By 
General Hospital‘s Elizabeth Webber has been a fan favorite on the sudser for 16 years. Most of this adoration can be credited to the character’s talented portrayer Rebecca Herbst. However, despite the popularity of the character, it seems as if every time her story is about to move to the front burner, it fizzles out. Is this an affliction unique to the character of Elizabeth? Why is the she stuck in the perpetual state of the non-story story? What can be done to reset, revamp and refocus the character to make her relevant again?
I got the idea to do a column on GH’s Elizabeth several weeks ago. In fact, I started writing this several weeks ago, then something surprising happened – I was overcome with writer’s block. It was an odd sort of writer’s block; one exclusive to this particular topic. No matter how much I brainstormed, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Why was I at such a loss for words when it came to a subject I was passionate about? That’s when suddenly, it hit me. It was if the fog clouding my mind dissipated, leaving the only logical answer. It wasn’t me, it’s Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the problem!
I suspected I might not be the only one having difficulties writing about Elizabeth. Perhaps soap writers shared this same pain. It seems odd that a character who evokes such a passionate reaction from viewers, especially one with rich familial ties to history, could be difficult to write for. Alas, that seems to be the case. I’m not advocating anyone to throw in the towel and stop caring for the character. On the contrary, I think where there’s difficulty lies an opportunity for great success. Resolving the perpetual state of the non-story story doesn’t mean carelessly dumping the character into a storyline just to have one. Words needs to be found for her again – words that find a way to reinvigorate a stale character with some much needed character direction, self-exploration, growth and a newfound relevance in the Port Charles universe of 2014.
For 16 years, Elizabeth Webber has been a General Hospital staple – harkening back to her debut as a wild-child teenager hell bent on wreaking havoc on her sister’s love life. In a tragic moment, her life was forever changed when, on the night of the school’s Valentine’s dance, she was brutally raped. This was a turning point for the character as she was no longer the over confident bad girl, but a girl struggling to rebuild her life in the aftermath of a horrific event. Through her journey of recovery, Elizabeth morphed into the role of the tragic heroine.
It was a role that was further defined during her first major pairing with Luke and Laura Spencer’s son, Lucky. The pairing, somewhat of a modern take on GH’s most popular super couple, became synonymous with the character. Their on-again, off-again storied romance has lasted through various recasts, exits and interpretations of Lucky; ultimately suffering as a result of inconsistencies in character motivation, actions and execution. What started out promising never quite reached the epic status afforded to the “L&L” that came before them, partly due to the above mentioned reasons. Their last round ended terribly thanks to a terribly plotted story that resulted in Elizabeth having an affair with Lucky’s half-brother Nikolas.
She hasn’t faired so well with other men either. As a former bad girl, Elizabeth has routinely fallen for the irresistible charm and allure of many Port Charles rebels. Failed relationships with Jason, Ric, Zander and most recently, Port Charles’ most notorious black sheep, AJ Quartermaine, all ended in heartbreak and left the character more guarded as a result.
This leads me to Elizabeth’s children. Cameron, the eldest, is rarely seen, left behind by the SORAS bus that has characters born shortly before and after (Morgan and Molly) playing supporting roles in other stories and even driving some of their own. Her middle child, Jake, was tragically killed in a drunk-driving accident a few year ago. Her youngest, Aiden, is also rarely seen. With none her children’s fathers actively involved in their lives, she’s left to carry the weight as a single mother.
Most, if not all of Elizabeth storylines for the last 10 years have been romantic triangles, dark tragedies and who’s the daddy takes that left the character more damaged than before. As a result of everything the character has endured, not only has she lost her confidence, but she’s lost her relevance.
I doubt there’s anyone who would disagree that Elizabeth is in desperate need of a hard reset – one that doesn’t involve her falling into a new relationship. I know there are fans out there that eagerly want to have Elizabeth in a relationship. Quite frankly, a relationship is the last thing the character needs. Elizabeth needs to focus on herself, the woman she wants to be and the life she wants for her children. Most important of all, she needs to find her voice. There’s no need to embroil Elizabeth in yet another triangle that leads to her decimation in the end.
I hope the character’s absence these last couple of months, into the non-story story abyss, is part of a plan to rest the character before embarking on a new tale. In order to move forward, the show must go back to basics. Not every character needs to be in a pairing to be exciting. Sometimes the best stories are the ones that are most relatable. Who can’t relate to taking a good, hard look and themselves and asking, “What the f— am I doing with my life?” We’ve all been there. It’s time for Elizabeth to go there too. Drop Nikolas and AJ to the backburner of Elizabeth’s perpetual non-story story existence and focus on this instead.
Pull from Elizabeth’s storied, complicated, dynamic, legacy and tragic past. Don’t be afraid to revamp or re-introduce aspects long forgotten, especially if it makes sense. Like Laura before her, Elizabeth has been defined by who her lover is at the time. Luke could be with Laura, but Luke was and still is, allowed to have adventures outside of his love interest. Who is Elizabeth without a love interest? Who is Elizabeth, the woman? What are her goals? What is her passion? What does she stand for?
Prior to becoming a nurse to support her family, Elizabeth was an artist and model. Somewhere between bedpans and wrangling her children as a single mother, she no longer has time to be an artist. Pull from her past to help shape the woman she is today. There are two characters on canvas who can change this for her – Ava Jerome and the infamous Franco Frank.
Ava Jerome is not only a mob princess and femme fatale, but she she’s also an art dealer in her legitimate profession. Why not have Ava recognize her talent and see dollar signs, encouraging Elizabeth to sell her work in her galleries? Elizabeth put her dreams on hold because life got in the way. How many people have done that in real life? Sometimes you fall in and out of love with someone and end up alone with a family to take care of and bills to play. This is what has happened Elizabeth, and like in real life the character feels a bit worn out. How inspiring would it be to watch Elizabeth’s long forgotten dreams of being an artist finally come true? For those looking for the soapy hook, there’s no reason Ava can’t have an ulterior motive for seeking out Elizabeth’s talents (say using her art as a way to smuggle black market paintings for the Jerome Organization).
Elizabeth is not the only former artist on General Hospital canvas. Reformed serial killer Franco is an artist who has also lost his mojo. Elizabeth and Franco could develop an odd friendship rooted in their love of artistic expression. She would be the person able to look past his flaws and mistakes; knowing all too well the difficulty in trying to atone for past mistakes. She could see him for the man he’s trying to be now, as opposed to the man he was. Of course, this would put her at odds with her friends as they wouldnt be able to understand her creative interest in Franco.
Let’s not forget that Elizabeth is a former Face of Deception. Though the Deception storyline has been on semi-permanent pause since August, what better way to dive back into it than to make Elizabeth the new face of Lucy’s company? With Laura in Paris, Lucy could probably use a little help and Elizabeth could fill that position. Deception could launch itself with a search for a new Face of Deception that could lead them back to the original one. Not only would her aesthetic gifts be of use to Lucy, but her knowledge of health and wellness would make her the perfect candidate for a spokes model. And with ex-lover Nikolas financially backing Deception, it opens the door for potentially revisiting their romantic past down the road.
