Paula's Soapbox

Ever since Kristina witnessed Sonny's verbal attack on Claudia at the Metro Court, I have wondered how, if at all, this incident would impact her thoughts on abuse. With Kristina now learning so much more about the complexities of abuse it seems only natural that she would find similarities in the way Sonny is with women and the way Kiefer was with her. Granted, Sonny is not likely to ever hit a woman. He is careful not to cross that line after seeing the way his mother was beaten while he was growing up. His upbringing obviously left him with the impression that abuse only exists in the physical form. Perhaps the physical pain he and his mother endured was so bad that any other forms of abuse went unnoticed. Kiefer didn't start hitting Kristina right away, and I doubt if Deke hit Sonny's mother right away either. Like most abusive situations, there was undoubtedly some mental and emotional abuse that occurred throughout, only Sonny was either too young or ill-equipped to r...

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...

In previous posts I have given a lot of praise to General Hospital for their decision to tell a story about a teenager involved in an abusive relationship because I believe that teenagers and parents alike need to know that this happens and what can be done to prevent it. I also believe that when a show decides to take on this subject matter they need to be careful about the unintentional messages they are sending in their efforts to tell a story. For the most part General Hospital has been able to tell a story of an abused teenager both accurately and sensitively, showing both the mental and physical elements that make up abusive relationships. And I continue to applaud the show for ending every episode that features Kristina being abused by her boyfriend with helpful information for the viewers. However, this storyline took an irresponsible detour on Friday and I am not referring to Kiefer's escalated act of abuse. Although that was difficult to watch it was realistic, and a cert...

Like many General Hospital fans, I watch the show everyday in a blissful state of denial, never acknowledging the fact that Sonny and Jason are criminals. I find it easy to denounce Mac when he is urging Maxie to stay away from Spinelli, and I cheer for Diane whenever she keeps someone from the Corinthos organization from going to prison. However, as I watched the events of the week unfold, knowing that they were inevitably going to lead to Dante's shooting, my rose-colored glasses came off and I quickly snapped back to reality. I found myself repulsed watching Jason standing in the church during Josslyn's christening, knowing that he had just signed Dante's death certificate without giving it a second thought. I was even repulsed by Spinelli, whose detective work set everything into motion. Moreover, I was sickened by his cavalier attitude regarding Dante's imminent demise, and the fact that he never showed an ounce of remorse or regret until Maxie told him that Lulu h...

Ever since Michael killed Claudia his behavior has been reprehensible and I have often wondered if this was the result of guilt or if he was simply using Claudia's murder as an opportunity to be more like Sonny. My suspicion was that after Michael killed Claudia he immediately felt out of touch with the rest of society so he gravitated toward the only life he thought he could possibly fit in, the life his father built. And while I think there will always be a part of Michael that idolizes Sonny, killing Claudia meant crossing a line that, for Michael, seemed to cement his fate into a life of crime. I think that Michael always assumed he would follow in Sonny's footsteps at some point, given the fact that almost every male role model he has ever had has been connected to the mob in one way or another. And theoretically I think he always believed he could handle this lifestyle, even convincing himself and those around him, upon killing Claudia, that this is what he wanted. Howeve...

It has been a year of look-alikes on General Hospital, from Sarah Joy Brown (ex-Carly) finishing her run as Claudia, to Natalia Livingston (ex-Emily) being cast as Rebecca. There was even an episode that featured Luke and Ethan look-alikes in the form of Link and Evan, replacements hired by Tracy who she jokingly referred to as re-casts. With all these doubles, one might assume that General Hospital would avoid doppelgangers for a while, but one would be wrong. Obviously the show could not let the year slip by without the inclusion of yet another counterpart, and Rebecca's exit provided the perfect opportunity for that. It is not that I dislike the way Rebecca was written off the show, in fact I think bringing Chad Brannon (ex-Zander) back was an excellent way to facilitate this exit. However, I think this would have been a bit more entertaining and would have seemed more clever if Brannon wasn't the third actor in recent history to return to the show as a different character. ...

As I watched Wednesday's General Hospital it occurred to me that the only person Michael should be living with is Jason. Michael's behavior has been out of control for a while now and Jason seems to be the only one who knows how to grab his attention for even a second. And even though Carly has finally decided to do the right thing and tell the truth about what happened to Claudia, it isn't going to accomplish much unless she can get through to Michael. With his remorseless attitude, no one is going to believe that Claudia's murder was justifiable homicide. Of course in order for Carly to be able to get through to Michael, she is going to have to stop letting him get away with everything. After all that is one reason his behavior continues to get worse. I am constantly astounded by how much freedom Michael is allowed to have despite his actions. And every time he leaves the house following an argument about why he should be allowed to join the mob at 16, I am shocked th...

