A Critic’s Review of General Hospital: Deep Plot Holes & Gold Nuggets

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

General Hospital headwriters Chris and Dan/Dan and Chris have finally begun to parcel out answers to questions that they’ve raised and bring about resolution to several plot points, but seeing as how the vast majority of their storylines have dragged on well past the point of many a fan’s capacity for caring, I have to wonder if they’re doing themselves any favors.

So, Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) is the puppet to Victor Cassadine’s (Charles Shaughnessy) puppet master because the safety of (not so) little Charlotte Cassadine is in question? Quelle surprise, said almost no one. Most discerning viewers – Moi included – had that “twist” pegged as far back as April.

Brando Corbin (Johnny Wactor) has finally cottoned on to Sasha Gilmore’s (Sofia Mattsson) dependency on opioids, something fans have been clued in on since March. And hopefully, this is the wind-up of this particular tale.

Come next week, we’re (supposedly) going to gain further insight into Marshall’s (Robert Gossett) past – perhaps there’s actually going to be some real payoff after all – and it looks like we’re nearing the finish line where Sex Tape Gate is concerned. One can but dream.

One character that doesn’t seem to be benefiting from this seeming commitment to clearing the deck is Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst). It’s painfully obvious that all is not well with this one, and General Hospital has been hinting for quite some time that there’s more to her condition than meets the eye, but we don’t seem any closer to a concrete explanation than we were six + months ago.

And while I’m complaining, are we ever going to revisit the whole ‘Who Is Austin Gatlin-Holt (Roger Howarth) Communing With?’ plot or find out exactly who/what has got Victor so jumpy? Does anyone really care at this point?

Further GH Musings

* A Little Research Goes A Long Way: Alan Quartermaine did not, repeat: DID NOT purchase a plot of land and build a house that he subsequently gifted to Monica (Leslie Charleson). He bought her an already constructed mansion as a wedding present and deeded it to her.

In addition, Elizabeth was not, “handed over,” to Audrey Hardy. Elizabeth was placed in the care of her parents’ US-based neighbors and it was she who trekked to Port Charles and foisted herself upon her grandmother.

* I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – Selena Wu (Lydia Look) is the best thing to happen to General Hospital in a long time.

* Truth be told, I was slow to warm to Sofia Mattsson as an actress and Gladys Corbin (Bonnie Burroughs) as a character. In fact, I think I once referred to the former as serviceable but nothing special, and the latter as Phoebe Tyler Wallingford-lite; but I have seen the light.

Mattsson has been delivering kudos-worthy performances since December 2021, and she had me an absolute wreck when Sasha peered down at “Liam” only to find a plastic baby doll in his stead. As for Gladys, she’s grown on me just as she herself has grown. She’s still self-centered and obnoxious with it, but she is empathetic and capable of acting selflessly.

* Well, it appears that Erika Kane didn’t make a splash in Hollywood after all, given that she’s shilling Enchanted Cosmetics on Home and Heart.

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.