Long-Term Care: Should Mike’s Story Play Out In Real Time on General Hospital (GH)?

When Mike returned to General Hospital (GH), it didn’t take Sonny and Carly too long to realize that he had a problem.

Mike (Max Gail) is suffering from the kind of memory loss that can only get worse, not better, and his family needs to prepare for his ultimate deterioration.

But this is a slow, brutal disease that might take years before ultimately killing Mike.

Do fans want to watch Sonny (Maurice Benard), Carly (Laura Wright), and the rest dealing with it for the long haul, or does this sort of thing belong off-stage? Almost 8,000 viewers write out their prescriptions:

Of course, 79% of you insist, it’s vital that we see it all, the good and the bad.

What’s the point of starting a story if you don’t intend to finish it? What’s the point of bringing Mike back – and recasting him, to boot – only to promptly shuffle him behind the scenes to waste away?

Soaps can and should educate as well as entertain, and this story is the perfect opportunity to offer empathy for those at home dealing with the same things. Fans share their days with their favorite soap opera characters. That should include the good… and the bad.

Not What I’m Here For
Sure, love in the afternoon includes family, too, 20% of the audience concedes, but not when it’s this heartbreaking!

When you’re dealing with caring for an aging loved one at home, the last thing you want is to see it on your screen during the one hour respite you allow yourself.

Seeing Mike fade away isn’t fun. Nor is watching Sonny whine about how this tragedy is all about him, and why won’t the cops cut a saintly mobster a break? Have they no heart? Have they no decency?

Yeah. You’ve had your fill of that.

General Hospital (GH) airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for airtimes.