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.
General Hospital
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
It was just over 13 years ago on General Hospital when Ava Jerome (Maura West) shot and killed Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan) in an effort to keep her quiet from revealing that Derek Wells was actually Ava’s back-from-the-dead brother, Julian Jerome (William deVry). It’s a crime that somehow Ava never has quite paid for either.
The episode back aired on August 13, 2013 and viewers had to say goodbye to Kelly Sullivan who played Kate and her alter, Connie. In the story, just before she died, Kate/Connie scrawled the letters AJ in her own blood, initially making the PCPD and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) think that it was AJ Quatermaine (Sean Kanan) who did the deed.
Now, Sullivan recalled sharing scenes with the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning West, during a live conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel. Kelly was the special guest talking about her recent return to the soaps in her new role as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Darcy Dylan.
Photo: JPI
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAURA WEST
Speaking of her final GH scenes and working with Maura West, Sullivan gave her then GH co-star major props. “If you’re going to be shot by somebody (on the soaps), you want to be shot by Maura West, c’mon!”
Maura West debuted back in May 2013 as Ava, and Sullivan remembered when the As the World Turns favorite began on GH. “I remember when Maura West first arrived at GH. She walked in with this cute little bob (hairdo) and she’s just delicious,” shared Sullivan.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Kelly revealed more about Maura, adding “I think she’s amazing! I remember right before I left the show, someone suggested, and I would still love to do this with her, if she ever want to, but someone suggested that they wanted to direct the stage play A Streetcar Named Desire with Maura and I, where I would play Stella and she would play Blanche! Wouldn’t that be great?”
Speaking of the Ava/Connie showdown scenes, Sullivan expressed, “On television and on General Hospital specifically, Maura West is able to play a character who does the most horrendous things and you still care about her and that’s the mark of a really great actor. In other words, you’re able to be liked in the midst of the most horrendous things, and as a performer not shying away from that, and to just have the courage to do what’s on the page (in the script).”
Photo: JPI
KELLY SULLIVAN PARTING THOUGHTS AS SHE LEFT GENERAL HOSPITAL
Kelly also shared her sentiments when she walked off the set of General Hospital after her run back in August of 2013. “I really was honored. Every day I would go to work and I would say a little prayer, which is I want to do justice for my character, explained Kelly. “It’s between me and my character. I get to walk this path with her and to leave the show on that note, which is, I left every out there. I just gave it my all and again what an honor it was to play Kate/Connie.”
You can catch the full conversation with Kelly where she talks about her time on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless where she played Sage Warner and now The Bold and the Beautiful below.
So, do you remember the Ava and Connie scenes where Ava shot and killed her? What did you think of Kelly Sullivan’s sentiments about Maura West? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, watch the reveal where Ava recalls murdering Connie below!
The question of will Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) stay awhile at General Hospital after his recent extended hiatus from the show earlier this year, has reportedly been answered.
TMZ via court documents obtained in Burton’s ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Sheree Gustin, shared that Steve actually inked a new three year deal with the ABC soap opera back in June.
That is significant because it was June when Burton returned back to work as Jason. In addition, the court filing confirmed that Burton had already moved back to California from Tennessee.
Photo: ABC
STEVE’S HIATUS AND HIS RETURN TO PORT CHARLES
GH fans will recall, it was back in February of 2026, that Burton announced via his Instagram that he was stepping away from his role of Jason Morgan for short break and pointed to wanting to spend quality time with his new wife, Michelle Lundstrom Burton with whom he tied the knot back on May 17, 2025.
Steve expressed at that time, “I’m newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” It was back on March 25 that viewers saw Jason carted away by the WSB after taking the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot then WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).
Burton returned to work on June 1, and due to General Hospital taping roughly six weeks ahead of air, made his on-screen comeback on the July 13 episode.
GOING FOR GOLD AT THE UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMYS
Then, Steve and his enduring fans got an extra special treat on the same day, when it was revealed on Extra that he was nominated for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.
Steve previously won in the Supporting Actor category for his work as General Hospital’s Jason in 1998 and as The Young and the Restless’ Dylan McAvoy in 2018.
Now with Jason and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship seemingly hitting the skids, plus Jason’s commitment to staying out of mob life to focus on being present for his son Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), what does the future hold for the fan favorite character? Stay tuned.
So, happy to hear that Steve Burton signed a new three year deal with General Hospital? Knowing that, what storyline would you like to see Jason get involved and with who? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?
On the Friday, September 11 episode of General Hospital, Jason (Steve Burton) and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship becomes strained to potentially the point of no return.
Things take a turn when an unglued Britt having been traumatized by almost being killed by Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) asks Jason to back her up with the PCPD when she reports Anna for attempted murder.
However, Jason told Britt, he can’t. Jason shares that he does not believe Anna would have gone through with shooting her. Therefore, Britt was not in any real imminent danger. Britt is flabbergasted and hurt that Jason is refusing to tell the police what he actually witnessed for himself on Mount Emerson.
Courtesy/ABC
BRITT WANTS BACK UP FROM JASON
Jason counters that he can’t believe that Britt would want Anna punished. or sent to prison, or a mental facility after the trauma she endured while being locked up and mentally tortured while at Wyndemere.
He asks Britt, “How could you even say that you want her locked up or prosecuted for what she did when you knew she was being held prisoner and you did nothing to save her?” Britt is stunned by Jason’s response.
Coming up, official General Hospital spoilers share that on the upcoming Monday, September 14 episode, Jason confides in Carly (Laura Wright), while Britt is stung. In the video preview that aired at the end of the Friday, September 11 episode for this coming Monday, Britt says to Jason, “You don’t believe me. Do you?”
General Hospital head scribes, Chris Van Etten and Elizabeth Korte previously teased in their fall preview of the soap, “Britt and Jason have come a long way and fought a lot of enemies to be together. But the most stubborn obstacle to their happiness isn’t without, it’s within. Decisions Britt made to stay alive while under Cullum’s thumb will come back to haunt her and may prove too difficult for this unlikely couple to survive.”
So, what do you think will happen? Will Jason and Britt break-up over Britt’s lies and Jason’s unwillingness to report Anna’s crime against her? Do you want Jason and Britt to go their separate ways? If they do, will Britt become romantically involved with Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) ? If so, who do you pair Jason with? Anyone? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy Tells Carter She’s Pregnant, But He Has a Way ‘Out of This Situation For All of Us’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?
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Vivica A. Fox Exits ‘The Young and the Restless’ For Now to Film Netflix’s ‘Women Like Us’
Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
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