General Hospital
General Hospital Live Day Two: Carlos Dead, Nina Weds & Nikolas Silences Hayden!
Courtesy/ABC
On Monday’s second episode of General Hospital Live there were plenty of plot developments and fantastic performances and only some very minor technical issues on the version we watched on the west coast.
First as the pick-up from Friday’s episode, Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) made sure she shot Carlos Rivera (Jeffrey Vincent Parise) dead, this time plugging him with multiple bullets! It was the end of the line for actor Jeffrey Vincent Parise who made Carlos such a memorable character. Once again, Finola Hughes delivered a top notch performance as Anna comes to realize she just exacted revenge for the death of her beloved Duke (Ian Buchanan), but at what cost? Later, Sloane (Grayson McCouch) finds her on the pier and says he will help her cover up the crime!
Meanwhile, the answer to who’s behind the door is revealed, when none other than Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst)is the groom set to marry Nina (Michelle Stafford) the bride, much to the chagrin of Franco (Roger Howarth). While Nina and Ric’s out of the blue relationship is thrown in Franco’s face, Roger Howarth, during the live show, gave a nuanced and stellar performance while trying to talk Nina out of a making a big mistake and to marry him instead. When the minister arrives to marry Nina, he asks which gent is the groom? Ultimately, Nina marries Ric! Say what?
Courtesy/ABC
Hayden (Rebecca Budig) is at Julian garage where Jake (Billy Miller) works and is about to tell him and Sam (Kelly Monaco), his real identity! But Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) who is becoming more unglued is begging Nikolas (Tyler Christopher) to silence Hayden if he ever had feelings for her! Liz hitting with some low blows to keep Jake AKA Jason!
Elsewhere, Sonny (Maurice Benard) has ordered a hit on Jake for “killing” Duke, and in great scenes featuring Laura Wright as Carly, she begs Sonny not to kill Jake, but Sonny informs her its too late. Shawn (Sean Blakemore) left an hour ago to do the deed. Only as Shawn went to fire on Jake, there is another gunshot and Hayden gets hit and takes a bullet to the head! The police and Jordan (Vinessa Antoine) find Shawn outside the garage and arrest him. Shawn and Jordan have the moment of truth, where he figures out she is a cop!
Courtesy/ABC
When Hayden is wheeled into GH, Elizabeth, who is on duty, sees her as well as Sam and Jake , who tell Liz that Hayden was about to tell them something about Jake’s true identity. Liz is not happy!
Cut to Nikolas and a hit man who tells the dark prince that all was taken care of. Hayden was silenced and the police think Shawn Butler did it! Nikolas says this truth can never come to light!
The closing credits this episode are given to the audience by the very energetic and cute Nicholas Bechtel (Spencer Cassadine) who dances around the set showing the cue cards of the producers, writers, and the director of today’s episode.
So, what did you think of GH Live day two? Did you like the stories? What do you think about scheming Nikolas and Elizabeth? Nina’s wedding to Ric? Carlos dying? Shawn getting framed and taken into custody? Which performances did you enjoy the most? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Okay, Michael. There were more than a few minor technical glitches in this episode. You can tell that actor Jeffrey Vincent Parise (ex-Carlos) has something very square sewn into his shirt pretty much where his heart is……..a blood patch. That was way too obvious! I knew what it was right away. And then at the beginning, when they were airing what was going on on Friday’s episode, you can tell from the picture on the screen that it was from tape to live when I saw this glaring line between both episodes appear as it went from tape to live. Sorry, but I’ve done live theatre long enough to know that you just don’t make silly mistakes like that.
As for Nina/Ric/Franco, that whole scene/bit was like a cat scratching on a blackboard. Why the hell was Michelle Stafford (Nina) fidgeting with her damn wedding dress so much. That was annoying as hell and it completely distracted from the entire scene(s) between all three actors. You’d think that wardrobe would have gotten out there between scenes and fixed that. But no, they didn’t. If this had been taped 6 weeks ago and we were just seeing it, we never would have seen that.
As for Niklos hiring a hit man to take out Hayden was a great twist and hopefully, it’ll prove that the bullet that Shawn fired never hit Hayden. All they have to do is compare striation marks on the bullets…….oh wait, what am I talking about????? It’ll take forever and a year for them to figure this out. It’s the Keystone Kops all over again several times removed from Springfield, Oakdale, Llanview, and Pine Valley!
