I Don't Know Which Is Worse, Killing Off Legacy Characters or...This

I'm not saying that I WANT Luke Spencer to be killed off and then come back as a sassy, tracksuit wearing ghost or raccoon-eyed doppelganger, I just...I really want Tony Geary to take one of his six month long sabbaticals and hightail it the hell out of Port Charles before I have to join a mob of angry Luke haters and do whatever it is that an angry mob member does (I feel like pitchforks and a catchy Alan Menken penned tune are involved. Or should be!).

Because, really, hating Luke Spencer is not something I want to do and yet...I HATE LUKE SPENCER.

My irritation with him has been growing for the past few months, because I am over the whole badass, ne'er-do-well shtick, but today it crossed the line to hatred. I officially hate Luke Spencer. It makes me sad. But do you blame me? He was all "Remember when Helena faked Lucky's death? LOL! She is a genius!"

Luke: Emphasis on crazy. We have this sick, psychosexual relationship that feeds on titillation, torture, scorpions, and piano wire.

Lucky: Helena kidnapped me. She made everybody believe that I was dead.

Luke: Yeah, she's a very creative lunatic. You have to admire her imagination.

YES! Admirable is exactly the word I was looking for. The myriad ways in which Helena wreaked havoc on the Spencer are just so imaginative and whimsical! Who wants to take a look back at those days of whimsy and give Helena a round of applause for her awesome imagination?! 

And then was Lucky was upset about how his father basically wrote off the kidnapping, faked death and brainwashing of his son as a hilarious prank, Luke and Ethan had the nerve to be miffed.

Ethan: That guy never gives you a break.

Luke: We're going through a rough patch, Lucky and I.

Ethan: Why do you put up with this?

!!!

Remind me again why we are supposed to have feelings for Ethan besides blistering hatred? And after you remind me of that, remind me why we watch this show...

Comments

[Grace]

I crossed over into luke hate a few weeks ago, when he kept saying to Ethan things like "I don't know what happened...he used to be such a cool kid"

You know what happened? HE FOUND OUT YOU RAPED HIS MOTHER. THAT was Lucky's turning point.

Now Luke makes me want to hurl barware at my wall.

[Beth R.]

Why yes Ethan how DARE Lucky be upset that his father A - abandoned him when Laura dared to get sick, B- laugh off his kidnapping and brain washing for a year as just a prank, (or let's not forget shooting Lucky point blank in the chest four years ago and injuring him to the point EVERYONE thought Lucky was going to die) C- trashed Cameron right before Lucky/Liz married the first time (and you DO NOT mess with Cam)which led to Lucky dis-inviting his father to his own wedding and D - acting like it's a freaking SHOCK that Lucky doesnt' want to be a con artist when possibly finding out the man he heard his entire life he was just like raped his mother and then was kidnapped because he was Luke's son might have a something to do with it. Yes Ethan he is such a Judgy McJudgerson for wanting his father to be CONCERNED THAT HELENA IS BACK IN TOWN AND UP TO HER OLD DELICIOUSLY EVIL TRICKS!

Oh and I think we are supposed to feel Ethan is the PERFECT son for Luke....self-involved asshole..CHECK! and you know the usual GH logic that if you aren't mob you are stupid, evil and the worst human being to ever walk the face of the Earth.

You know the only DECENT relatives Lucky has are all off screen. Bobbie, Leslie and Laura are about the only who don't treat him as if he's poo on the bottom of their shoes for not jumping when they bark.

[Sarah]

Luke raised Lucky to be his own man and make his own way in life. To not let anyone or anything dictate how he lived. And Lucky freaking did that! Knowing his father hated the cops and authority, he chose what he wanted to do and did it any way. Same thing with monogamy and marriage and kids. Lucky carved out his own path on his terms. Not even his father could sway him from his own heart and his own mind. So WTF is Luke's problem w/ Lucky? Like all things GH it makes no sense. Luke can be annoyed and irritated by his cop Son, that would be funny Spencer banter. But to outright ignore, mock, and seemingly loathe his beloved Son is just wrong and not the Luke Spencer who used to reign on GH. I mean if Guza keeps this up when Michael wakes up Jason will shoot him!

[Simone]

Well, I'll say it. I want Luke Spencer AND his boytoy Teethan to be killed off. I HATE Luke now, HATE. Just the sight of the both of them makes me throw up in my mouth.

I can't fathom what Lucky or GV has done to be treated like this. I hope GV finds a new job soon because this is humiliating to him and to the fans of the Spencer family like myself. Years of caring about Luke, Laura, Lucky and Lulu has come to this. No wonder the soaps are losing their audience.

