Sunday, February 1, 2015

Sunday Surgery: Mummification.



20150127 0640
Ruby 
I am at your mercy. Total. I'm on that ledge people!! I found myself so frustrated by the show this week I had to make myself watch. There were glimmers of greatness but for the most part? Boy, was I frustrated. 

Dear LORD, help me through this Fluke-A-Palooza. Help me keep whatever sanity I have left to figure this maze out. 
AMEN.

I'm going for the hard stuff.  Shots of ...whatever you got. Let's go! 

Aren't my Teeth Perfect?//
And, there it was. In a nice mummified package, sitting in a chair.  Dante wakes up and finds "Luke" has been some dead guy all along.  I'm assuming it's Bill Eckert. Then again, with this show, it could be Alan Quartermaine. At this point, things are just being thrown and sticking to the wall. 


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Shall We Dance? 
Take for example what we saw: Fluke was talking to what he thought was Luke. Fluke was also talking to what he thought was Luke in the mental hospital.  If that didn't happen, then the "switch" never happened either.
Why would they have to pretend Faison was in a mask and do the whole Larry Ashton route if Fluke was just one person? That would make NO sense. None. So, I am very interested in this whole unraveling. We also have the fact that Julian has "known" this "LUKE" since he was in witness protection 15 odd years ago.  

So Luke, if there's only one, has had to have this condition for a long time, and actually thinks he has to put a ruse out for people to think he's "Luke".   It could be Helena Mind Control. But--Helena tried to poison Luke, remember? So, she wasn't mind controlling him long enough to meet Julian. Is Luke still alive somewhere and this is a ruse (the corpse)? If so, why have Fluke talk to a non-alive Luke?  Bizzzzarre.
So these are the scenarios I see left:

Luke has DID, multiple personalities and has had for some time
Luke has Schizophrenia, which means he doesn't know what's real anymore. He actually 'sees' himself and thinks it's reality
Luke is mind controlled  or morphed by Helena and Cassadine Lab ..and.. I guess she made him talk to "Luke" for reasons unknown. 
Luke is alive...and Fluke is still an impostor who happened to talk to a dead guy in the basement.  OR....
Luke is essentially Norman Bates. 

This clue may help:  THE CORPSE WAS DRESSED...IN MISCAVAGE clothes. YEP. DRESSED. Now, would a DID person do that? I don't think so. They are, for the most part "Sane' in their other personalities (well, unless they are a murderer) and I don't think they dress up dead people and TALK TO THEM. ERGO, It's either Fight Club and a break with reality--AND OR all due to some Cassadine master mind-meld. (Could be both because they could have made him THINK he saw stuff). 
Fluke kept yelling at Luke: "It's not WHO I am ...it's WHY I am". Which points to some psychotic break scenario that was either due to Luke's terrible childhood, or the Cassadines or both.  

OY TO THE VEY PEOPLE!!! LOL... :throwsuphands:


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Then there was the Tracy-Michael talk. I'm not going to go into it all because it would take an age but the history she told him about Luke/FrankSmith/Sonny was just all wrong. Which begs the question: Why go to all the trouble to use so much history to just wipe a lot of it away in one scene like that? Why not use the original history?  I guess to partially explain the whole Sonny situation? I mean this started out as a full-on Sonny assault. Not anything we knew about any Spencer history. 

Really. Bizarre.  So. I guess as for now, I have to set the whole "what the freaking hell is happening aside" and talk about the show this week. 


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Um, something is missing
The Ruby tribute was nice. My one bone to pick? Heart shaped pancakes instead of her chili. We all know about her chili!  Of course, it was also a vehicle to let us have some more of the Spencer history. Florida, prostitution...yada yada.  It also leads Luke to the graveyard where he sees the empty grave.  And...freaks the hell out. 


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In other shennanigans....Ava just waltzed into the MEN'S section because she had a hoodie on. LOL of course, she was caught and hauled off. But not for long. She convinced Donna Mills she'd testify so she could ride in the van...


20150130 0949
Valet Parking, my lady? 

THE VAN!! Sonny and Jules get some guard gear and bust out Franco and Ava with them. They get in and drive. Johnny has GPS on a damn 2002 cell phone (Um, okay..don't both phones need apps for that?!) and he and Carrrrrrloas follow them.  Can you guess what happens on the icy roads?!!



