General Hospital
GH’s Avery Pohl Weighs-In On If Esme is Redeemable: “Without Amnesia I Don’t Think So … She’s Done Terrible Things to People”
Currently on General Hospital, an amnesiac Esme (Avery Pohl) has been kidnapped by her mentally ill parents, Heather Webber (Alley Mills) and Ryan Chamberlin (Jon Lindstrom). Not good! Now, while at the beginning of this angle of the storyline, viewers thought Esme was faking her memory loss, it seems it’s very real for her.
On the latest episode of the That’s Awesome podcast with Bradford Anderson and Steve Burton (and in the You Tube channel video version, see below), Pohl is the special guest, where she talks about her time as the evil Esme who just might have a turnabout of character with a baby on the way.
When discussing with Anderson if Esme is even redeemable, Pohl went on to say, “Without amnesia, I don’t think so. How do you come back from any of this? She’s done terrible things to people, and if you met a person like this in real life, you would be like, ‘I don’t want to be in a 100 feet of you.'”
Avery went on to share: “Handing her this baby and handing her this amnesia storyline, I think is a way to try and get there, or at least, get her to have a little more of conscious.”
Photo: ABC
In addition to her thoughts on Esme’s current situation, Avery talks on landing the part of the troublemaker, where she shares what went from a very short term deal and wound up with a 3-year contract.
Check out Avery chat’s with Steve and Bradford below.
Now, let us know, do you hope Esme is redeemed? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Esme, with amnesia, is a completely different character and I have been enjoying her. However, the moment her memory returns, it’ll be bye-bye Esme!
Laura will take her in with baby
It’s inevitable. The kid was already Laura’s grandchild. Now Kevin knows that Esme is his niece, so of course she’s going to live with them. I don’t think there’s a snowball’s chance in my back yard that Esme’s going to face any further legal consequences as long as Uncle Kevin – in his professional capacity – believes her amnesia is real & permanent.
Not sure how that’s the case though. She developed amnesia after taking a swim in some icy cold water. It wasn’t a case of physical brain trauma, like what happened to Jason. So while her amnesia does appear to be real, it also seems like it’s something her brain created as a “defense mechanism”.
Before all of this amnesia & her being held prisoner in the tower happened, I had speculated if Esme was the Hooker, but had no conscious knowledge of committing the murders, because she had some form of DID and her “alter” did the Hookings. If that were the case, I believe Ryan was well aware of this fact, and used it for his own purposes, turning his own kid into a weapon, without her even knowing she was doing it. And I still don’t see Heather as being the only Hooker, so what if she also knew that Esme was the (original) killer, and while Esme was presumed to be either dead or missing, became the Hooker herself, to get her kid off the hook (pardon the pun)
Of course, if Esme has two or three other passengers occupying her brain, it’s only a matter of time before her old self returns. Her crazy parents probably won’t be a factor then. Heather will be locked up, and Ryan will either be in prison or in Hell (depending on whether Ava actually pulled the trigger or not), but that’s going to be a lot for Laura to deal with. At least Kevin has the training for it.
Hate her n her acting.
I am not sure I embrace the way mental illness is handled here. As I take trainings and am assigned articles on the job as part of equity efforts, the storytelling on GH and others seems off.
I see your point clearly, Iakovos– Mental illness is taken too lightly—almost satirically. A joke!! It’s a soap and this storyline has definitely been fantastical. I’m happy it’s over. Is it?
I don’t know if we should categorize Esme as mentally ill. I got the impression, today, that she has been brainwashed— manipulated by Ryan, per se. Is mental illness hereditary, environmental or both?
I think this is where the transformation of Esme begins. If Avery is here to stay, Esme will be “prepped” as an innocent victim. Where does she go from here? Spencer is out of her orbit, at this point. Too bad—because I found myself FF-ing his scenes with so-out-of-tune, nuTrina. She is so off acting the damsel in distress, but at the same time the quasi sexy, little temptress. Didn’t work. Too bland and ineffectual.
In my opinion , this girl has yet to find her niche on GH.
It irks me that soaps have a need to redeem every dark person..
The world has a good many bad people, it is the way it is…
On soaps, it’s the dark ones that make the soaps suspenseful and even more thrilling
it’s them that delivers the drama and put the emotions into to fans..
I think Eseme is great the way she is..she brings drama..soaps are empty without suspenseful drama and fans are invested in an intriguing get even story..
