General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ava Blackmails Alexis; Marco Calls Out Natalia for Her Bigotry
Blackmail and bigotry seemed to be the order of the day on the Wednesday, April 9th episode of ABC’s General Hospital. First, Ava (Maura West) has made her move to extort money from the Cassadine fortune; now armed with the evidence that Kristina (Kate Mansi) had intent to cut the brakes to her car, but instead cut the brakes to Ric’s (Rick Hearst). The move sent both Liz (Rebecca Hebst) and Ric to the hospital with injuries.
Ava comes to visit Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) at her law office, and Ava tells Alexis that Kristina tried to kill her and she can prove it. Ava tells Alexis about her argument with Kristina at her apartment and how she had the motive and the opportunity to tamper with the brakes on Ric’s car. Alexis wants proof, so Ava shows her the security footage from the camera in the garage.
Alexis wants to know how much Ava wants from her to keep this quiet, and that is when Ava brings up the money Alexis controls from the Cassadine Estate for Ace. Alexis asks about the car and Ava says she had it moved from the impound to an undisclosed, but safe location. Trying to push back on Ava, Alexis points out Alexis has broken the chain of evidence.
Courtesy/ABC
Ava counters that Ric knows the brakes were tampered with, and that her next move is to let the police know, who will the inform the DA’s office. Since Alexis’ daughter, Molly (Kristen Vaganos) works for the DA’s office, she will learn that Kristina almost killed Molly’s father. In the end, Ava gives Alexis until 9am tomorrow to cough up the money, or she’ll tell Molly!
Elsewhere, while at the Metro Court restaurant, Natalia (Eva LaRue), after speaking with Jenz (Carlo Rota), joins her son Marco (Adrian Anchondo) at his table. He tells her about his interview with Alexis and Diane’s (Carolyn Hennesy) law firm and that if he gets the job, he’ll be moving to Port Charles.
The judgmental Natalia,says she is very unhappy with his choices and she’s not happy he’s been practicing law for 10 years and wasting his musical talents, since he could be on tour with his sister,Alison aka Blaze. Marco reminds her that he was angry because of her reaction when he came out to her; and how she tried to shove him back into the closet, the same as she later did to Alison. Natalia says she regrets how she reacted.
Next, Natalia blames Jenz for manipulating Marco into going to law school and how she did not fight enough to keep him from going. Natalia swears she’s changed now, but Marco is not buying it. After Marco storms out, Sonny (Maurice Benard) who was having lunch with Kristina and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), where he filled his son on his heart condition, spots Natalia at the bar as he was leaving, and heads over to ask her why she was talking to Jenz Sidwell. We fade to black.
So, are you Team Ava or Team Alexis? Who do you want to get the upper hand in this blackmail attempt? What do you think of Natalia having two children that are gay and her originally being completely unaccepting of them? Share your thoughts in the comment section. But first, check out some of the scenes between Maura West and Nancy Lee Grahn from yesterday’s GH, followed by a preview for today’s, April 10th episode where Sonny confront Natalia and says, “Why didn’t you tell me he was your ex?”
Finally.. the episode with the BIG re-write about her son… Marco suits being a lawyer more so than a rock star, in my opinion.
Team Ava all the way. Kristina needs yet again another hard wake up call.
Hey GH fan; we’ll have to “agree to disagree” on this one. (Uggg; I hate that overused expression so much, lol). Ava, in my opinion, is intolerably obnoxious. She backstabbed Nina in the worst way, and then hit her up for money. She thought she killed Nikolas and left him to rot, lied to Laura’s face, and then when it was discovered he was still alive instead of jumping for joy she was less than enthusiastic AND wants his divorce settlement money. She did cause Kristina’s baby’s death in a roundabout way; she knew Kristina loves Sonny and it would be horrible for her to have to testify against him. Yet, she and Scotty, just a few weeks before Kristina was to give birth, handed Kristina a court order to testify against him. Ava had to have known that would set Kristina off. So, to my mind had Ava not set that ball in motion, that argument in Ava’s apartment would never have happened. (Not to mention Ava goaded her by calling Alexis all sorts of names). AND…how vicious does one have to be to taunt Kristina about not being a mother; last argument they had Ava said something about a mother protecting her child, something “Kristina” wouldn’t know about. So…though Kristina has become unhinged; emotionally fraught, she’s still ten times a better person than Ava will ever be. I’m team Kristina on this, though she does need mental help to get through her anger and despair.
I can understand how Kristina’s situations have driven her around the bend. She is far from innocent but the need for retribution will lead to more hardships. The hardest thing is to let a wrong go, and the loss of her baby goes beyond letting something go.