[Simone]

Since Teethan hero worships Luke so much, he must be a rapist also or if he hasn't raped anyone as yet, Lulu is always available. I am sure Luke won't mind one bit.

[Beth R.]

simone...that last comment was icy bitchy perfection. LOVE IT.

And I have long suspected Greg Vaughan is a net lurker....so I'm pretty sure he's well aware the internet fans are pretty much firmly on his side on this one.

[LauraBB]

Making us not like Luke Spencer. What is next? I can't take it. I have watched this show since before there was a Luke Spencer and I have been hanging in there because I must know what becomes of the characters that I have "known" for so long. But now we are at the point that what becomes of them is so wrong that I would rather not know. I wish I could watch the show again from about 1977 and just stop right after the reunion in the old Scorpio house on GH NS and never, ever see what is happening now. Should I seek professional help if I feel like crying...

[Kat]

Two observations:

1) Tony Geary has checked out. He's just saying what ever words are put in front of him, taking his summers off, and waiting for TPTB to kill Luke off. There is no way that Geary, known far and wide for battles with writers over the character of Luke, would be saying these words if he even nominally still cared.

2) Guza hates Greg Vaughn. I mean, he hates every male actor on that show who is not Maurice or Steve, but he HATES Greg Vaughn.

[Nikki]

Wow GH was so good in 1999!! Becky Herbst has grown a lot as an actress but I felt so badly for Liz there when she was crying for Lucky and Bobbie and Laura were outstanding...I just...what the hell have they done to GH?!!!

I don't think I could say it much better than u have Mallory, or the other comments. It's so stupid!!! that Luke dislikes that his son doesn't want to steal for a living...I mean WTF! and where the hell does Ethan even get off saying anything at that point? Who was talking to him? Can't he simply not say anything ever, better yet, not appear on my screen? Yes, Luke hate began weeks ago with this whole Ethan mess...I ff all the scenes with Ethan, may he die as soon as possible and send Luke to Timbuktu to mourn for his one and only/long lost son/protegé in the process.

[Nancy]

I have watched GH since day one (yes that makes me OLD!) I have loved, laughed and cried at and along with all of those characters. Of all those, Luke Spencer was one of my favorites, and of course. Luke and Laura as a couple were the best ever. My dream was that when the day came for TG to retire, they would reunite and leave together, go off on their adventures and let me have my belief that true love never dies. Is that so wrong? But I fear they would make me sorry I ever wanted that. I no longer hope Genie Francis comes back on the show because they would ruin her too. It's better they leave Laura alone, as that is the only way she will remain a character I can love.

[Bethie]

I'm not sure how to respond here. . .I hated Luke today so much I wanted to hurl. . .period! But I'm thinking that maybe tptb are wanting us to hate Luke here. . . maybe setting us up for a "Luke knew it all along and had to play along" moment? God I hope so because otherwise, this absolutely reeks. I'm totally setting myself up to disappointment, right?

Oh, and thanks for the scenes. I cried and cried, because of the wonderful acting by Becky, Tony and Genie, and then, after thinking about it, because of what they've done to Lucky since.

[Snarkgirl]

Welcome to my world, I've been hating Luke since TG started taking his sabbaticals and Luke started being a drunk ass cowboy who abandons his kids.

[MKZJ]

I completely agree with you. I hate Luke. Absolutely despise him.

I can't believe his and Ethan's self-righteousness over being cons and lucky being a good and decent human being. Yeah Luke should be ashamed because Lucky learned to be a great father, even though he had Luke's example. He grew to be a wonderful person inspite of Luke.

So Luke can shove it. I hope Luke and Ethan ride off into the sunset together. I just cannot stand to see Lucky be treated so shabbily by his own dad.

[Kels]

Luke & "his cowboy" used to be my favorite father-son pairing on soaps. That love has morphed into full-on hatred for their relationship.

I think as things stand now that Lucky should kill Ethan. He can blame it on side-effects from Helena's creative brainwashing after she faked his death.

Before he kills Ethan, he can send a tape of today's conversation to his mother in France. Laura can then come back to Port Charles to kill Luke for his amusement at Helena's plan, which involved her mourning the loss of the only child she got to raise since birth.

[Rene]

I guess I'm the oddball out here in that I can't stomach Lucky. He just seems like a whiny, petulant toddler who isn't getting his way. He acts like his father's actions/reactions are something new. He KNOWS what he's like! He's always been checked out in terms of his kids. Does he think Luke being married to that sweet, loving Tracy has changed him? Oh wait....