Sorry, I had to vent!
LOL
If the bullets that Shawn fired didn’t hit Hayden, how would the hit man’s? Shawn was firing through a small crack in the door and standing in front of it. How would he have shot past Shawn and through the opening?
Nik tells Liz it’s only a matter of time that people find out that Jake is Jason, so he tries to kill Hayden to stop her from exposing the secret that he thinks will come out anyway? That doesn’t make much sense. I guess it could be that he needs more time for whatever he’s doing with ELQ, but it’s somewhat contradictory and he should explain that in dialogue.
Speaking of Nik and things he says, I found the whole conversation about how obvious it is that Jake is Jason and that it is unbelievable that no one has figured it out yet to be ridiculous. He lists all the reasons, Jake is the same height, build, coloring, has the same skills, is involved with Helena, was a the clinic at the same time that Jason was supposedly killed.
What was the point of all of that? Viewers, like me, on boards like this, have pointed this out many times in the context of how dumbed down are these characters made to keep the plot going. We know RC reads the boards like this one and follows GH on twitter. This isn’t the first time he has had a character, through dialogue, point out all issues and inconsistencies that fans write about.
But what are we supposed to take away from this? What is the point? Is he telling us that yes, it makes little sense, that’s the way it is knowingly written, that the characters are made to be imbeciles on purpose and now we’re going to have a character point it out?
Or does he really not realize when he’s writing how ridiculous it all is, but then he takes the comments and analysis, and after a while just throws it back at us to make us think he has realized it all the time, we’re not smarter than him, we’re not pointing out a flaw, and he’s informing us of that? I’m going with that one.
But if the point is to try and tell us that we’re not smarter for seeing all this, because he is aware of it, isn’t he admitting to inferior writing?
And if the story lacked logic and credibility already, isn’t it further compromised by the character of Nik pointing out how ridiculous it is and how stupid every other character is? It does. So RC is willing to undermine the story even further, actually shine a flood light on the fact, because it is so important for him to answer back the audience and try and tell us that we’re not smarter. But in doing so, he further undermines the characters and the story and he admits that the writing is inferior.
There you go again, AJ, making too much sense.
Exactly, AJQ. But, you know what? If I start being analytic, I will drive myself up these four walls.
As much as we may try making any sense and sifting through the mis-calculations, we have no choice but to act as imbeciles and go with the ‘flow’ of the writing….sigh….anyway…!!!!!
AJQ, re: the shooter of Hayden. Did you notice there is another door in the Garage? That’s the door Shawn surprised Jake when JuliAnne came to see him a couple weeks ago. So, maybe Nik’s Hitman was creeping up in there. Where did the bullet hit Hayden in the head? What direction was she facing when Shawn’s gun went off?
We already know that Nikolas’ hitman’s bullet was the one to hit Hayden. In yesterday’s episode, the hit man said to Nikolas…and I am paraphrasing here…” Shawn didn’t even realize his bullet did not hit Hayden”.
Good post, Michael.
Friday was live too!
I thought it was a great episode, Finola Hughes was outstanding as Anna (as always).
I really do hope that that is not the last we see of Hayden, I was loving seeing Rebecca Budig on GH and I hope we get to see her continue on the show.
I may get many negative responses, for this, but I can’t stand Ms. I Am So Sweet, Elizabeth Webber! This chick for years has gotten away with a lot of crap! I hope when Jason’s memory returns, he kicks her tail to the curb!
I’m with you Lew!
Lew, Jason will be furious with her. But what I really hate is that you know Carly will be caterwauling self-righteously in Lizzy’s face while wraggling her finger at her.
The terrible thing is Carly will be right to be all red faced with anger.
I hate that Lizzy did this.
Funny, Elizabeth was disappointed in and upset with Ric for hiring Hayden to play Jake’s wife, -now, she’s deceiving and lying to Jake about his true identity; yet, that is acceptable?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
I can’t stand Elizabeth,, never have!! Better than thou attitude and never getting called on her bull#+-&!!
Carly has every right to slam and publically humiliate Lizzy when this all comes out! Not to mention Sam giving this girl a beat down!!!
It is ridiculous, but Liz does ridiculous things sometimes. I don’t mind her not telling yet; that is plausible. Having her become instantly psychotic ala Nina is what’s off with the story. The writers are simply ignoring the character and trying to give the audience a reason to accept Jake reuniting with Sam.
