General Hospital fans waited on bated breath for the arrival of six-time Daytime Emmy winner Erika Slezak. It had been announced back in June of this year, but she just started airing on September 26, which ironically was the day she finished taping her daytime return.
There was speculation running rampant that Slezak would be playing the sister of the late Dr. Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson, who passed away in January). The show did not confirm that, but on Monday, September 29, we got the answer.
Key Takeaways
- Erika Slezak makes her long-awaited General Hospital debut as Veronica “Ronnie” Bard, claiming to be Monica Quartermaine’s sister.
- Tracy wastes no time confronting the newcomer and questioning her motives.
- Ronnie shocks the family by inheriting Monica’s house.
- Fans wonder—was the will tampered with, or is Ronnie hiding something?
Tracy Vs. Ronnie, Round One
Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) wasn’t about to let a stranger wander into the Quartermaine crypt without answers. When she demanded to know who the unexpected guest was, the woman calmly introduced herself as Veronica Bard — Monica’s younger sister. “But please, just call me Ronnie,” she said with a warm smile. The name immediately rang a bell for Tracy, who remembered it from when she had Monica investigated years ago.
Ronnie was surprised that her sister had never mentioned her, but Tracy’s suspicions only grew stronger. Veronica explained that she and Monica had been estranged for years, but had recently reconnected through letters. “We’d been corresponding for about a year,” she revealed. But that explanation didn’t convince Tracy, who demanded proof of the sudden sibling reunion. “After fifty years, you show up circling like a vulture?” Tracy snapped.
Clearly offended, Ronnie stood her ground, insisting she didn’t want anything from the Quartermaines. She only came to pay her respects to Monica, explaining that she’d gone to the crypt because the memorial service was private. Still, Tracy wasn’t buying it—after all, in Port Charles, unexpected family never just shows up without a hidden agenda.
Where There Is A Will, There’s A Way
The show was then pre-empted for baseball for three days, so fans would have to wait until Friday, October 3, to pick back up with the action. Ronnie met Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) while eating at Bobbie’s, before she was summoned to a meeting, which turned out to be the reading of Monica’s will. That is when the rest of the Quartermaine family met Ronnie. All present were shocked, but none of them were disbelieving off the bat, but Jason did seem suspicious.
Once Alexis announced that Monica had left Ronnie the house in her will, Tracy launched into another tirade and said some pretty unkind things. Ronnie held her own, but did so in a calm manner. Just as the dust was settling (a very little), Anna (Finola Hughes) and Chase (Josh Swickard) came knocking on the door with a search warrant. Ronnie, however, stopped them in their tracks when she told them that they could not search the house until she read the warrant. Tracy seemed mildly impressed, and Ronnie did end up finding an error, proclaiming that the warrant said 65 Harbor View Drive. Meanwhile, the Quartermaine estate was 66 Harbor View Drive. She had forced Anna’s hand, and as a result, Anna and Chase left.
While most of the clan seems to be taking the news surprisingly well, fans can’t help but wonder — was the will tampered with? Despite the family’s long history of drama over inheritance, everyone has essentially rolled out the red carpet for Ronnie’s move into the iconic home. Even Michael (Rory Gibson), who many assumed would inherit the mansion, has made it clear he won’t contest the will. But with Tracy’s fury simmering and questions swirling about Monica’s true intentions, this storyline is just heating up.
A Familiar, But New Face
Seeing Erika Slezak back on screen brings back all the feels for viewers who watched her for so many years on One Life to Live. They saw just how good Erika was, whether she was going up against Dorian, lovingly mothering her children, and fighting abuse and dissociative identity disorder.
On GH, we have seen her go toe to toe with Tracy, lending Michael an ear, and while she has not had to fight abuse or D.I.D. (that we know of), there are some characteristics of Viki that are evident. Wouldn’t it be something if the Ronnie we are seeing is actually an alter of Viki’s? Whatever the short-term arc may be, it is wonderful to see Slezak back on ABC Daytime, however brief it might be. Soap Hub had the chance to catch up with Erika at the top of 2025, and she shared wonderful memories about being on the show.
