General Hospital
GH's Finola Hughes, Jason Thompson & Maurice Benard named Power Performances of the Week!
Courtesy/ABC
It’s been awhile since, almost six weeks since we have been able to name a Power Performance of the Week on daytime television, but given the incredible display of acting talent given material worthy of them by Ron Carlivati and the GH writing team this past week, we can honestly say, we think this may be the kick-start daytime and certainly General Hospital needed!
While so many in the cast of GH have had heartbreaking moments surrounding the demise of the beloved Dr. Robin Scorpio, there were three this past week that really took our breath away, and we are sure next week the big Tristan Rogers and Tony Geary’s scenes may be included in next week’s “Power” announcement.
But for sheer understated simplicity that to us just feels so realistic in such an unrealistic set of circumstances, Finola Hughes as Anna Devane, the grieving mother, reminds us why she is a Daytime Emmy winner, and why she has been sorely missed from the Port Charles canvas for far too long. In the scenes with Luke in the diner, where she talks about her beautiful daughter, and her concern for Robert, they stunning moments. However, there were scenes throughout the week with Patrick and Robert, and debating whether to go into the morgue to see her charred daughter, all were just sensitively and touchingly portrayed. BRAVA!
Courtesy/ABC
Next, Jason Thompson (Patrick), what can we say? Tears flowing, a man trying to come to grips with the death of his wife, in which for all intent and purposes he witnessed. Then Patrick has to go perform life or death surgery on Jason, and then he attempts to figure out how to tell his little girl her mother is never coming home. It was all very well-done. And of course, the scene that has everyone is talking about where Epiphany had a heart to heart with the good doc, has become an instant GH classic.
Courtesy/ABC
And then we have Maurice Benard who as Sonny sat with Sam while waiting for Jason to come out of surgery and remembered Robin, like a sister. He recalled all that she and Stone had gone through and what she meant to him, and he made us at home reach for the hankies! It was great to see Maurice being given material that was subtle and introspective, instead of a gun-toting mobster for a change!
And with that, we name this week’s Power Performances of the Week to Finola Hughes, Jason Thompson and Maurice Benard!
Now below take a look at some of the incredible work of this trio from this past week that we were referring to when making our choices!
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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RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers
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I so agree with your choices Michael!!! These were beautifully emotional and talented performances at all levels. Well acted and well written! GH has a phenomenal cast and they just need great stories and great writing and they will turn out fabulous performances! I so loved Finola’s and Tristan’s performances this week and I wish they could stay in Port Charles for a long time!!! Thanks for highlighting these truly lovely performances!!!
Yes I agree also with Michael…………….I got teary eyed when I saw those scenes… Just what I have been saying all along for Sonny to some departure fro his gangster-mob stories.. Sonny should show his more sensitive side more often as possible……………Alway’s liked Anna and Robert…………….I hope their on GH to stay………..Looking forward to seeing more of the OLTL crew on GH…. Haven’t seen Michael Easton (John McBain) On GH yet!! I fast forwared the T. V. guide on the television for this wk. 3/5 to 3/9 and checked what GH was going on for the wk… Didn’t see John McBain’s named mentioned yet!!!!!!! Todd is mentioned ..That he will be helping Carly with something..I have seen Star.. When will John McBain and Blair be on GH????????????? Saw John on a commerical showing coming attractions for GH…. It’s now 3/5 … When will they be on GH????????
When exactly is John McBain coming on the scene on GH ???????????
Now Michael Fairman has that same interview on his website. No need for searching.
Where exactly is it Emily.. Looked.. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
Found it March 13 Michael Easton will be on GH… Thanks sooooo much..
Congrats to Jason and Finola for their amazing scenes! Truly power performances by them! It’s so good to have Finola back at GH, and the scene with Jason and Sonya Eddy, truly fantastic. It was so good to see someone outside the family sit with Patrick and talk to him, and Epiphany was the perfect one to do it. She knows so well the pain of losing the one nearest and dearest to your heart. Absolutely wonderful scenes by Jason, Finola, Tristan, Sonya, and little Brooklynn!
I was most affected by Tristan, Jason esp Tristan &Jason, finola and Sonya performances were on point too..All Their scenes had me crying..Wonderful acted by all involved.
anna and patrick ,anna and robert ,and anna and luke ,how good was it to see finola huges I love her as an actress ,wish she would stay in port charles ,there has been so many good scenes since the new writers have been at general hospital ,went through alot of tissues but there were 2 other scenes that made me cry ,when patrick was in the hall and robin stood by him ,he was feeling her ,also the scene where poor robert was at the morgue he was also feeling her presence,Im not calling her a ghost because I dont believe she is dead.this week was filled with drama I was glued to my t v ,that hasnt happened for gh in a very long time,here it is sunday afternoon ,and I cant wait till tomorrow to come and its 3 oclock ,how long has it been since I truly feel excited to see general hospital again,many years ,so to ron carlivati and all the writers of the new general hospital,thankyou for bringing a new light to my characters from port charles ,for so long they have been asleep, wasted, and boring,these past two weeks you gave them life again.
Barbara T, what’s up with you? U know Kate has to go! LOL Just found out about Edward Quartermaine. I wrote something on the page Michael posted for him. Damn I feel for this man. 83 year’s old, reacting to loss on TV, while living it in real life with his wife. What a strong fellow…..
I thought the same thing,sad.
you have to admit kate turning up at johnys door is interesting,I want to know whats going on in her head ,hey jessica and vicki can meet up with her and they can discuss all there personalities ,wouldnt that be fun?
Maurice Bernard??? Seriously…????
