Old Habits: GH

Spinelli should be grateful that Maxie did not want to marry him because obviously it does not take much to turn her head. Granted she and Franco have great chemistry. And of course General Hospital could not have a movie star join the show without giving him a "love" interest, but Franco made Maxie look like a foolish young girl. In fact as the days pass I think Maxie will find that she has a lot to be embarrassed about. Not only did it take very little for her to cheat on Spinelli, but she essentially slept with Franco on a dare, all the while convincing herself that she was in control of the situation. However, Franco was the only one that really got anything out of their encounter. He was able to use someone close to Jason for his perverse mind games and get that same person to basically insist on sleeping with him, all without ever having to agree to do the Crimson shoot.

From the moment Maxie met Franco it was obvious that she was attracted to him and did not trust herself to be alone with him. And even though she didn't try very hard to resist him, his misogynistic attitude seemed to melt away any resolve she might have had. Most women would consider misogyny an unattractive quality, but then again Maxie isn't most women. With great insight and minimal effort, Franco was able to bring out vintage Maxie, the Maxie that saw any opportunity to self-destruct and took it. And whatever else Franco might be, I think he is an observer of human nature, pointing out and exploiting weaknesses, emotional or otherwise. He certainly found Maxie's Achilles' heel and was able to use that to his advantage. And I suspect he may be trying to use this same talent to expose Jason's.

Mirror Image: GH

Franco's highly anticipated art exhibit was unveiled on Monday's General Hospital, provoking a spectrum of reactions from observers. Luke assumed Franco was nothing more than a fraud, peddling shock in exchange for money, while Dante couldn't take his eyes off of the presumably fake crime scene photos hanging on the wall. At one point he noted their familiarity which makes me think that they were recreations of actual crime scene photos. One photo in particular showed a body positioned in the same way Franco arranged Joey Limbo's body. Taking this into account it would seem that either Franco is manipulating crime scenes in order to send some sort of message or he is manipulating current crime scenes to look like previous ones. And while this can be nothing more than an educated guess until more information is revealed, one can be certain that Franco is fixated on Jason. Even his brief conversation with Sonny did not seem to hold as much value as the mere possibility of meeting Jason. He even referred to Jason as an artist and essentially forced Maxie into arranging a meeting with him. When Jason refused, Franco appeared to become agitated and escorted Maxie out of the exhibit as he waved to Jason just as eerily as he had following the shoot-out. The similarities were not lost on Jason as he insisted that Spinelli show him side-by-side footage of Franco and the so-called homeless witness from earlier that night. Meanwhile, Franco blindfolded Maxie and took her back to his studio where he somehow talked her into laying on the floor while he photographed her. The floor, of course, was arranged to look like a crime scene with Maxie laying inside a chalk outline. And to her side was what appeared to be an axe handle, a clear reference to Claudia's murder.

Earlier, at the art exhibit, Franco made an assessment about art and the meaning behind it when he referred to it as a mirror. And while this is certainly an accurate description, considering the highly interpretive nature of art in general, I think Franco may have been specifically commenting about his own art. I am not sure why or even how, but I think Franco may be trying to mirror Jason's crimes in his artwork. At the very least he seems to be trying to send Jason messages through his particular style of artwork, which will inevitably cause Jason to reflect on his own behavior. Another possibility is that Franco is simply making a statement about Jason's ability to manipulate crime scenes by making evidence disappear. If this is true it would imply that Franco's fascination with Jason is personal, a theory that holds many possibilities even as this storyline unfolds.

Out of the Shadows: GH

James Franco may not have known a lot about soap operas when he decided to take part in one, but judging from today's General Hospital it almost seems surprising that this is new territory for him. Granted, he was only in a few scenes, in fact one of them was replayed from yesterday's episode, but he seems to possess an understated mysteriousness that is so befitting of soaps. I believe this quality will be especially beneficial to him on a show like GH where the characters are so complex that most of the time it is difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys. And while viewers still know very little about the character Franco, it appears, at least for now, that he is the latter.

Throughout today's ambush Franco watched nearby with a kind of childlike wonderment, as if he were getting some sort of satisfaction out of all the violence and longed to be a part of it. At one point he even appeared to be mimicking everyone's moves like he was studying some sort of artistic craft. And once the shoot-out ended, Franco stepped out of the shadows and waved to Jason's passing car in an obvious attempt to be seen by him. He then came across an injured Joey Limbo, where he literally became a part of the violence when he coldly crushed his windpipe with his shoe, then repositioned his body. And later on when Jason asked Spinelli to locate footage from security cameras in the area, Franco was seen waving to one of them.

