Can the character of Sonny Corinthos be redeemed?

[DayRose]

I am a Sonny fan and have loved Sonny from day one. Since Sonny came back from Nixon Falls I have grown to hate him. Is there a way to make fans like me who hate Sonny now, love him again? I think about this a lot because hating Sonny has made watching GH hard for me. It's funny that the things that have changed about Sonny are the things I loved, mainly his love and loyalty to his family. Does anyone have any good story ideas that can make a Sonny hater a Sonny lover? The only idea I have come up with is that Sonny is psychologically damaged by Nina's betrayal and needs psychiatric help. I think I need psychiatric help because this story has made me so sad! I hate fast forwarding through my favorite show and I don't recognize my favorite character anymore!

[raheast]

I don’t know, I guess it depends on how much you like the character of Sonny. I enjoy Sonny in certain situations. I loved him with Brenda and Carly. They are the loves of his life and ground him. I loved his relationships with Jason and Robin and I enjoy the mob. But when he doesn’t have Brenda, Carly or Jason as his compasses I don’t enjoy him. His selfishness and stubbornness is overwhelming. However, even in bad storylines and romances Sonny is true to character. Right now he is unrecognizable and it is annoying to watch. I see so benefit in his budding relationship with Nina. It is unclear why he cares for her so deeply and why he is blind to his families pain. I am simply no longer interested in him as a character.

[LeslieC]

I guess redemption is in the eyes of the beholder. I have never liked Sonny, hate Carly with a passion and am really starting to despise Michael and Willow. I am now finding myself liking Sonny. My opinion.

[BlindLiberty]

DVX I've always disliked Sonny and came to really hate him after Morgan's death. So I have an honest question.

How is the Pre-NF Sonny any different to Post-NF Sonny? He still a mobster, he still kills, he still walks around thinking he's Port Charles' champion. He threatening his children, not listening to one word said to him that isn't falling out of his newest side chicks mouth...he's still spouting advice he doesn't follow. Really where's this new Sonny?

[DVX]

BlindLiberty honest answer... he's different because there are people in PC who no longer worship the ground he walks on. I would have preferred he stayed Mike (but in PC, not NF!). That would have been way more interesting for me, as a viewer. I didn't get my wish there. But at least they are giving me a small crumb of what made Sonny interesting in the very early years.

I remember when the entire town (save a few) despised him and treated him like something they would scrape off their shoe. Watching him have money and power but almost zero love and respect (what he wanted), made him interesting. After a few years they gave him his love and respect and to me he didn't earn it. That is when the character failed for me.

So now... he is nowhere near what could have been. But at least he's losing a bit of that unearned love and respect. Early days = he was convinced he was a paragon of virtue and 99.9% of PC said "ummm nope!" Later days = he was convinced he was a paragon of virtue and 99.9% of PC said "omg, YES! You are the best thing ever!"? Post NF = he is convinced he is a paragon of virtue and only 97% of PC thinks he is. Not amazing but progress in the right direction.

It bugs me a little that its his family dropping him. Mainly because something traumatic did happen to him and he is mentally ill on top. I would rather the town turn on him. But I shall take what I can get. As I said before, I can handle a shady character. It's the town worship of the shady guy that makes me nuts.

[BlindLiberty]

DVX thank you for answering, I appreciate it.

For me the only people who have lost respect for him seem to be Michael, after today definitely Carly, Diane too she was unusually upset and vulnerable during his questioning. But none of that changes the fact that Sonny hasn't changed. Even if the whole town hated him he would still act and say the same things. And really who has turned away from him? Scott has always hated him. And Nic.

It's like with Nina, even if the whole town hated her guts it wouldn't make me feel like watching her scenes. She just isn't fun to watch. Which is why the Carson years are so hard to watch for me because I love Carly but lord I can't stand to watch Sonny.

Thanks for answering!

[BlindLiberty]

Sonny doesn't need to be redeemed; he's perfectly fine. Carly got involved with the psycho who was responsible for her son getting raped in prison so it's all good.

Nina raped Silas. Nina is a rapist.

Sonny could apologize to Carly and Michael and leave them alone. If he stays away from them but still wants Nina that's fine as long as he gives up his parental rights to Avery and Donna. He can see them when Carly and Ava allow him and with full supervision.

That's my wish list.

[BlindLiberty]

Wanda Wolek I do not say this unkindly, but attempted rape and rape are a violation. The intent is the same. If "doing it" or "going all the way" makes a difference to you then I cannot agree with you. However, I will agree to disagree.

[Wanda Wolek]

I am not saying that attempted rape is nothing. It is sexual assault. If tried in a court of law, the semantics make a difference. However, we can agree to disagree.