The same goes for Nicholas. He’s willing to kill a person for Liz because he loves her so much, but he wasn’t willing to break up with Brit? I usually keep quiet about Cartini because I’m so grateful to them for saving GH, but really. The next thing you know, Nina will randomly marry Rick to give her a story and connect her to Sonny. Oh, wait – that happened already.
Hi, dmr.
That is exactly what I said on another post. Hypocrite, little Lizzie. Her actions broke my heart…..I really liked her, too…!!
Didn’t she though! But remember, it is only acceptable when she lies and cheats.
Ric always gets crapped on BUT look who is doing the crapping! Usually Sonny, Carly and now St. Elizabeth! Leave Ric alone!
AMEN!
Dear I Love GH. I don’t think Nikolas put out a hit on Hayden out of this great love he harbors for Lizzy. I think he did it because the Jason reveal would hurt his plans to take over ELQ.
That is why his behavior is so out of character and heinous.
Yes, I agree with Harry. Nic has his own agenda…the only discrepancy here is that he seemed to be on the verge of telling Sam the truth when she came to visit Spencer at the children’s hospital…
Lee s I’m not going to hate on you but I like Elisabeth I will only say that the same argument your making on Liz can be made on Carly and Sam the other two women in Jason’s life so I guess it boils down to who your rooting for jason to be with. At this point I’m going for Liz.
i’am voting for sam to be with Jason’s! They belong together!
I also hope he kicks Liz to the curb, but my fear is she’ll be pregnant. Isn’t she always? And I just don’t know what to make of Nikolas completely becoming Darth Vadar in his inexplicable turn to the dark side. Did Helena plant a chip in his brain too?
Groan, I hope not, Jenny. Madame Ovary cannot be pregnant again.
No negative feelings here I have always hated miss goodie two slut Liz. Hope she will be the next to get a bullet.
me to
Elizabeth deserves Nicholas and his sorry ass will be shunned by Alexis and Sam, when they find out his dirty deeds. He is truly his Helena’s kin and she would be proud.
Sam and Alexis also have Julian to contend with, he’s not exactly being a good boy either.
So true.
Nina’s wedding was a surprise! The show was flawless!
Not digging the new lows that Nikolas is hitting with all the lying to take over ELQ (like he needs more money?) , sleeping with essentially a stranger who he later ordered a hit on. This guy has always come across as unemotional. The last time I feel he added anything to the show was when he was way younger, in the Luke and Laura days. He character and storylines seem very lost. Things got better for a while when Brit was around – he did show some emotional there.
Loved the ending of the East Coast version- Nicolas/’Spencer’ dancing with the crew member (nice to see him acting like a real kid instead of a rich snob) and Billy Miller’s shout-out to his mom (I’m a mom myself so that truly warmed my heart!). It was also nice to see Tyler Christopher being goofy after that fade-out of evil Nikolas. I really liked how Jake instinctively protected Sam- hoping we see more of ‘Jason’ before the actual reveal. The whole Nina/Franco/Ric wedding was the worst part IMO. The explanation was lame and the whole storyline was lame. It frustrates me that GH has two legendary soap actors in Roger Howarth and Michelle Stafford and they can’t write them a decent storyline. It’s interesting how Sloane let Anna off- I know it’s just a device to let Finola go direct a movie, but I think it’s establishing a Sloane/Anna romance when she returns. I know Grayson McCouch has been a fan fave on other soaps, but he’s new to me and I thought he did a great job in the love shows. And, finally, an aside to jimh- feel better soon, my friend. Your witty comments are one of the main reasons I hang out here.
EDIT TO ABOVE- I know Grayson McCouch has been a fan fave on other soaps, but he’s new to me and I thought he did a great job in the LIVE shows.
Need to finish my coffee before typing my comments….
Live #2 HORRIBLE! Anna gunned Carlos down like he was a rabid dog! Yes, he killed Duke but Julian who killed their baby is still living large! Case NOT closed and now we have Sloan who is going to cover it up. You have two clean cops in town in Dante and Nathan. They cannot even write a parking ticket. You got Anna and Sloan who are capable and they are crooked! Carly is the best detective PC has! That Nina wedding was one of the WORST things I’ve seen on TV in a long time! Ric and her would make good partners but there is no rhyme to reason. It was bad! Nick is turning into Starvos on steroids! What a shame. And to top it off, it looks as though they are going to kill off Hayden who I like and even if you dont, you have to admit she can ACT! WHY? To be fair I thought Billy Miller did well. Thats it!
