General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Elizabeth Comes Face-To-Face With Her Father, Jeff Webber
Friday’s episode of General Hospital not only brought back to the canvas, Heather Webber (now played by Alley Mills), but Jeff Webber (now played by William Moses).
In story, Liz (Rebecca Herbst) and Terry (Cassandra James) have traveled to Monterey, California, so Liz can go snooping in the Webber house (where she grew up) in an effort try to get some answers as to why she somehow knows Finn’s (Michael Easton) ex-wife, Reiko, and her troubled relationship with her parents, Jeff and Carolyn. It’s been over 20 years since Liz has been back home or seen in her parents.
While sitting in a car, Terry had called Liz’s parents, who were shocked to hear from her but also agreed to meet her at the local coffee shop. Terry tells Liz that she will do her best to stall Jeff and Carolyn as long as possible. Back in Port Charles, Finn finds out from Cameron (William Lipton) that Liz actually went back to visit her parents, which surprises him.
Liz shares she is scared to go inside her parents home (she knows the security code to get in without being found out) but she informs Terry she’s determined to get to the truth and connect the dots of what has been haunting her all these months. When Terry asks her what it is she is looking for, Liz admits she is not sure. Just then, Terry receives a text from Liz’s parents and she needs to get to the coffee shop.
Once at the coffee shop, Terry gets a call from Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) about Willow’s (Katelyn MacMullen) leukemia condition. After she hangs up, she looks around the coffee shop and Jeff and Carolyn aren’t there.
Meanwhile, Liz has broken into her childhood home and sees a photo of her and her sister, Sarah, from 25 years ago. Just then, who should walk through the front door? It’s Jeff! He is stunned to see his daughter standing in the living room. We fade to black and that’s the cliffhanger till Monday!
So, what do you think will be revealed? Will Jeff turn out to be a very bad guy? Does Heather have something to do with what happened to Liz years ago in the stair well? What does Reiko have to do with any of this? Share your theories via the comment section below.
So Jeff Webber… aside from being a deadbeat dad… also hasn’t changed his alarm code in over 20 years??
Who knows… maybe it’s because Monterrey is right up the road from Carmel, and their former mayor, Clint Eastwood, was doing his own patrols with his Dirty Harry 44 magnum, so everybody in the area thought they were secure enough?
Satan, it’s been a long time since I’ve been a regular GH viewer, although I expect to watch some of these episodes featuring characters Jeff and Heather, given that I was a regular viewer when those characters were originally introduced.
That being said, I may have missed some plotlines or pertinent dialogue. But I think that the moniker “deadbeat dad” as used for Jeff — and Frisco Jones, for that matter — is basically done so because the character in question hasn’t been seen, or ostensibly heard from, in many years. But we know it’s the fault of the writers/producers, or sometimes even the actors, that the characters don’t appear on the show. So I think “deadbeat dad” can thus be a misnomer for such characters.
From what I recall, both Jeff and Frisco were good guys, good-looking, romantic leads, “heroes” in a sense.
I do remember the writers figuratively and literally destroying the character of Rick Webber — wasn’t it “Weber” at one point? — by rewriting history. So perhaps we will learn of terrible misdeeds by Jeff that occurred long ago, off screen.
Of course, we know of Heather’s countless misdeeds and crimes. And I look forward to seeing these two characters meeting up once again.
Right on point Jamesj75, are they going to do a Rick webber on Jeff Webber? did liz witness her Dad doing something bad, like Laura witness “Rick”. doing? Why did Frisco turn into a deadbeat dad? he supposedly went to save the world, did he not provide financial support for his girls working for the government? and Is Lucky sending support for his kid w/ Liz? Then there’s Lucy, Anna,Robert, Laura, Scotty, Kevin all have offsprings that live off screen, at least you hear Scott has a relationship w/ Serena off screen but you never here Kevin mention his kid w/ Lucy or Lucy mention her daughter Kristina, she does mention Serena though. Lets be real, the writers have made all the characters on the show bad parents at one point or another. It doesn’t make sense why they’ve chosen to play it out this way. I know it is plausible to not see family for that long, every family is unique and circumstances can keep family from seeing each other for decades, but still this one to me doesn’t make sense, but lets see how they will spin this an convince us.
