General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Brando Gets the Hook
Wednesday’s episode of General Hospital featured the continuation of the frightening scene in the alley at Charlie’s where in the middle of a thunderstorm (makes things creepier, right?), a figure steps out of the dark and attacks Brando (Johnny Wactor) with the large fish hook – the same one that was used on Ava Jerome (Maura West).
Immediately, Kristina (Lexi Ainsworth) comes on to the scene screaming and wailing at the top of her lungs for help as Brando lies on the ground bleeding out from being ‘hooked’. Sonny (Maurice Benard) hears the screams and runs outside and finds his daughter and Brando. Sasha (Sofia Mattsson) and Gladys (Bonnie Burroughs) are not far behind and are horrified by what they see.
After the paramedics arrive, Kristina gives details on how she was walking through the alley when she saw someone with a hook, literally, attack Brando.
Jordan (Tanisha Harper) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) arrive and Jordan is confused why Brando was the subject in the attack and the two realize they have to figure out who is ‘hooking’ people before the person strikes again.
Back at GH and inside Ava’s hospital room, Nikolas (Marcus Coloma) admits to his wife that he knows he is a cad for sleeping with Esme and his from his previous life transgressions, which almost makes Ava relent and forgive her husband. Just then, Sonny shows up and tells the two of them that he knows Nikolas did not try to kill Ava.
As Brando is brought to the hospital, TJ (Tajh Bellow) and Portia (Brook Kerr) work on him, but he needs to be taken to surgery. An hysterical Sasha and Gladys watch on as they know Brando may not make it; which would be devastating for his wife and his mother.
In the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest on newsstands everywhere tomorrow, GH co-head writer Chris Van Etten previews that someone will die next week on GH via the person using the hook.
Van Etten expressed: “The Hook’s first kill will be someone close to Sonny. The loss will rock him to the core, compel him to circle the wagons, and narrow a list of potential suspects.”
So, do you think Brando will die, or someone else? Who do you think is the person using the hook to seek revenge? With Halloween next month, it would also seem like a perfect time for something terrifying to go down at a masquerade party, wouldn’t it? Hook and all? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.
Too bad this didn’t happen on the pier/dock set. We’d then say Brando got attacked On the Waterfront.
While nice, Brando never seemed an essential character. His romance with Sasha was good C level storyline material. The mother-son dynamic with Gladys was kind of special as other than Carly & Michael, we don’t get lots of that on GH.
Does this mean Gladys will be Sasha’s guardian? Do those characters even stick around? Gladys suddenly having power at Deception could be interesting. How much more tragedy can they throw at Sasha?
How much grief can be put on a character! She is an excellent actress!
Brando—Waterfront!! HaHa—-perfect !!
Agree 100%!!!
So, who’s the PC “hooker”? Oops, you know what I mean–LOL.
Is it Esme? Or Rory? But why Brando? Were Esme and Rory a team?
Bobbie Spencer was the “hooker”
Hi, brian—yeah, LOL…I know–Bobbie got around. What a legacy for poor Joss!
I see what you did there. Actually I kinda wish Bobbie had gone with Carly on the ill-fated “Aruba” trip, because I would have loved to see her response to that stick-up-her-ass self appointed leader of the “Jacksonville Moral Majority” (or whatever it was) pontificating about Aunt Ruby & her famous “house”.
Honestly, Celia, I’m more intrigued by your guesses than the actual story. Though I’ll admit the Brando attack was well filmed and Christina’s acting was excellent. Wasn’t that old Jennifer Love Hewitt movie I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER also based around a hook killer? Maybe my memory is failing but that’s what I remember.
Hey, Soaphound—-yeeesss!! It was a fish hook which Ben Willis ( came back from the dead, just like Esme) used in his killing spree.
Aside—I so enjoyed the Jacksonville airport scene with Carly and Ms Purl (love her). She’s on many “Matlock” reruns.
I love anyone dragging holier-than-thou Carly down. I hadn’t even kissed a boy yet, at 16!! Like mother like daughter??
Her so boring kissy-poo, infantile interludes with fake Drew are enough to make my stomach revolt!!
Another storyline for the infamous Carly. Always front and center. The same can be said about Sonny. Since when does he care about Ava so much? Because she’s Avery’s mother?—-wasn’t too long ago when he wanted to pulverize Ava!!
Oh CELIA, even the nicknames for these two sound stupid: Carew? Darly? Yecch! They banned saccharine and let this coupling happen? My FF button is really getting a workout. And of course Christina had to witness the Brando attack so Sonny can be front and center in this story, too. My mom says it best: “He just doesn’t look well. Why is he on so much?”