Timm–you usually applaud GH so your dissatisfaction speaks volumes about what an epic disaster day two was. And it has nothing to do with it being live. It was bad writing, plain and simple.
PS I like Hayden too. She brings out the best in Lizzy, making her feisty, spirited, and yes, honest again.
I know Harry, I love the show and rarely speak that negative about it but rest assure, I will NEVER give up on the show because of one bad episode, a boring story or because of a character I dislike. I’m in it until the lower me into the ground!
True, true, true, Timmm. I agree!!!
I still think Nina, or someone is dreaming….too bizarre for that wedding idiocy to be real. Well, I hope it was a dream.
Maybe Franco is having an LSD relapse?
Well, with GH, one never knows, Timmm. …residual LSD?
@ I love GH,
Hi, I love GH.
I soooo agree with you. The PTB want Jake and Sam together , thus they must use whatever means to achieve that goal. So far, it is working….at least for me. She is the biggest disappointment. She falls under the label, BESMIRCHED reputation to me, now. I had a fresh start with Liz when I joined the GH fan-group, as it were. I came knowing nothing about anyone. I fell in love with Elizabeth’s character…..I saw pretty, puffy clouds, butterflies, flowers swerving and dancing daintily surrounding her and a halo on her perfectly-shaped head. The image of purity, beauty (inside and out), and I-can-do-no-wrong struck me with awe. Wow…quelle surprise!!!!!
As far as Rick and his dastardly deeds are concerned? Try to read my reply to Shay, which I answered this morning, on the previous site…I believe May 15th…..GH LIVE TODAY AND MONDAY….that site.
I think everyone does have his/her own agenda….I believe we all came to that conclusion….something’s up. Good or bad, I hope it all surfaces and not be put to rest without explanation…..that is, Jake’s identity is known; Lizzie and Nik are found out; Nina’s off-the-wall-wedding is a sham, and WHY?????
There are so many puzzling goings-on that I could enumerate…but, what’s the point?LOL.
Loved your post, by the way.
Totally agree, the live shows were horrible, especially the ridiculous wedding which made absolutely no sense. Roger Howarth is the only reason I bother to watch GH and they have virtually destroyed him as Franco. I was on the bandwagon cheering Franco and NIna to become a soap super couple–and was hoping the wedding fiasco was somehow a bad dream. Unfortunately, it was a bona fide nightmare. Apparently, there is some speculation that Roger may be paired with the returning Genie Francis’ Laura (maybe a last ditch effort by Carlivati to script his “happy ending” for Franco) First, Carly cheats on him, now Nina stabs him in the back by marrying Ric.
Finally, more gratuitous violence/mob violence (the deaths of Duke and Carlos, I gather) are a major turnoff for me. I watch soaps for romance, rich family stories and quality acting, all of which GH is sorely lacking at this point.
I am sorely disappointed in Michelle’s stint on GH. She is so talented and what a misuse of her capabilities! Roger has been on longer and after his character Todd was taken away he has been lost. I did enjoy his Halloween “Wedding” but he has too much talent to be misused. I hope your right about Roger and Genie. NEVER thought of them to together but wouldnt Scott hit the roof if his own son stole Laura away from him to!
I think Nina is just paying Franco back for mistrusting her…trying to make him jealous. Why Rick would go along with it escapes me…either way..dumb.
Great show, stellar cast. Loved Nicholas (Spencer) at the end; he looked as though he was having a blast-such a cute, talented kid. Tired of the same ol’ with Sonny and Carly. Seriously, Carly-Sonny putting a hit on Jake is going beyond crossed lines? Sonny accidently shooting you while giving birth to Morgan, Michael being sent to prison, Sonny sleeping with Morgan’s girlfriend, all of the lies and affairs; this is a line he shouldn’t cross? As much as I love Sonny-total narcissist who takes no responsibility for any of his actions-always the victim.
Too bad that we didn’t see the Quartermaine’s during the live show-would have been fun to see Tracy, Monica, Ned, Alice, etc-adlibbing and having fun bantering.
Would love to have seen Madeline and Dr. O during the live shows, too.
Happy that we weren’t subjected to Michael, Morgan, and Kiki.
Wondering what will happen with Jordan, TJ, etc.-since Shawn is now gone, aka-“worst enforcer ever.” Has he ever carried out a direct hit? Lol.
