Why Steve Burton’s Return Is THE BEST Story On Soaps

When news surfaced that Steve Burton would be returning to General Hospital (GH), viewers knew there was potential for an amazing storyline–or a dud.

We have to admit, so far, it’s been fabulous. From the moment Patient 6 removed his mask and revealed his all-too-familiar face – the one of the All-Original Jason Morgan – the show has been firing on all cylinders, interweaving characters, plots, and surprise twists on two continents with ease. It’s been exquisitely seamless, making it the best story on soaps.

Ava’s Good Deed
Having Ava (Maura West) discover Patient 6 at the Russian clinic where she was seeking plastic surgery was perfectly imperfect.

Who better than Ava, Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Carly’s (Maura West) arch enemy, to be the one to find and help their best friend escape from years of captivity? And, it’s a sure bet she’ll be instrumental in eventually revealing he’s alive and leading the pair to him.

Calling Sonny
Even Ava’s mistake – giving the evil doctor the phone number Patient 6 asked her to call – turned out to be a positive move. The doc called Sonny’s private line.

Instead of having Sonny be dumb as a rock and ignore it, he surmised something was up and got Brick to track down the call’s origin: a clinic in St. Petersburg, Russia. In turn, the ground work was set for Sonny to track down and save his missing friend.

Enter Griffin
Meanwhile, Griffin (Matt Cohen), fearing for Ava’s safety at the shady Russian clinic, happened to be in Sonny’s office asking for help when the phone call mystery was being solved. Talk about perfect happenstance.

The kindly priest/doctor took off to find Ava and ended up running smack into the escaped Patient 6. He lent him his phone and gave him money. In turn, Patient 6 gave Griffin directions to the clinic. More importantly, Griffin saw his face and will be able to corroborate Ava’s tale.

Calling Sam
Has there ever been a more dramatic, ill-timed call on daytime than Patient 6 phoning Sam (Kelly Monaco), only to have Billy Miller’s Jason answer it? Their “Who’s This?” “Who’s This?” exchange was priceless.

A confused Patient 6 ended up hanging up, since he had more pressing things to do — like run for his life. But it gave viewers a tiny glimpse of what it will be like when the duo eventually come face to face. Of course, our original Jason has to deal with learning he missed five years of his life–and the odd return of Huxley.

Back in Port Charles
Franco’s (Roger Howarth) uncovered the mystery of his not-so-imaginary boyhood friend: Jason’s twin. The twist sheds light on who Billy Miller’s character actually is and sets the groundwork for a complex brotherly rivalry once Patient 6 returns to town.

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