Just think of the possibilities involved and interactions with other character that could spawn from a Deception angle. Imagine the outrageous Lucy Coe interacting with the more grounded Elizabeth on a regular basis. She could unwittingly get caught up in Lucy romantic complications, which would lead to her examining her own romantic history. There’s also opportunities for work related misadventures with members of the staff such as Milo. The possibilities are endless.
Tapping into Elizabeth’s artistic side is not the only option available. After all she does have a good job as a nurse at the hospital. Why not give her a story centered around her current position rather than having her in the background of Sabrina and Britt’s storylines? There’s more to Elizabeth than just slotting her in the role of a sounding board for Patrick, cheerleader for Sabrina and bitchy quips with Britt.
Play her heavily in the story surrounding the Monica’s dismissal as chief of staff. Watching Monica and others bicker over that spot could lead to Elizabeth mull over possibly advancing her own career. Why not challenge Epiphany (another sadly underutilized character) for the head of nursing position? I would love to see if Elizabeth could hold her own in that sort of battle. Work politics can bring out the worst in everyone and the GH staff wouldn’t be any different. The personnel could be torn between the two, causing some to take sides and making the situation even worse. General Hospital is part of Elizabeth’s family legacy. Her grandfather Steve Hardy was chief of staff and served the hospital for over 30 years! Her grandmother Audrey was a nurse and oversaw the incoming student nurses. Truth be told, it would be nice to see her fight for something she feels she deserves that doesn’t involve staking claim on a man.
If those scenarios aren’t plausible, there’s also Jake’s death to pull inspiration from. He would be seven years old this year if it wasn’t his unfortunate accident. Sadly, Elizabeth’s grief over Jake has never been used to further any character advancement. Rather, Jake’s death hangs over her like a dark cloud of plot convenience — trotted out to demonize her (her breakdown and Lucky’s exit), rationalize her questionable behavior (Not telling Sam about Danny being her son) or used to hurt her (AJ’s alcohol fueled tirade). AJ’s comments last summer could have been used to get the ball rolling in a new direction for the character. Instead, she forgave AJ, stood by him through his initial trial and then disappeared for over a month; No follow through.
With Kevin back in town, use his presence as an opportunity to have Elizabeth become a patient. There are unresolved issues that could be worked out — her guilt over Jake’s death, Lucky abandoning their children to find himself in Ireland, guilt over her feelings for Nikolas, the stress of being a single mother. If you make it interesting, people will watch. GH could use an infusion of a character driven storyline to offset the return from the dead tales, mob wars, baby swaps and reforming serial killers.
General Hospital works best when they mix the show’s rich history with tales of romance, action, adventure, scandal, friendship and hope. Elizabeth and and her fans are in need of some hope. I’m over the storylines that tend to play on her insecurities. In a way, that’s why it never makes sense for her to get the guy in the end.
Now is the time to make a change. Strong female protagonists are the new black (again). I want a smart, sexy and strong Elizabeth Webber in 2014. I want to watch her build the confidence to go after the things she wants in a way that doesn’t involve subterfuge or bickering with other women. This is what needs to happen before she can move on to the next romance. Who knows, maybe a stronger Elizabeth could make a past relationship work. Or maybe a strong Elizabeth will attract the eye of new guy who enjoys those traits in a girlfriend.
What’s on your wish list for Elizabeth? Hit the comments to share your thoughts.
EW is the first to be down on herself for screwing up, so not sure why people choose to see it differently. If someone does her wrong, she gets to mad regardless of her past, just like everyone else. There is no soapbox. Frankly, they have trashed her character to the point where she’s not even likable. Meanwhile, Sam’s past is washed under the bus. It doesn’t matter that she hurt a kid and was being so disgusting where Jake is concerned. It didn’t matter about all the men she scammed, in fact, they had her laugh it off like it was nothing when Jakeson and her were discussing their past. You must forget how nasty Sam was during the Jake time, running around town acting like they tried to hurt her on purpose and got pregnant on purpose, refusing to help find Jake, and then seducing Liz’s husband and wishing Jake were dead. She was a vile, raving b for almost a year, but yet she never got exposed. Everybody on soaps are hypocritical. Frankly, they have made everyone (Jason, Sam, and Liz) so unlikable that I can’t watch any of them. I just hate Sam more. At least she could have been exposed like everyone else. She was running around town being hypocritical too, so….She is the one that was always obsessed with Jason. Liz always walked away and then suddenly, they made her act like a lunatic. The only thing I’ll give Sam is that the writers trashed her back then because I don’t think she would have ever done that to a kid, just like I don’t think Liz would have done any of the crap she did the last two years.
If that’s the case, let me be the first to say to GH writers…it’s not that serious, nurse Amy the Elizabeth Webber character and be done with it already! I for one feel 1-2 shows a month for that Mary Sue travesty is too much screen time!
That’s what happens when you decide to give sermons in the middle of town on a ridiculously high soap box. You run the risk of someone kicking it from under you in front of everyone. Also while we’re on the subject, Sam never pretends to be holier than thou, unlike EW who prances around Port Charlers like she’s the new age Virgin Mary.
If by passion you mean hate then I have so much passion for Elizabeth Webber I can barely stand it. Ever since she was raped and Lucky put her back together, it has become a running trend for her. I swear every relationship she finds herself in her new man always has a pocket full of super glue with her name all over it! Not to mention, she is-stab myself in the eyes so I won’t have to watch her-boring. Because of these annoying character flaws I’m ecstatic to say Elizabeth Webber will never be the soap diva fans love to cheer for, and her storylines will continue fall just short of mediocre. Instead of GH writers revamping this character they really need to think about putting her out of her misery. #R.I.PElizabethWebber!
I hate it when they SORAS the kids because the first thing they do after that is make them juvenile delinquents. So no please do not SORAS.
It seems to be easier gor the writers to make the female stars look stupid snd dumb and always fighting over a man instead of making them smart. Liz is a nurse. She is not dumb so why do yhey portray her that way. Sam is not stupi either but they just keep portraying her and Liz and most of the females on the show as dumb. It is getting old.
Sam has actually grown as person unlike Liz who keeps repeating the same mistakes of and over
This is about Elizabeth not Sam or jason or Danny. You can have your sorry ass couple. Just keep them in their article.
I find it disgusting that Sam, who did far worse never was publicly exposed for the criminal acts she committed against a child (one she wished were dead) and then they had jason and Liz forgive her. Elizabeth is always exposed in public and humiliated. I hate that they have destroyed her now. I can’t even watch the show because of it. She has been trashed for years, but Sam gets everything. Why? She makes me ill and Jason makes me sick for forgiving her.
I read all of the article on Becky though I saw a more love affair with her and Nickolas. I see no romance between her and Jake. And to try and take Jason and Sam from us and put Becky in the mix was wrong. I now can’t even watch her scenes. .they make me sick to think of what she’s doing to Sam and Danny let them decide. It’s just not her place
[…] January 14, 2014 General Hospital: Why Elizabeth Webber Needs a Reset […]
oh yeah the little bitch should be interfere with siam, maybe what liz did should be revealed! oh yeah and remember when she told carly after she lost her baby “you didnt lose a baby you lost a meal ticket”, im no fan of carly but even she didnt deserve that but please keep defending the bitch! About time sam stopped being destroyed to prop the “maternal one”
Her son Cam should only be 10.
