A Critic’s Review of General Hospital: Giving Thanks, And Questions

When it comes to General Hospital, every fan has their own opinion – and Soap Hub is no different. For five days, we sat and watched the good, the bad, and everything in between, and now we offer you a handy review, and a cheeky critique, of the GH week that was.

General Hospital: A Critic’s Week In Review

Of the four very different Thanksgivings presented on General Hospital, the one had by the extended Cassadine family was clearly the most entertaining. From the unwelcome guest – that would Esme Prince (Avery Kristen Pohl) whose number Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) has – to the uninvited menagerie that made their way in, one after the other, and from the hilarious looks exchanged to Alexis’s zingers – “What in fresh hell?” “Who is it now, Satan?” “You and Helena? Eww!” – it was all that any fan of good old-fashioned family comedy-drama could want.

And what could be better than the rebuilding of the Cassadines? Almost nothing…except Alexis should really shut down Victor Cassadine’s (Charles Shaughnessy) whole, “I’m the patriarch of this family,” nonsense and remind him that she’s been operating as the family’s de facto matriarch for quite some time now, and despite the occasional slip-up, arrest and/or prison sentence, she’s been doing a very fine job, thank you very much, sir!

The happenings at Chez Q ranged from the petty – Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) purposefully presenting the turkey to Annabelle 2 – to the tender – Monica Quartermaine’s (Leslie Charleson) reunion with Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison); the family’s toast to the dearly departed Jason Morgan (Steve Burton). We’re truly thankful for every bit of it…but we sure did miss the family’s annual singsong.

And now on to the other General Hospital celebrations…

Portia Robinson (Brook Kerr) hosted several guests at Curtis Ashford’s (Donnell Turner) club, but all that served to do was make many fans wonder things like, why Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) wasn’t spending the day with even one of her many children – or grandma Audrey for that matter; and, why was TJ Ashford (Tajh Bellow) at the event solo – do he and life partner Molly Davis-Lansing (Haley Pullos) spend any time together?

Also, why didn’t Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) extend an invitation to Phyllis Caulfield (Joyce Guy)? By the looks of things, he made enough food to feed an entire army, and, apparently, it was only for him, Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright), and Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy).

And what to say about Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco) and Dante Falconeri’s (Dominic Zamprogna) first Turkey Day together…other than it sure was memorable. First, they learn that Drew is alive and well, then they get the terrible news about Jason – which apparently made Sam hot to trot, considering that minutes later she and Dante were hitting the sheets covering the bed that Sam use to share with the guy whom she learned was dead.

Further GH Musings

* Dear Carly, if you’re so worried about what your life without Jason will be like, why not try casting your mind back to anytime between 2013 and 2016 – you know, the years Jason was believed to have been dead…the first time.

* Is there anybody else out there who’d watch the heck out of a reality show featuring Alexis and Sam as mother/daughter P.I.s? What if Diane Miller (Carolyn Hennesy) was added to the cast as the firm’s legal adviser?

* Kudos to General Hospital writers for remembering the time Scott Baldwin (Kin Shriner) spent as Jason’s guardian. And speaking of Scott, his reunion with Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) was an absolute hoot – even if the sight of it did leave Austin Gatlin-Holt (Roger Howarth) a mental scar.

* General Hospital saved itself a tongue lashing from yours truly by announcing the imminent return of powerhouse actress Lexi Ainsworth. I was prepared to blast them for her absence at Alexis’s holiday dinner from Hell and ponder whether it would take weeks, or months for poor Kristina to learn that the man who rescued her from a cult had perished. GH hasn’t always done right by Miss Ainsworth; here’s hoping that’s about to change.

* What happened to the scars that once covered Dante’s back? Did he have them surgically removed like Maxie Jones’s (Kirsten Storms) heart transplant scar?

* Who, or what is Victor attempting to warn his family about? Are we finally about to meet the actual Valentin, you know, the one that had Helena Cassadine shaking in her stilettos rather than the piano playing, growler who wind up coming to town sporting the same name?

* Why oh why can’t Robin Scorpio Drake have anything that isn’t co-opted or corrupted by Carly? First, it was the out of nowhere idea that nobody but Carly ever truly meant anything to Jason – negating that beautiful, tender Jason/Robin romance. And now, the bridge that was once sacred to JaRob has become something that Carly has staked a claim to.

General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Port Charles, check out all the latest that’s been posted on GH spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.