Heather lulls Nina into compliance and then pounces! She gives her a jelly donut..lets her lie on her bosom, then paints her nails. All before telling her ahhhhh HA! I'm NOT Diana, I am FRANCO'S MOTHER. I'm going To EAT YOU! Nina actually looked a bit terrified. Franco was on his way to save her but he's now down in some ditch on Rt 31. 


20150129 0621(19)
"Jimmy didn't see Jake, Jimmy wasn't here" 
Carly figures out Jake isn't really a good boy because she finds all the stuff in his bag. Then she finds out he didn't really see Kevin back when and it all comes together. She goes to the PCPD to talk to Dante but he's 'otherwise engaged' so she tells Nate. Nate finds out in record time that the bullet shot from the gun was in his shoulder. Hell, it usually takes days just to get stuff out of evidence. How hollow is all this without Anna? I'd say pretty hollow. Yes, I know actors come/go and schedules are up in the air. Damn it, it's just so choppy. Ned should be there too since he was in the whole Bill thing. But--nope. Seems like they could have tried to coordinate things better. I would like to have had Monica around more. Ditch Donna Mills' cameo and pay Leslie. 


Moving on....
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Is that a bomb in your pocket or......?
The Haunted Star. The Boat that Lulu loves! Is all of a sudden working on 50 hours a week. (No customers still).  Johnny all up in there. Making tension for Dante and Lulu.  Of course, Jake also gets in there by beating up the bartender and plants "the bomb". The bomb that will probably take a week to blow.  Nate comes to arrest Jake--and takes him to the PCPD. Sam is there, all mad because no one believed her. Patrick and Carly leave and she goes in to confront Jake about the Phoenix. Will she figure out the dashing man opposite her is really Jason? Hmm. I think we have to wait a bit on that. 


20150130 0949(37)
Dante DOWN! 
SCENE OF THE WEEK:  Dante and Fluke were great when they were bantering at the cellar door. Dom held is own and more with TG.  Poor Dante though, He should have made Fluke go in FRONT of him down the stairs. Whoops. By the way, he got two giant knocks on his head! 

20150130 0935(11)
\
PROP OF THE WEEK: Our bomb buddy countdown clock. We know in soap time this could mean anything from 3 days to a month. 

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FACES OF THE WEEK: Brad and Lucas were adorable.  Brad said the Love Word. Then Whiny Sam comes in and is all "that's miiiiiiiiine" I want it baack" 


I do have to say, I'm enjoying dishing about history and even about how the story makes no sense. LOL. It's giving me a chance to interact with everyone and keeps us talking/watching! I so want the show to be more consistent at all levels however, and not so many holes. I'd also like to see more bold moves in filming. The basement scenes could have been epic and eerie but instead the lighting was 1000 watts and it was just sanitized. Why can't daytime seem to do creepy well? It always ends up looking so fake and campy. 
I hope I'm back from my annual check up Monday to watch the show live, but I'm not sure. I want to see Dante interact with the adorable corpse.  

17 comments:

  1. I didn't see any of the history of Sonny and the mob, et al, so none of this means much to me. But the entire Luke/Helena "thing" was always total animosity. If she had such control over him for so long, how could he have killed her? Because they never said that that killing was a ruse; they said she was brought back from death by "science."
    I know a lot of the others in this section don't like to hear comparisons to OLTL, but it seems to me that the Carlivetti (or whatever his name is) was a lot more respectful of history, and even had fun with it. Here, he just tramples history. Even current history, with Morgan and Kiki having met in COLLEGE. There is a lack of consistency, and a lot doesn't make sense, such as what you mentioned, Karen, about Fluke screaming at Luke, if Luke is a rotted out corpse.
    Maybe Fluke is yelling at Bill's corpse. But then where is Luke? I didn't see fight club, so I don't get that reference. The DID thing has been done to death, but from my very limited experience with this disorder, they have it all wrong. (Ant Joan, you are our resident expert; what do you think??) It is very rare, and I love how in the soaps it just shows up all the time.
    I have been sitting here for five minutes, trying to think of something I am liking lately. Not much comes to mind. I liked Anna and Jordan. Now Anna is gone. Hmmm, If I think of anything, I might get back. LOL

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  2. I might have the timeline wrong, but I think Helena was dead for a big chunk of this. Luke shot her right around the 50th anniversary show, and she was 'in a better place' until the Robin stuff in Aug or Sept last year. So she wasn't around when Luke & Scott were being held in Miscavage, which is roughly when this story started on screen. She wasn't even around when Fluke/Luke had their first scenes together. But now it is being played like she and Fluke have been in it together this whole time.

