Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder/Stand Up And Cheer

I can't be the only one who started chanting "Spinelli, Spinelli, Spinelli" at my television when the little dweeb opened the door to greet Carly today, right? Or maybe I am, in which case General Hospital has finally pushed me over the edge and turned me into an actual crazy; if that IS the case, please just PRETEND that you also happily chanted Spinelli's name and save your mockery for behind my back.

A stroll through our archives shows that my feelings towards Spinelli over the years veere wildly from loathing to mild irritation to rage blackout, so I was as surprised as anyone by the warm fuzzies that overwhelmed me when he appeared onscreen. I mean, at any other point in my life his "It is so felicitous to see you!" would have knocked me off of my couch, such would be the force of my eyeroll, but today was different. Was it because I've had such a break from his peculiar speech patterns and ridiculous nicknames? Was it because many characters introduced since he left town managed to be even more annoying and shticky? Was it because his hatred for Franco never wavered over the course of the episode? Yes, yes, and YES!

Franco: [Carly] made me the happiest man on the earth.
Spinelli: And me the most nauseated. Um, please tell me that sociopath is perpetrating a terrible trick at my expense, and you two are not--
Carly: Together. We are together.
Spinelli: Forgive my momentary period of deafness. I was just picturing Jason's shock and horror and his frustrated rage from beyond the grave at the thought of you, his best friend, together with that homicidal, manipulative, explosive strapping...
Franco: We've heard it all before.
Spinelli: At an intervention, I hope!

He didn't even have to see Franco and Carly's sloppy kiss outside his door and he's still that disgusted.

And then Ellie (ELLIE!) was equally angry and horrified, and her refusal to let Franco hold Georgie (whose hair was styled like a Dr. Seuss character and I say that in the most complimentary of ways) brought me joy. The way she kept moving Georgie from hip to hip to get away from the, you know, monster in her living room? It was delightful to actually see someone treat this criminal (reformed though he may be) how he'd actualy be treated in real life: like someone scary and awful. Not "Yeah, but now he's tumor-free and isn't he just so freaking funny? Stop being mad! You damn killjoy, you."

The rest of the show was stakeouts and a preamble to multiple mob shootings, so...the old fast-forward button got quite the workout.

Comments

[C]

Seriously, Spinelli's unwavering loathing of Franco and his truth-telling about how Carly would normally never touch the man who terrorized Jason and her family was the most I've liked the character EVER.

And Ellie not letting the SERIAL KILLER hold the baby might be the example of soap opera parenting I've ever seen!

[C]

* I of course meant "best example". You rock, Ellie!

[Soapbaby]

How I miss Ellie?! She was by far my favorite character introduced by this headwriter. She was so wasted. Not sure she had to leave because Bradford Anderson exited the show. GH has 15 useless characters I'd trade for one Ellie Trout (sans Spinelli of course.)

Today's episode was so boring I FFWDed until I just deleted the damned thing about 30 minutes into it. Snooze.

[boes]

I remember those days when I thought Spinelli was one of the worst characters ever. And how I wish we could get those days back, with what we have onscreen now. FRANCO. Felix. Sabrina. ComaWife. Dr. O. Levi. and so so so so many more.
Spinelli and Ellie speak the truth but to no avail. We're stuck with that horror on screen and for once I don't mean Carly, at least not by herself.

Roger Howarth is ruined for me. They could bring back OLTL (IF ONLY!) and I'd take no joy in seeing him again, even as Todd Manning.
And why are they dressing this middleaged psychopath like a kool kat techie anyway??

[Neka]

It was great to see Ellie, Spinelli, and Georgie! I squeed when it happened. I hate that they left and I hope this means Maxie will get a chance to visit soon since they have a set.

In the meantime, I loved Julian all happy and family-man-being. Less so Luke and his grump face. Go on vacation already! Or die. Whatevs.

[Elizabeth Kerri Mahon]

No, Mallory, you weren't the only one who inexplicably shouted with joy when Spinelli appeared on screen. His disgust at Franco being at his door, and the news that Carly was sleeping with him, were wonderful. Especially after the weeks we've been subjected to the show trying to turn him into a hero (the way they did with Todd Manning when he rescued CJ and Sarah), now he and Carly are like Freddy and Daphne from Scooby-Doo.

