For years, General Hospital fans have been asking for change. We were tired of the meandering stories, the bloated cast and the baffling creative choices. That’s why when news broke that Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor had been fired, and Patrick Mulcahey and Elizabeth Korte were hired to replace them, GH fans rejoiced. Then, the new material started airing; it was a shit show and GH lost over 200k viewers in six weeks. Now Patrick is out and fans are wondering: What the fuck?
Topsy Turvy
During a normal writing transition, the new head writer or writing team wraps up the stories of the past regime within a period of one or two months. Oftentimes you see a few characters exit as they are deemed superfluous to the new narrative. You might see characters return to generate fan excitement. There is a norm that fans expect from new head writers. This has not been normal at all.
In the past two months, we’ve had a truly absurd amount of career changes. Multiple characters have had night and day shifts in character. History is being ignored or revised. Popular characters like Trina have been back burnered. It is a weird mess.
I can’t stress enough how embarrassing it is to flunk a writing transition. This is usually the easiest win a head writer can get. This just feels like two people who had very different to-do lists came together, sprinkled in with ABC notes, and voila! You get such an incoherent show that even the nicest fans can’t defend.
Her Hips Don’t Lie, But They Do Kill
Heather Webber has been a lunatic since the ’80s and she’s been killing people since 2004 including two cops, two doctors, a handyman and a mechanic. Not to mention the characters she’s tried to kill like Anna, Olivia, Danny, Carly, Josslyn and Trina. All of this made the choice to retcon Heather’s murderous deeds as a result of a cobalt poisoning from a hip transplant baffling. No one asked for this!
When General Hospital likes an actor, they’ll bend over backwards to keep them. It doesn’t matter if it hurts the show. It doesn’t matter if it damages characters like Laura who they have written to want Heather to be released from prison. It doesn’t matter if fans loathe it. All that matters is keeping that actor. If Frank Valentini likes Alley Mills so much, he could take her to Applebee’s and not try to desperately keep her on GH. They could start a book club! Soap fans would happily come up with discussion questions for whichever Anita Shreve novel they want!
Another aspect of this horrid story that rankles fans is that Chris Van Etten came up with it and Patrick Mulcahey loved it per Alley herself. It is one thing for a new head writer to have an idea that should have been rejected outright. It is another for the head writer you fired to write a redemption arc for an 80-year-old serial killer and to have that be implemented by the new team. Chris and Dan were allegedly fired because the pitched story of Jason’s return would have been a disaster. It is asinine to use any of Chris’s ideas. What did they think was going to happen? That fans would rejoice at Laura being nice to another psychopath? It boggles the mind.
From Model To The Help
The last few years have been rough for Sasha. She got addicted to drugs, she lost her baby, she lost her husband and her mother-in-law stole money from her and had her locked up in a mental institution. Fans were tired of the British soap level of suffering for Sasha. However, no one asked for her to be the new cook for the Quartermaine family. The role of cook for the Quartermaines was first an offscreen character that died during the 2012 water poisoning story and never even had a name. She was just called Cook. And Carla Hall played Cook #2 in a few episodes. Sasha being Cook #3 just feels insulting.
It is a definite downgrade for Sasha as a character. She’s been a fairly frontburner character since she debuted in 2018. Now she couldn’t even attend her friend Brook Lynn’s wedding as a guest because she’s the help. It would be one thing if Sasha opened a restaurant, but making chicken tetrazzini for the rich people puts Sasha in the same category as Esther on Y&R and as every soap butler. It is a side character gig.
If this is the only thing they can come up with for Sasha, it is time to write her out. Sofia Mattson is a great actress. She deserves better than making chicken pot pies after crying for days on end for years. Not to mention that I don’t think fans particularly want to see a supermodel cook. It feels like someone at General Hospital got on Trad Wife TikTok and developed terrible ideas.
Measuring Rain? Riveting! Must See TV!
Next up on the list of dumb career changes is Josslyn deciding she doesn’t want to be a doctor and that she wants to be an environmental scientist. Unless the Ice Princess returns and a Cassadine family member wants to freeze the world, there are no soap stories in environmental science. Josslyn wanting to be a doctor was random, but at least a doctor could be used on a show called General Hospital. The main soap jobs are doctor, lawyer, cop and business person for a reason. It is foolish to try to be clever and give a character a pointless job.
Temu Nikki Newman
Another deadened career change is Willow quitting nursing to be a lady who lunches. Maybe this would work if Willow was going to get an addiction story or bang a pool boy with photogenic nipples named Miguel. We know we aren’t going to get that. Willow almost died of cancer because she wanted to be a martyr so badly. She’s so bland that Dr. Pepper is probably too spicy for her! So the end result will be a 30 year old sitting around and planning galas without being messy. How fun for us!
