Week 17, Part II
Patrick, to Kevin: "It's great to have you back where you belong. So, how's everybody been treating you?"
Old lady being wheeled away by a nurse: "I'm not getting out of this hospital a minute too soon! Can you believe they're letting that man come back to work?"
Laurelton, the O'Connors stuff: There's an alternative universe where it wasn't Kevin all along, and he remained on the scene for at least 1986-87. In this more low-key world, significant time is spent on Kevin rebuilding his professional life, finally having a happily ever after with Terry, and ending up on good terms with Anna. That last one writes itself; Robin gets sick and Kevin heals her. For better or for worse, GH just wasn't that kind of show at this time.
For the record, Lucy and Sarah aren't around when the not guilty verdict's read. I thought it was interesting that Anna and Brett's dismayed reaction shot doesn't come for 20 seconds.
Red, to Jake: "I hope you're satisfied, counselor. ... I know what I saw that day at the airport. ... No, you're the one who's making a mistake. You just let a killer go free."
Tuesday's episode has an odd moment with Sheriff Broder, Ted, and the O'Connor parents. Ted says they've all had three long years wondering just who was Earl Moody's killer, but it's time to "put the past behind us once and for all." Tim O'Connor, who, by the way, is back to being at odds with Patrick, thinks that maybe it's better that they not know who did it. That's pretty insensitive from a guy who lost three in-laws to the killer and had everyone in his immediate family except him and his wife be suspected of murder. I guess in this world where Kevin and Patrick didn't do it, Tim would have.
In-universe, I think the Laurelton four know that Kevin did it, but are too much in denial or fear to say so. Whether they've always known it or have finally reached that conclusion remains to be seen. On Thursday, Tim starts to imply that he thinks Patrick is the killer. It's also revealed on Thursday that Earl was killed in the same room as Ted, et al. and that it happened when the lights went out.
Okay, that's just stupid as hell. We've seen the room where it happened. It's not that big. Did everyone but Kevin just stay where they were, too terrified to move while their longtime acquaintance or relative was being killed? They couldn't all have been tending to the lights. And how long does it take to strangle a guy, anyway?
Moving on ... Patrick rewards Bobbie and Jake, who gave Kevin a discount on his defense, with a Paris vacation. Jake leaves with a growing seed of doubt about Kevin's innocence. Meanwhile, Patrick goes to Laurelton, where he gives Sarah the use of Earl's house, makes her his proxy at Purity Water, and establishes a salary for that role. Sarah initially fears she's being paid off for her testimony, but comes around in a surprisingly touching way.
Patrick: "I need you to look after my interests, so to speak. I need ya."
Sarah, whispering as if in ectasy: "Oh, your uncle used to say that to me. Normal voice Oh, Patrick, you know I was very important to him." (I'll just bet she was!)
Patrick: "I know that. And you are very important to me too, Sarah."
Sarah, whispering again, and tearing up a little: "Oh, imagine. ... Just imagine me. Getting back to normal volume Me. Important to somebody. Oh, you know the people here in Laurelton never thought that I was important to anybody!"
Anyway, the Laurelton guys learn what Patrick's done. I still think Tim should have been killed off during Laurelton II: Sarah's Revenge. Maybe Jim McKrell wasn't available. Back in Port Charles, Kevin and Terry continue having lousy sex. Since February, Terry's been presented as the one who's not pulling her weight, but I wish it would have turned out that Kevin just wasn't a good lover. That would have really sent him over the edge.
Terry's determined to find out just who the killer is, so she can finally move on and be Kevin's wife. She also doesn't like Kevin's idea of leaving the Brownstone and/or Port Charles. Patrick returns from Laurelton in time to keep Terry from using Jennifer's brandy to make her unofficial truth serum. He ends Thursday's episode by telling Terry that she must forget the past. (Hmm ... maybe Patrick also has some barely suppressed doubts about Kevin?)
Friday's episode includes Kevin's initially awkward return to GH. I smirked at the student nurse running like hell once she realizes they're alone together. As the episode goes on, various folks (from Alan to Yank) assert their confidence in Kevin and that everything will soon be back to normal. The episode includes not one, but four visits to Lucy.
Lucy, to Terry: "I've learned my lesson. ... Never tell a lie and never fall in love, because they both bring you nothing but pain."
After Terry, Lucy's visited in the library by Frisco, then Patrick. I watched these scenes carefully, trying to see if there'd be any red herrings for the finale. Truth be told, there aren't. Lucy briefly mentions Brett and Jake, but we already know that the latter's in Paris and the former hasn't shown up in the episode, so he's not likely to be the mystery man. Frisco ends Friday's episode having afterglow with Felicia, so he's not going to suddenly show up at Lucy's. And the way Lucy and Patrick are interacting, they clearly have no established intimacy. That leaves just Kevin, who for his part, has claimed to Patrick and Terry that he doesn't like Lucy.
Which brings us to Lucy's big scene. As a standalone piece, it's a well-deserved classic. In context, it's frustrating. It won't be confirmed until next week that Lucy's seeing Kevin, but based on who she's been interacting with so far, it's really not hard to figure it out. Classic JER, like the unnecessary staggering of Roman finding out about Marlena & John's affair and that John was Belle's father.
In my next post or two, which will come tomorrow, thoughts on Laurelton, the Anna (and Buzz) stuff, Sean Swindles the Quartermaines, and the domestic storylines (the Webbers, Bryan & Claudia, Tony & Tania).
By
Franko ·
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