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
‘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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