Jason Cook...Moose or Skink

The countdown has begun for the arrival of General Hospital's newest hunky doctor, Jason Cook, formerly Shawn Brady on Days of Our Lives (DOOL). On DOOL, Cook was half of one of the most popular young couples in DOOL history. The other half of this popular couple, you ask? None other than GH's own Kristen Storms (Maxie Jones) who played Belle Black to Cook's Shawn. Together, Shawn and Belle were affectionately referred to as "Shelle," or "Classic Shelle," to distinguish them from other actors who subsequently took over the roles.

The GH public relations department promises a "re-teaming" of Cook with Kristen Storms (GH, Maxie Jones). According to Soap Opera Central (www.soapcentral.com) "Cook's character will be crossing paths with bad girl, turned fashionista-in-training, Maxie Jones. That could spell doom for another fan favorite pairing; Maxie and quirky private detective, Damien Spinelli."

What fans of the tenuous, fledgling romance between Spinelli and Maxie (Spixie) want to know: will Jason Cook's character be "skink" or "moose"? Will the new doctor in Port Charles be a tiny, undetectable bump on the road to Spixie romance or will he be a huge moose in the road destined to wreck Spixie? For the growing number of Spixie fans much is riding on the answer to the skink versus moose question.

Will Spixie fans continue to tune in to General Hospital and endure a "chemistry test" between Jason Cook's character and Maxie? How will Spinelli fans react if their favorite is once again cast aside by a "Blonde One"?

Why the character of Damien Spinelli inspires so much loyalty and fierce protection from his fans is a subject for another day. Suffice it to say, in a very short time, Spinelli has become one of the most popular characters on General Hospital with a fanbase boasting broad demographic appeal. Spinelli is the quintessential "underdog," and his deep, visceral connection with fans would be under-estimated at GH's peril.

Speculation is rife if Kristen Storms (Maxie) and Jason Cook's old DOOL "magic" does not translate to GH, Maxie could simply be put back into Spinelli's orbit. Not so fast. Much fan dissatisfaction with the character of Lulu Spencer can be traced almost precisely to the point in time when she chose Logan Hayes as her love interest, casting aside her faithful friend Spinelli. Would Maxie experience that same fan backlash if she treats Spinelli as Lulu did? It seems entirely possible she might, and this dynamic should not be ignored.

Maxie and Spinelli (Spixie) have been slowly, beautifully building a solid friendship that seems naturally and logically progressing to love. Their relationship is healthy and built on a growing understanding of who the other really is…both the good and the bad. At this moment, Spixie is the most fun, honest, healthy, mutually respectful, caring couple in Port Charles.

At a time when General Hospital has so few functional couples and so little "love in the afternoon," it seems unfathomable the GH brass would deliberately jeopardize a fan-favorite like Maxie and Spinelli for the vague hope that a former popular DOOL coupling will translate to GH magic. Hasn't GH tried this before with another wildly popular former DOOL super-couple? Remember Stephen Nichols and Marybeth Evans, both extremely talented actors who played super-couple Patch and Kayla on DOOL. The pairing of Stefan Cassadine (Stephen Nichols) and Katherine Bell (Marybeth Evans) on GH never approached the popularity of Patch and Kayla on DOOL. Same actors…very different characters. There was just no correlation whatsoever.

No soap couple in history has ever had a straight, smooth path to everlasting love. Spixie fans understand there will be bumps along the road to romance. Here's hoping the bump on the road to Spixie love caused by Jason Cook's character is merely the size of a skink, not the proverbial moose, many fear.


Enjoy this hauntingly beautiful Spixie mvid by NewEnglander as you contemplate the question skink vs. moose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbwlqtvt3uk