James Franco scenes[no copyright infringement intended]

At this point it is clear that Franco's fascination with violence doesn't end with his artwork. In fact this fascination appears to be more of an obsession, as indicated by his need to take part in violent situations. It would also seem that Franco wants to be noticed but not caught, operating in a phantom-like manner, yet hiding in plain sight. This is exemplified in his efforts to manipulate today's crime scene, then allowing himself to be seen by Jason and on camera. His upcoming art show depicting violence and crime, in addition to the picture he sent to Jason, also appear to be a part of this same type of manipulation. In fact one could argue that Franco's obsession with violence is based on a misguided attempt to be like Jason. Perhaps he has even been collecting those newspaper clippings of Jason's arrests in an effort to study his behavior. If this is true this would mean that his artwork is really nothing more than a twisted homage to Jason's lifestyle. Then again even this scenario seems too simplistic for this already complicated character. I feel it will be quite a while before much is known about the enigmatic Franco. And in the end more questions than answers may remain.

Previews[no copyright infringement intended]

Loose Lips: GH

I knew that it was only a matter of time before Lulu crossed the line and revealed Dante's secret. For weeks she has talked about his undercover assignment in the most inappropriate places as if she were hoping the wrong person would find out about it. And today someone finally overheard her. She told Dante that she had warned Johnny against trusting him, a statement that quickly provoked an argument. It was during this argument that Lulu blurted out everything Dante has worked so hard to keep hidden, including the fact that he is Olivia's son. Johnny, who had secretly overheard this argument, went to Olivia's where he confronted her about what he had heard. I have to say as annoyed as I am by Lulu, in fact I am dangerously close to hoping that Dante finds someone else, Olivia hasn't exactly been a walk in the park either. And today I was reminded of how ridiculous it has been for her to be so worried about Dante's safety when she has the power to ensure it. Months ago she gave Johnny the same warning that Lulu did today, to be cautious around Dominic. And today she told Johnny that Dominic had given her the picture of Claudia's lifeless body on the cabin floor. She even confided that Dominic thought Johnny might have taken the picture himself, an accusation she seemed to believe had merit. It seems to me that if she actually believed that Johnny was capable of doing something like that then the worst thing she could do is give him a reason to exact revenge on Dominic, or Dante as it were. Moreover, it is a waste of time for her to worry about Sonny killing Dante if she is going to give other members of his organization the incentive to do the same.

Elsewhere in Port Charles, Elizabeth continues to allow Lucky to make plans for their future, all the while fantasizing about Nikolas. Today that fantasy turned back into a reality after Nikolas broke up with Rebecca and showed up at Elizabeth's door. In fact things had already become quite intense between the two when Lucky arrived. Fortunately for Liz and Nikolas, Lucky is polite enough to knock before entering his fiancée's home, which will undoubtedly give Nikolas enough time to hide and Elizabeth time to find her shirt. After this incident I have to wonder why Liz bothered asking Lucky if he would mind using money from the sell of the house Jason bought her if she was just going to roll around on the floor of that same house with Nikolas an hour later. Furthermore, if Elizabeth does intend to sell the house Jason bought her it seems like she would need to give the money to him instead of spending it on building a house with another man. Granted, he did buy her that house in part because of Jake and would obviously not have a problem with her selling it to help give him a good life. However, one would think she would feel the need to at least tell him that she wanted to sell it. Then again her mind has been on a lot of other things lately.

Masterful Illusions: GH

For about a week General Hospital fans have undoubtedly played the minute-long James Franco promo over and over again, trying to gain some insight into his contribution to the show. Included in this promo was an image of Claudia's body inside a chalk outline, with her head surrounded by a pool of blood. Upon seeing this image, speculation immediately began that perhaps the mysterious, and aptly named, Franco had retrieved Claudia's body from the ground in order to snap pictures of it. Today, viewers saw a close-up of her body within this chalk outline, but as it turned out this wasn't Claudia at all. Instead this body was revealed to be a model dressed as Claudia who was presumably allowing herself to be photographed by Franco. Obviously these pictures will be sent to Jason as part of some sinister plot, even as he tries to figure out who sent the picture of Claudia wrapped in tarp. To be honest, I find the real mystery to be how someone could move quickly enough to take a picture of Claudia the night of her murder without anyone seeing him. It seems incredibly convenient that this individual, likely Franco, would just happen to be nearby, with a camera, where he could capture criminal activity. This seems even more improbable when one considers that this individual obviously has some sort of agenda in regards to Jason. Then again this picture of Claudia is likely nothing more than a re-creation designed by Franco to mirror her murder scene. Of course he would have still had to have been at the cabin the night of the murder, which makes me think that he has probably been following Jason around for months, perhaps even attending Claudia's party unnoticed. This would certainly explain how he just happened to find his way to the cabin that night. As for the picture that was sent to Jason, Sonny has ordered Dante to find out who took it. Of course Dante may have to find this information fairly quickly, considering that Lulu still seems intent on revealing his true identity. Fortunately for Dante, Sonny doesn't pick up on vague, pseudo-hypothetical scenarios easily. I just hope that Lulu doesn't decide to go to another one of her mob buddies with Dante's secret, or a year from now viewers could be looking at another Claudia situation.

