General Hospital
The Cast of General Hospital: The Alzheimer’s Storyline – Delivers The ‘Power Performance of the Week’

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Dammit, it takes a lot a get the tears flowing, but Friday’s episode got me! Well done!
Everyone but Maurice Benard made me feel something this past week.
Really? You couldnt dismiss your hate for Maurice for one week? He did a hell of a job! You dont have to like the man. BUT, to be a man, step up and say something good when it is earned. Scott, turn off your TV and click onto Youtube and watch ATWT’s reruns!
Evaluating someone’s performance is not “hate.” Scott (ATWT fan) is not wrong and Timmm is not wrong. There is no wrong or right in artistic opinion. Timmm was moved by Maurice’s performance; Scott was not. That’s how art works. No need to get all angry about it and accuse someone of not “being a man.” Sheesh.
Bravo!! Kudos to the writers and actors probably one of the best done story arcs in soap operas in a very long time.
I am a caregiver to family, and this story was written and portrayed so beautifully and true. I am thankful to all
Many tears were shed during this last week. After going through this as my mom slipped away, many tears have been shed throughout this whole story. Sonny, Mike, Joss, and Carly were STAND OUT characters!
Calling it now, GH will win best writing and/or best drama for this week’s episodes. This story was written incredibly well, the acting was on-point throughout, and the conclusion was just as heartbreaking as I knew it would be. Kudos to everyone involved in bringing this story to life, and what a treat it was to see Alicia Leigh Willis again!
It was beautiful but where was Kristina? Her name was not even mentioned. That was only miss to otherwise great story
If Maurice and Mike don’t win Daytime Emmys for their performances then something is very wrong with how the awards are handed out. Heartbreaking story – true to the disease – and told from the point of view of those who are affected.
From the day that Max Gail debuted as Mike, I knew we were in for an emotional journey. He did not disappoint. I wish I had taken out stock in Kleenex, haha. I cried more this week with Mike’s passing than all of my other 50yrs of soap watching. I even cried reading this beautifully written article. A job well done to all… Bravo!!!
Excellent!! A fantastic week! Very heart warming! Felt like it was part of my family!
This storyline was well written and the acting was superb! Max Gail is a wonderful actor and made everyone around him better!
Okay, let me start out by saying the Mike storyline was heartbreaking and sad, but my only criticism was this long weak of stretching it out and as they say milking it, sorry but it just played out to long for me, the only saving grace was the show smartly balanced it out with the spy caper, I don’t know who to give credit to but somebody knew to much air play of mike dying and Neal getting killed off to was to much death in this Covid era, so thank goodness for the spy caper, but even that one… Read more »
Did the storyline go on for too long? Maybe, maybe not. But it was certainly an accurate reflection of the reality of this horribly unforgiving illness. Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t take its victims quickly; instead, it shuts down the organs one by one, slowly, inexorably, unrelentingly. It’s not simply memory loss, but changes in thinking and behavior, organ failure, nerve cell death, and brain tissue loss, and it takes several years for death to occur. In fact, it can take years after the onset of Alzheimer’s before the actual diagnosis is made. Had the story wrapped up in just a few… Read more »
Teresa
I almost agree with you but your last paragraph changed my mind.I would never want to relive long weeks or months of watching this type of torture to the dying person and their family. Once would be more than enough, and I certainly wouldn’t feel like it was a disservice to not have them drag this kind of thing on.
Thank you for recognizing the storyline they were telling. It was beautifully done, and accurate. Those of us who have lived this Thank GH and all who were involved, and YOU for your praise of this work!!!
I thought this was wonderful. I work at a place like Turning Woods. Going thru this disease is hard enough but going thru with Covid times its crazy. We are all safe and as healthy as can be, Well done
Crystal from Seattle fan since early years. Thank you
I work with a hospice pioneer who publishes end of life materials, so I am aware of how things transpire at the end. Your writers were SPOT ON with everything, and I am so thankful for the knowledge I have gleaned from this work.. The way this was handled was absolutely wonderful. Yes, I definitely cried!!
Clearly Max Gail and Maurice Benard should share the spotlight as performers of the week. They were brilliant . The entire cast performed to perfection, however, and should also be acknowledged in this catergory as well. They showed love and support to both Sonny and Mike as both men journeyed towards Mike’s ultimate end and Sonny’s struggle to let his father go. One of the best, if not the best work on a soap opera.
I think all the actors did an excellent job. They all were so amazing it made me want to cry it was so sad.
AS I’ve said many times before, GH ~ everyone single person involved in front of and behind the cameras ~ did an outstanding job with this story. The only small quibble I have is the “forced” little ending where Sonny and Carly are leaving Turning Woods and they rush out with the bike Mike bought Sonny and the staff “forgot” to give to Sonny sooner. That was way too convoluted for me and left a sour taste in an otherwise wonderfully touching story.
