Who Is This Man Masquerading As GH’s Drew Cain?

When General Hospital first announced that Cameron Mathison would be taking over the role of Drew Cain in 2021, we couldn’t wait to see Drew’s return and Mathison’s take on the character. After lingering in a Grecian prison for two years, there would be so much story to mine with Jason Morgan’s ex-Navy SEAL twin.

The New Drew Cain Had Potential

For months, Mathison’s Drew wasn’t even in Port Charles, and instead, we saw him suffer in this small lonely prison having visions of Sam (Kelly Monaco) and Scout. His daughter’s name was even etched into his prison wall, and she was basically all he could think about. He was determined to make it home for her, and all we could do was root for him. By Thanksgiving, he surprised Sam and her new man Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), with a visit and was ready to get to know Scout again.

The Drew we saw then still had feelings for Sam, too, and we suspect he was meant to be a spoiler in the new Sam and Dante romance, but the sudden loss of Steve Burton’s Jason due to Burton’s stance on COVID vaccine mandates, changed that. Before GH realized it was going to be forced to write Jason off again, he was meant for Carly (Laura Wright) as the “Jarly” story was finally being explored after decades simmering beneath the surface.

We’re pretty sure that is why we got an abrupt about-face in the story. Within months, we learned that Sam and Drew dealt with their feelings for one another off-screen. Sam chose Dante, Drew chose to accept that, and we seemed to be heading toward an adventure storyline with Drew. And then came Carly.

Drew Cain Was Sacrificed At The Altar Of Carly

The day Drew’s story as Victor’s (Charles Shaughnessy) tarot card brainwashee was heating up on the famous Jason and Robin (Kimberly McCullough) footbridge, in barreled Carly, essentially ruining the revenge and takedown plan that didn’t get started again for a year. Carly followed Drew to the bridge, loudly interrupted his Victor takedown, and that was it for Drew. He became Carly’s and has essentially served no other purpose since then.

We can understand GH wanting to try them out as a couple, as Burton’s exit left both Wright and Mathison without their intended stories and pairings, but it was clear very early on that they didn’t work. Fans did not forget that Carly dropped Drew like a hot potato the moment she learned he wasn’t Jason when Billy Miller was playing the role. By the time Drew was presumed dead, neither character could care less about the other, so Drew suddenly falling for Carly and falling so hard made no sense whatsoever.

The fact that the show went on location for the first time in years for this flop of a pairing was baffling when much more popular couples were stuck in the studio. But potential pairings flop all the time, and it’s just part of soaps. It’s when you compromise everything a character ever was for the sake of another character that these things become a problem.

This General Hospital Man Cannot Be Drew

The current iteration of Drew Cain we now see every day exists solely to cater to Carly. He shows none of the brooding angst we got from Miller, and we see none of the emotional damage he should be feeling after being locked up for two years. This Drew Cain even has teenage and Navy SEAL memories when those memories were still in Franco’s brain and then went back onto a flash drive while Drew was missing and “dead.”

All of this could have been tolerated despite how baffling it was — until very recently. Having Drew fall on his sword so precious Carly would not have to break a nail in prison seemed to be the final cake in this total transformation of Drew. The man who only thought of his daughter while Victor had him locked in a practical tomb decided that Carly’s daughter meant more than his own. He could not allow Donna to be without her mother but literally said it was worse than his own daughter, Scout, being without her father.

Sam’s reaction was that of the audience when she learned that Drew was willing to go to prison so Carly wouldn’t have to, and we were glad someone told it like it is to his face. Then, the judge sentenced him to three years rather than six months, and the first thing Drew thought about was spending his last week free with this woman he now seems to love more than life itself. Even Carly had to remind him he should pay some attention to his daughter during these seven days, and Drew basically said, “Yeah, her too.”

Then, we got the piece de resistance. Not only was Drew willing to basically abandon his daughter for the sake of Carly, but he was also willing to give away her legacy. The old Drew, the one who didn’t live for one woman and one woman only, specifically said he founded Aurora Media so his children could have an inheritance and legacy from him and not just his family ties. Well, this new man calling himself Drew told Carly he was ready to sell his company and give her the proceeds so she could pay her SEC fines. Carly once again had to remind him that he has a daughter, and once again, Drew treated Scout like an afterthought, reasoning she would still inherit ELQ money.

That’s when we had to wonder — is this man Drew? Yes, he probably is because, at this point, we doubt GH will decide to write this man as an imposter. However, it should. That would be good soap opera, and finally, explain how Drew went to Afghanistan as one man and came back another — and we are not just talking about a recast. Recasts are part and parcel of soaps. Changing every single aspect of a character is not.

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

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