Dear readers, first, I must give credit where credit is due. My cousin Mary came up with today's title when I was filling her in about the backstage drama regarding the writers. Funny, but true. The behind-the-scenes stuff is as soapy as the show right now.
My sudsy friends, it's been a few weeks since I covered GH, as I have been hanging out in Genoa City on The Young and the Restless column. But I am very excited to write about GH this week because I have a lot to say.
General Hospital is my very favorite show. I have been watching since I was 17, and now, I am in my 60s. Sometimes my precious show is in good hands, and sometimes it is in bad hands. Right now, we do not know exactly whose hands it is in. It seems to be changing from minute to minute, and thus, the direction of the show is doing the same.
We viewers all have things we want. We have couples we want to see together. We have people we want to watch pay the price for their sins. There are characters we adore, and others we despise. The writers, any writers can never please us all at once, because we have opinions. So. Many. Opinions.
The characters we despise are usually because they are making life hell for the characters we are rooting for. We are passionate about this show and invested in its success.
All this backstage messiness unnerves me because as the ratings tumble, I think, "Oh my God, they are going to keep screwing around until my show gets cancelled." And that would level me and many of you who have spent decades following the stories of the people of Port Charles. So, to the writers, I beg you -- please settle your conflicts and pick a direction and get this train back on track because I want to keep watching these zany characters until I'm 100.
But I am rooting for the current writers every day to get it right because I am rooting for GH. While I know the writers can never please us all, and while some things right now are pretty bizarro world, there is still a lot to celebrate.
Let's start with things that are right. Chase and Brook Lynn's wedding was beautiful and moving. I have been rooting for Chase and Brook Lynn since they were pretending to be Bailey Lu's parents. Do you recall how they kept gazing at one another longingly but never admitted their feelings? That drove me mad. I like this better, the full-on declarations of love and vows to stay together forever. A beautiful soap wedding.
Amanda Setton looked absolutely stunning in Brook Lynn's wedding gown, and Josh Swickard's Chase made an especially dashing groom. But Lois' outfit? That was not my cup of tea. I know the Bensonhurst faction of the family isn't known for their high couture, but that hat was a bit gaudy.
I was delighted to see Lois and Ned's tender scene before their daughter's wedding. I loved Lois and Ned's Coney Island wedding back in the day, and I appreciated the sweet nod to Ned and Lois fans.
Truthfully, I loved all the scenes that Wally Kurth was in, I loved him with Lois, Tracy, and Brook Lynn. They were all exceptionally moving. I know Wally does two shows, and we must share him with Days of our Lives, but I sure wish he was all ours.
Another gem is Jane Elliot. Tracy has been the heart of GH since she came back. The softening of Tracy with age has shown the Lila side of her, and I am drinking it down, drop by drop, with joy. Hearing Tracy apologize to Ned for not being at his wedding to Lois was so satisfying to me after all these years. And the Daddy/daughter moment with Ned and Brook Lynn where he says, "I'm not giving you away, because you'll always be my little girl," made me cry.
But the wedding guest list puzzled me. No Jackie? Where was Chase's mom? Not even a mention of her. Why was Sasha not at the wedding? She had to cook for the Q's but had the time to steal wine and eat in the barn with cowboy Cody. Why was Joss there? Is she friends with either Brook Lynn or Chase? She did make good lovesick eyes at Dex, however. Lois' best friend Brenda would have been a perfect person to invite. And, of course, Portia and Jordan both said they were "schmooze" invites because neither of them knew why they were there.
Although it's all rolling out way too slowly, I am enjoying Jason's return. It has been so unexpected. Jason working for the Feds? Jason showing up at a wedding in a suit and smiling at people? Jason recognizing Gloria Cerullo (the wonderful Ellen Travolta)? Does that mean we might have another bombshell dropped and discover that Jason has his Q memories back? I'm anxious to find out.
For me, one of the happiest moments at the wedding was Spinelli and Jason finally seeing each other for the first time and Spinelli diving into Jason's embrace. My very favorite GH bromance.
