General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL 15000th Episode: Laura Faces Being Ousted as Mayor as Port Charles Bands Together in Support of Her
Finally, after many preemptions, General Hospital’s 15,000the episode aired on Wednesday. In it and front and center in the standalone episode was GH icon, Genie Francis (Laura).
In story, after a scathing op-ed is run in The Invader from a group of citizens called “The Friend of Port Charles”, they take aim at Mayor Laura Collins and want a recall to replace her. When trying to figure out who was behind the story, Laura’s friends and the citizens of the town, band together to keep her from being ousted and to figure out who would attack her in the press like this.
That sets up a few sentimental flashback clips featuring the three current longest-running members of the cast, Genie, Kin Shriner (Scott) and Jackie Zeman (Bobbie). Viewers get a glimpse of Scotty and Laura’s wedding, and then Bobbie’s contentious and duplicitous side when she fought for the love of Scotty against a teenaged Laura.
As Laura tries to determine who is behind the op-ed, Curtis (Donnell Turner) gets a lead from Ms. Wu (Lydia Look) that Laura’s half-brother, Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober) is behind it. Laura then heads to Pentonville to confront Cyrus. She asks if he’s the brains behind “The Friends of Port Charles”.
Cyrus insists he is only an advisor. He goes on to say that this is a group of people who are disillusioned by the way she is running the town. Cyrus gets angry and vengeful, and emotional, when saying the police department is corrupt and how ELQ and Cassadine Industries gets tax breaks at the expense of less fortunate people, etc. Laura can’t figure out if these people in the ‘friends’ group have such high moral value why would they hire a criminal, like him, as an advisor?
Renault goes on to say that it’s up to God and preaches she needs to be less self-righteous. Laura throws back to Cyrus that where was God in that scathing op-ed, that he did filled with such hate? Laura then forgives him and walks out, which stuns Cyrus.
Photo: ABC
Later, Scotty in front of Laura, Bobbie, Anna (Finola Hughes), Felicia (Kristina Wagner) and Lucy (Lynn Herring), proposes to Liesl (Kathleen Gati), but she turns down his marriage proposal. Liesl feels they have a good thing going , so why mess it up with a marriage at this point. The two kiss.
In addition, Laura meets up with Maxie (Kirsten Storms), who are visiting an institutionalized Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst). Maxie brings her some cosmetics from Deception because of the bad lighting in the facility.
The softball game was the throughline of the episode, and at the end, we saw the payoff, when all the characters converged on Charlie’s giving their support to Laura, who says she is ready to write her rebuttal.
Then in a voice-over from Laura, she speaks to the essence of Port Charles and its residents which included: that they have a strong community that she is proud to be a part of it and she speaks to her legacy over generations. Kevin (Jon Lindstrom) proposes a toast to Laura, as she notes that if she loses the recall then so be it, adding that if the person who replaces her is a Port Charles lifer, like she is, then the town will continue to prosper.
So, what did you think of the 15,000 episode milestone episode? Did you enjoy the performance of Genie Francis? Did you like the way much of the cast was utilized, or did you feel otherwise? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Genie is always great, but Kin Shriner was overacting like always.
Was it outstanding? No. Overall, it was pretty good. For the most part, it featured a good use of the cast (here’s hoping all is well with Leslie Charleson).
Would I have loved more flashbacks? Sure, but they are tough to come by. For instance, they’d have to find a scene from the early 80s that featured only Laura & Robert (no Luke, Tiffany or long deceased Cassadine). Or, something from the late 90’s with only Laura & Elizabeth). I’m grateful for two 70s flashbacks- what memories!
Maxie’s presence in the Shaddybrook scenes felt like a contrived way to work her into the episode. Finn and Violet should’ve been replaced by Dante and Rocco. At least Finn or Laura should’ve reminded the audience that Violet is Steve Hardy’s great granddaughter.
The nail salon scenes were great and glad to see Scotty & Liesl don’t need to be married to have a meaningful relationship (although it was fun to see him propose in front of 3 of his ex’s).
Jeff Kober (Cyrus) shined – as always – in the Pentonville scenes. Lydia Look (Selina) continues to steal every scene she’s in.
