General Hospital: How Ethan Returned to Port Charles
General Hospital welcomed Nathan Dean back to the role of Ethan Lovett on the April 17 episode when the character touched down in Port Charles and began reconnecting with familiar faces. Here’s how it all went down!
Memory Lane
Viewers first got a glimpse of Ethan as he walked around the docks talking on his cell phone. Though his face was not clearly shown, his voice was recognizable. “Hey, I know I’m late calling,” he said as he left a message for a mystery someone. “I’m so sorry, I got held up. And I just got into Port Charles. I’m on Pier 55 right now. Let me know if you can meet me tonight. If not, I’ll be here every day at noon. Okay? So I’ll see you… Soon, I hope.”
Ethan’s half sister, Lulu (Alexa Havins), then arrived on the docks and glanced at a photo memory on her phone of The Haunted Star, which caused her to remark to herself how much she missed her late father, Luke (Anthony Geary). She spotted Ethan, who had his back turned to her. Even though she couldn’t see his face, she felt a sense of familiarity and asked, “Do I know you?” Ethan turned around and joked, “I hope so!” Thrilled to see her half brother, Lulu rushed into his arms for a warm embrace.
Lulu wondered what brought him back to town. Ethan noted that he hadn’t been in Port Charles in a long time and came to see her since they hadn’t spoken properly since she’d awoken from her coma. She pointed out that he could have called to let her know he was coming, but Ethan teased that doing so would have ruined the surprise. However, Lulu knew her brother too well. “Now tell me the truth,” she challenged. “Who are you running from this time?”
Ethan played offended at his sibling’s insinuation that he had gotten busted for running his latest con. “I am a professional,” he cheekily boasted. “With God-given talent and extraordinary genes.” Ethan then insisted that no one was after him; he just missed his family. He explained that he had already spent some time with his mom, Holly (Emma Samms), and Robert (Tristan Rogers) in France, getting to meet his new niece, Sasha’s (Sofia Mattsson) daughter, Daisy. Ethan assured his sister he’d planned to call when he’d finished up here, and Lulu asked what he was doing at the pier. “Reminiscing, I guess?” he mused. “When I first came to Port Charles, I landed right here at The Haunted Star.” Lulu admitted she’d been thinking about the boat as well, and reminded him it had been destroyed. “I can’t believe it’s gone,” Ethan sighed, adding, “I can’t believe he… he’s gone.”
Sitting on crates and looking out over the water, Ethan and Lulu recalled their father, Luke, who had passed away in late 2021. “I guess I was so shocked when I found out he’d died because… because he was just so alive,” Ethan said, tears stinging his eyes. “All the time. It’s hard for me to imagine a time when he wasn’t.” Lulu took her brother’s hand and assured him that their dad would be thrilled that they were together again.
Visiting Hours
Lulu showed Ethan photos of her kids, Rocco (Finn Carr) and Charlotte (Bluesy Burke), on her phone. Ethan marveled at how much they’d grown and asked how they were doing. She admitted that they’d had some tough times but were hanging in there. He tried to keep the tone light as he playfully asked about her and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), and she told him they were “in a good place” and co-parenting well, but weren’t together romantically. Lulu shared that she’d started seeing someone new, but it was still early days, then asked about his love life. Ethan shrugged that he never stayed in one place long enough to get serious with anyone. “I guess that’s why it feels so nice to be back here,” he added. “Port Charles is the closest thing I have to a home.”
Lulu wondered how long he’d be around, and Ethan demurred, suggesting this visit might be “open-ended.” Excited by the thought of her brother sticking around for a while, she heartily approved of the idea. Later, when Lulu noticed Ethan looking at his phone, she wondered if he was expecting to hear from someone, and he claimed to just be checking the time. She invited him back to her house, insisting that he would be staying with her while in town. Ethan happily agreed, but said he’d have to catch up with her in a bit because he had one more stop to make.
Over at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) house, Kristina (Kate Mansi) was on her phone when there was a knock on the door. Opening it, she was startled to see Ethan, who grinned and declared, “Well, this is definitely my lucky day. Hello, Kristina.”
What did you think about Ethan’s return? Who do you think he was communicating with on the phone? What kind of drama do you think he’ll get mixed up in on GH this time around? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!
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