Sonny with 3 Carly's
Sonny with 3 Carlys was a special stand-alone episode of General Hospital which aired on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. The episode marked the 51st anniversary of General Hospital.
This special episode featured the return of Sarah Brown and Tamara Braun to the role of Carly Spencer, alongside current actress, Laura Wright, to highlight the impact of Carly on Sonny Corinthos' life.
Additionally, the ghost of Emily Quartermaine returns to escort A.J. Quartermaine into the afterlife. Bobbie Spencer discovers that Noah Drake is in love with someone else, while Lucy Coe resolves to end her affair with Scott Baldwin.
Storylines[]
The episode opened with a black-and-white shot of a memorial wall filled with photographs of deceased individuals who had made significant contributions to General Hospital over the years. Meanwhile, intercom pages from the hospital's past called out the names of those pictured, instructing them to report to various locations. Living doctors Lesley Webber, Noah Drake, and Jeff Webber were also mentioned. The black-and-white scene gradually gained color as Monica Quartermaine exited the elevators, reflecting on her years as a doctor. She acknowledged that her experience had taught her to distance herself emotionally from her patients, yet it had not prepared her for the death of a loved one. Monica then entered A.J.'s room, took his, and wept.
Sonny with 3 Carlys[]
Sonny and Carly (LW) reflect
Carly confronts Sonny with the knowledge that A.J. did not survive the shooting and before he died, he told Carly that Sonny shot him. Sonny quickly takes Carly to the General Hospital Chapel to talk. Brown and Braun make cameo appearances as other aspects of Carly, helping them strengthen their bond and reflect on their stormy past. They appear to him as Sonny tries to deal with the ramifications of wrongfully shooting A.J. Quartermaine....after evidence pointed toward him being responsible for the murder of Sonny's latest love interest, Connie Falconeri. Since taking his revenge, it was discovered that nemesis and mob moll Ava Jerome was the killer.
With Brown's iteration of Carly, Sonny recalls A.J.'s involvement in the loss of their unborn child. He recalls watching in horror as Carly fell down the steps at the Quartermaine Mansion after a fight with a drunken A.J. He also relived the heartbreak he felt at having to tell Carly their baby was gone. Carly tells Sonny that the loss of their child was one of the worst things to ever happen to her. It didn't matter that the child was the result of a torrid one-night-stand when they hated each other, the baby changed her and she came to realize how much they needed each other that night. Carly tells Sonny that she would not have gotten over the miscarriage if not for him.
Next, they recall their marriage of convenience and how Carly married him so that she wouldn't have to testify against him. Neither was sure when it happened, but over time, they fell in love with each other and their next wedding was one based out of their true love. Their happiness however was short-lived as they recalled the time Sonny was shot on Christmas and almost died. Carly remembers how she lost it when Sonny's heart stopped and that was the moment when she realized how much she truly loved Sonny. Sonny grimly responds that his reward for fighting to come back to her, was Carly going to the F.B.I. about his mob ties.
Braun's iteration of Carly appears next as the conversation continues. Carly defends her decision saying she did what she thought necessary to save him from the mob. She was convinced she could save him from being shot again by getting him out of the mob and admits that she would absolutely do it again, if it had worked. Sonny wasn't convinced of her reasons and Carly finally relents that working with the FBI hadn't guaranteed Sonny's safety after all. Carly recalls how desperate she was to get their family away from the mob after Sonny was shot and his enemies managed to plant a bomb in their home.
Carly comes to realize that Sonny never truly understood her fear or what motivated her to make the choices she had and that is what eventually led to their divorce. Despite the divorce, Carly was never truly able to get Sonny out of her heart. Sonny admits to Carly that none of the other women in his life could ever compare to her because no one could "slap him with the truth" like she could but also hold him up when he was at the end of his rope. Carly reaffirms to Sonny that they will always be there to catch each other.
Their thoughts shift to the time when they believed their son, Michael Corinthos (fathered by A.J.) was dead. Sonny was the one who had to break the news to Carly that Michael was "dead." In actuality he had been kidnapped by A.J. - yet another scenario where he had caused them grief and pain.
