Boneyards and gaslights

Will Mike unwittingly be Sonny's downfall? Will Nelle's attempt to gaslight Carly succeed, or will Maxie put a kink in the plans? And what happens next for Franco and Drew now that some secrets have been unlocked? Our columnist dishes about these things and more in this week's Two Scoops.

It looks like Sonny has a not-so-secret boneyard that's going to come back to haunt him sooner rather than later. It's not because Mike knows about it, it's because Sonny practically jumped out of his skin when Mike mentioned it then Sonny discussed his concerns with Max. Sonny has no idea how Mike knows about Sonny's first hit job, but he fears that Mike might have told others somewhere along the way.

In real life, I would say that Sonny is making much ado about nothing because anything that Mike says could easily be dismissed as the nonsensical ramblings of a man suffering from Alzheimer's. But, this is a soap opera, so Sonny has good reason to be worried. That's why I couldn't understand why he turned down Max's offer to dig up the body and move it. It's not like Max is a greenhorn; he's successfully relocated quite a few bodies over the years -- some of them multiple times. Sure, people might have had questions about newly disturbed earth, but without a body, that's all they would have had.

You'd think that a mob boss would err on the side of caution, especially in a situation like this.

However, Sonny will soon have more immediate problems to contend with because, as the show closed on Friday, Avery's nanny made the boneheaded decision to leave her young charge in the care of an elderly man deteriorating from Alzheimer's. The nanny was concerned enough to call Carly to see if it was okay for Mike to accompany them to the park, but leaving Avery with Mike to buy a couple of hot pretzels was okay -- even though Mike had just looked at his wad of cash with confusion as he tried to decide if it would be enough to cover the cost of the pretzels.

The question I had was, why didn't the nanny just suggest that all three walk over to the pretzel vendor?

I don't think that Mike will hurt Avery, whom he currently believes is his deceased daughter, Courtney. Mike knows Avery, and even if he confuses her for another child, he will take care of her. Mike didn't drive to the park, so it's not like he'd take off in a car with her, which means he has to be close by. How far can an old man and small child get?

However, I was curious where Sonny's bodyguards were? I thought the children were always protected. Always.

Meanwhile, Carly has her hands full, trying to figure out who is trying to haunt her. Sonny, Jason, and Griffin all appear to have their doubts that the strange events are real, even though there is hard evidence like phone records and now a Noodle Buddha menu that Nelle handled when she scribbled the note on the back. Not to mention, aren't there security cameras in the hospital's parking garage?

Granted, Nelle had an excuse for being at the hospital, but I'm certain that Brick or Spinelli could use their impressive cyber-sleuthing skills to find footage of Nelle near or at Carly's car around the time the Noodle Buddha guy was sticking menus on car windshields.

It's only a matter of time before Nelle is caught because, as the weeks pass, Nelle is becoming more reckless as the unspooling of her sanity picks up speed. Soon, Carly will figure out that Nelle is behind the attempt to gaslight her, and when that happens, Nelle's worst fears will be realized. In truth, I hope that Michael does get sole custody of the baby because Nelle's history combined with her actions since arriving in Port Charles show that she's as damaged as Heather Webber and completely unfit to raise a child.

At most, Nelle should be given limited supervised visitation with no physical contact.

Carly did awful things when she came to Port Charles, too. She seduced her mother's husband, she had a one-night stand with a friend, she destroyed his sobriety and reputation, and she drove her fianc to the brink of madness when she revealed that he was not the father of her child. But mental illness was not at the root of the terrible things that Carly did. Insecurity, hurt, revenge, and jealousy drove Carly, and eventually, she was able to overcome those things and turn her life around.

Nelle appears to be deeply mentally unbalanced. I don't believe Nelle's version of any events because she lies about everything, and those lies are always self-serving. The more innocent she paints herself, the more likely that the opposite is true. Plus, she spent a year in a sanitarium, and her fianc died under questionable circumstances.

