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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Aiden Continues To Be A Target For Bullies; Oscar Receives His Death Sentence

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

On Tuesday’s episode of General Hospital, the long-running ABC daytime drama series, is certainly taking a look at some key issues of our time in regards to young children and teens.

When Liz leaves to meet with Willow, about Aiden, Franco and Aiden bake some cookies, where Franco is impressed and surprised to find out how excellent Aiden is in the kitchen and baking assorted kinds of cookies. When Franco asks why Aiden never told anyone that he liked baking so much, Aiden said he just didn’t want to be laughed at again.

At Charlie’s, Liz meets up with Willow. The teacher informs Liz that Aiden still prefers to avoid the other students and may not feel safe around them for a very long time.  Liz questions and ponders why Aiden has a target target on his back. Willow explains how kids can be cruel in an understatement, she adds that Aiden needs to find his true identity.

After Cam’s emotional day surrounding Joss and Oscar, he heads home.  Liz and Cam get their around the same time and are astounded by Aiden’s cookies! Franco tells Liz they just need to let Aiden be Aiden. Then when Cam and Aiden hang out on the couch, and after asking for the password to the iPad, Cameron opens it, and there is a heartbreaking message that reads, “Get Lost Gayden.”   Cam immediately closes it and hugs his little brother.

What happens when you are a teenager who should be living life and having fun with years to look forward to?  That is the other storyline, GH has been taking at look at.  Kim tells Terry that Oscar has questions now that the medical trial has failed, and he needs the truth, no matter how difficult it may be to hear.  On is way to meet with Terry and his mom, Oscar runs into Alexis and tells her he needs to finish his will.  Alexis is heartbroken to hear this news.

Once with Terry and Kim, Oscar asks a few questions about the what to expect as his condition worsens before his death, how to prepare for it, and how long he has to live. Terry explains n some cases headaches get worse, and that he may have difficulty with his balance. Then, Terry delivers the devastating news, he could live as long as 6-7 months … or as little as 6 more weeks.  Oscar is shaken.

Kim hands him a bucket list to-do book and calendar to go to set up all the things he wants to do before he dies.  He heads to meet Josslyn in the hospital chapel, where they pen in things in the book to do together.  Monica and Kim share a moment about losing their children, before they pass away.  Kim does not know what to do next.  She decides to head to the “Charlie’s” to see Julian; while Alexis has already told Julian to help Kim through this tough time, no matter his feelings towards her kissing Drew on New Year’s Eve.

Finally, Griffin removes Anna’s bandages and her eyesight has returned following her surgery.  Finn tells Anna the virus that caused the blindness has never been seen in North America.  Anna wonders if it was given to her while abroad?  Could this be something Cassandra did to her, or something, or someone else?

So, if GH does this story right about Aiden being bullied for his differences, it could definitely send a powerful message to many in the viewing audience and bring attention to young LGBTQ youth who are trying to be their authentic selves, if this is the story.   What do you think of Aiden’s plight now?  What did you think of how Oscar’s death sentence was handled?  Who or what caused Anna’s temporary blindness?  Share your thoughts on these storylines via the comment section below.

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I had a feeling they were going where i thought they would with Aiden. I can see this happening because i knew kids that age who knew they were gay. It was a few years older than that for me but i did know i was gay at a young age too.

I like the character of Oscar but when they started this story, i had hoped they would carry it out just for the emotional punch it would have. It looked like they were backing away from it and i figured this was just going to be a simple medical crisis story that would predictably end well. I am glad they went with what I originally thought.

As for Anna, what can i say other than it’s Anna. You know it’s going to be something diabolical. i can’t wait to see how this turns out. i would love to see an exciting spy story!!!

Me too, knew about 6-7

absolutely, so in agreement… I am now wondering about the actors state of mind and being – THIS IS SO MUCH FOR a VERY YOUNG MIND to “alter” believe, and ACT. being bullied and GAY… he doesn’t even look like he is past 1st grade. that would make him 5. dang !

