When you combine superb direction, writing, production, and acting in a special episode of a daytime drama, viewers can see and understand the thought and care that went into it.
This was more than on display during Thursday’s highly-anticipated ‘Alexis-Centric’ episode honoring the 25th anniversary of Alexis’ portrayer, two-time Daytime Emmy winner, Nancy Lee Grahn, on General Hospital.

Courtesy/ABC
In the story, symbolism was apparent and used for dramatic impact and it worked beautifully throughout, and best of all, Nancy received a script worthy of her immeasurable talents, and showed us once again why she remains one of the gold standards of our genre. If you have not seen the episode DO NOT read any further as it contains spoilers.
It begins with an emotional Alexis looking at her mother’s watch which was still frozen from the time of her death. While playing one of her mother’s records very loudly, she recalls Mikkos Cassadine kissing and dancing with her mom as a young Alexis (Natasha) looked on from the staircase. When Sam asks her about it, Alexis shares that she sees the watch as sort of a representation for her own life being frozen over the last three years; which has included Alexis’ battle with booze taking over her life and her being disbarred, when being a lawyer was the way she identified herself and what gave her purpose.
Overwhelmed and anxiety-ridden, Alexis hightails it to Kevin’s office for a therapy session knowing she is going to Pentonville in the morning to serve her sentence. She says she does not know who she is anymore. Then, Kevin asks her how she spent her day thus far. She flashes back to lunch with the good men in her life, Finn, Valentin, Jax and Ned. Valentin tells Alexis she is proud of her for honing up to her mistakes.
Back at the therapy session, Alexis she was an attorney who stood for something and her life has derailed, and that she was a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate. She knows she has to find a purpose in prison to make it through the three-year term and asks Kevin to help her find one.
Kevin wants to go back to when she was a little girl and her memories that are flooding back to her of Mikkos and her mother. Just then, the younger version of Alexis is huddled in the corner of Kevin’s office, an image of her from the past. Alexis tries to come to terms with her father and the choice of dangerous men and relationships that have marred her own happiness … recalling Julian holding a knife to her throat like Mikkos did to her mother. She says he was one of the toxic men in her life, but Kevin reminds her all of the men in her life were not toxic.
Alexis starts with Ned as one who was good for her saying he was always stable, but she ruined that by recently sleeping with him and putting a wedge in his marriage to her long-time friend, Olivia.
We then flashback to earlier in the day, where Alexis ends up in an almost confrontation with Olivia. However, Olivia tells her she misses the Alexis Davis she used to be and to get her back.
Now back with Kevin, a guilt-ridden Alexis relays she feels responsible for Neil’s death. Kevin interjects she is not, nor what happened with Julian. When Kevin attempts to bring up Mikkos again, Alexis rejects it and is angry that he is making her problem about daddy issues; like so many other women. She vehemently shouts that the men in her life do not define who she is.
Then, Alexis flashes back to hurtful memories she has buried of a young Natasha witnessing Mikkos calling her mother a “greedy little bitch”. She recalls it was on Christmas Eve and that Mikkos stopped by to give them gifts. That is when he presented her mother with the watch. However, things took an ugly turn when he tried to leave, and she threatened to tell Helena all about her and Natasha. Next, Mikkos slapped her and that is when the watch shattered. As all this was going down, a young Natasha watched from the stairs and was horrified that she couldn’t stop her father from beating her mother and remembers how helpless she felt.
However, Alexis reveals to Kevin she thought this would be the last of Mikkos coming by, but he returned on New Year’s Eve and her mother took him back into their lives. Alexis is beside herself that she could not protect her mother, but Kevin reassures her to remember she was just a child.

Courtesy/ABC
It is then we come to the crux of the story. Alexis looks over in the corner and sees her younger self crying. She goes to her younger self and tells her nothing that happened was her fault, and that their father was damaged and cruel. She tells the young Natasha this shouldn’t have been her burden to carry alone, and that she deserves to be happy. Then in the moment of strength and coming full circle, Alexis introduces herself to the young Natasha, “I’m Alexis Davis, a fighter, an advocate, and an idealist … and I will take care of everything from her on out.” In that moment, Alexis embraced herself, and forgave herself, so she could move on with her life.
Alexis then flashes back to earlier that night, as the Davis girls gather for a faux graduation ceremony so Alexis could see Molly in her cap and gown and they hug. Back in her session, Kevin remarks that Alexis has repeatedly defined herself as a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate, and reminds her she has three daughters who have those qualities, and that all she needs to be is Alexis Davis.
Then, we get a heart-warming montage of Alexis though the years in honor of Nancy’s 25th anniversary with GH.

