Port Charles Chuckles: Read Between the Lines

I have always considered myself to be an actor's viewer. I enjoy witty dialogue and clever plotting as much as the next person, but a poor performance often overshadows those positives in terms of my enjoyment of the project as a whole - - even Shakespeare can be ruined by unskilled thespians.

However, I will watch an actor who is good, doing just about anything because the performance often rises above dreary material, from my perspective. Thus, my "I would watch Thorsten Kaye read the phone book" proclamation of 1997. As it turns out, even he can't make me watch All My Children these days, but the theory remains valid.

This philosophy explains a lot about why I am still an avid (if disgruntled) General Hospital-watcher. As long as they continue to cast stellar actors, I will probably never stop watching no matter how many explosions and/or toxic balls Bob Guza throws at me. Just that chance (unlikely though it be) of seeing Nancy Lee Grahn or Tony Geary or Maurice Bernard (when he's on) knock one out of the park, keeps me tuning in on a daily basis.

As is so often the case with General Hospital, when pesky little issues like dialogue or contrived plots threaten to ruin a story, fabulous acting saves the day. Case in point: Laura Wright's performance during Michael's shooting, Laura's brief return, or anything Scrubs-related for the past three years (Night Shift 1, blog wars, PPD, etc).

A great actor can convey a character's thoughts even when the dialogue is lacking, and today's show had many fine examples of this ability by the entire cast.

What Jax said: You're a big boy now. I'm counting on you to do what's right for your family. Get some rest.

What Jax meant: Listen here you little son of a weeble, don't make me regret flying in specialists from all over the world to wake your ungrateful ass up.

(Maybe I'm projecting a tad)

What Johnny said: Well Sonny, I guess I'm a lot more forgiving than you are.

What Johnny meant: . . . and taller . . . and better looking . . . and better in bed (thrice).

What Alexis said: Let me explain this to you as delicately as I can - - I have a gift for attracting deranged men, my last relationship was with a card-carrying sociopath. So I'd just advise you to not even feign being attracted to me, because then I would have to assume that you're a lunatic.

What Alexis meant: You are good looking, over the age of 30, and non-mobular . . . . In Guza-land, it's only a matter of time before you maim a child.