I too knew at a young age.. but not @Aiden age… WOAH.. @GH the powers that be ? what’s going to happen to this actor when they SORAS… will he be recalling all this ? just asking …

reminds me of my adorable James Nigbor… how he had a tough time just coming back.. and was recast… why? because he wasn’t cute enough? or too dark ? oy

^^^^ “… i had hoped they would carry it out just for the emotional punch it would have

exactly it would have all been wrapped up that nicely like todays lunch box … of course, all bow tied and wrapped with Roger Howarth blessing

blech on the last sucking up to and losing Liz back bone.. AND STORY !!!!!

I’ve stated before… WHY couldn’t it have been Liz , making cookies with her son ? how much more touching and effective would this have been that it dawns on her that .. OK it’s cookies, but that her youngest son may be gay? Roger Howarth’ Franco is every where with her kids. it’s just ODD. all that is left to be saying… wouldn’t want to confuse Frank and/or Roger… however abstract maybe spelled out. especially about him being bullied.. who wouldn’t know the hurt pulling away and the distance between mother and child. Teary eyes

CAN – you – imagine ; Liz Webber… making cookies with her son.. enjoying; sharing the moment; her heart; searching; for what’s going on with her child.. her son… @school… and “learning” that her son could be GAY… how the hurt is just swirling in his mind… not fully aware understanding REACHING OUT FOR HELP. because he’s with his MOM. this would have been a breathtaking scene… breathtaking heart tugging teared up scene for Rebecca Herbst Liz. Our Liz and her son

scenes fades as they hug it out. this is General Hospital

alas, it’s Franco – ROGER HOWARTH – ( you are no longer a star) – taking up the air time for HIM. and this story will fade?

blah blah blah… so many heart felt moments lost on the dullard

Please… you can’t tell me that watching Michael… “I get first dibs as the god parent” ie: with Wiley. blech

James…Some of this is generational…at least for me. So I will “come out.” I have been reading comments from some GH fans who, for several years, have said they were gay. Personally gay doesn’t bother me, but the whole topic is sort of new for me, because I don’t remember it as being part of my vocabulary when growing up…like alzhemiers, autism, ADHD and others that society has now named. So most of my adult life I have been on a learning curve here, and forgive me for asking but why is gay the term used? In Jane Austen type stories it used to be a word used for occasions that were fun. And whether Aiden is gay or not I hope he will continue to like baking cookies for as long as he wants.

Rose, please allow another James to respond to you. I am a former GH fan as well as a gay man who faced bullying in school and survived, so maybe I can give you my perspective. I realized my own sexuality at a very young (prepubescent) age. Rose, I am assuming you are a heterosexual woman; your realization of your own sexuality is similar to what gay people experience. It’s not a choice; it’s simply who you are. Granted, the overwhelming majority of people are heterosexual, but homosexual, bisexual, transgender, and others are also present in our civilization and community. And their needs, dreams, hopes, and fears are just as valid.

I appreciate your “learning curve” and respect your upbringing wherein you may not have been exposed to openly gay people. I’m not quite understanding your comments, though. On the one hand, it seems that you are trying to be supportive, but on the other hand, it seems you are equating diseases with homosexuality. This much I can tell you: homosexuality is not a disease. Decades ago, the American Psychiatric Association made such a declaration. It seems you may resent the term “gay” being used for anything other than “fun.” I am okay with the term “gay,” but I am no fan of the term “queer” because I cannot escape its derogatory and derisive connotations and usage; others have embraced that term as well as “gay.” Thankfully, there are many synonyms for “fun,” just as there are other synonyms for “homosexual.” There is room in our vast lexicon for various terms, just as there is room in our society for a vast array of people, with varied experiences, viewpoints, and sexualities.

Yet, I believe that the terminology is unimportant. What is important is to respect people. You don’t have to like, or even understand, everyone. But if we can respect each other, show empathy for each other, embrace our differences as well as our commonalities, and treat others as we wish to be treated, then we are making an impact and becoming self-actualized. We can make a difference every day, and we are doing so when we strive to become the best version of ourselves…

Jamesj75…Thanks for replying. I do want to say how sorry I am for the bullying you endured in school. It must have been awful. And credit to MF site that you and I feel safe asking or commenting here. But I still feel like I’m walking on eggshells.