Big Name Flop
On paper, hiring Eva LaRue sounds like a promising idea. Most fans would know who she is from All My Children and CSI: Miami. Hiring her to play the mother of Blaze should have been a crowd pleaser. Yet the reaction to Natalia has largely been negative.
The first big problem is the story feels dated like it was a pitch from 2004. There are lots of popular LGBT singers now. Blaze could be openly gay and still have a career. Maybe Natalia being so controlling with Blaze would play better if Blaze were 20 years old, but she’s in her 30s. That’s too old to be like “Yes, Mami, I won’t tell anyone I’m scissoring with the mob princess.”
The second big problem is trying to force a pairing with Natalia and Sonny. Eva and Maurice Benard have the chemistry of distant relatives who have met exactly once at an elderly aunt’s funeral. It is uncomfortable to watch. I wouldn’t even buy these two as friends.
Trying to make Natalia and Sonny happen is especially aggravating considering Sonny’s pairing with Nina never got the closure it deserved. Nothing lasts forever on soaps, but they were popular and the lack of scenes between them in the last few months felt pointed. It was like they wanted to be dismissive of Sonny and Nina. They even had Nina telling Carly she was right about them not lasting, which was particularly galling for fans.
Expiration Date
Ava Jerome was not designed to be a long term character. In her first year, she shot Olivia, she killed Connie, she got A.J. killed and she slept with Sonny in the Quartermaine crypt. Most other soap characters would have been permanently dead after that. Ava survived because she was played by Maura West. It is a miracle that Ava has lasted 11 years.
If they had crafted a story where Ava tried to take over Sonny’s territory and it led to her dying or fleeing town, I would have been fine with it. Sometimes characters have expiration dates and fighting against that can hurt a show. I just would have wanted it to be fitting for Ava’s character and give Maura good material on the way out the door. That is not the writing Ava has been receiving.
Ava being this pathetic over Sonny is out of character. Yes, Ava is selfish and self-destructive, but she’s never been into Sonny like that. The one time they had sex was born out of a manipulation tactic to save her own life after she killed Connie. It is stupid to have Ava begging Sonny to go to a wedding where the family and friends of her victim will be attending.
Ava knowing that Sonny’s bipolar medication has been tampered with and doing nothing feels like the end of the road for her. This is the kind of writing that leads to half the town suddenly having a gun. If they want Ava gone, they could have crafted a murder mystery that made sense and kept her in character. The audience knows she isn’t a good person. This whole story is so unnecessary.
The Historian Doesn’t Know Her History
The cast of General Hospital often heralds Elizabeth Korte as an expert on the history of the show. She’s been there since 1992! Yet when the history of the show is referenced, it is either wrong or slanted to favor one character. Recently the show had dialogue that acted like Carly stumbled into mob life. Even the biggest Carly fans know that isn’t accurate. She actively chose to marry Sonny. Five times! She conspired with Sonny and Jason that Sonny would raise Michael and not A.J. Carly is not some victim who got pushed into loving mob peen, and pretending otherwise is inane.
We’ve also recently had characters suddenly realizing Sonny is a criminal and an asshole which is equally stupid. Kristina knows who her father is. Sonny once almost blew her up when trying to kill Johnny Zaccahara. One of the reasons she kept quiet about Kiefer’s abuse is she was afraid Sonny would kill him. Not to mention all of these people know that Sonny did prison time for killing A.J. in cold blood. I love characters calling Sonny out, but ignoring history feels insulting.
JOPHIELLE LOVE, FINOLA HUGHES, TANISHA HARPER, EDEN MCCOY, JACQUELINE GRACE LOPEZ, AMANDA SETTON, ELLEN TRAVOLTA, RENA SOFER, EVA LARUE, MAURICE BENARD
Crying Offscreen
I am decidedly not a fan of excessive grieving on soaps. I still get annoyed when I think of how hard Y&R milked Delia’s death. However, the way General Hospital handled Trina’s grief over Spencer was appalling, even for a character that definitely isn’t going to stay dead. Three weeks being offscreen was a bad choice. I understand that Jason’s return was happening and that would be the A story, but she could have shown up in the B and C stories.
Trina is an established character. She shouldn’t need to have her love interest around to be in episodes. Trina can exist without Spencer. She was already popular before Nicholas Chavez sauntered into Prospect Studios. We have gotten some good scenes with Trina and Stella about her grief, but it didn’t feel like enough.
