A Tale of Two Brothers

One brother returns, one is gone forever. One dad loses a baby, another dad watches his son being born. One Thanksgiving has pizza, another has no food at all. What a week in Port Charles! Let's discuss in this week's Two Scoops.

Dear Readers, this was a week of mixed emotions in our beloved Port Charles. The town rejoiced at the incredible return of one brother who was presumed dead while mourning the gut-wrenching loss of the other brother, who saved his life.

The departure of Steve Burton from General Hospital made for some incredible drama, but readers, I must tell you, I'm really going to miss him. I have been watching him for years, both on GH and when he left for The Young and the Restless. I watched him there, too. I think he seems like a lovely guy. I love his YouTube show with Bradford Anderson. I'm sad about all of this. I'm sad about a lot of things.

I have been reading comments on social media, and I know everyone is so passionate about their view of things, me included, but in the past week, I have just been hit with the notion that none of us has ever been through this type of pandemic before, where you can fall ill just by breathing the same air as someone else.

We are all just feeling our way through this God-awful, soul-crushing, world-changing disease. We read information, watch the news, and take the info we are given and make the best decision we can with the information we are given. But honestly, who knows if we are right or wrong? History will judge which faction of society got it right or wrong.

I am vaccinated and boosted. Everyone in my household is vaccinated. But many people I love, people in my immediate family, are not. One daughter is, one is not. Some of my grandkids are, and some aren't. Am I supposed to be at war with my own beloveds? I cannot be. I'm crying while I type this. Anyway, all this blathering is to say I understand why ABC insists on people being vaccinated. I agree with that 100%. Still, I don't know Steve Burton's own health issues or why he made a choice, and I am unwilling to hate him or trash him because he made a decision he believed was best for him and his family.

Back to the other brother! I initially had some misgivings about the role of Drew being recast because I am a sucker for Billy Miller, but Cameron Mathison is just so stinking perfect. How could I resist his soulful, Zen Drew? I cannot.

When he showed up at Sam's, clean-shaven with the prison grunge washed away, he left me breathless. Scout is totally going to warm up to him! When Monica opened the door and Drew was there, all tall and gorgeous with an armful of pizzas, my heart melted just like Monica's did. I am so happy that ABC brought Cameron Mathison to General Hospital and excited to see how Drew is woven into the fabric of Port Charles.

The Quartermaine Thanksgiving never disappoints, but this year, it was incredibly riveting. Between Chase showing up and being introduced as "Bailey's" real baby daddy, Ned's disapproving father glare, and the news of Drew's homecoming juxtaposed with Jason's death, I was spellbound. Readers, I am not a young woman. I have watched GH since 1977, and I have been watching the phenomenal Leslie Charleson as Monica all these years. I looked at her on the Thanksgiving episode and thought, "She is just as gorgeous now as she was the first day I saw her." She was absolutely radiant. My favorite scene was when Drew started to lament that Jason would still be alive if he hadn't rescued Drew, and Monica pivoted with force and declared, "You and Jason are both my sons in every way that matters. One doesn't count more than the other."

I have been especially weepy this week, both on GH and in real life. This time of year just makes me so sentimental, and the GH writers played my heartstrings like a symphony.

Drew's homecoming, the news of Jason's death spreading through town, and following that, a couple I had barely paid attention to, Sasha and Brando.

Mind you, I liked them well enough, Sofia Mattson's Sasha is lovely and likable, and Johnny Wactor's Brando has been a decent stand-up guy from the start, a sweet couple, but they just weren't on my radar as a hot front burner couple.

But then the baby came. Oh, my God, dear readers, I wept. I even cried with Gladys. GLADYS! I have been so annoyed by Gladys since the day she arrived, and then Bonnie Burroughs went and made me care about Gladys! Every scene with this little family last week and this week has moved me. Everyone in every scene brought 100% to the table and lit up the screen. Okay, Sasha and Brando. I'm paying attention now. I will no longer take you for granted. I think this little family will be a force to be reckoned with. I can hardly wait for the day they get to take tiny Liam Mike home.

But I'm worried. There is no more Jason. Cyrus is coming for Sonny, and who will be his enforcer? I can see either Drew or Brando stepping into that role to fill Jason's void, and it worries me. Sasha expressed to Brando that she didn't have the stomach to be a mob wife, but now that Sonny and Carly have supported Sasha, will she change her mind? Or will Drew feel too guilty that Jason died saving him? Will he feel compelled to fill his brother's shoes in Sonny's organization? I don't know, but I feel like one or both men will be in Sonny's organization soon.

Across town at Alexis' place, another delightful family Thanksgiving dinner was happening, or, to quote Alexis, "What fresh hell is this?" Her little dinner party got bigger than expected, and all the warring Cassadines ended up in the same place under the same roof, and it was a glory to behold. If I haven't mentioned enough that I adore Charles Shaughnessy as Victor Cassadine, allow me to repeat it. He seemed very willing to take on the family patriarch's role and try to reunite his wayward family members into one happy family again.

Each time Alexis' doorbell rang, I got giddy. Valentin, Nikolas, Ava, and Victor all arrived, and Alexis probably wished she was back in prison. I am very excited that Victor is no fool, the previous head of the WSB, and if Esme is up to something shady, he will figure it out and possibly save "Spence" from himself. I am anxious to see how this newly reunited Cassadine clan comes together (or not.)

