Have I Lost All Ability To Fairly Judge This Show? (Not That Being Fair Is Important To Me)

So, after Friday's General Hospital I was appalled (even a little more so than usual, which hardly seems possible or mentally advisable), and I chatted with Mallory, who was also appalled.  The big "Claudia put the hit on Sonny that got Michael shot" reveal finally happened, and it was set up as a grand moment for Sonny -- the town hero, remember! -- to do what he does best, namely call his wife a whore and a bitch.  Gross.

But some people whose opinions I actually respect seemed to really like the episode, and Maurice Benard's performance in particular, so I am concerned that someone has swapped out my vitamin D supplements for crazy pills.  Therefore, in honor of election day (in like three states that have no impact on me whatsoever), I will take the time-honored stance of a politician and decide what I thought based on a poll. 

Did I hate Friday's episode because it was yet again Sonny held up as the long-suffering, much-aggrieved town leader while an (admittedly loathsome) woman was called every name in the Big Book of Misogyny and townspeople nonsensically stood around in their formalwear at a party most of them had no reason to be at (seriously, Patrick and Robin, what in the hell?) and did nothing while a known mobster confronted his known mobster wife who then kidnapped the known mobster's pregnant former wife leading up to the 3425th "woman in labor and danger at the same time!  THE SAME TIME!" GH story in the last five years?  Or was I thrilled to see Claudia finally be revealed as the homicidal maniac she is, with stellar performances from Maurice Benard and Sarah Brown that made me remember why I used to love this crazy show?

poll by twiigs.com

Comments

[Alice]

I think there might be another answer to the poll. Sonny is looking crazy and cruel to a lot of people who have liked him before and that is great. There has even been some chatter on the web that this might be the beginning of the end for the mob because his friends are falling away. Of course, then Olivia tells him he really is a good man, though I see very little evidence of that.

With Dante so anti-mob and he being the next generation, I'm hopeful that the real world where good is good and bad is bad may someday be restored to Port Charles.

And speaking of Dante, is he adorable or what?

[Dandesun]

I lost interest in Sonny's tirade almost immediately because... we've heard it all before. What did catch my attention were the Over! Dramatic! Horns! that played over his 'whore/slut/bitch/trash/tramp' diatribe.

I want them to punctuate all the mundane aspects of my life in order to make it seem more exciting. The horns were AWESOME. Sonny... not so much.

[Beth R.]

I did not get the praise for that episode...I mean it seemed like the typical Guza wakes up and writes something to start off sweeps to me. You know..what he normally does for November and February. Lets see if all those people who think it was an upswing indication are still talking the same way in April.

[Mel]

Seriously, who thought that episode was great?!? Are those people being paid off by Guza? And if it's enough money to cover my student loans, I might be willing to sell my soul to the devil...er, Guza, I mean.

[Sarah]

A hostage giving birth during a high risk pregnancy in a storm in an abandonned cabin while the evil dufus cops put the hero hitman in jail.... it's not even the first time this has happened to Carly!)*&!*&%!#%&$!#(&!^%!)*&^%!^

And on that note, only one thing will save this for me in a truly sick twisted Guzalike way. And that is if TIIC keep up all this retarded vile repetition and have MICHAEL shoot his mother in the head while she gives birth in a storm cared for/being held captive by a mobster/stress. He's trying to kill Claudia but shoots Mommy in the head just like when Papa Sonny tried to kill Lorenzo and shot the same woman in the head while she pushed out Morgan.

It's sick and twisted and just the kind of thing Guza loves. Then the whole town will go nuts trying to keep it all a secret. Gotta protect those mini mobbies from their felonies!

I mean if they are going to pretect Michael after he kills Claudia anyway, why not go FULL Guza and have him shoot Carlyin the head.... again. At least it means we'll get a glimpse of Patrick right?

This show blows, your Vitamin D is safe from tampering.

[L.]

Claudia and Sonny are married?

How much longer until Franco shows up on my tele....er, computer screen? I'm still in shock that he's participating in that crapfest, but I think it'll be a fun mix of horror and yumminess.

[donna]

Thank Lavery. I thought I was alone in cringing throughout the little bit of that scene I did see.

I'm seeing and hearing all this praise for Maurice Benard's 'performance', and I thought he was more hideous than usual. Apparently, screaming and spitting and emphasizing every other word is his preferred technique these days.Along with stammering, pausing,staring into space, and some intense jazz handing.

Atrocious.I'm not sure what it is, but it's not what I consider acting.

On the other hand, Sarah Brown was fabulous. Laura Wright was Carly as smug Soccer mom. In other words, Cassie from Guiding Light.Putting them together in those scenes just points out how badly botched and useless Cujo has become.

I won't even get into what's become of Jax :(.

But JJ is back. So I must muddle through.

[Season]

I have to say I was too distracted by the implausibility of the whole situation to even say whether I liked the episode or not. Why would Sonny confront Claudia in front of all those people then basically ask his men to take her away when we all know what "take her away" means? He really was going to make all those people witnesses? Robin and his children included.

[BL]

I liked how Sonny talked about his friends being by his side and then launched into a tirade about Claudia, because it was very classic soap opera. I didn't like it because it was Sonny doing it, but because it reminded me of other scenes in which a scorned person went on the attack after admitting they were an idiot for trusting someone that everyone said was untrustworthy.

