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« Nashville: An Open Letter To Scarlett O'Connor | Main | Brief Musings on Nashville: Crazy »

March 31, 2014

Missed Opportunities Within Missed Opportunities, Smothered In Misery

You probably came here expecting a rant on AJ's death*, and Sonny's involvement in it*** and my thoughts on how wasteful it was to bring AJ back from the dead at all**** if they were going to just kill him off*****. But that is not going to happen tonight, because I have moved on from the anger****** phase of grief to the bargaining one.

Because really: if this could be a fakeout--a cheap fakeout, sure. And a temporary fix to audience heartache, because Sean Kanan is leaving either way, so dead or alive, it's not like AJ is going to be gracing our televisions with his presence*******--I would be so happy. I'd be thrilled. I'd be so happy and so thrilled that I'd be willing to swallow any sort of explanation for why he's not actually dead. Any sort.

Guys, I'd even be willing to accept him waking up--from the dead--at the sound of Kiki's voice. Like, if they went ahead and made Kiki legitimately magical, I'd be like "This is totally a fair trade. Now she's REALLY magic instead of merely METAPHORICALLY magic." I'd watch the scenes of Michael and Monica fawning over her without fast forwarding.

If that's not a sign of my desperation/craziness, I don't know what else is.

 

 

*Yeah, AJ died. DIED. Because OF COURSE he died. OF COURSE. No offscreen coma for AJ**. No, death. Because that's the Quartermaine way, isn't it--dead? Their family crest probably has a tombstone on it.
**This is clearly because Nina has cornered the market on coma stories. Have we heard Nina's name enough today? No? Okay, I'll try to reach our quota: Nina, Nina, Nina. Nina? Nina!
*** I'm really looking forward to the seven days we're due for of Sonny feeling mild guilt over killing Michael's father. Guilt that is filtered through his "But how do you think this makes me?!?!?!feel?" worldview and peppered with lots of snarling, hateful talk about AJ that is code for "I feel bad for Michael, but this douche was totally asking for it and I'm sort of a hero".
**** EPICALLY WASTEFUL. I can't. I can NOT. 
***** This happened. Dead. Dead! DEAD.
****** Ha ha, I am totally laughing at your snarky "Isn't anger your default stage of life?" jokes.
******* Not that he ever even got half the screentime that, like, the name Nina does anyway...

Comments

The other brought back from the "dead" character's should be leery that they too could end up "dead again" with a single stroke of a pen.

Grrrr. AJ should have been driving story with Michael by his side as the two filled up the Quartermaine mansion with their spouses and children. I really enjoyed Quiz until RC decided to crap all over it.

I am so, so , so pissed off I cannot even find words that are enough to describe it. What a colossal waste of a talented actor, a legacy character of a shrinking legacy family! AJ and SK deserved so much better, we deserved so much better. There was so much story to tell, by a real writer and not a hack like the one we have here. GH you are on the edge of being a part of my past, and it's been a very long part...been watching since day one, 1963 and this is just one of many bitter disappointments since we supposedly were gong to get a show not focused on the mob. But here we are again, Sonny getting away with murder. Carly will totally cover for him, and they both will allow Michael to blame himself.

Allow me to join the ranks of the upset who also cannot find the words. Heaven only knows what SK was told would be his story when he returned since we obviously were lied to...rebuilding the Q's. I liked AJ with Liz and thought he was adorable with Liz's boys. Ugh. Instead we are mired once again in endless gun violence. I care very little to nothing for anyone left on the show at this point, except Michael and Monica, and she's barely on and even Michael's airtime is shrinking rapidly.

Heck, we are so mired in gun violence that I think we've seen Sabrina only once since Robin's departure and she's preferable to what's onscreen now. Even the pre-teen triangle is more entertaining. Ugh. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

^^^ No. Sabrina is not preferable to what I am seeing onscreen now. SHE.IS.THE.WORST.

So disappointed in AJ's initially promising and ultimately botched return from the dead. Even if he miraculously survives "dying" this time around, we know Sean Kanan is no longer with the show. AJ could be recast (Bill Warlock) but that is highly unlikely.

So much wasted potential as AJ's return generated so much story and could have for years. He made Michael, Monica and Carly more interesting and relevant characters. He was a foil for Tracy and as much as I disliked the pickle relish s/l, AJ and Tracy could have been thrust into an actual business s/l.

It's always so sad to reflect on the state of The Quartermaines. AJ, Alan, Emily, Edward, Justus and Cook are all dead. Monica is so alone. Worst of all, Kiki was there to comfort her as she sat alone in a corridor after AJ's death. KIKI?! Argh. F*** my life!

Said it before and I'll say it again. As long as Sonny is the center of the show, it will suck. Anyone who runs counter to him and God forbid might turn audience opinion against him isn't long for this world.

Really, what a terrible short-sighted decision to kill AJ. If they didn't want to use (a bad call in itself), fine, that's what off-screen coma wards and rehab centers are for.

And today, they dance on his grave by devoting the episode to the toxic relationship between the man who killed him and the woman who went out of her way to ruin his life. How festive!

