When you combine superb direction, writing, production, and acting in a special episode of a daytime drama, viewers can see and understand the thought and care that went into it.

This was more than on display during Thursday’s highly-anticipated ‘Alexis-Centric’ episode honoring the 25th anniversary of Alexis’ portrayer, two-time Daytime Emmy winner, Nancy Lee Grahn, on General Hospital.

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In the story, symbolism was apparent and used for dramatic impact and it worked beautifully throughout, and best of all, Nancy received a script worthy of her immeasurable talents, and showed us once again why she remains one of the gold standards of our genre.  If you have not seen the episode DO NOT read any further as it contains spoilers.

It begins with an emotional Alexis looking at her mother’s watch which was still frozen from the time of her death.  While playing one of her mother’s records very loudly, she recalls Mikkos Cassadine kissing and dancing with her mom as a young Alexis (Natasha) looked on from the staircase.  When Sam asks her about it, Alexis shares that she sees the watch as sort of a representation for her own life being frozen over the last three years; which has included Alexis’ battle with booze taking over her life and her being disbarred, when being a lawyer was the way she identified herself and what gave her purpose.

Overwhelmed and anxiety-ridden, Alexis hightails it to Kevin’s office for a therapy session knowing she is going to Pentonville in the morning to serve her sentence.  She says she does not know who she is anymore.  Then, Kevin asks her how she spent her day thus far.  She flashes back to lunch with the good men in her life, Finn, Valentin, Jax and Ned.  Valentin tells Alexis she is proud of her for honing up to her mistakes.

Back at the therapy session, Alexis she was an attorney who stood for something and her life has derailed, and that she was a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate.  She knows she has to find a purpose in prison to make it through the three-year term and asks Kevin to help her find one.

Kevin wants to go back to when she was a little girl and her memories that are flooding back to her of Mikkos and her mother.  Just then, the younger version of Alexis is huddled in the corner of Kevin’s office, an image of her from the past.  Alexis tries to come to terms with her father and the choice of dangerous men and relationships that have marred her own happiness  … recalling Julian holding a knife to her throat like Mikkos did to her mother. She says he was one of the toxic men in her life, but Kevin reminds her all of the men in her life were not toxic.

Alexis starts with Ned as one who was good for her saying he was always stable, but she ruined that by recently sleeping with him and putting a wedge in his marriage to her long-time friend, Olivia.

We then flashback to earlier in the day, where Alexis ends up in an almost confrontation with Olivia.  However, Olivia tells her she misses the Alexis Davis she used to be and to get her back.

Now back with Kevin, a guilt-ridden Alexis relays she feels responsible for Neil’s death.  Kevin interjects she is not, nor what happened with Julian.  When Kevin attempts to bring up Mikkos again, Alexis rejects it and is angry that he is making her problem about daddy issues; like so many other women.  She vehemently shouts that the men in her life do not define who she is.

Then, Alexis flashes back to hurtful memories she has buried of a young Natasha witnessing Mikkos calling her mother a “greedy little bitch”.  She recalls it was on Christmas Eve and that Mikkos stopped by to give them gifts. That is when he presented her mother with the watch.  However, things took an ugly turn when he tried to leave, and she threatened to tell Helena all about her and Natasha. Next, Mikkos slapped her and that is when the watch shattered. As all this was going down, a young Natasha watched from the stairs and was horrified that she couldn’t stop her father from beating her mother and remembers how helpless she felt.

However, Alexis reveals to Kevin she thought this would be the last of Mikkos coming by, but he returned on New Year’s Eve and her mother took him back into their lives.  Alexis is beside herself that she could not protect her mother, but Kevin reassures her to remember she was just a child.

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It is then we come to the crux of the story.  Alexis looks over in the corner and sees her younger self crying. She goes to her younger self and tells her nothing that happened was her fault, and that their father was damaged and cruel. She tells the young Natasha this shouldn’t have been her burden to carry alone, and that she deserves to be happy. Then in the moment of strength and coming full circle, Alexis introduces herself to the young Natasha, “I’m Alexis Davis, a fighter, an advocate, and an idealist … and I will take care of everything from her on out.”  In that moment, Alexis embraced herself, and forgave herself, so she could move on with her life.

Alexis then flashes back to earlier that night, as the Davis girls gather for a faux graduation ceremony so Alexis could see Molly in her cap and gown and they hug. Back in her session, Kevin remarks that Alexis has repeatedly defined herself as a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate, and reminds her she has three daughters who have those qualities, and that all she needs to be is Alexis Davis.

Then, we get a heart-warming montage of Alexis though the years in honor of Nancy’s 25th anniversary with GH.

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As the episode concludes, it is the next morning, and Alexis enters Pentonville and enters her jail cell. There she meets her fellow inmate, who is studying law books to prep for her upcoming parole hearing. Alexis introduces herself as “Alexis Davis” and as someone who can help her.  We then go back to her mother’s watch which now begins ticking at Alexis’ home.  The show fades to black.

