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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ava Checks Into Shadybrook, While Laura Is Unconvinced That Nikolas Is Alive

Courtesy" ABC

For months now, viewers have seen the downward spiral of Ava Jerome (Maura West).  It began following the death of her daughter Kiki, and realizing the man she fell in love with was not her therapist, Dr Kevin Collins, but none other than his serial killer twin brother, Ryan Chamberlain (Jon Lindstrom) – the man that murdered her daughter.

Trying to get back on her feet has been difficult for Ava.  She finally found some purpose in going back to work at the art gallery she loved so much.  Along the way, she has been sipping one too many martinis.  So, if you add all that up, and if you are other denizens in Port Charles, you might think that when Ava professes she saw the real Nikolas Mikhail Stavrosovich Cassadine (Marcus Coloma) in the flesh, when the man supposedly died a few years ago, then she has really lost it!

Thing is – Ava did see Nikolas, and he is back in Port Charles, alive and well, only know else knows except for Hayden  (Rebecca Budig) and Jax (Ingo Rademacher), which we learned at the end of Friday’s episode.

Earlier, after Ava passed out seeing Nikolas, she comes too, and he is not at the gallery anymore.  She panics and looks everywhere for him. Ava is convinced there has to be security camera footage of him in the gallery.  Nikolas’ mother, Laura (Genie Francis) happens to head over to see Ava to discuss Helena’s portrait, which has been the key to the codicil mystery, which is now at Ava’s gallery,

When Laura arrives, she finds Ava with drink in hand, and professing to her that Laura’s first-born son Nikolas is alive and he was just here at the gallery! As she tries to produce the physical evidence to show Laura, it’s not there.   Ava questions her sanity after Laura suggests she really needs professional help; something Laura knows a thing or two about

What happens next is shocking:  Julian (William deVry) is called and he meets Ava and Laura at Shadybrook sanitarium.  Viewers watch as Ava takes off all of her jewelry and her high heels. She hugs Julian and Laura before leaving them behind to get the help she “needs”.

Kudos to Genie Francis and Maura West, who’s unlikely on-screen friendship as Laura and Ava has been a delight to watch; especially when these two powerhouse actresses share two-person scenes together.

Watching Francis’ facial expression when Laura entertains for a moment that her son could be alive and then feels sorrow was masterful, as was West when as Ava she leans on Laura realizing she is in a worse way than she even imagined.  Will Ava get out of Shadybrook soon?  Will Laura get to feel joy that her son is truly alive and in Port Charles? Stay tuned.

What did you think of the performances of Genie and Maura? What do you think will happen next for Ava and Laura in this story? Comment below.

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Ava didn’t need to go to the loony bin because she saw Fake Nikolas, but she needs to be there for a few other reasons, so they should keep her for a while.

Maybe she can share a padded cell with her big sister Olivia Jerome?

Or Heather Webber! It really is time for her to make another of her famous Port Charles comebacks….I do do miss her lurking presence behind the scenes of every nefarious GH happening…

Last I heard Robin Mattson has retired from acting. Unfortunately, we probably won’t be having any more Heather sightings.

If true, that is a real shame, Steve! Robin always added such colorful comedy to any soap character she happened to portray at any given time, and her “Heather Webber” was the crowning jewel in her daytime career! (Closely followed by her performance as Gina Timmons on Santa Barbara…Boy, oh boy, was she a laugh riot in that role!) At any rate, thank you for the info, Steve. Needless to add, both Robin and her unforgettable “Heather Webber” will be missed…Port Charles will never be the same without “them!”

Maybe GH can find a way to convince Robin Mattson to come out of retirement

Two Ladies not phoning it in amazing what that can do for a show when you have two pros on top of their game!

Love Maura. I haven’t watched in weeks, but, I love the character of Ava.

These two were everything we could hope for!Genie Francis was that Laura we once knew and Ava was so beatin down and only Laura could understand!Two legends Bravo!excited for Nicholas…..of course we all would love Tyler back but my guess is he has some serious issues that behind the scenes made that impossible to happen.So great that we have a new Nicholas to watch!!!!!!

Great performance.. I just love Ava!! She has moved me to tears on several occasions….I love GH!!

Powerful actresses and pure genius on the writers’ part for putting them together in these “unlikely” scenes.

This show is MUCH better under Dan O’Connor!

