General Hospital
There Will Be Blood! The Jerome Vs. Corinthos Mob War Heats Up On General Hospital!

Courtesy/ABC
In a newly released ABC promo teasing what is coming up on General Hospital, it looks like we have only seen the tip of the iceberg between the Jerome and the Corinthos clans mob war!
With the voice over saying, ” In the mob world, where there is betrayal …there will be blood” the action centers around Julian (William devry) telling off Morgan (Bryan Craig), “Are you working for me? Or, are you working for your father?” Next, Sonny (Maurice Benard), Julian and Ava (Maura West) all are toting-guns!
Watch the promo after the jump! Then, let know what you think will happen next? Do you think Sonny will win the war, or can Julian and Ava can take him down? Or, will everybody double-cross everybody?
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom

This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, the race is on! Can Lulu (Alexa Havins) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) get to Rocco (Finn Carr) and Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) in time to ensure their safety from Cullum (Andrew Hawkes)? Can Carly (Laura Wright) with the help of her brother, Lucas (Van Hansis) rescue Josslyn (Eden McCoy) from captivity at Wyndemere? These questions may be answered, plus the return of the one and only Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) are on tap!
In the just released General Hospital spoilers video for the week of June 22-26, Lulu tells her mother, Laura (Genie Francis), “Dante and I have to get to Rocco before Cullum!” Meanwhile, Rocco (Finn Carr) looks angered and emotional as Britt walks through their cabin hideout. Does Rocco know his parents are on the way to find them, or has Cullum already tracked them down to the British Virgin Islands?
Back in Port Charles, Carly is informing Lucas that his niece, “is a WSB agent.” She knows Josslyn (Eden McCoy) is being held against her will at Wyndemere, and she has to find a way to get her out. Lucas agrees with Carly’s plan of, “We go in and we don’t leave without Josslyn!” Elsewhere, Josslyn is looking worried for her future as she is stuck in captivity thanks to Cassius, Cullum and Sidwell!

Courtesy/ABC
FINOLA HUGHES RETURNS
The final moments of the teaser promo reveal Anna in a psychiatric clinic in France. We have not seen her for months after Cullum, Sidwell and Pascal fed her hallucinogenics to make her believe her arch nemesis, Cesar Faison was alive!
Now, the doctors walk towards her hospital bed, where we see the super spy calmly knitting. Is Anna back to normal and playing everyone to get out of her predicament, or does she still remain deeply traumatized … or both?
Take a look at the rest of the official GH spoilers for the week below.
MONDAY, JUNE 22
Willow gets an unwelcome surprise. Trina sticks to her guns. “Nathan” wants reassurance. Ethan advises Ava. Brook Lynn receives an update.
TUESDAY, JUNE 23
Dante cautions Liz. Laura learns a secret. Brook Lynn confides in Michael. Sonny challenges Ava. Chase makes a decision.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
Anna meets with her doctor. Carly makes a stunning confession. Britt extracts a promise. Cullum pulls a fast one. Gio and Emma hit the pool.
THURSDAY, JUNE 25
Josslyn clashes with Cassius. Lulu and Dante make a discovery. Chase receives a warning. Jordan seeks help. Alexis is summoned to the PCPD.
FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Anna takes a huge risk. Britt is in grave danger. Willow is in disbelief. Danny must act fast. Curtis jumps to the wrong conclusion.
Check out the latest General Hospital promo entitled, “Rescue Mission” below.
Now weigh-in: Do you think Anna is still mentally off-balance, or OK, and just pretending to be troubled to get out of France and get back to Port Charles? Will Josslyn finally be rescued, or will Carly and Lucas find themselves locked up with her? And, who will get to Britt and Rocco first? Cullum, or Dante and Lulu? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.
General Hospital
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric

With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).
On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..
In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”
GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW
So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!
FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD
As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”
Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.
So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
View this post on Instagram
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Announces Upcoming Release of His First Single, ‘If You Need Me’