[BlindLiberty]

Wanda Wolek Absolutely, I wasn't trying to be unkind.

[OLTLBoomer]

Tough question.
Sonny has his own relationship with God that does not line up with forgiveness/ redemption in most religions (Sorry, if you are offended, but we have scenes of Sonny talking with God).
Given the literary makeup of the "mob" - there is no way out of the mob except for death. Sonny would have to die saving someone instead of himself to show atonement.
This is a soap, so anything is possible.

[couplingchick]

Well they can start by getting rid of that albatross/dead weight Nina they have connected to Sonny as she’s not doing his character any favors. Sonny is a weak man … not even half the man he used to be… at this point he should’ve just stayed dead or in Nixon Falls along with Carly obsessed Nina This has got to be one of the worst and most forced pairings I’ve ever seen on a soap and I’ve been watching for awhile… none of it makes any sense at all and it’s honestly hard to watch as someone who’s loved MB as Sonny since the 90’s…. I even can’t stand the Brenda Barrett character and I’d even welcome her back to knock some common sense into him!

[SandyMcG0525]

Bravo!!!!! I agree!!!! Smike and Nina are worse then Sonny and Emily!!!!

[Rogue]

Soily, what an appropriate name for them and your right at-least no one was keeping someone’s existence a secret, no one had brain injury etc, I wonder if Soily was MB’s idea too?

[1sbkmcfan]

Redeemed? Back into a violent mobster and criminal that he has always been?

[DayRose]

Isn't he still violent?

[soaps4me]

That's when GH was at it's best. This show is just like all the others now

[kat401]

I don't really want to see Sonny redeemed. I want to see him reduced. I wouldn't mind seeing him about as often as we see Mac Scorpio. Get the man off my screen. He does not deserve to be front and center and dominating the landscape anymore.

[Wanda Wolek]

I feel the only viewers who think Sonny needs to be redeemed are those who do not like Smike and who hate Nina. Compared to being a crime boss, what he has "done" to his family by siding with Nina is nothing that I think he needs to be redeemed for. Carly has moved on with her life. She is fine. Avery sounds as though she is fine. No long-term trauma from Daddy being missing for 9 months. Kristina and Dante appear to be fine. We never see Donna so it's hard to tell, but she's very young. The only one who appears to really be suffering is Michael, and that is because he can't let go of his feeling of being wronged. He needs to take a lesson from his mother and move on with his life.

[Wanda Wolek]

Apology accepted. As for Michael, he seems to actually be angrier at Sonny than Nina, and even if Nina dropped her visitation petition tomorrow, Michael would still go after Sonny. There is something very personal to Michael about Sonny "choosing" Nina over his family, and IMO it's because in Michael's mind Sonny has chosen Nina over him. Not Carly, not Avery, not Donna, not Dante and not Kristina. It's all about Michael. Again, JMO.

[Rogue]

Thank you and I remember the little red headed Michael that drove me insane because he idolized Sonny, I just think Michael has forgiven him for so much, and it’s never enough, he always goes the next step to far and still expects everyone to fall in line with whatever he wants, they’re just over the phony honorable man persona.

[Wanda Wolek]

In that I agree with you. Everyone needs to be over the phony honorable persona of Sonny, not just his family.

[xoregonian]

They want us to hate him. The actor wanted this change in direction for his character. It worked. I despise the disloyal hypocritical idiot and don't give a hoot about him anymore.

I'm sure he will be redeemed with a Traumatic Brain Injury diagnosis. Probably right about the time Jason returns.

[maggiebh]

I don't think they thought we would hate him as much as we do. He wanted a change, but I don't think he wanted to make his fan base irate.

I think you are right that the TBI diagnosis and some remorse on his part with redeem him.

[Carerra]

I prefer smike. I love Maurice and I’m glad he gets to do something outside of Bitchy hypocritical Carly and P:$@@ Michael. They killed the wrong brother

[divamagenta]

Sonny does not need redemption. He needs the love, support and understanding of his family, and healing from all the damage Nina did to him.

[divamagenta]

Sonny *did* try to explain what he was going through, that despite those conflicted feelings (which he didn't ask for), HE CHOSE CARLY. He had the decency to be honest when he could have easily lied and said he didn't feel anything for Nina, and he got kicked to the curb for it. No good deed and all that.

Love is not a feeling or emotion, its an action. Feelings come and go, and just because Nina played an injured man for months and manipulated him into believing her twisted "pure, true love" fantasy didn't lessen his love for Carly one bit. But her pride and hurt feelings led her to desert him instead of reaching out and helping her obviously distressed husband, and drove him into Nina's arms only after he was left feeling despondent and alone in the world.

