‘General Hospital’ Week In Review: Tidings Of Comfort And Joy

Last week’s General Hospital made me fall in love with GH. I was a very happy soap fan after watching a week full of romance, adventure, celebration and soapiness. There was a classic ‘90s era feel to it but also a refreshed over all vibe.

GH continues to improve upon the way in which it utilizes the amazing cast by giving us a good balance of story. For example, the absolutely wonderful Crimson story line involves Maxie, Nina, Julian, Dillon, Alexis, Franco, Nathan, etc. to some extent or another. I’m also glad to see that many great characters are getting new perspective and purpose.

There was a lot I wanted to talk about regarding this past week of GH but I wasn’t able to touch upon everything. Please leave a comment below or tweet me if you want to chat about anything I did or did not mention.

General Hospital Week In Review for episodes that aired December 14th-December 17th.

Scorpio Rising

Patrick’s exit story line has official begun as the saga of Robin’s captivity finally nears a resolution. I think fans always knew that Robin’s rescue would be reserved to usher Jason Thompson off the show when and if that were to ever happen. It does seem a fitting farewell for the beloved doctor. It’s also feel like the right thing do for fans of Robin and Patrick a.k.a Scrubs. Back in 2012, keeping Robin alive but offscreen seemed like a good idea…at the time. But those best intentions turned into a cause of frustration for many viewers and perhaps also the cast. There was a better way to tell this story, one that didn’t stifle Patrick’s solo journey or upset Robin’s very large fanbase. But regardless of those past mistakes, the beginning of the end is off to a good start.

The investigation into Robin’s disappearance and her rescue is a family affair. It started in Paris as Patrick and Emma quickly realized that something was amiss when Robin was nowhere to be found. The first clue is discovered when Emma recognizes a Cassadine necklace around the neck of a French woman, sent to lead them away from the correct path. Patrick calls on Robin’s spy parents for assistance and the race is on to find Robin. It looks like viewers will get a happy ending. I like the choice of key players that are involved and that GH was able to get Robert back for the end game.

In a way Patrick’s farewell does seem more like Robin’s story. I feel like it needs to be that way because of how story (and lack there of) for Patrick had been the last few years. Robin couldn’t be just left locked in a lab for all of eternity. Fans would have had a fit! What we are being given is a goodbye to one of GH’s great super couples. With all the factors considered, I’m glad that this is Patrick’s exit story line and I hope it brings some comfort to the fans who will miss him.

Franco-ly My Dear

The creative team got creative with the introduction of what appears to be a budding friendship between Liz and Franco. My pal Shannon and I have wanted to see this interaction for a long time but I was very pleasantly surprised by how much conversation this generated from viewers. I couldn’t be more content with how these two characters ended up instantly clicking. Rebecca Herbst and Roger Howarth both have their own very unique acting styles and pairing them probably wouldn’t seem like an obvious choice but the differences just added entertainment value. The actors have very good timing together and an easy chemistry.

It isn’t just the actors that work together. The characters themselves have enough shared elements to them to make the idea of a bizarre friendship between the two not only intriguing but somewhat logical. Both are artists; Franco lost his mojo when his personality shifted after his tumor was removed and Liz has let her art become a hobby as oppose to a career due to the need of a financially stable profession. So they essentially share the same lost dream. They also share a brother, Steven Lars Webber. Since a lot of Franco’s obsession with Jason stemmed from his belief at the time that they were siblings, it seems odd that he hasn’t inquired about Steven. Liz and Steven were close and she could probably use another brotherly figure right now. I’m looking forward to Franco showing Liz how to embrace her new status as town pariah and Liz helping ground Franco more.

The Pre-Party

The party got started this week on GH with the beginning of the Nutcracker Gala. The much anticipated social benefit has yet to disappoint. It’s bringing the kind of drama that a party on a soap should bring. Instead of being an interruption to the current pacing and story arcs, as sadly the Nurse’s Ball has done the last few years, the Christmas soirée has been used to connect characters and their story lines. It’s not just an entertaining plot point. The Crimson story, the Quartermaines, Paul and Ava’s dangerous affair, the Sam/Jason/Liz triangle, etc. all have emotional beats being played as Port Charles gathers to help Toys for Tots. It’s all balanced out into one cohesive celebration. Friday’s postponed episode will be shown this coming Monday and trust me when I say it’s not to be missed.