Well, it’s official: Sean Kanan’s leaving. To say I’m disappointed would be something of an understatement, but there have been rumors for months, so it’s not exactly a shock.
Rather than rail about all the wasted months languishing off screen in jail or arguing with Tracy about relish (when they should OBVIOUSLY have been making relish together on the assembly line!) or — most importantly — not having hot sex with Elizabeth every night, I’m going to focus on the one part of AJ’s story that I’ve consistently enjoyed:
MICHAEL: I promise if you wake up now, all you have to do is listen. So I can tell you how much I love you. You hear me, dad? You’re my father and I love you. Just please come back.
Every time Michael clutches AJ’s hand and promises to get the bastard who shot him, I swear my heart grows three sizes. And not just because watching Sonny squirm is the most fun the character’s been in years. But even if AJ’s return was ultimately disappointing, at least we’ll always have the satisfaction of Michael finally learning the full truth about all three of his parents, right? Because that is still pretty much priceless for me.
And maybe it won’t be much comfort if Monica ends up losing her only remaining (unfrozen) child, but if Michael screams BETRAAAAAYAL! and knocks over some barware when he finds out Sonny shot his dad, my life will be pretty much complete.
Meanwhile, TJ’s mom is in town, continuing the grand tradition of actresses that are all of nine years older than their “sons.” This resulted in one of the most hilariously out of touch with reality conversations this side of Sonny proclaiming himself a superior father to the man he just shot in a rage fit after promising his son he wouldn’t:
JORDAN: I have to keep my son safe. And that is why he’s coming home with me.
SHAWN: He’s going to be safer with you — after what you did? Than the life you lived? I haven’t forgotten the reason why you sent TJ to me in the first place. Oh no, sweetheart. It’s a lot worse than my job is for Sonny.
Um, Shawn? YOU ARE A HIT MAN. Granted, you are a terrible one, but still. YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION IS LITERALLY “KILL PEOPLE FOR MONEY.” So unless TJ’s mom ran a business punching nuns, clubbing baby seals, and drowning kittens for fun, I really don’t see how anything she’s done could be worse for a kid to be around than you.
(Also, “sweetheart”? Really? You shot this woman’s husband and you’re going to start throwing condescending attitude at her?) (You’re the worst.)
Despair in the Afternoon 
what bothers me the most is that sonny’s going to get off yet again about what he did to AJ..
proud of yourself, I bet sonny, aren’t you…
now you’ll again be the only father in his life….
you know what, at least AJ admitted that he had problems, when will you.
susan
I so agree, they ould have done so muh with AJ and tray.
sorry but a ertain letter on my omputer doesn’t work….
SHAWN: He’s going to be safer with you — after what you did? Than the life you lived? I haven’t forgotten the reason why you sent TJ to me in the first place. Oh no, sweetheart. It’s a lot worse than my job is for Sonny.
Um, Shawn? YOU ARE A HIT MAN. Granted, you are a terrible one, but still. YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION IS LITERALLY “KILL PEOPLE FOR MONEY.” So unless TJ’s mom ran a business punching nuns, clubbing baby seals, and drowning kittens for fun, I really don’t see how anything she’s done could be worse for a kid to be around than you.
I didnt’ see that part…
yup….
sonny and shawn the fathers of all time aren’t they….
Ahh, the self-righteous attitude of mobsters. It’s something in the Port Charles water (and something I’d hoped this team would be rid of).
Yeah, I thought AJ’s return would be more, they seemed to set him up for big things, then what happened? Oh well, Sean Kanan was a joy to watch and Michael really matured into a strong character during his tenure. Is Jason coming back? I can’t get exicted if he is, because I feel like the show was freer without him, not as much blatant propping and more characters given a chance.
My hope is that AJ wakes up, says: I didn’t kill Connie, Ava did. Peace out, Port Charles. And goes off into the sunset slipping on some shades.
Two Thumbs “way” up!
My prediction: AJ stays in a coma, but after Ava makes another attempt to kill him, Monica spirits him away again for treatment someplace secret.
