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Jonathan Jackson's Performance – Lucky lets Liz and Nik have it!

Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

Every once in a while in soaps there is a performance that completely resonates with the audience…one that we want to see over and over, because the impact of that performance takes us on an emotional journey with the character.  And every once in a while there are legendary performances that will be remembered in the annals of daytime television. We have seen it with Judith Light as Karen melting down on the witness stand on One Life to Live. We have seen it with Guiding Light’s Kim Zimmer’s, Reva.  Who can ever forget her gut-wrenching Slut of Springfield fountain scene?  Well in 2010, you can add Jonathan Jackson to that short list for his performance on General Hospital. Last week, we named Jonathan, the Power Performance of the Week. And without question, he has earned that honor again, and the week is only half over!  That is because nothing can top the raw and emotional scenes where a drunken Lucky Spencer confronts Elizabeth and Nikolas for their betrayal and their affair.

I have heard from many of you today that his performance burns in your mind, and you want to see it again and again.  Well, look no further, because after you read my blog, we have provided the clips for you to see just what I am talking about.  Jackson’s performance was matched by some compelling writing from the GH team. Check out some of these goodies; “When your fiancée is nailing your brother that goes way past wrong” Or, when Lucky spews at Elizabeth, “What is it about cheating that turns you on so much?” Or, “Do you like screwing on any surface you can? I can smell any lie that comes out of your mouth!” Here was another zinger – “You cheated, you lied, and you handed yourself out like candy.”

Courtesy/ABC

It looks like we will have to wait till 2011 for Jonathan to pick up his Daytime Emmy for this performance, but in my mind (and I speak for many) we just saw the moment of the year, and then some.  And as Elizabeth and Nikolas cried and looked motionless, and took all of Lucky’s  hurt, frustration, and devastation from their betrayal, it rocked him to the bottom of his core.  I could not help but get so choked up at the very end.  It was that moment when he looked at Elizabeth broken, trembling, betrayed, and said, “What happened to that little girl lost in the snow?  I will always love her.” Hankies! Double Hankies! Kudos Jonathan, it was a picture perfect performance, and we are so proud to have you on daytime, and showing the world that daytime is capable of delivering powerful and moving performances that at times, can go right alongside Oscars best.

Video: Jonathan Jackson – Lucky rips into Liz and Nik Part One

Video: Jonathan Jackson – Lucky rips into Liz and Nik Part Two

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This is my second comment today on Jonathan Jackson’s fabulous performance on Monday. Thank you Michael for saving those scenes. I could watch them over and over again because of Jonathan’s acting range and the highs and lows that take you right along with him. A commanding performance, and yes he should win all the awards for this beautiful and artful and emotional journey that just grabs at your heart. I’ll be waiting for the next beat.

Great column. Jonathan has been taking my breath away.

I was so excited when I heard Jonathan was returning. He has exceeded my expectations! He is fabulous! The real Lucky and no other actor ever came close!

Congratulations to Jonathan! This is some of the best acting I’ve seen in a long time. No disrespect to the other actors but Jonathan will always be Lucky. I hope word has gotton back to him about how much the fans enjoyed these scenes; if not, Micheal please pass the message along..thanks!

Michael, may I please echo Bridget. If Jonathan is unaware of how immensely proud we were of him on Monday, please, please pass that along to him! He blew me away on Monday. I honestly didn’t know if he could top himself and he did. Heck, I was just thinking that the preceding week in the last scene when he took that drink and he proved me wrong. I’m floored.

On Monday, he took us on a rollercoaster ride with Lucky’s emotions. I rode the highs and lows right along with him. It was an incredibly layered performance. Lucky was explosively angry, but he was also clearly gutted and reeling from the truth. He didn’t feel just one thing. He felt EVERYTHING and Jonathan did a superb job of portraying that. I will never be able to adequately express how happy I am that he returned. I’m enjoying Lucky Spencer again for the first time in 10 years and that is largely because of him and I’m not the only one who feels that way. Please let him know that.

