Credit: ABC screenshots

Several characters exited, if only temporarily, from General Hospital this week. We suspect their departures were to drive a few stories forward. The list of people who hate Drew continued to grow, and as if he wasn’t bad enough, a new slimy politician has arrived on the scene. Let’s discuss all that happened in Port Charles.

Who Will Be the One to Tell Dante the Truth?

Brook Lynn’s baby secret has become the worst-kept one in Port Charles right now. Upon learning Grandma Gloria had always known about her baby, Brook Lynn finally told Chase everything. She then swore him to secrecy, and so far, Chase has been keeping the truth from his bestie, Dante.

After a heated argument, Lois thought it would be best to return to Bensonhurst temporarily. With her, Gloria and Martin all out of town, there is no one left who knows Gio is Brook Lynn and Dante’s son. And after Chase threatened to lock Lulu up for breaking into Martin’s room to get her to back off his wife, I’m guessing Lulu isn’t going to drop this matter. My money is on Lulu telling Dante the truth, but only after she plays detective and learns Gio is his son. Oh, and Chase putting Lulu in her place was a great scene and one long overdue for the character.

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Valentin Vs. Jack

Valentin accidentally poisoning Carly while aiming for Jack doesn’t bode well for the Cassadine’s future. He’s likely looking at a stint in Steinmauer unless a miracle occurs. Anna arresting him at least restored some of her credibility, as she noted she should never have let him escape in the first place, as it compromised her. Plus, I loved her response to Valentin asking if she no longer loved him… “None of that matters. You’ve committed too many crimes, my darling. You have to face justice. It’s over.”

Last week, I wondered who was running the WSB, and if Valentin is to be believed, it’s Jack! The idea that he’s using his lowly position as a local station head is interesting, and it also isn’t just a cover, as it gave him access to Carly. Jack’s made it clear he’s got it bad for her. How, though, does recruiting Joss to be an undercover agent fit into his agenda?

Valentin looked like a puppy dog who had lost everything by the end of Friday’s episode when he called Alexis to ask her for a favor. Even he knows he’s not getting out of this. However, I can’t help but hope Port Charles’ unreliable prison transport system won’t make for an opportunity for him to disappear once again.

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Other Storyline Ponderings

As funny as it was watching Nina sniffing Ava’s domestic beer in horror, what is the point of making Ava broke? Ava without her martinis is no fun! Also, she owns an art gallery, so just have a big painting sale or something!

Just when I thought Willow couldn’t sink any lower than she has, she defended Drew’s wanting to relocate the Quartermaine crypt to Tracy. Listening to her spiel that Drew is a good person and would have been the most loyal of all Quartermaines was nauseating! Here is hoping Nina actually found some good dirt on Drew in his safe.

If Nina comes up empty snooping in Drew’s safe, which seems unlikely, Portia might have a plan B for taking Drew down. What could be so interesting in his medical file that she was glued to? Please, oh please, don’t explain his behavior away by a brain tumor!

I felt slightly sorry for Brad when he saw Marco leaving Lucas’ room in Miami. And with Martin out of town dealing with one of his ex-wives, my guess is Drew is going to hire Marco to come to Port Charles as his lawyer. Oh, and that whole failed alimony payment bit with Martin was just plain stupid. Sonny just bought Valentin’s house, so it’s not as if Martin failed to report it months after the sale and his commission!

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So, thanks to a social media post, we now know Marco is Natalia’s son and Blaze’s brother. Also, it looks like Blaze is coming back. Hopefully, she will be what Kristina needs to drop this need for vengeance against Ava and move on. It’s not that I don’t feel for Kristina and her loss, but we know, and she has to know on some level, that Ava didn’t push her, and it was an accident. It’s as if she’s convinced herself it’s Ava’s fault, as she needs someone to blame. “My name is Kristina Corinthos. You killed my baby. Prepare to die!”

Finally, poor Laura. She gets her children back, her granddaughter, and finally repairs her relationship with Sonny, only to have some sleazy Councilman Ezra Boyle gunning for her. I’m glad Laura has a storyline, but we already have enough political slime on this show with Drew! Right now, politics is the last thing I want to be tuning into my soap and seeing!

That’s it for this week’s Soapbox. As always, these are just my opinions and predictions. You know the drill, leave yours in the comments below!