Better to wait and relish in your adversaries downfall than be the cause it. I find it more sweet that way.
I don’t know; I’m a Scorpio and the thought of revenge is sweet, lol. Not in physical violence, lest this comment get blown out of proportion by less than rational people. (lol again. 😉 ) As for our soapy Kristina, she’s been in a downward spiral and will likely hit even more rock bottom before she hopefully reaches back up to the top. And at least after she cut the brakes she did have the sense and the conscience to call Ava and attempt to keep her from getting into that car. It’s not like she cut them and couldn’t wait for the accident to happen. As soon as she calmed down she realized how wrong she was; she also, as Lucky said, felt great concern after the accident even though she despises Rick. The show can take Kristina in two ways; when Maurice exits they can have her take over, or they can go the other way and she stays on the more productive path…
Ah-ha ! That explains everything as I am a vergo… a sensitive guy.
But I bet your house is neat and tidy!!
Spectacular !
LOL; I didn’t know Virgos were sensitive. In actuality, I’m extremely sensitive. So much so, that I think I’m an empath. Seriously, However those are two separate things. I can “feel” for you, cry for you, want to wrap you in my arms, make it all better… and hopefully in that situation you’re not pissing me off at the same time. LOLOLOLOLOL! Then I’d be in conflict. I’ll give you an example. I have a neighbor whom I detest. I don’t just dislike him, I literally detest him. He’s a despicable, callous, unfeeling “human being.” And I’ve said many times in spite of my empathetic nature, my overly compassionate nature, I’d step over him if he was lying in the middle of the road. And I meant it. But then, sigh, one day I saw him and he looked old; frail. Hunched over, skin and bones. And in the midst of my hatred for him I felt empathy…Because gone was the vicious creature and all I saw was vulnerability. But then I remembered how he made fun of people who were as he is now…
I think it’s clear that Kristina knows she caused events that lead to the death of Irene and that knowledge is too great of a burden so she externalizes that guilt onto Ava. Easier to target Ava ( who is an easy target given her crimes and misdemeanors)than it is to face the hard truth.
Yes; I agree she knows that Ava didn’t push her. Still, it WAS Ava’s fault for putting Kristina in a position that would have landed Sonny in jail. As I said to GH fan, Ava as always, pushed Katrina (pun intended) to the point of escalation. Ava should never have asked Kristina to testify against her own father. Ava was demanding she betray her father which would have caused him to lose A very and probably be locked up. I can understand Kristina’s fury; I would’ve marched over there, too.
I agree. I’ve always hated Ava and everything she stands for. She’s done all she can to torment Kristina, before and after Adella. Can you imagine poor Avery being brought up by this woman with no morals, especially after or when she loses Sonny. I’d bet anything that she’d give Avery to him if the right amount was offered . I’d also like to reiterate everything she did to Nicholas and her one friend, Nina. She is just a thoroughly disgusting human being and I hope I can watch GH long enough to see her demise or get put away for the rest of her miserable life!
I can’t disagree with your account of Ava’s crimes. But Ava Jerome was introduced to us as a classic soap opera vixen-villain. Sure, she’s had a few peaks and valleys along the way especially when she was victimized by Ryan and Esme. Now Ava has returned to her glorious villainous ways, and I love it. What I hate is when a character is presented to us as some kind of hero or heroine despite their villainous actions. To use a tired cliche, Ava is that character you love to hate.
As much as I love Alexis, I am Team Ava. Alexis needs to wake up and realize her daughter needs help. Whether she meant it for Ava, Ric or Elizabeth, sane people do not tamper with people’s brakes. Plu,s Ava is more fun when she is rich. The biggest question is where did all of the Jerome money go?
Good question… since all the other Jeromes are now here in Hell. And they couldn’t bring their money with them.
I think Natalia could teach that old dog Sonny some new tricks .
So out of thin air, they explained how the studio musician became a lawyer…well sort of. Because Natalia was claiming he was still a working studio musician just a few months ago when Blaze was about to go on tour. But now we’re supposed to believe he’s been a lawyer for 10 years??
And I guess we’re not supposed to remember that his name used to be “Eloi” and not “Marco”??
And why does he have a last name (Rios??) different from both of his parents?? Seems obvious to me that it was daddy Sidwell’s idea that he take a job with Diane & Alexis’ law firm, probably so he could get some inside information on both Corinthos Coffee, LLC and this Cassadine Trust Fund that Alexis was recently appointed to.
Seems unlikely that Marco is going to be able to keep the secret of who his parents are, now that he’s living in Port Charles. Poor Lucas… he thought he found somebody with better ethics and morals than Brad? Doesn’t appear to be the case.
