Reality Derailed


Observations on GH's big (literal) train wreck

So the big Sweeps Month hoo-hah on GH is the COLLISION COURSE or some nonsense, in which two trains go boom in a tunnel.

I could go into a long discourse on how this would probably never happen, given how the controller seemed to know where both trains were, etc. I could also complain that there are no commuter trains from New York City to the Canadian border. WE call those trains AMTRAK and they run about 28 mph at some points between Albany and Quebec.

But let's just go on what we actually saw. Two trains crash and seem to suffer very little damage. I say very little because there seemed to be somewhat level spaces on both trains and despite cave-ins, people seem to be walking around this tunnel quite easily. It's also a very well-lit tunnel, which is ridiculous.

This is basically a recreation of a stunt from what, two years ago, when the Port Charles Hotel was blowing up. At least then, it made sense that the entire cast was involved. Now, we have a ludicrous number of people accompanying Lucky and Liz on their honeymoon train to New York, even if by coincidence, and thankfully just four other cast members on the "commuter train from New York."

Here were the standout moments for me...

Lucky and Liz: This was great soap! They get married and within 24 hours Lucky thinks he's dying (as well he should). I was all teary as he was saying goodbye. Now, here's the big stupid question: Will THIS hospital stay put them in the poorhouse? THe last hospitalization almost bankrupted him, leading to the stupid story involving Liz being a surrogate for Jax and Courtney. Also, as good as this was, this is what, Lucky's third or fourth hospitalization in recent years?

NuLulu: I like the SORASed Lesley Lu. She looks like Genie Francis, she can act, and she certainly has more reason to be rebellious than Maxie does. I thought she really held her own with Tony Geary and later telling off Skye and Tracey.

Alexis: Saying goodbye to her newborn Molly and to Ric really were great moments. I must have blinked and missed something when she went from almost dying to being sassy and suddenly releasing Ric from all promises made. If it weren't for the soap press, I would be very worried about Alexis being bumped off but we all know Reese (Kari Wuhr) is on the chopping block.

Now, the rest of it, I find it a bit much. Everyone just wanders around the wreckage now like it's well, the lobby of General Hospital. The whole Manny drama, Carly drama, and Sonny drama is too much. And everyone is a hero. Jason's brain is pretty much ripened and ready to explode but he is chasing down Manny. Courtney is pregnant but want to life i-beams. Only one rescuer comes down and is killed by Manny and no one else is sent down to find out what happened to the guy who went into the hole with explosives?

Oh, and once again, Nikolas somehow shakes off rocky debris and stumbles into the cave after he was given up for dead. I say "once again" because Nikolas seemed to walk through fire at during the Port Charles Hotel/CGI debacle.

And as much as I liked Laura Wright on LOVING and when I saw her on GL, I really am not taking to her as the fourth Carly. You know, Carly is mental right now. Jennifer Branson looked like a wild-eyed monkey and really fit the role. I can see her chasing Emily with a knife. I think there's a mistaken idea that there is no GH without Carly. I disagree. We can use a break from her madness. GH is the Quartermaines, GH is Luke and Laura, GH is a lot of things but it's not Sonny and Carly.

It's got to be tough to be the fourth recast of a pivotal role, but I think that they really could ahve waited a bit longer and not introduced Carly the Fourth in a train-wreck tunnel. It's unfair on a lot of levels. I think Carly could have been an escapee from Rose Lawn and Manny perhaps thought she was on the train. Have Carly missing for awhile, maybe visiting Michael secretly, etc. Too late now. And she's too blond (again, not her fault). It doesn't help that I watched "Freddie" this week and there's Tamara Braun being great great great. And then they reshot flashbacks between Jason and Carly that had zero chemistry.

Oh, and while I am at it, why on Earth are there so few other injured bystanders? And also, no one would ever be allowed in the train cab, but Sam and Robin were in and out as if it were in fact a train station.

Not much to comment on for Robin's return except to say that a) she looks like an adult doctor professional (compared to that 12-year-old cop character we don't need with Maxie) and b) I like her friendship with Sam. That she also hates Carly was very funny. You could practically hear her eyes roll.

Posted: Fri - November 25, 2005 at 10:16 PM        

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