In a surprise move, Daytime Emmy winner, Chad Duell (ex-Michael Corinthos, GH) is getting ready to unveil a new chapter of his career in music.
The former GH star, where he played the son of Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) for 15 years, has announced his new single, “If You Need Me” will drop on Friday, June 26. The single is now available for pre-order on Spotify and major music streaming platforms and is distributed by DistroKid.
Taking to his Instagram story over the weekend, to announce the pre-save of his new single, Chad expressed, “I’ll make a full post about what I’ve been up to and my music once it goes live next week, but you can pre-save my first single so it goes straight to your Spotify once it drops next week.”

Photo: CDuellIG
SINCE LEAVING GENERAL HOSPITAL
Previously, since his departure from the ABC soap opera. Chad starred alongside Zach Mendez in the world premiere of of Yum Yum at Annapolis, a new play written by Bruce Reisman. Duell last appeared on General Hospital on the January 21, 2025 episode.
The part was recast with Rory Gibson who debuted as the new Michael in May of 2025 during the Nurses’ Ball episodes and who has remained in the role since that time.
In an interview earlier this year on The Able Show, Duell said on his decision to exit the soap opera, “I was blessed to be part of that (show) for as long as I have, but what happens sometimes is if you’re doing the same thing, especially in a creative field for such a long time, you can get a little burnt out in a way. It can make you a little depressed, so that’s kind of what happened. On top of that, I had other things going on in my life at the time. My father passed away recently and I just needed a reset. So, I stepped away. A lot of times you have to go through some stuff to really step into that next level. I needed to kind of feel uncomfortable.”
So, what type of musical genre will Chad’s new song be? Country? Pop? Rock? Dance/Club? Something else? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below, and if you are eager to hear the new single next week via the comment section below.
-

General Hospital2 days agoMaurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
-

General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
-

Days Of Our Lives1 week ago‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
-

General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
-

General Hospital1 week agoGENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
-

Days Of Our Lives2 days agoAl Calderon Reflects on ‘Major Chapters’ Coming to an End on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Brilliant Minds’
-

Beyond the Gates5 days ago‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Karla Mosley Weighs-in on Dani Dupree’s Love Life Endgame: Are You Team Bill or Team Andre?
-

General Hospital1 week agoGENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Michael Puts Willow On Notice After Tracy Is Arrested