Claudia's Body Double[no copyright infringement intended]

Tough Decisions: GH

It has been fascinating to watch Jason question his lifestyle after seeing the way Michael has glamorized it since Claudia's death. Perhaps for the first time ever Jason has been forced to confront what he does for a living and is finding out what a profound affect his choices have had on those around him. It is ironic, although not surprising, that this sudden realization happened because of one of Carly's kids instead of his own. And while it would have been nice to see Jason make the decision to steer clear of mob violence for the sake of his son, I think it took Michael essentially holding up a mirror for him to see the full impact of this violence. Obviously if it weren't for Michael's personality shift Jason would not be questioning his duties as Sonny's enforcer at all. His decision to assume less violent duties within the organization actually has more to do with setting the right example for Michael, than regretting his own life choices. Regardless of whether Jason has gained insight into his own life through Michael actions, he seems to be the only adult willing to make any sort of sacrifice to save Michael. And while one would not immediately classify Jason's career move as a sacrifice, he is, in fact, risking his life because this could potentially be seen as a sign of weakness by rival organizations.

I must say that I found Carly's reaction to Jason's decision quite puzzling. She acted as though this somehow meant that Jason wouldn't be able to do as much for her kids once his duties changed. His violent lifestyle had nothing to do with how he helped her after Michael was born. He helped her in spite of that, not because of it. And while she certainly made a valid point when she stated that Michael would always be surrounded by violence whether Jason was a part of it or not, it should be noted that at least Jason is trying to help Michael. The same cannot be said for anyone else in his life. Out of everyone that is supposedly concerned about Michael's behavior, Jason is the only person willing to take any kind of action, whether it turns out to be effective or not. Sonny, in all of his stubborn naiveté, believes that he can will Michael to stay out of the mob, even while teaching him the inner workings of the organization. And Carly's life has been so consumed by Sonny and Jason for so long that she cannot see that her kids are growing up in an atypical environment that undoubtedly shapes their perspective on violence.

Risky Behavior: GH

While I am glad that Jason was able to convince Sonny to allow Michael to live with Carly and Jax, it may be too little too late. I am not sure if anything short of going to jail will cause a profound change in Michael's attitude and behavior. Obviously living with Sonny wasn't a good idea, despite Sonny's claims that he was helping Michael deal with everything that happened. I must have missed that episode because the only thing I have seen Sonny do is pat Michael on the back for a job well done. On the other hand I am not sure if Carly can do anything to help Michael either. As Sonny pointed out, even if they confess everything to the police, Michael will be a target of Anthony Zacchara. And as much as I hate to admit it Sonny is probably right. However, it is clear that Michael needs some sort of intervention because quite frankly this kid scares me a little. And I don't think he would hesitate to kill again should the opportunity arise.

Meanwhile, Sonny's other son, Dante, continues to try to build a case against him, which cannot be easy with Lulu's constant interference. I am not sure how many more times I can endure her calling Dante officer or mention the fact that Sonny is her father's oldest friend. And she always manages to do this at the most inappropriate places, like at Kelly's, in front of Mike, or outside Sonny's office. She may as well take out an ad in the newspaper announcing that Dante is a cop and call it a day. Honestly I can't decide who I find more annoying at the moment, Lulu, or Elizabeth, who accepted Lucky's proposal out of spite when Nikolas interrupted it. I hope it doesn't take long for Lucky to realize what Elizabeth has been doing behind his back because it is becoming too painful to watch him constantly making excuses for her behavior, particularly when it is so obvious that she and Nikolas deserve each other.

