Making the Rounds at General Hospital – Brother Against Brother

Most of last week’s episodes focused on the raging war between Sonny and Jason. In a bold move, Jason took out Escobar instead of Sonny, making it clear to the rest of the mob families that his former boss was under his protection. With Ric’s encouragement, Sonny repaid the favor by pointing a finger in Jason’s direction. The result was Jason’s arrest and later Emily leaving Sonny.

Jason and Sonny being at odds has taken characters and storylines that were once stale and monotonous and turned them into friction filled entertainment. Maybe I’m just a sucker for tension and turmoil, but the depth of emotion these two have reached is incredible.

Yes, Jason’s grab for Sonny’s business was childish and immature but many people act irrationally when anger blinds their usually clear vision. The action wasn’t particularly out of character for Jason and neither were Sonny’s reactions. Of course, for me, the highlight of this struggle so far was Emily walking out the door late in the week. I know fans of the show have been pretty evenly split on this pairing but it’s one I’m happy to see end.

A not so happy result of the conflict is Sam being caught in the cross-fire at the end of Friday’s episode. I look for this to step up the outrage between Jason and Sonny and to also lead to some resolution with the Sam and Alexis storyline.

Earlier in the week, Robin arrived at Patrick’s door determined to prove her father wrong. Robert had accused his daughter of living a sheltered and safe life. He told her she wasn’t really living at all because she was too afraid of the consequences of her illness. Patrick was all too willing to oblige Robin and her desire to take a risk by being with him. When Jr. Drake informed her he possessed what was needed to protect himself against Robin’s HIV, she rethought her position, seeing the player side of the slick doctor.

Okay, so Patrick can be a sleazy little horndog, but I can’t help it, I love the character and I love the up and down slow build they are giving this pairing. They make a great yin/yang couple, even though he has a soft side he hides behind a pretensious ego maniac side and she is grounding to him. He adds flavor and excitement to Robin’s sheltered existence. The two also share more common ground — their troubled relationships with their fathers.

Speaking of the troubled father/son relationship, Patrick clashed with Noah earlier in the week. Drake Sr. is determined to perform the same operation that cost his wife her life; his son is determined to stop him. Patrick fears how Noah will react if he is unsuccessful a second time.

Now that Noah is on the mend, the spunk and fight in the doctor is keeping the character interesting, and the clashing relationship with his son is irresistible to watch. Watching the duo’s competitive struggles and arguments hasn’t become stale. I think because both have demonstrated their love, concern, and willingness to protect the other when necessary.

Having discovered Jax’s secret, Carly gave him ample opportunity to come clean with her regarding baby John’s paternity. When all attempts failed, she outright questioned him about it, asking for a good reason to not tell Nicholas the truth.

I like how Carly struggled with how to handle the situation. It wasn’t cut and dry and she reflected on her past actions and mistakes with her own son’s paternity. They’ve taken what was once a shallow character and given her depth and growth. This has been even more evident in the way she’s handled the growing tensions between her friend, Jason, and her ex-husband, Sonny, deciding in the end the best thing she could do is nothing at all.

In a surprising twist to this pairing, Carly proposed to a shocked Jax late in the week. I’m anxiously waiting to see how he answers.

Coming Next Week:
Sam faces surgery, Alexis faces the truth, and Noah and Patrick face off.

In General Hospital Related News:
Congratulations to General Hospital for picking up the Best Drama award at the Daytime Emmys which aired this past Friday. Tony Geary also picked up an award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama series for his portrayal of Luke Spencer.

Rick Springfield (Noah Drake) also rocked the house, opening the show with a medley of his hits which began on the fanzone stage outside and finished on the main stage inside the Kodak Theater.