I can’t see any of the major players getting killed at this point; they’re all too pivotal to the story…not to mention loved. (I know; there are probably a bunch of people who could do without Morgan. I for one think he’s great! Great looking, great acting…very poignant…the crux/heart of his emotional conflict with his dad and brother.)
It’s seems from the clip that Morgan betrays Sonny…but also seems that at this point Sonny doesn’t realize it’s to keep his family safe from Julian’s threats.
Wondering how Lucas will fit in. If he’ll wind up in the crossfire…son for son? Naaaa…that’s not Sonny’s style.
I’ve a feeling in the end Ava will side with Morgan against her brother if need be. Crazy times ahead…go GH!
I agree with everything you said but in wake of recent and past headlines, Hollywood needs to cut back on the violence…too much focus on solving problems with a gun…i know they gotta have some gunplay to tell a story and i do like the Jeromes…im not saying drop the violent acts entirely but maybe cut back at least some(too many real life nut cases see this stuff)…Heathers stabbing was too brutal and explicit…i wish the show would explain how she got treated and up and about…especially after being buried alive with a near fatal stab wound?
I wouldn’t call how the actor portrays Morgan as great acting. I would rather have Debbie Morgan come on and be the sister of Sean and TJ’s mom or have her be Simone Tom Jr ex wife than to have Morgan on GH, if we could do without Kristina-we can do without Morgan.
@JimH…I think it’s because he only wedged the knife between her side and her arm. LOL…sorry…but that scene just looked too staged to me! But yeah, ya know…just have to suspend your disbelief. Everything else is so ridiculously non credible that i’s almost a moot point!
@Sharonda…I (obviously) disagree. I think “Morgan” is one of the best new actors to come aboard. He has great scenes with Sonny…very expressive…I feel his angst when he vents. I feel his dilemma…his confusion…his hurt. And, for me anyway, he’s great on the eyes!
I have to disagree regarding Morgan — I think the actor is very good but the writing is not great for him. He seems like a very soulful actor who can show great emotion.
I do however, agree with bringing on Debbie Morgan. She would be a great addition in any role.
I like Debbie to be T.J.s mom…she could also be Felixs secret mother…maybe gave him up for adoption before she met T.J.s father and having T.J. then its revealed Shaun is Felixs father?
Love the Debbie Morgan idea…but we must have Darnell too……
@K. Darnell could play Sean’s friend from the military or Felix’s father. The actor who plays Morgan isn’t the best compared to Jonathan Jackson teen/young adult years. But he is easy on the eyes as Rebecca1 noted above, he should just model. But that’s just my 2 cents.
Speaking of Kristina….. whatever happened to her character? She is barely ever mentioned anymore? Did I miss something/
I actually like Bryan Craig’s portrayal of Morgan. He’s really grown on me since his initial arrival and relationship with Kiki. I think Mr. Craig is quite talented, I just think the writing for Morgan has been spotty at best from the get-to. Kiki and “Captain” were so freaking annoying when they blew into town he’s had to work very hard to overcome that. But he has done some really powerful work IMO.
I know your comment was from January, but boy did you say a mouthful here! I’ve never been so annoyed by these 2 blowing into town as you said, all irritating and whiny. Morgan overcame the inconsistent writing. Can’t say the same for the Kiki character.
I wish Sonny would go away and return as the thug he started out being-owning the strip club and pimping out Karen, I would rather have Jagger return as the chief detective than have useless Dante. The actor who plays Dante should have came back as Jagger. I want the Hardys back on here. And Felix should have been Tom Hardy III-otherwise he is useless and so is the Disney character of Sabrina. She should have some eating disorder or cutting thing or hooked on drugs or some other addiction to make this character relevant. She is as useless as having Juan come on here to prop her up on her non-wedding day. There are a lot of characters that have fallen by the wayside since the 80s and the writers should look to their children to bring on as new characters than the excess we have on here now with no history to this show or purpose. Where is Gia?! She should be with Nikolas.
So much of this cast is dead weight! Sonny, Olivia, Felix, Brad, Duke Lavery, Carrrlos, Franco….and the list goes on. Now the show is jumping on the Y and R “Lets blow the budget on former prime time stars” bandwagon. I dont get it.
