When you combine superb direction, writing, production, and acting in a special episode of a daytime drama, viewers can see and understand the thought and care that went into it.
This was more than on display during Thursday’s highly-anticipated ‘Alexis-Centric’ episode honoring the 25th anniversary of Alexis’ portrayer, two-time Daytime Emmy winner, Nancy Lee Grahn, on General Hospital.

Courtesy/ABC
In the story, symbolism was apparent and used for dramatic impact and it worked beautifully throughout, and best of all, Nancy received a script worthy of her immeasurable talents, and showed us once again why she remains one of the gold standards of our genre. If you have not seen the episode DO NOT read any further as it contains spoilers.
It begins with an emotional Alexis looking at her mother’s watch which was still frozen from the time of her death. While playing one of her mother’s records very loudly, she recalls Mikkos Cassadine kissing and dancing with her mom as a young Alexis (Natasha) looked on from the staircase. When Sam asks her about it, Alexis shares that she sees the watch as sort of a representation for her own life being frozen over the last three years; which has included Alexis’ battle with booze taking over her life and her being disbarred, when being a lawyer was the way she identified herself and what gave her purpose.
Overwhelmed and anxiety-ridden, Alexis hightails it to Kevin’s office for a therapy session knowing she is going to Pentonville in the morning to serve her sentence. She says she does not know who she is anymore. Then, Kevin asks her how she spent her day thus far. She flashes back to lunch with the good men in her life, Finn, Valentin, Jax and Ned. Valentin tells Alexis she is proud of her for honing up to her mistakes.
Back at the therapy session, Alexis she was an attorney who stood for something and her life has derailed, and that she was a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate. She knows she has to find a purpose in prison to make it through the three-year term and asks Kevin to help her find one.
Kevin wants to go back to when she was a little girl and her memories that are flooding back to her of Mikkos and her mother. Just then, the younger version of Alexis is huddled in the corner of Kevin’s office, an image of her from the past. Alexis tries to come to terms with her father and the choice of dangerous men and relationships that have marred her own happiness … recalling Julian holding a knife to her throat like Mikkos did to her mother. She says he was one of the toxic men in her life, but Kevin reminds her all of the men in her life were not toxic.
Alexis starts with Ned as one who was good for her saying he was always stable, but she ruined that by recently sleeping with him and putting a wedge in his marriage to her long-time friend, Olivia.
We then flashback to earlier in the day, where Alexis ends up in an almost confrontation with Olivia. However, Olivia tells her she misses the Alexis Davis she used to be and to get her back.
Now back with Kevin, a guilt-ridden Alexis relays she feels responsible for Neil’s death. Kevin interjects she is not, nor what happened with Julian. When Kevin attempts to bring up Mikkos again, Alexis rejects it and is angry that he is making her problem about daddy issues; like so many other women. She vehemently shouts that the men in her life do not define who she is.
Then, Alexis flashes back to hurtful memories she has buried of a young Natasha witnessing Mikkos calling her mother a “greedy little bitch”. She recalls it was on Christmas Eve and that Mikkos stopped by to give them gifts. That is when he presented her mother with the watch. However, things took an ugly turn when he tried to leave, and she threatened to tell Helena all about her and Natasha. Next, Mikkos slapped her and that is when the watch shattered. As all this was going down, a young Natasha watched from the stairs and was horrified that she couldn’t stop her father from beating her mother and remembers how helpless she felt.
However, Alexis reveals to Kevin she thought this would be the last of Mikkos coming by, but he returned on New Year’s Eve and her mother took him back into their lives. Alexis is beside herself that she could not protect her mother, but Kevin reassures her to remember she was just a child.

Courtesy/ABC
It is then we come to the crux of the story. Alexis looks over in the corner and sees her younger self crying. She goes to her younger self and tells her nothing that happened was her fault, and that their father was damaged and cruel. She tells the young Natasha this shouldn’t have been her burden to carry alone, and that she deserves to be happy. Then in the moment of strength and coming full circle, Alexis introduces herself to the young Natasha, “I’m Alexis Davis, a fighter, an advocate, and an idealist … and I will take care of everything from her on out.” In that moment, Alexis embraced herself, and forgave herself, so she could move on with her life.
Alexis then flashes back to earlier that night, as the Davis girls gather for a faux graduation ceremony so Alexis could see Molly in her cap and gown and they hug. Back in her session, Kevin remarks that Alexis has repeatedly defined herself as a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate, and reminds her she has three daughters who have those qualities, and that all she needs to be is Alexis Davis.
Then, we get a heart-warming montage of Alexis though the years in honor of Nancy’s 25th anniversary with GH.

