The other day, I asked a GH-watching friend of mine what she thought about the Valentine's Day episodes, and here is how she responded: "Let's see......Lucky & Liz were in the church, and they got stuck in the snow, and I guess Nik was with Katherine, oh, but then he picked them up......who else was on? I really don't remember."
Valentine's day on General Hospital, this year can, with the exception of Lucky and Elizabeth, be summed up with the question: "What happened, again?" No matter how they've changed over the years, the core of soaps is romance, and Valentine's Day should be a key opportunity for a show to capitalize on all its couples and potential couples, whatever the nature of their relationships might be.
In keeping with ABC's synergistic marketing campaign for Stephen King's "Storm of the Century," ABC's daytime dramas were all hit with blizzards, most of which involved Valentine's Day festivities. On General Hospital, instead of showcasing the few romances it has going, the major theme revolved around characters who would not normally have scenes together being thrown into situations where they were stuck together and forced to interact. This device was tried on New Year's Eve with the Bachelor Auction, with mostly lackluster results, so the writers must be practicing the philosophy of "if at first you don't succeed . . ."
Although a few engaging scenes resulted from this device, romance ended up being the sacrificial lamb, as couples and potential couples were kept apart, as opposed to having scenes together. Jerry had actually planned ahead for the storm and intended to be "snowed in" with Bobbie in a romantic cabin . . . but never made it. This left Bobbie to be stuck at Kelly's with Stefan. Interesting scenes resulted from this, as they discussed their short-lived marriage for the first time since it ended, but couldn't she have had a romantic Valentine's Day with her beau before the storm hit?
The same goes for Alexis, who was in a car accident on her way to meet Ned and V for a dinner meeting with Jax. What is the deal with this "couple?" Why would they be having a business meeting/dinner on Valentine's Day? When are the writers going to decide whether or not they are a couple? Although they seem to be together on the show, fans, actors, and soap magazines talk about a potential Ned/V pairing, and say of the possibility of Jax and Alexis "they're both available." If Alexis is "available," somebody tell Ned! And the scenes between Ned and V didn't really inspire me to want them to become more than a "potential" couple, either. It was sweet, but kind of sad that snails were the "nicest thing anyone had ever gotten [her] for Valentine's Day!"
Carly, who is not involved with anyone, right now, but has potential with Jason, AJ, and Sonny, ended up stuck with Sonny in his blacked-out penthouse; trying to find Jason's phone number. Sonny inferred that Carly was offering to sleep with him for the information, and showed her the table. If the writers are truly doing a "chemistry test" with these two actors, why not go all the way? Have him grab her and kiss her and then push her away, or something equally as dramatic. Even the dialogue was not up to par. Upon a second viewing, I couldn't help but think, "What a weird scene!" It was a strange encounter, and I was really expecting a lot more from their scenes.
Where were Alan and Monica? They seem to be headed towards a tentative reconciliation -- why not capitalize with a tender scene or two? And poor Emily -- even her depressing date with her grandparents was canceled, due to the storm. Perhaps she could've had an encounter with a handsome stranger in the hotel lobby . . . instead she bumped into Nikolas, who had had second thoughts and decided to leave after one (albeit passionate) kiss with Katherine, only to reunite with her, anyway, a couple of weeks later.
Why not show Edward and Lila having a snug, "snowed-in" evening in front of the fireplace?
What about Felicia and Mac? They're finally together after all these years, and she spent their first Valentine's Day together getting loaded with Luke and Tammy.
Where were Luke & Laura? Laura spent Valentine's Day having a tea party with Lulu and crying to Amy, with whom she barely speaks. Why couldn't Luke have shown up for a few tense moments or some reminiscing? What about a flashback of a Luke and Laura past Valentine's Day? Laura did not even have scenes with Stefan -- a budding, although controversial relationship, that some viewers enjoy.
Even Taggert and Dara were nowhere to be found -- again, GH should've showcased what little it has in the romance department.
Lucky and Elizabeth were a notable exception to this dearth of romantic Valentines Day moments. It was truly poignant for Elizabeth to have overcome her feelings about the school dance, and create one in her living room for Lucky. The choice of music suited their relationship, as well. I have to admit, when they first walked into a church, I couldn't help but wonder what the writers were doing -- a wedding? They're only 16! My reservations were quickly overcome, however, with the sweetness of the scenes. Elizabeth needed to experience something truly special to overcome the horror of last year's Valentine's Day, and Lucky (and the writers) delivered. I also can't help but suspect that the writers were preparing for the eventuality of Jonathan Jackson's impending departure, and wanted to give the viewers the wedding we may never see. One minor quibble -- it would have been cute to see them snowed in together somewhere, instead of being picked up by Emily and Nikolas and spending the night (off-screen) in Emily's hotel room.
With the exception of the lovely and romantic scenes provided by Elizabeth and Lucky, General Hospital's Valentine's Day episodes lacked the romantic moments the viewers hope and expect to see in a medium that has its roots and strengths in love stories. Instead, GH provided the viewers with forgettable moments and missed opportunities. Let's hope the situation improves for the next time we check "the state of romance."
This editorial is the personal opinion of just one fellow soapfan. Do you have an opinion you've been dying to share? A different take on an event that no one else seems to have noticed? Praise or disappointment in a character? Send an email, subject "Editorial" to SoapFanMag@aol.com