Haven’t seen Silas-even before Ava was found and diagnosed as ill-wonder if the actor will be sticking around PC.
Could sort of have done without Nina for two episodes. Parts of the clips were funny with Roger Howarth; but, the scenes just didn’t seem to fit.
Tyler Christopher was amazing!
Well, that’s it for now, ha!
I had a feeling Nicolas was up to something but didn’t want to implicate Liz…when he said she needed to trust him that he’s taking care of it…Nicolas has turned to the dark Cassadine side which I stated a while back; the hurt, betrayal, disappointment he’s felt from loss….his mom, Stefan, Courtney, Emily, betraying Lucky, Britt…twice…. Like Elizabeth, each feels cheated of happiness and are going to do whatever they can to get it.
From the minute he concealed Jason’s true identity and started scheming to take over ELQ he was a changed man. Attempted murder? I don’t know how we’ll ever get the old Nicolas back. What if he had succeeded?
The ONLY out for redemption is if Helena has programmed him…
When did Nicholas have time to hire the hit man?
Hayden left spur of the moment, and Nicholas didn’t leave Liz’s side.
Actually, she did. She ran out of there after Nicolas wouldn’t back down; probably made the call then.
Oh…and Nina/Rick? That was possibly the most inane scene I’ve ever watched. Annoying, uninteresting and ridiculous.
I’m thinking it might have been Nina or Franco’s dream…and hopefully when he or she wakes up we’ll ALL be released from that nightmare.
We’re not in DALLAS anymore, Pamela will not wake up from a bad dream
to find Bobby stepping out of the shower.
Never saw Dallas…but this nightmare of a scene definitely calls out for a reason to exist
Monday’s LIVE show trumped Friday’s, Roger, Rick, Michelle, Tyler, Laura, Maurice, Kelly,
Billy, and Finola stellar performances. Evenly distributed between the preposterously funny
wedding scenario, Marriage a’ trois anyone, anyone… To Nik’s low key acceptance of
Hayden’s will she, won’t she, spit it out already… Confessional. What’s Gen without a
well deserved shoot out “BANG, BANG, I SHOT YOU DOWN, BANG, BANG, YOU HIT
THE GROUND BANG, BANG”, Carrrr-LOST because he brought his big Mouth to a gun
fight. White Hat Anna had finally endured too much and when tears are not enough, a well
aimed bullet or four will do quite nicely. Too the grand finale,Nik’s reveal Delicious, really
great SHOW.
(gesturing to Fanny).
Waiter, I will have what she’s having.
Considering your name is HARRY, very funny
Funny wedding scene? I guess it was supposed to be. I hated that part of the show.
HA! Good comeback, Fanny.
I guess its a testament to the acting but I wouldn’t have known it was live or not.
However, good acting doesn’t negate the bad storylines. The mob war is tired, Nina and Franco are tired, Jake/Jason is tired.
Overall I liked both LIVE shows. However, I was really annoyed with the way Nina’s dress kept getting in her way and her Stepford-wife-like hand motions that reminded me of a hand model. I guess that was supposed to be funny, but I’m such a fan of Nina and Franco together that the whole thing irritating. The story line really jilted me. Other than that, good job to everyone involved. I will miss seeing Carols on the show; Jeffrey is a really great actor.
Look out! I have put my cranky pants back on. Day Two was a disaster of Titanic-like proportions. Not only was it horrifically written, it was horrifically acted.
Nina, Franco and Rick! Oh my! What was that? A poor man’s interpretation of The Three Stooges? I don’t have the words.
Now there seems to be a nasty case of SD (Sonny Disease) transpiring in the town of Port Charles. Nikolas, who has always been polite to a fault, a gentleman and a scholar, puts out a hit on a woman with whom he has been having sex? That is so Sonny-like–meaning, it’s damn misogynistic. Mostly, it so not Nikolas. And the usually cool headed Anna is now shooting first and asking questions later? Again, Sonny like behavior and not at all indicative of the smart and level headed Anna we all know and love. Meanwhile Stupid Sonny is once again trying to have someone killed when he’s not exactly sure if that someone is responsible for killing a person he cares about. Yes, this is so Sonny but when will Sonny ever learn from his mistakes? He killed AJ when he erroneously thought he had killed Connie. He also shot Carly in the head when she was giving birth to Morgan and also shot Dante when he didn’t realize he was his son. There’s more examples, but you get my point. He is a thug armed with a gun and yet, unarmed with the facts–a terrible combination.
