There’s no denying that General Hospital has been delivering edge-of-your-seat episodes the past few months. It’s rife with all things felonious from mob wars and shootouts to prison fights and poisonings to murder and revenge plots. The show’s shifted into a full-on, action-packed crime drama. But is it working?
General Hospital – A Is for Action
If you’re grading the soap on a tune-in-tomorrow factor, it’s off the charts. You’d have to give it an “A” for action and thrilling climaxes. Miss a day, and you’ll miss a lot. There are intense cliffhangers on a weekly, if not daily basis; the kind of dramatic moments that have you dying to watch the next episode.
Who wasn’t glued to their set the day Chase (Josh Swickard) was poisoned by a Peter (Wes Ramsey) plot gone horribly awry? Or when Jax (Ingo Rademacher) got shot and spotted Sonny (Maurice Benard) before falling unconscious at Nixon Falls? Or watching Jason’s (Steve Burton) high-stakes escape from the hospital?
What Women Want
Yet, with a fan base that’s predominantly women, is a 24/7 crime drama really what they want to see? Are Cyrus (Jeff Kober) and Peter’s diabolical murder schemes and nonstop havoc their idea of the perfect daytime drama? Is seeing former heroine Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) fending off inmates in prison their dream storyline for the character?
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Probably not. The soap’s female audience has to be craving the more classic elements of daytime that are glaringly missing from the show. Namely, fun, lightheartedness, and, above all, romance. Moments that will make them smile, cry and escape for an hour each day.
A Happy Medium
While fast-paced crime stories shouldn’t totally disappear, it might be time for the show to dial things back a notch — or 20. A great daytime drama is all about balance, and right now General Hospital is seriously lacking any. However, it’s an easy fix.
How about bringing Rebecca Budig back as Hayden, now that Finn’s (Michael Easton) on the outs with Anna (Finola Hughes)? It’s a triangle that’s begging to be explored, and the timing is perfect. Have Lulu (Emme Rylan) awaken from her coma and give fans the Lulu/Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) reunion they deserve.
Let Sonny remember his past and return home to Carly (Laura Wright) with all the fallout that would deliver, and, above all, the soap should go all-in with the Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) and Jason pairing they’ve been teasing. Just a few tweaks and GH will be absolutely perfect. General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.
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