Your mom knows best, my friend. And, since we both have Scottish nannas, I cannot repeat what comes out of my Gran’d mouth.LOL—
Sonny looks worn out and Carly’s dress was not so favorable to her body-type.
Love Nina’s and Anna’s wardrobe style—classy!!
And, yes—I’m with you with the FF.
Never liked CM—since AMC—-his voice is like a knife going through my brain.
Oh, wait– Was the hook-man after Joss where Brando was caught in the middle? Well, then–it’s Esme!!
Esme seems the likely suspect. Who else would target both Ava and Joss?? And be mentally unstable enough to panic and attack Brando, because she thought he might have seen her stalking Joss.
Of course this means that Kristina will now be her next target, because she started screaming right away, so obviously the killer would know she witnessed everything.
Agreed, Satan—makes the most sense. Brando was in the way, therefore he had to be eliminated. I realized that soon after I had sent my first reply–
And, I hadn’t thought of it, but you are right about Kristina, as well. ‘All roads lead to Rome'( Esme).
I really like Johnny Wactor and am sorry if he goes.
There were a couple of things about the episode that confused me though.
One was when Brando was attacked it was gushing rain. He was soaked as as was Kristina and the water was just gushing over the set floor. In the pickup scene which would have been seconds later both Brando and Kristina were completely dry as well as the set floor.
The other being the hook. When Ava was hooked we clearly saw the killer enter the stable tack room and select a bale hook which he used to do the deed. Yesterday when Jordan and Dante were speaking about the hook used in Ava’s attack they claimed that it was a fish hook taken from the boat house?? Really confusing. I know she was attacked by the boat house but as I said we saw the killer select the hook in the stables. Did I misunderstand something?
The hook was definitely taken from the boathouse, though it looked more like a baling hook to me.
Don’t quote me on that though, because I’m in Hell, and we don’t have such hooks down here, as neither hay nor fish are present, so it’s been a while since I’ve seen either a baling hook or a gaffing hook in person.
Greg
No, you didn’t misunderstood anything, it was the actors lines that were screwed up. First of all it wasn’t a fish hook unless the Q’s anticipated catching a giant fish in the small lake they would most likely have and secondly , it was a hay bailing hook from their stables.
I really liked Johnny Wactor too, but it is what it is and the story above just about spells it out, he’ll be gone next week.
Thanks for backing me up Violet. I didn’t think I was wrong here. This begs the question of how could the writers have screwed up on such a crucial plot point? Do they no longer have a continuity person on staff?
Greg
You’re welcome, some of the stuff is so confusing and the thing that bugs me the most is why did Brando go outside in the first place? He couldn’t have thought Dex was following Joss because he left first and she followed after with the sunglasses.
The hook definitely came from the boathouse, because the camera panned up to the hook during the whole scene where Drew & Carly were starting to “get busy” in the boathouse…. until they almost burned it down by leaving an unattended gas grill outside.
Now, being somewhat of a fire expert myself, I’ve never seen a gas grill suddenly turn into a 666 alarm fire spontaneously, unless you put some really fatty meat on the grill and it drips down into the elements, catching fire. Or if you do something really dumb like squirt charcoal lighter fluid on it… which of course you would never need with a gas grill.
So what if the killer messed with the grill (while Drew & Carly were otherwise occupied) and then used the distraction of the fire to slip into the boathouse and steal the hook, and get out without being seen… which would have otherwise been difficult, given pretty much every mortal in Port Charles was walking around the Q estate that night.
It did look more like a baling hook to me though, which means it either should have been in the stables, or whomever runs the prop department at GH doesn’t have a clue as to what sort of hooks SHOULD be in a boat house.
Satin
I too remember seeing the attacker take the hook that was hanging outside the boathouse but when you called it a hay baling hook I immediately thought of where that hook would be used, the stables, right? Who works in the stables, Cody Bell, but what reason or motive for him to be a Serial killer?
I think Dante & Britch are both misunderstanding the PCPD’s supposed interest in Cody. They don’t know why Mac is actually interested in Cody… and that it has nothing to do with the hookings or any other recent crimes. And Mac isn’t likely to let it slip that his questions about Cody are of a more “personal” nature… though Maxie will probably slip up and say something about it to one of them eventually.
Yes, Greg—It was confusing . It is still a complete blur to me. I guess my attention was on my noisy kids.
What happened so suddenly? Why did Brando die? Too bad—I really liked both the actor and the character. I bet the “hooker” managed to slip by the staff in order to finish what he/she started—-or there is an accomplice among the employees.