I wish I knew what the original plan was when Steve Burton first agreed to come back. He said he agreed to one storyline but then the writers changed, and he got a different storyline. Aren't you curious to know how it was supposed to go?
Sam is curious about things, too, and hellbent on finding out what the FBI has on Jason. She worked to recruit Spinelli to help her. When he agreed, she leaped into Spinelli's arms. Clearly, she is a little invested in saving Danny's dad. How will that play with Dante? As soon as Sam found out Jason was working with the Feds and not the mob, she softened toward him. When he stated he would never stay away from his family by choice and she realized someone had something hanging over his head, a light went on in her heart that she had been reluctant to let shine.
Speaking of Spinelli, the Spixie reunion also goes on my good change list. Other than Nathan, all of Maxie's love interests have been terrible. Peter August? Levi Dunkelman? Ugh. Give me Spinelli always and forever. When Spinelli told Maxie at the wedding he didn't notice if there was a bride or not because he couldn't take his eyes off her, we all melted a little, right?
Kirsten Storms looked amazing, and Maxie seems to have her old fire back. I am delighted, And Bradford Anderson is so engaging in every scene -- I can hardly wait to see how things progress. Maybe they will be our next wedding! Maybe Maxie is finally ready to commit. I cannot be mad at any writer who put these two crazy kids back together. Also, I saw people online who didn't like the bridesmaid gowns Maxie and Willow were wearing, but I thought they were romantic, beautiful, and feminine.
The changes in writers have left things all topsy turvy. Everyone wants a new career. Dante tried to turn in his badge. Joss decided medical school is too hard for her. Willow went through nursing school, but then decided she wants to stay home with her kids and work with Drew as a spokesperson instead. Supermodel "Face of Deception" Sasha has become a chef and is sitting in her ex-boyfriend's kitchen, looking up recipe cards. Hit man Jason is working with the Feds, Dex has gone from mob employee to cop, Curtis fought to keep Ms. Wu from owning the Savoy but now is going to be a wellness coach at Drew's company that has a name that sounds like a cult Shiloh would lead. And to top it all off, the formerly brainwashed felon Drew is going to run for Congress?! Stop it.
On the other hand, Carly getting the Metro Court back? Approved. Nina getting Crimson back? Approved. Alexis (hopefully) becoming a lawyer again? Approved. I appreciate all these changes and seeing characters get back to careers that gave them a sense of identity and professional satisfaction. Maybe this is a tender topic for me because I and so many of my friends' lost careers during the pandemic, and it still hurts. So, watching it on TV is like a little pinprick to my heart.
Nina is one of the characters who has changed for the better, become a bit humbler, softened her approach, and become more likable. When Nina went hat in hand to Carly and said, "You told me Sonny would leave me, and you were right," it was a moment of character growth for Nina. Instead of playing constant victim, she had a humility to her that made me feel compassion for her.
Nina is heartbroken but resolved that she has lost Sonny for good. When Nina realized that Ava was actively working against her, we saw the light drain out of her eyes. She gave up the hope that her marriage to Sonny could be saved.
Nina and Drew's rebound relationship is still a head scratcher. Drew and Nina have had sex multiple times. Drew and Jordan have been all flirty-flirty and are at the wedding together. Drew and Willow have some weird vibe, where I think they are crushing on each other. I cannot decide if GH is chem testing Cameron Mathison with three different actresses, looking for a good fit, or if I am reading it all wrong. If you have a theory, share it with me.
Now, let's hit on character shifts! Sonny's character shift has to do with Valentin and the shady pharmacist messing with his dosage. Ava was fine with that while Sonny clung to her as his only friend. But now that he's all smitten with Natalia, look for Ava to do something drastic. Ava's underlying rage at Nina makes me wonder if their entire friendship was part of a long con. Maura West can play anything, but I especially love her when Ava is feisty.
