Friday , March 29 2024
The Metro Court explodes... and February sweeps begin.

Making the Rounds at General Hospital – An Explosive Week

Last week Patrick ran away to Vegas with Pete, inspiring a girl getaway, Nikolas and Emily found Spencer and returned home, Carly returned from her ski trip, and eventually moved in with Sonny, and we got a sneak peek ahead at the Metro Court explosion.

It’s a little different format this week because of very different approach to sweeps by the powers that be.

Thursday’s episode ended with a typical Friday cliff hanger — Lucky asked Elizabeth to remarry him. When Friday’s episode opened, we saw police cars outside the Metro Court and helicopters circling overhead. Someone dressed in black and wearing a black ski mask appeared on the roof, hands in the air. She jumped to the ground and pulled the mask off. It was Sam we saw running toward the police officers warning that the lobby is wired to explode. Tear gas was fired, officers stormed the building, and shots were heard from inside.

A moment later, Nikolas ran from the hotel with an unconscious Robin in his arms. He delivered her to Patrick and turned, screaming Emily’s name as he ran back toward the building. The Metro Court exploded.

The next scene is Emily, Nikolas, and Spencer getting off the hospital elevator, the sub-title “Sixteen hours earlier” flashes on the screen. I knew from spoilers what was supposed to happen and I was still confused for the first half hour. See the opening two minutes below.

I guess the reason I was most confused was because we were told Friday’s episode and the fifteen to follow were going to examine the sixteen hours leading up to the explosion. In the remainder of the episode, I only saw a few minutes focused on Mr. Craig, Lorenzo, and the mysterious shipment, though a majority of the episode did focus on getting most all the major players to the Metro Court. It just didn’t have that hour-by-hour breakdown feel that had been advertised. And storylines that were started earlier in the week were later wrapped up into neat little packages by two or three lines of dialogue that was forced, out of place, and just bad. It’s a complaint I’ve raised before here, but I’ll say it again. I hate when the writers start a story and then drop it or explain it away midway through the arc… case and example, Robin and Patrick.

Patrick invited Robin to move in with him, and after her usual resistance, she agreed. Later at the hospital, she ran into Noah and shared the news with him, not knowing that Patrick’s old frat buddy, Pete, had shown up at the apartment to convince Patrick to go to Vegas for 48 hours — a promise they had made each other in college if one of them ever got too involved with a woman.

Robin returned home in time to hear Patrick refuse to go, saying he was happy with the choices he had made. A few moments later, Noah showed up bearing a housewarming gift and well wishes. If there is one thing Patrick hates more than feeling pressured to do something, it’s feeling like his father is trying to dictate his life. Challenge accepted and Pete and Patrick left for Vegas (note: Patrick didn’t even pack a bag). Robin then called Lainey and told her and Kelly to clear their schedules so they could go on a road trip too.

We see nothing more of this until Friday’s episode after the clock is turned back. It is then we see Pete still trying to coax Patrick away from commitment in a Port Charles strip club. We learn through their conversation that the good doctor was a perfect angel in Vegas. We then see the three very drunk woman doctors in a briefing room at the police station. The fact Mac Scorpio, Robin’s uncle, is the police commissioner is most likely the reason they were not in a holding cell. Patrick called Robin’s phone, Mac answered. Patrick came to take Robin home, Robin refused. How many want to bet she’s headed to the Metro Court to cool off?

The point is, though, the fun part of the story, the time “on the road,” the camaraderie of friendship, was all passed over and not seen on camera. Instead, we got double and triple helpings of Sonny manipulating Carly, Carly stomping her feet and screaming, the two of them locking lips, and then screaming at each other some more.

Another story line abruptly manipulated was Lucky’s proposal to Liz. The buildup lasted for days: Lucky made reservations, got Sam to secure the best table, arrange delivery of flowers. It was all topped off with the heartfelt speech and offered ring. The only payoff the viewer was given was a side-note at the hospital as Emily and Nikolas took Spencer off for his post-kidnapping check up. Lucky said, “I understand that you need to more time to think about us getting back together.” I would have liked to have seen her squirm in her chair and almost tell him the baby isn’t his, only to back out for the umpteenth time.

After weeks of pursuing Spencer, showing up moments after the psycho nanny had left a location, and jetting around the world after Helena, Nikolas and Emily finally corner his grandmother in a cathedral only because Nikolas remembers “something” about the one-time Cassadine palace, now museum. What that thing was we never learned. Helena threatened to kill Spencer if she couldn’t raise him and Emily offered herself as a better hostage for the getaway, one Helena isn’t emotionally invested in. Helena agreed and Emily overpowered her. Weeks of setup ended with a rather bland and unexciting conclusion. I could almost hear the writers whispering in the background, “Hurry, we have to get Nikolas and Emily back to Port Charles and to the Metro Court by Friday’s episode.”

And then there was Sonny and Carly. Carly came home to find Max working in the coffee shop. Infuriated that Sonny took it out on him for helping her leave town, she demanded he give the bodyguard his job back. When Sonny refused, Carly offered Max a job as head of security at the Metro Court. Once Sonny made her aware of the impending danger of Lorenzo’s recent activity, she did agree to move the boys and herself into Sonny’s house. She also learned toward the end of Friday’s show that Sonny withheld facts from her so she would marry him.

Even though it’s not starting off on the best, or most precise, foot, I do have hopes that once we dig through the process of getting all the bodies to the Metro Court, this story will become the not-to-be-missed one that it has been promised to be.

Warning! Spoilers Ahead!

(Spoilers are drawn from a number of websites, dedicated to keeping the fans who just have to know in the loop. The list includes Soap Zone, General Hospital Happenings Two, Soap Central, and Scoops and Spoilers.)

  • Noah and Patrick have a heart-to-heart this coming week. This conversation should start with “Dad, I’m such an ass,” but it probably won’t.
  • Lulu and Spinelli get the goods on Rick Webber’s murder. How much you want to bet this sends the duo running off to the Metro Court? As odd as this story of trying to solve a very old murder, which was supposedly once solved, is, I do enjoy watching these characters together on-screen. Okay, I admit it, I like any scene Spinelli is in.
  • The results of Patrick’s latest HIV test are inconclusive. Patrick refuses another HIV test and an angry Robin moves into the — you guessed it — Metro Court.

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