It appears the character of Christina Collins existed only in the canon of the Port Charles series and not GH. She has never been mentioned on the mothership.
Having offspring live offscreen in a different city/country is a lot different than the parent away from underage children. We don’t doubt for a minute that Robin loves her parents.
Thank you for your reply, aria! I appreciate your further analysis regarding Rick and Frisco. And you provide great additional points about all these other characters with offspring they never mention. We seem to be simply scratching the surface here, don’t we? And of course, you’re right about most characters sometimes being bad parents, or at least, making questionable parenting choices. I just think that, for the long-term viewer who remembers all these familial liaisons, we still wonder about them. We’ll see where the writers take us this time. Take care, Friend!
Always nice to read your show history posts, James.
Regarding GH “deadbeat dads”:
Producers and writers from the mid 90s on made the mistake of not revisiting Jeff Webber (it was always 2 w’s). It was obvious that Richard Dean Anderson would never return and Jeff was never a lead so a recast (even temporary visit) for any of his 4 kids could have easily been written in. Jeff did not have to be written as a deadbeat.
Jack Wagner left an indelible mark as Frisco, a role that really couldn’t be recast. Deadbeat was the only option (other than presumed dead) for Frisco since Maxie and Georgie were staying in Port Charles. I don’t see Frisco coming back again, especially with Mac & Felicia being one of the strongest couples on the show.
Over the past few years, the writers have occasionally throw in a line about face timing with Adian to give the impression that Lucky Spencer is not a deadbeat dad. However, if Lucky is living in Europe, why couldn’t he spend time with Lesley after her house burned down?
Totally agree with you about the horrible character assassination done to Rick Webber. Probably the worst in show history (Paul Hornsby as an overnight serial killer being a very distant second).
Thank you for your kind reply, OG Steve! I appreciate your insights on the characters of Jeff and Frisco. And your points about Mac with Felicia, and Lucky are well taken. Thanks for the backup on the “character assassination” of Rick Webber. Long-term, regular viewers fondly remember characters that made an impact, with Lucky and the aforementioned characters being among them. You’re right about what was done to Paul Hornsby’s character. Take care, Friend!
I remember Tristan Rogers being furious at the way Scorpio was portrayed as a deadbeat Dad prior to his return with the monkey virus storyline way back when. That’s a big problem that I have with GH over the years. They do little to embrace the rich history that the show created prior to The Soapranos.
Ocsteve you mention Jeff’s “4kids”! I can only think of 3 kids . Can you (!or any reader) tell me who the 4?th is and who it’s mother is or any details? A quick google shows onlyn3 kids I’ve been a viewer since Steven Lars was a baby and there was Jeff heather and Diane Diana character ( I forget her last name n story like but we’ll over 45 years I’ve watched tho I miss stuff here nbthere
Jeff has 2 daughters (Liz & Sarah) with Carolyn – who didn’t even have a name until earlier this year. He has a son (Steven Lars) with Heather Webber (who herself recently resurfaced in recast form) and a few years ago it was revealed that Hayden Barnes, whose real name was Rachel Berlin (or something like that) was also Jeff’s daughter. So we know Jeff wasn’t exactly faithful with his marriage vows, since some sort of affair with Finn’s late wife Reiko also seems likely, which resulted in that incident of her being shoved down the stairs that Liz is starting to remember after suppressing it for decades.
Steve Hardy’s not in Hell, but I imagine he’s turning cartwheels upstairs right about now, as the truth of his son Jeff’s past comes to light.
I absolutely loved Steve Nurse Jesse Amy Vining can’t remember Steve’s wife nurse?
Happy to give background…
Steven Lars Webber is Jeff’s son with Heather. As a newborn, Heather gave him up to be adopted by Peter & Diana Taylor. Peter died of a heart attack shortly after finding out that his son was actually Steven Lars. As Heather mentioned the other day, Steven (dating Olivia at the time) was last seen being carted off to prison for an illegal organ harvesting program.
Sarah Webber and Elizabeth Webber Baldwin are Jeff’s daughters with Carolyn. Sarah, also a doctor, hasn’t been seen in years.