We watch Elizabeth Webber grow up into women and have Kids.Elizabeth can be Excitement interest danger heroism too.RC and Writers should put Elizabeth character front and center really.RC and Writers try to trashing this character every time they get a change the was wrong of them.And new character come on try to trashing Elizabeth character too and old character did same thing too.Elizabeth artis use that too.Elizabeth have history with everybody in PC.They writers think we are stupid.
First of all, maybe if they gave her a son SORASed to the age he should be, she would have some of the problems other “single mothers” of teens have. Also, show her as an actual mother, not have Gram take care of the kids all the time. And maybe developing her art would be a good thing. I’m tired of only looking at Sandwiches on the walls.
I’m torn. I don’t want to see a story about just Liz wife and mother. I’m that and I have no interest in watching it. Romance! Heck yes! I want her to experience everything I can’t! Excitement, danger, heroism not the mundane chore of day to day life. I’m discouraged when I see her holding a clipboard or supporting other people and heck I wouldn’t care if her children were born off on a freak tornado accident! They should never think “oh what should we do, make her pregnant and give her a child” The one child that should have stayed should have been Jason’s as that would have lead to things – Quatermaine, money, inheritance, Tracy, etc.. I belonged to a site called Liason Haven which is sadly no longer and read without a doubt the best fanfiction and not one of the stories were mundane or unexciting so if unpaid talented people can write stories that I begged for new chapters too why can’t a paid professional. All the other female characters seem to have story even Sam, my least favorite, has a child you never see and get story so it’s not Liz it’s just that once you are chosen as the good girl you get let by the side of the road! I say pick her up and set her off in new and exciting directions and let it include romance, danger and anything else that can be thrown in. Read some fanfiction and get a clue writers, there are a myriad of directions you can go.
Let me begin by saying I am one who really hates the character of Elizabeth Webber. In fact, when I read some time ago, that she was possibly leaving the show, I cheered. After reading this article, I must say, I like the Liz you describe. I would love a strong Liz standing on her own, finding her own power. I love the idea of her getting into her art, getting therapy, and leaving men alone until she has her stuff together. When she is ready, give her a new guy. Leave those past relationships in the past. None of them were ever healthy. Kudos to Jenn Bishop for describing a Liz I’d love to get to know.
Let’s hope Lucky stays gone. What a whiny cry baby. OMG
Well said
I agree but you forgot to add drug addict to that list. I can’t stand Lucky.
I agree with you but I am a person that watches for certain characters and I am getting ready to stop recording. This could back fire on the producer And writer I like to call Dumb and Dumber.
Thank you and AMEN! The writing IS superficial, as you’ve pointed out. Perhaps that’s why the writers seem to feel it’s necessary to be so ridiculously heavy-handed with many of their stories. Franco’s white wash remains difficult to swallow. A second wholesale white washing would be unbearable, especially if it’s done to force Elizabeth back into a relationship that has been toxic for her for years. This is the first I’ve heard of a possible Lucky recast/brainwashing story. If it’s true, it might be easy for me to finally turn GH off, even though I’ve been hanging on hoping for a decent story for Elizabeth. Another round of LL2 is probably the one and only Elizabeth story I couldn’t tolerate.
I honestly think that RC is holding out hope that Lucky will return in some form. When he first started, I think she was in limbo because they were in talks with JJ. Now I hear rumors they are going to recast and possibly do some brainwashing storyline to whitewash deadbeat dad which pisses me off. Because it would be a more meaty storyline if he had to deal with the fact that he sucks. Everyone gets to be whitewashed except for Elizabeth. Her past is thrown in her face weekly. If Lucky comes back and gets a pass I will pissed. Hell, I’ll be pissed if he comes back at all because they have been dysfunctional longer than they were good. They suck as a couple and too much crap has happened. I don’t want them together. I want her to move on without all of that baggage. I’m just about done with GH. I think the storylines are horrible, campy, disjointed, and lacks depth. There is nothing entertaining about this ADHD style of writing. It’s so superficial. And the Obrecht/Heather/Franco crap is just horrible and don’t even get me started on that train wreck Patrick/Sabrina/Robin. Another paternity storyline….really? Cause we haven’t had enough of that. How creative…….
It seems like the more we ask for a storyline, the more she gets yelled at, put down, or thrown into someone else’s stupid storyline to be used as a pimp for the newbies. I think RC decided Sabrina was the new Liz and has no use for her. For years, they writers have just trashed this character over and over. I’m really sick of it. The AJ pairing made me want to throw my t.v. through the window. They are under utilizing a great actress and I don’t get why. But, a horribly written character like Franco can do no wrong. I just don’t get why it’s so hard to write for her.
i SOOOO AGREE WITH THIS ARTICLE…
Being a writer, a fan of Elizabeth Webber, and representing the 18-25 demo, I am always confused when they have no ideas for Elizabeth. Trust me, I tweet RC about it all the time. @GHoracle
If I were to do a story for her based on the current canvas, here it goes…
-Liz and Sam find themselves face to face with Heather. Heather reminds Liz and Sam that Jason never got to know both of his sons before he died. Heather throws it in her face. This sends Liz reeling with guilt and back in her depression.
-Liz gets a phone call from Jeff Webber saying that he and Liz’s mother are coming to Port Charles to try to deal with Steven arrest. While waiting for them to arrive, Liz is informed that there plane went down. She tries to get in touch with Sarah but she cant. She feels guilt because she isnt as sad as she thinks she should be and starts to believe shes becoming evil by the hurt of Jake being gone. She goes to Kevin for help and becomes his patient.
-Meanwhile, its revealed that Silas’s wife Nina was pregnant and Ava helped her give birth during a confrontation. Silas believed the baby died but Ava wihisked it away. Nina wake up and the truth is out and Kiki writes Ava off completely and gets to know her bio mother. Ava explains that before she met Silas, she too had a child but she gave her child away to protect them from the mob life. The childs father agreed to lie about her maternity in efforts the Jerome crime family would never get their hands on the child.
-Franco pleads with Ava to help make money with his paintings again and Ava tells him he has to learn to paint again. Franco tells Carly his dilemma, and Carly seeks out Elizabeth to help Franco. Ava sees a painting Liz made to show Franco and falls in love with her work and offers her to work in the art gallery part time. Liz agrees, but its Julian who tries to get Ava to milk Liz. Julian wants to blackmail Liz into helping him be apart of Sam’s life.
-Ava and Liz end up talking about Liz’s loss of Jake and how shes getting therapy. Ava begins to confide in Liz that she too made a similar decision like the one Liz made with Jake. Ava tells Liz that she been searching for love ever since she promised the love of her life to stay away from her for his and their daughters safety.Ava also cant explain why she cant find it in her to blackmail Liz. Liz makes Ava feel extra soft. She believes Liz reminds her of herself when she was young and innocent, before she found out she was adopted. .
-When Liz confides in Ava about her father death and how she doesnt seem as sad because her parents were never there, something was familiar about the way Liz described her father. Ava questions him but she gets nothing worth valuable. Ava seeks out Carlos help to get more information of Liz’s father because something in her instinct told her something was off. Carlos does research and finds out that Liz’s father Jeff Webber is the same man Ava was involved with but he introduced himself to her as Jeff Hardy. Carlos concluded that Liz is indeed Ava’s child that she gave away.