Couples are boring they offer a ho-hum whose the daddy or a betrayal yawn same ol’
couples do not offer much excitement that’s why writers break them up at 5 months lol.
I am against redeeming…
giving a person a turn or a mellowing out and a two sides of the coin-ok-
but never a redeeming,..that usually kills a great character..
Great interview! Was not a fan of esme – she was so triggering. Hopefully this is her character arc. Mostly I think the family dynamics between Ryan and heather have the potential to be really funny and also kind of amazing. It’s like the soap version of the Adam’s family so there is a Huge amount of potential there. She is a reality good actress and seems very down to earth in real life!
Ryan, Heather & Esme would be a really funny & amazing family? How many people have been murdered, MURDERED by Ryan & Heather? Ryan & Heather need to go away permanently. No possibility of redemption for either one of them. Heather used to be funny at times (when Robin Mattson played her) but I cannot stand her now.
I would like to see these dark characters gone. Lighten this show up a little.
I suppose, Gloria, it depends on someone’s dark, literary sense of humor, à la John Barth, Roald Dahl etc. I still believe Alley Mills represents a caricature of more than what the eye sees. She’s wonderful– I see a completely different version from yours. I think this trio did lighten up the show —a little bit akin to Sartre, if you appreciate his writing. He was a genius—not that i am making any comparisons, but I can’t say I have held these writers in great esteem until this twisted story.
I have this weird feeling Ryan will resurrect—that’s my personal twisted sense of humor.
LOL, Cyndi–well put!! And, I so agree with you– nuHeather is hilarious and “Ryan”, as the evil twin, is the kind of character you hate to love—But, Lindstrom portrays both charaters with such skill, it’s hard to believe the reality of being one person.
As Su000 states, “darkness” becomes some characters and their uniqueness ( for lack of a better word) shouldn’t be altered. Well, exceot for Esme—I don’t want her locked up, as Ryan and Heather will eventually be. I want her right tgere–center stage. I think Avery is amazing, befitting every essential mien due to an oustanding actress as she.
Pardon the typos, if any–
I like the new Esmeralda, and would like to see her character developed. The old devious Esmeralda was irritating. GH doesn’t need that many villains.
Always good to see the great person behind a menisimg character. She is lovely in this interview.
Please, stay Avery. I’ve loved you from day one—-well, almost. LOL, albeit you were such a baddie!! Such a good baddie!!
Your talent has shone through from the beginning and it has only gotten better. Thank ye gods for Esme’s amnesia—-hope she never regains her memory. But, if and when she does, her benevolent halo’s power will destroy any remnants of lingering evil .
Sorry for the mushy , melodramatic words, but I haven’t appreciated another actress on this show since Maura West.
This actress is so good! I can’t tell if she has amnesia or not. Nothing wrong with being a villainous on a show.
Angela Y,
Yes, this actress is so good and so convincing its hard to hate her. I dont think shes faking but I think we know she’ll get her memory back and she can’t just be automatically redeemed. She’s done a lot of bad things and will have to pay some way or another. I just hope the spoiled brat doesn’t get to take her son, his baby brother away from her. He sure isn’t a father figure in any way.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) revealed on Thursday, the lineup of presenters for 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards taking place on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California.
The ceremony will stream live on the NATAS YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@theemmys and watch.TheEmmys.tv.
Scheduled to present from the current soaps are: Katelyn MacMullen (Willow, General Hospital), Delon de Metz (Zende, The Bold and the Beautiful), James Preston (Nick, The Bay), Paul Telfer (Xander, Days of our Lives), Tamara Tunie (Anita, Beyond the Gates) and Susan Walters (Diane, The Young and the Restless).
Photo: NATAS
In addition soap alums, Crystal Chappell, Lesli Kay, Joe Lando, Eva LaRue, who is also a nominee this year, A Martinez, Juliet Mills, and Alicia Leigh Willis, will also be on hand to present.
The ceremony which celebrates nominated lifestyle programs and dramas will also include presenters: Eva zu Beck (Superskilled with Eva zu Beck), Danielle Chang (Lucky Chow), Sunny Hostin (The View), Derek Hough (Extra), Pati Jinich (Pati’s Mexican Table), Star Jones (Divorce Court), Michael Jr. (Stand Up and Do Something), Judge Greg Mathis (Mathis Court with Judge Mathis), Keke Palmer (Glam Through the Ages), Nischelle Turner (Entertainment Tonight), and Andrew Zimmern (Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen).