Jeff’s fourth child is Hayden Barnes (aka Rachel Berlin). This was revealed a few years ago by Hayden’s mother, Naomi Dreyfus. Hayden ran off after Nikolas made it seem she was in mortal danger. She hasn’t contacted her daughter (Violet) or anyone in Port Charles since. Naomi returned but was found dead in a hotel room just before it appeared she was going to reveal something about Hayden.
So 4 biological children for a character that hasn’t been seen in 40 years. More than Robert Scorpio, Mac Scorpio and Ned Quartermaine combined!
Diana was the wife of Tony? And they didn’t know PJ was Steven Lars till Peter died in his deathbed he told them who PJ really was Those old storylines were great
Didn’t Jeff leave with his son StevenLars to raise him
No question that the “deadbeat dad” designation was one imposed on the characters, not by anything they actually did themselves, but by their glaring absence in the lives of their children and now grandchildren, as well as other family members. In Jeff’s case he not only missed out on everything Liz & her kids went through over the years, but was also conspicuously absent for the deaths of his father, Steve Hardy, and his brother Rick Webber, among other events that presumably would have caught his attention. You could make a similar list for Frisco, of course.
Most of which can be laid at the feet of the writers & producers of the show over the years. Jeff’s absence has been completely ignored until now, while Frisco had a half-assed “return” while ReRon was writing the show, which amounted to about a two day visit, and if anything, left the character’s image even more tarnished than before, a fact not lost on Jack Wagner, and if a Devil remembers correctly, he vowed to never come back again. Can’t really blame him.
What they do to Jeff’s character with this recast remains to be seen. Hope he gets better treatment than his brother Rick did, his last time through.
Satan, thanks for your reply! As always, I appreciate your insights. I have to agree with your analysis. In theory, Jeff should have been present for so many momentous occasions, including those involving his daughter Liz. I appreciate your further expansion on Frisco as well. It all makes sense. Take care, Friend!
Hello Jamesj75..I’m in need of your opinion on this Webber story. Simply put…what’s the endgame? The reason I ask is because it’s beginning to feel like a desperate attempt at giving Elizabeth a story. ANY story. The Webbers don’t appear to have the charisma or energy of major, long-term contract players. So, besides some silly link to Reiko, what do we expect Elizabeth to uncover? I want to invest in this story because Rebecca is such a terrific actress but I’m smelling disappointment. What do you think?
Hello Soaphound! I really appreciate you reaching out to me on this Liz Webber story. During yesterday’s episode, when she unloaded on her parents on many of the milestone events they neglected to visit or offer any support, I found it powerful and, of course, sad.
I think you are right that it’s an attempt to give Liz a storyline, but, as others have suggested, I suspect the character of Jeff Webber is about to be trashed, just as was done to his brother Rick. With new actors involved, the impact may be lessened, but I eagerly anticipate an eventual reunion of Jeff and Heather. Take care, Friend!
Richard Dean Anderson (STARGATE) I haven’t changed my code in a while
lol
I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes now that we have a Jeff and Carolyn on the canvas.
However, it was really distracting for me to see that the Webbers live in Portia’s old house. HA! HA!
I know it’s a house in another state, but reused sets (while needed to save money, I guess) just take me right out of the moment while I adjust. They really need to do a better job of distinguishing their sets when reusing them. Just my two cents.
Your assessment on reused sets is spot on. Jeff’s house is not only Portia’s previous residence, but also the Dawn of Day house. Barely changed each time.
Sasha and Gladys’ apartment was previously Kim and Oscar’s home. The balcony view appears changed, but the kitchen island remains the anchor.
They did a little better disguising Elizabeth’s house (kitchen, modified entry) but you can tell it was the original Webber/Jones/Scorpio home. The fireplace and staggered stairs are giveaways.
Wonder what became of Liz’s previous house, the one that burned down.
If I recall correctly, that was briefly reused twice. Once as the old Spencer house in the flashback scenes where Tony Geary played Luke and Bobbie’s father and Laura Wright as their mother. The last time it was used was when Jordan and Portia got trapped in a basement and Portia made that comment about Trina’s father.
That set was slightly reworked and used again today (Nov 11) as the house where Anna is hiding out.
And after that it’s been blown up at least twice. First by Fluke and then by whomever it was that was holding Jordan & Portia hostage (senior Devil moment… forgot the context of that story)
That house must be built from the same wood as that cabin near Salem that’s been burned 666 times, and is still there!