People love to hand out Emmys because of a single performance. Most times I agree but actors are paid to act. Having said that, to get a whole show who is involved in one storyline to put in the work to make the story the BEST story on daytime in many many years, GH will win the Emmy, hands down for best soap at the 2021 Daytime Emmy awards show. It just nailed it! They took the time to write the story and tell it with patience. Nothing was rushed. They didn’t whisk Max in and out to save money… Read more »
Love Max Gail. Also, loved Ron Hale as Mike in the 90’s. I miss the 80’s and 90’s so much. I miss going home after school and hoping that Sonny and Brenda would be on. I would watch their scenes over and over on VHS.
Back to Max Gail, he did an outstanding job.
From day one this storyline was brilliant and rang so true, as a person who lost a parent to this horrible disease everything about this was so spot on. I cannot say enough about the brilliant actors who played their roles with so much heart and emotion. Bravo to everyone involved and thank you for bringing to light the effects Alzheimer’s can have on the whole family.
Thank you, GH for shedding light on this very painful subject.
Your casting was just great and really touched my heart.
I’m not a fan of the character of Sonny, I always FF thru his mob scenes, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Maurice Benard is a fantastic actor. He proved it again this week. I loved how they let Max Gail do scenes where he was more coherent, which just amplifies how good an actor HE is. Good point someone made about the absence of Kristina. Yes, the storyline was drawn out and sometimes uncomfortable, painful to watch….just like real life. Handled much better than Dina’s Alzheimer plot on Y & R–love Marla Adams, though. I did shed… Read more »
I was in tears for most of last week’s episodes. Sonny and Mike and The rest of their family and friends were so real in their performances. You could clearly see how much Mike was loved and how much he would be missed:-(( The entire cast gave their best emotions to that very sad situation. I’ve never dealt with Alzheimer’s personally, but these people made me understand how difficult it is for patients And their families…
Dante , Liz , Stella, and Felix…. etc… et al? … “Dante , Liz, Stella, and Felix” ARE – the 4 characters – who DANCED in the PULL of’ Mr. Max Gail When Max Gail started … in February, 2018. he was already : lapsing … we never got to see .. EVER: Maurice Benard.. Sonny’ LIVE with his father, have heart to heart talks, confrontation, denial, giddy discovery, bonding … human nature didn’t grow here it was a much easier “job” for MB Sonny to wait for the react/response from the script AND Max Gail. it was always “confused”… Read more »
Happy dance the partay IS OVER !!!!
now that Nelle is “gone”; RIP Mike, Max Gail,you were WONDEROUS amazing AND still zinging IT
what POWERS are left
it’s Sonny and Carly
could you mean any thing
That was the longest goodbye/death in history. Good God I couldn’t wait for Mike to die! What started as a great storyline became so embarrassingly bad. And having Joss, who I couldn’t hate more (SHE IS BORING!), had nearly an entire episode dedicated to her goodbye? Gross. And all of these other “Oh, Mike, thank you for doing so much for me (us)” crap was nauseating. WE NEVER SAW ANY OF THESE PEOPLE INTERACTING WITH MIKE EXCEPT FOR PERHAPS NEAR THE END. As a viewer it’s difficult to get invested and emotional when none of these relationships were ever developed… Read more »
Scott
I have kind of felt as you do but not so strongly. Reading your words actually make me feel embarrassed . I forget there are others that enjoy this type of misery. I have enough of my own, to watch this type of long, drawn out suffering, Hopefully in the future I can be more patient and let others watch what they like without comment.
I loved this storyline from the start, when Sonny and Mike got the diagnosis that Mike had Alzheimer’s Disease. Everyone associated with Max after the diagnosis had Emmy worthy performances… None more worthy than Max and Maurice. I was brought to tears for two years whenever these two took to the screen. I so do & will forever miss Max!!!
Mike will be missed but Max Gail deserves the top award for having to just lay there with just a thumbs up once in awhile, listening to all that stuff added by the writers that never happened. It wore me out. I thought that if my relatives ever do that to me, I’ll come back and haunt them.
Re the Alzheimer’s SL with Alexis. To all the ladies out there unfamiliar with this desease. Please don’t wait until it happens to you. I was just getting up from the sofa while bracing myself on the coffee table in front of me when I head my bones crunch through my lower back. I’ve never fully recovered from this fracture. I wish I had known about this when younger. All it takes is a Bone Density test that they do while lying on the table, and you stay fully clothed. So don’t wait until you are old like me, though… Read more »
You all did the old-timers with grace and dignity God bless you all
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