-Julian confronts Liz face to face.about helping him get closer with Sam, demanding that Liz try to coax her his way, or that Liz sleep with Silas so Julian can pick up the pieces. When Liz refuses, Julian gets physical with her. Carlos sees Julian manhandling Liz and sees a gun in Julians hand. He assumes the worst and takes his gun out. Julian sees Carlos with the gun and assumes the worst (via Morgan trying to manipulate Julian into believing Carlos is a mole) and shoots Carlos. With Carlos’s gun, Liz shoots Julian, just in time for Detective Nathan to arrive. An injured Carlos runs off to the woods. Nathan tries to help a distraught Liz and promises her the law will work in her favor.
-Liz stumbles across Carlos in the woods by her house and takes him inside in gratitude for trying to help her. Carlos informs Liz that Ava is her mother and that nothing is what it seems. Liz begs Carlos to keep the secret because she doesnt want the Jerome danger around her boys. Liz is tried with attempted murder because it seems like she shot first being that no one wounded beside Julian was found. Her nurses licence is revoked.
-Ava offers the money to support Liz with a lawyer and Julian becomes furious. Nathan and Ava put away their differences to help Liz win this battle. In retaliation to Ava’s “betrayal” Julian makes sure Ava’s accounts are frozen and she loses her art gallery. Ava promises Liz to use her last dollars to make sure she wins because if it wasnt for her then she wouldnt have been in Julians lane. Nathan does digging and finds out that Liz’s investment that she thought she lost was actually rapidly multiplying into hundreds of millions. Nathan informs Liz and she keeps the news to herself in fear that Ava would try to take advantage of her. Ava uses her last dollar to pay for Liz’s lawyer and she loses the case.
-Ava, who took passion in her sudden goodness, is hurt that she lost everything. Liz however, saw the genuine good in Ava that tried to help Liz who she didnt know was her daugher. Liz makes Carlos to vow to never tell her secret. Carlos says he’s forever in Liz’s debt for saving him and keeping him out of sight from the cops.
-Julian puts a hit out on Ava, informing Carlos to kill her before midnight. Carlos informs Liz, and Liz attempts to warn Ava in riddles. Ava gets the gist and fears for her life. This leads Ava to the GH roof to commit suicide. Liz catches Ava going to commit suicide (in the same exact position from the time she contemplated suicide) and unleashes the truth that she is Ava’s daughter and she wants to help Ava. Ava enjoys her reunion with her daughter. Liz asks Carlos to spare Ava’s life and he does but in fear Julan will kill him. Ava tells Carlos to work for her but then Carlos questions her finances. Liz decides to play with fire, explaining her sudden millions and how she will be a secret investor to Ava.
-Ava and Liz work together to build Ava’s “empire”. Ava on the mob front, and Liz rebuilding the art gallery. Detective Nathan begins to sniff his nose much more in Ava’s business after the long lost daughter” reveal. He worries about Liz’s safety around the Jeromes and isnt aware that Liz isnt so innocent. Ava ask Carlos to kill Nathan. Liz finds out and begs Carlos not to kill Nathan. Carlos is conflicted by his business and his interest in Liz. Liz promises she has no interest in Nathan but its the right thing to do.
-Carlos and Liz begin to grow very very close. Until Nathan comes arcoss the Jake hit and run and recognizes Jake as a child who is alive. He informs Liz who is very reluctant to believe him.
*Positive: Liz gets a career change/ becomes stronger/ gets to have a balance of her woman hood and bad girl side/ Liz gets to be in a potentially epic triangle. Carlos/Liz/Nathan (man who’s trying to change for her) and (the man with a possible dark side)/.she gets the mother that fans always wondered about/ she ends up in a beautiful story of being given away like the way she gave away her son/ Sam and Liz become first cousins/ both Jasons kids had Jerome blood (irony)/ Liz realizes being on the side of the mob is not that bad/ SUPER FUTURE STORYLINE such as Jason returns and both the ladies of his life belong to the Jeromes.
I didn’t take the main article as meaning a literal reset that would erase Elizabeth’s rich history. I think the author meant a reset as in big changes because seeing Elizabeth in the background or inserted in other people’s stories is not working; its terrible for the character. She needs a whole new purpose and story- but with the character’s integrity, history and beautiful personality in tact.
I agree with you. Lucky is long gone & should not dictate Liz’s love life
Oh God, please don’t do any of this. Liz is boring and played out. She doesn’t have the ability to be a front burner character. Supporting is best and even then, half the time its a y-a-w-n.
There are some good points to this article like how the actress who portrays Elizabeth is a talented actress, or that Elizabeth Webber is from a core family, or that Elizabeth is a strong character who overcame a horrific experience which she won an Emmy for. To say her character alone needs a reset is an understatement in order to reset Elizabeth you need to reset General Hospital as a whole. To have characters change some in personality is growth for an actor/actress, but when you change that character to the point where the fans who have tuned into them day in and day out are left not recognizing that character anymore you lose viewers. General Hospital for the past 4 to 5 years have changed the basis of so many characters it left you not recognizing who they were which made the show at times unbearable to watch. I have watched General Hospital since the Frisco and Felicia days . That couple reeled me and since then I have loved a lot of characters together including the first pairing of Liz and Lucky, but two many Lucky’s and too much time and questionable things out grew this couple for me. For some reason Elizabeth’s character has never been allowed to move past Lucky for too long and after the third time enough was enough it lost all it’s excitement. My hope for General Hospital was the Metro Court Hostage Crisis (love that sweeps)..and the couple of my all time favorite pairing Elizabeth Webber and Jason Morgan had me watching General Hospital all over again they reminded me of Frisco and Felicia the compassionate artist/nurse with a spunky side to her and the mob enforcer with the heart of gold. Who couldn’t write an interesting story for that (oh right gh) trust me I read tons of fanfics on the couple so it was possible. It suppose to be a soap people started watching to forget their daily lives for that hour and live in fantasy through their favorite characters. That’s what Elizabeth and Jason would Have been, but instead of another epic love pair GH choose the route of writing them out of character. During the metro court hostage crisis Jason said “I know all the reasons this is going to be difficult, but you and I made this baby and I want our child I want it more than anything”!!! Instead of Jason claiming his child you had him talk about the danger ,danger like it was a disease then you have his character completely walking away and no interaction from the child he wanted more than anything. Then he takes back the person who threatened his child. The powers at Gh thought that wasn’t enough that they had to try to fire Rebecca Herbst when that didn’t work there only next option was to have Jake killed by his pretend grandfather from drinking but yet he was never charged in the homicide, Then they have Jason once again as a backdrop for his own child in the death and then ask for a kidney from the child you barely knew existed. Rebecca Herbst rose to the occasion as an actress playing a grieving mother the slap she delivered could be heard for miles and her words “you walked away and never looked back” she should of won another emmy for that piece. In between all this you try to connect LnL5000 (just get over it that hip has sailed) only to have her sleep with Nicolas (gross is all I can say) that pairing was just painful to watch. Oh yeah let’s not forget you give Jason another child ( thank you Steve Burton for leaving)with the women who threatened Jake. Then you have Liz look like she’s pinning over Jason and the feelings are one sided you have Liz lie and change the results of Sam’s paternity test. seriously!!!! (once again thank you Steve burton for leaving) I believe he realized there was no way to fix his character’s issues..Gh has started stories to drop them then try to start another ..you have sonny sleeping with anything that walks, you now have Carly trying a pairing with someone who threatened her daughter and was the enemy of her best friend. What were you thinking making Todd manning Franco…I watched one life to live love Todd even if you couldn’t keep the character the actor could of been anyone else. then there was Monica being a total hypocrite to Elizabeth judging her once again seriously did she remember her past. There is so much to go on about and what is wrong with GH oh yeah that wasn’t the question. You can’t reset one character without fixing the rest, the actress of Rebecca Herbst and character Elizabeth Webber as well as her fanbase deserves a story whether it involve a pairing or not. We deserve for her to be more than a wallflower used to prop other stories.
