Johnny @ soapcentral.com

I love Maxie. She's honest to a fault. She is motivated to do well with her career. She is still mourning her sister and building something with Spinnelli. I also love the ruthlessness she shows Lulu. She's not afraid to throw herself at Johnny (who must be blind). Lulu should be worried. I would love to see Maxie with Spinelli and totally rich! With tons of money the whole town of Port Charles should watch out!

According to Wikipedia's page for the General Hospital cast, Logan is leaving in June! I take everything on Wiki with a grain of salt (sometimes two), but they've been accurate for a while that I've seen. A waste of a character and storyline, I say. Where did Scott go? Why did they never bring Sabrina to town? Get Logan a real love interest other than Lulu? Are they just going to randomly send him off, kill him, make him another killer??? Okay, I sincerely doubt they would do the last one, since GH weathered its share of killers already, and it was a bit much even for me.We'll have to see if Logan departs or not, but I could definitely understand if the actor is frustrated and wants out: he's being going nowhere fast for a long time now. I do prefer Johnny, but I did think there was room for both guys in Port Chuck. Ah well, Cooper was killed off, too, and I hated that . . . Yet Spinelli, he of little manly prowess, goes on *eyebrow twitches* I will try not to hate on him, I just hate having a guy with no romantic potential taking up space, you know? It's a soap opera!

On a different note, I like Claudia and Nikolas! They're weirdly perfect, both broken and the spawn of insanity, both dark and brooding, a bit spoiled . . . The Russian Prince and the Mafia Princess! I should make a banner! What to call them? ClauNik? ClawsNik? If it were the holidays, NikClaus would be pretty funny :p I suck at naming couples, for reals . . .

Jason burning down Crimson Point (never so aptly named) was hilarious. I seriously had to LOL at how he stood there, just with that serious (Sephiroth) face, and then just hung around talking to Anthony. What nerve! I love it! I bet it won't go well, though. Jason never manages to go very long being the mob boss, does he? Ah, well, at least he didn't the mob to run a garage again! That was so silly. Not as silly as chasing around the monkey, but close . . . Yeah, close . . .

Sam is back, looking hot as usual, and . . . going to the range? That's her hobby? Wow, hardcore woman! Like Tomb Raider!

. . . I hate on Spinelli, then mention videogames as much or more than he does. Ha ha ha. At least I'm not on a soap opera! Spinelli isn't my problem necessarily, it's the way they write him to 1.) make such a HUGE deal about getting it on (come on, even the most introverted introvert can, I hope, manage to find their *ahem* way), and 2.) has the character not developing at all in any way other than expressing desire to be "manly" (his idea of what "manly" is, anyway) and never making good on his desires with action! Like I said, it's been like a year! Dude, from one loser to another, get with it! Slapstick will only take you thus far!

It's late an' I'm beat. I am around and watching GH, though. Haven't kicked the bucket yet ;-)

I hate Maxie Jones. For those out there who claim they love the character, I ask why? She’s always mean spirited, she never wants anything that doesn’t belong to Lulu, she uses people, her voice is like nails on a chalkboard, she has a rat face and her new haircut is terrible. What is there to root for in a woman who helped Lucky ruin his life and then tried to trap him with a fake pregnancy? And then she thought that fake baby gave her the right to judge Lulu for making the painful choice to have an abortion. About the only good things the writers did was make her very small on the canvas and to pair her with Spinelli (although she’s only with him to bug Lulu and reports of a real love interest for her mean they aren't going far.

Now rat face is after Johnny because JoLu doesn’t have enough problems with Lulu's family butting in and Claudia lurking around and we’re supposed to find this entertaining. I know Johnny doesn’t want her, he is head over heels for Lulu, I’m just hoping the writers don’t decide to let him use Maxie to hurt Lulu to keep her safely away. It would be dumb since Anthony has her held hostage, but even knowing about the threat on Lucky, Johnny still offered her an out on Friday so I have my doubts about how committed they are about letting JoLu be a couple under siege and not a constant make-up/break-up fiasco like Liason. I’m hoping the rumors of a love interest being cast for Maxie, and the possibilities having Lulu on the wrong side of a mob war will offer, will keep rat face’s try for Johnny contained to next week. There is so much more potential in having JoLu together against the world than in having them apart with the world against them. I would love to have Anthony pull Maxie into his limo and tell her to stop making trouble for JoLu or enjoy burying Mac.

Newsflash: watching Maxie get away with everything while victimizing Lulu isn’t fun. Maxie needs a big consequence like losing her job (she sabotaged Crimson by deleting that email, but somehow that got Lulu in trouble too) or having Johnny tell her she’s not as hot as she thinks she is (hey if she was so good in bed that she has to brag about it to everyone Logan would have gone back for seconds and not dumped her skinny skanky butt forever). People call Lulu a slut for sleeping with 3 guys, all of whom she cared about, but Maxie has had at least 4 and seems to think cheating on Coop with Logan for revenge was ok. Any woman who brags that strongly about her sexual conquests to make herself feel important is a slut. You can have the sex, don’t misunderstand me, but if that’s the only thing you have to brag about, you’ve got a problem.