Probably a little premature to say that, given that his material just started airing. But a Devil can hope…..

He has definitely helped to enrich the dialogue and shake up the pacing of the canvas.

The pacing does seem better along with fine tuned writing. Keep in mind, they have held key storylines (Nikolas, Anna returning, Nina’s revenge) until Dan took over.

Funny, Ava all bent out of shape by someone she only knew for a few hours at the most. Surprised she didn’t, come back to P.C after falling for patient behind the mask, Jason at the clinic, where she helped him escape. Too bad Nickolas didn’t fare so well. Turned him into a whole other man! Then again, it added years to his life, so maybe Ava does have powers we didn’t know she possessed, besides being a ”man eater”.

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General Hospital

Nancy Lee Grahn’s Star-Studded ALS Fundraiser Reveals “I’ll Be There” Video Featuring Soap Opera Notables

Talk about your impressive line-up! It’s a soap fans dream and for a great cause. General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) is prepping her one-night only ALS fundraiser which will feature many of her friends and co-stars.

The benefit is set for May 4th in Glendale, California. Slated to participate are Genie Francis, Jane Elliot, Peter Bergman, Maurice Benard, Eileen Davidson, Thorsten Kaye, Michelle Stafford, Stephen Nichols, Rena Sofer, Jason Thompson, Kelly Monaco, Melissa Claire Egan, Maura West, Kristina Wagner, Gregory Harrison, Trevor St. John, Kate Mansi, Kirsten Storms, Cynthia Watros, and many others.

On Wednesday, Grahn took to her social media and released an “I’ll be there” video shout-out featuring, Monaco, Elliot, Bergman, Bernard, West, Harrison, St. John and more. In a touching and important moment in the new video, Michelle Strogny, who is battling ALS, is featured.

Photo: ABC

Previously, in speaking with Soap Opera Digest on the impetus of the event, Grahn recalled, “I was actually doing Zoom events during Covid and I met this woman that I just fell in love with, Michelle Strojny. At the time, Michelle had been living with ALS for four years. Now, it’s five years. She is a mom of a teenage son, she has the most wonderful husband, and she has been dealing with this [disease] for quite a while. And obviously, there isn’t a cure yet. It’s not survivable yet. But as she says, it’s not incurable. Nothing is; it’s underfunded. But anyway, I just really dug this woman. She is so grounded and filled with grace, and she spends all of her time working to raise money for the cause. We did a fundraiser for her last year and then I thought, ‘You know what? The soaps don’t ever get together to do something for charity.’ Collectively, we have this amazing community and we don’t collectively use it for a good cause, and I think it’s such an easy thing for us to do and we could potentially really make a difference.”

As GH viewers know, Gregory Harrison is playing the character of Gregory Chase, who is also battling ALS in a touching storyline that is currently playing out shedding a light on this disease.

For information on Nancy’s event, including the stars who are s scheduled to participate click here. To purchase tickets to the event click here.

Check out the video featuring Nancy’s friends and co-stars below.  Now let us know, your thought son the line-up for the benefit and helping raise awareness and funds for ALS research via the comment section.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Writer Shannon Peace Let Go, and Shares on Sprina: “One of My Only Regrets is to Not Have the Opportunity to Develop That ‘Ship’ Further”

As General Hospital’s new head writing team of Elizabeth Korte and Patrick Mulcahy gets off the ground and running, there are still changes a foot on the writing team.

Now comes word via breakdown writer Shannon Peace that she is no longer on contract with the long-running ABC soap heading into its 61st season. Peace shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram, thanking the fans, and the show for the opportunity and the importance of diversity in the writers room.

Peace began, “After almost 3 years on staff and 106 episodes penned, I am no longer on contract with General Hospital. Writing for this country’s longest running television serial drama has been an education of epic proportions; I will forever be grateful that I earned my WGA card on a daytime fixture that holds memories for so many.” (Peace pictured below with GH EP Frank Valentini and script writer, Charlotte Gibson from about ten months ago).

Photo: SPeaceIG

Shannon added “Even more importantly, as the sole Black breakdown writer (and only POC in the writers room) during my tenure, I pushed for vital interactions and discussions that prioritized inclusion, visibility, and representation”

The writer pointed to the example of vital interaction when in story, “Stella and Portia’s frank July 2022 conversation about the role race played in Esme’s framing of Trina is just one example of the impact I’m gratified to have had.”