Michael was a fool not to follow up on Nelle's mental breakdown because her reluctance to discuss it was a huge red flag.

Speaking of Michael, was it me, or was there a spark of something between him and Maxie during their scenes at the hospital when he put his foot in his mouth at the childbirth class then ended up making her laugh as they practiced breathing techniques? To be clear, I think it's much too soon for Maxie to move on from Nathan, but I don't exactly hate the idea of Michael and Maxie keeping each other company as they each await the birth of their child.

There's a 99.99 percent probability that Nelle and Maxie's impending births will occur within close proximity of each other and that Nelle will do something to Maxie's child, so I would like to see Michael and Maxie work together to safeguard their children and take down Nelle because I doubt whatever Nelle has up her sleeve will be pretty.

There's no such thing as a coincidence on a soap opera, especially two pregnant women due within days of each other. Maxie and Nelle's paths are destined to collide.

This week, Drew and Jason were on their own because Sam took off with the kids to clear her head and figure out what she wants. Jason hopped on a jet with Anna and Emma, who was visiting her grandmother during spring break. The trio flew to Switzerland to follow up on a lead on Henrik. Emma was thrilled to embark on the adventure because she had a book report due on Switzerland. See? No such thing as a coincidence on a soap.

Just like Jason bumping into Sam in the hallway.

Is it a sign from the writers that Sam and Jason belong together? I don't know, and to be honest, I no longer care. I'm a bit fed up with Sam, so if she chooses Jason, then so be it. Some people just can't help but be drawn to dysfunctional relationships. (I'm looking at you, Sonny and Carly.)

I will say this: Jason is nothing if not consistent. He is exactly the same man he was that fateful night Sam kissed him goodbye and he walked out on their family reunion to take care of Sonny's business.

In Port Charles, Drew had quite an eventful week, too. He learned that his brother, Bobby, had been abused by a sexual predator who had set his sights on Drew. Franco had shoved Drew into trunks and down the basement steps in a desperate attempt to hide Drew from Jim's sick and twisted intentions.

Franco had an opportunity to confront Jim about what Jim did, and I have to say that it was riveting. I know there are those who will only ever see Franco as a serial killer who put a rapist in Michael's jail cell, but I don't. I know the brain tumor defense was a cheesy clich, but these things have been known to happen both in real life and on soap operas. I didn't like the defense, but I accepted it.

If there was any doubt in my mind about Franco's redemption/cure, it was eradicated when he asked Jim to write a full confession and list all the names of his victims instead of unloading his gun into Jim.

Franco put others first, not himself. Serial killer Franco wouldn't have done that.

That said, I'm bummed because I had really hoped for Drew and Franco to have a real heart-to-heart talk about the past. I feel a bit cheated that I didn't get that, but I was really happy that Franco was upfront with Liz and pulled back from moving in with her and the boys because he had serious concerns about how his past with Jim might impact his future with Jake, Jake's brother, and Jake's other brother.

I did get a bit of a strange vibe from Kevin when Franco told him about Jim's abuse. I wasn't certain if it was because Ryan (Kevin's homicidal maniac twin) had suffered similar abuse or if it was something else. I'm nervous because I adore Kevin, but I'm also aware that both Genie Francis (Laura) and Kin Shriner (Scott) have been written out. I do not want the writers to do anything crazy with Kevin. The people of Port Charles desperately need his help.

As for Drew, it's time for his memories to return. I just don't think that he can truly be happy if he doesn't understand his past. It's a big black hole of mystery filled with potentially life-changing secrets. Just in the last few months, he found out he had an identical twin brother, he had a son, and he was not who he believed he was. Oh, and his other brother saved him from being sexually abused.

Jason's situation was different because even though he had lost his memory, he hadn't lost his history.

It doesn't matter who Drew ends up with. If he doesn't have answers about his past, then that past will always hover over him like a dark cloud of doom. What if there are more children? A wife?