So to respond to some things you said…First, I don’t think of homosexuality is a “disease” and never have. Further from the truth. Just a different experience than I have had as a heterosexual woman. And I really dislike the word “queer.” But I do consider homosexuality, bi, trans, hetero as just part of Earths big garden with lots of varieties and colors. Or we wouldn’t all be here…no matter what some others would say. Now there are some others I can’t account for like Ryan serial killer or mass shooters.

Second I’m not sure I would even consider calling something like ADHD ( or wiggly kid who couldn’t concentrate in my days of yore) a disease. I consider a disease something that eats away at the body one way or the other. As for something like ADHD and others, perhaps some symptoms can be treated. And including a school system that accommodates them. But as a society we just haven’t found a growing-up environment where many can live and thrive. But that’s for another discussion.

So what I meant was there are now a lot of terms given to all sorts of things that didn’t have a “name” for me when I grew up.

BEst for the new year. Rose

Hello Rose! And thanks a million for your reply! I really appreciate it. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot, but I am so glad that you further clarified your meaning for me and anyone else who might have misunderstood your intent. In my defense, you mentioned “alzhemiers, autism, ADHD” akin to the “gay” terminology, so that was where I got my initial impression.

I also agree with you about ADHD being differentiated from other diseases. And so glad you agree with me about “queer.” In my youth, I heard that term in its most vicious form, sometimes directed at me personally. And so I have a gut, uneasy reaction to it. Some younger gays have embraced the “Q” as in “LGBTQ.” I could personally do without the “Q.”

Thank you for your kindness to me with regard to my mention of the bullying in my past. As I said, I managed to get through those times, and in the sense that we are a product of our experiences, I feel that even those negative ones helped mold me into who I am, and I am largely okay with who I am (not perfect by any means, however!). And I am certainly not trying to inject any melodrama here into this soap opera website! 🙂

Your larger premise mentions a generational difference, and I am with you there! I appreciate your perspective, and I have witnessed the same sorts of changes in the public discourse on a variety of issues as you have. (I suspect we’re close in age.) I’m sorry if you feel you must walk on eggshells sometimes. I feel as though I must do the same thing in certain areas.

It’s so easy to misinterpret meaning on the Internet, and I have certainly written things that were misinterpreted. But I cannot thank you enough for taking the time and having this discourse with me! I am a sporadic poster here, Rose. I know there are quite a few terrific people here, and I will keep an open eye for other commentary from you. Best to you, Rose, and your loved ones in the New Year!

Very nice and enlightening conversation between James and Rose. Thank you both. I think it comes down to being free to be yourself. My younger son, who is now in college, was bullied unmercifully when he was in the second grade because he liked to wear ties and berets to school. Yes, a gang of boys called him gay. I remember he came home one day, and he wasn’t wearing his red beret. I found it in his backpack with a muddy boot print on it. Apparently the king of the bullies had ripped off his beret and stomped on it. I looked at that beret as a self contained symbol of societal oppression. I had a huge battle with the principal who couldn’t understand that this was hate speech. The principal dismissed the bullies’ behavior as a case of “boys being boys.” I had my son transferred from that school into a much better, more sensitive school environment. He has a girlfriend now and isn’t gay, he just always marched to the sound of his own drum as we all should be allowed to do without being harassed and bullied.

Harry, thank you for your kind words. It’s unfortunate that your son was a target of bullies. Often it’s not simply a matter of being perceived as gay; it’s a matter of being perceived as different. Anything different is to be, sadly, feared and subject to scorn. The mentality itself is abominable.

Glad your son had you in his corner, with the principal, etc. No doubt, he is lucky and appreciative of you.

Thank you also for your words of wisdom: “as we all should be allowed to do without being harassed and bullied.” Take care, Friend!

I hope they make this about identity and not homosexuality. Aiden likes to bake and he likes backpacks with princesses on it. The kids assume he’s gay and bully him for being different. I would not want to feed into stereotypes. Gay men might be football players and straight men might like to bake. I still think Charlotte is Rhoda from The Bad Seed.

