Michael befriends a grieving Starr Manning (Kristen Alderson) after his failed attempt to save her daughter and boyfriend, and they soon start dating. Meanwhile, Michael clashes with Kristina's reality show producer Trey Mitchell (Erik Valdez) because of his friendship with Starr. As the family mourns the deaths of Jason and Michael's great-grandfather Edward Quartermaine (John Ingle), Michael becomes the center of yet another battle between Sonny, Carly and a very much alive A.J. (Sean Kanan). Michael bonds with A.J., hoping to build a relationship with him. Together, Michael and A.J. remove Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) as CEO of ELQ, allowing A.J. to take her place. Starr suddenly leaves town and dumps Michael over the phone. Michael gets drunk and wakes up in bed with Sonny's ex-wife Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil), believing they have slept together; it's later revealed that they didn't.