Sunday Surgery: What a FINISH!

 

This was my face on Thursday-- just like: WHAT!? What am I SEEING? LOL. I do feel like I watched a short film in there. Yes, that's being dramatically over the top but dang. Acting, direction, execution and editing was superb. Just a great week to be a GH fan. 

We are going to need coffee and maybe some hang-over powders from all the celebrating yesterday? Not me-- I just had a hot dog and that was it. 

Let's GO GO!

Photo Credits: Sloan Rush unless otherwise noted

Where do I even start??  If you didn't watch last week, I urge you to do so. It's the conclusion of the eons long COLD-FUSION FIVE POPPIES story we've all been waiting for. It wasn't an easy ride either. The writers actually managed to weave a complex set of moving parts into something that was epic. So many threads to sew together here so let's just start at the beginning of the week and move on down. Hope I have enough blog paper to finish.

MONDAY AND JOE'S LAMENT: Well, we end up at Sidwell's hide-away and poor Ezra Boyle is caught up in all the shenanigans.  The upshot of all of this is that Cassius was sent to kill Sidwell. He ends up letting him go but not before Sid announces that "Nathan" isn't Nathan. Joe gets a bonk to the head and is left with Ezra who calls 911. Later, he's tended by Lucas (meet-trauma?) and he spills the Cassius tea AND that Britt's syringe was filled with saline. 

TUESDAY WAS A GAS:  Cullum gets to Jack Brennan. Now, how Jack let him tie him down --even if he WAS pretending, is beyond me.  But yep...there he is getting a mask and CO tank strapped to it. Cullum leaves the room while Jack struggles and passes out.

BUT WAIT!! Wednesday Nina shows up. Cynthia Watrose certainly put her ALL into these frantic scenes, didn't she? Geesh!! She ends up panicking, running around like a chicken with it's head cut off and in the end, gives Jack the kiss of life and he comes around. 

TEARY GOODBYE:  On the same day, Cassius makes it to James' batting practice. NOT Before Felicia gets a voicemail to Cody alerting him about the ruse which lets Cody keep the kid from leaving. Nathan seems contrite and sad. He gets into a car with an Ontario license plate, counts his (old) Canadian money and folds his passport. We think he's off for the border. 

BUTT SHOT:  Sidwell bursts into The Jerome Art Gallery and decides to take Ava hostage. Struggle, gun goes off and body-guard Ethan takes a bullet. He and Ava manage to run into the storage until where she tends to his buttocks. I have to say, great acting by ND because he REALLY looked like he was losing blood and in shock. Having Maura in there  elevated everything and it became the fun banter-mess we expect from GH.  Other big reveal:  Ethan told Ava he's NOT Phoebe's Dad. Let's hope we find out more on Monday.

Sidwell takes ADA hostage and calls Super Sonny to come and get her. Sonny arrives and BOY is he angry. The usual gnashing of teeth follows and Sonny finally undoes Sid by mentioning the gruesome death of his son, Marco. Kudos to CR who was playing that freak-out perfectly. Yada, yada, Sonny gets the gun and Sidwell is arrested. Ethan is taken to GH and then.. the only clink in the week's armor happens when Sonny and ADA make out like 12 year olds. 

CASSADINE ISLAND ACTION: Carly's managed to get information from Charlotte about where Joss and Dr O might be held captive. She "sneaks" into Wyndemere only to be caught by Cullum and a burly guy. Cullum leaves to get the project out and Carly fights with the henchman. In a semi-decent fight scene, she's just about to be trapped when Cassius shows up and shoots. We all thought he left! (I did anyway). I half expected Val or Jason to show up. BUT! Cassius had a conscience and turned around to save the day. Carly goes and finds Joss who then tricks her by shoving her back into the chamber with Dr O and leaving to get Cullum. 

We are now into Thursday which is the really "big show".  Charlotte and Danny managed to get to the island and set off some firecrackers to simulate gun fire which draws everyone out to the docks. I actually liked that-- good idea and it worked.  The sequencing of this gun fight was amazing for a daytime show. Just executed really really well. Plenty of extras, a real chopper, trucks, oil barrels and enough gun-fire to keep us occupied. I kept thinking that Steve Burton had to be pissed he wasn't there !! haha. 

Cullum turned into one of the best villains GH has had in years. He ends up shooting Cassius. Joss, who's already wounded, picks up a long gun and plugs Cullum from behind. He falls down and as we learn later, dead. Man, Joss' body count is going UP UP UP!  I didn't mind Joss this past week. Eden played her very well and the interactions with Dr O was just the right touch. The action sequences almost had me believing she really WAS a WSB agent. Almost.