Sonny and Carly were just starting to put their lives back together when they got the news of Jason's death, and they were rocked by the tragic news. One of the scenes that I loved was Sonny telling Spinelli and them embracing. I wonder how Damian Spinelli will move forward without Stone Cold and how his role on GH will evolve. I do not want to lose him.

Meanwhile, across town, Carly went to the footbridge, and my immediate thought was, "Get off Robin's bridge, Carly!" I didn't understand why she was there. It wasn't her bridge! And then Britt showed up, and I was like, "How does she even KNOW about the bridge?" So, am I to believe that when Jason and Britt were on the run for a month, he said, "Hey, I used to date this chick named Robin, and the footbridge was our special place?" I mean, why would he have told her about the bridge? But okay, whatever.

Laura Wright was magnificent -- her grief scenes were so believable and genuine. I suppose it's possibly because she's actually grieving losing her acting partner Steve Burton whom she has shared the screen with for all these years, mingled with other heartaches that actors summon to bring themselves to tears. I enjoyed the montage scenes, too. But like other viewers, I thought it was odd for Carly to get a montage and not Sam. Carly's voicemail to Monica did me in. I was wiping mascara out of my eyes, and it burned like a bitch.

Kelly Thiebaud has turned the Britch into a genuinely lovable person. Jason's death killed the JaBritt romance we all hoped for and left Britt alone again. Her grief scenes were also very moving and heartfelt, but I must admit I had a tough time swallowing that Carly would warm up to Britt so quickly or embrace her so easily after Jason died trying to save Liesl. Is Carly evolving? Is she becoming kinder? I hope so. I think Britt and Carly could be perfect friends; they have both been rough around the edges and changed by love, so I can see how they might understand each other and be a sound support system in their grief over Jason. But you know who is missing? Elizabeth. Has anyone even told Liz that Jason is dead? Does Jake know his daddy is gone (again)?

Sam knows and had grief sex with Dante, which I totally get. But there, too, I think Sam should have had a Jason montage that included their Noodle Buddha wedding and other highlights from their years-long romance. Maybe we will get there. Yeah, it is a little weird that Sam was with Sonny's son when she was with Sonny, and that Kristina is both of their sister and all the things everyone has said, but I like Sam and Dante together, anyway. When they were making love, and Dante's phone rang, I thought, "That's probably the hospital calling to say Lulu is out of her coma and on her way home." Because that's how soaps work. I wonder if Lulu coming home will happen when Dante and Sam try to get married or after Sam gets pregnant with his child. I can't decide which would be the soapiest.

Over at the Savoy, Portia arranged a Thanksgiving dinner to cheer up Curtis, who was reeling from the news that the stalker who has been asking questions about him turned out to be his presumed-dead father, Marshall. Either A, Marshall is dying and coming to make amends before he passes, or B, he is up to no good and wants to use Curtis somehow. I am not sure, but I am leaning toward B because we all know that Joey Novak looked terrified when he saw Marshall and ended up in the hospital. Was it Marshall who put him there? What do you think, dear readers? What is your best guess on Marshall? One good thing about this storyline is that we are getting to see more T.J. Tajh Bellow's scenes are always welcome on my TV. He's a very engaging actor, and I feel both T.J. and Molly have been underused. Not to mention his sister-in-law Kristina, who should be on every week, in my humble opinion.

Now, dear readers, I must write about more scenes that broke my heart. My cherished Valentin, the most romantic and perfect Cassadine, the scoundrel with a heart of gold. Oh, my God, do I love Valentin. I can't even begin to put into words how much I love him. Every time I see James Patrick Stuart walk into a scene, I sit up a little, turn up the volume, and forbid people from talking in the room. He's a powerhouse, and he can be ruthless and cruel or tender and soulful in equal measure -- and I love both versions of Valentin. I love the Valentin that got back his ELQ stocks and made himself CEO again, and I am mad for the Valentin who tearfully said goodbye to "Bailey" and gave her his little stuffed animal. I was a wreck.

Maxie was also tearful watching that heartbreaking goodbye, which prompted her to do something drastic. I hope she is headed to Wyndemere to confess all to Valentin and not to confront Peter on the way to GH. Please, Maxie, don't do that.

Okay, now to comic relief... I will let you vote on the funniest scenes of the week, both taking place in General Hospital:

Dr. Austin Gatlin Holt finally doing something that made me really like him -- by JABBING the needle into arrogant bastard Peter's arm, not once, but twice. I know it makes me a bad person, but that made me laugh aloud. OR...

Scotty and his schnitzel Dr. O having sex in the hospital bed.

Either way, we are all winners for watching those two hilarious scenes.

What will happen next, dear readers? Will Santa fulfill my Christmas wish and get Peter back in a freezer for real this time? Will Brad come home and move in with his BFF Britt for Christmas? Will Santa please bring Ava her brother Julian back for Christmas, along with a pardon for his crimes? Will Santa let Valentin be Louis' Uncle Val after she gets back home to Maxie? Will Santa leave any more of Alexis' presumed-dead relatives on Alexis' doorstep for Christmas? (I vote for Stefan.) Will Santa bring Esme coal for locking Sasha and Gladys in the art gallery storage room? Will Santa bring Laura and Martin home for Christmas from wherever they are hiding? Will Santa let the ghost of Alan Q read the Christmas story to the kids of GH? Will Santa let Amy actually get a spread in Crimson?

Only tomorrow knows, dear readers, and I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows.Tamilu

What are your thoughts on General Hospital? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.