I agree with pretty much everything you said, Rebecca. I’m a huge Morgan fan, I just love him to death. I am not a Sonny fan at all, so I was and still am fine with them at odds. I am happy that he and Michael are working their way back to a relationship. Kiki never should have come between them, she’s not worth it and I blame her.
I would like anything except the usual Sonny always wins tripe we’ve been forced to swallow over the past decade plus.
And I would be thrilled if Ava went up against Julian in order to protect Morgan. Those crazy kids deserve some happiness and a way to be together. Pairing them up was one of the best moves this show ever made. They are my love.
LOL..thanks Melissa. We do differ on a few points…I actually Kiki (maybe I’m just loyal to OLTL’s Starr)…but she plays a good role. She’s honest, fair..and I like her loyalty to Franco. (Which will also be interesting because even though her instincts about Franco are right…and it will eventually be proven…wonder how/if Michael will forgive her for protecting/hiding Franco and for lying to him. ) Another dilemma in the making…
that was supposed to be “like” Kiki…
I still think Franco will turn out to really be Kiki’s father…making her Scotts granddaughter…Meanwhile, Micheal will break up with Kiki for lying to him about Franco. Then Micheal will rehook with Penny from the hospital who will turn out to be Scott’s daughter Serena who then would turn out to be Kiki’s aunt once Kiki finds out Franco is really her father! This is wishfull thinking on my part but i hope Frank and Ron see this and use it on the show!
did all you former OLTL fans notice that Franco is really Todd by a different name…and Silas is really John…seems to me Frank and Ron just got around the legalities by changing the characters, their names and their histories…but really…their personalities are essentially the same (in my opinion). Kiki (Starr) is 50/50…but obviously whether she’s “Franco’s” daughter or not they’ve established the same co-conspirator relationship they had on OLTL. Starr was always going to bat for her dad…she was his biggest supporter…
Very sneaky Frank/Ron. It sort of satisfies the OLTL crowd…and the ones who never watched they appear brand new!
@JimH…LOL…I’m not sure how Michael will handle Kiki’s “betrayal…” but I’d like to see them stay together. If not, maybe Emma will leave with Robin…come back in two months and be 15 years older and voila…a new couple is born! 😉
This will be more of the same garbage. testosterone filled guys .everyone shoots and only day players die. GMAFB.No one is guilty of anything. maybe some innocent will be caught in the crossfire. If any of Sonnys kids die it will be because he caused it as always,. car bomb for Krissy, Bullet in chest for Dants, Bullet in the head for Michael, and Sonny put a bullet in carleys head while she was in labor. He is still on the show WHY ? The last time I shut the show off for years was also too much mobs and molls.
I love the show but I agree with your comments about Sonny. I am so tired of him. I don’t understand how he has such a large following of fans? How could any woman like him? He is a misogynistic bully, who has put everyone close to him in danger. He never has to answer for any of the things he does. I am completely sick of this character.
I love Sonny!!
He would not hesitate to die for any of his children..
Sonny is a very layered character..
He goes from dark and dangerous to loving and kind ..
Sonny is a protective loving father and a dangerous man as a mobster..
Sonny is both sides of the coin ..
So bloody sick of the “Soapranos.”
i get it! cute…
Let’s hope Sonny dies or is sent to prison for life.
Ya. This is EXACTLY what the fans have been asking for for the past 15 years. MORE mob stories. WHY do the writers and producers NOT read forums like this???? For every ONE fan who actually likes the character of Sonny, there are probably 100 who despise him. For every fan who wants their beloved General Hospital to be a low-rent knock off of The Sopranos, there are a thousand who don’t. The “mob as heroes” throughline has never made sense, but it is even more glaring now. Especially with the shoddy writing of the character of Sam. This is a woman who has spent most of her life being a mob moll of one sort or another. then, the man who GAVE HER LIFE and SAVED HER SON’S LIFE comes into her life, and she wants nothing to do with him because he waged a mob war against Sonny. You would think she would embrace him as Father of the Year!! WHY would this ditz have ANY more loyalty to Sonny than Julian? Sonny is the sleaze who knocked up both her, Sam, and her own mother. The writing here is so character deficient. It would make MUCH more sense if Sam sided with Julian. Sonny is threatening to MURDER HER FATHER…THE MAN WHO GAVE HER LIFE AND SAVED HER SON’S