I’m back! And damn — Alexis had a good week while I was gone. I mean, sure, she nearly died. And now two of her kids have been poisoned. And the whole town is going off the rails and her ex-boyfriend is to blame. Fine. Whatever.
But she got hot kissage from Shawn! And then she was reunited with her one true BFF!
(Jax! Alexis! I have so many feels about seeing you together! Why are you still so perfect? It’s not too late to run off and get married again and live happily ever after! JUST SO YOU KNOW.)
But the really big thing was she got to confront Jerry and beg for her everyone’s lives, and despite all the reasons why I shouldn’t want Jerry anywhere near her, both Nancy Lee Grahn and Sebastian Roche pretty much made my screen melt with the chemistry:
JERRY: Do you hate me?
ALEXIS: What answer will get my daughters the antidote?
JERRY: A truthful one. Did you ever feel anything for me at all?
ALEXIS: Yes. I thought you were damaged but salvageable. I didn’t know that there was nothing inside and that there was no humanity to salvage.
JERRY: But you enjoyed my company.
ALEXIS: Stop it–
JERRY: I enjoyed yours too.
ALEXIS: Tell me what you want. Tell me what you want and I will get it!
Wow. That was, um… yes. I’ll just be in my bunk.
Jerry’s been written all over the map in the past, but this time they are really selling me on his sincere feelings for Alexis. And for the first time, her feelings for him aren’t being played as a pathetic weakness or humiliation. I love how in control of herself she was in that conversation — desperate, yes, but not hyperventilating or hysterical.
(I love her. That is all.)
Okay, I lied, that’s not all. Have one more Alexis/Jax picture, because they are my very favorites:
LOVE!
But let’s talk about the real news: Ewen’s secret past with the Jacks family and Jerry’s ransom demand all revolve around the effing Dead Man’s Hand!
(For the record, the original Dead Man’s Hand story was a ridiculous clusterfuck I missed a lot of because the show was so egregiously terrible during that time, I couldn’t even watch it. But using that bit of history now and making it work? Could be awesome and I’m intrigued see where it goes.)
Meanwhile, we still don’t know who’s pulling Jerry’s strings, but, well… I’ll Jerry remind us:
JAX: You stole the cards?
JERRY: Oh, not by myself. AJ Quartermaine helped.
YOU DON’T SAY. I’m always suspicious when the names of long-gone characters pop up for no reason. It’s true AJ was involved in the original Dead Man’s Hand story, but is that detail really important right now? Or is there some other reason to bring it up? (Oh please, oh please, oh please let there be a reason…)
Of course, AJ wasn’t the only former PC resident getting a name check recently — Molly mentioned Ric’s gone full on dead beat and she’d like to go find him, which also makes me wonder. WHAT ARE YOU UP TO, RC?
In other news, Luke finally told Anna the truth about Ethan and Robert, and she reacted by pretty much saying everything I’ve wanted someone to say since this stupid story began:
ANNA: So what happens when he finds out he’s not his son? That’s going to be like losing another child. What’s to stop him jumping off a bridge then?
GOOD QUESTION, ANNA. This is the reason this plan has never made any sense to me. Well, this and the fact that if Robert needed a reason to live, HOW ABOUT WE TRY EMMA?
Argh, but anyway. I love that Anna got to be angry not just on her own behalf but on Robert’s because this lie was really a terrible thing to do to him, and I’m so glad the show is acknowledging that.
Because, hey! Why call your kids when you think you’re dying if you could call the asshole who cheated on you repeatedly and is currently off with another woman instead? But then, clearly, Tracy’s taste and judgment when it comes to men is more than suspect:
TRACY: The last two out of three times I was in the same room with you, I succumbed. You know what? It’s you. It’s you — I bet women are in the habit of throwing themselves at your feet.
Judging by the whitewash currently underway, I’m now half-expecting to learn that Joe Jr. never raped Connie after all. But since for all the audience knows at this point, that did still actually happen, the inappropriateness and grossness of dialog like this is kind of mind-boggling. Knock it off, show.
Despair in the Afternoon 
I’m looking for returns in every name drop, too, Tenillypo, and darned if my heart didn’t skip a beat. Now who do I have to sleep with for a Ned reference? And while we’re at it, who do I have to sleep with for no rape retcon retcon and the swift demise of Joe Jr.?
If I knew, I would tell you… Who do I have to sleep with for a Ned visit? Or a Dillon recast, since B&B is never giving Scott Clifton back, sadly.
I like Tracy and Joe Jr. Let’s face it, GH is full of rapists on the show (Luke, Joe Jr., Todd, and Johnny). Tracy had no problems bedding Luke and allowing the man to treat her like horse dung under his shoes for the last eight years, while we really don’t know whether Kate/Connie is telling her version of the truth about Joe Jr., or she simply left a baby in a drawer and took off for college. Tracy is no innocent virgin and has done a lot of crazy crap over the years, including withholding Edward’s heart medication. At least Joe Jr. hasn’t tried to steal Tracy’s money or family valuables. Besides, RC is showing us that the over fifty to sixty crowd are just as sexy as those under thirty!
Sorry, this was lost in the spam folder for some reason…
I’m not going to begrudge anyone their enjoyment of Tracy and Joe, but the argument “this show’s full of rapists!” isn’t really a winning endorsement for me, you know? And Todd and Luke — for all their faults — are at least now genuinely repentant of their crimes. Johnny… is an ass. And I’ve lost all respect for him as a result.