If I recall correctly, Portia was there to help Curtis on a case. Jordan was looking for the same man, but for another case.
Regardless, it was a hurried up plot to help usher Jordan off the canvas when Briana Henry decided to not to renew her contract.
Elizabeth didn’t grow up in CA did she? Wasn’t it CO? Different house, different keys, alarm, etc.?
Billy Moses looks the same, somewhat older but his wife reminds me of those old correctional institute matrons.
As some have said, they are giving Liz a backstory but why hurt Finn in the process of finding out what his precious Reiko was up to or should I say who? When he thought he failed to save her from that terrible desease that also turned himself into an addict. It could have been any other woman Jeff had the thing with, oh almost forgot, there was another woman, Heather Barnes’s mother and who knows who else was on his hit list?
General Hospital
RATINGS: ‘The Young and the Restless,’ ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Remain No #1 and # 2, ‘General Hospital’ Only Soap to Lose Viewers
The latest Nielsen ratings data is out for the week of April 27-May 1, and three out of the four network daytime dramas posted gains in total viewers, while one showed a loss in audience numbers, which may come as a surprise.
Let’s take a look at the ratings period with data from Soap Opera Network and then provide some context. The Young and the Restless remained as per usual in the top spot coming in at 3,14,000 on average total viewers slightly up +20,000 more eyeballs for the week.
In story, Y&R served up Matt’s plot to blow up the Newmans inside the abandoned gas station on the outskirts of Vegas, Sienna believing she killed Matt, only for him to be revealed alive with a severe contusion on his head by week’s end, Nick going on a bad drug trip thanks to the fentanyl laced with something else via Matt, and Cane and the Winters family learning that he is a donor match to save Malcolm’s life, while Sally got engaged to Billy.
Photo: JPI
FASHION HOUSE PROBLEMS
Y&R’s sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful clocked in with 2,795,000 viewers for the week up +38,000 from the previous ratings period. In story, The Bold and the Beautiful gave viewers; the fallout from Katie’s successful fashion show for her new fashion house, Logan. Dylan continuing to be freaked out. This time when doing her work at Forrester Creations, out from the clothing rack comes somebody that scares her enough to have her let out a blood-curdling scream. In addition, Liam suggested to Hope that she consider coming to work for Logan where she will be appreciated, after Steffy tells her that ‘Hope for the Future’ is back-burnered for now.
General Hospital, which many have considered being the most entertaining on a consistent basis with their storylines, most likely lost some viewers for the week because on Monday April 27, the show was preempted for a special report on the attempted shooting at the White House Correspondence dinner. If viewers did not catch it on Hulu, it aired on the network after Nightline on Tuesday at 1am. In total, GH was the only soap to lose viewers for the ratings week. GH tallied -1,809,000 which is down from the previous week by -168,000.
Photo: ABC
PAYBACK AND A SHOCKING REVEAL
In story that week, Carly’s double life with Brennan and Valentin caught up with her, Michael initiated a strategic plot against Willow, and Josslyn found herself in immediate danger after a run-in with Cassius.
Beyond the Gates, while having two days of the week fully preempted for UEFA Champions League soccer games, actually increased its viewership. BTG tallied 1,655,00 total viewers which also boasted the highest audience gains across any soap adding +42,000. In story, the soap opera spotlighted: Ashley stealing antibiotics to keep Grayson alive, Smitty zeroing in on a possible suspect in the plasma ring, Vernon taking over Martin’s debt to Joey Armstrong, while Kate recognized a name tied to Lynette’s finances.
It should also be noted for the ratings week; The Bold and the Beautiful once again topped Y&R for the top spot in the key Womens 18-49 demo and in the Womens 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates once again bested General Hospital for the 3rd spot.
*Nielsen ratings are based on the Live+Same Day Big Data+Panel model.
So, let us know your thoughts on the current ratings picture? Then weigh-in; what soap opera is serving up the best drama right now that is keeping you engaged to catch it every day? Which soap has you the least interested? Drop a comment below.
On the Friday, May 15 episode of General Hospital, Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) shared a heartfelt talk on trauma. Dante is so concerned for Rocco (Finn Carr), and how it affects someone for the rest of their life, which is something Elizabeth knows all too well, but got through it.