LIFE…AND WHO COULD DO IT AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. I’m typing this in capitals hoping to make one of the writers make sense. People are actually resenting Julian for not stockpiling his DNA so Sonny can murder him quicker. And somehow…still, Sonny still comes out as the hero. WHO WRITES THIS CRAP?????? Bob Guza used to…I know that…but why is Ron C making it ten times worse??? I HATE mob stories, I loathe the character of Sonny, and I long for the days when the mob, logically, was EVIL, and there were GOOD GUYS who won in the end. Now, we have a show that is trying to present two warring mob factions as people that the audience should root for. It’s gross, it’s disgusting, and this show has abused and abandoned its core audience LONG ago. Soap viewers tuned in and stayed tuned in to see romance, people we could root for, and the knowledge that the good guys would triumph in the end.
I disagree with most all you wrote..
I love the mob which in fact is not merely 2 families fighting for the power, when they fight..
when are not fighting their personal lives are very innerspring.
The Jerome family is very layered and good stories that are not related to any fighting.
The so called mob part is is small in comparison to the family.
The writing is excellent, the stories intriguing..
There is no longer mobs in Port Charles it is more like the 2 families living out an old feud like the Hatfiedls and Mccoyes..
Sonny and Shawn and Julian and Ava and Carlos, are mobs? hahaha! use webester for defination of mob 🙂
Johnny I don’t know you but if I wasn’t already married I’m come stalk you down and marry you! THANK YOU for this excellent post from January 2014 (yikes..I’m behind). I admit I get on my soapbox about Sonny way too much, but I’ve never been able to word my disgust quite like you. I feel like we are soulmates! But seriously, there is not one thing in this post that I do not agree with 100%. Too add to it, Sonny used to have a compass. He’s always been a tortured soul, but he was capable of great kindness, and even though he’s a thug criminal, he had limits. That made the audience hate him 1 week and love him the next and root for him! Even though one may loathe Sonny’s career choice and may not want to be exposed to it, him Jason would be the first people I’d call immediately if I was ever in a bind , in danger with my back up against the wall. The guys he took out were often temporary players, day players that were just pure evil. There was a method to ihs madness, like Dexter. That is GONE! I’m trying to think of 1 good thing he has done in the last year and a half that would make me warm up to him. I can only think of 1-he hijacked a heart for Alice. Does that erase all the hell he has put his family through and all the pain they have coming because of his lies and deceits. To say he’s doing these things for his family is just a straight-up, bold-faced LIE! It USED to be true.This is not the same Sonny and quite frankly,I have no idea how MB can stand to go to work every day and churn this crap out. He looks boed out of his mind, except for some exceptional scenes with Ava and Carly in the past year. Shows me that the actor still has it, but he’s so bored with it he rarely turns it on.
I do like a lot of stuff these new writers are delivering. I’m glad the ratings are going up, but imagine how much more they’d go up if they laid off the gunfire 4 outta 5 days a week. I always love su0000’s posts, except our opinions of Sonny couldn’t be more opposite. If they would reduce the violence or have the mobs or whatever your want to call the crime families fighting, it would be tolerable and understandable. su0000 you said it wasn’t a big part of the show but it’s the driving force of the show. These stories are front and center with NO sign of slowing down and I just don’t get it!!!
Sonny is past the point of redemption. He has lost his throughline. Everything that was presented to us by MB and Wendy Riche about Sonny Corinthos is gone. How he yaps on about how he’s doing it all for his family while he’s in the middle of screwing them totally is disgusting! I could list all the things I’m referring to but I’m getting mad so I’m going to stop now.. Lol.. Breathe Lauire..Breath…
And even the tagline here…to get viewers to tune in…it used to be “Love in the Afternoon”. Now it’s “There Will Be Blood”. Gee…great!
The mob stuff is a small part of all the on going stories..
Also, The mob stuff has a lot to with family..
There are very few scenes of actual violence.. we are grownups and watch prime-time.. And GH has been prime-time quality .. 🙂
When watching GH one needs to see the whole of GH not a small part of it, tunnel vision and soaps do not mix, there are so many stories taking place..
