Paula's Soapbox

So obviously I haven't posted a blog about GH in a while, for a number of reasons, but mostly because I was afraid my head might explode if I started ranting about everything that is wrong with this show right now. I could go on and on about the horrible Robin exit storyline and how this character has all but been destroyed by it, but I won't. I could scream and yell and pitch a fit about how useless almost every new character on this show is and how we're overdue for a serial killer, natural disaster, or mob war to wipe out some of the dead weight, but I won't. No, I'm not going to get into all of that right now, but I do want to talk about the incredible ickiness of Molly and TJ's almost escapade. As if seeing TJ with a backpack full of essentials for his big night wasn't creepy enough, then there's the image of Molly, in a nightie. Let's forget for a moment that they look like they're about 12, which they were four years ago, but what was with...

Even though I don't agree with the way Dante went about telling everyone that Michael killed Claudia, I can sort of understand his reasons for doing it. After all no one has ever really taught Michael the concept of taking responsibility for his actions. Moreover, the guilt over killing Claudia has been making Michael act out in such self-destructive ways that a life in the mob seemed inevitable. And if Carly and Sonny were really honest with themselves they would realize that Michael has been wanting to confess for months, not just to protect Sonny, but because of all the guilt. On the other hand I can understand Carly, Sonny, and Jason's impulse to cover up what happened to Claudia because Michael had already lost a year of his life and was still dealing with the repercussions of that when he killed her. And if they had gone to the police at that time it is reasonable to assume that because Michael is Sonny's son someone would have taken the opportunity to make an example...

When General Hospital began telling a story about teenage domestic violence I was hopeful that it would have the capacity to educate and warn teenagers about the nature of abusive relationships. I had hoped this storyline would encourage them to respect themselves and empower them to seek help should they ever find themselves the victim of abuse. My hopes were high because I genuinely believed GH wanted to shine a light on a subject that is so rarely talked about. The PSA's that aired after every episode where Kristina was abused only seemed to confirm this belief. However a few weeks ago it became clear that this was not a story of education and empowerment, despite evidence to the contrary. In the beginning this storyline showed so much promise that is difficult to fathom how it could go so horribly wrong in such a short amount of time. I'm not quite sure what happened but once Ethan became a factor everything just sort of unraveled. And somewhere along the way I think the s...

Well, it was another successful karaoke night at Jake's on Wednesday's General Hospital. And it provided a much needed break from all the intensity that Franco has brought to the show the past few weeks. I am pleased to see that GH seems to be making this a regular event. I do not really mind the darker moments on this soap because quite frankly that is where most of the interesting storylines come from, but it is nice to have balance and the karaoke episodes do a good job of maintaining that balance without making the show boring. I especially like the way these episodes tend to highlight and accentuate some of the back-burner storylines and romances, like Max and Diane's reunion or Alexis's budding romance with Mac. And let's not forget about Spinelli's unforgettable rendition of "I Want to Know What Love Is" when he was attempting to woo his fair Maximista with courtly love. After all it was Spinelli's courtly love phase that seemed to kick-star...

Thursday's General Hospital began in true, classic soap form, beginning with an old-fashioned cat fight between Olivia and Claudia. The so-called "cat fight" used to be a soap staple, but for some reason is rarely ever seen these days. If there was ever a need to bring one back, Claudia and Olivia's ongoing feud certainly called for one. Unfortunately before Olivia could get too many hits in, the police busted through the hotel room and promptly arrested her for assault, or attempted murder, depending on whether they believed Claudia's claims. Nevertheless, Mac quickly let Olivia go, while Claudia finished getting ready for her birthday party, unaware that it might be her last. Meanwhile, Jason replayed the CD implicating Claudia in Michael's shooting, so that Sonny could hear it again. Afterwards Sonny became eerily calm, so much so that it was difficult to tell whether he was in denial or plotting revenge. Jason assumed that he was in denial, or worse, that ...

On Tuesday's General Hospital Carly went into premature labor after eating a bag of fries from Jake's, so Coleman and Johnny had to drive her to the hospital. Meanwhile Jax was talking to Olivia about Dante's reassignment orders. Obviously Olivia was relieved at the prospect of Dante leaving town and getting away from Sonny, but Jax was more than a little disappointed. He even argued with Olivia about how important it was for Dante to continue his undercover work and gather evidence against Sonny, as if Olivia had any control over that. Once Jax realized that there was no point in arguing with Olivia he took matters into his own hands and contacted a senator in an apparent attempt to keep Dante on the job. This just makes me that much happier that Carly is finally having her baby. Now maybe she will start to see Jax for who he really is and kick him to the curb. Then that will leave Jax free to date the only other person in town who is more hypocritical and self-righteous t...

On Thursday's General Hospital Sam took Kristina to the clinic to get birth control pills. I won't even attempt to count how many things are wrong with that sentence. However, I do want to point out how disconcerting it was to hear Kristina drop hint after hint that Kiefer was pressuring her into having sex and Sam only telling her that she should wait until she is ready. Kristina already had the birth control in hand so obviously she is planning on doing this whether she is ready or not. Sam should have made a point to tell Kristina that if Kiefer was the right one for her he would not be pressuring her into doing something she was not ready to do. Moreover Sam should not be the one having this conversation with Kristina in the first place, Alexis should. Of course it is kind of difficult to be a mom to your own kids when you are busy trying to play mom to someone else's. While Sam and Kristina were at the clinic, Alexis found Michael on the waterfront and took the opportu...

On Monday's General Hospital Sam talked to Kristina about the importance of taking responsibility for her actions, while Jason tried to convince Michael to come home, telling him that he had proof he did not cause Claudia's accident. Ultimately Sam's conversation with Kristina was successful, but it took Kristina to convince Michael to come home. Meanwhile in Port Charles, Claudia overheard Sonny and Alexis discussing their plans to cover-up the fact that Kristina was the one who ran her off the road. Claudia became furious, but hid her feelings from everyone except Johnny. She even managed to maintain her composure when Sonny told her that he and Alexis did not want Kristina to accept blame for the accident, proving once again that Claudia is more like her father than she realizes. Sonny made another pivotal decision that same night when he decided to appoint Dominic, aka Dante, as a bodyguard for Michael and Morgan, primarily as a way of ensuring that Michael's impuls...

The more I follow the storyline of Claudia's car accident the more I am convinced that none of the key players were responsible for that crash. I am positive it is not Michael and I am hoping that it is not Kristina, even though all the evidence seems to point to her. I would rather this character not be as involved in this particular storyline as she is. I think that GH should have stayed on course with her having an abusive boyfriend because you cannot address an issue as serious as this by just dabbling in it then brushing it aside. It is something that needs to be examined in a responsible way by shedding some light on the subtleties of abuse. Still, I do not believe that Kristina was the one who ran Claudia off the road, nor do I believe it was Alexis. The pieces of evidence are fitting together too neatly for it to be any of the primary suspects. Jerry would be an obvious choice, but I do not even think he is responsible for this particular accident. In much the same way that...