Beneath the Surface: GH

It seems I was wrong about Kiefer. Apparently he does scare easily, so easily in fact that he took out his fear on Kristina by backhanding her across the face. Call me crazy but if Kiefer really wanted to avoid retaliation from the mob he would stop abusing the mob boss's daughter. Of course that would imply that Kiefer is actually capable of rational thought, which he clearly is not. Aside from the fact that he repeatedly threatens both Kristina and Michael, Kiefer never seemed to make the connection today that Michael, not Kristina, was responsible for the visit from Max and Milo. Obviously Kristina will forgive Kiefer for this "misunderstanding", and not just because of the dynamics involved in abusive relationships, but because Kiefer called her the same thing Sonny called Claudia the night she was killed. And while viewers will undoubtedly note distinct differences between Sonny and Kiefer, Kristina will likely come to the conclusion that if it was acceptable for Sonny to speak to Claudia that way, then Kiefer is no exception. And as difficult as it is to see a teenage girl being abused by her boyfriend, if this storyline helps shed enough light on this issue that teenagers learn to avoid and escape these types of relationships then it will have served its purpose.

Elsewhere in Port Charles, Carly and Jax continue to move forward with their apparent separation. In fact they both seem to have come to the conclusion that their marriage is over. Carly explained to Morgan that Jax would not be around for a while. She even told Jax's mother that she had asked him to leave. Of course none of that compares to the preparations that Jax is attempting to make, seeking Alexis's counsel in obtaining full custody of Jocelyn should his marriage end. I am just glad that Carly caught on to this when Alexis visited her about working through her problems with Jax. If Jax hasn't already given Carly enough reasons to want to end her marriage, the mere fact that he is already making plans to take the baby away from her should. In fact if I were in Carly's position I would be tempted to tell Jax that the baby was Sonny's and be done with it. Surely there is someone in Port Charles that can fake a paternity test.

Speaking of women who try to fake their child's paternity, the scene between Liz, Nikolas and Lucky, where Nikolas was shot, was nothing more than Liz's imagination on overdrive. And just in case viewers weren't fooled by that scene yesterday, it was re-played today to include Nikolas laying on the floor bleeding while Liz wept over his body. Normally I don't mind these classic soap teasers, but I have to say that this one annoyed me. It just seemed like the show was going overboard to try to shock viewers with this teaser, especially today. And if there is one thing I cannot stand is drama that exists for the sole purpose of shocking viewers, see Y&R. And even though I realize that this imaginary scenario is going to inevitably provide Liz with the excuse she needs to keep her affair a secret, the fact that Lucky and Nikolas are brothers should have been the only excuse she needed.

Blink of an Eye: GH

I think that Spinelli may have given Jason the nickname Stone Cold a little too hastily because clearly that title belongs to Michael. I knew that killing Claudia would have a profound impact on Michael, I just never expected it to affect him in the way that it has. In a few short days he has gone from being a nice kid with a tendency to act impulsively, to a somewhat scarier version of Sonny. In fact Jason should follow his instincts and tell the police the truth if he wants Michael to have even the slightest chance at a normal life. And he should probably do that sooner rather than later, considering that Michael has already given Max and Milo their first assignment. Granted, someone needs to warn Kiefer to stay away from Kristina, but he doesn't seem like the type of guy who scares easily. If he was, he wouldn't be making a career out of tormenting the mob boss's kids. Aside from that, I was surprised at how quickly Max and Milo agreed to harass a teenager, particularly when those orders came from someone who doesn't sign their paychecks. One would think that they would at least talk to Sonny before accepting an assignment from one of his kids. Then again, they did just help cover up a murder that Michael committed so maybe they are too scared to question him.

The Fallout: GH

As satisfying as it was to see Carly finally confront Jax about keeping the truth from her in order to protect Jerry, I actually found myself agreeing with Jax. And believe me no one is more shocked by that statement than I am, but it is true, for once Jax acted as the voice of reason. If Carly does not want Michael to follow in Sonny's footsteps then she should not have encouraged covering up Claudia's murder. I thought the whole reason Carly made Sonny sign over custody was to prevent his lifestyle from affecting their kids, yet she is allowing Michael to actually learn from him. And as Jax pointed out, Michael will likely encounter long-term psychological issues as a result of what he did, especially if he doesn't receive proper help. He was also correct in his assessment of the cover-up itself in that the truth will eventually come out anyway. In fact the truth already seems to be coming out. Aside from the fact that the entire town already suspects that Sonny or Jason murdered Claudia, Johnny has decided to try to find proof, and Dante has volunteered to help him. This alliance will undoubtedly cause trouble for Sonny considering that Dante has already been working to build a case against him and Maxie told Johnny about seeing a bloody hand print on Sonny's shirt. So at some point Sonny may be forced to accept the blame for Claudia's murder in order to protect Michael. On the other hand Jason may be the one who has to take the blame for her murder, considering that someone apparently saw him standing over her body and took pictures of it. Then of course there is the possibility that they will both be implicated in her murder, leaving Michael with yet another burden to carry.