I’ d prefer to see a story about Aiden being targeted by a bully/bullies simply because he is viewed as different and/or weaker than the bully/bullies. A bully really doesn’t care about whether their accusation is true or false, nor about any harm their words cause. Instead of a story about Aiden being targeted because he is an LGBTQ youth how about he’s just a kid who isn’t mean (like Charlotte), isn’t bi (like Christina), isn’t transgender (like Oscar’s doctor, sorry can’t think of her name at the moment). Perhaps the bully/bullies can pick on him for being creative and for having an almost stepfather (Franco) who is a known murderer?

Good post!!! The show is suddenly pushing a very serious agenda on all fronts and its more than a little heavy handed and obvious! First we get the transgender doctor…a “Best friend” that Liz has not mentioned in 20 years. Could we maybe meet Liz’s mother first? Then we have Kristina and straight Valerie. Now we get a child questioning his gender, or wherever they are going with this story. This type of writing should be left for after school specials!

Don’t get me started on the Bratty, Petulent Kristina! #MorganJR

Agree

The bully is name calling “Gayden.” That the boy likes to bake or is “different” in the eyes of his schoolmate peers doesn’t necessarily mean he is questioning his own orientation or gender. Currently, this strikes me as bullying storyline only.

I’m loving the Aiden storyline… because I was Aiden. A bullied gay kid who liked to bake cookies… from scratch. A few years later in Jr. High I found GH and 40+ years later life is great. I think this is a very realistic storyline and I hope we can see Aiden grow as a gay or questioning boy into an out and proud teen.

I can not believe that No one has contacted Robin for Patricks help. He has saved others with miracle surgery

Jim…Agree about a miracle surgery attempt. If not Patrick, Jpss had started by making a list of possibilities. And for all Carly has and still is mourning Morgan ( and putting viewers through), you would think she would have tried harder with Joss to help find a cure for Oscar.

The acting is great. Some of the dialogue is good. The fast edits are bad. Many of the stories are terrible. The pacing is awful. The cast is bloated. My patience is tried. My loyalty and devotion to the show are unswerving. Long live GH!

I agree, the fast edits are annoying!

Wish Ryan would “trim the fat!”

I want to start out with how happy I am that Anna blindness was short lived, this one storyline was giving me anxiety as to where Is possible that she also got the virus, remember that Anna was also in Cuba chasing after Obrecht, so it could of been from there. the other two storyline are also keeping me intrigue, I sure hope Oscar doesn’t die, the three teens in this storyline are just phenomenal, and webber boys in the other storyline are just awesome, I’m so glad with Cameron, and glad he’s turning into a wonderful supportive friend and brother. I love everyone that was on Tuesday episode. GH really has a great cast, even if to a lot of viewers its bloated. so far January is off to a good start, I’m really liking all the storylines, but some need to come to and end, Ryan’s terror is playing way to long, so lets get that over with asap.

Aria…I’m also wondering if Anna could have picked up the mystery blindness from Finn’s lizard. Don’t remember what his wife died of but I think it was also some exotic disease. Of course that probably wouldn’t provide a nefarious follow up story which is way more exciting. And I agree the three teens story is being done beautifully by Joss, Cameron and Oscar.

Pardon me for playing Devil’s advocate here, but I am the Devil after all….

Anyway, are we supposed to believe that it’s now a “gay” thing for a kid to bake cookies??

Yeah, all the “princess” themed toys & school supplies might have been hints that Aiden was coming from somewhere among the LGBT rainbow. But baking?? Seriously??

I know, its stupid. I see a lot of males in the baking industry and dont think of them as being gay because they bake cookies! I dont care who they sleep with, just make great CC cookies!

may be jumping the gun… it did say on Aiden little ??? gameboard… ??? get lost GAYDEN. and the simplicity of showing a little effeminate ??? Natural instinct? who knows… I hope it doesn’t go their.. because with a character coming out so soon… will they caution him to keep it to himself… AND just love and support him @home.. and that he becomes more comfortable with himself? how fortunate this will be , if this is so. the one thing that still makes me sad and horrified is when kids are kicked out and suicide is an outlet

While the cookie thing really doesn’t have a lot to do with it, it’s been clear for a while that they were dropping hints that Aiden is either gay or trans. Initially I thought that might have been the reason they brought the Dr. Terri character on, so she could help her old friend Elizabeth deal with Aiden’s identity issues. if indeed he does believe himself to be a girl.