It all begins when Elizabeth shows up at Dante’s office ready for her date with Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst). How beautiful she looked did not go unnoticed by Dante. When the talked turned to how Dante told Rocco that he knew his son shot Cullum (Andrew Hawkes), he admits he is scared for his child, because he lost his innocence with the emotional baggage he now must carry forever of shooting someone.
Dante notices how Rocco is becoming more and more withdrawn and he wants to know how to help him. Elizabeth bring up how she can absolutely relate to trauma at a young age, just like Rocco. However for Elizabeth, her trauma came in the form of a brutal rape by Tom Baker. Speaking from experience, Elizabeth details that it was her friends and family like Lucky and Bobbie who helped pull her through. She encourages Dante to continue to show up and be there as support for his son.
Courtesy/ABC
SPECIAL DELIVERY
Next, an officer delivers to Dante the evidence from the pier shooting, which Dante plans on destroying. Before she leaves for her date with Ric, Liz reassured Dante he is doing the right thing to protect Rocco and she has done the same. She has left no record of Rocco’s hospital visit the night of the shooting. Liz leaves for her date.
THE WRONG SUSPECT
Then, Cullum storm troops in to Dante’s office demanding the evidence that the PCPD must have collected at the site of his shooting. Dante says that the evidence must be misfiled in the warehouse, but they will find it. However, Cullum realizes Dante is stalling and lying. Before heading to Dante’s office, Cullum paid a visit to Carly (Laura Wright) and saw a photo of Danny with Jason, triggering him to now believe that Danny may have been the person who shot him in the back on the pier!
Courtesy/ABC
DINING WITH RIC
At dinner at Café Cherie, Ric handed Elizabeth the folder with the priceless piece of artwork he’d purchased for her through Ava. Elizabeth loved it and went over to Ric and planted a kiss on him.
Will GH move Elizabeth into a romance with Dante? Do you think Liz and Dante make a cute couple? After today’s episode, it’s clear they very much like and admire one another. If so, what happens to Liz and Ric’s burgeoning repeat romance? Share your thoughts and picks via the comment section below.
In well-played scenes on the Thursday, May 14 episode of General Hospital, Dante (Dominic Zampogna) finally had a talk with his son, Rocco (Finn Carr) informing him that he knows the teen shot Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).
Rocco has dreaded his father finding out, because he is the acting police commissioner of the Port Charles PD and feared his dad will have to arrest him for the crime.
Dante asks Rocco in his own words to recount what happened the night on the pier. He assured his son, he is not going to arrest him and noted there are very extenuating circumstances surrounding the crime.
Courtesy/ABC
FATHER AND SON
Rocco explained how he followed Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) to the pier. Then, how Cullum attacked Britt. Jason (Steve Burton) showed up and fought with Cullum and how the gun came loose.He remembers the other weapon Cullum pulled out to kill Jason and that’s when he shot him.
Next, Dante explained that he was proud of his son for saving Jason and Britt’s lives. He also tells Rocco that he is very concerned in Britt’s involvement in all of this stemming all the way back to the Five Poppies, and feels she is still tied into everything that is happening.
Dante tells Rocco that nobody else can know about this involvement in the shooting. He also touchingly said, that he is his father, he will protect him. However, Rocco is worried that if the truth came out that he shot Cullum, his dad would be in serious trouble for covering up a crime. Dante tells Rocco, he should not worry about that right now, but he needs to stay in Port Charles so he and his mom can keep him safe.
A SHOCKING CALL
Suddenly, as father and son hug it out, Dante gets a call from Justine (Nazneen Contractor), alerting him to the fact that she just met with Cullum and he is looking for the evidence and the file from his shooting. Dante rolls his eyes, knowing things are about to go from bad to worse, and how is he going to keep his son safe from the evil WSB Director?
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Dominic Zamprogna always delivers a nice counterbalance to the often histrionics of other characters in Port Charles in his portrayal of Dante Falconeri. So that, when Dante breaks or gets emotional, it counts. Finn Carr has continually shined in the storyline as Rocco continues to teeter on the edge of knowing what he has done and being wracked with guilt. Next up has to be Danny learning his brother is the reason Jason was carted away. Stay tuned!
So, what did you think of the scenes between Dante and Rocco? How on earth will Dante keep Rocco safe? Share your thoughts via the comment section.
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