Kudos to the crew, too, as I can’t remember the last time so many sets were used in one episode. We hopped from the hospital (exterior, hub and board room) to Kelly’s, MC pool, Q den, Sonny’s office, nail salon, Pentonville, Shaddybrook and finally Charlie’s.
While there was definitely room for improvement, I will say it was to see Frank & team think of Laura.
Great review, Steve! I certainly agree with you on all counts, and I like how you ended your post. I was impressed with the focus on Laura, the many sets (as you mentioned), and the large cast used in the episode. We were led to believe that virtually the whole cast would be included, but when the tease for the next day’s show aired, several of those characters were not featured in the 15,000th episode.
Thanks James.
With the exception of Valentin, Dante and Jordan – I could see logical reasons why most cast members not seen on the episode were not there. Most of those not seen have had little interaction with Laura. Based on current story, it might have been awkward to try to squeeze in Nina, Sasha, Marshall or Esme.
That said, it looks like they had 13 recurring characters mixed in with the contract performers. I don’t think the Nurses Ball even gets that many non-contract players in one individual episode:
Epiphany
Violet
Kevin
Scotty
Mac
Robert
Bobbie
Lucy
Liesl
Ned
Olivia
Selina
Cyrus
I liked this episode. Especially how she “neutralized” Cyrus. But I’m sure he is still going to be trouble. Also fun seeing the clip of Laura and Bobbie fighting over Scottie years before. Wow, the hairdos. Nice to see they made up. So now Re-Elect Laura For Mayor!
I really wanted to like this but it was a mess of poor plotting, misuse of good characters, jarring absence of other characters, just didn’t do it for me. But I loved the flashbacks!
I liked it for the most part but Maxie being with Laura was odd. She could have just been with Lucy or Brook Lynn. Also why was Violet tbe only kid in tbe show? Couldn’t Grandma Laura have brought Jake and Aiden?
So, where was Martin Grey? The one brother who’s come to really love and care about Laura. So many unnecessary others, Ava,Maxi who I felt that Liz had to interrupt her time off to just provide a scene for.I guess of all Laura’s grandkids, Spencer was the only important one and surprised he didn’t drag that phony Esme along. Sorry for all the grousing, just not what I expected
Yes. Martin Grey should have been there but instead we get Sam, Maxie and of course, Carly-The mouth who ate Port Charles. And every time I see Ava with Laura, I’m distracted by the fact that these two look to be the same age, but Laura is her mother-in- law.
The damned old January 6th precedings got recorded in place of GH… if they want to talk about the attack on the Capital.. WHY don’t they talk about the NEW ONE that took place on the 16th.. with STEPHEN COLBERT and the 7 Democrats..I keep waiting to hear something about it, but all I heard was they got arrested and turned loose a few hours later.. bet the people who are still in jail from the January 6th would have plenty to say on that subject…
No, you are incorrect. The hearings on the January 6 Attack on our Capitol and on Democracy did NOT pre- exempt the Laura episode. They postponed the Laura episode and aired it the next day when no hearings were taking place. However, I think you know that but were trying to insert your own political agenda into a discussion about soaps. Although your wrong on so much more, I’m not going to take the bait and engage with you. As Lucy would say,” Ta!”
That should be you’re, not your. I have trouble typing in these little boxes.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, the race is on! Can Lulu (Alexa Havins) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) get to Rocco (Finn Carr) and Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) in time to ensure their safety from Cullum (Andrew Hawkes)? Can Carly (Laura Wright) with the help of her brother, Lucas (Van Hansis) rescue Josslyn (Eden McCoy) from captivity at Wyndemere? These questions may be answered, plus the return of the one and only Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) are on tap!
In the just released General Hospital spoilers video for the week of June 22-26, Lulu tells her mother, Laura (Genie Francis), “Dante and I have to get to Rocco before Cullum!” Meanwhile, Rocco (Finn Carr) looks angered and emotional as Britt walks through their cabin hideout. Does Rocco know his parents are on the way to find them, or has Cullum already tracked them down to the British Virgin Islands?
Back in Port Charles, Carly is informing Lucas that his niece, “is a WSB agent.” She knows Josslyn (Eden McCoy) is being held against her will at Wyndemere, and she has to find a way to get her out. Lucas agrees with Carly’s plan of, “We go in and we don’t leave without Josslyn!” Elsewhere, Josslyn is looking worried for her future as she is stuck in captivity thanks to Cassius, Cullum and Sidwell!