Kudos to Daytime Emmy winner, Phideaux Xavier for his outstanding direction, head writers: Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor and script writer, Scott Sickles for the thoughtful episode, EP Frank Valentini and his production crew for putting it all together, and the one and only Nancy Lee Grahn for a performance that will be remembered as a classic.

Share your thoughts on today’s on Nancy’s ‘Alexis-Centric’ episode via the comment section below.

Tuesday’s episode of General Hospital revealed the return of Chad Brannon as Cameron Webber’s deceased father, Zander Smith, as well as the return of Amanda Setton in the role of Brook Lynn.

In story, an emotional Cameron (William Lipton) is overcome by all the loss in his life as he visits the gravesite of his biological father, Zander Smith, on the heels of losing his stepfather, Franco Baldwin (Roger Howarth).  As Cameron looks at his father’s grave he goes on to say that he finally had a complete family unit for it to be taken away like everything else and everyone else he has cared about in his life including his friends, Dev and Oscar.

Cameron begins to lament what would life would be like for him, if Zander would have stuck around, instead of getting himself shot at such a young age.

Then, Zander appears to Cameron stating, “I get it, it’s all my fault.”  Cameron goes on to tear into Zander about the way his life ended, while Zander thinks he can still teach his son a thing or two, but Cam says he had the chance to be his dad and really blew it.  No matter what, Zander explains, “I will always be your dad.”  Zander understands that Cameron is angry and feeling all hope is lost, but tries to rally his son to not give in to that way of thinking, because he has so much potential.

Zander truly does not want to see his son give in to the same impulses that he did when he was young and that he wants Cameron to make the right decisions while at this crossroads in his young life.  As Joss (Eden McCoy) and Trina  (Sydney Mikala) show up at the cemetery, the ghost of Zander disappears.  Joss wants Cameron to stop the pity party as they all have been there, and all have lost people they love, but shares that they will get through it together. Cameron looks back and sees his father as he says he is loser just like his dad.  But, Trina and Joss tell Cam they don’t hang out with losers as Zander looks on.

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Elsewhere, Brook Lynn, who is hiding outside the Q mansion, comes inside once alone with Michael (Chad Duell) and reveals she is pregnant.  Michael figures out the baby daddy is Valentin (James Patrick Stuart), but Brook Lynn is not sure if she will even tell Valentin.  Michael warns her that she will be playing with fire with Valentin if she is not truthful.

Finally, Maxie (Kirsten Storms) has realized she is in a bad, bad way with all the creepy vibes she is now getting from Peter (Wes Ramsey).  She knows she has to protect her unborn child any way she can.

So, what did you think of the scenes between William Lipton and Chad Brannon? Are you happy to see Amanda Setton back as Brook Lynn? How will Maxie get away once and for all from Peter?  Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

Wednesday’s episode of General Hospital lived up to what viewers were preparing themselves for – what would happen and what would be the reactions of Franco’s (Roger Howarth) family when they learned he was shot and killed.

In story, Peter (Wes Ramsey) has hit a new low, even for him, by covering his tracks, deleting the recording of his confession to his crimes on Franco’s phone, and leaving Franco to die after the two struggled for the gun, following Franco having kidnapped Peter.

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Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) believes Jason (Steve Burton) killed her husband, because the hitman was at the crime scene, and because of the pact Franco made with Jason- that if evil Franco should come back (due to his brain tumor returning) that Jason would kill him so he would not do harm to anyone, or those he loved.  Jason is taken down to the PCPD for questioning, while Elizabeth would not let Franco go, so the police could do their investigation and take his dead body.  However, Jordan (Briana Nicole Henry) was able to get through to Liz and we watched a sheet being placed over Franco as he was being taken out by paramedics just as Cameron (William Lipton) leaves Franco a message on his cell telling him he misses him and there are some things he wants to tell him.

Laura (Genie Francis) gets a call about Franco’s shooting and death and heads down to the PCPD.  Meanwhile, Mac (John J. York) calls Scott (Kin Shriner) and tells him to get to the police station immediately.  As it turns out, it is Laura who tells Scott that his son is dead.  An anguished and emotional Scott shares how three of his children are now gone.  When Scott sees that Jason is being held for questioning in Franco’s death, he loses it and goes after Jason.  When Kin Shriner plays a vulnerable story beat as Scott, he always touches the heartstrings and this was no exception.

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Then, in the most heartbreaking moments of the episode, Elizabeth comes home to tell Cameron, who just woke up from a dream where Franco came to see him (in another touching scene between Roger Howarth and William Lipton), that Franco was shot and killed.  Cameron is gut-punched and is beside himself as Elizabeth tries to console her son, while also trying to deal with the unimaginable herself.  Liz decides she will tell Aiden and Jake in the morning about Franco since they are sleeping.  However, Cameron says they will do it together.  Elizabeth hugs her son.  Kudos to Rebecca Herbst and William Lipton in these scenes.

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Meanwhile, Maxie (Kirsten Storms) has turned her back on Peter for now, when he shows up in her hospital room after Franco’s death. He says it’s not over between them, after she tells him the man she loved never existed.

So, what did you think of today’s emotional General Hospital and the performances by Rebecca Herbst, Kin Shriner, and William Lipton? Comment below.