry class every day."
Tony: "I meditated--"
Rae: "Oh, right."
Tony: "And absorbed the essence of that fluff."

Tony: "I was pre-med. What was I doing in that class?"
Rae: "You were primarily dozing. That's what I said before."
Tony: "Well, then that's what the doctor ordered. I needed rest."
Rae: "Well, that's probably what you need right now."
Tony: "Excuse me, I w weaned on 20-hour shifts, nonstop trauma. I'm not slowed down by a few little books here."
Rae: "Yeah? Well, here's one for you then-'Doctors Who Don't Know When To Stop.'"
Tony: "Isn't that a coincidence? I just found one--'Shrinks Who Can't Be Shrunk.'"
Rae: "I've already read this one. Along with 'Shrinks Can't Jump' and 'Women Who Read Too Much.'"

VIII. Paging Dr. Quartermaine (4/11)

Rae: "Tony, you know, he's very lucky you were there. I mean, you may have saved this man's life."
Tony: "Actually, the surgeon will do that."

Rae: "How are you?"
Alan: "Stunned."
Rae: "I bet."
Alan: "How many years has it been?"
Rae: "Well, it must have been just yesterday. You haven't changed a bit."
Alan: "Neither have you."
Rae: "No?"
Alan: "Your hair's different."
Rae: "Yeah, I know. Think your family realizes that we knew each other once?"
Alan: "No."
Rae: "No? What about your wife?"
Alan: "I don't think she suspects anything, but we better get our stories straight."

Rae: "If you ever do think about this, is it a good memory?"
Alan: "Oh, god, yes."

Amy: "I didn't--I didn't--what'd you say? I'm sorry."
Monica: "Does your imagination ever take a break?"

Monica: "Am I interrupting?"

Monica: "Well, you certainly have contacts coming out of the woodwork here in Port Charles."

Alan: "So, what's so important about these papers?"
Rae: "Well, actually, I found out I was adopted. I'm trying to trace the birth family history."

Tony: "I didn't realize you knew Alan."
Rae: "Um--yeah. I--I actually had business dealings with his father, and I met Alan at the house the other day. You know the thing I told you about searching for my daughter? Maybe we could keep that just between us."

Rae: "You miss it, don't you?"
Tony: "Lots."
Rae: "Isn't there anything you can do to get the full use of your hand back?"

IX. Um...the Other Dr. Quartermaine (4/14)

Rae: "Ok. Um--maybe you can help me. I'm looking for dr. Quartermaine."
Amy: "She's right there."
Monica: "Something tells me I'm the wrong Dr. Quartermaine."

Monica: "What is your interest in my husband? Medical problem?"
Rae: "No. Actually, it's personal."
Monica: "Why doesn't that surprise me?"
Rae: "Monica, come on. You know I came to town to find a book. Actually, a bible with some old family papers in it."
Monica: "Well, first you came to town looking for Sonny Corinthos. So now it's a bible."
Rae: "They're connected, believe me. And the bible may be among some books that were donated to this hospital."
Monica: "Well, my husband is chief of staff and he runs the hospital, not a lost-and-found."
Rae: "Just for the record, I didn't ask Alan for help. He volunteered it. And I am going to take him up on his offer whether you have a problem with that or not."
Monica: "Just for the record, I do."

Rae: "You know, I should probably tell you Monica and I had a little run-in earlier."
Alan: "Are you ok?"
Rae: "Yeah, not a mark on me. She's very territorial when it comes to you."
Alan: "Well, she has a remarkable sixth sense. She always knows when I have feelings for another woman. And I probably didn't help myself at all because the moment I saw you, I started to feel guilty."
Rae: "Why don't you just tell her? It was over so long ago."
Alan: "Honesty is not necessarily the best policy in our marriage. You see, we've had more than our share of infidelities, and we fought it out and we made up. It's gone on for years."
Rae: "Well, you've stuck it out, so you must love each other."
Alan: "Yeah, very much. It's certainly not a conventional marriage."
Rae: "Well, take it from a relationship counselor--you're doing just fine."
Alan: "It's wonderful to see you again."
Rae: "I was thinking the same thing."
Alan: "So many great memories."
Rae: "I know."
Alan: "I hope you find those family records. And the sooner the better."
Rae: "Trying to get me out of town?"
Alan: "Yes. And I think you understand."
Rae: "I do. Works for me, too."

Now, this stuff was quite fun. It felt like the early 80s, with Amy carefully watching all that was going on (and passing it along, I'm sure), Monica jealous over Alan and some other woman, etc. I love that she and Rae both talk at each other with smiles plastered on their faces. Too fun. The ramifications of Alan's possible affair passed quickly, and thought I might have liked Alan and Monica to have more of a story, more of a bump in the road, over this (to keep them from talking always about their children), I was also glad to have some familiar scenes without a full-out divorce or something of the kind. I enjoyed these scenes, and I enjoyed Rae, finally. But most of us still resented ABC's plan of attack:

Arda: "OK, so I'll state the unpopular opinion this time. I wouldn't say I like Rae, but she hasn't bothered me at all so far. I think the plan is for her to be in Port Charles for a little while and that aspect bothers me a bit. I don't know that we need the distraction, if that's all it's going to be. But if she'll make sense and fit in with the other characters, I don't think I'll mind her. I've never seen Linda Dano act before, so I had no opinion whatsoever until the day she showed up on GH. So far, so good. I find her more interesting than Juan or Chloe or Hannah."

Amy: "Linda Dano is fine, and much less annoying on GH so far than she has been in other venues. I don't mind her, and so far I don't mind Rae. But I totally resent the ABC decision to put her here. Though I will give the writers credit for not having her say exactly the same exposition every time she's on the screen--and for putting Tony Jones on screen!--the scenes she's in are a detour in the general dynamic of the show. Ya, ya, ya, we could see that 'stay away from Sonny' stuff coming a mile away. At least we didn't have them taking the chance to give her the expository scoop on the full Sonny and Carly story (thank you writers)."

"So Rae hasn't been a horror to watch, but why should I care, if the end of her story is going to come over on OLTL, and I haven't seen her story up 'til now? It's just some lady come to town to find a desk and wearing big bracelets."

Back to Front Page of Issue

Back to Top