The 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards will bring together an exciting mix of presenters representing the full spectrum of daytime television,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO of NATAS. “From familiar faces in daytime drama to the personalities and creative voices behind talk shows and lifestyle programming, this year’s lineup reflects the breadth of talent that makes daytime so special. We look forward to celebrating the people who continue to shape the genre.”
Matthew Hoffman (Love Island USA, Cheap A$$ Beach Houses) will serve as the ceremony’s Voice of God, bringing his signature comedic narration to the evening’s celebrations. As previously announced, Lifetime Achievement honoree Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital) will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by her husband, Jonathan Frakes.
So, what do you think about the list of presenters for the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards? Let us know who you are looking forward to seeing via the comment section below.
General Hospital fans took to social media following the airing of the Wednesday, October 21 episode of the ABC daytime drama series. In story, Molly (Kristen Vaganos) reveals to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) that she has received an offer to join the top law firm in Chicago that practices civil law. She says it’s her dream job.
The problem Molly says is relocating from Port Charles and uprooting her life and being away from her mother, Scout and boyfriend Cody Bell (Josh Kelly). Wistful that she may lose another daughter to a long-distance situation (Kristina left a few months back to go to medical school in California), Alexis urged Molly to get Cody to go with her.
Molly still seemed concerned and has trouble committing to the idea. Alexis tells her to talk it over with Cody. Meanwhile, Cody asked Tracy (Jane Elliot) is he can have Thanksgiving off because he and Molly planned to spend Thanksgiving together with their families. After initially balking, Tracy agrees.
Courtesy/ABC
WILL MOLLY AND CODY HEAD TO CHI-TOWN?
Later, Cody shows up at Miller & Davis and the conversation turned to Thanksgiving dinner that Alexis is hosting. Molly and Cody asked her not to cook anything. Cody hugged Molly reassuring Alexis that he and Molly would take care of whatever was needed on Turkey Day.
So, this raises the question, why out of nowhere are we learning that Molly received an amazing law offer in Chicago, if the character was not being written out? If Molly leaves the canvas, would the character of Cody make his exit too?
Kristen Vaganos joined GH as a recast Molly Lansing-Davis back in September of 2023 and went on contract in August of 2024. Josh Kelly began playing Cody Bell back in June of 2022. Initial reports were that Kelly joined the show on contract and then as of June 2025 went on recurring status with the show per his choice.
Do you see a world where GH is writing out Molly and Cody? Would you be sad to see Kristen and Josh exit the soap opera? If this is not what is going on, is this just a plot point for some other story that is upcoming? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.
It’s been over two-years since his last appearance on General Hospital, now fan favorite Kin Shriner (Scott Baldwin) has taken to social media to share his thoughts on the casting of his grown-up TV daughter, Serena Baldwin now played by Kelly Kruger.
Kelly took over the role of Serena on-screen starting with the July 30, 2026 episode and has been ensconced in the storyline with her mother, Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring), in trying to win back full creative control of Deception for her.
In fact on the Monday, October 19 episode of the ABC soap opera, Serena tried to dupe Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) into signing over Michael’s (Rory Gibson) shares of the company. Jason caught on and wondered why she was doing this. She claimed she just wanted to help her mom gain creative control from Tracy (Jane Elliot) rather than full ownership, and begged Jason to keep quiet about it, which he agreed to for now.
Courtesy/ABC
WHERE IS SCOTT?
On Monday, Shriner also took to X and said, “I think Kelly Kruger is doing a great job on General Hospital, and she and Lynn Herring work well together.” That was followed by comments in his thread about the show needing to bring back Scott too.
In fact, back on August 25, Shriner also took to X with a reminder that Scott is still around and ready to come back to Port Charles, sharing, “Scotty Baldwin always fits in he just needs the right sport coat !!!!”
The last time Serena mentioned her father Scott was when Kruger made her debut and informed Lucy that her father was, “living his best life in Key West.” Meanwhile, Shriner posts on his X account continually and shared back on August 2, that it has been 49 years since he made his on-screen debut as then teenaged, Scotty Baldwin and thanked the fans for al the love and support.
So, now let us know, are you enjoying Kelly Kruger as Serena Baldwin? Do you want to see GH bring back Scott Baldwin into the story, so Serena has both her parents in Port Charles? Do you like the potential of Jason and Serena pairing? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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