I hope GH has a plan for Trina. They should have just recast Spencer right away, but they don’t seem to be in a rush when they should have a fire under their asses. I do think this has been a factor in the ratings cratering along with the other things I’ve discussed. And if they don’t recast Spencer soon, Sprina fans will probably start showing up at set to pitch actors. “This is Chet Ferkus. I met him at Foot Locker. I think he’d be really pretty with Tabyana, and his nipples are almost as photogenic as Nicholas’s!”
Exactly One Positive Paragraph
I do appreciate that scenes are longer. Scenes under Chris and Dan felt too short and choppy. I do like that there’s more of a sense of community. Seeing the cast dance at Brook Lynn’s bachelorette party did make me smile. Not a big smile where you show teeth. A smile where the lips are still closed. Okay. That’s enough of being nice.
Do or Die
As previously stated, ratings for General Hospital are down the toilet and halfway to a water treatment plant. I can’t blame anyone who has quit watching or decided to take a break. The show has trained viewers to know that they don’t care when we hate something. Everyone remembers when we complained about Peter for years, and he didn’t die until 2022. If the show is bad, why would we believe it would get better?
I really think ABC thought Steve Burton would magically raise the ratings and keep it there. They have thought Sonny, Jason and Carly have been the key to success for 25 years. They aren’t factoring in that it is 2024 and there are other characters we like. There are fans who want to see the trio reenact the stories they did when George W. Bush was president, but it isn’t everyone.
There are also fans who were excited to see Jason back, but saw that he stayed away to help Carly and turned the TV off. Is Jason sacrificing himself to save Carly in character? Absolutely. Yet it feels like more of the same stories. Steve has said he’s only back for two years and then he’s retiring. I am not against Jason and Carly as a pairing, but I don’t think they have enough fans to justify spending those two years on them.
General Hospital had better act quick to stop the bleeding in the ratings and stop being a hot mess behind the scenes. They are getting the same ratings Guiding Light had when Marj Dusay was popping up out of a bush in Armpit, New Jersey. I know there’s a lot of egos over there and they don’t like admitting they were wrong, but they need to cut the shit. The show needs to get better or they’ll be the ones popping up out of a bush before cancellation.
Dispatches From Soap Land
*It is time for the annual B&B tradition of Steffy announcing she’s pulling the plug on Hope For The Future. Brad Bell really can’t think of anything else.
*Days of Our Lives is having the worst end to a baby switch I’ve ever seen. Another reason why soaps need a long break from baby switches.
*Y&R needs to just kill off Jordan already. That said, Victor tormenting her with brussel sprouts is better than what the other three soaps have going on.
=Hank You for saying the TRUTH about General Hospital Out Loud and In Print! Your review was detailed and thorough. The cratering of GH’s ratings was a culmination of bad decisions. Why it continues is a mystery only ABC & Disney can solve, if they choose. Lastly, like the B&B plot reference! It is More Interesting! Again, Thank You for this riveting article.
I haven’t quit watching, but it is agonizing to see the characters being written the way they are. Sonny being hated by everyone is ridiculous. I love Ava but her not helping Sonny is driving me crazy. There are so many characters that need to go away forever. I hate seeing my show going down and we really can’t blame it just on the writers. The EP might need to be changed as well. Frons got all of the Daytime shows canceled and frank is working on our last one. Hang in there everyone, better days are coming.
I agree with your assessment. I’m disappointed with Korte as the rewrite of history is disappointing especially since she is considered a noted historian of the show. Jason sacrificing three years for Carly was painfully predictable, but I like that Jason didn’t just come back and rejoin Sonny’s organization. I like that Jason is working for the right side of the law, instead of the mob. But the Pikeman story seems to have stalled and needs to pickup steam and come to an end. The story is unfolding too slowly.
I was hoping the new writers would bring back some beloved characters like Lucky, Lulu or Cameron. I was also hoping the new writers would breathe new life into the hospital by bringing in new dynamic characters like Patrick Drake because depressing and boring Dr Finn and Portia bring no excitement to the show. There used to be a great balance of stories involving the hospital characters and the mob/police characters, but not anymore.
It’s sad the hospital has become nothing more than a prop. Bring back Tom Hardy Jr, and a new character as his son who could be a new love interest for Trina. Also missing are super couples.
In my opinion, GH hasnt had a super couple in years. Unfortunately I don’t see anything improving with Frank V in charge. He did some great things in the beginning but it may be time for him to move on.
I hear what you’re saying but I’m loving the show now and I hope it continues to improve. It’s legacy entertainment.
That was a brutal, harsh and biting assessment. But it was spot-on. More storylines dealing in medicine, life and death and family entanglement and fewer 3rd rate conspiracy, mob, and spy tails… Please!
Get rid of newbies! Go back to the core! Spinelli has no chemistry whatsoever with anyone! And he speaks in riddles! Hes an idiot!