Down to This: GH

In watching General Hospital sometimes it is easy to forget the kind of life that Sonny and Jason lead, and how that life permeates the existence of the children in their inner circle. However, if the amount of violence that surrounds them was ever in question, Wednesday's episode left little room for doubt. To say that I have mixed emotions about this episode is an understatement. And this comes as quite a shock considering that I knew beforehand what was going to happen. I was just unaware of many of the specifics and the overall tone that the show would adopt.

Claudia's death and the moments leading up to it were quite simply tragic. There really isn't a more accurate description than this. It was, without a doubt, a tragedy no matter how you look at it. Claudia helped deliver Carly's baby even though she could have just as easily made her way out of the country, avoiding retribution from Sonny or Jason. And in these moments it was easy to recognize the good in Claudia, the part of her that had suffered the loss of her own child and was still having difficulty coping with that loss. That struggle was even evident once Carly's baby was delivered and Claudia made it clear that she had every intention of keeping her. I even wondered for a moment if Claudia had snapped, mistaking Carly's baby for her own. Instead, Claudia made it clear that she knew what she was doing and felt justified in doing it after having lost so much. Still, it was easy to feel sorry for Claudia because there was a sense that she was acting out of grief rather than malice. Of course one can never be certain because this proved to be Claudia's final act of selfishness.

When Claudia began wrapping Carly's baby up in preparation to take it with her, Carly protested, but was apparently in too much pain to get off of the couch to actually stop her. I have to say I found this a little ridiculous. Carly survived a car wreck, while in labor, then made her way to a cabin, where she built a fire and lit candles, but the actual labor rendered her helpless to stop Claudia from kidnapping her daughter. Fortunately for Carly, Michael showed up just as Claudia was walking out the door. Somehow Michael had found Claudia's abandoned car and figured out where Carly was. And apparently when he arrived at the cabin he heard Carly screaming, so he picked up an axe that was conveniently located outside the cabin door and hit Claudia with it as she was leaving, baby in hand. This killed Claudia on impact, causing her lifeless body to come crashing to the floor. Moments later Sam and Jason arrived to find Michael nearly in shock as he stood over Claudia and his baby sister. Jason then picked up the presumably unscathed baby and handed her to Carly. At that point everyone seemed to forget about the fact that Michael had just killed Claudia, even though he was clearly disturbed by what he had done. The only thing Carly could think about was Michael meeting his baby sister, even though he literally had Claudia's blood on his hands. And Jason and Sam immediately went to work on covering up what had just happened. This whole scene seemed sort of strange to me, the way that everyone brushed off Claudia's death as if Michael had just broken a vase or something. And I really do not understand why they felt the need to cover up what Michael had done. Claudia had kidnapped Carly and when Michael found them he heard Carly screaming, then caught Claudia trying to kidnap his sister so he hit her with the only weapon he had in order to stop her. If Diane cannot win a case defending Michael for that, then she needs to find a different profession. On the other hand Carly, Sam, and Jason's behavior speaks volumes about the kind of life they are used to and how their first instinct will always be to cover up anything that they have done.

I am not sure how I feel about the fact that Michael was the one who killed Claudia. After everything that he has been through this almost seems like too much for him to handle and will most likely affect him the rest of his life. However, there is a certain poetic justice in Michael being the one to exact revenge on Claudia, considering that she caused his shooting. And one cannot ignore the strangeness involved in Michael killing "old Carly" to save "new Carly". So from a creative standpoint this was actually quite fitting. I just wish everyone had taken a moment to talk to Michael, instead of focusing on what they were going to do to cover everything up. In fact they were not very successful in their attempts to do this. Jason called Sonny, Max, and Milo to come to the cabin. Sonny drove Michael home, while Max, Milo, and Jason buried Claudia. Then Jason ordered Max and Milo to burn the cabin to the ground, on a rainy night. I agree with Max in that everyone is likely to find it suspicious that Claudia just disappeared while the cabin she and Carly were in caught fire in the middle of a downpour. Of course Jason ignored Max's warnings because he just wanted the job finished.