This may only be my wishful thinking, b/c Lord knows I've done enough with this show, but I'm hoping AJ's death was faked again. Everyone knows someone definitely wants him dead, so maybe this is away to find out who did it and AJ is really in a coma.

Right???? :(

I don't care if he's off screen. I'll take it. He just needs to still be alive.

I'd like to stuff Ron C. into a Sonny Corinthos pinata and throw jars of Pickle Lila at him. Better yet, I'd hand the jars over to Sean Kanan and Leslie Charleson and let THEM throw 'em.

And to add insult to injury, the first show AFTER this travesty is dedicated to the Three Faces of SlagBeast.

Robin's return - ruined. AJ's return - ruined. Yet the Orange Glow Moobster and his drooling exwife Howler Monkey still run rampant. And Roger Howarth is playing a humanoid Ham salesman, with some tiny bigheaded kid drowning the show in her utter inability to act. Oh, almost forgot - and we have Anthony Geary FINALLY getting to play Luke as himself.

I hate it. It seems bittersweet to remember when I thought the worst thing on GH was Kristina and Trey.

Was this really "the best year of GH ever"? Somehow I doubt it, SoapNet (R.I.P.).


And I think there's far more to SK's departure than meets the eye.

RC's original story for SK went down the drain when SBu kindly ran like hell to Nashville and then to Y&R; so the next story also bombed with the relish and panic nonsense. However, AJ has a rich history on the show and RC refused for whatever reason to pull from that history but decided we needed drunk AJ being beaten up by the tiny greasy haired moobster. Ugh. We were never ONCE told what happened during the seven years that AJ was offscreen and whether or not he had a new family with a wife and kid.

I will miss AJ and Michael's fatherly bond, which was great since SK and CD had great chemistry as father and son. What an effing waste!

I just can't deal with this crap. So from now on, i think that whenever AJ is mentioned, I'm just going to believe that someone (be it Monica, Tracy, Ned or hell, Victor C) has decided to fake AJ's "murder" and that he is on some great cruise. I'll be on the ol' TWoP boat of TFGH sanity. Faked death, RC. FAKED. Hear me, a$$hole?
SK and the rest of the Qs deserve so much better. I can't understand how RC and FV can f up so many storylines. Robin, Patrick, AJ's return, Quiz just dying on the vine, Duke working for Sonny, Lucy cheating on Kevin with Scott, PCPD still being corrupt and useless. Everything is less than stellar.

It is all so disappointing. Hell, TFGH, I've read more entertaining fan fiction.

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but "Nina" has made even Kelly Monaco and Michael Easton unwatchable for me. Sonny has made most of the rest of the show unwatchable. Someone wake me on days when Lucas and Brad are on, I guess.

Lucas dumped Brad, so he'll be hooking up with Felix. Sigh. I liked CoJones and of course RC blew it all to heck.

It irritates the heck out of me that we have Olivia, Rafe, Franco, Kiki, Silas, Ava, Julian, etc.. (and I like Ava and Julian) but Monica Quartermaine a vet of 36 years can't keep a freaking child alive on this show!

I'm with stlbf. Robin got to Scarsdale and brilliant scientist that she is, realized she would need blood from a blood relative to make the defrostings happen. Victor's got Helena & Stavros covered of course, but Robin refused to move forward unless she could also save Jason. Rather than sneaking into one of Danny's doctor appointments, keeping AJ (who Sonny conveniently shot) alive and milking him like a cow once in a while, once he was stabized, was much easier. Not only does AJ stay alive, he saves Jaysus AND THEREBY IS TOTALLY REDEEMED. Tah dahhhh!!

sjgsjg....what you wrote is better than anything I've seen on GH in a long time! Works for me.

I can live with that scenario.

If GH has to have teens, fine. But we need actual teens. Hard to pull off with just 3. Molly has no real friends. Neither doesTJ or Rafe. Bring on Christina Baldwin! Bring on some PC school kids. Hell bring on Jenny Eckert's kids. None of these kids are as good as the Scooby gang(+Sarah Webber and Zander). Or as fun as teens Brenda, Robin, Stone, Jason, Karen and Jagger. Hell, even teen Maxie, Lulu, Georgie, Dillon, Diego and Sage, etc had better written crap! Want teens, GH? You need to write better for everybody!

Why is it so hard to learn to cycle actors(ALL OF THEM!) in plotlines! The teens need more than lust over Molly. Sonny needs to be treated like the criminal he is. The god damn police department needs to solve an actual case on their own. The hospital and the businesses of PC( ELQ, Jax's corporation, Scotty 's money, Lucy's businesses, Nik's money,etc) should be pretty damn to write stories about. Bad guys are bad. Sorry, but as great a character Tony Soprano was, I would still want is ass in prison. Jason? Was a god damn MURDERER. Sick of everyone in town treating him like he was some sort of saint. Sonny is a criminal. Not a nice coffee guy. He delivers drug to people, which destroys lives and families. He has done nothing to change his ways over the DECADES he has be in PC. Scott's #1 desire as the DA should be putting Sonny(a man he has hated for years) in prison. Leaving Karen's death alone. As I firmly believe that Scott, Rhonda and Karen allowed everyone to believe that she had died. Why else would Scott not spend 10 minutes looking for her killer?