Diane is another one! Keep her away from Scorpio! Fans have expressed their desire for Robert and Holly, but the writers are shoving the self absorbed mob lawyer down everyones throat!
Willow is nyquill shes so boring! How about giving Amelia a problem so it goes back to the hospital and theres repercussions to not treating cancer…
Sonny needs a health scare- not a brain tumor 3 years from now theyll use it as an excuse. But aside from that stop making the show the Godfather! Get the mob to calm down.
How about Alexis and her osterperosis? Or her lung cancer?
How about with all the booz a cirrosis storyline?
Anna needs to grow a brain. Ive never liked her but shes become more stupod over the years.
What happened to Taggert? How about a Jewish family coming to town? Or another minority besides Asian and African American?
Ive stopped watching because its become the mob hour, lack of other vets, and way too much Diane and Spinelli.
Personally Trina and Jocelyn can go to Australia and stay there.
Laura has absolutely NOT been written to be supporting Heather being released from prison. Saying so is assuming facts not in evidence. What she has been written to support is a reconsideration based on fairness. And, she’s right. In addition Heather has reconsidered her own actions for the first time ever. What she justified before, she now regrets. And, she has shown the first tiny signs of remorse, ever. What Heather may need is to be treated as a mental patient who has committed criminal acts but not as if she were a hardened criminal. Heather is crazy not evil.
The only part of Carly & the mob that has come up is when she was acting as the head of the Corinthos family. Not her marrying & having children with Sonny. There was a specific time when Sonny was dead (except in Nixon Falls) and Jason was out of commission & unavailable & there was a meeting scheduled of the five families. Carly was never meant to do what she then did. Besides her attendance, she also had Florence kidnapped & blew up a ship. This is how there are RICO violations with proof that the FBI has.
I agree that we have seen things that are emblematic of a feud behind the scenes.
I agree with a lot you wrote, except for two things. I couldn’t care less about Trina; I don’t turn in for Trina. If she was written out I’d be fine with it. Her story doesn’t hold my interest and it seems to me that she’s more of a popular character with certain viewers because she’s black, not because she’s a compelling character. Same reason “Sprina” fans loved the couple. They just had to be because the black girl had to get the “prince.” Way too aggressive fans becoming nasty on “X” if you didn’t jump on the “Sprina” train.
Yep; everything was turned upside down; too many characters wanting to change jobs or career paths seemingly overnight and collectively. The comment from Jason that he and Sonny brought Carly into the life and she didn’t ask for it, or was somehow a victim of it, was at one vile and hilarious. I’m not sure how Steve Burton said that line with a straight face.
Alley Mills isn’t “80.” She’s 73 (just turned so when this was written she might have been 72) and yeah, that makes a difference. You wouldn’t call a 10-year-old 17/18, or a 43-year-old, 50/51, so let’s not make Ally older than she is or be ageist.
Still, with all my gripes, I actually think after the initial whiplash the show improved greatly from the previous writing team. We only had to sit through Nina apologizing to Carly once, instead of once a day, we don’t have to sit through Carly because she’s barely on, and we are getting a lot more of other characters. I love seeing more of Tracy, Chase, Brook Lynn, I’m hoping that with John York’s return we finally get a Cody/Mac father/son reveal, I’m glad to see Sasha and Cody FINALLY almost sorta becoming a couple, and I think Blaze-Kristina, are perfect together. The wedding was gorgeous, it’s good to see Alexis and Diane back to their snarky, witty, banter, Michael Easton has been knocking it out of the park but I hope the rumors aren’t true that he’s been let go. I adore him, and think he needs to dump cold, harsh, Liz and get back together with Alexis. I’m dreading Van Etten’s return; I think they need to rethink letting go of Mulcahey and fix whatever he turned upside down and let him continue with the improvements he’s made.
You seem angry.
And very white.
Alan!! I know you like musicals so just wanted to share an analogy when it comes to Gregory.
Think Hello Dolly. At the end of the show imagine the two younger couples went off, Horace told Dolly he wishes they met when they were younger and then died. What a depressing show right? Because Dolly was the one whose happiness we cared about the most. It wouldn’t matter if we liked Horace, thought he was a mansplainer with a dud son, etc. All that mattered was he made Dolly happy. And we wanted Dolly to be happy.
They could’ve easily put the character on recurring as a mostly offscreen husband…….
Ava is one of the best characters not to mention actresses on the show. When Dan O’Connor took over the writing for the show he showed Ava as someone who showed growth in a realistic way. She was no longer a conniving person but someone who tried to be a better person. There is a lot more that could have been done with Ava especially in the Pikeman story. It is for this reason that Ava became such a big with fans. So there was no reason to write her out if that is really what they are doing. The writing for her has been terrible though.