The long-awaited and highly-anticipated reunion of Nikolas (Marcus Coloma) and his son, Spencer aired on Monday’s episode of General Hospital. And it reminded us all how much we love Nicolas Bechtel as the young Cassadine.
While Ava (Maura West) first talks with Spencer in order to prepare him for his father’s appearance and that he is alive; when Nikolas shows up and receives a hug from Spencer, it appeared all might be OK between them, but how could it be? Nikolas let his son believe he was dead for over three years!
Next, Spencer lays into his father for choosing claiming the Cassadine fortune and keeping hidden over telling him that he was alive; leaving Spencer alone with two broken legs, in a boarding school in Europe, and grief-stricken.
The best scenes were actually shared by Maura West and Bechtel, when Ava tries to reason with the disappointed and disillusioned young man over his father’s return, which has a double meaning for her. She says, “The person you love most in the world just came back to you. That makes you the luckiest boy on the planet. Can’t you see that?” For Ava, she is obviously drawing a parallel to her losing her daughter, Kiki and wishing she was alive.
Kudos to the actors in these scenes. Watch them below.
All three actors gave fantastic performances, but Maura West& Nicolas Bechtel were phenomenal.
Guest
Jimmy
It was great to see Spencer again, played by the same actor and not a SORAS’d version of the role. But I kept thinking to myself how great these scenes would have been if Tyler Christopher had returned as Nikolas. He and Nicholas Bechtel had amazing father/son chemistry (just like Jason Thompson and Brooklyn Rae Silzer had fantastic father/daughter chemistry) and it’s one of the things I miss most with this story. I like Marcus Coloma as an actor and he fits the role well, but it’s been very difficult to like this version of Nikolas since all he does… Read more »
Guest
Soaphound
Well said, Jimmy, and I agree completely. Nikolas has some MAJOR fences to mend and poor Marcus Coloma (whom I like very much) has done enough lip-pursing for the next year. Lighten up, Niko!
Guest
James R. Poissant
Not for nothing but that was too long to keep the character off the canvas.
Guest
brian
Let Marcus Coloma steal the show as always. Hope he is here for a long time… with Brit in tow to help him with his revenge !
Guest
Soaphound
Thank you, Brian! I’d love to have Britt back, sparring with Liesl and… well, everyone. She and Spencer were great together. Then we can also bring back Drew, Hayden, Kim, and dump Gladys, Brando, and Peter the Prop. And how about something fun for Molly and Kristina? Anything but ANOTHER Sonny/Carly/JaSam concoction!
Guest
DMRR
Love Maura West. NuNik is growing on me. Although, I miss Tyler.
Guest
Jimh
Scenes were ok…taking time to get used to NuNik…i wish Ava wasnt a killer…at least lets learn she killed Connie years ago because her demented sister used some mind control…lets have Ava and Julian more like the down to earth old fashion villains like Alexandra and her bro Alan on Guilding Light..soaps have stumbled away from being soaps..especially Days and GH but both remain ok entertainment…Days jumping ahead and then going back to tell the story was a mistake now..its like getting all spoilers at once and knowing the outcome before we actually know the story!!!
Guest
Soaphound
I agree, Jimh. The old “villains” didn’t cross certain lines, so we could still love them. Every time I start to root for Ava (mostly because Maura West is so great), I remind myself how bad she’s been. The evil deeds weren’t as evil in the old days. I still miss Alexandra Spaulding and now, sadly, will miss the late, great Marj Dusay as well.
Guest
Jimh
ya…she was great in all her roles
Guest
Rodd
Wonderful to have Nicolas back as Spencer! He stood toe to toe with the great Maura West. I hope that in time, he and Marcus Coloma will share on-air chemistry as son and father. I’m still waiting to care about this version of the Prince.
Guest
Gramma Rose
Spencer has every right to be angry. Nicholas did choose the Casadine fortune over his child and the rest of his family. It wasn’t right to let them grieve for 3 years.
Guest
Remy
I prefer Tyler, even Nick Stable, but I’ll give Marcus Coloma credit where credit is due.
Mr. Coloma is hitting all the right notes with Gene, Maura, Nancy and the most essential to Nikolas, Bechtel’s Spencer. Marcus was thrown front and center and has literally cranked out lemonade.
He’s definitely making Nikolas his own while staying true to essence of character.
Maura is bringing the best out of Mr. Coloma and in a sense, Nikolas’s next chapter of his return.
Kudos GH, this is a recast that’s working!
Guest
Michael
I used to find Spencer very annoying, but Nicholas Bechtel has grown into a fine young actor. Bravo.
Guest
Charlie
Doesn’t anyone, including the writers, remember that Spencer knew about his father’s fake death plot, and that they were communicating with each other until Laura took the cell away from Spencer?
Guest
Satan
That was his first faked death. When Tyler Christopher was still around and he framed Drew (who then was supposed to be Jason) for throwing him out the window the first time.
Spencer wasn’t in on this plot, because it wasn’t initially planned by Nikolas.
Kate Mansi Makes Her General Hospital Debut as Kristina; What Were Your First Impressions?
May 25, 2023
Daytime Emmy winner, Kate Mansi made her first appearance on yesterday’s May 24th episode of General Hospital as the recast Kristina Corinthos-Davis. The former Days of our Lives star takes over the role from Lexi Ainsworth.
