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.
Love her!!
She was good over at GH and she was awesome over at OLTL..Surprise she did not get an Emmy while @ both shows..Welcome back!! Hope is for a a long run..I am salivating possible scenes with Ava, Anna, Carly and Sonny!!!!
I think this actress is awesome. Her return has thst buzz factor that soaps lack right now. However…she was redeemed back in 1900. I HATE when soaps bring back “good” characters as dark or evil, and GH is the worst offender at bringing back beloved fan faves as mere shadows of themselves. I will give this one a pass because the man whose love changed Olivia…..Felicia’s cousin Colton…is long gone. And as a manipulative mob momma…she could have been faking her short period of goodness. Or…even if she redeemed at one point 26 years is enough to re harden everyone.… Read more »
I meant she was redeemed back in 1990! Not 1900!! Lol…sorry Tonja!
I remember Tonya being on Capital…I am impressed with her just from this post on Facebook. Tonya, you seem to be a kind person and I love your comments on your Facebook video…wishing you the best and GOD bless.
Julians return from the dead sister who is back to take down Julian and maybe she is responsible for the bomb in Julians car…
Balls of fire—could Olivia really be alive? I would be excited to find out she is but it would also make me wonder if duke is really still alive too since she was obsessed with him all those years ago. If Olivia is still around, she has to be beyond angry at Julian if he really killed the man sh loved. This could bring some good story!!!
I mentioned this before…but maybe she’s been in hiding and has been living with her son…Griffin! (And then she “died” again…oar so she made Griffin think)…and he’ll soon find out his mother’s criminal ways…she could be out to avenge Duke. Okay…far fetched? On GH…maybe not. 🙂
Either way, I am happy Tonja Walker is back with us. Loved her the first time around on GH and thought she was great as Alex on OLTL. It would be so cool if tey were able to have her be Olivia and Alex doing a dual role. I’d tune in to see that!!
I never saw her as Olivia Jerome but didn’t Julian supposedly kill her? Should be interesting…from what I’ve read she was obsessed with Duke…if they slept together who knows…maybe she’s Dr/Father Griffin Monroe’s son with Duke. I did love her as Alex on OLTL. Either way, I agree…should be interesting! Oh…Happy New Year James… 😉
Can’t wait. Let the games begin!
Yes–with some strong writing! She can be a bit over the top–but doesn’t that characterize GH of late? LOL!
I’m so glad she’s back. I met Tonja years ago at a GH weekend event. Love her! Hope she’s playing Olivia Jerome again.
Can’t wait to see who she plays but I have a hunch she will be Olivia Jerome
i can’t wait to see her on air. its going to be fun!!
(1988–90): General Hospital as Olivia St. John (1990 – 10’s): One Life to Live as Alex Olanov (Role: 1990–97; 2001–02; 2007; 2009; 2011) I; do not know… her, career what I do know… is how beloved… Tonja Walker is with fans… her peers dang ! she looks good whatever it takes… to detract from the Sonny and Carly show have at it whatever it takes… to flesh out the Jerome family…. as fans have , given rise scenes between Julian, Ava, and Olivia. let the reign begin OR the January 3rd ep – Valentin and Nina get married and consummate… Read more »
OK… I digress : January 4, ep
SAW va va voom Seth Baker swag @ General Hospital…. Kevin Spacey ; no ?
dang
followed by; Valentin and Nina… all afterglow
then the show as a whole… spiraled
Sonny and Carly and Michael and Nelle… buzz kill
not to mention … Finn and Hayden…. LOL…. why ? GH; WHY ?
ya know
Anna getting all hypnotic and all…. IS fearful about some thing
????
I suppose even back then… Valentin found Anna enchanting and such… but… he certainly isn’t acting out for fearing for his life…. nor is he scrambling to “hide” any thing.
so who knows what this bright light is shielding…. a dropped watch
OK Anna… you’ve been warned… no harm shall come to Valentin
or GH loses what little they have on the canvas to appeal to
I”ve had it with Ms. centerfold and entitled I was SO LIVID with Sam… as she just had to know if Alexis is OK. LOL… Alexis , not wanting to be bothered… is any one bleeding or dying ? Sam … what an abysmal waste… acts so entitled and barges her way through… with both her parents…. well – F – that… no parent puts up with that piss off Jason and Sam… you can move any time now with two pivotal characters that the audience does not root for or find value Jason and Sam definitely NEED TO MOVE… Read more »
So those were n TW’ hands we saw wearing Victor Jerome’s ring in yesterday’s final scene…..hmmmmm
Wasn’t able to view the video, but I am so excited for her return! What’s one more back-from-the-dead character. LOL I love the crazy gals of Port Chuck, namely Heather and Olivia J!
Should be a fun run.
If this is a return to some of the best flavors of Classic GH and putting the Jeromes, Cassadines, and Corinthoses back in their proper place in history pre-Guza then I am all for it. It would be great for this story to be about Anna and Duke, which is who Olivia interacted with most. Seriously tired of FV and the execs at GH making the show all about the baddies and driving fans away. It’s OUR show. We are the audience. We love the characters. All they have to do is let them be written for. I’m expecting this… Read more »
I’m glad she mainly credited God for returning to ABC over Frank Valentini. Some actors get the two confused!
Haha, no doubt and it took an act of God for them to hire her, as a Classic character, so she got it right.
She’s probably going to play Olivia but by another name this time. I can’t honestly see there being two Olivia’s (or any name) on one show. We do remember Olivia Falconeri who is still currently on contract with the show, no!?…it just ain’t right. I’m still excited about Tonjas return tho
The other Olivia has no purpose. If there is a choice to make, lets all hope it will be Olivia Jerome
Great news, I hope she’s back at Gh for good. I’ve always liked her at OLTL and was glad when they brought her back towards the end.
So excited for what’s coming up with her!
I starting watching GH in 1993, so she was a little bit before my time. But everyone I know that was watching when she was on as Olivia is very excited. A friend that has been watching a long time told me, just wait until she has scenes with Maura West, it will be like two forces of nature colliding, lol. She has an established history with the show, not just another pointless new character with no ties, which I like. Definitely very interested to see what happens next. A lot of intriguing reveals should be coming in the next… Read more »
I am so excited about the return of Tonja as Olivia.
Can’t wait for the scenes with Julian, Ava, Anna, Lucy, Griffin.