GH: Jason Morgan

[DRW50]

So, back in 1996, Luza followed the Labines story ideas and had Jason get brain damage. He then, whether through their or his own ideas, had Jason verbally abuse his entire family and disown them to become a thug for hire. And as a result, Jason with a blank facial expression and dead line delivery has gone from young man to middle age, never really changing, although in the past characters used to be afraid of his violence, but then starting around Luza's first return, 1998 or so, he became deified, and it's never really stopped. I think 1998-1999 was probably the all time low, as Robin was run out of town on a rail for telling AJ he was Michael's father, as they were so desperate to paint AJ as scum for even wanting to be near his child, as viewers were treated to what seemed like five days a week of Emily verbally abusing her entire family for not wanting to hand a baby over to a mobster. The fact that Michael's very soul was completely rotted away by being raised to worship the mob is something which has, surprise surprise, been swept under the rug. And as much as Jason is tolerable compared to Sonny, it's Jason where all this really sprung from.

When this started, did you ever think this would go on for almost 14 years (and counting)?

If you had the choice, and you could go back and rewrite Jason from ever existing in this form, would you? Would you have kept Jason as the Jason who, in one episode, wore a reindeer sweater, thus demoralizing Steve Burton for life? Or do you think they were right to make him into Jason Morgan, but you just think this has gone on too long or has been badly handled over time?

[Cheap21]

GH had a chance to reboot the character back when he lost all his memories as Jason Morgan back in 2005, I think it was when he had brain issues. I always thought they should have given him back his memories and feelings as Jason Q as well as the Morgan stuff and proceeded as an integrated character struggling with his past and the man he'd become. Instead they went right back to the Jason Morgan crap

[Ann_SS]

When Jason Morgan first appeared, I always thought that he would regain his memory and integrate his new personality with his old personality. Didn't happen. The problem isn't Jason Morgan though, the problem is the mob. If I could go back, I would get rid of the mob as the good guys and moral center of GH.

As much as TPTB's obsession with Jason, Sonny and Carly has ruined GH, I find it comforting that MB, SB, and TG are all unhappy and bitter because their acting careers went nowhere and they are stuck on a soap.

[R Sinclair]

When I started watching GH in spring 2000, Jason had been long gone. He came back in September of that year to rescue Emily from Zander at the Canadian border, but I had no clue who this character was until his official return in 2002 when Guza returned with Pratt. It was a crash course in Jason Morgan, with me not really being into the character. Blank stare, robo-killer... I had not a single clue as to why Carly loved herself some him. Then came Journey... and I saw absolutely NO chemistry in that pairing. I still wasn't getting it. Why is this Jason character so special. It wasn't until the accidental pairing of Jason and Brenda that I found him entertaining. Then 'Nessa left and we went back to Journey and I was bored again.

Now, Steve Burton is hilarious in contrast to blank Jason. If I had my way, I probably wouldn't have had Jason have lasting brain damage because it would be nice to see the character have range. I only saw a brief sampling of Jason Quartermaine when SOAPNet re-aired Ned and Lois' wedding. I don't know if the character had any more or less appeal in that version. But considering what I know from what's been said these last seven years about the whole brain damage thing, Jason Quartermaine clearly was more expressive than Jason Morgan.

Over time, I've come to appreciate Jason simply because he's NOT Sonny. He may do Sonny's bidding, but I can tolerate him a helluva lot more than I can Sonny.

[DRW50]

I think this has a lot to do with Jason's appeal. He's extremely low-key, almost catatonic, and this is a contrast to Sonny, who is always on. And Jason never directly hurts the women in his life, he's so passive, they usually end up hurting themselves, whereas Sonny destroys the women in his life.

Ann, I always wonder how much of that is Guza. I don't remember them being quite as awful when McTavish was headwriter. Or the few years when Guza was gone, with Cullitan, or later with Michele Val Jean.

I have never understood why we are supposed to be in such awe of Guza. He's just a sick headwriter and I think he has done horrible damage to most of the mob characters he claims to love so much.

[R Sinclair]

I've heard over time that a lot of it is Korte as well. She is very much in the catbird seat.

[DRW50]

That's interesting. I don't really know anything about Korte. I have heard that she's the one who is behind the whole "brave and strong" version of Carly that started popping up when Laura Wright took over. Is she?

[Ann_SS]

I can believe Korte is into the mob. Night Shift 1 that she wrote with Guza was positively dreadful and full of Jason and Spinelli as heroes and saviors of all. Guza isn't on his own in the mob love at GH. There are so many women working with Guza and they all share his vision of the mob characters as the bestest thing to ever happen.

Carly is "brave and strong" "the hottest woman ever" and "earth mother." Korte must have the hots for LW and her braless boobs.

[DRW50]

I loved Sarah Brown's Carly so much I would have started a religion for her, but the idea of her as an "earth mother" makes me They really did take that character down quite a path after she left.

[CSF]

I loved Sarah Brown's Carly too. I mean, she played that role so well. I don't think Laura Wright would have ever been able to play Carly the way SB did. Tamara Braun came close to it, but she is no SB.

[Ann_SS]

I remember that Sarah Brown left because she did not like how Carly was being written and because she was working a lot.

[Mary Beth]

I liked the potential that a blank slate Jason Morgan had and loved the character early on. I found the conflict with the Qs interesting, I found his relationship with Robin touching. I didn't even mind that he turned to Sonny at first. But the problem for me was that the character stagnated, that after taking the dark turn, he kept going that way instead of having any kind of realization or maturity or whatever -- and the show further glorified the mob which all just fed on itself. Now has regressed. Having him regain some memories/conscience and integrating was one option. I hated him in boring Journey and I hated what he did to AJ and how they ruined AJ to glorify Jason (and Sonny). There was a glimmer of hope for me when he was with Liz and had Jake that they might give him actual growth and enlightenment and a new direction. Apparently, that was too frightening a concept for them to follow through on, so he went back in his box. Now, he's just a huge joke to me. He's a big twisted version of Peter Pan who won't grow up, won't face consequences, won't wear anything but those stupid black t-shirts and dorky hair style that make him look ridiculous. I had such a crush on Steve Burton for years. Now, I just laugh when I see him.

[DRW50]

Mary Beth, I think that's all very true. I wasn't into Liasion, or any of Jason's relationships, but I did get the sense with a lot of viewers that this was the last straw for Jason. Putting him back with Sam just seems more like marking time, because he can always be in the mob, and do these cheap adventure things. I like Sam and I think KM and SB work together but it feels like a copout, in some sense.

I have always wondered what Claire Labine's story arc would have ended with.

[CSF]

I feel like Claire Labine's story arc would have been much more riveting. Jason would struggle to get his memories back. AJ would suffer with guilt and become a wreck. I do think that Jason might have pushed the Quartermaine's away with the exception of Lila, Monica and Ned. He would probably make some not so wise decisions. But in the end, I think he would get his memories back, forgive AJ and then help him get his life back in order and also kind of come to his defense as the Q's always liked to throw AJ under the bus. This is all JMO, but then I also think after all of this Alan would have started his drug addiction like he had in 1998-1999.

ETA: I still think Jason would have had his romance with Robin.