Dear Readers, we are gearing up to have a riveting February Sweeps week. Some secrets have already been exposed, others are about to come to light, and new plots are being hatched.
I have been watching soaps for decades now, and I really love playing Soap Sleuth and trying to figure out where the writers are going. I came up with a new theory after watching Friday's GH, and I want to drop it on you.
Nina discovered this week that Nelle was her daughter and that Jax and Carly knew and kept it from her. She's livid. On Friday, she picked up the phone to call Phyllis, her former nurse and friend, to share the news that she discovered that Nelle was her daughter. But the voice that answered the phone sounded very familiar. That's where the scene ended, but in my head, here's where it's going: (A prediction.)
Nina will realize that "Mike" is, in fact, Sonny with amnesia, and she will keep it from Carly just like Carly kept Nelle from her. Nina will watch Carly hold a memorial for Sonny, weep and grieve for Sonny -- and not say a word. Maybe she will even get close to "Mike." Perhaps she will even sleep with him. Nina's revenge on Carly will be justified in her mind because of the secret Carly asked Jax to keep about Nelle. Meanwhile, I predict Nina will demand visitation with Wiley, or maybe even partial custody. I am not sure what level of angry and crazy the writers intend for Nina.
I hope Valentin partners up with her in these schemes. I want the two of them to reunite in their obsessive, crazy, codependent crazy love for one another. I like watching it.
Mind you, all of this is merely conjecture. These are not spoilers. These are my soapy fantasies of how this could all play out.
Also, I know that you will say that Nelle's body was found and that she was buried. But in my very humble soapy opinion, that doesn't mean she's actually dead. I saw Robert and Anna blow up on a boat decades ago. Still, here they are, wandering around Port Charles, present-day, totally fine. Soaps can rewrite history when it suits them, and in this instance, I will forgive them if they do.
Cynthia Watros and Chloe Lanier have palpable chemistry together. Nina was incredibly open and sympathetic to Nelle. She desired to give her the benefit of the doubt. Nelle was vulnerable around Nina and shared her genuine hopes and dreams for the future. Villains can be redeemed. Seemingly evil people can have life-changing experiences that make them better. Is that possible for Nelle? I mentioned this on Twitter and got mixed reactions. Some people were angry that I even said it, while others wholeheartedly agreed that it was the only thing that made sense. Why else make Nelle be Nina's daughter if she's not coming back? That would be a waste of a powerful story arc.
If Nelle does come back, she will probably try to wrestle away custody of Wiley from Willow and Michael. (And hopefully, change his name back to Jonah.) Nelle will be furious with Nina for not supporting her in court. I doubt that Nelle will be initially receptive to Nina's maternal overtures. Nelle will probably tearfully tell the police that Carly pushed her off the cliff. But for the sake of her child, and as Nina wears her down, I believe Nelle will soften. I believe Nelle is redeemable.
I love a good redemption story. I know it's possible. I have witnessed it in real life. You probably have, too. Someone whose life was on the road to ruin found a way to reinvent themselves and start fresh and make a better life. I want that for Nelle because I want Chloe Lanier back on-screen. We love to hate her villainous Nelle so much because she's an amazing actress.
I admit I had a hard time when the role of Nina was recast because I think Michelle Stafford is incomparable. She has this light in her that makes me unable to take my eyes off her in any scene she is in. I find her a very compelling actress and a kind human being off-screen, as well. I openly adore her. I hated losing her from GH, and recasts are always jarring, no matter who the actor is. (Notable exception, when Laura Wright took over as Carly from that one chick that played Carly for about a month, I was never so happy for a recast in my life and accepted Laura as Carly IMMEDIATELY.)
But, I also loved Cynthia Watros before her turn on GH. I was a fan of Lost, and she was Libby, and she loved my Hurley, so that makes her perfect. She has made Nina her own, and while her portrayal is different from Michelle's, Nina is still a character I root for and care about.
Ms. Watros posted that some people are saying hurtful things about her, and I wanted to talk about this. Mind you, I know that I am also guilty over the years of not being crazy about a recast here or there, so consider this my mea culpa for adding to the problem.
Can you imagine if you had a job where you replaced an employee who quit, and all the customers at the business hated you because you weren't the last person? Here you are, happy about your new job, excited for the opportunity, ready to run with the chance you have been given. The first customer comes in the door and says, "Why did they hire YOU? Shirley was must prettier/thinner/funnier/etc." That's awful, right? We have to stop.
I am passionate about GH. I have been watching for 40 years. I admittedly have strong opinions about which couples I like, which storylines I like, and my level of respect and awe of various actors on- and off-screen. For instance, the character of Alexis is a hot mess right now. Still, I would love to spend a whole day with her portrayer, Nancy Lee Grahn, because she's so outspoken and fiery and funny.
If Nancy decided to quit and do Hallmark movies, as seems to be the rage for former soap stars, it would be challenging to accept an Alexis recast. Not only because NLG is perfect, but because recasts erase decades of memories and flashbacks. But even if I had a hard time embracing a new actor in a role, it doesn't give me license to bash and berate another human being on social media. If you preferred Michelle Stafford as Nina, I get it. I adore her. But she chose to leave, and GH decided Cynthia Watros could fill the role, and she is beautiful and talented. She doesn't deserve to be attacked just for...not being Michelle.