They haven’t really pulled the trigger on whether he’s gay or trans yet, but the comments the teacher made about him “finding his identity” made it sound like she had her own ideas about it. (Of course the audience doesn’t actually see how Aiden acts in school, apart from that one “career day” episode, where he didn’t seem to be doing much of anything at all.)

Days & GH are the only soaps I’ve ever watched here in Hell, but I don’t recall them (or any other show, for that matter) attempting a “coming out” story for a young child before. I hope the writers can do it justice, if that’s where it’s going. And I hope they screen their phone calls from the inevitable death threats that will come to them from the deranged people who ironically think they represent my old friend JC.

Okay, Satan, today I am solidly in your corner! And I hope you will embrace the warmth — coming from me! Thanks for your early point, questioning the act of baking cookies being presented as a “gay” thing. And thank you for the astute analysis in your final statement, regarding “the deranged people who ironically think they represent my old friend JC.” As you suggest, if the writers can “do…justice” to this possible “coming out” story, then they will be performing an invaluable service and lesson to the viewers. Best to you, Friend!

I thought the same thing. I think it’s sweet. Many children love to bake and learn to cook while in the kitchen with their parents.

I personally hope they don’t kill off Oscar. He’s really grown on me. I very much enjoy him and Josslyn together, I enjoy his friendship with Cameron. He’s a Quartermaine through Drew, and god knows we need some young Q’s to carry on the family legacy for years to come. Garren Stitt is a talented young man, and I think he will only continue improving and growing as an actor. Would like to see him stick around. Hopefully there is some kind of miracle twist to save Oscar in the story yet to come.

Without going into personal details, the Aiden situation is something I can relate to very strongly. Very strongly. It’s a story that needs to be told, and I’m so glad they’re doing so.

With this and the Mike Alzheimer’s storyline that Max Gail is portraying so brilliantly, GH is doing a wonderful job telling emotional human interest stories, that resonate with people on a personal level, because they’re stories most people can relate to in some way.

I hate the Ryan story line, it is starting, it has been dragging on too long. Please finish already, I always walk away from tv when is showing, boring, boring, boring!

Agree

I could not disagree more–Jon Lindstrom is brilliantly subtle and chilling playing the sociopathic serial killer. His expressions are priceless.

I as a grandmother of 2 little girls do not want this s/l. My girls wear camouflage but know they know they’re girls. Just let Aiden bake cookie not be gay..he’s too young for that. I don’t want that on my adult soap. What happened to Love in the Afternoon!! For adults!! Mob shoot outs! Stop promoting so many “Sweeps week issues”!

Agree

This storyline breaks my heart for Aiden. Having gone thru teasing in school as a child. Now some 50 years later, I realize that bullies will always be “unkind” even as adults.

Agree

The little boy playing Aiden is adorable and doing a fantastic job! I think that everyone connected with this story is doing a wonderful job and it needs to be told. I don’t think it really matters whether or not Aiden is pronounced gay at this age. Certainly, baking cookies or liking a princess character does not make him so. He could be interested in fashion or baking for the sake of eating great cookies. But he could also well be on his way to discovering he has an attraction to boys. This story is widely relate-able and so important. I hope the writers will continue to sensitively approach it and all TPTB allow it to continue being told in a gripping manner.

While I am having my heart torn out by the emotional tale of Oscar’s tumor and know that in real life, he probably would die, I don’t want to see him go. He’s too good of an actor and too good of a character to kill off. The three teens involved in this story are doing a phenomenal job carrying this. I feel wracked every time this story plays on screen. I don’t need thew realism of a cancerous tumor claiming yet another young life and would gladly accept a “miracle” cure saving Oscar just to continue to watch him, Josslyn and Cameron continue to interact.

As for Anna’s blindness…I, too, am glad that that lasted all of three seconds. When she fell to the floor and couldn’t see all I kept wondering was why the writers couldn’t give this talented actress a meaty story line that didn’t involve some medical malady? She’s going to be voted Most Likely to Contract a Disease if this continues. I’ll wait to see what great mystery develops but I sure hope it’s worth it.

