If they really wanted to play this drama, they'd be honest about who Sonny is and what he is doing. Have him lose his grip (and his meds) and go all-out against Michael, seeing him as A.J. reborn. Turn it into a real war for over a year. Have Carly and eventually even Morgan turn away from him (because no Carly - Laura's included - would ever side with Sonny over Michael for the sake of getting some dick). Let him become the delusional villain. That would be great story, but Ron is either too disinterested and distracted by his own pets (Franco, Nina, etc.) to play it, or the network won't allow it, or both.

And by the way, it's criminal how someone - whether it's Frank Valentini or the network or even Ron - has decided the hope for Michael Easton's future lies in shackling Maura West to his side. Ava is a great villain but she is not meant to be crying and weeping in rags or prison jumpsuits. She's meant to be dressed to the nines and scheming in swag digs, not hanging off a wooden, over-the-hill heartthrob who has no interest in performing.

I said years back that Sonny is the typical "Cartini" leading man. He ticks all their boxes, aside from looks, as he's generally busted.

I don't think there's any story left for Ava. They burned through it.

I don't think Ron is that interested in Sonny or the mob overall. But they know where their bread is buttered and how much I suspect the network will allow. They had to pull back a lot after their first year to keep the mob in first position on the show. Playing with Sonny in this way - making him do unspeakable things and then not even bothering to walk it back, just to see how much the audience can take - also suits Ron's lazy style of shock beat writing with big payoffs and nothing else these days.

I think Ava can go on for a long time with smart writing. Worse criminals than her wriggle out of their comeuppance for years on soaps. But this team is not very smart.

It's not so much the bad things Ava did as the range of the character. Pining over this man and that man, depending on the day of the week. The confusion over whether we were supposed to cry for her or hate her or love to hate her. The non-starter relationship with Kukla. It all feels very tired. You'd think she had been on the show for a decade.

I tend to wonder how much the network really cares about Sonny or the mob at this point. Frons did, but Frons is gone. Most of Sonny's stories are stories that Frodd would have been given for eternity on OLTL. It's easy to write for Sonny because you can have him do anything, and the Jamey Giddens brigade will lead the charge for his hero prize.

Edited March 10, 201510 yr by DRW50

Ava is [...] not meant to be crying and weeping in rags or prison jumpsuits. She's meant to be dressed to the nines and scheming in swag digs, not hanging off a wooden, over-the-hill heartthrob who has no interest in performing.

Yep.

Yep.

I agree with Vee's post as well, but I can't find it. Ava was not meant for this crap onscreen now. Trying to whitewash and redeem her. For what? White her as a good villain damn it. It not, get her off this damn show!

I think MB and Sonny is/are one of the few recognizable longtime leads which most of the ABC Daytime people in charge might still recognize for branding and PR purposes - along with TG, and possibly Genie Francis. Even people who haven't watched GH in decades can remember Luke and Laura or Sonny and Brenda and, unfortunately, Jason. It's easy for someone with a passing knowledge of the show's focus groups or past or whatever to come in and say, as it was rumored they did, 'this show is kind of missing that big thing the fans loved, right? Sonny and the mob? Do more of that.'

I don't think Ron has ever had a passion for mob stories except on his own terms, where it showcases people or plot beats he's invested in. He can barely be bothered to give any of those proceedings even a hint of depth, it's all about the next plot point. Sonny goes directly to jail after being found out, along with Julian and Ava; the trials take either a day or two or don't appear onscreen at all. Michael immediately gets custody of the newborn Avery after approximately two or three days in court. Duke and Shawn and the running of the mob is scarcely seen. His focus is the family conflict - the problem is that the family conflict is extremely shallowly-written. If he cared, he would have known Carly would never have backed Sonny against Michael, and Alexis, for all her hypocritical bullshit about Sonny and Julian, also wouldn't be spending hours lecturing Michael on 'getting revenge'.

Edited March 10, 201510 yr by Vee

moRon doesn't care about anything but his pets and penning this embarrassing crap!

Dr. O should have walked in on Brad and Lucas playing doctor.

Baby AJ doesn't like Michael because she's always crying.

Uh some babies do just cry no matter who's holding them.

Michael's small victories against Sonny are currently the only thing worth watching. As others have stated though, this is NOT Carly. She would never in a thousand years pick ANYONE over her first-born. As for Morgan...there are no words.

I think today was my final day of watching. There is NOTHING worthwhile about this show. I'll keep reading the recaps and what people here have to say about it, but it's not worth my time at the present.

Dr. O should have walked in on Brad and Lucas playing doctor.

Baby AJ doesn't like Michael because she's always crying.

Oh the clever, "soapy goodness" writing - that was the same shitty story they used for AJ when Michael was a baby.

I don't think Ron has ever had a passion for mob stories except on his own terms, where it showcases people or plot beats he's invested in. He can barely be bothered to give any of those proceedings even a hint of depth, it's all about the next plot point. Sonny goes directly to jail after being found out, along with Julian and Ava; the trials take either a day or two or don't appear onscreen at all. Michael immediately gets custody of the newborn Avery after approximately two or three days in court. Duke and Shawn and the running of the mob is scarcely seen. His focus is the family conflict - the problem is that the family conflict is extremely shallowly-written. If he cared, he would have known Carly would never have backed Sonny against Michael, and Alexis, for all her hypocritical bullshit about Sonny and Julian, also wouldn't be spending hours lecturing Michael on 'getting revenge'.

I don't think he really cares about the mob, but showing men behave in a variety of disgusting ways as they make sad faces and the town cries for them - that's his forte. And that's Sonny. It's always been Sonny.

You know one thing that always gets me is how the few people I know IRL who watch GH all either like Sonny, or don't care about him, but hate Michael and hate that he wants the baby.

Sometimes when I'm on here, or one or two other boards, I forget just what a vacuum we're in.

Sonny threatening Michael was laughable. Im glad Michael wasnt intimidated. I wasnt for what Michael is doing but he won me over in the last 2 episodes

Rocco is huge. When he get so big?

Glad to see Felicia finally appear onscreen again

LOL at Olivia asking if she should be embarrassed that her grandson will be older than her baby

The Shadybrooke nonsense is such a waste of time

Tracy being nice seems so out of character for her. She loves Avery, likes that she's called AJ and is welcoming of her? Tracy hates most Quartermaines that arent her children, especially interlopers with no blood relation

The Corinthos family bonding....that whole family is trash

Oh the clever, "soapy goodness" writing - that was the same shitty story they used for AJ when Michael was a baby.

None of that has translated into "writing". The baby just happens to be fussy, no matter who holds her. They arent writing it that people are commenting that she cant stand to be around Michael

Michael's small victories against Sonny are currently the only thing worth watching. As others have stated though, this is NOT Carly. She would never in a thousand years pick ANYONE over her first-born. As for Morgan...there are no words.

lol..she already has

Edited March 10, 201510 yr by Cheap21

HUH? Carly has ALWAYS chosen Sonny over her kids, so this is Carly completely in character. Both Sonny and Carly would throw their kids under the bus for each other

HUH? Carly has ALWAYS chosen Sonny over her kids, so this is Carly completely in character. Both Sonny and Carly would throw their kids under the bus for each other

Michael has always been Carly's reason for EVERYTHING and she'd never side with anyone over him.