One of the hardest recasts ever was when GH replaced tall, blonde Sean Kanaan as A.J. with short, brunette Billy Warlock. Not that Billy was a bad actor or a bad A.J., but the fact that they didn't even look a little bit alike was an adjustment for my brain. But when I think about classic A.J. scenes from the past, Billy Warlock on a meat hook in the freezer springs to mind. Yeah, I know I got off on a tangent. Back to this week...
I don't want Finn to be Chase's dad. I know it's heading that way. I know that's the probable outcome, but I am on team Jackie. Just leave it alone. I can understand Finn wanting to see the truth, but ugh. My own family had such a secret, and when it came out, it was devastating to the people who had been lied to their entire lives. Those people and those relationships never recovered. Of course, this is TV, so it will all work itself out eventually.
Think for a minute about the potential drama at the upcoming double wedding. Everyone has a secret. Anna has secrets she is keeping about Peter. Finn has secrets he is saving about Chase. Peter has secrets he is holding about a host of crimes past and present. Maxie is secretly having doubts about her feelings. She is considering the words of all the people warning her about her fiancé. What could possibly go wrong? Everything.
I know we are traveling down the path of Franco hearing Drew's voice in his head. However, it would be so much more satisfying to me if Billy Miller showed up as Drew, memories intact, and took Peter down himself. And then reclaimed Sam and Scout as his own, since she's dumped Jason, anyway -- and Drew and Sam were delightful together.
On the other hand, I don't hate the Sam and Dante idea, either. Sam has been incredibly supportive of Dante, and this week, she dropped by when he was putting his pants on, which can be soap code for "prelude to sex."
First, there will be playdates with all the kids while Sam and Dante sit on the sofa and drink wine. Then, an unexpected kiss, then, if Dante is as virile as Sonny, Sam will have the third kid from a third dad.
Readers, two of my favorite comic relief characters on GH are Liesel Obrecht and Scott Baldwin. Having the two of them cohabitating is a dream. When Scott was repeating Liesl's German phrases this week, I was cackling. Please let them be roommates forever.
But Anna is onto the fact that Obrecht is at large, possibly in Port Charles, and out for revenge on Peter. I enjoyed the sheer look of terror in Peter's eyes when Valentin mentioned this fact to him.
It's time for Peter to die. I don't care who kills him, just as long as someone finally does. My husband, who pretends not to watch GH, walked in while I was typing that line and said, "It's time for Peter to die? WOW, TAMMY." Too far? Maybe. But I'm over him. Who will end him? Maybe Jason. Maybe Liesl. Maybe Anna. Maybe Franco as Drew. I don't care. Just be gone.
At first, I thought Peter was trying to be a better man, but he could not achieve that lofty goal. He has been skulking around Port Charles, lying to everyone about everything for months. The contrast between the gentle person Peter pretends to be with Maxie and the dark and sinister man making threatening phone calls as she is out of earshot is too much. My last straw was Friday when he was growling angrily at Nathan's grave because he's so intimidated by his dead half-brother's memory. Just go away, Peter. Maxie and her new baby will have plenty of support. I want Maxie to fall for someone perfect. I still miss Nathan. I watched Ryan Paevey's Hallmark movies this year with great glee, just to see his face.
The couple that brought me the most joy this week was Nikolas and Ava. I loved that Laura offered her blessing and support, I loved that Nikolas dropped to one knee to propose, and I love that Ava said yes with such joy in her eyes. I am still waiting for Spencer to come to town and offer his two cents. I wonder how tall Nicholas J Bechtel is at this point. He's 15 now, so not a little kid anymore. A surly teenage Spencer sounds like a perfect foil for the newlyweds to have to contend with to keep the story interesting. Spencer is a grudge holder, so even if Nikolas has forgiven Ava and fallen for her doesn't mean Spencer will be as forgiving. I know they have to work around COVID and other possible reasons why GH hasn't brought him back already. Still, it seems to me that a kid would want to see his believed-to-be-dead father, if only on a Zoom call from his boarding school. It's troubling that we have never gotten that father/son reunion scene I have been waiting for.
Jax is in the doghouse with Nina for keeping a secret, and I don't think she will forgive him anytime soon. Even though Carly slapped Valentin for suggesting she'd sleep with Jax in her grief, since he's her backup, I think he's right. Carly is reeling with grief over losing Sonny. Jax was soundly dumped by Nina; I can easily see Carly and Jax turning to one another for comfort. And then Sonny will get his memory back and walk in on Carly with his archenemy. And run to Nina, who befriended him while he was Mike! See how I brought it back around!
What will happen, dear readers? Will Michael keep finding reasons why Willow has to live in the Q gatehouse? Will Martin use his Florence phone in front of Cyrus to taunt him? Will Alexis pay Valentin back for the bail money, or just give him all of her hidden booze? Will Jackie take a trip to Vermont to find her pal Bobbie caring for Florence? Will Scotty and Obrecht bond over their shared crime? Will a mob war erupt at Sonny's memorial? Will "Mike's" pasta sauce make it onto the menu at the Tan-O? Will Chase have to start calling Finn "Pops"? Will someone please take Cyrus down so I can see Epiphany ruling the hospital again?
Only tomorrow knows, dear readers, and I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows.
Tamilu
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