ABC’s General Hospital will celebrate a milestone on Monday with the telecast of its 11,000th episode. There won’t be any of the flashbacks or nostalgic character reminiscences that are sometimes included in soap opera anniversary shows, but fans won’t want to miss it, anyway–because on that day a major character will die.
The death of this high-profile character is just the latest loud beat in a somewhat remarkable month-long story being told on the show. I use the word “remarkable” because the writers of General Hospital haven’t told a story like this since the ’80s, when somewhat over-the-top stories of disaster with a science-fiction element that included virtually every significant character on the show’s canvas were the norm. But this GH tale is different even from those, because in addition to utilizing almost every current character it is also pulling in a few from the distant past, including Rick Springfield‘s Dr. Noah Drake, Tristan Rogers‘ sly secret agent Robert Scorpio and Emma Samms‘ sophisticated con artist Holly Sutton Scorpio.
In a skillful feat of balanced writing, the GH storytellers have managed to concoct a plot that provides plenty of action for Sonny, Jason, Lorenzo, Skye, Carly, Sam, Courtney, Emily, Ric, Alexis and other characters connected to the show’s popular criminal underworld stories, undoubtedly satisfying the many fans of that element of the narrative, while giving equal time to legacy characters from the show’s strongest years (1978-1988) who haven’t been used to great effect in far too long, especially Luke, Tracy, Alan, Monica, Bobbie and the now deceased Tony. Teen characters Dillon, Georgie, Lucas and Maxie also have had scenes with major dramatic impact, rather than their usual throwaway fare. An ailing Dillon and hopeful Georgie got married; Lucas, a closeted gay teenager, came out to his father Tony before watching him die; and Maxie suffered heart complications (recalling the historic storyline from 1994 in which her character received a heart transplant from her dead cousin, considered by most soap opera experts to be the best soap story of all time).
As of this writing the long-absent Holly has yet to arrive back in Port Charles, but Robert’s return has prompted much talk about the whereabouts of major characters from the past, including secret agents Frisco Jones and Anna Devane. Much of this talk came during a strained reunion between young doctor Robin Scorpio and her dad Robert, who had been presumed dead for 15 years. Robert also had a difficult reunion with his brother Mac, who raised Robin during Robert’s long absence.
Many of the main characters on the show have been stricken with the deadly virus (man-made by evildoers seeking to create a market for its antidote), which causes delirium among other symptoms. Plainly, there’s nothing like scenes of near madness to pad an actor’s Emmy-consideration reel. Rick Hearst, who plays Ric, will likely be nominated next year for the scenes in which Ric tearfully mistook his wife Alexis for his mother, who cruelly abandoned him at birth. Nancy Lee Grahn, the actress who portrays Alexis, might also be nominated for her delirium scenes, in which she relived the near-death of her infant daughter Kristina two years ago. Tony Geary, as Luke, and Jane Elliot, as Tracy, have during this story played broad comedy and powerful drama with the consummate skills that have brought them both Emmys and other awards in the past.
But the actor most deserving of special recognition has been Brad Maule, who ended his long run as Dr. Tony Jones with one of the most emotional soap opera death scenes in recent memory. And only days before, he was sublime in sequences with Tony and his son Lucas, responding with great compassion and respect after listening to the troubled teen come out. Maule was so good during his final days, in fact, that it made me wonder why the show’s producers and writers couldn’t find something interesting for him to play during the last few years. Surely a smart producer from another soap will snap this guy up before too long, because Maule simply has too much to offer.
All that’s missing from this wide-ranging storyline are appearances by Audrey–the longest-running character on the show (she arrived in Port Charles in 1964) — and Felicia, the mother of Georgie and Maxie. We have heard that Felicia is out of town during the virus crisis, but c’mon. Both of her daughters are in deadly danger, one just got married and the other is suffering renewed heart trouble. Wouldn’t somebody have called her by now?
Given the larger picture here, those are very minor complaints. I’m happy to report that General Hospital is currently offering something for everybody who has enjoyed the show at any time during the last 28 years. In the dizzying, non-stop world of soap opera production, that’s a significant accomplishment, indeed.