[tana]

BL....

sonny is always an idiot...see all previous sweeps periods. he is always wrong or the last to know and thus gets to scream at his woman of the moment while the next stands watching, carly is always pregnant and in danger, etc etc. nothing new.

the only that would/could make a truly good last guza sweeps would be if all mobster were killed...next day - show starts showing gh in the hospital.

[Janet]

I fear for Dominante, because when his partner (Ronnie?) said he seemed like Dominante was getting too close to Sonny's family, it's only a matter of time before he goes over to the dark side and becomes Sonny's right hand man. I know part of it is we're supposed to be all, "Oh, look how he's bonding with his siblings and he doesn't even know that they are related!" But I'm afraid part of it is setting up Dominante being part of Sonny's mob. I have grown to like Dominante and really like how Lulu is with him, and it would add so much more conflict to the show to have Sonny's first son be a cop and a constant thorn in his side. Sonny needs someone strong on the side of the law, like Taggart always needling him, instead of poor Mac and Lucky being written as weaklings. But I think Guza is just drooling to add Dominante to Sonny's "family" in more ways than one!

[Mike]

It was good in that some characters seemingly started actually turning away from Sonny after his behavior. But then, we've seen other stories that started out giving the viewers hope the mob was going away - and look where we are today. Once again, hoping THIS story will take the mob away.

As for the performance / confrontation with Claudia - we've seen it all before. Sonny turns on the woman he's been involved with and of course, she's a bitch, whore, etc. and he gets to scream at her. While I don't condone violence, Sonny really does need a big strong man to come slap him around a bit so he gets the message that verbally and emotionally abusing women like he always does, is not acceptable.

As for Sarah - wow. I hated Claudia as a character, but her scenes with Carly in the car, explaining how it all came to be - I felt sorry for her, I felt the desperation, the wish that it hadn't all come down like this. Plus, she had excellent points. Everything she did, Sonny's done - would have done- was planning to do to her. Had Sonny not overreacted long ago and kidnapped Johnny (who was innocent), Claudia wouldn't have feared for their lives and hired someone to take Sonny out before he took them out - if we are going to assign blame based on who started the dominos falling, it goes back to Sonny, not Claudia.

[Shelli]

Okay, okay... I know we're all tired of Sonny and his women hating ways... and I think the 'Carly-in-peril-while-giving-birth-in-a-storm' thing is bad recycling, plain and simple, but I have to disagree on one point. Yes, Sonny would have put a hit on Claudia, just like Claudia did to him... and Sonny did kidnap and threaten to kill Johnny and all that and we are supposed to be okay with it because it's the mob way, BUT had the entire situation been reversed would Sonny have married her after? Lied and wormed his way into her life? Purposly created a child even after she expressed being completly against the idea of another child? I don't think so. As far as the setting of him ripping her apart in public, given her penchant for lying, isn't it almost better that everyone found out at once, despite the ridiculous set up?

[MaryLynn]

It's like you are all brand new to this show. I have watched it since 1974...remember when it was really about a hospital?...but the show is great...the actors are awesome and the stories are good...my only complaint is that they start a as tory ans then just let it drop. Claudia was going to make Kristina pay for what she had done to her? And Dominick is a cutie...hope he stays.

[Christina]

I think I'm finally done with this show. I just can't accept how hypocritical jason and sonny are and since they are in 85% of every show...yeah, I'm done. It's way too ridiculous that they can sit there judging and pretending to be so great when they have been putting out hits for years. And when they kill people they're apparently putting out a "good" hit. Claudia WAS just doing what sonny does, all the time. She's just as bad as him. Oh wait though, she's never put anyone in a padded cell, kept them for days without food, and beat them up. Or run a strip club. This show is ridiculous.(except for the scenes with Mac, who was awesome and rational and SANE :D)
OH and sonny, way to not stress Carly out while she's pregnant. I know he didn't want her at the party, but basically telling the whole town about claudia, jerry, and how jax knew about the hit...very smooth.

[ckn]

It was terrible for all the reasons you and others have mentioned, but I have to admit that I was entertained by the madness. During most of it, I was sitting mouth agape thinking "OMG" and during the rest of it, I was laughing. One of my favorite parts being Sonny whispering "Yes, Jerry Jax".

I don't expect GH to be good. The only storylines that I have any real investment in are those involving Robin or Patrick. It's not a good thing because I'm pretty much always disappointed by the writing for them. Expect the worse and then anything even remotely entertaining becomes a bonus.

[izzi]

I actually feel conflicted about the episode. As usual, I am utterly disgusted by Sonny's dialogue, the way he treated Claudia, the topic of conversation, etc, yet I found it more interesting than the past month of episodes.

I think that Benard and Brown WERE awesome--but the actual dialogue was disgusting.

I thought Kristina seeing Sonny as a monster was a great scene with years of storytelling in there (if Guza wasn't writing this show). But then Alexis helping Sonny today ... ughhh.

I go back and forth with this show. It's so poorly written, but then they throw in crumbs that I continue watching (and to be able to enjoy your blog even more) and waiting for.

[LexieR]

I had given up hope for GH keeping my interest, especially since Robin & Patrick are the ONLY reason I've watched the show for the past three+ years now...BUT, with the return of JJ as Lucky (yes!)and the new character Dante (who's a law-abiding citizen!)and his connection with Lulu, I'm finally watching more scenes! Now if the writers would delete all mob stories, I might watch the whole hour, every day..