I keep wondering if Natalia is more than a homophobic mom and is instead part of the plan to bring Sonny down. Do you recall when Mason and Austin referred to the head of Pikeman as a she? Could Natalia be a music manager/mobster just like Sonny is a coffee importer/manager? The name Alcazar keeps popping up. Could Alcazar be Blaze's dad? If so, I'm interested. If not, I'm bored.
Sonny losing it on Friday's episode and beating Dex black and blue was hard to watch. If not for Jason charging in to choke him out, I think Sonny would have killed Dex. Dex tried to tell Sonny he isn't Sonny's enemy, but Sonny is too far gone to hear or believe him. I hope that Kristina witnessing her dad in action will finally drill it into her head that Joss is not off base about how dangerous Kristina's father is. Kristina heard for herself that Sony threatened to put a bullet in the head of Jason and Dex.
Maybe losing Kristina's trust will be the thing that makes Sonny go see his doctor and find out what is going on with his meds. But if he goes to Valentin's paid pharmacist, will it even matter? Of course, this entire scene is rewriting history because Lexi Ainsworth's Kristina already knew exactly who her father was. Many astute GH fans are posting old clips from 2010, fourteen years ago, that showed that.
Evan Hofer as Dex has gone from bad guy to good guy, and he is so incredibly likable. I wanted to stay mad at Joss for cheating on Cam, but the more I see Dex, the more I say, "When I was in college, I would have crushed on Dex, too."His scenes at the wedding, chatting up Lois' mom and taking Carmine's hearing aid back are evidence that he is leaning into the hero side of his personality, the soldier on the side of truth and justice. Even as Sonny was about to land a blow on Dex's face, Dex was trying to convince Sonny that he meant Sonny no harm.
Will this set up a scenario where Dex becomes the new Taggert, determined to bring Sonny down, or does Dex still have affection for our unbalanced mobster? I don't know, but as long as Evan Hofer is in the role, I care about what happens to Dex because he is so engaging.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but it's mine. When Haley Pullos' 90 days are up, I won't be mad if we get our old Molly and Kristina back. Perhaps the two current actors are just placeholders. I hope this doesn't sound cruel, but it's just like when an actor goes on maternity leave, and we know the original actor will be back eventually. I can appreciate the work they are doing now while still missing the person that originated the role. I think Kate Mansi is fantastic and extremely likable. I enjoy the sisterly bonds with Kristen Vaganos' Molly, and I know they are giving their all to these roles.
But here's the thing. Right now, Violet, baby Ace, and little Leo are all GH kids whom we love, right? If they stay on the show and we watch them grow up in front of our eyes for a decade, they won't be easily replaced. That's all I have to say about that.
Readers, I love Genie Francis, and Laura Webber was the character that got me hooked on GH. We are the same age, so when I was a teen, she was a teen. When I got older, she got older. I have always related to her stage of life. But right now, she is unrecognizable to me. Laura is the mayor of Port Charles, but she's rarely doing mayor stuff.
I finally see how the evil deputy mayor Eileen got away with so much for so long. Laura is much too involved in Heather and her predicament. It's not like they were ever besties. Why is she suddenly visiting Heather daily? Laura was once an extremely engaged mother and fiercely protective of her children. But now, she has seemingly forgotten her daughter Lulu, who is languishing in a coma, and her son Nikolas, who is holed up in prison on a charge Diane could have easily gotten him out of, and she never mentions Lucky, either.
The downfall of Laura is the absolute worst part to me. I have loved Laura so long and expected her to become the GH matriarch -- but she's become a shell of the woman she once was. I didn't even mind when she was nice to Esme because of Esme being Ace's mom and trying to keep the peace for Spencer's sake. But this Heather obsession and redemption storyline is too much. I don't want Heather redeemed. I want her crazy. I want them to trot her out every six months to do something nutso and then send her back to any prison or mental health facility. We need our villains.