As for me, the campy crappy love problems are stale ..
Love in soaps is filler ..
GH has enough couples and their problems..
Count to couples ..
Not ONE post in favour of Sonny, the greasy, misogynistic, narcissistic, violent, murderous, disgusting, hypocritical thug. Hmmmm….writers…..READ THESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Funny, that is not the Sonny I see 🙂
Oh. And where do I buy your brand of rose colored glasses?. Lol. Just kidding. I am really not insulting you for your opinion. But that is EXACTLY how Sonny is presented and portrayed. To see him any other way is only to view him as “misunderstood”. And I dont see any misunderstanding there. Sonny orders hits with glee. He whines and cries when his loved ones die ad nauseum, Yet he makes no effort to get out of the mob. And before anyone says “You cant just get out of the mob”….I say its a soap! If the Cassadines can freeze people and the earth, then Snny can get out of he mob. Bottom line…Sonny loves power and violence that go wih his world. He always has, and no writer has presented it any other way.
Can we finally have the end of Sonny? I don’t know whom I cannot stand more, Sonny Corinthos or Victor Newman.
AMEN AMEN AND A HUHHHMNN HALLELUJAH
And suddenly it seems as if Mr.Bernard realizes you can’t just phone it in anymore so he added that halting near tears over dramatic pause to the majority of his lines now. Like “do ya hear the tears in my voice..DO YA??” When Mob should spell must watch it just spells must FF my DVR for me when it comes to Glummy!!! Oops, meant Sonny!!!
And Victor Newman. Another ET phone home on the daytime canvas. At one point somebody in charge has to tell these people…take a break for a few months..YOU GO ALLISON SWEENEY…Tins in the fire and not afraid to set DAYS aside for a little while.
And the award goes to….VICTOR NEWMAN for worst leading man in a daytime drama. Please Y&R “rest” this character. He is beyond horrible and total FF material.
If it’s not the mob…it’s Faison, Obrecht, Helena, Stavros, WSB…the ol’ days Scorpio, Tiffany, Sean…back to the sorta new…Jerry Jax…the point is it’s not just the violence of Sonny and the mob…soaps are always good vs. evil…whether it be gang related, international crime, blowing up the world, poisoning the water, poisoning your children against one of their parents, sleeping with somone’s parents, step parents…stealing babies, kidnapping babies…hahahaha…can’t blame it all on Sonny.
good vs. evil. such is life….
I agree with you there. However…my main point is that the morality has gotten skewed. The bad guys never pay for their crimes, while the good people suffer endlessly. While Sonny gets loyal family and an endless parade of love interests, Georgie and Emily die gruesome deaths. Back in the good old days of soaps…the payoff was in seeing how the bad guys would gt their comeuppance and the good guys would triumph. That was rewarding entertainment. Remember David Kimball from Y and R? He terrorized the town. He was not presented as a misunderstood leading man…he was evil. That story built over several years. Sure fans were infuriated by his crimes…but we knew it would to a payoff. And it did. He got crushed in a trash compactor. Soaps dont write payoffs for the good guys and they just keep recycling the same thing…and that is why ratings have fallen so dramatically. You cant compare daytime soaps to shows like The Sopranos or Breaking Bad. Those shows are ABOUT the bad guys, they only air once a week, they are limited to maybe 6-7 seasons, and then they are done. Soaps are every day..and are continuing for years and decades. Stefano DiMera has been terrorizing Salem for over 30 years and for what? He is in his 80’s. It just looks ridiculous to see him continuing being evil. Same with Victor Newman. He is a patholigically power hungry sociopath still being written like he is going to live forever. And Sonny….well…how many people have to die around him before he makes a life change? Wen characters dont grow or change at ALL…it becomes very redundant and not entertainin. Ad when evil is subverted and presented as good, it makes for very depressing viewing. A don the flipside it is not entertaining when the characters we do root for never change either. Watching Erica Kane in the final years of AMC was just painful and embarrassing. This character never changed a day in 40 years. She was written the same whether she was 18, 42, or 60. It all comes back to the writers. Soaps have recycled the same writers for decades…and most of them only know how to write in soap opera-ese, and they are just flat out devoid of any creativity whatsoever. Didnt OLTL hire an 80 year old as their headwriter as they were trying to launch a daring, trendy new venture on the internet?? To me…”risky