Been a fan of GH’s for years….finally, a great storyline for Lucky! Hope he is the one hooking up with the Q’s great granddaughter. Wondered where all the african american actors are on the soaps! Good for you GH!

General Hospital

Nancy Lee Grahn’s Star-Studded ALS Fundraiser Reveals “I’ll Be There” Video Featuring Soap Opera Notables

Talk about your impressive line-up! It’s a soap fans dream and for a great cause. General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) is prepping her one-night only ALS fundraiser which will feature many of her friends and co-stars.

The benefit is set for May 4th in Glendale, California. Slated to participate are Genie Francis, Jane Elliot, Peter Bergman, Maurice Benard, Eileen Davidson, Thorsten Kaye, Michelle Stafford, Stephen Nichols, Rena Sofer, Jason Thompson, Kelly Monaco, Melissa Claire Egan, Maura West, Kristina Wagner, Gregory Harrison, Trevor St. John, Kate Mansi, Kirsten Storms, Cynthia Watros, and many others.

On Wednesday, Grahn took to her social media and released an “I’ll be there” video shout-out featuring, Monaco, Elliot, Bergman, Bernard, West, Harrison, St. John and more. In a touching and important moment in the new video, Michelle Strogny, who is battling ALS, is featured.

Photo: ABC

Previously, in speaking with Soap Opera Digest on the impetus of the event, Grahn recalled, “I was actually doing Zoom events during Covid and I met this woman that I just fell in love with, Michelle Strojny. At the time, Michelle had been living with ALS for four years. Now, it’s five years. She is a mom of a teenage son, she has the most wonderful husband, and she has been dealing with this [disease] for quite a while. And obviously, there isn’t a cure yet. It’s not survivable yet. But as she says, it’s not incurable. Nothing is; it’s underfunded. But anyway, I just really dug this woman. She is so grounded and filled with grace, and she spends all of her time working to raise money for the cause. We did a fundraiser for her last year and then I thought, ‘You know what? The soaps don’t ever get together to do something for charity.’ Collectively, we have this amazing community and we don’t collectively use it for a good cause, and I think it’s such an easy thing for us to do and we could potentially really make a difference.”

As GH viewers know, Gregory Harrison is playing the character of Gregory Chase, who is also battling ALS in a touching storyline that is currently playing out shedding a light on this disease.

For information on Nancy’s event, including the stars who are s scheduled to participate click here. To purchase tickets to the event click here.

Check out the video featuring Nancy’s friends and co-stars below.  Now let us know, your thought son the line-up for the benefit and helping raise awareness and funds for ALS research via the comment section.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Writer Shannon Peace Let Go, and Shares on Sprina: “One of My Only Regrets is to Not Have the Opportunity to Develop That ‘Ship’ Further”

As General Hospital’s new head writing team of Elizabeth Korte and Patrick Mulcahy gets off the ground and running, there are still changes a foot on the writing team.

Now comes word via breakdown writer Shannon Peace that she is no longer on contract with the long-running ABC soap heading into its 61st season. Peace shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram, thanking the fans, and the show for the opportunity and the importance of diversity in the writers room.

Peace began, “After almost 3 years on staff and 106 episodes penned, I am no longer on contract with General Hospital. Writing for this country’s longest running television serial drama has been an education of epic proportions; I will forever be grateful that I earned my WGA card on a daytime fixture that holds memories for so many.” (Peace pictured below with GH EP Frank Valentini and script writer, Charlotte Gibson from about ten months ago).

Photo: SPeaceIG

Shannon added “Even more importantly, as the sole Black breakdown writer (and only POC in the writers room) during my tenure, I pushed for vital interactions and discussions that prioritized inclusion, visibility, and representation”

The writer pointed to the example of vital interaction when in story, “Stella and Portia’s frank July 2022 conversation about the role race played in Esme’s framing of Trina is just one example of the impact I’m gratified to have had.”

Acknowledging former GH co-head writers was also part of Peace’s farewell expressing, “Appreciation to my former bosses, Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor – not only taking a chance on me, but for valuing my opinion and championing my voice.”