I didn't realize until recently how many classic GH episodes were available on YouTube. Last night, I watched seven parts of Laura's return in 1983. Last night, watching Luke and Laura again with adult eyes, instead of 17-year-old eyes like I did when they first met, and despite their problematic beginning, Anthony Geary and Genie Francis are still magical together.
Would their storyline fly today? Nope. Just like 100 other shows and stories I remember from my childhood that would be highly objectionable today. But here's my prediction... Some show, song, poem, play, movie, person you voted for, religious belief you hold, or piece of art you love today, will one day in the future be viewed as offensive and barbaric, and you will be left defending yourself to your kids that you ever liked it. Because times change, and that's just how it goes.
Valentin and Ava, who both had some level of character growth, are now reverting to their evil ways. I am reserving judgment here because I don't quite know where this is going. Is Valentin really working for Pikeman, or is he also working with Cates or the WSB to bring them down? Is he really messing with Sony's meds, or is someone else doing it? I can't decide what to believe. I suppose I am hesitant to believe the worst about Valentin because I want him with Anna.
I love Anna and Valentin together, but if Valentin is messing with Sonny's meds to help Pikeman ship illegal weapons, I am not sure Anna (or I) will be able to forgive him. Just like we hated Ava for messing with Morgan's meds, it's just unconscionable. I like my antiheroes only mildly evil, not making someone have a mental breakdown evil.
Ava knows Sonny's meds are off, and I thought she would tell him because I was laboring under the delusion that she cares for him. But then she didn't tell him. Now that Valentin knows Ava knows and was snooping around the pharmacist, I expect he will blackmail her into helping him. I am trying to wait and see what happens before I get good and mad, and I am hoping the current writers as of this exact moment will fix this before it goes too far to take back. But as I understand, before this week's shake-up, their stories will be airing until summer.
So now I'm waiting for September to roll around and see what will happen. The thing is, I will never stop watching, I know some fair-weather fans tune out when things don't go their way, but not me. I am like a die-hard Cleveland Browns fan. In the frosty Lake Erie winter with my face painted brown and orange after my team has lost every game and is in last place in the standings, and I'm still out there getting frostbite. Or whatever the soap equivalent is to that. And yeah, I grew up near Cleveland, so I know of what I speak.
Was Violet's singing so incredible that it made Finn forget that he was an addict? He drank Champagne without thinking and immediately realized what he had done. Last week, when he said he needed a meeting, I didn't realize that was a precursor to this. His sobriety is out the window. Maybe Alexis will stand by his side as he has done with her many times before. But will she stand by his side as an attorney? I am anxiously awaiting the outcome of her case in Albany. When Liz came up and asked Finn why he was upset, he didn't answer. I hope this doesn't mean he will fall off the wagon and hide it from her. It was nice to see Liz, but I feel like she needs a new storyline and something to do other than hold Finn's hand and be a surrogate mother for Violet.
If the current writers want to be especially soapalicious -- and I hope they do -- they should bring Cameron back, let him and Trina bond over their grief for Spencer, and then when that friendship crosses the line into romantic feelings and they have their first kiss, Spencer appears. I know it might have to be a recast Spencer, but perhaps we can consider Nicholas J Bechtel coming back now that he is an adult? He is 19 now and can certainly play a college-aged young man. I would be open to giving him a shot if Nicholas Chavez has gone for good.
What will happen tomorrow, dear readers? Will Dex press charges on Sonny for assault? Will Brennan stabbing himself get him out of jail? Will Cody finally tell Mac he is Mac's son when Mac comes back? (Oh, please, say yes.) Will Sasha write a cookbook and end up on Home & Heart with her own cooking show? Will Drew be able to explain why he hates Jason, since Jason saved his life the last time they were together? Will Carmine show any more rashes to the GH doctors while he is in town? Will someone make a campaign attack ad of Drew from when he was brainwashed into thinking he was his hit man brother? Will we have the same writers next Friday as we do today?
Only tomorrow knows, dear readers, and I will tune in tomorrow as long as there are tomorrows.
Tamilu
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