When Jason received the photo of Maxie laying inside the chalk outline, I expected that he would have an immediate reaction to the axe handle and basket that were in the photo. Instead, neither he or Sam seemed to notice them or their significance. In fact Jason's only reasons for thinking that this picture was somehow linked to the picture of "Claudia" seemed to all be based on the fact that he received both pictures within a short period of time. Never mind the fact that both of them contained elements from Claudia's murder scene. Franco may want to reconsider sending messages through his artwork because apparently symbolism, even in its most obvious form, is completely lost on Jason. These are scenes from when Jason received each photo. The axe handle and basket are clearly visible in both. Pause the first video at 1:33, and the second at :20 to compare the two simultaneously. "Claudia's" photo [no copyright infringement intended] Maxie's photo [n...

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 ...

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 ...

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 Son...

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 ...

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 Claud...

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,...

Never let it be said that Sonny Corinthos doesn't know how to throw a party. Moments after Claudia's birthday party got underway, Sonny made the announcement that Claudia was the one responsible for Michael's shooting. And as shocking as this was to hear, it doesn't compare to how shocked I was by Sonny's sudden perceptiveness. For someone who has been so utterly clueless for so long, Sonny certainly gained a lot of clarity in just a few short moments. Perhaps he had a little of whatever Lulu had a few days ago when she figured out that Dante is a cop. Honestly I don't care what it was that caused Sonny to finally see things so clearly, I am just glad that he was able to expose Jax in the process, and that Carly was around to hear it. It was about time she found out that Jax knew about Jerry's involvement in Michael's shooting, I just never expected Sonny to be the one to finally give her this information. Then again I never expected that Sonny would fig...

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 ...

It would appear that time is running out for Claudia, as the truth about her involvement in Michael's shooting finally comes to the surface. Unfortunately the one person who may be able to save her has been kidnapped by rival mobster, Joey Limbo, on orders from Anthony Zacchara. Anthony instructed Joey to lock Johnny away in a safe location so that Joey could go after Sonny and Jason without Johnny getting caught in the crossfire. Johnny almost managed to escape, but was quickly forced back into captivity, effectively preventing him from warning Claudia that her life was in danger. Meanwhile, an oblivious Claudia was preoccupied with the birthday party Sonny decided to throw her. Of course she managed to make a little time to threaten Olivia, convinced that she knew were Johnny was. Claudia even made plans to tell Sonny about Dante at the party, but something tells me that she may not get that chance. On the other hand, Sonny didn't appear to have much of a reaction to hearing ...

On Friday's General Hospital Jason finally found the proof he had been looking for, that Claudia was indeed responsible for Michael's shooting. After it was discovered that an audio CD of a phone conversation between Devlin and Claudia contained too little information, Jason and Sam returned to GH to search for more clues. Upon arriving, they learned from Epiphany that the hospital was cleaning out the lost and found bin, which is of course, where the proof was hiding all along. I have to say this was the last place I thought Jason would find the CD that finally implicated Devlin, Jerry, and Claudia. This just seems too convenient, especially considering how long it has been since Michael's shooting. And the timing is too perfect too, the fact that Jason and Sam would just happen to be around when Epiphany told Robin and Patrick to check the lost and found for belongings. Considering that this storyline has been so lengthy it seems like a waste to rush its resolution. It is...

On Wednesday's General Hospital, Sonny and Claudia arrived in Puerto Rico as part of a "power move" to maintain lucrative business arrangements in spite of Anthony's takeover attempt during the carnival. Meanwhile Jason and Sam were back in Port Charles, still looking for evidence that could tie Claudia to Michael's shooting. They seem to be getting closer to finding that evidence too, as they search through Ian Devlin's patient files with Patrick and Robin. I just do not understand why it has taken everyone so long to realize that there could be clues to Michael's shooting at the hospital. Considering that Devlin was a doctor, I can think of no place more appropriate or more secure for hiding incriminating evidence. Elsewhere in Port Charles, Michael was continuing to struggle with confusion over his memories. And as he was confiding in Carly about the possibility of more than one person being involved in his shooting, Jax walked in and interrupted. Unfor...

On Monday's General Hospital Olivia finally tried to tell Sonny the truth about Dante. And of course Sonny thought she was just trying to complain about Claudia, which prompted Michael to interrupt and come to Claudia's defense. I have to say that this was the first day that one of Michael's outbursts actually annoyed me. He has already been having memories of Claudia admitting to being responsible for his shooting and I cannot believe that he would be so easily manipulated by her that he would completely disregard all of that. Perhaps Alexis and Olivia have been right all of these years in keeping their kids away from Sonny because it seems like his naiveté has transferred to Michael. Meanwhile, Claudia was in her hotel room trying to force Dante into sleeping with her by threatening Olivia. Surprisingly enough Dante turned her down and walked out of the room, making another sound argument for nurture over nature. Later on Olivia was summoned by Anthony so he could determi...