Meanwhile Sonny and Michael had arrived home, unaware that Maxie was nearby, having been ordered to check on something at Kate's house. It was then that Maxie saw Michael's bloodied hand print on Sonny's shirt. This will no doubt play a part in the investigation that will surely follow Claudia's disappearance. I am sure that Maxie will mention what she saw to Spinelli, who will then, after being counseled by Jason, tell her to forget what she saw. And of course Maxie being the person she is, will be unable to forget and will likely make matters worse for herself and the Corinthos organization.

Elsewhere at the Zacchara mansion, Johnny arrived with paramedics to free Lulu, and get her out of the cold water. He arrived just in time because the water had reached the top of her neck and the cold temperature was causing hypothermia to set in. Unfortunately in Lulu's delirious state she repeatedly called Dante officer, after Dante had acknowledged that he was, in fact, an undercover cop. It seems to me that in all the time Lulu was trapped in the rising water, Dante could have at least tried to free her while Johnny went to get help, but instead he just sat there in the water with her and talked. Furthermore, I cannot understand why no one at GH thought to get Lulu out of her wet clothes. I realize that the birth of baby girl Jax was a big event, to say the least, but it seems like someone at that hospital would have been able to provide Lulu with a change of clothes.

Tragic Ending: The Tale of Claudia Zacchara (GH)

From the moment Claudia Zacchara arrived in Port Charles she was an enigma, a mystery. No one knew exactly what she was after or just how far she would go to get it. She was the character that you hated to love and loved to hate. From viewers, she commanded a range of emotions from empathy to disgust and then back again, often within the same scene. This set her apart from typical soap villains, making her a tragic figure of sorts, which of course makes her death seem all the more tragic.

Claudia's death left many questions unanswered. One could always assume that her actions were the direct, and in some cases, the indirect result of her upbringing, even though this was never fully addressed. Growing up she wasn't just surrounded by violence, but appeared to be the target of it on many occasions, often the result of her own father's actions. In many ways this made her an ideal partner for Sonny, capable of understanding the emptiness that comes with feeling unloved. And it is kind of a shame that this relationship was never explored outside the shadow of Michael's shooting.

Aside from Claudia's relationship with Sonny, I have often felt that this character had many more stories left to tell, which is why I had hoped for a less final ending for her. For instance, when Claudia first arrived in Port Charles it was stated that this character would always be wearing one red item, the significance of which would be revealed as the character unfolded. Unfortunately no explanation was ever offered for Claudia accentuating her wardrobe with this color, even though I noticed her wearing it on number of occasions.

Another avenue left unexplored was the relationship Claudia had with her father. I always felt that her reasons for resenting him went much deeper than the fact that she felt unloved and unwanted. There just always seemed to be some dark family secret there that was never disclosed, although certainly implied. And ultimately I thought that this was all a part of what made Claudia so complex and helped explain some of the behavior that was so reprehensible. In a way though it seems kind of fitting that no one ever truly knew who Claudia was, as is the case with many tragic figures. She was introduced to viewers as someone with a mystifying quality, a trait she retains even in death.

In Peril: GH

Carly and her baby may have survived the car crash, but the danger is far from over as Claudia continues to pose a threat. Of course that threat may have been greatly reduced if the PCPD bothered to search for the two women, or at least let somebody else search. I never realized that Mac had the ability or the resources to put the entire town on lockdown. He had Jason cuffed to a table in the interrogation room/makeshift jail cell to keep him from killing Claudia, like Sonny doesn't have other employees or the ability to kill Claudia himself. Moreover, as Alexis pointed out, Mac arrested Jason on the presumption that he was about to commit a crime. If that were legal, Mac should have most of Port Charles behind bars! And as if Mac didn't have enough things to control, he assumed the role of Jax's babysitter by not letting him fly his helicopter in the rain. Since when do the local police get involved in controlling the airways?

At least Carly had Spinelli, Dante, Lulu, Sam, and Johnny working to save her even if they made little progress in actually locating her. After Spinelli was able to track down two cars matching the description of the rental car, Dante and Lulu came to the conclusion that Carly and Claudia might be inside the Zacharra mansion. Instead, they found Johnny there, who had reached the same conclusion. Lulu then made the decision to rescue Carly on her own, without a gun or even a flashlight, just sheer determination. This, of course, proved to be a costly error in judgement as Lulu apparently fell through a floor board and landed in a pool of water. This will undoubtedly keep any of them from finding Carly, and will certainly prevent Johnny from protecting Claudia, as rescuing Lulu will become the first priority.