Acknowledging former GH co-head writers was also part of Peace’s farewell expressing, “Appreciation to my former bosses, Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor – not only taking a chance on me, but for valuing my opinion and championing my voice.”

Courtesy/ABC

Many GH fans know that Peace was key to the development of the love story between Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine as played by Tabyana Ali and Nicholas Chavez. Shannon gave a special shout-out to ‘Sprina’ fans, “I also want to thank fans who were supportive of my work, especially the recognition of my love for ‘Sprina’. One of my only regrets is not having to develop that ‘ship’ further.”

She concludes her statement with,”In the aftermath of a historic writer’s strike that shed new light on the troubling ways writers are regarded in daytime, my sincere hope is that General Hospital recommits to valuing staff writer efforts and input, with a more intentional focus on diverse viewpoints — and thrives for another 60 years.”

Accompanying her post, Shannon added, “Thank you all for the love and support these last few years. I hope GH fans get all they hope for and more!”

So, what do you think about GH not renewing Shannon’s contract? Will there be more continued changes afoot? What do you think is the future of ‘Sprina’ anyway at this point as viewers wait to see if Nicholas Chavez officially returns to the show?  Comment below.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Learns Britt Died and Tells Anna He Has Been Working For Cates Since November 2021

On the Tuesday, March 26th of General Hospital, Anna (Finola Hughes) and the viewers learn about where Jason (Steve Burton) has been for over two and half years. However, Jason gets some news of his own.

Anna is visiting Jason at the PCPD interrogation room. She asks him if he shot Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), which he flatly denies. Anna believes him, but she tells Jason it doesn’t matter, because video footage shows him on the roof at the time of the shooting

When talk turns to Jason not willing to speak without his lawyer present, Anna can’t grasp why Jason would instead spend an hour alone talking with John Cates (Adam J. Harrington).

Photo: ABC

It is then that Anna brings up that John went by “Jagger” and that the two of them knew each other in high school. Jason doesn’t recall much of his time in high school following his brain injury, but then he gets furious realizing John knew about “Jason’s” past. That is when Jason slams the table and tells Anna, “I’ve been working for John Cates since November 2021.”

Next, Jason explains further that he has been working as an informant for the FBI. Anna wants to know how this came about and he tells her that after the tunnel collapsed, and he couldn’t make it to Britt (Kelly Thiebaud)… all of a sudden he sees Anna’s face drop.  Anna is the first person to tell him that Britt died and was murdered. She tells Jason the killer is in custody, but he continues to be shocked, overwhelmed with tears welling up in his eyes. Realizing he has to pivot to save his life, Jason continues telling Anna how he wound up working with John.

Jason explains that after the tunnel collapse in Greece, FBI agents grabbed him and placed him under arrest and took him to Quantico where he met John. At Quantico, John played a recording of RICO violations and offered Jason a deal if he agreed to be an informant against Pikeman, the illegal arms dealer.

Anna hears from Jason that he thinks Pikeman is selling illegal arms to anyone flagged by the NSA but has ties to the WSB which they needed a civilian to infiltrate their organization as a military soldier, a mercenary.

Jason tells Anna he was a part of the team brought into eliminate Sonny (Maurice Benard). Every time an attempt was made on Sonny’s life over the last two years, a different team was sent to do the job. Anna gets furious when she learns that John told Jason his job was to kill Sonny and she was with John at the warehouse that night. Jason ensured the sniper missed Sonny and left the rifle behind. However, they were supposed to meet an extraction team. Before he was shot, Dante saw it was Jason on the roof and when he turned around with his hands over his head, Dante was shot by the other guy. Jason says if Dante dies, he’ll be charged with capital murder and then will be useless to the FBI.

Photo: ABC

Meanwhile, John visits Bobbie’s and runs into Carly (Laura Wright). She learns Jason is in custody and is going to head to the PCPD. Before she does, Carly has some words with Cates when she learns not only does John have a vendetta against Sonny, but Jason too.  Carly tells John he should recuse himself from the case.

So, what did you think about the moment when Jason learned Britt died? What do you think of Jason’s return storyline thus far and what we learned about Jagger/Jason and more? Comment below. But first, check out a moment from today’s GH with Jason and Anna.

 

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