Courtesy/ABC
As the episode concludes, it is the next morning, and Alexis enters Pentonville and enters her jail cell. There she meets her fellow inmate, who is studying law books to prep for her upcoming parole hearing. Alexis introduces herself as “Alexis Davis” and as someone who can help her. We then go back to her mother’s watch which now begins ticking at Alexis’ home. The show fades to black.
Kudos to Daytime Emmy winner, Phideaux Xavier for his outstanding direction, head writers: Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor and script writer, Scott Sickles for the thoughtful episode, EP Frank Valentini and his production crew for putting it all together, and the one and only Nancy Lee Grahn for a performance that will be remembered as a classic.
Share your thoughts on today’s on Nancy’s ‘Alexis-Centric’ episode via the comment section below.
Yes – it’s ALWAYS a joy to have Brooklyn on.
Please don’t ever age her character – let her grow up on the show like Kimberly did.
She’s so cute, his kid. You’re right, Lisa….I love kids and seeing them grow on soaps warms the heart.
Kristen Alderson was one such child. We sort of ‘grew up’ together…..
Agree CeeCee & Lisa… Brooklyn is a delightful child, who is missed.
@Fanny.
Hiya, Fanny,
I love Brooklyn….such a good, sweet little actress.would’t it be great if Emma stayed in PC for its longevity? We don’t see kids that age any more on GH….same goes for Spencer. Miss him, as well.
So happy to see this! She is a wonderful actress. Would like to see more of her though.
very happy Brooklyn is coming for a visit, wish she was coming back full time, in fact now that ABC got the rights of OLTL and AMC back, and they can mention characters from those shows, Anna can mention her twin Alex and maybe her twin has a “daughter”? or granddaughter? that looks just like little emma. Then she could be back full time, we can’t kill off Robin or Patrick thats just to unnecessary, but ok, i’m stretching it here, lol, i just wish she could stay longer…
Great to fill up Anna’s house with Emma and Griffin. I keep expecting a Duke return but Jelly are taking their sweet time with it.
Always happy to see her on the show! She interacts so well with all the other actors twice her age. And it’s always nice to see a child-actor who can act grow up on a show. it’s like watching a niece or nephew grow up.
I really look forward to seeing Brooklyn also. She’s one of the few young actors I truly like. She acts WITH the others, not just hamming it up to draw attention to herself. And she can handle heavy material with grace and professionalism. She’s a keeper.
Love her…adds a touch of realism to the show.
Your word is what counts. Always.
@Francesca…thanks Celia.
Excuse me?
Ummmm. No.
Excuse me, as in huh? My dear child, I remember watching the first episode of General Hospital as a kid with my mother. I have also been on this site for years. I have possibly posted a handful of times. I read every single post. I could not resist. Your milieu is pomposity. You lord it over everyone. Your word is law, come hail or high water. You pick on people, demean them and step on them, if your word is not followed. No one is allowed to disagree with you. The ones who seem to gravitate toward you are… Read more »
I finally have something nice to say about GH. I may come back to see her. She is a little doll, and not a bad actress.Reminds me of her soap mother as a child.I will have to dvr it, so I xcan FF the rest of the show.. Put her on camera with Sonny. I ff her also.
Just saw Brooklyn, Sunday on a Christmas Hallmark movie. She was outstanding, as usual.
Ya. Okay…you sound a tad unhinged and ummmm, Victorian. Step out of the timewarp speak you seem to be possessed by and get a grip. Amusing as it is. Now, bugger off…
Typically predictable. This is a democracy. The one who is unhinged is yourself. When someone is criticized for choosing to vote for a certain candidate speaks volumes. I chose not to vote for either, but wrote in Pence. Neither candidate appealed to me. Iffy, both of them. Having said that, what gives you the right to mete out insolence and insults? You sound like you voted for Mrs. Clinton. What does that say about you. Did anyone blast you for that, as you have so many on here. No one tried to take your civil rights from you. No one,… Read more »
Dear ” Francesca” aka Celia, aka CeeCee. You’re way too transparent. And you STILL don’t get sarcasm! I was playing on words, LOL. I knew what you meant when u said “excuse me. And even your complaints are old.. You criticize and lash out when you think someone has “shamed” you.. then u bring up the fact you’re younger and people try to correct you, in your mind, because of that. Then you bring in your family “honor” and end up with you don’t know how Michael Fairman could let comments you don’t like get through. Thennnn…u start comolsining that… Read more »