Courtesy/ABC
FINOLA HUGHES RETURNS
The final moments of the teaser promo reveal Anna in a psychiatric clinic in France. We have not seen her for months after Cullum, Sidwell and Pascal fed her hallucinogenics to make her believe her arch nemesis, Cesar Faison was alive!
Now, the doctors walk towards her hospital bed, where we see the super spy calmly knitting. Is Anna back to normal and playing everyone to get out of her predicament, or does she still remain deeply traumatized … or both?
Take a look at the rest of the official GH spoilers for the week below.
MONDAY, JUNE 22
Willow gets an unwelcome surprise. Trina sticks to her guns. “Nathan” wants reassurance. Ethan advises Ava. Brook Lynn receives an update.
TUESDAY, JUNE 23
Dante cautions Liz. Laura learns a secret. Brook Lynn confides in Michael. Sonny challenges Ava. Chase makes a decision.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
Anna meets with her doctor. Carly makes a stunning confession. Britt extracts a promise. Cullum pulls a fast one. Gio and Emma hit the pool.
THURSDAY, JUNE 25
Josslyn clashes with Cassius. Lulu and Dante make a discovery. Chase receives a warning. Jordan seeks help. Alexis is summoned to the PCPD.
FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Anna takes a huge risk. Britt is in grave danger. Willow is in disbelief. Danny must act fast. Curtis jumps to the wrong conclusion.
Check out the latest General Hospital promo entitled, “Rescue Mission” below.
Now weigh-in: Do you think Anna is still mentally off-balance, or OK, and just pretending to be troubled to get out of France and get back to Port Charles? Will Josslyn finally be rescued, or will Carly and Lucas find themselves locked up with her? And, who will get to Britt and Rocco first? Cullum, or Dante and Lulu? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.
General Hospital
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).
On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..
In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”
GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW
So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!
FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD
As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”
Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.
So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Announces Upcoming Release of His First Single, ‘If You Need Me’
In a surprise move, Daytime Emmy winner, Chad Duell (ex-Michael Corinthos, GH) is getting ready to unveil a new chapter of his career in music.
The former GH star, where he played the son of Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) for 15 years, has announced his new single, “If You Need Me” will drop on Friday, June 26. The single is now available for pre-order on Spotify and major music streaming platforms and is distributed by DistroKid.
Taking to his Instagram story over the weekend, to announce the pre-save of his new single, Chad expressed, “I’ll make a full post about what I’ve been up to and my music once it goes live next week, but you can pre-save my first single so it goes straight to your Spotify once it drops next week.”
Photo: CDuellIG
SINCE LEAVING GENERAL HOSPITAL
Previously, since his departure from the ABC soap opera. Chad starred alongside Zach Mendez in the world premiere of of Yum Yum at Annapolis, a new play written by Bruce Reisman. Duell last appeared on General Hospital on the January 21, 2025 episode.
The part was recast with Rory Gibson who debuted as the new Michael in May of 2025 during the Nurses’ Ball episodes and who has remained in the role since that time.
In an interview earlier this year on The Able Show, Duell said on his decision to exit the soap opera, “I was blessed to be part of that (show) for as long as I have, but what happens sometimes is if you’re doing the same thing, especially in a creative field for such a long time, you can get a little burnt out in a way. It can make you a little depressed, so that’s kind of what happened. On top of that, I had other things going on in my life at the time. My father passed away recently and I just needed a reset. So, I stepped away. A lot of times you have to go through some stuff to really step into that next level. I needed to kind of feel uncomfortable.”
So, what type of musical genre will Chad’s new song be? Country? Pop? Rock? Dance/Club? Something else? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below, and if you are eager to hear the new single next week via the comment section below.
Christel Khalil Reveals She Almost Quit Acting After ‘That’s So Raven’ Audition, But Then Came ‘The Young and the Restless’
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Marlena Looks Back at 50 Years in Salem
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
Christel Khalil Reveals She Almost Quit Acting After ‘That’s So Raven’ Audition, But Then Came ‘The Young and the Restless’
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Y&R Preview: Matt Clark Asks Phyllis on a Date, Would You Be Down for the Pairing? Roger Howarth & Michelle Previously in GH’s Franco/Nina Romance
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