I can think of 10 other performances in the week including some extras who had no lines that were much better…
He can NOT act. he mumbles and pauses so often it is beyond distracting
I agree. Muurice Bernard’s mumbling is terrible. It requires a great deal of effort just trying to figure out what he is uttering. His pauses are probablly due to the fact he does not know his lines and is reading the cards.
Great choices! All of the actors were amazing this week and had me glued to the screen for the first time in as long as I can remember. I can’t tell you how happy I am that TR and FH returned for this! Both were incredible this week, showing off their acting chops and displaying their natural chemistry. And their scenes with Emma were echoes of working with a young Robin. So good!
JT was also especially impressive. The man can act! It’s a shame they’ve never given him a s/l worthy until now. I was a crying mess. Kudos to everyone who played a part this week!
I LOVED the scene with Edward the best. He talked about our Lila in the same breath he spoke of Robin. Little did he know when he did that scene, weeks later he would lose his beloved wife in real life!!
Piffy & Patrick I LOVED 2nd best. Anyone see Lucille Weeks in Piffy?? lol
And then there was Robert…speechless he was so awesome.
SPOILER: (do not read this if you don’t want to know) Holly is telling lies again. She tells Luke & Robert that Ethan is really Roberts son. Ethan decideds to leave Pt Chucles for good at that point. Robert leaves too, he believe Robin is alive and goes searching for her.
While the performances were good, I resent Robin died for others to get story and Emmy reels. Robin death was written pathetic and she didn’t have to die. RC did a botched job at the expense of Roibin and what she meant to viewers. Many I know were going to stick around but Robin’s death being about Jason and the insertion of Liz with Patrick/Emma scenes and now having Liz around Robin’s family ,Anna,has my family and I ready to turn off GH for good. What a disrespect to the Robin character and fans who grew up with her. Now already trying to move Patrick on while Robin just died. Not happy with OLTL FV & RC and I have to be honest, As a Robin fan and Scrubs fan what did we get NOTHING!
Jen I agree MB ? I still think he uses cue cards he hardly ever looks at someone directly in the eyes and sorry I don’t feel the love for him or Jason. Writers if you want to save this show and we do back off these characters for a while. Please!!!
i heard through a great source that abc will make a decision sometime in april regarding general hospital. lets take a deep breath and hope for the best. please cancel the revolution and renew general hospital. why do we need a stupid talk show with katie couric. cant stand the woman. she is annoying. who in there right mind will watch the talk show. what does she have to say. nothing katie couric. go back home where you came from or retire. please bring back jackie zeman. i lobe bobbie spencer. she has been missed alot. big rumor right now is kin shriner scotty is coming back to gh soon.
Michael – I totally agree with you about the scene between Epiphany and Patrick….that scene was fantastic – and definitely a tear-jerker….
Can someone on abc please put Finola on contract? hello, why is it that your only worthy of being put on contract if your under 30, please GH keep Finola around, she’s a keeper.
I found you, I left a post for you at general hospitals perk up as robin is fried,you left a post between cathy,scroll down you will find me there at the end,pretty much agreeing with everything you said about liz.
I think you should be replacing Maurice’s video with John J Yorks ! John’s acting was MUCH better in my opinion. His reaction was golden. Maurice is overrated !
Totally agree with your others though .. if Jason Thompson doesnt get an emmy for his work then I will scream ! LOL ! Scene with Pip was unreal ! ALL of his scenes were beyond fabulous !! Finola and Robert did not disappoint ! Still hate that Robin was “killed” off though.
Finola was superb in every way especially on Friday with Luke. As long as she’s on, I’ll keep watching the show. It seems Emma, Tris, and all the vets just being there made all the other actors better. I’ve never seen JT act like this before; loved him with Pif. As for the scene you note with MB, I don’t think that was a good choice. My eyes veered from the screen when he was talking. He just didn’t seem very present. I rewound it to give him another chance and had to force myself to watch. He was better on Friday though just not anything close to powerhouse.
I like Sonny better when the stories get away from his gangster -mob stuff… Too much of that gets to be not interesting anymore…That has been going on for quite a while…I like is emotional- sensitive side better…. I like what the writers from OLTL are doing on GH so far…. There is still hope for GH after all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They need to continue with more emotion & feel good stories……When it makes you cry & laugh . You will want to tune in on GH everyday etc……………..
Yes like Sonny’s emotional- sensitive side better than his violent side.. Alway’s wanting to get revenge on some other rival mob………..Changing that up a bit & refresh some of the stories up .. I truly think GH will be a sucess again like it was years ago………
U know, I get tired of everyone in Port Charles blaming Sonny for everything, like this crash with Hope and Star. It’s parlaying over into REAL LIFE with the fan’s blaming him for the upset of GH, when he is just acting out the script that is given to him-rather it’s in excess or not. I do not like that Todd is coming to town blaming Sonny who had nothing to do with the crash. I’d much rather see Todd get mixed up in business with Sonny and be in differences about that, than have him coming to town blaming Sonny for YET another crime….
That’s why (Sonny) is in excess because of the writer’s, and the fan’s are taking it out on Maurice Bernand and the character.
never once did I think it was him.hopefully kate/connie is the guilty one ,I dont want to think that johnny did it either ,well lets face it todd isnt the only one who thinks sonny blew out the tires ,so you cant get mad at todd for thinking sonny caused the wreck.I hope that sonny retires from the mob ,well, part time retire,open that diner I suggested,and hire roxy. maurice bernard I love ,sonny corinthous I dont like .really fans are upset with him?that is stupid ,hes reading a script,doing his job.
every time I see anna I want to cry ,finola huges is one of my favorite characters, she plays anna so elegantly ,RON, FRANK PLease talk her into staying.I will be so disappointed if she leaves again.