For a woman who is supposed to be after a career they need to give Maxie actual goals besides stealing things from Lulu. It is degrading to women that falling on her back is the only way Maxie feels she has “won” something and been successful in life. Knock the bitch down a peg and give her actual feelings. Her outburst at Kelly’s when Georgie died was touching, but for me to like a character the humanity has to come out in more than one scene every year. Claudia, who is a mix of malice and vulnerability every time she is on screen, I can root for (please pair her with Nikolas, he deserves someone who can act and not boring Nadine), but all I want to do is slap Maxie. And it’s not an “I love to hate the character” situation like Catherine Bell (who did get one-upped by Lucy or the Qs at least once a month for her nastiness) I genuinely see nothing entertaining about Maxie and I don’t understand why she’s allowed to win all the time.

One last tirade before I sign off. If, in Lucky’s mind, Lulu is destined to go crazy because Laura did, why isn’t his own or Nikolas’ sanity at risk? Is it because Lulu is a girl? In that case, why isn’t she asking him if Sam should be afraid he might rape her since he’s male like Luke? Lucky used to be so much fun when he first came on, but now he’s a boring do-gooder who mopes around trying to ruin everyone’s happiness because he’s miserable. Why hasn’t anyone pointed out he can’t find real love because he’s afraid to live and that he hides behind his badge to avoid the edge, thus insuring he won't find true love? I loved his scene with Luke and Lulu on the Haunted Star when he bent the rules to help his dad see Lulu one last time, but in 2 days he was on a power trip with Luke gone as he tried to manipulate his sister. I am so glad Nikolas pointed out Lulu is an adult who can make her own decisions. Most the time Lucky ignores her, but the second she’s happy he wants to take it from her. Hmmm, maybe they should put him back with Maxie and they can enjoy the rest of their lives making other characters as boring and miserable as they are.

Stay smart GH writers. JoLu is the real deal, don't mess it up after they finally reunited, keep rat-face Maxie out of it and let the mob create the tensions for JoLu just like Luke and Laura or Brenda and Sonny.

Ian's speech to Patrick was so . . . "Awwww". I really want more story on him now! I know they'll kill him (shame, because I like him), but I want some history before he goes, darn it! But you know what? He is pale, short-ish, brown hair, baby blue eyes . . . he should be Spinelli's dad! Right? Right? *crickets* Ok, I'm alone on this one. But it would be a way to keep Devs around!

Speaking of Devlin, the "one angel wing" theme came from Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII (you know, the series Steve Burton voices the main character, Cloud Strife, in): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Final_Fantasy_VII#One-Winged_Angel

I think some person at GH is as obsessed with FF VII as I am! Ha ha!

On the theme of cool guys, Johnny was awesome today! I've been thinking all this time "Shut up, Sonny!", "Shut up, Sonny!", and finally someone shut him up! Finally! I know Lulu's all horrified, but I like John taking some initiative! Especially for Claudia. It's sweet. I hope their relationship never falls apart, I'd just hate that!

Ric is interesting again. Yes, every day I am grateful for this. Hope he doesn't get in too far over his head. Of course he will. Ah, Ric, you never learn, and that is what I like about ya! I just like flawed people. I tuned out after they killed AJ, after all :p

They got me again.  See how into my TV I get? I know this is Luke and Laura 2008 and still I let them blind me with Maxie’s hideous hair.  Once I read those blasted spoilers I always swear I’ll stay away from I got all mad that Lulu was going to “wash her hands of Johnny” when she never really had her hands on him.  Plus the Maxie crap had me really irritated, but I suspected since Johnny mentioned to Claudia that if he were noble he’d hurt Lulu so bad she’d have to write him out of her life, that Maxie would be what he would use to hurt her.  I dreaded that, but once I opened my eyes I saw it as the stepping stone it was and not a permanent pairing, I'm willing to play along through May. What am I babbling about?  I’ll explain.

 

In Luke and Laura, after he raped her and common sense would say she should stay far away from him and turn him into the police, she not only didn’t report him, she kept working at his disco so no one would suspect him.  After what Lulu saw at the hospital with Johnny and Sonny she should stay away, and she tried, but Johnny kept coming at her.  This time instead of staying around to protect him for hurting her, the female heroine went around making sure everyone knew he had an alibi for hurting her cousin (although in this case she doesn’t know he was involved so that’s a bomb waiting to go off later).  I truly think Johnny was using Maxie to make Lulu jealous enough to admit she wanted him, he knows their past and he did glance at her when he first started paying attention to Maxie.  That will give him his plan for what comes next.

