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What GH Is Getting Wrong With Alexis Davis And Oh So Right

Nancy Lee Grahn is a powerhouse of an actress, so what is GH doing?

alexis davis holding daughter kristina on a couch and alexis on general hospital.Alexis Davis should be driving story.
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General Hospital‘s Alexis Davis has been a Port Charles power player pretty much since the character, a member of the Cassadine family, made her debut back in 1996. Her portrayer, Daytime Emmy Award winner Nancy Lee Grahn, won yet another of those awards for her work in 2012 and has numerous more nominations. So what the heck is going on?

Alexis Davis Should Be Driving Story

It feels like it’s been too long since Alexis was the one driving story. Instead, she’s left to react to others taking the reins — and not even in an A or B story but practically a forgotten one at that…until they realize they should probably revisit it again — Gregory’s (Gregory Harrison) ALS story. But no worries, she gets to react in other stories, too, at least.

Those other stories, the ones belonging to her three daughters — the Davis Girls — used to be the moments fans would look forward to since all actresses involved had been working together since 2009. These scenes were always gold. Unfortunately, for that dynamic, Haley Pullos had to vacate the role of Molly due to real-life events. This happened right after Daytime Emmy winner Lexi Ainsworth was switched out as Kristina in favor of fellow Daytime Emmy winner (literally–they won the same year) Kate Mansi. This has been an uphill climb.

It’s fallen upon the remaining daughter, Kelly Monaco’s Sam, along with Grahn, to hold this family together since both newcomers (Brooke Anne Smith has taken over Molly) have now been thrust into a front-burner storyline. This has been hard on fans who aren’t invested in either actress. It’s especially hard when they’re paired in scenes together rather than with Alexis or Sam. The remedy is obviously to keep those to a minimum and, instead, keep them tethered to either Sam or Alexis. To that end, they recently had some touching and heartfelt Alexis and Kristina bonding scenes. This is a good step, but it needs to be built upon — often — not once a month.

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Alexis has always played well with others, and there’s a large stable of folks she soars with, including ex-lover Sonny (Maurice Benard). Anytime we get to see these two legends in scenes together is a real treat for viewers — there should be more of it. Alexis sought him out so he could be there for their daughter, Kristina, which produced fabulous scenes, but here’s hoping for more. How about when the SEC mess blows up for Nina (Cynthia Watros), it is Alexis from whom he seeks counsel? She could be a true voice of reason about his fiancée’s acting out against Carly (Laura Wright). Alexis certainly understands how that particular ex of his can get under a woman’s skin.

Another half dozen or so characters could be listed with whom Alexis should be interacting, especially considering her job at The Invader, which could mix her up with some of the show’s biggest stories. She could be the spoon that stirs the pot, but she should also get to be the entire dinner. The actress has a huge fan base, is well respected by her acting peers, and should be on the front burner. Alexis Davis, Nancy Lee Grahn, and us viewers deserve that much.

General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC. For an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.

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