I'm just sick, tired and bored of this same crap. Decent guys are scum or are idiots and chumps. Criminals are "cool" and awesome! I'm sick to death of the gummy mob being better than the Qs or the Scorpios. Or even doctors and nurses.

GH writers. You can do better!

Sorry, soapbaby. While I will agree Sabrina is dull as dishwater and annoying at times, at least she's not a murderous thug who gets away with every crime he ever committed. I'd rather watch a dishrag than Sonny winning over good all. of. the. time.

Hi Cindy. Sobrina adds no value.

I don't think Sonny wins all of the time. He is being manipulated by Ava and Fluke. He has lost Morgan and risks losing Michael. Jason is gone and he cannot maintain a lasting relationship (save Carly and being with her is the ultimate punishment. LOL.)

Like it or not, Sonny is a veteran character having been on the show 20 years and has driven story the entire time. I don't hate Sonny and while I'd prefer that the show balanced mobcentric storytelling and true, hospital-based drama, I see his value. I truly enjoyed the storytelling device of the "Carlys" complete with flashbacks. Very well-done. Like her or not, Carly is a 18-year veteran character who drove story when played by Sarah Brown and Tamara Braun.

I also see AJ's value to the show and really disappointed in this latest return/exit. I hate that Monica is so alone. Monica being "visited" by ghost Emily and ghost AJ was depressing and the dialogue laughable. (Monica: "Take me with you!"; Emily & AJ: [laughing] "No mom, you have to stay watch Tracy." Ugh.

The show has enough room to tell Corinthos-based stories and Quartermaine-based stories but there is no room for: Sobrina, Carlos, Kiki, Franco, Shawn, Silas, Nathan, Rafe, Felix (if relegated to Sobrina's lapdog), Madeline (although I love Donna Mills) and "Nina." Hell, I'd get rid of Sam too.

The Ava manipulation is a different spin for Sonny. I might not be back in my despising Sonny and Carly again if it weren't for the fact that they are once again eating the show and if there were ever any punishments/consequences for Sonny. He's got Morgan back (for now, until he probably marries Ava so they can't testify against one another). He's not lost Michael yet. He shot an unarmed, innocent man and for now at least it appears he's not going to go down for it.
But once again we're heading down the road of mob love and gun violence and I'm just not interested any longer. I would have much rather seen AJ redeemed, finally find love and make a family with Michael.

To quote Miracle Max, I guess before he was just "mostly dead." And with nothing to come back for (or nobody wanting to write it for him), I'm pretty certain he's going to stay that way. It has to be the biggest waste of an actor, character, and especially viewer's time and investment. I haven't watched the scenes yet and I'm not sure I want to. On another pleasant note, Mallory, I swear in old articles of serial drama you or maybe Becca would put in certain screencaps/GIFS of How I met Your Mother? I don't want to traumatize you any further but what did you think of Monday?

Of all the things the new regime has done, the death of AJ is the first to really make me angry. I so enjoyed SK. I loved Quiz. I loved Monica doting on him and Tracy snarking him and Sonny seething as Michael called him Dad. I loved Michael being out of Sonny's orbit for once. And one of the worst things about all this (that ghost scene w/Em and the backs of the Q's heads made me cry, dammit!) is that Sonny will probably skate. Michael will be mildly dyspeptic for five minutes and forgive him for shooting his bio-dad in cold blood, just watch. UGH. Sonny NEVER PAYS and it makes me sick.

I'm so mad. Just...so mad. The only reason I'm watching right now is for Rick Hearst, and he wasn't even on to distract me.

Stick a fork in it. I am done Again. Seven years of no GH .I refuse to watch Scummy win again. What a shame the first Michael I have ever liked and actually watched without FF. Well we know he will soon be back up Sonny backside .Sonny will comfort Mykill and My stomach would never be able to watch that. Goodbye GH.

I feel like everything has already been said. Such a waste of potential future storylines that just got killed. What did AJ do for 7 years in Europe? We'll never know. I suppose one day a teenager will show up at the Qs door and claim to be AJ's long lost kid. The relationship between Michael and AJ was fantastic, CD and SK had a great father/son chemistry. The dynamic between Tracy and AJ was fun too, at least it was when writers weren't inserting fat jokes. Tracy, AJ and Michael should have worked together to save ELQ. AJ should have had a love life. The Q house should have been filled again with people, AJ and his girlfriend + kids, Michael and his girfriend... There was no reason to write drunk loser AJ again. Sobber, funny, determined but flawed AJ should still be on our screen.

What Sonny did was unforgivable even if AJ had survived. There was no reason to kill AJ. Michael could have turned his back on Sonny fir what he did.

SK and the viewers got screwed badly. Imagine the BS RC will tell in his next interview...

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