Is Johnny Wactor leaving GH? This is a rather interesting storyline kind of spooky. I wonder who it is? Everyone saying it’s Rory or Dex? It’s going to be someone who is least expected is my prediction but what do I know LOL
Obviously it wasn’t Dex because Joss was following him outside of Charlie’s to give him his sunglasses, when the “hooker” went after her… and then switched to Brando when they realized they had been seen.
Rory also seems unlikely, since he showed up at the Metro Court pool with Trina, dressed in appropriate “poolside” clothing – shorts/sandals/t-shirt – which is not what the killer was wearing, and though time is often distorted in Port Charles, it doesn’t seem plausible that he would have had time to run home and change his clothes before showing up at the pool. I do believe Rory has some dark secrets, but carrying a hook around probably isn’t one of them.
Well—could be Dex is part of a conspiracy—-if not Esme, then it’s Michael . Maybe he had Dex as the organizer, and someone else as the executioner.
Helloooo!!! I have a guess about the hook. Could it be Finn’s dad? I know it’s way out there,but for me he gave off a vibe when talking about the case with Alexis. Which would be bad for her, since she’s attracted to him and once again she chose a bad guy. Or, it could be the demented Esme.
omg why is GH starting this dumb serial killer storyline? I ‘m really disappointed the show is doing this. Hate the killing of characters, and I liked Brando, this really sucks. Stop this storyline fast please.
The killer is left handed. I can think of two related characters who are lefties…one by necessity!
NoraE
Spell it out please, I can only think of Esme off hand.
Violet – The hook- wielder uses a raised left hand. Esme wrote the letter to her nanny with her left hand and has motive for revenge. Ryan lost his right hand. Although he has a hook on that hand, he would use a different and larger hook to a attack his victims using his real left hand. He has motive to harm Ava who him spurned him. Esme has motive to harm Joss who helped find Oz, who testified that she tried to kill him. Maybe they’re a tag team!
This show is getting worse.. love to see Steve back with Sam.
Have Steve Burton back on the show please!
I just can’t get over the fact that they tried to portray the guy as some hardened combat veteran tough guy….LMAO
The question remains why Brando didn’t run away or yell. Joss seemed to be out of range when the “hooker” turned towards Brando. Did he know the hooker?
Good question. It doesn’t make a lot of sense that a trained combat veteran would just stand there and allow himself to be stabbed. Unless he knew his attacker and obviously wasn’t expecting the hook… and once he was stabbed immediately went into shock or something, and was able to respond….. though I would think combat training woudl prevent him from having that sort of reaction, since the whole point of combat training, is that you keep fighting as long as you’re physically capable. Kristina’s screams would have cut short the amount of time he would have had to respond, but he should have got at least one or two decent punches in at his assailant.
I’m glad the writers brought Kristina in to support her dad. Once again Lexi showed what a powerhouse actress she is. There are so many storylines they can weave her into in important ways. I’m hoping Kristina got to her cousin in time to save his life. If not I would love her to be there to support Sasha. Kristina has had her troubles so I think she might be able to reach Sasha in a way that no one else has been able to.
It’s Nina! She thought ava was Carly, second victim was meant to be joss. She is having psychotic break as shown in cemetery scene with Nelle. That’s my theory. We shall see. Anything is possible in soaps!
As long as this means we finally get rid of Nina, I’d be OK with that. Given the writing on this show lately, they would probably try the “brain tumor” excuse again and let her get away with it.
NOOOOOOO!! Nina stays!! Carly goes!! Sacrebleu!!LOL!!
Shelly
Yes, anything is possible but too many people want her gone and this would be too easy. Also, is she that strong?
I wonder if Lexi Ainsworth will be given more SL now. She looks good with Dex but he seems really interested in Joss, and I expect they will get together soon. I did wonder how long it would take her to outgrow Cam who is cute but immature.
I think the killer is Buster Bluth who got his hand bit off by a Loose Seal (Lucille is his mother) and had his severed hand replaced by a hook. Buster has Mommy issues.
Nah… these writers don’t have the intellectual capacity to pull off an Arrested Development story.
It’s Dex. Is it? The “jingling” sound is around his neck. We know he’s working both aisles—Michael/Sonny. Are TPTB teasing us?
But I sooo want it to be Esme.
Wasn’t sure where to put this comment, but decided to add it onto the Brando story.
Tomorrow morning I will be up at 4:30am to watch Queen Elizabeth taken to Windsor in the final hours of her funeral. I have been watching almost non-stop since the morning of the day she passed away. And have been very touched by her story. A very impressive person. A hard act to follow.