Finally, Miss Lizzy? I hate that she’s living this lie. It makes her look desperate and pathetic and this so not our Miss Lizzy.
In short, what you have here are three characters, Lizzy, Anna and Nikolas, acting out of character while you have one character. Sonny, who is pledging fidelity to acting in character, byclinging to stupidity and violent impulse reactions. The one who should change will not while the three who should not change, change on the turn of a dime.
@Harry….Speaking of “Titanic,” I find it to be no small coincidence it was cited as the CrayClay’s favorite movie, since MS’s utter failure, otherwise known as the “SS Nina,” is sinking faster than the mighty ship itself! (…With the characters of Franco and Ric aboard in the bargain……)
I am so over the jake/Jason storyline. Finally the truth is coming out and Hayden gets shot so predictable:( also the scenes with Nina and Rick were beyond lame and was there ever a previous scene between them before getting married? All that said still a huge fan of GH 🙂
Liked everything except the absolutely ridiculous Nina/Rick wedding. There was no back story or lead up to this pairing at all. I had to fast forward through their scenes. It seems as though they quickly cooked up this s/l for the sole purpose of the three actors appearing on the live shows. It was the most terrible thing I’ve ever seen on a soap, and I’ve seen plenty.
I agree,,Nina, Ric and Franco was a total waste of time,,,
I got it..
Ric and Nina are gaslighting Franco..
The fake wedding was to teach Franco a lesson..
Ric and Nina are not legally married, it was a set up..
Ric had it in controll with fake papers..
Poor Franco is being played …
One more comment now Nicholas is hiring a hit man? I want my kinder and nicer Nicholas back:)
Patty,,
Nikolas is a Cassidine !!
It is about time he takes the lead of the Cassidine family !
He has Helena at his mercy / way to go Nik !!!
I love love love Nik as a true Cassidine and I’am happy he is no longer a wilting petunia ..
Nikolas! Rise as a Cassidine and take your place at the head of the table!!!
GO NIKOLAS!! … strut your Cassidine DNA …
Lol I get it and it would be fun to see him run ELQ!
The performances on this episode seemed way more natural, so much so that I thought it was taped so bravo to everyone I give them all A+. But I’m sad the direction they are taking certain characters, why would nikolas bother putting out a hit on Hayden when he can easily have her vanish to an island like he did with grandma Helena? Or come up with something else, he’s rich and powerful I’m sure money can buy something better then a hit to kill someone, it was just a bad turn for this character and Elisabeth becoming desperate and being set up to be abused by the bully club headed by Carly is also sad. Anna shooting Carlos is more realistic she actually should of shot others too but at least it made sense for her character, I always saw Anna more as an ex wsb agent then law enforcer, wsb ala cia more likely work outside this straight narrow line of law enforcement. Let’s hope the show isn’t trying to take Liz and nilk to the point where the characters become hated .
For me, the live aspect was overshadowed by the storytelling. Ric and Nina????? I couldn’t tell if they were being serious or if I should expect Franco to wake up from a dream or if Nina just wanted to mess with him, I will find out when I watch today I guess.
Jordan blowing her cover just like that– after months and months of dodging the truth, without any say so from higher ups, she just gives it all up? She could have stopped Shawn without outing her cover.
Anna killing Carlos– I hated they took the character there. All these years not crossing the line, never killing Julian or Faison for all the horrors inflicted on her – she decides to kill a man in cold blood—to get justice for Duke– if Anna does that, what is the difference between her and Sonny???? Nothing, both take the law into their own hands, and for me they have tainted Anna by having her commit murder.
And Sloane lecturing her on the fact that by killing Carlos they lost their chance to get Julian— really??? She wouldn’t have thought of that herself, a seasoned law enforcement. And Sloane saying he needs her to help him clean up the mob in town– isn’t Sloane working for Helena– and Nickolas bringing down ELQ, rigging the mayor election??? Obviously he isn’t one of the good guys or he wouldn’t be offering to cover up a murder for her– if he still crooked this will be something he can hold over her forever?
And lastly Nikolas– I guess he is going over to the dark side– unless as someone else has said Helena is controlling him somehow, which would I hope. He lectures Spencer to to be honest, yet he is lying all the time. He orders a woman’s death, and acts like he just order pizza– I don’t see how he can condemn Helena for her acts of violence, when he is going the same, there got to be more to it– or they are really destroying this decent character just to have plot twists.