    Maybe Luke had this split thing going for years, and every time he left town for Tony Geary's vacations, Luke was doing bad. Maybe he kept it all secret for years, but when he was dying & captured by Jerry on Cassadine Isle, Fluke came out. Now Hells was dead then, but maybe Faison or Jerry saw it.... I dunno. There are so many holes in this, everywhere you look. I am certain it was Bill when this story started, then Geary had his back surgery and Ron decided to change it because everyone had the gist of the story figured out. I actually still think Ron has a lot of talents, but long-term planning isn't one of them (as evidenced by Anna thinking Faison was in a hole for a year without ever once checking for herself).

    Just rambling. Great column Karen!

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  3. The Luke as Fluke requires us forgetting what we saw- namely several time Miscavige orderlies interacted, drugged, and subdued Luke, as well as talking about him to Fluke or someone in charge on the phone. If Luke;'s delusion, how wd they be in on it, and if a real mummy, even an orderly wd be creeped out as hell.

    Cartini wants us to forget this all.

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  4. Maybe Luke is really died and fluke is Bill and all this bull sh## will end with Tony's exit and well deserved retirement.

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  5. confusing week for sure. Hope he can bring it all together so it makes sense for all of us- with flashbacks or something. Agree with skeebob- timing is off with Helena. She held a knife to "Luke's" throat the last time at Miscavige. Makes no sense with the Faison stuff either.
    Maybe Bill is the corpse and Luke split when Bill died. But still doesn't explain the interaction between them. Or maybe Pat is the corpse. Why mention Pat and bring up all that? I'm sill hoping Pat is Fluke and Bill is really dead.

    Scene of the week for me was Ava and the baby Avery visit. That little girl is a doll. (Although Silas should not let her chew on the phone cord. Gross.) Hoping Ava survives the week. Love Maura.

    I'm done with the Fluke story - have hated it from the start and want TG to retire already. I'd rather watch Franco and Nina.

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  6. I want the corpse to be whomever is Robin's grave. This bugs me to no end that this was never addressed. If Anna is such a good cop, how has she never questioned this? A woman was murdered and buried in her daughter's name and she has never once thought "Who is in my daughter's grave?" This would have the potential to be an awesome storyline. Arghhh.

    The only way this show could be saved for me now is if Ricky, Julian and Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys show up in Pentonville. It's winter and they are usually in jail this time of year. If the Trailer Park Boys can show up on CSI and Archer, why not General Hospital? I want this crossover to happen so bad!

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  7. Yes, Ava and the baby Avery visit--superb!! MW is an amazing actress, even causing us to sympathize with a sociopath (which is what she is--as the "resident expert," I am qualified to diagnose LOL)!!

    As for Luke and DID, I only have treated one patient who supposedly has it, and it didn't manifest while I was treating her, so I have no "hands on" experience with it (schizophrenia, now THAT I can explain!).

    From what I know (and I think everyone here already knows this), with DID you "lose time" when your alters come out. There is so much controversy in my profession about whether or not it really exists, although I think that it does. I do think it would be strange, though, for one alter to "see" another, especially see him as a corpse, although, like I said, I do not have much experience with this condition.

    I think the Emmy this year should go to baby Avery, not only is she a wonderful actress, but she actually does look like Ava and Sonny!

    Linda V is the only one who answered my call for those of us who can, to meet during the East Coast GH event on April 11 or 12. Anyone else interested? We all can get a table together, it would be so fun!!

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  8. Archeobot...I always wanted a storyline around the burned up body they thought was Lucky's when he "died" in the fire. The young man's parents coming back for revenge?

    Anyhow, I think there are still two options we haven't put on the table aside from DID, brainwashing, etc. What about triplets? Maybe corpse Luke is dead Bill, real Luke is actually locked away, and Fluke is triplet #3. All raised by different parents. Maybe or maybe not actual Pat Spencer's sons? And obviously this triplet just happens to be a maniac (sorry antjoan, not an expert so I'll just use that word.) :)

    Or...clone? Maybe they dug up Bill to clone a Luke-alike. And as above, corpse Luke is Bill, real Luke is still locked up, and Fluke is Clone Luke. He's talking to corpses and such because the rapid-growth drugs used to age him appropriately are now deteriorating his brain and making him lose touch with reality...such that it is. Didn't they do a Marlena clone story line on Days a long time ago? (never watched that show.) Could be Frank Smith got the clone-ball rolling and after he died Helena swooped in...so some of his programming is to destroy Sonny and be a mobster while some is to destroy the Spencer family. Multiple masters sort of?

