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Social Drinking
Jax encourages Alexis to get help.
Alexis’ continued drinking is starting to get a bit scary. She went to a dive bar with Jax and decided to stay behind and have a few more drinks. Tom wandered into the bar and bought her a drink. Luckily for Alexis, the mention of Franco’s name scared him off. I’m glad GH didn’t go there.
When Alexis woke up the next morning in a seedy motel room, she didn’t remember what had happened at first. She had gone to the motel to sleep it off and passed out with the shower running, flooding the bathroom and probably the room below. Jax found her and expressed his concern for her self-destructive behavior. Unfortunately, she threatened to tell that he had bought Joss’ kidney on the blackmarket, something he had confided in her earlier, if he tried to stage an intervention.
Alexis’ alcoholism story seems to have some mixed reviews but it has my attention. I hope that Alexis gets help soon and that her battle with the bottle has a lasting impact. Even though a lot of Alexis’ story has been really dark this year, I’ve enjoyed watching Grahn sink her teeth into the material. I hope we get more Alexis and Jax (he needs to stay!) along with the Davis girls and hopefully a light at the end of the tunnel.
#IfYouWroteGH
I asked fans online what stories they would write for their favorite characters if they were GH’s head writers. I want to thank everyone who participated. It was a lot of fun and there were some great ideas. I got a lot responses so I’m not able to share them all but here is a sampling:
Sam having breast cancer and how it affects a helpless Jason. Bring in Monica, Alexis, Carly and Spin. See the entire journey, finding the lump, removing it, the affects of chemo, smoking weed that Alexis gets for her like she did bring it full circle, having to face the fact that Jason may not find her sexy and talking about it with Carly, Maxie, and Monica.-@Soccermom1714
An Anna story about the years she had amnesia, specifically that she was pregnant when the tanker blew up and Faison took it. – @sly0071
Liz, assisted by Franco, goes to Cassadine Island to find out what happened to her son. Laura marries Kevin and
takes over Crimson. -@Kimb5050Blake
For Ava, totally an epic adventure on the quest to find Nik after that call. Scott tags along because he’s her bestie and that’s what besties do. Along the way we learn more about Ava and this mysterious thing called her back story (I’m so salty about this). In the end, they don’t find Nikolas but instead they find each other and the mutual love they share. When they get home, they go to the Corinthos house to rightfully claim Avery. -@fyeahavajerome
Alexis gives in and works with Valentin to take what’s theirs. Sam joins in as the Cassabastards take out their enemies: Julian (or whoever caused him to ruin their marriage), Franco, and whomever Valentin decides. Helena returns…. Civil war. -@SudsyMeliora
Dante becomes a male stripper to make money. Ava catches him and blackmails him for sex. He ends up having feelings for her and Lulu. -@RachelCatalina1
Friz declare their love for each other, solve mystery of Jake time on Cassadine island and open an art centre for kids. -@kadz222
Julian escapes, goes home in time to save Alexis and Kristina from fake Julian and gets shot in process. Sonny finally calls off feud. -@LSterbuck
I’ve been waiting to find out more about Helena’s will and Jake on Cassadine Island since last March. I’d like to see that play out. -@megan22441
The HOSPITAL! Kiki’s at the Metro Court when she should be in the nursing program. TJ’s supposed to be in residency? Where is Lucas?! -@jillpole
Liz gets an art show at Ava’s gallery and it’s a major hit! Laura and Lucy reopen Face of Deception and pick Kiki as their new model. -@kellwoohoo
I’d develop Quartermaine family by learning Valerie’s dad was a Ward. She is from PA and already has a sibling vibe with Dillon. -@GHFAN224
Griffin teams up with Ava to take down Valentin. Sinners and saints. -@TheMojoMissy
Ava once again becomes a force in the art world and with some help from Franco gets involved in breaking up a forgery ring. -@DogznCatz
The women of Port Charles team up to save the men of Port Charles from Heather and Helena. -@NakedWeaver
Couples of the week: Franco and Liz, Alexis and Jax, Anna and Griffin, Carly and Jax, Diane and Curtis
Video of the week: Franco and Liz hug
Pride and Prejudice
For look at what’s ahead, check out our General Hospital Spoilers.
Another fine column, Jenn! I do enjoy reading your take on GH each week with your fair and thoughtful perspectives on this show which we love but which also can frustrate us.
I especially connected to your question “Where have all the good men gone?” I related as well to your comments about the untimely interruption in Franco and Liz’s romance with the Tom story. Like you, I think the acting in this story is excellent and that, once again, our GH cast is showing us that they can save lesser or difficult stories. One my biggest issues with the current writing is not that we have dark stories, but that GH is full of so many of these in both tone and content. I enjoy some measure of these in-depth visits to darkness, loss, sadness, revenge, conspiracies, evil and villainous acts – BUT I also want more light and more heroes to balance this darkness.
I want those white knights of which you speak. I want the uninterrupted flow of the sweet parts of a love story without the interjection of darkness so soon.
The type of light we need is following through on the lovely build with the portrait scene in which Liz wanted to paint Franco for her class. Let there be some sustained joy and light before turning to the dark side. Our GH writing team seems to be overly-focused on capturing attention with extreme actions and negative conflicts without first building the positives which sustain us and our characters through these extremes. Michael and Sabrina are a good example of this kind of damaging interrupted writing; and, for a while, I wondered if Kiki and Dillon’s sweet budding romance would meet the same fate. They do seem, however, to be righting themselves and I hope that positive direction continues.
Now, with Franco and Liz, I don’t think they will sustain long term damage because of this timing of the diversion into Tom’s story – even if fan enjoyment has been derailed for now. In the considerable imbalance on GH with the writing for couples and characters, Franco and Liz are on the plus side as being among those who receive ample screen time to hit story beats and to develop both character and couple POV. These on the minus side receive much less screen time and attention to detail and, are, therefore, less able to withstand sometimes unfortunate timing. So, with Franco and Liz, I predict that they will come out of this stronger and that there might also be positive growth in the sisterly relationship between Liz and Hayden.
Thank you for the section #IfYouWroteGH. Reading through these suggestion, I noted the generally positive tone – some references to stories for stronger women … some improvements in character development and integration … some family-based stories … some examples offering retribution … some filling in of past mysteries or dropped stories … some plausible intrigue and adventure that doesn’t involve brutal murders and emotional abuse. Perhaps our writers need to be paying more attention to such suggestions. Just a “suggestion.”
Thank Goodness Jax goes home Monday …can’t handle someone who pretends to be so perfect while covering for Jerry…
Carly just burned all her credits with me…forgot the grief and just jumped The ever boring Jax.
GH does a fantastic job of making you root for thr bad guys ….at least they don’t pretend…