FROM THE SKIES:  This is when our guest-star John Oliver appears and hovers over Joss to tell her everything is going to be ok. He's actually the "Z" that Brennan mentioned to Valentin. 

MEANWHILE---over in France: 

THE MOMENT WUBSY LOST IT: Ok, this was so jarring I'm referring to myself in the third person. If I had a camera on me? You would have loved the shock. I...just DID NOT expect that. Like at all. Anna was behaving strangely but I thought it was an acting choice to show how much her confidence was shaken. NOPE! It's because freaking PETER AUGUST was in the room with her. Oh lordy, those psychotic drugs they've given her certainly have done some damage!! PS. I'm not going to talk about WA and our whole hate-relationship with him. THIS was a great twist so I'll allow it. (for now) 

Behind the scenes from Andrew Hawkes IG 

FRIDAY COMES and we get ready to tie up all the ends. In a brilliant writing choice, Z gives Joss the lowdown: Cassius is dead and the WSB wants to pin everything on him to save face. Joss, in a moment of clarity, realizes she can use this to leverage to get Jason and Valentin free. This is brilliant because it justifies in a decent way getting both those characters out of custody and back on canvas. Also, a shout out to John Oliver who was surprisingly good in this role. So many times actors/personalities don't make the cut. I enjoyed him. Scenes with Carly on Monday look good as well. 

REALIZATION: Lulu finds out about Nathan/Cassius and reels at the information. Shock and numbness followed. Rocco couldn't even believe she was so out of it. The one fly in this ointment? Why didn't GH recast Maxie a few weeks ago? She's a pivotal part of this story and it's a glaring hole. Either way, Lulu's just upset with herself for falling for a Faison. Eek. 

ALMOST BROS:  We leave Friday with Danny confronting Rocco over shooting Cullum and "letting' his father take the blame. Danny should know by now that Jason doesn't do anything unless he WANTS to and Rocco certainly couldn't have stopped him. How this will play out knowing that Joss told Z that only she and Sidwell knew about Cullum we will have to see. A HELL of a lot of people knew he was a double-agent but maybe the citizens of PC will shut up to save their St. Jaysus. (photo credit: Canadian Fuzzy)

AND--VAUGHN:  One of Britt's visitors happened to be Agent Vaughn of the Five Poppies fame. I honestly couldn't think of his name at first!! Was I mad he showed up? Not really. Fit to have him to be here at the end. Maybe Joss can say goodbye properly. He's not staying so I'm not afraid we will have him hanging around. Could be a good once and awhile WSB pop-in. 

SMALL MOMENTS OF NOTE: 

Tracey, Cody, Molly and James meet up at the Q stables. James is so sad with his "dad" leaving. They cheer him by making 'smores and it's just a nice touch. 

Dr O's interactions with Britta, Joss and Carly. All good scenes to watch. 

We found out both Donna and Avery were on their way to sleep-away camp so don't worry about them....

NOTE:  Nina is supposedly keeping Brennan at Turning Woods under an assumed name but I'm thinking he can "wake up" for reals now. Also? This all has to mean Drew is up and about soon as well. 

COUNT:

Sidwell:  Jail 

Britt Westborne: Jail

Ross Cullum: Dead 

Cassius Cassadine: Presumed Dead 

Ethan Lovett: Wounded, in GH

Josslyn Jacks: Out of surgery, recovering at GH 

Anna Devane: Declared "Cured" on her way back to PC

Peter August: Living in Anna's brain, rent-free

 

OLIVER BROWN

That's a wrap! Just a great week for our show and I'm so happy I was here LIVE for all of it. So much fun interacting with everyone on socials. I do think so many questions were answered and things were done well. The writers must have been thrown when it was announced Oliver was coming on but they stepped up to the plate for sure. ALL the actors need Kudos. ALL the behind the scenes props, make up and scene directors. None of that was AI and it felt nicely 'real'. Yes, we still aren't sure where those outside shots were (Spoon Island? Other end of Wyndemere?) or how the trucks got there but IN the end, it didn't matter. The biggest thing for me is that Wed-Thursday didn't feel cheezy or hokey OR campy. :clapping:  

PHEW! We made it!! Sorry if I left parts out, I tried like hell to get it all in there!! I'm sure you'll let me know in the comments. 

CHEERS!!