I’m so disappointed. They completely screwed up AJ’s return. So much potential wasted. He should have come back as a darker and funnier “Jax”. I can’t believe they brought him back from the dead only to kill him off again. And they’re not going to bring him back from the dead again. He was one of my favorite. I love the relationship AJ and Michael had. I wish AJ would have remained sober. I wish he would have had a great love story. I wish he would have had a child he’d raise from the start. I wish he’d had success at ELQ. It’s going to be hard to watch Monica lose another child. It’s going to be too hard to watch Michael mourn his dad.
I can’t stomach GH anymore. Best of luck to Sean Kanan. I’ll enjoy watching B&B.
Ahh, the self-righteous attitude of mobsters. It’s something in the Port Charles water (and something I’d hoped this team would be rid of).
they kept on saying it…but I would say to people..nope, don’t believe them….
instead of getting rid of them, what do they give us…..3 times as muh…..
and then some..
susan
. I wish AJ would have remained sober. I wish he would have had a great love story. I wish he would have had a child he’d raise from the start. I wish he’d had success at ELQ. It’s going to be hard to watch Monica lose another child. It’s going to be too hard to watch Michael mourn his dad.
I can’t stomach GH anymore. Best of luck to Sean Kanan. I’ll enjoy watching B&B.
yeah too bad that no one cared to write for AJ….just st sonny and all that…
susan
makes me want to give up the show all together, I won’t…but……..if I miss large chunks of the show now..i really don’t are…..anymore
Here’s how I know they mucked this up…I had never even watched GH when AJ was on until this return. He was just michael’s only-mentioned-by-Monica-bio-dad as far as I knew. LOVED SK as AJ, LOVED the idea that Liz might end up w Jason’s supposedly evil brother, LOVED the scenes between him and Tracy, LOVED LOVED LOVED how AJ made that whole Carly/Sonny as parents thing look as dumb as they are, LOVED that Michael really got some nuance to the character, LOVED the scenes w AJ and Michael. Didn’t pretty much everyone know from the get that “AJ” in blood was Ava Jerome? And didn’t we all think Ben was Dante and LuLu’s before he was born? Just wrap that shizz up already and let Michael change his name to Alan Jr JUNIOR. That needs to come out now.
One more thing: so much for AJ’s redemption story…
Here’s the thing — and if you’ve never seen AJ before this return, it might not be obvious — success and happiness for AJ have always been a bit like Charlie Brown with the football. He’s was the perpetual screw up/whipping boy even in the 90s. But before he “died” the last time, he graduated to outright villain — stalking his own wife, kidnapping and emotionally traumatizing small children, shooting his father, attacking his sister, etc. And then they revealed in a terrible retcon that he’d tried to murder Jason after the accident. It was just… awful. Complete and total character destruction.
So to me, no matter how it fizzled in execution at the end, this definitely WAS a redemption story, and miles better that where the character was left off before. AJ drinking again and being his own worst enemy is pretty vintage AJ. That’s always going to be his struggle. But the fact that he finally got to build an actual relationship with Michael? The fact that if he dies now, more people than his mother will legitimately mourn for him? Those are both HUGE.
Exactly. Slow clapping your post. And AJ doesn’t have to be brought back from the dead, because he isn’t dead. That’s an improvement right there. I don’t think AJ is dying again ever.
I watched AJ before, and I don’t disagree with your post. AJ is an alcoholic insecure screwup. All he wanted was to be part of Michael’s life. The loving relationship he had with Michael in the past year was wonderful and a huge improvement to Guza’s crap. But I wanted more. Many of us see more to AJ than the perpetual loser the writers only seem to see about AJ. I wanted more for AJ this time.
Hah, sorry. I meant that comment for the person above you, actually.
I definitely wanted more for him, too. And I think if SK wasn’t leaving, we would have seen him get cleared of the murder charges, obviously, and hopefully get his drinking back under control. I’m bummed we won’t get that chance now. But it is what it is, I guess.
tenillypo, you have to write about the Carly’s!
Oops, Carlys. Darn autocorrect.