Wright's present-day iteration of Carly now appears as the conversation continues. They talk about the breakdown she had after Michael's "murder" that had her committed to Roselawn Sanitarium. Carly hated every moment spent in the sanitarium but endured it because she knew Sonny would be waiting for her. They reminisce about their fourth wedding and the intense moments they shared during the Metro Court Hostage Crisis, when Sonny admitted he would always love Carly because she is the mother of his children, wife and life partner. Sonny tells Carly that nothing has changed about that for him.
Carly promises to always have Sonny's back. They recall Michael's shooting, subsequent coma and how they had to leave him at Silver Water Aftercare for long-term care. Carly remembers how they made love in the limo after dropping Michael off. Sonny insists to Carly that they've always put their children first. He wants to know if Carly intends on telling Michael about his role in A.J.'s shooting and Carly replies how it's not that simple. Sonny begs her not to let the secret go beyond the chapel walls because he doesn't know what Michael would do. During their conversation, he attempts to get Carly to agree to not tell Michael the truth of what he did.
Additional Storylines[]
At the Floating Rib, Kevin Collins, Mac Scorpio, and Felicia Scorpio engaged in a discussion regarding the Port Charles Bridge, which had been closed for the first time in 51 years due to an act of spite by a member of Mayor Lomax's staff. They reached a consensus that the mayor was unfit for office and proposed that Felicia consider running for the position. When inquired about Lucy's perspective, it was revealed that she had been lost in thought, preoccupied with her recent affair with Scott Baldwin. As the men departed, Lucy confided in Felicia that she had not ceased her relationship with Scott and was in love with both him and Kevin. Felicia covered for Lucy's exit, citing that she was feeling unwell. Lucy then proceeded to meet Scott, who was at Kelly's.
At Kelly's upon entering, Scott noticed that Bobbie Spencer had been crying and learned that she had been abandoned by Noah Drake, who had left her for Anne Logan. Scott defended Anne, acknowledging his own history as a homewrecker, which led Bobbie to realize that he and Lucy were involved in an affair. At that moment, Lucy arrived and took Scott outside, where she tearfully expressed that she could not continue seeing him if he desired more than friendship. Scott, with a heavy heart, agreed that their relationship would not be viable. Upon returning to the Floating Rib, Lucy announced that she had made several decisions aimed at improving her well-being, affirming that she belonged with her close friends and her husband.
Monica with her three children.
Elsewhere in the hospital, Monica expresses her sorrow over having to bid farewell to too many individuals, stating that she cannot endure another goodbye, especially not alone. At that moment, the ghost of Emily Quartermaine materializes, assuring Monica that she will never be alone. Emily recounts how her mother instilled in her the will to live during her battle with breast cancer, but Monica counters that all children meet tragic ends. Just then, A.J.'s spirit appears, prompting Monica to tearfully confess her desire for a brighter future for him. A.J. reflects on finally having the opportunity to build a relationship with his son, Michael, and expresses his eternal gratitude. Although Monica wishes to join them, Emily explains that she must remain strong for the Quartermaines, as Michael and Danny need their grandmother. Monica presses for the identity of A.J.'s killer, but A.J. reassures her that justice will ultimately be served, and she will feel pride when it happens. Emily then takes A.J.'s hand, and Monica bids them a heartfelt farewell. As an ending montage set to "The Lovely Years" by Fisher plays, A.J. and Emily stand before the wall of remembrance, where the spirits of Edward, Lila, and Alan appear. Together, they ascend toward a radiant light on the staircase of General Hospital. A.J. takes one last glance around before Emily grasps his hand and leads him into the light.
The episode concludes with a title card stating Happy 51st anniversary General Hospital.
Aftermath[]
Ultimately, the truth about Sonny's cold-blooded murder of A.J. is revealed. Consequently, Michael shuns both Sonny and Carly for nearly a year, even going so far as to change his last name to Quartermaine and seize custody of Sonny's newborn daughter, Avery Jerome-Corinthos, giving her the nickname, A.J. Sonny and Carly eventually reconciled with Michael, but this began one of many future rifts between Sonny and Michael.
Sonny sees Carly with 3 different faces - the 3 main actresses to portray the character:
- Sarah Joy Brown (1996-2001)
- Tamara Braun (2001-2005)
- Laura Wright (2005-present)