Lucky just stomps in, has a tantrum and stomps out. Coming in to make sure Teethan's papers were in order last week? I just imagined him lying in bed with his teddy bear and footy pajamas, steaming and scheming to come up with SOMETHING he could do to get back at Ethan because daddy likes him better. Then rolling off to sleep, sucking his thumb with a smile after thinking of the "checking foreign papers" bit. Geez.

I'm not saying Teethan and Luke aren't getting on my last nerve, but they really need to have Lucky start wearing his big boy pants if they want me to pick sides. Because right now, they can all three go down with the Haunted Star for all I care.

Thanks, Guza.

[Lorrie]

I don't watch GH for the sake of my sanity, but just reading about this fills me with rage. I'll go back to pretending I know nothing about the current storylines. For me, GH ended about a decade ago.

[Rene]

Oh, and Lulu and her bad collection of 1970's T-shirts can join them on that sinking ship. Did you see her Rainbow Brite shirt a couple weeks back? Jesus, REALLY?

[the bag lady]

I think GH should just be The Tracy Quartermaine Show. Now that's a show I would watch!

[rameau]

It's been ages since I last watched GH and so far, nothing I've read can entice me back. Except perhaps, if they choose to jump ten years back in time.

Thanks for those clips.

[Mike]

The descent of the Luke I knew began YEARS ago during Guza's first writing stint on GH, when Nikolas showed up and Luke made Laura choose between her family and Nikolas. Luke was mean and hateful about it all, even encouraging Lucky at the time to be just as mean and hateful towards Nikolas. Since that time, the nasty episodes became more frequent till it has gotten to this point - where Luke is just a miserable, selfish, cruel jackass 24/7. And what is sad about it, throughout it all, Tony Geary has absolutely been supportive of this darker Luke. As an actor, I can see how it might be fun in a way, but what he and the writers don't get (correction - don't care about) is that Luke is no longer enjoyable to ANY degree. It's one thing to stretch a character, show a bad side or two, but when you turn him into someone the audience finds nothing remotely redeeming or pleasing about, you've gone too far (UNLESS you plan on killing him off).

[Bethie]

You are absolutely right Mike. Showing sides and shadows of a character is one thing, but what they have done to Luke, and, since her return (in scenes with Patrick anyway)Robin, is character assassination. It's making the characters hateful and hated and you just wonder how they can be redeemed. Can they? One can hope, because if Carly could be redeemed then surely Robin and Luke can? Luke was a proud and loving father, yeah, maybe unorthodox, but he loved his kids. . .what the hell happened to that?

[Claire C. Cake]

I had forgotten all about this, but now I can vividly remember watching these scenes unfold after high school my sophomore year. These clip are so depressing, though, because you can clearly see how GH has been destroyed. Every single one of these characters -- Elizabeth, Lucky, Bobbie, Luke, Laura (even Mac, Sonny, and Jason) -- have become a joke. And Luke? While I'm very against killing off veterans, Luke has been a dud for years. AG doesn't seem to care about the role/history anymore, so why should we?

[Dawn]

Usually I sit around waiting on the day Tony Geary comes back from vacation because Luke can be a hoot and fun to watch. Now I am sitting here going "when does he leave again?". The desecration of Lucky by his father is unacceptable. And Luke allowing others to do it is even worse. Remember when Tracy told Lucky "If you had been a better son maybe he would have been a better father". I'm sorry but WHAT THE EFFING EFF?!?!?!?! That scene made me go from loving Tracy to despising her is a second flat. I have been watching since before Luke RAPED Laura so I remember quite well how Luke WORSHIPPED his son. Worshipped him. At what point did Lucky become this big disappointment to Luke? And I'm sorry but it did not bother Luke all that much that Lucky was a cop when he needed Lucky to get him out of trouble. Then it was fine that he worked for the PCPD. Luke and Ethan can both go jump into the same fiery hell. Hey IIC's the way to endear a new character to the fans is NOT to destroy a legacy character (Lucky) in the process. How about this.....instead of giving Luke a new son why not just write a story FOR THE ONE HE ALREADY HAS!!!

[Alison]

I think the most infuriating thing about all of this is....what exactly is the point? Ethan (who I like to call Teethan because his teeth are always so prevalent in the scene) has no purpose at all.

Unless he is in co-hoots with Rebecca doing Helena's bidding which is the only thing that will ever make sense of either character being added to the set. Taking down the Spencers/Nik once and for all would make sense coming from Helena.

