John Cates’ Imminent Downfall in Port CharlesJohn Cates’ Imminent Downfall in Port Charles John Cates’ time in Port Charles may be drawing to a close. Despite his unwavering determination to apprehend Pikeman, several factors suggest his impending failure: FBI’s Displeasure: John’s superior has expressed dissatisfaction with the stalled investigation, threatening to hold Carly accountable if he doesn’t cooperate. This pressure has left John desperate for information and may cloud his judgment. Anna’s Warning to Valentin: Anna’s warning to Valentin to leave town suggests John’s efforts to arrest the Pikeman leader may be futile. His chances of success could diminish if Valentin escapes before John can apprehend him. Sonny and Ava’s Custody Battle: John’s involvement in Sonny and Ava’s custody battle has placed him in a dangerous position. Ava’s manipulation and Sonny’s personal history with John could potentially backfire and damage his reputation. Personal Vendetta against Sonny: John’s personal vendetta against Sonny is not an ideal foundation for a legally sound investigation. His bias could cloud his judgment and undermine his case in court. Valentin’s Planned Departure: Valentin’s preparation to leave town before John can arrest him could jeopardize the Pikeman investigation. John’s job may be at risk if higher-ups discover he has alerted Valentin to his impending arrest. Ava’s Unpredictable Nature: Ava’s primary concern is gaining custody of her daughter. She is capable of manipulating and betraying John to achieve her goal, potentially leading to his downfall. Past Law Enforcement Failures: Port Charles has a history of law enforcement officers who have become obsessed with taking down Sonny and resorted to questionable tactics. This trend may repeat itself with John, ultimately leading to his badge being revoked. Conclusion: Multiple factors indicate that John Cates may face an imminent downfall in Port Charles. His desperate pursuit of Pikeman, combined with his personal vendetta against Sonny and involvement in the custody battle, has created a precarious situation that could jeopardize his job and reputation.
General HospitalIt looks like John Cates (Adam J. Harrington) is soon doomed to failure in Port Charles.
To start, in the episode that aired on July 17, he received a phone call from his FBI superior, who was less than pleased with the stalled progress of the Pikeman investigation. His superior’s tone made John so angry that he immediately went to Jason (Steve Burton) and demanded to know what he knew about Pikeman, again threatening to throw Carly (Laura Wright) in jail if Jason didn’t cooperate or be helpful. Additionally, Anna (Finola Hughes) gave Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) a warning to leave town before he was caught, unbeknownst to John, so John may not get the chance to arrest the head of Pikeman.
John also finds himself in the crosshairs of Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Ava’s (Maura West) custody battle over their daughter, which is a dangerous situation. John slowly lets Ava manipulate him into supporting her cause.
She pretends to be this poor, innocent woman who needs help fending off big, bad Sonny for her daughter. John took her bait, hook, line and sinker, and offered to protect her if she would help him put the kingpin behind bars. So far, she’s pretended to be reluctant to help John out of fear, but we know Ava will do anything to get custody of her daughter. In fact, she’s already arranged for Sonny to be given placebos in place of his bipolar medication, hoping to make his behavior highly erratic and documented.
Maura West, General Hospital (Image credit: Disney)
Of course, John isn’t just interested in busting Sonny because he runs the Port Charles underworld. The two men have a long history, dating back to Sonny hiring John’s late wife as a stripper at his old club, which eventually led to her and Sonny sleeping together. Sonny also took John’s brother Stone (Michael Sutton) under his wing, which John despised. John’s personal vendetta against Sonny is his primary motivation for wanting to see Sonny behind bars, which isn’t the best thing to have if you want a case to legally hold up in court without exception.
That said, John has a few possible scenarios that could cost him his badge. Knowing that the authorities are on his trail, Valentin prepares to leave town before John can arrest anyone. Since Pikeman is the only reason he’s in Port Charles, John could lose his job if higher-ups find out that Valentin has been given a warning to go underground.
Maurice Benard, General Hospital (Image credit: Disney)
Also, trusting Ava sounds like a disaster, since the woman is only concerned with having her daughter and is willing to do or say anything to make that happen. She could stab John in the back if it means having her child.
Finally, we’ve seen a few law enforcement officers in the past become so obsessed with taking down Sonny that they’ve taken their above-board operations to dark and legally questionable extremes. That hasn’t usually ended well for agents and cops in the past, and that trend is likely to continue. John might want to burnish his resume.
New episodes of General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC. If you miss an episode, you can catch up on Hulu.
