On The Couch: Why GH’s Laura Collins Is Port Charles’ Earth Mother

Laura Collins may not currently be in Port Charles, but her presence is felt all across General Hospital.

On The Couch: Laura Collins

There’s Esme (Avery Kristen Pohl), who wouldn’t even have a place to live, a job, or a home for her son if it wasn’t for her baby’s grandmother. And then there’s Ava (Maura West), who still lives in horror of Nikolas being found — which is precisely the quest Laura (Genie Francis) is on now. Why is the mayor acting like she wandered into an episode of All My Children? We put her on our couch to find out.

GH: Always Something There To Remind Me

Laura’s parenting record is painfully spotty. Not all of it is her fault. Her first son, Nikolas, was born after she was kidnapped and repeatedly raped by Stavros. Helena (Constance Towers) stole Laura’s baby and threatened to have Luke (Anthony Geary) killed if Laura so much as mentioned that the boy existed. She did kill Laura’s mother Lesley (Denise Alexander) to prove she wasn’t kidding. (Lesley turned out to be alive later, but that’s beside the point.) So Laura didn’t really meet Nikolas properly until he was in his teens.

Laura Collins: Half and Half

Laura raised Lucky for his first decade. But she and Luke were on the run for most of that time, so Lucky was less a child and more of a co-conspirator. He had great survival skills. That is until he “died” when he was still in his teens. He was kidnaped by Faison (Anders Hove). And brainwashed by Helena (Constance Towers). So Laura missed those years with him, too. And then.

General Hospital: Taking Turns

Laura was catatonic for most of Lulu’s childhood. And, when Laura was better, and she and Lulu could relate to each other as grown women, Lulu took her turn to go into a coma. They could never get their timing right.

Laura Collins: Substitute Teacher

So is it any surprise that now, Laura is scouring the globe for Nikolas? This woman is sick and tired of having her kids stolen from her. She can’t nurse Lulu back to health. Lucky left of his own volition. Nikolas is the only one she has a chance to bring back by force.

As for Esme, she’s a lost girl without a mother. Laura is a lost mother without a daughter. This might be Laura’s final chance to get parenting right. Or, at least, to ensure Esme doesn’t make the same mistakes with Ace that Laura did with her children.

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