Believe it or not, General Hospital’s Sidwell has been a thorn in the sides of everyone in Port Charles for almost two years. What started as his seeking revenge for his stolen diamonds and destroyed criminal operation in Africa has become Sidwell trying to take over the criminal world in this fictional New York town. While he’s managed to charm or blackmail many people to do his bidding to accomplish his lofty goal, Sonny (Maurice Benard) remains his biggest stumbling block.
The Dimpled Kingpin has been ruling the criminal underworld in Port Charles for years and has no plan of giving up the reins to a villainous maniac who doesn’t care who gets hurt in his quest for power. Say what you want about Sonny, but he’s a criminal with some kind of ethics, and he won’t let Sidwell bully those he loves and/or respects.
With all of that being said, Sonny and all of Port Charles may want Sidwell gone if not dead, but does Sidwell’s demise actually leave a pretty big problem for Sonny?
With Sidwell Out of the Way, Can Sonny Actually Retire?
ABCLoyal General Hospital viewers will recall that before Sidwell, Cullum (Andrew Hawkes), and Brennan (Chris McKenna) arrived, Sonny and Jason (Steve Burton) were talking about retiring from the underworld. The dynamic duo was tired of putting their loved ones in danger and wanted to put into place a plan to go fully legitimate while ensuring no one would later come after them and their families.
Unfortunately for Sonny, Sidwell’s arrival proved that retirement may not be in the cards for the suave mobster. If he steps down, he’s likely to leave a power vacuum that someone else, just as deranged as Sidwell, can step into, capable of threatening the entire Port Charles community. This is especially true when you consider that Sidwell pretty much got rid of the other mafioso allies Sonny had in town. So any new kingpin would be a virtual unknown. Would Sonny really take that chance?
It’s also worth pointing out that after being held hostage in a business arrangement with Sidwell, even Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) may admit she would rather deal with Sonny in charge, and she loathes the man.
Could Sonny’s Solution to Retirement be Johnny Zacchara?
This may sound like an idea from left field, but Sonny could retire if Johnny Zacchara (last played by Brandon Barash) returns to take over. Sonny and Johnny may be fierce rivals, but they share a similar criminal code of ethics in that they don’t believe in going after “innocent” people. Plus, Johnny actually cares about a lot of the same people that Sonny does, so Sonny’s loved ones wouldn’t have to live in fear. However, for this to even be possible, Johnny has to be released from prison.
Oh, and for those who believe Ethan (Nathan Parsons) can be an acceptable replacement for Sonny now that he works for the Corinthos business, you may want to think again. Ethan tends to be like his brother, Lucky (Jonathan Jackson), and can’t stay put in one area for long. We’ll all have to stay tuned and see what happens in General Hospital next.