Courtesy/ABC

Many GH fans know that Peace was key to the development of the love story between Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine as played by Tabyana Ali and Nicholas Chavez. Shannon gave a special shout-out to ‘Sprina’ fans, “I also want to thank fans who were supportive of my work, especially the recognition of my love for ‘Sprina’. One of my only regrets is not having to develop that ‘ship’ further.”

She concludes her statement with,”In the aftermath of a historic writer’s strike that shed new light on the troubling ways writers are regarded in daytime, my sincere hope is that General Hospital recommits to valuing staff writer efforts and input, with a more intentional focus on diverse viewpoints — and thrives for another 60 years.”

Accompanying her post, Shannon added, “Thank you all for the love and support these last few years. I hope GH fans get all they hope for and more!”

So, what do you think about GH not renewing Shannon’s contract? Will there be more continued changes afoot? What do you think is the future of ‘Sprina’ anyway at this point as viewers wait to see if Nicholas Chavez officially returns to the show?  Comment below.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Learns Britt Died and Tells Anna He Has Been Working For Cates Since November 2021

On the Tuesday, March 26th of General Hospital, Anna (Finola Hughes) and the viewers learn about where Jason (Steve Burton) has been for over two and half years. However, Jason gets some news of his own.

Anna is visiting Jason at the PCPD interrogation room. She asks him if he shot Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), which he flatly denies. Anna believes him, but she tells Jason it doesn’t matter, because video footage shows him on the roof at the time of the shooting

When talk turns to Jason not willing to speak without his lawyer present, Anna can’t grasp why Jason would instead spend an hour alone talking with John Cates (Adam J. Harrington).

Photo: ABC

It is then that Anna brings up that John went by “Jagger” and that the two of them knew each other in high school. Jason doesn’t recall much of his time in high school following his brain injury, but then he gets furious realizing John knew about “Jason’s” past. That is when Jason slams the table and tells Anna, “I’ve been working for John Cates since November 2021.”

Next, Jason explains further that he has been working as an informant for the FBI. Anna wants to know how this came about and he tells her that after the tunnel collapsed, and he couldn’t make it to Britt (Kelly Thiebaud)… all of a sudden he sees Anna’s face drop.  Anna is the first person to tell him that Britt died and was murdered. She tells Jason the killer is in custody, but he continues to be shocked, overwhelmed with tears welling up in his eyes. Realizing he has to pivot to save his life, Jason continues telling Anna how he wound up working with John.

Jason explains that after the tunnel collapse in Greece, FBI agents grabbed him and placed him under arrest and took him to Quantico where he met John. At Quantico, John played a recording of RICO violations and offered Jason a deal if he agreed to be an informant against Pikeman, the illegal arms dealer.

Anna hears from Jason that he thinks Pikeman is selling illegal arms to anyone flagged by the NSA but has ties to the WSB which they needed a civilian to infiltrate their organization as a military soldier, a mercenary.

Jason tells Anna he was a part of the team brought into eliminate Sonny (Maurice Benard). Every time an attempt was made on Sonny’s life over the last two years, a different team was sent to do the job. Anna gets furious when she learns that John told Jason his job was to kill Sonny and she was with John at the warehouse that night. Jason ensured the sniper missed Sonny and left the rifle behind. However, they were supposed to meet an extraction team. Before he was shot, Dante saw it was Jason on the roof and when he turned around with his hands over his head, Dante was shot by the other guy. Jason says if Dante dies, he’ll be charged with capital murder and then will be useless to the FBI.

Photo: ABC

Meanwhile, John visits Bobbie’s and runs into Carly (Laura Wright). She learns Jason is in custody and is going to head to the PCPD. Before she does, Carly has some words with Cates when she learns not only does John have a vendetta against Sonny, but Jason too.  Carly tells John he should recuse himself from the case.

So, what did you think about the moment when Jason learned Britt died? What do you think of Jason’s return storyline thus far and what we learned about Jagger/Jason and more? Comment below. But first, check out a moment from today’s GH with Jason and Anna.

 

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