Courtesy/ABC
As the episode concludes, it is the next morning, and Alexis enters Pentonville and enters her jail cell. There she meets her fellow inmate, who is studying law books to prep for her upcoming parole hearing. Alexis introduces herself as “Alexis Davis” and as someone who can help her. We then go back to her mother’s watch which now begins ticking at Alexis’ home. The show fades to black.
Kudos to Daytime Emmy winner, Phideaux Xavier for his outstanding direction, head writers: Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor and script writer, Scott Sickles for the thoughtful episode, EP Frank Valentini and his production crew for putting it all together, and the one and only Nancy Lee Grahn for a performance that will be remembered as a classic.
Share your thoughts on today’s on Nancy’s ‘Alexis-Centric’ episode via the comment section below.
He could finish Ava’s facial surgery.
Yummy!!
Whatever it is, it has to be top notch for anyone having to play opposite Maura. That lady is one powerful actress and i love everything she’s in!!!
Ava’s long, lost son? Or Nina’s. Could she have had twins while in a coma? Hmmmm.
Based on his Passions work, Maura will eat him alive. Hopefully he has improved in 15 years. But then again, it would have been very hard to spout Jim Reilly’s writing and try to make it believable!
he”ll be the plastic surgeon, who will fix ava’s face …
i watched Passions but dont recall him as Ethan…he probably will be the plastic surgeon who restores Ava’s beauty then attempts to kill her(maybe it all connects to patient6?)-after all this i GH-lol’
had to wiki – he was a recast , after Eric Martsolf, Brady @DAYS.. left Passions
notable ? his character was involved with Liza Huber, Gwen.
I really thought Susan Lucci daughter , Liza Huber… did a solid job on that show
Handsome man!! Yes please!
He would make a great Lucky recast, if they ever decide to do that
I was disgusted when Jason got angry with Ava in front of Carly!!! How refreshing it would be to hear him say “Well, you know, I murder people for a living. “. Or “You may have tampered with meds, but you also risked your license to save mine.” Or “Carly…remember when you made my brother AJ the alcoholic fall off the wagon and ruin his life? Remember?” The hypocrisy is downright disgusting that is displayed by these sickening monsters. I don’t know how writers can even write characters like that and present them as mainstream and functioning members of society.… Read more »
I have to Agree with you, it made my stomach turn when JASON came down on Ava, not because she’s Ava is innocent mind you but because he quickly turn into his old self riteous self and of course Carly the hypocrite was revealing in delight. Can’t stand them!!!
Jovin, I agree, warped morality. So much hate has been generated between fan bases of SB & BM, this S/L needs to be wrapped up sooner rather than drag it out until spring!
There is a lot of validity in your post, Jovin. I felt much the same watching that scene. I adore Laura Wright but I really felt like bitch slapping Carly across that restaurant. Ava may be a shady broad but at least she owns her transgressions and doesn’t act holier than thou at every turn. Grrrr!!!
@JasonLovesGH…..Ava also gave the ever-sanctimonious Alexis a really good tongue-lashing when she was demanding Ms. Jerome do something about Julian’s prison plight. Absolutely loved it!
Hi JasonLovesGH… I love Maura..and I love her character. Though she’s great as the “tough broad” I actually feel for her and detest Carly and Sonny’s hypocrisy at every level, let alone toward her. I have to admit though I was disappointed in her conversation with Alexis. You would think since Ava and Julian are so close…and she knows how much Julian loves Alexis (and how much he put her through) that she would have welcomed Alexis into her home and thanked her for caring so much for her brother, through it all. There’s was no need for Ava’s snark… Read more »
Totally agree, Jovin. I wrote the same on another post/page. It galls me that neither Jason (Steve or Billy) has mentioned AJ. I don’t even think they know Sonny killed AJ! Or that Carly covered it up! And, yes, the entire time Carly’s been sobbing her little bitchy heart out about what Ava did to Morgan by switching his meds…no one has mentioned what she did to AJ by dousing him with alcohol so that he and everyone would think he’d fallen off the wagon! I seriously don’t know if the writers aren’t familiar with the history…it goes way back…or… Read more »
Perhaps a new doctor associate of Klein who will finish what he started with Ava’s facial reconstruction? Assuming, of course, that Klein is unable to (which seems likely since I doubt we’ll be hearing from him again).
And yet another new face. Pretty soon, I’m gonna need a spreadsheet to keep track of this show’s characters. I know, we occasionally need new blood and some (like Chris V./Chet and Dr. Dreamy Klein/Gene Farber) have made good impressions. But I get nervous whenever I hear about new characters. Where is Liesl? Molly? Bobbie?
You’re so cute, Soaphound…LOL…”Dr. Dreamy Klein…”
He for a For Guest Arc..
He will do the surgery on Ava’s face and there will be a fight over the procedure because its not FDA approved.
Thanks to Kikki there will be problems.
Thats doctor Kiki!
Ava gets all the young ones, doesn’t she? 🙂
Again, James….Yummy. LOL.
Thanks Celia!
Young? Lol. This dude played a lawyer on Passions 18 years ago! He is 43 years old! Maura/Ava is 45. Hardly an age difference at all.
Thanks for the information, Jovin. I stand corrected…
Better Ava than Alexis, James!!!! The mere fact she hooks up with the decade- younger William de Vry whose character is supposed to be around 5 years her senior already beggars belief. At least she won’t be the one robbing the cradle this time around….plus, Ava has lots of practice, so no biggie there…it’s actually the expected thing for her now!
Thanks for giving me a laugh, Shay! And I agree with your points!
Maybe I should have originally stated, “Ava gets all the great-looking guys!”
It’s hard to keep track of supposed ages in the soaps: the way children grow up before your eyes, sometimes in the fraction of real time. And there are plenty of other examples…
Oh Jamesj75…you don’t agree that Alexis is too old for Julian, do you? To me, there’s barely a difference in their ages by looking at them. If I saw them (in reality, in the street I wouldn’t think twice)…and if there were, who cares? Life imitates art. William DeVry’s long-time girlfriend in real life is almost ten years older than him. Nutthin’ wrong with that!
Two consenting adults, one ten years younger in either direction is not “robbing the cradle.”
It was my pleasure, “Gentleman James!” I agree that one needs a toteboard to keep up with the real/fictional ages of GH characters, especially those sorased (either in advance or reversed upon occasion….) to suit the storylines! But sometimes such age revisionism is just a bit too far-fetched to swallow….Having said that, wishing you and yours a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much, Shay! I also wish a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!
I’m excited about this. I like him.
Could he be the new Nikolas Cassadine…?
This show is crawling with eye candy!
It sure is…Y-A-Y!!!!!!!!!!
Hubba-Hubba
Well I was impressed! Never saw him before but not only is he stunning but I loved his acting. Convincing yet very subtle…easy/breezy style. They should find him a spot at GH…once they redeem his supposedly less-than-above board reputation.