Lee’s Top 5 GH Moments of 2012

Lee’s Top 5 GH Moments of 2012

What a difference a year makes. Had someone tried to convince me last year that anemic, running-on-fumes General Hospital would be experiencing a stunning creative renaissance at the talented hands of OLTL dream team Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati, I’d have laughed and written some fan fiction. But since their work started airing early in the year, GH has been must-see TV. Not every “Cartini” move was a stroke of brilliance - has there been a more obvious blunder than the “love story” of Kristina and Trey? - but from the moment Johnny shot out Anthony’s tires, leading to a car crash that took the lives of an innocent young man and his daughter (One Life to Live’s Cole and Hope), I’ve been hooked. Here are five moments I felt really stood out among the many stellar stories.

#5 - Sam Meets With Heather Webber, Opens Pandora’s Box
It seemed like a one-off guest appearance: Sam met with mental patient/legendary Port Charles psycho Heather Webber to discuss Jason’s biological mother Susan Moore and learned that Susan gave birth to twins. Heather asked Sam to deliver a letter to estranged son Steven Lars, but Sam was horrified to learn that Jason and serial killer Franco were twins and ran out without the letter. When Heather was declared mentally fit enough to come home and live with Steven, she immediately began a new reign of terror that, in the end, all came down to Sam not following through on delivering the letter. By the time Heather was thrown back into the loony bin, she’d already murdered Steve’s ex-girlfriend Maggie, goaded Todd into switching Tea and Sam’s babies, kidnapped Luke and attempted to throw a baby off a cliff. Sam may have gotten her baby back in the end, but all this could have been avoided if she’d simply kept up her side of the bargain!

#4 - Patrick Scatters Robin’s Ashes As We See Her Alive
I had trouble choosing just one great moment that stemmed from Robin’s presumed death, but the revelation that she was alive - a reveal that hadn’t been spoiled beforehand! - was shocking and signaled the return of the true soap cliffhanger. The viewers were given renewed hope for the beloved character and immediately began to theorize: How did Robin survive the explosion, and who was behind whole scheme?

#3 - John Ingle’s Final Appearance
The campiness of the “poisoned water” saga delivered a surprisingly poignant and sobering climax. As Sonny and Co. rushed to get the cure from Jerry, a very ill Edward offered the only available serum to Emma. “I love you too,” he told Tracy, who then delivered a quiet yet powerful speech about family and love. Edward’s appearance, which was reportedly at the request of a very ill John Ingle, would be his last, as Ingle passed away not long after. The image of Edward giving a “thumbs up” to Patrick and Emma will give me goosebumps for years.

#2 - Elizabeth Confesses All To Jason
Carlivati silenced months of fans complaining that he didn’t like or “get” the character of Nurse Elizabeth Webber with one immensely moving scene that showcased the talent of portrayer Rebecca Herbst and finally opened the character up for redemption. After confessing that she switched the DNA results of Sam’s baby, Elizabeth broke down and admitted to Jason that she’d been slowly falling apart since Jake’s death. No longer hiding her pain with self-righteousness and judgment, Elizabeth was finally able to explain how angry she was with Sam, with Jason, with everyone. With rumors of an exciting new year for Elizabeth, this scene was simply perfect.

#1 - Fondue Foils Faison’s Fun
Was there a more satisfying moment this year than John and Robert hurling fondue in “Duke’s” face, melting his mask and ruining Faison’s dastardly plans? The scenes showcased the talents of GH favorites Finola Hughes, Tristan Rogers, Ian Buchanan and Anders Hove, with OLTL transplant Michael Easton fitting in seamlessly. There were a ton of “OMG!” moments this year, but this moment was a creative and brilliant payoff to viewers who were screaming and throwing things at their TVs for months for Anna to come to her senses.

What were your favorite GH moments this year? Sound off in the comments or on Twitter @dayplayerdish or @leemeyer26, and have a happy holiday!