Thanks for commenting Maria! Like your idea about Liz being a sketch artist. I remember the scene you’re referring to. It was great scene.
I would also like to point out that this is the FOURTH soap opera publication to ask the question of why Elizabeth isn’t on screen with a story. And the questions started a year ago. The only response from GH and RC/FV is that we shouldn’t watch the show for only one person. And then attack the fans. It is ridiculous that this woman who has topped poll after poll, while only been given 1-2 days of airtime a month, used only to introduce new characters onto the canvas, is left by the wayside. It is lazy writing and producing. I’ve said it before and will do so again. I see it as a conspiracy to drive Rebecca Herbst’s fans away and make new viewers only see her as a shrew/busy-body rather than the history-rich, survivor that she is. They are trying to disillusion her fan base so that when they fire her for “budget reasons” they aren’t faced with the same backlash that the last regime faced.
What I absolutely love about this article is the response it’s gotten from Liz fans. It should prove to the EP and HW what a gem they have in Becky. I’ll admit at first the word reset didn’t sit well with me. However after giving it more thought maybe that’s exactly what the character needs. I would start with sorasing Cam and Aiden. If Cam was a teen that would open up a lot more story possibilities for Liz. He should be rebellious and mad as hell that his father abandoned them. While he is off saving other kids a world away. Being a nurse should make it easy for her to interact with other characters. Let’s not forget that she is more then a nurse and single mom. She is an artist and that talent should be exploited. I loved when she helped Robert identify the man Olivia saw in her vision. How cool that the writers remembered her talent and put it to good use. Liz knew Faison all too well. It was a great nod to history. Why couldn’t she work part time for the PCPD as a sketch artist. There is so much history and so much potential for this character. So why isn’t RC coming up with stories for this great character. It’s embarrassing that fans can create dozens of story possibilities for Liz but the the HW and his staff can’t come up with one interesting story arc for her. She has so much history to build from. Liz should be leading stories not used as a prop for newbies. I just hope that the writers finally decide to turn their attention to her. Becky not only has the acting chops but no one deserve a chance at a reset more than she does. .
Appreciate the thought and heart that went into this insightful editorial. Love how passionate Liz fans are.
I’ve often thought this should happen. Because Tom was never convicted on any crimes against Liz, she wouldn’t be notified when he was released. Emily would be notified, but she’s dead. So it’s a very plausible storyline. As long as it ends like KermitKlein suggests. No falling in love with a rapist for Liz. She needs to be able to save herself.
RC has a tendency to have rape victims (OLTL”s Marty and Jessica) sleeping with their rapist, so a stalker for Liz will easily go south in his hands!
It just dawned me that the writers are probably waiting on Lucky “snot nose crying three time cheater (Sarah, Maxie, and Sam” to come home so that they can write another round of LnL666, Liz deserves so much more than one of her whiny exes!
To start with I find it hard to believe that a writer would blame a character of a show for the characters problems.
EW’s history is a direct result of poor writing and should be laid at the feet of Guza and RC. EW’s was one half of two different super-couples. However in each pairing the writers wanted other actors and actress to be the star so the character of EW was trashed. After it became apparent that trashing her character was not enough to get many to let go of Liz and Jason and boost Lucky Spencer back to saint status. TPTB decided to fire the actress. Now this writing team has basically done the same in hopes of pushing Nicholas and Britt pairing. EW is not being trashed she just flat out missing in action.
The truth is you called Liz/Lucky and Liz/Jason failed relationships but not in terms of soap couples. Both were iconic. Just because the writers chose to go with the other pairings doesn’t change that both were loved. The fact that EW was part of two super-couples and could easily be part of a third if RC were to write Nicholas and Elizabeth together by rebuilding from a friendship up says a lot for the actress.
Does she need an reset? Yes. That I would agree with she needs to be freed from her history. I would love to see a car accident were she is taken from the car and is missing for sometime. Held by a very alive Helena. To make absolutely certain that Nicholas and Britt find their way down the aisle. While she is missing age the kids. It’s time… Having them staying with her sister.
While she is being held allow for a distant cousin of Nicholas to befriend her and fall in love. Let her art be her only means of solitude while captive and that be the trigger for the friendship that is built. After a time he will help her escape then allow her to come home.
When she returns she finds life has went on without her. Her friends and loved ones had moved on. She’ll feel betrayed and only lean on the friend/love interest she built while away. She’ll start to rebuild with him and slowly allow only a few who work at in. Nicholas will be one of them. Liz would not be the same and for once she would choose her desinty.
It was the 9/12/13 episode. Carly and Elizabeth on the docks.
GH is also a teaching hospital, right. Why not have her teach nurses, like Grey’s Anatomy teach. Hardcore cases (stabbings, gunshots, horrific diseases, etc.). Then she’ll be available to get in other character’s lives. There are really only 3 nurses now, right? Elizabeth, Sabrina and Sabrina’s friend. You’ve got the head nurse, Epiphany, so she can’t be that but put her back on the front lines of the “nurses station” and out of her living room or Kelly’s. She’ll be able to meet new characters: doctors, patients, nurses, family members of sick people in GH. So many stories just write themselves. I really do like Elizabeth. The writers have made her milk toast, I say, WAKE HER UP!
I agree that Liz is not being used anywhere near her potential. There are SO many wonderful ideas in this article and the comments. I just don’t understand why they don’t use her more.
Agreed. I
But if they write it better, it will play better. And Lucky should have no bearing on Liz anymore.
When Lucky was with Rebecca (Emily’s look-a-like sister), Nik and Liz tried to make them jealous by sharing a kiss at Jake’s when they walked in. That one kiss made me think there was a possible connection there….but then it was dropped and later on the ‘affair’ happened. Too bad, because I agree with you that their friendship could grow into a beautiful love story.
Liz needs a story– a story that involves more than being “the friend” or “the nurse on the side”– I personally would like Audrey to have dementia and do that type of thing with her having to care for her kids and Gram too.
I didn’t see that! I’ll have to find it somewhere, Thanks..
I want her to disappear. I never like Liz.
LOL. RC even changes a 21 year vet like Jason Morgan for a plot device.
As long as she’s the one that ends up going all Jennifer Lopez “Enough” on Tom at the end instead of having to be saved by Nathan, I’m down with that idea.
AJ should promise her the position of “chief of staff” if she returns to him. Being a Q, means he holds many hospital connections! You don’t need to be a Dr. to become the Chief.
