"Child Proof" Cover Story By Kristin Gallagher SOD November 9th Issue
GH's Sonny (Finally!) Learns that Kristina Is His. But Saving His Dying Daughter Could Just Mean The Demise Of His Marrage to Carly
The truth is out there, And when it comes to General
Hospital, Sonny finding out that ailing Kristina is really his daughter, we're
talking, "out there" in a humongous way. This week, P.C's reigning mob kingpin
gets bowled over by that revelation (via Carly)... and the secret-keeping
implications it will have on his marriage. We're thinkin there could be a
casualty looming on the horizon. Will it be his disease-stricken child- or his
shaken-to-the-core union with Carly?
Knowing that her news flash will be one with marriage-altering repercussions,
Carly comes back from New York and makes love with Sonny before dropping the
Kristina bombshell. "When she goes home, she's with Sonny and she's in another
place," explains Tamara Braun of carlys chose to sleep with her husband first. "Carly
knows the ramifications of telling him this secret. She knows 99 percent that
her marriage will be over. But she loves this man and wants another good memory.
She wants to feel him, she wants to experience him, she wants to be as close as
she can be with him one more time because she knows that the likelihood of
them ever having that again is pretty slim. It's hot and its sexy and it's sweet
and it's loving and its' bittersweet and it's sad because there's so much
emotion going on with Carly. She's expressing herself that way." Nods Maurice
Benard (Sonny) "[Carly is] a little emotional, and Sonny doesn't know why. He
thinks it has something to do with her father. They make love, and Sonny thinks
everything is fine."
Not for long.... "After they make love, they're talking and Carly tells Sonny that he should have a paternity test done on Kristina, continues Benard. "he asks why and she says, "Because you're her father.' Tamara was wonderful. She got really emotional, yet really subtle with it. I loved it. And Sonny reacts like, 'Oh, man. Here we go again."
Elaborates Braun, "It's and extremely difficult thing for her to say because she's just open herself up-physically and emotionally-and no, she has to be completely honest with him and break his heart and his trust in her. But she has to do what's right, and so, she does."
Though his reactions is one, of shock and awe, don't expect any sort of emotional Armageddon from the volatile mobster -a fact that initially surprised his portrayer. "I thought that Sonny would go off on Carly and Alexis," muses Benard. "But the writers wanted to take a different and I'm cool with that. I think Sonny's feelings, devastation more than anything. He's in shock that his wife would hold that truth for that long and that he has a daughter. Instead of anger, there's more hurt....and that's what comes out this time."
Of course, to Carly, the sounds of silence aren't any less disturbing. "There is a moment of surprise when he doesn't yell," admits Braun, "but when Sonny gets quiet, when Sonny doesn't fight with her...he's resigned himself and she knows this. It's happened before." reasons Benard, "Nothing she can say can justify keeping this secret. He may understand that she's the way she is, and he's the way he is and they can't change each other. But i the end, it doesn't matter."
What does matter to Sonny at the moment is springing into action to try to help save Kristina. "He gets focused, and he focus on Kristina,:"notes Braun. "He puts his energy where it needs to be at that time, and that's with Kristina." Sonny heads to G.H to get tested, arranging for Mike, Courtney and Morgan to be tested as possible bone-marrow donors for Kristina as well. Alas, no one is a match.
Alexis, meanwhile, is faced with a life-altering proposition all her own: Ric ask's her to be his bride (in a marriage of convenience, mind you-but with an option for more). "I thought it was done very well," offers Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) of Lansing's shotgun proposal. "Not just making it a generic, 'I'm marrying you just to help you.' The writers made it mean something more than that. What you see is this woman that 's very tired. She has been fighting all by herself, and to have somebody else who's willing to help her.....she's really grateful. She truly believes he's genuine and has a bit of a crush on him. Although, right now, there's no time for that!"
As a result, Alexis agrees to marry Ric that night. First things first, however...When she arrives at Kristina's room soon after, she finds Sonny sitting with the child. "Again, he doesn't get upset with her," says Benard. "It's more hurt that she his daughter from him." Shares Grahn, "It's much harder to play the current story with Sonny because what I believe is, Alexis thinks Sonny is a good father and a good person and has a good heart...but chose the wrong thing to do-killing people, Alexis genuinely loves-him not 'in love,' but cherishes him-and it makes it terrible to have to do what she's doing. She gets no thrill having to do it."
Regardless of the civility between Sonny and Alexis in front of their sickly daughter, the claws come out in the hallway-especially when Ric and Carly join in, and Ric and Alexis's wedding plans are revealed. But that's hardly the end of the drama for Carly and Sonny, who return to the penthouse later. "They go home," sighs Braun. "And that's when Sonny and Carly talk about everything."
And none of it is good. "All he is going to think about is that [Carly has] known since February," comments Benard. "Carly and Sonny realize that they bother love each other but the choices they make in their lives because of who they are, continue to hurt one another," adds Braun of this latest chasm in the Corinthos marriage. "To try and make it work again right no is going to be a lot to over-come for both of them. They just have to let it go at this point." Concurs Benard, " I think it makes sense. You can't keep putting huge obstacles in front of a couple who's marriage is so unstable and think that they can keep overcoming them. Yes, couples do survive a lot, but at this point, their marriage has to break in order for it to come back. So, this is the time."
Ironically enough, as one union is breaking apart, another is being formed: By the end of that day- and off the news that no donors in sight, Kristina is given just days to live-Alexis marries Ric. The next, Sonny returns to G.H and once again faces off with the now-newlyweds. "He's going to want at least join custody of Kristina [should she survive]," points out Benard. "And he's going to fight for that. It's going to fight for that. It's going to be a fight all the way around, but that's what makes for the best drama."
More of witch emerges when Steven Webber informs Sonny of a procedure that could possible save Kristina's life. The catch? It would involve taking embryonic stem cells from Sonny and Sam's unborn daughter......at a 10 percent risk to the fetus. Armed with this info, Sonny then goes to Sam to ask her for her okay. Despite this request from P.C's godfather, it's an offer she can (and does) refuse.
When Sonny imparts this denial to Alexis, the lady lawyer looses her cool and later makes a beeline to plead her own case to Sam. The verdict? Well, just imagine that nothing goes as anyone had planned, especially when Alexis explodes at Sam, who suddenly doubles, over in searing pain. Perhaps Kristina's isn't the only young life in grave danger.......