Soap Hub Performer of the Week for GH: Cynthia Watros

Sonny Corinthos is not the only one getting reacclimated to life in Port Charles. Nina Reeves is back full-time at Crimson, facing an uncertain future. For her role as a woman trying to rebuild her life, Soap Hub bestows Performer of the Week honors for General Hospital upon Cynthia Watros, who plays Nina.

Cynthia Watros – Performer of the Week

Nina knows in her head that keeping Sonny (Maurice Benard) from his family and letting him live his life as Mike in Nixon Falls was wrong – but she feels in her heart that it was the right thing to do. The mobster dropped by the magazine office to lay down some ground rules with Nina. He wasn’t going to run her out of town but he insisted that she would do well to avoid him.

Nina let Sonny know that her life has been no picnic since coming back home. “I’m a pariah,” she said. “I deserve to be.” But she added that she wasn’t a fan of hearing her litany of sins from folks every time she left her house. “I am even less crazy about starting over,” she said informing Sonny she wasn’t going to be leaving town. Gently, she brought up their life together in Nixon Falls by saying, “I tried that already. Look at where it got me.”

Sonny informed Nina that he not only had demands but that he reserved the right to change the rules whenever he wanted. But for someone who didn’t want to cross paths with Nina, he not only came to her office when a phone call or emissary would have sufficed but he continued to talk to her, sharing his thoughts and feelings just as he did in Nixon Falls.

Nina’s well aware of what Sonny’s capable of so Watros cautiously but deliberately informed the mobster that he was right about something. “You weren’t wrong,” she pointedly said, “about my finding out about who you really are. It’s been quite the education.”

This was likely Nina’s subtle way of saying to Sonny “You’ve just proved why I wanted you to keep living as Mike.” Sonny said he was going to find peace and Nina said she wished him luck, implying that wasn’t going to be so easy as long as he refused to acknowledge his life as Mike. In his typical “don’t you worry about me” tone, Sonny shot back that he’d let her know when he found peace.

“But…we’re not supposed to cross paths,” Nina softly shot back. Choices like these continue to prove why Cynthia Watros is a compelling actress. She didn’t resort to histrionics or play Nina as defensive. She subtly guided Sonny into self-realization — not an easy task. Next, Nina returned to Sonny the watch that “Mike” threw away. (Fortunately, Phyllis, played by past Soap Hub Performer of the Week for GH honoree Joyce Guy found it and brought it to Nina.) Sonny continued to share with Nina his feelings about why he threw the watch away in the first place.

Umm, Sonny, didn’t you come over to the Crimson offices to tell Nina to stay away from you? For someone you supposedly want out of your life, you sure seem to enjoy talking to Nina. That’s because Watros played Nina as a woman who is still trying to reach the part of Mike that’s still inside Sonny. The topic of whether or not Sonny could someday forgive Nina came up. He can’t rule it out.

After Sonny left, Nina collapsed in her chair, emotionally exhausted by her conversation with the coffee importer. Just as Sonny’s forgiveness someday may come so may the realization that he still cares for Nina. And who could blame him? Cynthia Watros continues to infuse Nina with heart, warmth, and compassion. She delivers with every performance. Mike was a better man because of Nina. Perhaps someday Sonny will be, too?

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.