We do know Liz’s opinion on Franco. She told Carly she was crazy for dating him on the docks on Jason’s new birthday.
My story line for Liz would be for her to have a stalker. At first it would seem harmless and then it start to escalate. The guy who raped her all those years ago gets out of prison, and is obsessed with liz. She gets to show how strong she is but also get a new love interest in Nathan west.
I don’ see why she can’t be in a scenes with them it doesn’t mean she’s hanging out befriending them it simply means just what it is….Franco may want to paint with her and she refuses and calls him out; I really don’t know her opinion ./ POV re: his mind altering tumor she’s a nurse would she dismiss it all? Ava can want to sell her art work and she refuses….anything…eg Ava gets a hold of her artwork and sells it without her knowledge or something…and what about Silas? He’s not mob related thus far or a psycho path he’s a physician.
The point is she is isolated on the canvas from scenes that she could be in re: “her character” that’s the point I’m driving here…there are places she could be to showcase her persona.
You are so right Shawna! Zander turning up alive would certianly impact Liz’s life! With all the other back from the dead characters he would certainly fit right in! You have awesome ideas.
Sadly, RC is too enamored of his ’80s vets to worry too much about the granddaughter of the show’s original leading man having a story of her own. I enjoyed Quiz until RC decided to tank the pairing for a boring murder mystery of a character fans wanted in prison for killing Trey, kidnapping Johnny, and running Ellie down like a blade of grass. AJ and Liz could have been the next generation of Hardy/Webber/Quartermaine married couple with their romance, fights, children and drama. While AJ was running ELQ, Liz could have decided she wanted back into her art or even off to PCU to become a doctor to eventually become COS one day. Ahhhh — the possibilities of stories with Liz is out there if RC/FV are willing to spend less time on their pets and more time seeing the gem that is Liz/RH.
Thank you. She does deserve way better than that.
If a writer thinks that Elizabeth needs a reset, I’m just going see you as a crappy writer. This character doesn’t need a reset. Reset how? Take her children away, pretend that she wasn’t raped, take away the fact she’s a nurse or was an artist. How exactly do you reset a character? I don’t see a character that has lost her confidence or relevance. What I see is just writers that don’t want to write for her.
The idea of Elizabeth being around Franco as inspiration for art does nothing but bring the character of Elizabeth down. Like really? Are we forgetting this woman is a rape survivor? That this man kidnapped her child. It’s no way in the world would I want Elizabeth talking shop and becoming friends with a man that set a teenage boy’s rape in motion and had a woman thinking that he raped her. Tumor or no tumor.
As for Ava. The whole big reason why Elizabeth and Jason couldn’t be together was because he was part of the mob and they wanted her children to remain safe. So now we want Elizabeth to plunk herself right down in the middle of a mob war since everyone in town knows that Ava is working with Julian so she can realize her artistic talent. Come on now.
I’m not even going to touch why this author thinks that she should spend hours upon hours self analyzing herself since I don’t see Elizabeth lacking confidence in herself. Hesitant in relationships. Understandable. But that doesn’t require therapy. And unless a writer is going to bring back Jack, I don’t need to see scenes of her talking hours upon hours with Kevin about it.
How about this for a novel idea? At one time, GH touched upon an organ trafficking storyline. Let’s go back to that. Let’s have the hospital needing a system upgrade and Elizabeth is put in charge of helping with the system upgrade by Epiphany. Have Elizabeth notice discrepancies between with the files of the organ donors. Have her looking into that until it comes a time she needs to pull Anna into this. It’s an actual hospital storyline instead of a faux that GH is now currently trying to playoff as a hospital storyline called the Robin/Patrick/Sabrina saga intermix with Brad/Felix. Maybe as she’s looking through the files she realizes a discrepancy in Jake’s file. After all, the mystery car that was on the road was never explained. The reason why Steven was so adamant that she didn’t see Jake, never explained, & the fact that Jake & Joss matched was never explained. Have her realize her son might be alive and go looking for him.
If we want to touch her artistic side, we can use that with redeeming AJ at the same time. Have AJ get his crap together and start a start up company using his own money by selling his ELQ stock to Skye or Monica. He can’t afford a top artist to design his label and logos, etc. Have him ask Elizabeth for help as a friend. He’ll pay her a salary for part time work to help him on the designer side. This plot showcases Elizabeth’s artistic side, finally get AJ out of being the constant loser, build up slowly a friendship or build back up their romantic relationship that was destroyed for no true reason, it has nothing to do with the mob, and it helps build up the business of GH that is so heavily needed.
These are just some ideas of mine
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And P.S. Elizabeth hated being the Face of Deception because it reminded her of Tom so I don’t see her going back to being the FOD.
Liz does deserve her own storyline and it doesn’t have to involve a new lover for at least not at first. I think they should explore who her mother is, we don’t know that and I think that would be interesting to see her mother come into town. Or Tom, her rapist could be released from prison and cause her to relive what happened to her.
Ciara – I absolutely agree with you about the relationship with AJ. It could have been a fresh start for both of them. AJ and Elizabeth were good together, I like that they let it develop a little slower while she figured out if she could trust him. He proved himself to her until his slip. How great would it have been for there to be scenes following his slip when she confronted him about what he said to her? What if (god forbid) they have a real, adult conversation about it and moved forward. If TPTB hadn’t dropped that storyline for so long it could have had so much potential. I would love to see them correct that mistake.
AJ Elizabeth Nathan.
Some would say that her history with men stems from the fact that her parents abandoned her and then she was raped and never got any therapy thanks to Lucky “fixing her” And as far as being fickle – yes there was the Jason/Lucky back and forth when she was a kid. But later she made her choice and Jason walked away from her to keep her safe (this could have a rant all to itself), Zander was a couple of one night stands, Ric almost killed her twice, Lucky cheated on her twice while they were married and was physically and verbally abusive to her, Ewan she went out on one date with, Matt was her friend and he tried to kiss her and she said no, and she chose AJ until he started drinking again and threw her dead child in her face. So yeah if getting out of abusive relationships is fickle, then I guess she’s guilty. But I would call it common sense.
Okay, i’ll bite. I don’t think Liz needs to be reset any more than Carly, Sam, or Alexis need to be. They all have the same “baggage” that FV is so fond of pointing out for Elizabeth. As much as I loved LL2 when it was happening too much damage has been done to that relationship and not even a Lucky has been brainwashed all this time story I’ve heard floated about can fix that. RC is pretty fond of bringing people back from the dead, why not Jake? Why couldn’t Helena have taken him and framed Luke? For some reason I believe that RC/FV see Elizabeth as Destined to be with Lucky and no one else. In my dream world, Elizabeth stops feeling guilty for a 2 second affair with Nik, because after all Lucky cheated on her THREE times, including with her sister, and stands up for herself and her kids. I’d like to see some of that spitfire back. Calling Luke out for killing her son and still drinking. Telling Silas about Sam’s watching her son be kidnapped and then hiring people to threaten them with guns. Maybe then he could not feel so guilty aboutcoma-wife. Yes it would be great for Elizabeth get back to her art, but hang with Franco the man who kidnapped her child? only if its to work to bring him down once and for all. Maybe she could start her own business, or maybe if we wanted to get back to soaps being relevant, Aiden could develop a learning disability or autism and Liz could take up therapy. Or maybe Liz could have been secretly investing in real estate and now suddenly she owns some valuable waterfront that is needed by Sonny or the Jerome’s. There was a time before Courtney that they were leading to Elizabeth being related to Sonny (they shared a rare blood type, she comforted him after Carly’s miscarriage) we could explore that. How about we find out who her mother is. I mean Sam’s related to pretty much everyone on the show, is it too much to give Liz a family? Whatever it is, it’s not rocket science to write a story for a character with such a rich history, but instead we get newbies on parade.