 

Now we move to phase 3 of Luke and Laura.  This, like when I knew Brenda was going to wear that damn wire, is the train wreck I really don’t want to watch, but can’t make myself forget to record because I want to see if I’m right and I want to see Johnny handle the aftermath of losing her. This is the part where Luke had to flirt with and become engaged to Jennifer Smith to keep her father, mobster Frank Smith, from killing him and Laura both while Laura was forced to work at the disco she now wanted to flee since Luke had a new lady.  In this version, Johnny is going to set Lulu up to think he had sex with Maxie because his crazy father is on the loose and he won’t want her to be a target.  Since he’s in business with Luke, Lulu won’t be able to totally avoid him either. I think Lulu may find them on the Haunted Star as it would be the most hurtful place since she and Johnny made love there.  I do not think he will actually have sex with Maxie that would be too much of a betrayal of both Lulu and his own feelings.  I think once Lulu runs off, Johnny will turn his nasty side on Maxie and let her know he used her and she isn’t worthy of wiping Lulu’s shoes.  Maxie will then go after Lulu at work for revenge, but I think Lulu may finally get her own revenge and turn the tables on the Bad Blonde One. 

 

Since Logan is supposed to “not play nice about Johnny and Lulu” I think he will beat up Johnny for winning Lulu away and treating her so horribly.  Scott beat up Luke the day he was supposed to marry Jennifer after reading a love letter Laura wrote to Luke.  If Logan is guarding Anthony at Shadybrook, where Laura is at, maybe he’ll overhear Lulu pouring her heart out to her mom and go after Johnny.  Of course the day Luke married Laura he got to beat the crap out of Scott, so Johnny should get to get even later (smile).

 

The fourth phase of Luke and Laura was him taking her on the run from Frank saying he could put Frank away and get out of the mob with the decoded black book.  I don’t think Johnny is really meant to get out, but I do think he and Lulu will end up running and finally reuniting.  The most logical step would be for them both to get grabbed (perhaps the night of Crimson’s debut party?) and have to escape together.  I could also see Lulu seeing or hearing something and having to save Johnny, proving she still cared even though she thinks he betrayed her.  Best guesses for who they’ll be running from is Jerry Jax, who is supposed to take a turn for the bad, or Ian Devlin. 

 

What I’d bet money we’ll see:

• Johnny will immediately begin planning to keep Lulu safe once he learns Anthony is back in the game.
• Johnny will use Maxie to hurt Lulu, but he will not have sex with her.
• Johnny will confess to Claudia that he was trying to make Lulu jealous, but took it to the next level, and explain about Lulu’s past with Maxie.  Claudia will tell him there’s no going back from that.
• Logan will beat Johnny up while raging about his treatment of Lulu and a guilty Johnny, who always felt he should have stayed away from her, will not put up much of fight.
• This “hurt” phase will not last long.  Sweeps start in May and this is all coming at the end of April.  There are too many things that could go wrong popping up for it all not to hit the fan and put everyone in danger by mid-May. 
• Lulu and Johnny will spend part of the sleepy summer months on the run.  Anyone else see him helping to earn their keep as a piano player in a bar or something?

 What we may see:

• Lulu will get to leave town for a bit, either for work (fashion week) or to get away.  It will prevent her and Johnny from having run-ins and will make him wonder where she has gone.  She’ll come back changed and icy until the save.
• Luke may catch on to Johnny’s plan to hurt Lulu to keep her safe.  It would make him much more willing to help when Johnny needs it.
• Logan will think he still has a shot with Lulu after all only to get a big disappointment when she returns from her adventures with Johnny.  Maybe he’ll offer to take her to the debut and get stood up because she was grabbed.
• The bracelet Lulu dropped at the Zacharra’s will turn up on Johnny’s wrist or at least in his hand from time to time.  He didn’t give it back after all.
• The beloved character who dies is easily suspected to be Michael, but if Genie Francis is really gone for good and Anthony is at Shadybrook too, might he not kill Laura?  He did look into Lulu’s past.  If Luke is too grief stricken to act or flees town, Anthony will use it as a chance to get at an unprotected Lulu.
• Johnny turns up at Logan’s to threaten him, but Lulu is there and saves Logan and hurts Johnny by making it look like she had sex with Logan.

 Things I’d like to see:

• Lulu gets to finally beat Maxie with public humiliation (Diego’s old photos may appear for all to see at Crimson’s debut) or by taking her job (Maxie misses the debut because Lulu stole her car or locked her in somewhere).
• When they have to run, Lulu stops by Lucky’s for that carpetbag Laura carried in her running days.  When Johnny asks her what it is, she tells him it’s something the Spencers thought they were done with, but it will be a signal to her family that she needs help.  She’ll either leave it out for Lucky to find or maybe leave the door to the closet Laura kept it in open so Lucky will see it’s gone.  We know Lucky kept Laura’s things when Lulu found her classical records.
• Lulu steals Scott’s car to escape with Johnny.
• When Johnny learns how much she knows about running from the mob, he’ll get that shocked smile he gets when she surprises him with what bad stuff she knows.
• While on the run, all the truths come out between Johnny and Lulu:  who cheated, who shot Michael, Lulu’s abortion that made her not trust herself, Laura’s rape that taught Luke about forgiveness.
• Luke takes out Anthony.
• The comic genius who writes Sonny’s guards, Diane/Kate/Alexis, Spinelli, and Jerry beating up Scott plays a big hand in the escape and on the run scenes.