    Anyhow, both my scenarios still have plenty of holes given how this story has been woven so chaotically the last 12 months or so...but they are possible. Heck it's a soap...ANYTHING is possible!

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  9. I hate this story. It is so poorly written. It seems as though the writers cannot decide what the story is. I just want it to stop. I really liked the first year of Carlivati but this is just as bad as Cosmoetica has described his writing as being. I didn't watch OLTL so I don't know what he did there but this is just awful. History keeps changing to fit wherever he's going with this.
    It seems as though they are trying to find someway, anyway to drag all 102 cast members into this stupid story.. (I know there really aren't that many but it sure seems that way).
    KA announces her departure and the regime claims to be stunned, shocked but a few days later her replacement is named. It seems totally unbelievable that they could do that so quickly.
    Just like Jasonrocks I am afraid that they are goig to get rid of Maura West - my favorite of all the newer hires. She is every bit as good as people said she is. But it always seems that they dump people I like so I am fearful for her.

    We have already done 5 days of shows for the party - please don't make this drag on for another two weeks.

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  10. I would so like to go, but I'm just getting back from Florida that week before. No $$ or time to go. :( WAH

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  11. Oh I think there's WAY MORE to that KA leaving story than is out there

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  12. "Aren't my Teeth Perfect?"

    ROFL! Yes perfect teeth on the skeleton!!!

    "And, there it was. In a nice mummified package, sitting in a chair. Dante wakes up and finds "Luke" has been some dead guy all along. I'm assuming it's Bill Eckert."

    Helena did say to Fluke that we both know there is nothing down there. So, maybe Helena grabbed Luke and put him somewhere else, and put Bill Ekhart's skeleton in the basement. *shrug* I have no idea. I am so confused!

    "Jimmy didn't see Jake, Jimmy wasn't here"

    Hysterical!!! ROFL!

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  13. "Bettersteve said...Maybe Luke is really died and fluke is Bill and all this bull sh## will end with Tony's exit and well deserved retirement."

    ACK! NOOOOOOOOO! :( I don't want Luke dead. I do hope Fluke is Bill! And yes well deserved retirement for Tony. :)

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  14. What if Dante, who was pushed down the stairs and whacked in the head, is just seeing things and thinks he sees a corpse in that chair?

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  15. "Devblev said...What if Dante, who was pushed down the stairs and whacked in the head, is just seeing things and thinks he sees a corpse in that chair?"

    Sounds good to me!!! So many theories!!!

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  16. Since Luke has long been a super character to me and TG my favorite TV actor, I would HATE any story that destroyed the character. Guza came close.
    Anyway, I think the idea that perhaps Luke was rescued by someone who took him out of the basement but is still trying to catch Fluke so is keeping Luke secret and stashed away. Then replaced him with that awful corpse that was dug up. Helena and Fluke act like they have been close for years--not exactly friends, but involved somehow. Almost as if he is part of her family. Luke and Helena used to have this flirtation going, but a sardonic one that was actually hate.

    I don't want TG leaving the show the way they treated Genie when she and Jill got into it. They made Laura a crazy and put her in a coma! They said she was fragile and went off the track. Laura was NOT fragile--she was very strong, running with Luke all over the world and always keeping up with him magnificently. They turned the character we knew so well inside out.

    If Tony retires, they need to bring back Genie, reunite them and let them leave together (I hate his pairing with Tracy!) TG retiring is a major event and should not be tossed off. The man carried the show for years and years. 7 or 8 Emmys. A magnificent actor, and make no mistake, Genie was a magnificent actress. (we never hear anything of her--what's the story!???)

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  17. That baby is beautiful! Can't wait for Harper Barash to appear as Georgie. Quite a confusing and weird week, full of holes and inconsistencies as always. Lucas and Brad were adorable.
    AntJoan, seems like it is only the two of us so just let me know and we can get our tickets.
    LindaV

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