Thanks and I know it’s sad but characters on Daytime Soaps are more valued when they are a part of Popular Couples. It’s stupid and I do think Becky should be valued regardless, however, she isn’t and that’s the sad truth.
It an be summed up in one sentence for me I find it more than difficult to believe that the descendant of the founding character of a 50 year show (Dr. Steve Hardy) can’t be created a storyline outside of awful triangles that she doesn’t get the golden pen to win.
Liz deserves better than that.
What if Elizabeth loses her memory then her character can change
Why not let her pick up the peices for Nicholas when brit screwsup
Thank you so much for your thoughtful examination of Elizabeth! Reading this piece and seeing the possibilities for her makes the waste of potential and talent almost as frustrating as watching today’s show, when we saw Elizabeth finally reappear after more than a month to serve as a sounding board for Robin for a few brief but lovely scenes, only to disappear into the mostly off-camera life she’s been leading for far too long. I’d watch this character on any journey that makes her more than simply a great friend and mother and nurse. Those are wonderful things and part of what I love about her, but she needs some definition beyond serving others. I don’t even think it has to be as complicated as a reset. A decent, SUSTAINED story that adds some character dimension would do the trick. I wish the writers would commit to that for her the way they do for so many others.
Liz finds herself sitting on the GH hospital board after Grams turns over one of the two permanent board seats that belong to the Hardy; Liz finds herself owning ELQ stock that Alan set aside for Jason’s children that Luke/Tracy stole in 2007; Liz finds herself knee deep in the organ trafficking ring that Steven Lars/Johnny worked on and discovers that Josselyn does not have Jake’s kidney; Liz finds herself going to medical school to become a doctor; Liz finds herself selling her artwork to Ava which leads to stolen art ring; Liz finds herself having to deal with Grams alzheimer’s; Liz finds herself witnessing a mob hit that has her married to Julian who mysteriously dies and she ends up with his fortune and she sets up an art program at the hospital; Liz finds out that Zander switched “her Cam” at the CA hospital, so who is the Cam that she’s been raising since 2004?; Liz stumbles on Maureen Harper with Jake whose death she faked after own son died in a hit and run: Liz finds herself dealing with her father after he comes home to bury his wife; Liz finds herself in a long anticipated romance!
You have a very selective memory. RC wrote Ewan out of the show. His story had to do with the Jaxes and the dead man’s hand and Liz played a very minor role in the whole thing. She was probably on screen 1/20th the time that he was until the last 4 days when he went nuts and kidnapped her. Are you trying to say that you consider 4 days writing for her? If so there is too big of a gap between us to even bother trying to close. similarly Liz was in a front burner story with AJ but was again a minor part of it. AJ spent more scenes with Michele, his mother, Tracey, Alice and even Carly and Sonny than he ever did with Liz. Liz barely had any scenes with anyone else and when she did it was Patrick or Sabrina and the scenes were about them. And lets not forget the big 3 day long paternity switch story that again featured the other characters involved a lot more than it did Liz.
I never said the column was saying she should be back burnered but it did say that it hoped the reason was for a reset and I stated that that’s not the way to do it.
I dislike Niz, because sooner or later Lucky/JJ will return to the show and I would rather not hear those discussing words come out of his mouth after the Niz affair. The most destructive thing that was done to Liz/RH and Nik/TC is the Niz affair which ultimately saw Becky fired/re-hired and Tyler let go one year after the story bombed.
Thanks. I certainly hope they are!
Maybe if Elizabeth wasn’t so fickle, she wouldn’t be in this position. She’s always stringing guys along and then bailing on them. Jason, Zander, Ric, Lucky, Nik, Ewan, Matt and now AJ. Add to that all the paternity lies and cheating. She’s just not believable anymore. I don’t believe a word out of her mouth.
The only s/l that would interest me is Liz painting again, something dark and controversial or being the FOD again.
P.S. Liz doesn’t have a romantic past with Nik, they had an affair behind Lucky’s back.
Yes, there are a lot of stories to be told with Liz, however, you need a writer committed to seeing that story from beginning to end, and sadly, I don’t think RC has it in him to do it justice. If Michele ValJean was still on the show, I’m sure that she could write a compelling story for Liz that would move her on to the next level; art/therapist, Pediatrician/Lead Nurse, COS, uncovering hospital mysteries, working with Ava or Lucy (no Franco, because RC had OLTL’s Marty sleeping with her rapist), looking into the stolen art ring, and I do agree that not everyone character needs a romance to be a viable character in their own right.
A great article! My constant rants about Liz’s lack of story and airtime may actually subside a bit because you wrote about the subject in the first place-not to mention the substance of what you wrote. What I mean to say is that my frustration about Liz was steadily morphing into a larger frustration at the fact that no one outside her fan base seemed to be acknowledging her absence or lack of story much less addressing it in any public way. It was a bit like catching your SO red handed with someone else and being told your not seeing what you think you are or you’re crazy for believing your lying eyes. I would love to see RC/FV “reset” Liz. I for one do not need to see her in a relationship at this point or any point in the near future. It may sound trite to some but I do believe the character needs to “find herself” before she can have a valid on-screen point of view. Right or wrong, Liz has been written in such a way that she is in desperate need of a come to Jesus moment (figure of speech). I do believe there are plenty of places to take this character and hope that RC/FV are willing to do so.
But Elizabeth did have a story prior to Carlivati. She was rebuilding herself after the desperate Shadybrooke ploy to keep Lucky. She started therapy and later dating. But I do think more than Carlivati contributed to this mess. He just isn’t interested in working or writing it unfortunately.
Thanks for commenting! Becky is great at the character driven stuff so I hope we get our wish.
Thanks for commenting Shawna! You’re right soaps are about romance. I would love for Liz a great guy in the future. Not sure if he’s on campus right now or not. Until then I want Liz to love herself:)
I liked the story line with AJ too for the same reason as you. It was unfortunate it didn’t take off like it could have.
You said so perfectly what I have been thinking. I really really really hope that TPTB see this and take it to heart. ESPECIALLY the part about Liz not needing a romantic interest to have a story. I am not sure how I feel about a Franco/Liz friendship, but stranger things have happened. If written right, ANYTHING is possible IMO.
I was not a fan of how Michael’s rape was handled at all. I like your idea better! It was a missed opportunity for Liz.
Good idea regarding Elizabeth’s parents! I think that the current writers of GH are trying but the character just needs a lot of TLC:)
I don’t even have a response for your first paragraph. But Elizabeth was involved in a front-burner storyline with AJ from January – August. She also had her romance with Ewen in 2012 that ultimately went bad.
Anyways, no one said the backburner Elizabeth. Everything that was written expressed a desire to see the show feature Elizabeth’s journey to finding herself.