And Ellie who kept looking at Franco like he was dog-doo that she couldn't quite scrape off her shoe. Their exchange about 'Ellie Spinelli' was classic. How I've missed them both. Spinelli was always more palatable with Ellie than Maxie.

[MissyLady]

If you read Michael Fairman's latest interview with RC, Franco and Carly are popular! Gag.

[Michael]

I suppose it is actually possible that Franco and Carly are popular. (Sonny has been an extremely popular character for years--go figure.) Roger Howarth's fan base alone may be enough to ensure their popularity.

Which makes it all the more regrettable that Franco is the character TPTB (I'm still not convinced it was a Carlivati-Valentini decision) decided to bring him back as. So much unnecessary damage. They could have captured the fan base and still held on to the rest of us, if they'd done it right.

[MissyLady]

RC was too fixated on making Jason & Franco twins and bringing Franco back from the dead. RoHo could have returned to the show as a Hardy/Webber, Quartermaine, Cassadine etc...

[Silvertone]

I can't stop laughing over today's show. It was bad enough that Jordan was the one to tell Anna that she's been kept out of the loop in the drug bust because her association with Duke would compromise the op. We can't have it look like she's protecting him or he's passing the department info to burn his rivals--he's a member of a rival crime family, after all! But of course the Fed's number one most trusted point person who's running the op has the exact same issue, what with her ex working with Duke, it being public knowledge that they share a child and he also passing her information due to their co-parent relationship. That's totally different. It wouldn't compromise the op or look bad at all, because newbies rule and nothing has to make sense.

But then her totally spilling the beans on everything Anna isn't authorized to know? Well okay, that's understandable too. Everyone in law enforcement in PC is a compulsive oversharer. If they weren't always so chatty and telling everyone everything about their secret investigations, RC's plots couldn't progress.

The capper though, was her demanding to be released and acting like the best way to move on would be to go back to her boss like "Hey! Everyone was arrested except me, which totally proves I'm not an undercover agent! Don't be suspicious!" Even when Anna said she needed to go to the station, she looked incredulous and asked how she could do her job from behind bars. Okay, Ron, we get it. Your plots are tighter than a drum even though you have to make all of these accomplished professional women look like fools to make them work. If we say we get it, can you stop?

[Utoob]

I'm wondering if they'll actually be allowed to bring Fluke to justice. I doubt it, he'll probably be redeemed by a summer love story where he and most of the other guys in town declare their love for Dr. O.

[sjgsjg]

RH could have come back as Steve Webber and had a quadrangle love story with Carly Sonny and Liv - and judging by the majority of online comments, everyone would have been fine with his personality changing completely. But it's gotta be ALL ABOUT JASON ALWAYS.

[MissyLady]

Once Jason left the building, the show should have moved on and not look back.

[MissyLady]

Once Jason left the building, the show should have moved on and not look back.

[MissyLady]

Once Jason left the building, the show should have moved on and not look back.

[MissyLady]

Once Jason left the building, the show should have moved on and not look back.

[MissyLady]

Oops. I had a little mishap with my previous postings!

[janet]

Guess I will have to go look for this on my dvr. Usually when I see the name FrancoTodd and snarley I don't bother. I also liked Ellie, and heavens I actually liked Spin with her. before that he was FF fodder. Can it really be the show gets worse and worse every day. Does this with the undercover lady dealer, mean Ann will lose her job to her,the same way Monica did to Dr O ? This show has so many unrecognizable characters why don't they just call it anything BUT GH , and be done with it.

[Janet B.]

I thought it was gross when Franco got all turned on when he found out Ava killed Connie, and started to make out w/Carly. Nothin' like murder to appeal to a serial killer. I find the character so loathsome and I hate how he is written in an attempt to be all quirky and funny, unless it is RoHo's ad libbing, like we are supposed to find him so charming as he insults all the other characters on the show.

RC's "focus groups" will only reinforce in his mind that his couple is a success and I don't think anything could convince him otherwise.