As to Kristina’s story, it is revealed that Kristina is building an LGBTQ+ youth shelter with the help of her father, Sonny Corinthos. Kristina’s sister, Sam (Kelly Monaco) is concerned that she is not thinking through all the issues that come with creating and building such a space and shares her concerns with their mother, Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn).
Enter Mansi as nuKristina with the renovation plans for the youth shelter. She shares her excitement with Sam and Alexis. An enthusiastic Kristina discusses the cosmetic changes she wants to make to the place and even shows her family, the Corinthos-Davis House logo.
Sam voices her concerns that in the past Kristina has great ideas and visions and how they don’t work out, because she never follows through. Kristina gets angered and leaves the discussion to take a call from her contractor.
Remember, when Kristina lost her way, and then, seemingly everyone got looped in and involved with Dawn of the Dead cult?
Photo: NATAS
Meanwhile, Molly (Haley Pullos in these scenes) is struggling with her inability to have a baby and tension is mounting between her and TJ (Tajh Bellow).
Mansi comes to GH with an impressive resume having been front and center as Abigail Deveraux on Days from 2011–2016, and then again in 2018–2020. She took home the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award in 2017 at the 44th annual Daytime Emmy Awards. In addition, Kate has continued to appear in primetime, streaming and motion picture roles.
So, what were your first impressions of Kate as Kristina Corinthos-Davis? How did you like her interactions on-screen with Kelly Monaco and Nancy Lee Grahn? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Visits ‘Tamron Hall’ and Talks On His Recurring Role of GH’s Brick
May 24, 2023
On yesterday’s, May 23rd episode of Tamron Hall, ESPN sports personality, Stephen A. Smith was a guest for a special interview, while Smith was at his second home away from home, General Hospital.
Smith, plays the recurring role of Sonny’s tech expert/’henchmen’, Brick, on the ABC daytime drama series. Stephen A., who is a longtime fan of GH, shared with Hall just how lucky he is to be given a chance to have a Port Charles alter-ego. Since 2016, the powers-that-be have found ways to keep Smith’s character returning to the GH canvas to help out his pal, Sonny, when the mobster is in dire straits.
Courtesy/ABC
Stephen expressed: “I’ve been blessed and fortunate because I do scenes primarily with the star of the show. And we’ve developed an incredible friendship, Maurice Benard (Sonny) and myself. I can’t tell you the amount of times that he’s pulled me to the side and he sat down with me and he’s embraced it and he’s like, ‘Here’s where I want you to go.’”
In caring moment, Benard was sensitive to a real-life event that happened in Smith’s life … the passing of his mother. Smith shared, “I remember there was a scene where he (Sonny) had lost a relative and literally he said to me, ‘I don’t want to offend you here,’ and he brought up losing my mother in 2017.”
Maurice, then gave Smith some acting advice, “I need you to go back to that moment. I need you to embrace how you were feeling at that moment in time.’ He said, ‘I’m only coming to you because I know you can. I need you to do it.’ And that was exactly what I did.”
Courtesy/ABC
The longtime ESPN host and journalist, also released his autobiography, Straight Shooter earlier this year. When Hall questioned him on how he has persevered through the years, Smith admitted that it’s about, “Longevity … thinking about smelling the roses. I’m not one to sit around and smell it, but I want to do things and associate myself with things that allows me to know that I’m reaping the fruits of my labor.”
As to his crazy schedule, Stephen admitted, “I’m still going to outwork 99% of the people out there. I don’t stop. I’m a machine and I know it and I’m proud of it. ”
Photo: Simon
Check out Stephen A. in part of his chat with Tamron Hall below.
Now let us know, if you are a fan of all of Stephen A. Smith’s work and if you continue to enjoy seeing him pop up on GH, via the comment section below.
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Will Nina’s Guilty Conscience Ruin a Marriage Proposal From Sonny?
May 22, 2023
This week on General Hospital, Sonny (Maurice Benard) has a marriage proposal for Nina (Cynthia Watros). However, she’s feeling the walls may be closing in on her when she regrets her actions against Drew (Cameron Mathison) and Carly (Laura Wright). As GH viewers know, she had turned them into the SEC for insider trading as a revenge-tactic against Carly.
In the latest issue of Soap Opera Digest on newsstands now, Sonny (Maurice Benard) is set to take a big step and ask Nina to marry him. This, comes on the heels of Nina bowing out of attending Michael (Chad Duell) and Willow’s (Katelyn MacMullen) wedding, to keep the peace in the family, and letting him attend alone.
On the latest developments, Maurice Benard shared with SOD on the marriage proposal: “It’s not an immediate yes from Nina. I think because she’s already done the bad deed (of calling the SEC). She’s trying to get out of it, so she doesn’t dig herself deeper.”
Previewing Sonny’s profession of love to Nina, the three-time Daytime Emmy winner said of the upcoming scenes: “That was my job as an actor, to convince her in this monologue that, ‘I don’t care about what you’ve done.’ He doesn’t care about anything but her, ‘and I love you, and let’s do this.'”
As to how he thinks Sonny’s proposal to Nina stacks up with others in his GH career, “I’m not saying this is the best, but I am saying it’s up there with the best that I’ve had.”
Of course, what will happen if Sonny finds out what Nina did to Carly with the SEC insider trading deception? Stay tuned.
Check out the promo for this week’s GH below, then let us know. Are you hoping Sonny and Nina get engaged? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