Oh yeah, don’t you just hate it when someone at death’s door like Hayden, and instead of using her last moments to say something as simple as Jake is Jason to Sam, she says, tell Jake I’m not the only one who knows??? I know this is to drag out the reveal, but honestly it drives me crazy when they have characters do that. It was like when Connie was dying and Sonny asked her who shot her– instead just saying Ava, she takes all energy to spell out her initials in blood–look where that took us. LOL
Nic and Liz made me sick today and this is from a Liz fan what in the holy hell is going on over there? Michelle Stafford looks and acts stupid and Roger Howarth God these people get pay checks for this crap. They are not actors they are comedy skit people. I have had enough of RC & FV games you need to trim the cast and start acting like you have even a glimpse of how to run a soap opera. I feel the same way about all the others you do not deserve to stay on the air.
well, The Substitute..
goes to show, one needs an open mind and a good sense of humor to enjoy GH ..
GH is not a traditional soap, and I love it that way..
I like to smile and laugh along with all the dark drama/ variety & balance 🙂
(( GH is not for everybody it for cool people who ”get it 🙂 lol
umm why do you watch ”crap”?
Punishing yourself by doing that is not logical when you do not have to watch ”crap” ………………. lol
I do so like the way you don’t mince words, “The Substitute!”
Or when Duke was shot, and Anna kept talking to him without asking who shot him…
Hate to see Carlos gone–his character had passion. And I’m sick of these GH’ers getting away with murder. I say off to prison with Sonny, Anna, Ava, all of the mob henchmen, etc.
lol
Do you really want to watch ‘GH Prison ………lol
No, I want the characters to go to prison and off the show!
I assume there’s a point to the wedding–there has to be. Clearly Nina is nuts, Rick must have an ulterior motive and Roger is must the most amazing actor.
I have long said I still think Helena is doing something to Nikolas and hopefully Laura’s arrival will do something about that.
Anna was grieving & Carlos deserved to die, so whatever…And Sloan and Anna had way better rapport on Monday’s show than Friday’s. (He was weird Friday)
I can’t take what they’re doing to Elizabeth. I get she was attracted to Jake and always had a space in her heart for Jason–but she’s just being irrational. And I can’t take the no chem, forced pairing of Sam and Jake. She’s been so touchy touchy with him these past few days, which seems weird and inappropriate. If they want to pair these two–they better turn up the chemistry cause it’s flat right now.
And before people jump down my throat, I’m not a Jason/Liz 4 ever person. I like her with Jake and I like her with Nik. But I hated her with old Jason because i saw nothing attractive or interesting about the character.
Lucy..
The way I see it–
The wedding is not real, it was put on to teach Franco a lesson..
Ric and Ninna staged the wedding.. the papers are not real, Ric can do that..
I am anxious to see the backstory..
Ric and Nina prentend wedding…. I like that lol
I hope so. It’s such a bizarre story. But I’m usually open to twists. I watch, I’m entertained, I go back to work.
I hope and pray they keep Hayden on for a very long time! She has so much to give GH !!
Hayden (Rebecca Budig) is a treasure, a great addition to GH..
She can make you love her or hate her..
She brought fire with her to GH..
She is reoccuring, hopefully there will be a contract for her ..
For live episode two no misteps well done performance were good in general more natural. I hope in the future more live episode like they did with OLTL.
I thought I heard an “F” bomb on Day 2 right before a scene with Sonny and Carly.
i heard it too! I thought Carly said it. It also sounded like they tried to mute it out, but missed.
How did Nina get away with kidnapping Ava and the baby?
Sam is my favorite actress on there…but it was not her place to tell Juluin about the baby!
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.
View this post on Instagram
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!
-
News2 days agoY&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
-
Previews4 days agoTHE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
-
General Hospital3 days ago‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
-
Days Of Our Lives4 days ago‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
-
Days Of Our Lives7 days ago‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
-
General Hospital6 days agoGENERAL HOSPITAL: Tracy Leaves Port Charles to Help Dillon; Paving the Way for Jane Elliot’s Temporary Exit
-
News6 days agoB&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor to Guest Star on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
-
Days Of Our Lives1 week agoRaven Bowens Breaks Silence About Being Fired From ‘Days of our Lives’ and Her Future Plans