This whole mess is Nina's doing obviously, but Carly and Michael stepped aside and gave her wide berth to get her claws into Sonny. They helped create this new Sonny they complain about.

[DayRose]

I don't think that Sonny was honest with Carly. She didn't officially find out from Sonny's mouth that he loved Nina until it came out in court. She came clean about Jason and Sonny stayed silent.

[tarheel715]

Sonny had the love, support and understanding of his family. He threw it away to chase after Nina's skirt. When Sonny came back, he had every opportunity to be honest with Carly about Nina and everything that happened in Nixon Falls. Sonny instead CHOSE over and over again to look Carly in the face and lie to her. He even gaslighted her by trying to convince her what she saw between him and Nina wasn't real all while he was sneaking around behind Carly's back, having secret conversations with Nina, reminiscing about the time together in Nixon Falls.

Sonny has a zillion one excuses for why he didn't tell Carly the truth about Nina, but like Carly said, Sonny was NEVER going to tell Carly the truth. Now he's suffering the consequences of HIS lies and actions and refuses to take responsibility for what he did and the pain he inflicted on his family BEFORE and AFTER Nixon Falls.

Not until this week, for Nina's sake, did Sonny FINALLY admit he never actually looked for his family while he was in Nixon Falls. He didn't want Carly and everyone to know he was coward who refused to look for the truth. So he said nothing while everyone blamed Nina for her role in keeping Sonny gone longer while he knew the real reason why he didn't blame Nina the same way they did.

Now he's shocked that after months of lies and sneaking around, which culminated in him cheating on Carly AND blaming her for his infidelity, his family wants nothing to with him??? Give me a break.

[BlindLiberty]

divamagenta Why is it completely on Sonny's family to heal him? He cannot and will not get help. He has forgiven Nina and lashed out at his entire family. He is responsible for his choices and decisions. None of this is on his family. He must be the one to see the damage done, and fixing it himself along with counseling and therapy.

[DayRose]

I agree, it's up to Sonny to fix himself.

[divamagenta]

To me, that's like saying "Sonny got into a car accident and was injured? Oh well, he's a big boy, he can drag himself to the hospital. Why should I try to help him or be supportive? He can come home once he's fully recuperated - I can't be bothered dealing with him while he's still hurting and broken."

[BlindLiberty]

divamagenta they tried talking to him. they tried connecting with him. he pushed them away then made demands on how they should behave. all the while he was connecting with Nina, talking to Nina. None of his family can read minds nor should they have too.

Just because he has an illness does not mean that he is not responsible for his actions. Sonny did this, is doing this to his family. It's his job if he wants a relationship with them to fix it.

[Mr.Sami_Brady]

I mean, he has never been redeemed. He's been propped, defended, and glorified. He has a LONG way to go to be properly redeemed.

[bubsmom]

Yes! Love him or hate him, Sonny is a murdering criminal. To speak of redemption he would at least have to give up the mob and go straight. He's Catholic so maybe he could become a priest and spend the rest of his life helping the poor or others like himself who suffer with mental illnesses.

[Soapaholic26]

bubsmom Oh yeah! But, what about a vigilante priest? Righting the wrongs of PC by night, and performing his saintly duties by day. I was hoping that's where they were going with Griffin Monroe, but then he just left.

[divamagenta]

Speaking of priests, did anyone catch Maurice in the horror film Nightmare Cinema? Oh my LOL!

[Codsg21]

The only thing different about Sonny is the way the writers want us to perceive him. Despite him endlessly proclaiming how his family comes first, he has always put himself first. When he shot Alcazar not caring that Carly was in the line of fire. When he killed AJ despite promising Michael he wouldn't. When Michael was shot. When he had sex with Ava after Morgan died. When he had Josslyn's dad deported. And on and on and on. The only difference is the writers now want us to view Sonny as the narcissist he has always been rather than a hero who has made mistakes protecting his family?

[BlindLiberty]

Whoa!? Sonny slept Ava with after Morgan died!?!? Or did you mean AJ?

[maggiebh]

Crypt s*x was the only time Sonny and Ava did it, and that was after AJ died.

[stopthefall]

Any character can be redeemed on a soap.

The problem is I don’t think the Writers believe that Sonny needs to be redeemed. Just as they don’t think that of the not so dead Jason or Carly or really anyone under the Corinthos Sphere. They’re the noble. The writing is always slanted that no matter what they do in the end they’ll come out ahead.

One of the reasons that I believe Nina’s just bound to lose in this situation. The minute they had her not tell Carly Sonny was alive I knew her goose was cooked. That’s how this show works when you do bad and you’re not a Corinthos, you are the worst baddie that’s ever been bad.?