Call me a weenie (and many have, for many different reasons) but I strongly considered avoiding discussion about anything serious today (mainly Sonny's murderous intentions), because I just couldn't stand the heat from my fellow General Hospital-enthusiasts who feel that my criticising Sonny's gun-toting rampage while looking for baby Joss somehow makes me insensitive to people who are suffering from bipolar disorder.
Dude, implying that Sonny's violent behavior is due to to his bipolar disorder is insulting to those real people who truly have the disease and struggle with it everyday and still manage not to run around town with guns drawn every time some little thing doesn't go their way. Seriously, that Drew Barrymore/Chris O'Donnell movie did a better job with accuracy on the subject. Calling Sonny's current rampage a "bipolar-storyline" is like referring to Adolf Hitler as "misunderstood" - - it's effing ludicrous.
Sonny was stone-cold sober and on his medication both when he shot Dante in the chest AND when he ordered the car-bomb that nearly killed Kristina, among his numerous other transgressions over the past five years. Sonny Corinthos is a deplorable human being. He is a violent, power-mad tyrant, who behaves like a petulant child when things don't go his way. Sadly, due to the nature of his business, he's usually ARMED at the time. That is who Sonny IS all of the time, it has nothing to do with his disease.
Truthfully, I have often wondered how poor Mo feels about the bastardization of bipolar disorder when it's mentioned in Sonny's storylines, given that he has real-life experience with the disease himself. Alas, viewers will probably never know his true feelings on the subject as long as he is under contract to ABC.
I also take umbrage at those who think that my criticising a particular storyline or character means that I am criticising the actor or his performance within that story. I never said that Maurice Benard wasn'tgiving a fantastic performance as a power-mad gun-toting jealous soon-to-be ex-husband. I simply said that Sonny Corinthos was coming across as a brainless simeon, and I stand behind thatassertion whole-heartedly.
Any pangs of sympathy that I may occasionally feel for Sonny Corinthos (and there are some) is due solely to Mo's terrific ability to elicit empathy from his audience, and is in spite of the terrible material he's routinely given.
Speaking of missed opportunities, I hear that Scott Clifton was quite the revelation on One Life to Live as Schuyler (old news) and is embroiled in pretty heavy story over at Bold and Beautiful as Liam right now, which leads me to wonder about the possibility of a return for Dillon Quartermaine in the future.
I happen to follow Scott on twitter, and he is highly amusing. I leave you with a post from last night captioned "An exclusive look at the private life of Scott Clifton and his girlfriend...after dark" - -
Ha!
Seems relevant to the current discussion somehow.
Today was a great day. SONNY BEHIND BARS! Even if it was just for today, that was a sight that I’ve been waiting to see for years. It’s been long overdue. I love the idea of seeing this big bad bully, the great Sonny Corinthos, reduced to a quivering, drooling, blob by the mere proximity of four walls. It didn’t quite get to that point this time, but he was in that cell for less than a day and he was already losing his grip and having wild, vivid, nightmares. It was still great seeing Sonny cower in the corner, trembling with fear, like the coward he is. The best and most fitting punishment for Sonny is to lock him up inside his own head.
Sonny is a fictional character, and in fiction from Greek tragedies to Shakespeare, to today’s soaps, madness has long been the fitting punishment for those who have committed crimes but who have otherwise escaped justice. Sonny’s just the latest in a long line of fictional characters to suffer that fate, and I for one, enjoy seeing him get his just due. It has nothing to do with insensitivity towards real people who have real conditions to deal with.
Posted by: scrimmage | August 17, 2011 at 11:22 PM
I agree both with PC Chuckles and Scrimmage. Sonny knowingly didn't take his meds, and Robin knew that. I'm so sick and tired of Sonny using Deek and his bad childhood as an excuse for every evil thing he does. He definitely should see a shrink for his problems. I whooped with delight when Dante had him arrested and put in prison. I also loved Jax yesterday (what a good actor). I think they're getting rid of the wrong person at GH, namely Jax.
Posted by: Sandy | August 18, 2011 at 10:11 AM
What would have made yesterday perfect was to have Sonny sucking on his thumb and rocking back and forth on his cell bunk.
I just LOATHE him.
And so much love for Robin's refusal of that Slagbeast's "thanks." That beast may not be responsible for Sonny not taking his meds, but she Did unleash him on Jax; who did she go running to during the custody battle? And for someone who says she's the only one who knows Sonny best, she KNEW exactly what he would do. She even THANKED him for it. So, no, not impressed with that slap.
Okay, the only thing I liked was the look of shock on Sonny's face when she slapped him. His look was pure "why'dyougoanddothatfer"?
Posted by: Geets | August 18, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Finally we got to see some small glimmer of light. Sonny finally, finally, got a tiny bit of what is coming to him. I hope he gets locked up for at least a few months. Please Garin give us at least that.
He shoots a gun off in the Drake house, wounds Robin, and Emma is right there. Do either Patrick or Robin call him out on this behavior? Does anyone file charges? Patrick should have at least done that and the hell with any guff from Robin. I am so sick of Sonny getting away with his bad behavior. And Jax was given a great story yesterday. GH you have made a big mistake letting Tyler and Ingo leave. They are great actors who only needed to have great stories written for them. Do the show a favor and bring them back only this time with storylines they can sink their teeth into.
Posted by: Gina | August 18, 2011 at 12:19 PM
Sonny’s Greatest Excuses:
“The plane wasn’t supposed to go down!”
“Kristina wasn’t supposed to be there when the car bomb went off!”
“I didn’t know he was my son when I shot him, I just thought he was a cop!”
“I thought Alcazar was hurting Carly, and I was aiming for him when I shot her in the head. How was I supposed to know he was helping her deliver my son?”
“I was angry at Claudia because I just found out about her part in Michael’s shooting. How was I supposed to know that if I threatened to get rid of her that she’d grab Carly and take off? It’s not my fault that Michael ended up having to kill his stepmother!”
“As a child I was beaten and locked in a closet by my stepfather, and I had to listen while he beat my mother. So now, everything is payback!”
Posted by: scrimmage | August 19, 2011 at 03:09 AM