2024 has already gotten off to a dramatic start as Port Charles is rocked by Bobbie’s death, the exposure of Nina’s SEC secret and Nikolas’s return to town. Co-Head Writers Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor gave Soap Opera Digest the inside scoop about what lies ahead — including a blast from the past for Elizabeth, a looming threat to Spencer and Trina’s happiness, and a surprising new roommate for Sonny: Ava!
Bobbie’s Passing: “So many characters had a special bond with Bobbie, and Jackie [Zeman, Bobbie’s late portrayer] had a special bond with everybody in the cast, as well. So as the town learns of Bobbie’s passing, eventually they will come together for her memorial and share their memories and honor the legacy of not only the iconic character of Bobbie Spencer, but also the iconic performer that is Jackie Zeman. We will be commemorating Bobbie and Jackie in two very special episodes that are going to be airing early in January that feature not only Bobbie’s memorial, but a special story that we will be telling when a surprise visitor comes to visit, attends the funeral, and raises some questions about Bobbie’s past and present and Port Charles’s future.”
Disney/Christine Bartolucci
Love Hurts: Carly (Laura Wright) says a painful good-bye to Bobbie.
Sonny/Nina: “After months of living on the edge and enjoying the benefits of looking, seemingly, to have taken the high road, Nina’s actions are going to bite her in the ass, both in terms of her relationship with Sonny and her relationship with the whole town of Port Charles — [particularly] those who are going to come after her for what she’s done.” When it comes to her suddenly shaky marriage, “Nina’s not going to give up. She’s far too in love and far too committed to her marriage to Sonny and her love for him. And Sonny will find it difficult to simply let go. He’ll have a number of conflicting impulses; among them are his still-present feelings for Nina, which would be pitted against his longstanding history of holding people to account for disloyalty, real and perceived.” On the friendship front, “Cyrus’s role in the upheaval for Nina and Sonny will have reverberations for the longstanding friendship between Sonny and Laura.” Meanwhile, “As the year goes on, the mystery surrounding Curtis’s shooting, Austin’s murder and the threat to Sonny will deepen and perhaps coalesce.”
Ava/Nikolas: “For her own protection, Ava and Sonny are forced to share a home together. They have an extremely complicated relationship to begin with. They do not trust each other. But now that they’re to be uneasy allies, we will see a different spin on the two’s dynamic.” As for her far-from-dead ex, “There’s a big reckoning to be had between Ava and Nikolas surrounding the circumstances of his departure, to put it mildly, last year. But in order to find closure between these two, one of them may have to put one themselves on the line for the other.” Nikolas’s comeback has ripple effects elsewhere on the canvas, the scribes note. “Nikolas’s return to his family will light a spark that will cause the Webbers and the Cassadines and the Ashfords to explode.”
Carly/Drew: “When Carly and Drew learned the truth about who turned them into the SEC, interestingly enough, their paths end up diverging. Carly and Drew want to handle the fallout of the Nina reveal in very different ways. While they are committed to each other and want to make things work, their conflicting ideas of what comes next is not going to make it easy for them.”
Michael/Willow: “With the truth about the SEC tip out, Willow feels betrayed by Michael’s lies, that not only has he known about it for quite some time, but he leveraged it to sabotage Willow’s relationship with Nina. Willow obviously has her issues with Nina at the moment, but what she really doesn’t appreciate is Michael unilaterally making decisions for her and for keeping something this big from her and unfortunately it’s one of a series; Michael and Willow have been taking turns keeping things from each other and maybe it’s one lie too many at this point. So is there a path towards forgiveness or is this the end of them? The revelation of Michael’s duplicity will have blowback from all corners.”
Laura: “She’s got a big presence to play going forward. Events in the first two months of the year will force Laura to have a reckoning with several members of her family. She will struggle to keep her family and her city together as both are rocked by huge events.”
Anna/Valentin: “Anna has had a rough couple of years, but you can only go up from where she is and in the course of the new year, she’ll take steps to assume her role as one of the leading heroines of Port Charles. The dynamic between Valentin and Anna right now is extremely complicated, but right now, both Valentin and Nina are in desperate need of allies, and the two of them seek comfort and advice in each other, and everybody knows nothing too genuine and pure can come out of Valentin and Nina scheming together again! The problem with these two is that their worst impulses may feed each other’s worst impulses when you put them together.”