I just want Tracy to be sexy with a man who treats her right AND doesn’t sneer at rape/abuse victims. I mean, is that really too much to ask?
Shiny.
Man, I didn’t even notice the ickiness of Joe Jr’s dialogue cause I was just too busy being icked out by him in general. I really hope they don’t take back the rape, not only because that is gross in general but the last thing Kate’s backstory needs is yet another twist.
Oh, more for the “NLG is awesome” pile:
Someone tweeted this to her:
“Clint’s [Eastwood] a legend regardless of his views. Ur just irrelevant and the best days at GH are when you’re not on.”
And she replied:
“Did Guza send u?”
I love her. So, so much.
Agreed. I really do not want them to take back the rape for a variety of reasons, but if they keep trying to do this grey hat thing with him it’s going to swiftly get to the point where they really have to. Basically, they’ve written a situation now that’s gross if they do and gross if they don’t. DO NOT WANT.
Well, if soap history is any guide, they don’t have to retcon the rape to rehabilitate Joe, Jr. He has to admit it, apologize, take full responsibility, and never, ever use air quotes when referencing it. Personally, I don’t think the character is nearly compelling enough to be worth it, but if they keep him around, I hope they address it without re-retconning the retcon. It could be done. It would be easier to re-retcon the murder of John’s sister, and it would matter far less.
You’re right that it’s been done before, but those tended to be cases where we saw the process of getting over it, saw the guilt and had time to process the change of heart. The problem I have with Joe is it’s already been 20 years and they’ve gone out of their way to show that he is STILL a pig when it comes to women — his sudden feelings for Tracy aside. I’d have issues enough accepting another reformed rapist as a quasi-leading man (because, really? how many of those does one show need?) but to accept Joe as reformed at all would mean overlooking the fact that he’s shown zero conflict or guilt over denying he raped Kate to her face and basically calling her a crazy slut liar. If he did actually do it and we’re meant to think he’s now sorry? I can’t. It would also mean overlooking his attitude toward Kristina’s abuse, which was less than enlightened. Basically, I have no benefit of the doubt left to give him.
Oh you know how I feel about the ALEXIS LOVIN’!!! Yeah, yippee kaiyeah, and please awhole lot more of it!!
NLG was awesome. She rocked it with Roche, and yes, did not in any fashion appear foolish or hysterical. She conveyed passion, as a MOTHER who was frantic for her children, yet she maintained control of the situation and the conversation (hard to do with Jerry) as she bartered about his demands.
Even when she stated that she would sleep with him, something about the way she said it was so…Intense? Powerful? I need more adjectives. Just well acted all around. I mean she didn’t whimper, or whine, or bemoan her fate in agreeing to do WHATEVER needed to be done to save her children. Jerry’s response back to her however seemed like he was almost saddened that she agreed so readily (I found that interesting..they BOTH played this so well). I’m gushing. I copy your sentiment. I love her. That is all!
Sorry that isn’t all. Alittle more gushing. Yes, LOVED the Jax love as well. Their friendship has always remained a highlight for me. Her parting words for him to “stick around for a long time” seemed ad libbed. DID NLG throw that in there? She has the gumption to do that…just another reason I love her.
And the SHAWN kiss. I WAS CHEERING. Now mind you, I thought it was the wrong time for it. I mean Pandemic, dying folks abound, and she’s a bit frantic right now running back and forth from the police station to the hospital and back again but still….its ALEXIS LOVING!!! so I’ll allow it.
All the name dropping!!! I love that too! It is getting me excited and keeping me interested. I haven’t searched the net for spoilers and scoops about GH like this in almost 2 years. I am hype. I’m looking for AJ (eeww I would so love Sean Kanan to return now that Steve Burton is leaving) Alan, Emily, Dillon, Lucy Coe (and I didn’t even watch regularly when she was on), and RIC (loved RIC especially with Alexis!).
Speaking of which, I’m not buying Ric being a dead beat dad either. But if it will get him back on my screen then I’ll take it.
P.S. I hated the dead man’s hand story, I thought it was a hot mess of confusion. But I’d like to see how they tie it all in.
Ahaha… well, I actually hate Ric and would be happy to never see him again. But I agree it’s out of character for him to abandon Molly and her talking about wanting to go look for him makes me wonder if she and TJ might run away on a mission to find out what happened to him. Could be fun.
Would LOVE to see Sean Kanan’s AJ resurrected. Would love to see a recast Emily written as less of a limp dishrag. Lucy Coe is pure love and would fit very well with RC’s writing style, I think. Also – Serena Baldwin!
OKAY I went and searched long and hard to find this post. LOOK Tenillypo WE CALLED IT and it has been happened! SK returning as AJ! AND I also said I missed DIANE and lo and behold, Carolyn Hennessy returns.
Sooooooo, do you think Carlivati is reading your blog???!!! ..LOL… We can always hope.
I am positively giddy over imagining that I am wielding some sort of power over the Soap GODS. haaaaaaa.. Okay, my next wish, re-recast Kristina.
Oh, Lord. If I thought anything I write here had any power over the show, my posts would be full of a lot more specific wishes. (Sizzle! Recast Dillon! LUCY COE!) But yes, I’m super pleased those AJ references were apparently foreshadowing after all.