To me, for better and worse, over the years the British monarchy probably encompasses all of the elements soaps are built on, but in real life…family, their kids offspring, unforgettable personalities, traditions, history, power, legacy, longevity, etc.
May Queen Elizabeth Rest In Peace.
Chris Van Etten practically spells it out that Brando will die this week. Why are they still acting like there is any question to that? As Greg commented earlier, they are so confusing , we used to call that back in the day” talking out of both sides of your mouth” The SL is bad enough without having to decipher what the heck they are talking about.
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Antonio Sabáto Jr., the former Jagger Cates of General Hospital and GH: Night Shift, and the former Dante Damiano of The Bold and the Beautiful has issued his first public statement since the incident involving his son, Jack’s arrest in Alaska for a fatal hit-and-run.
Jack is the son of Sabáto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, and according to court documents obtained by KTUU Jack, was allegedly driving a white Chevy Tahoe when he hit and killed Carl Simmonds, 42, near an intersection in Anchorage around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, November 9.
The reports indicated that Jack fled the scene — but later decided to called the cops to say he hit “something” that “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing.”
Photo: NBC
Now, Antonio has taken to his Instagram breaking his silence on the situation, sharing, “At this time, my family and I are navigating an extremely sensitive and deeply personal matter.”
He added, “As a father, my love for my children remains unconditional, and my priority is the well-being of my family. We ask that the public and members of the media honor our privacy during this difficult time and keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.”
The soap alum concluded, “I also wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the gentleman who tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well. We sincerely appreciate your compassion, understanding, and respect for the privacy of everyone affected.”
Jack Sabáto was arraigned in court on Tuesday, November 10 with bail set at $5,000, and a no-driving order and the potential of $5,000 penalty fees if he fails to attend future court appearances.
Antonio is the father to Jack, 34, daughter, Mina Sabato, 24 and son, Antonio Sabáto III, 15.
This is a developing story. You can check out Antonio’s official statement below.
So, let us know your thoughts on this tragic hit-and-run, which claimed the life of another man, and Antonio’s statement, via the comment section below.
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Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Ava’s (Maura West) daughter Avery looks quite different, starting on today’s November 9 episode of General Hospital. That’s because GH has made Avery into a full-blown teenager and the role is now being played by actress Alya Bullington.
In her debut, the Tennessee native was thrown into the deep soap waters with Daytime Emmy winners, Maurice Benard and Eden McCoy (Josslyn). Bullington weighed-in to TV Insider about her first scene which featured Avery overhearing a fight between Sonny and Josslyn.
She explained “It was something I have never done before, I did not have a lot of experience with the screaming and the crying stuff, but I got my first script, and I was like, ‘OK, this is a huge opportunity to learn so much about how that stuff works and to become this character that I have never even tried playing before.’”
Photo: ABC
THE TEENAGED VERSION OF AVERY WILL HAVE A LOT TO CONTEND WITH
Speaking of working with McCoy, Bullington shared, “She’s incredible. I remember her just laughing and making jokes on set, and then the minute that they started taping, she just locked in and she cried immediately, and my first thought was, ‘I want to be able to do that.’
The soap opera newcomer added, “I think she just inspired me so much because she is so great and she can just lock into whatever character she wants to in the moment.”
The character of Avery was born back in 2014, but as recently as the October 8 episode of General Hospital, the character was suddenly referred to as a teenager. This is the second young female character in recent months to be aged up following the casting of Kayden Brenna Tokarski as Scout Cain.
As for her take on Avery and what’s ahead, Alya said,“She’s emotional, and she’s curious, and she’s a really fun person to play because so much stuff is happening in her life. I think she’s kind of confused about what’s happening and what to believe.”
So, what do you think about General Hospital making Avery a teenager? Are you excited to see the conflict between Sonny, Ava and Avery now that they have aged up the character? Share your thoughts and welcome Alya to GH via the comment section below.
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
Antonio Sabáto Jr. Breaks Silence on His Son’s Arrest for Fatal Hit-and-Run
DANCING WITH THE STARS: A Shocking Elimination on Grammy Night Leaves Ballroom Silenced
Y&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
‘Days of our Lives’ Veteran James Reynolds Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis
Y&R’s Matt Cohen Talks Role as Compassionate Zookeeper in Rom-Com ‘Christmas at the Zoo’
Alice Halsey Returns to ‘Days of our Lives’ as Rachel Black – Find Out How Long!
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General Hospital3 days ago‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
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