Franco Gets His Kicks on Country Road 66

Franco moved into some new digs on Friday's episode of General Hospital, which we later found out is the old Lockland Mansion on Country Road 66--apparently a lucky number of sorts for the artist (he also gave Maxie 66 red roses). After clearing away some dead leaves and debris, Franco quickly set out to make the place his own with some high-end interior decorating, spray-painting his signature "CO77X" on the wall and propping up his assistant Leonardo (yes, he named the toy monkey and gave him a position in the Franco administration) on the mantle.

Franco then made a call to a man who pays a visit to the artist at his new home--a Mr. Wilhem von Schlegel, or Willy as Franco calls him. Franco expresses interest in an art show Willy curated years ago in which the featured artist compulsively painted portraits of her nine dead siblings, all of which had died under mysterious circumstances. Willy compares that artist to Franco and mentions the profitability of Franco's work ever since charges had been leveled against him. "Everybody wants a piece of Franco," says the art curator. Oh, you have no idea, Willy. I feel a gratuitous screen shot coming on ...

After Willy leaves, Franco and Leonardo stare at photographs of Carly, Maxie and Lulu, as Franco comments, "So many women, so little time."

At the PCPD, Maxie has Lucky in a lip hold as a pissed off, pregnant Liz stares on. I mistakenly thought Maxie had spied Liz and kissed Lucky solely for her "benefit." But as my reader PartyAtJakes pointed out, and as Maxie explains to Lucky, the kiss was really a test of sorts. She felt something when she kissed Matt, she tells Lucky, and since Lucky was the best kisser she ever had ("I don't know if it was your technique or the drugs or whatever," she says) she was looking to do a bit of comparison shopping, in a manner of speaking. She then tells Lucky, "You've still got it."

As they leave the interrogation room, Liz confronts Maxie and calls her out on pursuing Lucky. "Listen to the one-woman wrecking ball, the baby-making machine," Maxie shoots back, making sure to say goodbye to "Hot Lips" Spencer before she leaves. Classic. That round of applause heard round the world while this scene played out was courtesy of yours truly. Liz gave up the right to be pissed about Maxie or any other woman Lucky may be involved with when she slept with his brother over and over and over again. Turret room anyone?

Liz, insulted by Maxie and spurned by Lucky, then runs off to the park, where she encounters Nikolas actually spending time with his son, Spencer. Her soft spot for Nikolas growing once more, she goes so far as to compliment his fathering skills and to apologize for shutting him out of her pregnancy with his child. OK, I'll go along with the latter, but I can't imagine complimenting a father who continuously subjects his poor son to a wardrobe of sweater vests, particularly in this heat wave. As Nikolas looks cool and comfortable in his polo shirt, you can actually see the flush in poor Spencer's overheated cheeks.

At Sonny's restaurant, the Claudia and Sonny flirtation continues as Sonny pours the prosecutor a huge-ass glass of wine and offers to cook her dinner. Claire refuses, saying it would be inappropriate, to which Leisure Suit Larry quips, "Only if you end up as dessert." Oh Sonny, I think you've been out of the dating pool for too long. Your lines are as over-slicked as your hairdo. Claire leaves, but not before leaving behind her bracelet, also known as the oldest trick in the book.

Later, when Claire returns to Sonny's restaurant to retrieve the bracelet, she walks in on Michael breaking the terms of his parole by spending time with his father.

Jax and Josselyn spend some father-daughter time in the park (thank you, Jax, for not putting your child in a sweater vest for the occasion) and run into Lulu, fresh off of shower sex with Dante. As they chat, we see Franco lurking in the bushes. After Lulu leaves, Jax turns away from Josselyn to pack up her things (meanwhile, was that the shortest visit to the park ever?) and all I kept thinking was, please don't, I can't handle a baby kidnapping right now. But Franco makes his presence clearly known to Jax as he kneels by Josselyn's stroller. Geez, this Franco has some balls of steel. I can't imagine that Jax is exactly a man you would want to mess with, especially when you're a serial killer who has kidnapped his wife and targeted his daughter.

So, what's Franco about to say to Jax? Carly told Jason earlier in the episode that in her recent encounter with Franco, he appeared "calm and sane," so much so that Carly didn't feel the need to call out for help. Will Jax walk away with the same impression?