and daring” has a totally different meaning when applied to soaps. I would consider it risky and new and daring for soaps to present some happily married, committed couples. There is tremendous drama in life. I would consider it shocking if the soaps actually REALLY killed some characters. It would be totally novel if some of these misunderstood bad guys went to jail for a long time. I think it would be bracing and shocking and awesome if GH had the guts to kill Sonny off. Like, not soap opera dead…but dead dead…in a hail of gunfire like so many of his victims have. Ad then NOT have Michael and Morgan have to take over the business…to hand it away and get out altogether. It would be so nice to see these characters and their thought processes without the dark and ugly specter of the mob looming over them.
you write well Johnny. and you have written an in-depth SUBJECTIVE view of soaps. And I don’t say that as negative feedback…but my point is…it’s a soap!
If you want sensitive…watch the Hallmark channel. If you want family…watch reruns of The Waltons. If you want people put away in jail, watch CSI. My point is…and I don’t mean it to be condescending…is just the point you made. These shows are on every day…these characters are on a lot of the time…and that’s why we watch soaps! We get attached to characters…they become some sort of fictional family…fictional neighborhood that we visit every day (or night…or weekend if you marathon them online). My point is…why would I want one or more of my characters permanently dead….or pemanently in jail…(unless they did scenes from the jail and incorporated it into the show).
As for Sonny? He, in my opinion…is but a shell of the man he used to be. I don’t think he’s gone unpunished. He’s lost almost everyone he’s cared for. His loves, his dad, his best friend…his son (albeit temporarily) turned against him. He’s a man that doesn’t know how to be any other way. He lives for it…thrives on it…yet is in turmoil. He doesn’t want his kind of life for his sons. He always fears for those he loves. Think of the old days…Sonny, Carly, Jason, Max, the kids…Alexis, Robin, Stone…he was always surrounded by friends/family. Now, people drop by. Yeah, he’s loved, lost and loved again. But I see him as broken; not someone who’s gotten off scott free.
Soap operas are formulaiic. They’ve worked for 50 years plus now. And if the audience is indeed filtering down…well…times they are a changin’. Lots of competition that soaps of yesteryear didn’t have…and many veiwers watch online so there may be more fans than are counted.
Am I disappointed in the way some “reactions” are handled? Absolutely! That’s what bothers me most. People come back from the dead and no one barely blinks an eye. After an initial “hey, your’e back!”…it’s like the person never left. I find that emotionally ungratifying. Because thru it all…good, bad, etc. I want to see and feel human connection. Julian for his kids and for Ava…Sonny for his kids and Carly, Alexis, Molly. I like that and so for me, if there was one thing that should change on the soaps is the connectedness and the realism of love, loss and bonds…
viewers.
A while ago, I read that the actress who played Lily might be talking about coming back to GH. I wonder if that happened, and she asked Sonny to walk away from the mob, if he’d do it? Would he be willing to give up “his territory” in order to find true love with Lily again? I think this would be one way to end the mob war and keep everyone on the canvas. The only problem with that is, What would you do with the darker sides of the characters? I don’t mind a shoot out every now and then, but I wouldn’t want to see it every day. I think GH does a pretty good job telling different stories and as long as they maintain that balance, I’m fine with things as they are. JMHO.
“… Next, Sonny (Maurice Benard), Julian and Ava (Maura West) are all toting-guns”
LOL
BLECH!!! MOB WARS…so not the DRAMA,,,
There are no mobs..
(where are some people seeing mobs?
2 families fighting for power over an old past is not a mob.
I’s the the Hatfiedls and Mccoyes.. LOL !
not even enough people to be them them, but closer than a mob..
Sonny and Shawn and Julian and Ava and Carlos, are mobs? hahaha! a mob is not 2 or 3 people 🙂
What people are calling a mob story is not about violence mob stuff it is about the families, actually, the Jerome’s are an intriguing family who we rarely see being gun shooting mobster . shhezus ,,
Finally they have Sonny looking like a real Mob boss. Frank and Ron must of took my advice and watched some Sopranos episodes. Don’t make Sonny look like a dumb ass
Thaao Penghlis/Victor Cassadine is back after years being gone,
I will watch to see him, coming Jan: 30th 2014
let the jeromes die and corinthos comes alive