Confessions and Catharsis For GH’s Liz

Elizabeth never mourned Jake properly. Okay? I said it. The girl didn’t have a chance to mourn the loss of her little boy in between dodging murder allegations and other assorted disasters. And though we’ve been told that she’s been successful and living on and being a good mother to her living children, we have really only seen otherwise. Life hasn’t been good to Elizabeth Webber, and October 2’s episode finally brought all of her stifled pain and frustration and anguish that she’s been feeling up to the surface. As Rebecca Herbst delivered Liz’s powerful confession - that she lied about the baby’s DNA test to keep Jason and Sam apart - we got to see the real Elizabeth Webber.

“I didn’t deserve to have my child taken away from me, either!” Elizabeth cried out as she finally admitted that she never forgave Sam for watching Jake get kidnapped years ago. Herbst’s performance was incredibly raw and honest and made me remember why I fell in love with the character back in the 1990s. Elizabeth survived a violent rape. She survived failed marriages. She survived the loss of family and friends. But who really survives the loss of a child? “Ever since we lost Jake, I’ve been trying to recover on my own, trying to let time heal. But It’s only gotten worse. And so I really thought … I thought you would make it better. That you would fix it. That’s not fair of me to ask that of you,” she whimpered. Who hasn’t felt that way at some point? Elizabeth’s pain was so real, so incredibly potent, that I understood where she was coming from for the first time in a decade.

Credit should also go to Ron Carlivati, who managed to take one of my least favorite stories ever and create an incredibly strong throughline for all the characters involved. I was going through my Twitter feed and was astonished at how many complaints were targeted at Carlivati for “not liking” the character of Elizabeth! Because the way I see it, Carlivati not only likes the character, he gets the character. He’s the first writer to get the character since Michele Val Jean, and that’s no small feat. I’m not sure where Elizabeth goes now- I’m going to suggest lots of therapy - but I am confident that with Herbst and Carlivati steering, the journey will only get better from here.

“I love you, too” - John Ingle Passes Away

“I love you, too” - John Ingle Passes Away

There was something very powerful about the September 11 episode of General Hospital, in which a very ill Edward Quartermaine selflessly gave the poisoned water antidote to little Emma and gave Patrick a smiling “thumbs up.” His only spoken line in the entire episode to his on-screen daughter Tracy, “I love you too,” showed that Edward, who put on a tough-as-nails act as Quartermaine family patriarch, was just as compassionate and nurturing as his late wife Lila. Sadly, the episode was John Ingle’s last; he passed away on September 16, surrounded by his family.

It would be easy to list all the accomplishments John Ingle has accrued over the years; a beloved teacher and actor, Ingle made a lasting mark in show business, but to me, his greatest accomplishment was portraying a character that was not only endlessly entertaining to watch but also one that reminded us of what soaps are about: love in many shapes and forms. His devotion to his dear Lila (played by the lovely Anna Lee, who passed away several years ago), his unfulfilled desire to do right by the family of his illegitimate child, Bradley Ward and his unspoken love for Mary Mae (the late, great Rosalind Cash), along with his biting, yet loving relationships with his children made Edward relatable and often comforting to watch.


General Hospital’s creative team would be wise to honor Edward and Ingle’s legacy by building a story around Edward’s mission to rebuild his dwindling family from beyond the grave; I can just see Tracy having to welcome the rest of the Ward family into the Quartermaine mansion at Edward’s final request, or Monica’s shocking discovery that Edward had been secretly nursing Emily back to health since her death in 2007. It’s all wishful thinking on my part, but John Ingle’s portrayal of Edward should be celebrated, and what better way to celebrate the life and career of a great man by creating something new and wonderful in his honor?



Ingle’s wife passed away earlier this year, and I can only hope that he has reunited with her, wherever they are, just as Edward has hopefully reunited with his beloved Lila and made peace with Justus and Mary Mae. I’m going to miss you, John Ingle, but thank you so much for the memories and may you find health and good fortune wherever you are.