Yes but before RC it was because Brian Fronz was a huge freakin shmuck who wanted to spite the audience that forced him to keep her when he wanted to fire her and because he was trying to cancel the show. Garin Wolf not only wanted to write for her but he wanted to make her a lead but Fronz shot him down. To be honest Fronz gave RC and FV their jobs before he left, I wouldn’t be surprized if they were doing this for their buddy! Incidentally she did have a story prior to RC taking over. Remember the Mat and Ewen triangle? It wasn’t great but it was a story and RC couldn’t wait to wrap it up.
And no the point of the column wasn’t to blame anyone, it was to blame the character for being unwritable which is ridiculous. If you want to reset Elizabeth you don’t hide her for months and then bring her back and pretend she’s different, you show what inspires her to change and then follow her through the changes. It’s like back in the beginning of RC’s run when he said in interview that we weren’t seeing Elizabeth because of her last relationship and the death of her son. We didn’t see any of that and when they did occasionally briefly use her afterwards she was written like nothing had changed.
Elizabeth didn’t have a story prior to Ron Carlivati becoming head writer either. The point of this column wasn’t to finger the blame at anyone in particular, which is why no head writers were named.
I agree with most of the article, however I will add that I would like her to have the whole package- a story outside of a man but also a new relationship- even if its a slow growing friendship. I know many think Nikolas/Liz was destructive to Liz and that’s true to an extent because Liz took the fall from grace however the Niz friendship is special & I would love to see Niz grow into a beautiful love story. Even if it takes many months, I think this would be soapy and beautiful.
Thank you for this article. I agree that Elizabeth desperately needs a real story. I don’t think she needs to be reset, just written for. You made great suggestions and I will add: the missing piece of the Elizabeth Webber puzzle– her MIA parents. The writers have made time to accommodate story for the never ending family arcs for Franco and Kiki but can’t spare an arc for Elizabeth. It’s a real insult to longterm viewers that supported this show through its worst times. Unfortunately the GH writer has admitted he won’t write for Elizabeth. Our GH vets deserve better.
There are tons of stories for Elizabeth, her rapist could get out of jail and stalk her for revenge, she helped catch him and held a gun on him. Her long lost parents could show up and she can face her abandonment issues that started w/them leaving her at the neighbors and going abroad and never showing up for anything in her life. She could have a seat on the board of gh given to her by her grams,gramps,dad…….. I could go with Liz going into art but no way should she be near franco, a murderer who let a woman think she was raped and kidnapped Liz son. She does need to get away from the spencers, they are all horrible to her.
There have been missed opportunities with the character, such as when Michael was raped, Liz was the only character on the at the time that had been through that, Michael’s uncle,mom,and dad know her and 2 had been close friends and no one goes to her for help, no instead someone hires him a hooker/stripper. With Robin’s return, Liz has lived through this, her first love died and was actually held by faison, maybe Patrick could be talking to her see how she coped.The character has been through so much and has ties to everyone, except these new people, she has years of stories left these uncreative writers are the problem.
The only thing Elizabeth needs to be relevant again is a new writer. RC is horrible, repetitive and only interested in his personal favorites, his pets from his old show, and his own new creations. A writer for a soap with a 50 year history should know that the show is for the audience not himself and in this day in age soaps need all the audience they can get. Wasting a popular character is foolish thing to do and RC certainly is a huge fool.
Anyone of your ideas could b a great story for Elizabeth and so could a million other ideas but none of what you said is the reason Elizabeth hasn’t had a tory since RC took over writing the show.
I loved this article and agree with everything. Liz doesn’t need to be in the background anymore. As far as relationships, personally I liked her with AJ because it was fresh start for both of them until it blew up and the story was dropped for way too long. I miss the days of when she, Robin, Emily, and the others would go out and kick back. The girl needs fun in her life. Also, I could see Elizabeth as Chief of Staff and that would certainly pit her against Monica (another character underutilized).
I love this article. As a fellow Elizabeth and Rebecca Herbst fan, I’ve been dismayed by the lack of air time. All of your ideas are fabulous. I’ve especially wanted Elizabeth’s artistic talent to be used in stories as a central feature. There’s so much that can be done with that, as you pointed out. I want to see her heading a hospital story too. Elizabeth is a smart, sexy heroine and I want to see the character at the center of stories again. Rebecca Herbst is a huge asset to the show.
I love Elizabeth and I love the idea of her getting back into her art. Although they gave her art studio to Sabrina and Felix to live in.
I have never loved Elizabeth as a nurse and I always wanted to see her pursue her dream of being an artist. I also agree that Ava and Franco may be the way to make that happen. I have hated everything Franco since they brought RH back as him but a friendship with Elizabeth isn’t a bad idea because it could make him a tad more likable, maybe if he was a real friend to Liz.
I think a way to bring out her stronger self is perhaps to resurrect Zander and give her a story as a mother. I think that Rick could be behind Zander’s escape because he was the one who was in charge at the shootout outside Brenda’s old cottage that supposedly killed Zander. A reason for Rick to have helped Zander escape prosecution for the PC Hotel fire maybe that Zander had something on Rick from his time working with Faith because Zander worked for Faith too. It also puts Alexis and Rick at odds because Alexis always had a soft spot for Zander because of Cameron so if she helped him and Rick came back it could create drama on top of the my daughter is dating a Mobster Hit man’s kid and my ex-wife is with a Mob boss again.
There’s also the option to re-create that LiRic magic and Zander has a history with Maxie, she had such a huge crush on him when she was younger. If you pair Maxie and Zander they would have the parent issue in common because they both don’t have their child. You could even pair Lulu and Zander and create drama for when Lucky possibly returns in the future. If Lulu after she finds out about her son and gets him back identifies with Zander wanting to be a part of Cameron’s life. That creates that Spencer drama because Lucky maybe the only father Cameron knows but he has also abandoned him.
I know you weren’t talking about romantic options but romance is a big part of Soaps and I don’t think there are any romantic possibilities on the canvas for Liz right now so resurrecting some of her history with returns of Rick and Zander could give the character a new lease on life romantically.
Laura, you do know that we can tell if people are posting comments under false names right? Keep it cute. Your comments as “Tony” and “Nemi” will be deleted. Do not do it again.
General Hospital’s ratings is better than ever without Liz on. I wish y’all will pimp out some other GH’s characters and actors like ya do to Rebecca Herbst. hehe.
I hate that GH is wasting money on keeping an actress whose character shows no purpose on the show. How about using those money to bring back characters who actually matter like Frisco, Blackie etc?
Elizabeth is byfar the most dull and pathetic character. I’m glad Elizabeth isn’t on as much and I hope it stays that way, but really, I think it’s time for Elizabeth to exit Port Charles because she is not needed.
Thanks for this!! As this column went on I found myself agreeing more and more…I see so many stories for Elizabeth so many possibilities that it baffles me she is so under used…I would love to see her love for art explored…I do want to see a real character driven story ..I definitely haven’t given up on her finding love and happiness finally but I do agree that it shouldn’t be her entire reason for being…
My wish for Elizabeth is simply, give her a story of her own. She doesn’t need a reset, just a story. She, Elizabeth and Becky, deserves better than to be a prop to others and on the back burner. I miss seeing Becky’s beautiful face on my screen.