Eventually I think there will be a tie between Anna’s blindness & Oscar’s “miracle cure”. They have already established the blindness was caused by a virus, and now Ryan apparently has it as well. You may recall that after Oscar’s trial failed, Kim was seen calling various doctors and trying to get him into another trial where the polio virus was used as a cancer treatment. If they can do that with a polio virus, perhaps other virii can be used in a similar medical fashion. So Dr. McVampire..er..Finn will eventually put his viral medicine expertise to work and mutate this mystery virus so it can attack cancer cells, and boom.. Oscar is saved!

As for the virus itself….. the only thing Anna & Ryan really have in common is that both are twins. If either Drew or Jason suddenly comes down with this same virus, I have a feeling it’s all going to come back to the weird Russian clinic and all that brain mapping dragonshit.

Willow should pick Chase. She should read up on Michael. All his girlfriends either die or go to jail!

I dont see how a parent would little their young boy act on TV about the gay bullying. He is to young to be exposed to this topic. I wish they would have just stuck to bullying. Now, Aiden is getting hate messages because he is different. ‘Gayden” Sad.

Anna will go blind again. Someone is screwing with her. She will eventually figure it out and permanently regain her vision. In the meantime, we get the one liners from FINN “Willis!”

True that, Timm. However if Weeping Willow bends towards Chase she might die of boredom.

Adin is Allie..
She was born in the wrong body.
And his mother not seeing that is pitiful.
It is more than obvious..
………………
Oscar will Not die.. a few ways to write it, but he won’t die
………………………
Willow is the Flying Nun, but- she has a darker side.
…………………
Ava will Not leave with Ryan his time is to the end. no more killings perhaps a kidnapping but no harm will come from it.
………………….
Annas blindness thing is stupid and drama fee a waste.
gawd forbid its more brain worms ahaa!
…………………….
Mike is the Only intriguing charter and I if the actor doesn’t get 20 awards then the Emmys need to be flushed.

GH is total YAWN .
I watch I FF, I’m addicted but won’t punish myself by not FF

I love GH, and it’s nice to see GH being utself again. It took time after the years if Ron c. Turning GH into a soap of itself, unrecognizable it was and the only time I could not bear to watch through 30plus years of being a fan. Chris van Etten has done a great job.In the past year GH has lept into the now, with touches and depths into talking about bullying, the netok movement, molestation, gay, bisexual, and transgender charcacters, Alzheimer’s,fracking, gentrification, political races,cancer,all with a touch of soap is the balance GH is and Not since Claire labines GH have I enjoyed my show as much. Haters have said Oscar plight isn’t as touching because lack of connection, I disagree cause the plight I see is in the others who are affected by this and cancer affect many just not the patient as we all know and appreciate GH for showing it’s ripples. From Alexis urgi g Julian to go and connect with Kim, to Carly wanting to protect her daughter from heartbreak. Same goes with Mike’s Alzheimer’s, though there the complaints have been to wrap it up, which I was actually worried they were going to rush the story, instead it is taking correct course and is appreciated. Between 2012 -15 GH character constantly just repeated the storlines in there dialogue to keep the viewers up to date with how exciting and twisted everything was. But there was no depth. GH is GH again , as far as the haters go, I’ll say it again, if GH is not your cup of tea then maybe go try the Kool aid over at DAYs it may be more your speed.

I’m ready for the bully to have something terrifying happen to her. Her five second forced-by-parent apology to Aiden was pathetic.

Little Aiden is adorable. This sweet boy has more acting ability than some of their “pets.” Unfortunately, I don’t think the writers have the talents to write such an important, socially relevant story. & why the stereotyping? Why can’t Aiden just like to bake? Many kids love to bake and enjoy learning to cook. Franco and Aiden are so cute together.

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

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General Hospital

GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

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Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

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‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)

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Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.

Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”

Chad Duell

Photo: ABC

WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON

Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”

Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”

Courtesy/ABC

Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”

When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”

Courtesy/ABC

MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES

One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”

“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good.  I was working with Dominic  Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.

A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?

As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”

Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.

You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.

Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.

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