Season 53 | Episodes 44-48 | Aired Jun 8-12, 2015

General Hospital‘s Luke and Laura are an iconic daytime couple. There’s really not a question about that. Over 30 million viewers watched them marry in 1981. But that was a long time (and millions of viewers ago) in the land of daytime television.

In the current day and age, Luke and Laura have not been a couple for years. So why would anyone in Port Charles believe that the mere sight of Laura would cause Luke to dump Tracy at their engagement party?

Sure, there are facets that have longed for a reunion of the famous couple, but the act of Laura pulling Luke aside, and his returning and glumly stating that he has chosen Laura over Tracy, should raise way more red flags than it did. Instead, we witness Tracy berating herself for falling for Luke and many angry looks. Luckily, by week’s end, Luke reveals to Dillon and Lulu that the renewed relationship is a lie. How long it will take for the reasoning to be disclosed is anyone’s guess.

And as vicious as Nikolas has come, it may not bad thing if he takes over ELQ. As it stands, Michael Quartermaine might be the most inept CEO ever. First, he hired Rosalie without a background check because she stood by him (slept with him) when nobody else did (he was mad at everyone) and earned his trust. Next, he openly discusses the missing 33.5 percent of ELQ shares. Not that we ever see anyone else working at ELQ, but imagine the panic that must be happening among his invisible employees! Finally, he hires Jakeson to be the new head of ELQ security, mostly because they had a chummy conversation a few months back. Never mind that the only job history the amnesiac Jakeson has is being a brainwashed Cassadine soldier and Jerome grease monkey. Never mind that Jakeson has no social security number, so ELQ will have to pay their head of security under the table.

But Nikolas’ plans to get Brooklyn or Dillon or Maya’s shares for his takeover are on the verge of being thwarted. While viewers don’t know what Laura overheard, we do know that his many flunkies include Rosalie and Sloane. Sloane already told Anna that Nikolas is up to no good, so it’s highly possible that he will double-cross his new boss. And Rosalie is incapable of making a secret phone call in secret, so Sabrina and Sam are already trying to figure out her game. Might her long-forgotten deep, dark secret finally come to light?

Ava’s plan to keep everyone believing she is Denise may come undone by her own actions. It’s no great surprise that she ends up in a lip lock with her former lover, Morgan. It’s even less of a surprise that Morgan didn’t immediately clue in to her actual identity. But Ava’s face when she learned her daughter and former boy toy have reignited their relationship should have clued in even blind viewers. And while Sonny may be casually voicing doubts, Michael lets her spend a few moments (alone!) with Avery, solely based on her familial connections to the baby. One would think, after having been kidnapped twice in less than a year, that Michael would be a little more cautious with security. Ava’s motherly instincts kick in, as she coos all over her daughter, but Michael doesn’t notice the intense connection “Denise” is having with his ward.

Also not noticing things is Jakeson, as he fills in Elizabeth on his dream of playing with Danny and motorcycle toys. Michael tells Jakeson a story of Edward and Danny bonding, which Jakeson acknowledges is similar to his own initial meeting with Danny. Elizabeth is in a panic that the proximity of Jakeson to all things Quartermaine will trigger his memories, but at this point, she really need not worry. It’s clear that nothing obvious is going to bring this saga to an end.

Franco elicits Obrecht’s help in clueing in Nina to the sham that is her marriage. Obrecht thinks Madeline will make a fine ally, but the two are stunned to find that she is no longer imprisoned at Pentonville. Instead, Madeline saunters into Obrecht’s office, bragging that her new (unnamed, but … Ric?) lawyer helped attain her release. And while Madeline may know the true identity of Nathan’s father (remember that story?), it seems that Obrecht also has some ammunition that might make Madeline more compliant in helping out as well. Of course, none of that will matter if Molly decides to murder Nina for telling her to call her mom.

Finally, General Hospital dipped its toe into the world of racial profiling, with T.J. being arrested for assaulting a department-store security guard. T.J. tries to buy Molly a gift, and the store detains him to check the validity of his credit card. Dante is called to the scene, and T.J. decides he has had enough of being looked at with suspicious eyes and goes to leave. A scuffle with the security guard ensues, and T.J. knocks him to the ground. Dante is forced to arrest T.J. and Jordan doesn’t release her son, for fear of it looking like special treatment. The footage of the scuffle is released to the media, painting T.J. in an unfavorable light. T.J. stews at the PCPD, angry at his mother, and rightly pointing out that he did nothing (other than being black) to initiate the credit-card questions.

Knowing the credit card is valid, Valerie suggests that Dante set the media record straight with the whole truth. But while she may be supportive of her cousin-in-law, Dante and Valerie’s eyes lock for a few intense moments too long.