In Praise of General Hospital As February Sweeps Kicks Into High Gear

Everywhere you look online, General Hospital fans are buzzing about how they can’t wait to see the next episode of their favorite show. Heck, even its actors are super excited, as Maurice Benard shared that he can’t wait to read the next scripts as they arrive. While we often point out when shows are disappointing, we realize we need to say when we’re thrilled — and that’s exactly what Port Charles is these days — thrilling!

General Hospital Excitement

Sure, we realize it’s February sweeps, one of the four months out of the year, when advertising prices are set based on ratings so, shows kick things up, but it’s not like all soaps have been pulling out the big guns each time, as they did in years past. But GH sure is, as several stories have built to incredible reveals — the soapy mess fans live for!

Take Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), for instance. He returned from Nixon Falls after falling for Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) and tried to return to life with Carly Corinthos (Laura Wright) as if nothing had happened. But a lot did — including her falling back in love with Jason Morgan (Steve Burton). He thought she turned her back on him, slept with Nina — which Carly saw — and all hell has broken loose!

General Hospital fans thought that would happen when Sonny returned — that he would find Jason in bed with Carly, but that never materialized. Instead, this has been a slow build as the Carson tapestry has continued to have threads pulled over time until it all unraveled. The conversation between Carly and Sonny, Sonny and Nina, and others have been riveting — great drama that continues to play out. Yay!

At the same time, the whole Peter August (Wes Ramsey) supervillain chicanery looks like it’s finally coming to a head as the Louise/Bailey switcheroo came to light, kidnappings happened, and now Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms) proved that she truly is the daughter of Frisco Jones (Jack Wagner), Felicia Scorpio (Kristina Wagner), and raised by Mac Scorpio (John J. York) as she saved her daughter and is taking on the madman herself. Go, Maxie!

This has also helped to push a few couples forward like Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) and Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard), as they bonded over protecting the little one, Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) and Anna Devane (Finola Hughes), as they teamed up to get Peter, and even Austin Gatlin-Holt (Roger Howarth) and Maxie, though whether that last one will happen remains to be seen (especially since he has crazy chemistry with Britt).

In addition, Laura Collins (Genie Francis) is front and center where she belongs, vowing to take on Victor Cassadine (Charles Shaughnessy), Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) is taking names and promising revenge, and so much more that we’re not even touching on. With so much going right, congrats to the hard-working team — writers, actors, crew — at General Hospital. Thank you for creating so much great drama!

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.