I still think Kim is hiding a secret marriage to Drew. Time will tell, but I'm confident that Kim isn't over Drew, so her tryst with Julian won't last. He belongs with Alexis, anyway, and I'm not ready to give up on them.

I'm a hopeless romantic.

Did anyone else feel a bit let down by Kiki's confrontation with Dr. Bensch? I loved that she decided to talk to him about the unwanted sexual advance, and I applauded her for being willing to bow out of the shadow program because she wanted to earn the privilege on her own merit. However, she should have reported him.

I received some feedback about Kiki's reaction to the kiss, expressing confusion about why Kiki would flee and take shelter in a supply closet to cry. I get that knee-jerk reaction because Kiki was introduced to us as a scrapper, someone who hit first and asked questions later. However, I also understand her seemingly out-of-character reaction because, until that creepy massage in David's office, Kiki had respected and trusted David. He's not just a coworker; he's her mentor and her boss, and he's an elder who is considered an esteemed colleague among the doctors on staff.

The shock, disappointment, betrayal, and hurt of someone like that manipulating me for a sexual conquest would be devastating. I would need a few minutes to cry and gather my thoughts, too.

Kiki is one step up from a student nurse, and she has a bit of a checkered history. I think she realized that she was at a disadvantage, so she hoped that she was wrong about David's intentions. When it was clear that she wasn't, she saw her future implode because he's the one with all the power, not her.

Unfortunately for Kiki, David is up to no good. He said all the right things, under the circumstances, but he saved her voicemail message asking him to meet her at Kelly's to discuss what happened. That's not good. Although it's unlikely that anyone who listened to the message would mistake it as a paramour arranging a romantic rendezvous because Kiki's tone was anything but seductive.

I love Maura West's new haircut. It's time to bring Ava's glamor back. She's got a new face, a hot man, and a second lease on life. It's time for Ava to shine.

Funniest scene of the week was when Anna opened the door, saw Robert, then slammed it shut in his face. I howled with laughter when she whipped the door open again and asked, "What are you doing here?" Jason's expression was the cherry on top.

I'm sorry, but I'm just not feeling Alexis and Finn as anything except friends. This fake-dating stuff seems childish and beneath both of them. Please return them to being supportive friends. I liked Alexis and Finn much better that way.

Both men and women are strategic and capable of deceit, but the winners are usually the ones with the most power and influence. Up until the point when Bensch indisputably crossed the line (and likely broke hospital policy) he was the one with all the power. Now, Kiki has the power to gather her confidence (and it can take a lot) to make a public stand. -- Bianca Jackson

I'm over Sam. She went from being one of my favorites to one of the most annoying. I'm disappointed in what is happening, and it shows how much control Jason has over her. I've also learned over the years that Sam becomes the man she is with. She completely consumes herself in their lifestyle and changes for them instead of herself. I honestly have no clue who Sam really is. I thought she had finally grown up when she decided to be with Drew, but on their second wedding day, you could see the uncertainty all over her face, and at the last second, she decided to marry Drew. I get that Jason was her first real, intense love. I get that it was going to be rough seeing him around town and not being able to be with him. But you can't profess your ultimate love for someone, marry them, convince everyone around you that Drew is the one, and then you're about to die in a building with your ex, and now you have forgotten about all of that. -- moniemone 1980

It was obvious Sam couldn't care less about her mother's latest love life debacle...Alexis: "I'm fake dating a man who looks EXACTLY like the first guy YOU dated after Jason "died."Sam: "Good for you. Can we talk about ME now?" -- Scrimmage

I hurt to watch Sonny's father decline with Alzheimer's. Having lived through the situation I can honestly say it's worse for the caregivers than it is for the person going through it. They don't understand what is happening to them which does of course bring out feelings of self- doubt and fear, but should they lose their memory completely before they pass, they hurt no more. -- Logic

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. I love hearing from readers, so please feel free to email me or leave a comment below.

Take care and happy viewing,Liz Masters

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