However, Luke and his behavior...I have not understood for quite some time. I always hated how he would just disappear to accomodate the talented Tony Geary. I praise his talent but loathe his disregard for leaving GH and plots and storylines in the lurch so he can go toke it up in good old Europe.

Get rid of Ethan, give Luke and Lucky the real father / son drama that both of them can pull off. (I love Greg Vaughn and like him mostly playing against Tony Geary) THere is so much more for them to argue and fight over. But his complete disregard and chalking it up to the change of tides is not only rediculous but one hundred percent out of character.

His response to Teethan should have been..."Hey, lay off Cowboy. I've put tht kid through hell. I may fight back and say things to piss him off for the hell of it but you dong' have a dog in this fight Aussie. Don't make me kick you out on your Kangaroo lovin keister for bad mouthing my kid and giving opinions you know nothing about."

THAT would have been true Luke Spencer style. Don't give Lucky an inch but then defend him till the sun sets in the east to outsiders.

But then I look at the rest of the cast...stories lately, plots, sweeps stunts and go...

Where did the GH of just two, three years ago GO?

Alison (tis sadface)

[Lisbeth]

I've never seen these vids before (I didn't watch GH in the 90's) but I did watch in the 80's. I am absolutely astonished at the way the current writers and producers have destroyed Spencers, Quartermaines and Scorpio families.

After seeing these scenes I am struck by how we have Jason saying the exact same lines we hear today..."we will find out who did this and they will pay". And how Sonny has his nose in everything around PC. I was more gripped by the 15 minutes of these you tube vids than I have been by any scenes of GH in the past 2 years.

Helena's return has been great, don't get me wrong. But unless the writers tap into the core of the characters we have come to know, it won't amount to anything except using special effects.

[Dani]

Kill me I don't hate this story. Ethan is actually barable when he's not around Luke. I actually enjoyed the stuff last week with Tracy and Lulu. It't the heavy handed writing I hate between Luke and Ethan. And Lucky is the other missing piece. This could be a great story of father son conflict on both ends but all we see is Lucky storming in and out once in a while.

[cillann]

I have not watched a second of this show since Nov of last year. I tuned out because I saw Luke (a character I knew for almost 30 years) become someone I did not recognize. He cares for no one; he is a drunken, souless shell. I am extremely disappointed in Tony Geary because over and over again he stated he would (along with Genie Francis) protect the legacy of the Luke and Laura franchise. He would fight producers and writers to keep the integrity of Luke. No more. Sold out. Phoning it in. I once wanted Genie back but no more. She is above this sesspool of a show.

[steph]

OMG!! just seeing those videos you posted brought me to tears again :( cuz i remember watching those very scenes of Lucky's "death" and they just broke my heart! it was very hard to watch this storyline unfold, though lucky was not really dead and HELENA was behind it all!!

But i must say all the actors in those scenes were just awesome, most definitley tong geary and genie francis. wow, that was just 10 years ago to this week. now i miss Jonathan Jacskon like crazy!! Love, love JJ as Lucky!!!

So now, 10 years later, i am thinking WTF is up with the character Luke Spencer?? he is not the luke i fell in love with in the 90's! TG shined with JJ!! the luke and lucky father-son relationship was superb and soo realistic back then!!

my heart is just soo very, very sad of what they have done with luke's character over the past year or two.

GUZA and TPTB are just COMPLETE MORONS!! i still don't get why they have to shove Ethan down our throats! is he really supposed to be luke's son?? must we wait til May to find out?? I mean really!

anyway, i love your post Mallory!! i agree with ALL that you said!!!!

[melissa]

I have been loathing Luke more and more lately. It's sad because he's always been one of my favorites, now I just want him to go away.

Luke's been heading down the deadbeat path for awhile, but things turned for me after Laura return and Luke was indifferent to her and let her walk away, chosing Tracy instead. Then to add insult to injury, he dissed their past together (repeatedly). Now he's turned on Lucky in favor of the new grifter. It just leaves a very bad taste in my mouth in regards to Luke because I feel like he is spitting on everything he once loved and everything I saw onscreen. At this point there just isn't anything likeable for me about Luke Spencer. It's a shame.

Imo, they should send Luke off on permanent vacation and bring Laura back for her family. I think she's the better parent anyway and unlike Luke she actually wants to be a parent to her children.

[Cate]

Can we go back to "I hate this effing show!" being the only acceptable response to anything General Hospital, because I truly hate this effing show!!