Well, we really don’t need to see Natalia waxing on anymore about her disappointment with her children. So, let’s just accept the name change (Marco is much better) and job switch. Makes me we wonder if Adrian can sing and if he’ll be part of the NB.
Sidwell is apparently not Allison/Blaze’s father, so Natalia must have married again after Jenz – hence the Ramirez name.
Hense yet another new character soon to come then.. Natalia’s 2nd husband.
I sure hope it will be someone so great that we can all say, “no wonder they aren’t together”, and I’m really happy Sonny dumped her miserable butt!
I agree. She tells Marco she’s changed but how does a fifty- something year old woman, who has remained resolute with her belief that homosexuality is bad, even after her son came out to her, just suddenly “ change” overnight?
I wasn’t convinced anymore than Marco was.
Oh Harry; I have to disagree with you again. I am so sick of everyone, from viewers to characters, bringing up Natalia’s views on gay people. She admitted she was wrong, and I DO believe it was sincere. Do I think she embraces it? Loves it? No. But I think her hardline view has softened, and I think the views she had were understandable since she was brought up in a strict, Latin, Catholic, home that were not accepting of that choice. She did get to actually see Blaze and Kristina’s love for each other and it did give her a certain realization. Until and if she shows a judgmental side again to either of her kids, I think the dialogue is beating a dead horse. What I expected her son to say was that he spoke to his sister, and she told him that their mom had had a breakthrough; that she had softened her stance and was more open and accepting. So…yes; I do think people can change their views. Natalia didn’t change overnight; she changed after she was saw how much emotional hurt she caused (which she never intended; not publicly) and the devastating fallout.
The way it was written is that yes, Natalia did change her life- long views on homosexuality abruptly. And in her conversation with Marco demonstrated, she still views him as a disappointment because he didn’t follow her plan for him (in this case, becoming a lawyer instead of a musician).
Well, to paraphrase Mae West, Ava is very good but when she’s bad, she’s better. Ava might be bad but she doesn’t have an orbit of people swirling around her trying to rescue her. I wish Alexis would stop enabling Kristina. Kristina now has Lucky joining her litany of enablers while she grows more self-righteous and self deluded day by day. Alexis should turn her daughter in. It’s time for tough love.
And what? Have her go to jail for possibly decades? She needs psychological help; not jail.
She could plead guilty by reason of insanity and get the help she needs. But Alexis’s continued circumvention of Kristina facing the consequences of her actions is codependent behavior, and it is weakening her daughter. No more coverups!
Hmmm after watching Friday’s episode…you and Rebecca1 called it… off to Shady Brook she goes
Diane gave great advice although it’s not that easy to have someone involuntarily committed (not in California anyway).
I bet Kristina will be just as much trouble in Shady Brook as she is out. Will she just accept what’s happening to her, due to her mother’s instigation, or try escaping?
I hope she’s sent to a spectacular asylum in the Swiss Alps and we get a nice long break from that petulant overgrown child.
Love the Easter egg
Team Ava entirely. This is the Ava I have missed: the strongheaded, confident person she was.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, who can currently be seen in on the ABC soap opera in the role of Nina Reeves, has had a enduring career in television. That included her time on the 2000-2002 Fox sitcom, Titus.
In Titus, Watros starred along with Stacy Keach as Erin Fitzpatrick and Ken Titus, respectively. After the November 10th news that Keach had passed away at 85 while living in Poland, Cynthia took to her Instagram on Thursday, November 12 to pay tribute to the great actor.
Watros expressed, “My first prime time show was along side Stacy. I loved him instantly. What an amazing talent and man.❤️”
Photo: ABC
In Titus, Stacy played stand up comedian Christopher Titus’ heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, five-times-divorced father who frequently pulled cruel pranks and tried to toughen his kids up. Cynthia played by Christopher’s level-headed, big-hearted girlfriend trying to build a normal life with him. In fact, Cynthia’s role on the sitcom was first series regular role after her Daytime Emmy run of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light which ran from 1994-1998.
STACY KEACH’S WIFE ON HIS PASSING
Keach’s wife, Malgosia shared the news of the actor’s death publicly in a statement with PEOPLE. Malgosia expressed, that Stacy had, “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.”
She added, “Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength. He was a true warrior, facing his illness with the same remarkable spirit and resilience that defined his life.”
Małgosia continued, “Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family. His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”
Now, let us know do you remember when Cynthia made her sitcom debut in Titus? Share your thoughts via the comment section on Cynthia’s many TV roles and the passing of Stacy Keach in the comment section. But first, check out the very first episode of Titus with Cynthia Watros below!
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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‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
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