Trina/Spencer/Esme: “Trina and Spencer are looking forward to beginning a new adventure in 2024. Everything looks bright for this couple this, but there are storm clouds looming quickly on the horizon. Fans of this couple can be on the lookout for a romantic getaway early in the year.” As for his troubled and trouble-making ex, “Esme’s year begins with a huge inward-looking struggle as she tries to make the person she has become fit with the person she once was. Which side of Esme ultimately prevails will have a deep impact on much of Port Charles in the new year.”
ABC/Craig Sjodin
Almost Paradise: There are storm clouds on the horizon for lovebirds Trina (Tabyana Ali) and Spencer (Nicholas Chavez).
The Ashfords: “Curtis has been presented with an experimental procedure, one that could change his condition or cost him his life. So Curtis has to weigh those options, and Portia is torn between her concerns as a doctor and a spouse. Meanwhile, we’re approaching the anniversary of Marshall’s preliminary determination that he was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. So this has left the family with more questions than answers about his past. With the help of Stella and their growing connection, he’ll set out on a quest for the truth. Jordan is leading the investigation as to who shot Curtis. She will enlist a very unlikely ally in her quest and sparks could fly.“
Elizabeth/Finn: “Liz and Finn’s relationship will be tested as Finn faces the greatest challenge of his professional career. But as that challenge unfolds, he’ll find an intuitive and very capable partner in Liz as they work to unravel the mystery surrounding the lawsuit that he’s facing.” Meanwhile, “A little while into the new year, Elizabeth will be stunned when a presence from her past ends up on her doorstep needing her assistance.”
Dante/Sam: “Dante and Sam are growing closer, closer than they’ve ever been before, but they’re now faced with the reality of the fact that they’re raising two teenagers in this house and they have to reassess how they are parenting.”
Tracy/Gregory/Alexis: “Gregory and Tracy are going to start growing closer, but is Tracy willing to lower her guard, even for a new friendship, to somebody with the terminal disease only a few short years after she lost the love of her life [Luke]?” Meanwhile, “Alexis and Gregory are faced with a new challenge when The Invader suddenly gets a new business partner.”
Brook Lynn/Chase: “As Brook Lynn and Chase plan for their wedding, they have to navigate the minefield that are the Quartermaines and the future in-laws. Everybody has an opinion about something, not just the Quartermaines, but also Lois and also Gregory and the [rest of the] Chase family, as well. Lois will maintain a presence in Port Charles in the run-up to Brook Lynn and Chase’s wedding. Olivia and Lois have very recently unloaded decades’ worth of friendship baggage on each other, and now must find a way to repair that friendship.”
Disney/Christine Bartolucci
Bride And Joy: Getting to the altar won’t be easy for Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard).
Maxie/Spinelli: “Maxie and Spinelli are growing closer, not just because they’re sharing quarters, but the fact that Maxie and Spinelli moved in under false pretenses thanks to Felicia’s scheming is a ticking time bomb that may come back to haunt them.”
Cody/Sasha: “Cody and Sasha have admitted their feelings for each other, but both have decided that it’s in their best interest to keep their distance. For now, too much has happened and they need time to process it all. But when they discover that Maxie and Spinelli’s close quarters may be pulling on some nostalgic heartstrings, they decide to play matchmaker – but are they helping Maxie and Spinelli or just finding themselves closer to each other?”
Felicia: “Felicia’s nose for mystery may cause one secret to be outed.”
Josslyn/Dex: “Josslyn’s concerns about Adam reach a boiling point that forces Josslyn and Dex to take action to protect their friend. Meanwhile, Dex is getting in deeper into Sonny’s organization and may be charged with a task that crosses a line that he can’t come back from.”
The Surrogacy Story: “Kristina has offered to be both the egg donor and surrogate for Molly and TJ. The three of them are overjoyed by this arrangement, and Molly and TJ are especially grateful for everything Kristina has offered them. But Alexis sees some dark storm clouds on the horizon, the least of which is the complicated legal matter of the situation in New York state. And the bigger one, probably, is the various emotions this may bring to the forefront between the three of them.” As this unfolds, “Kristina and Blaze will continue to move forward with their relationship, navigating the complicated reality of somebody who is not yet out to her family and the public at large.”
Lucy/Scott: “Lucy is hell-bent to get back the company that is rightfully hers, that Tracy nefariously absconded with. She’ll stop at nothing, including enlisting her old flame, Scott, to prey upon Tracy’s vulnerabilities.”
Robert/Diane: “Robert and Diane end up butting heads about a matter involving Sonny — but what drives them apart may also be the thing that pulls them back together.”
