GH: Johnny and Olivia Break Apart

General Hospital’s Johnny and Olivia knew they were on borrowed time when they got involved, but now the time has passed. The unexpected couple was together a long time for Port Charles, though it seems the obstacles are just too much for it to continue.

Johnny and Olivia began as a drunken one night stand. The two met at Jake’s enjoyed a lot of libation and went back to her apartment. They slept together thinking it wouldn’t last. Thankfully there was no pregnancy caused by this encounter. Over time they started to enjoy each other’s company, the sex and the food cooked expertly by Olivia. He even sang and played the piano for her.

Johnny’s age was an issue as Olivia’s son who wasn’t in Port Charles at that time (that we now know as Dante), is a contemporary of Johnny. Johnny’s last serious relationship prior to Olivia was Lulu, who is currently with Dante. The May/December designation doesn’t work for this pairing, as the age difference isn’t that extreme as Olivia got pregnant at 15. Johnny may not even be 20 years younger than Olivia. I’d also like to avoid the term cougar to explain Olivia. It seemed as if Johnny was the only much younger man that Olivia became involved with romantically. This wasn’t a predatory event.

Their relationship wasn’t just unlikely due to the age issue. Johnny is the scion of a mob boss, and the heir apparent. Johnny had tried to leave the organization, while with Lulu, but it just didn’t work. Olivia’s first love was Sonny, and as kids she ended that relationship due to his working for the mob. All these years later, Sonny is running a crime syndicate, and at one point even held Johnny captive prior to his time dating Olivia.

To stave off a mob war, Johnny’s older half-sister Claudia married Sonny. Johnny ended up working for him. While Johnny has begrudging respect for Sonny’s enforcer Jason, he and Sonny never really got along due to his treatment of Claudia. Johnny knows that Claudia shouldn’t have shot Michael or tried to kidnap Carly’s baby, but in his opinion Claudia spiraled out of control due to Sonny. Johnny’s need to avenge Claudia caused the doom of his relationship with Olivia.

One of the chinks in the armor of Johnny and Olivia’s relationship came in the form of her son Dante. Dante being a cop wouldn’t want his mother with a mobster. Also Olivia kept Dante’s paternity a secret from everyone (except her cousin Kate). Johnny loved Olivia enough to keep the secret that Dante was an uncover cop, so why not tell him the whole truth. Johnny was livid when Dante and Olivia protected Sonny after he shot Dante at point blank. Since Olivia didn’t see the actual shooting, she did not technically lie. They both knew the forces of everyone in town conspired against them as Johnny stepped up his plan to destroy Sonny for Claudia’s death. When he got a new penthouse apartment, he invited her to live with him, but she said no, though they continued to date.

Faking a relationship with seventeen year old Kristina was what made Olivia call it quits with Johnny. They had spent one last night together, and now she hears that her boyfriend is sleeping with a kid. She walked in on them, and assumed the worst. He had no interest in Kristina, and Kristina while feeling safe with him didn’t want to date. Kristina knew how much it would upset her father for her to hang around with Johnny. Unlike everyone else in Kristina’s life, Johnny did not make any excuses for Sonny’s bad behavior. Johnny wanted to do the right thing and not use Kristina, though when Sonny walked up to them on the pier he played along.

After the break up, Johnny told Ethan, his new business partner, that he wanted a future with Olivia. He had given Olivia his full heart, while she only gave him part of hers. Earlier in their relationship Olivia admitted this issue to Johnny, but due to how much he loved her he accepted that condition.

Will Johnny find another woman to ease his pain? Will he get even more enmeshed in his revenge plot as he lost the only person on earth he loves and cares apart? Will Olivia get more involved in her former lover, Sonny’s life as he tries to deal with Dante or find someone new? Any of these things is possible, including a potential reunion between Johnny and Olivia, but if they grow too far apart they won’t reunite regardless of any love they share with each other.