Digest weighs in on what is and isn’t working on GH

EXCELLENT

GH boasts an almost absurdly talented cast rich with Port Charles royalty like Genie Francis (Laura), Maurice Benard (Sonny) and Finola Hughes (Anna), perennial fan faves like Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), Kelly Monaco (Sam) and Dominic Zamprogna (Dante), high-wattage alumni from defunct shows like Maura West (Ava), Roger Howarth (Austin) and Cynthia Watros (Nina) — and even that list barely scratches the surface of its super-impressive human resources. Because its actors are so capable, the show always delivers an emotional punch when it leans into the multigenerationality of its canvas — think Sonny’s poignant reunions with his loved ones when he returned from the dead (and Nixon Falls); the charming father/daughter relationships between Valentin and Charlotte, and Finn and Violet; the intensity of the dynamic between father and son Nikolas and Spencer, with betrayals on both sides; the raucous dysfunction anytime there’s multiple Quartermaines in a room; and the unexpectedly touching friendship of Ava and Trina.

The most ambitiously produced and action-packed of the four soaps, GH rarely feels static or claustrophobic. And the setting has never looked better: Port Charles has undergone a beautification project in recent years, with some sets getting spiffy makeovers (the Corinthos living room, the Quartermaine gatehouse) and new locations being introduced at a fast clip (The Savoy, the Port Charles Grill 2.0, the Metro Court pool, the Qs’ breakfast nook). The on-screen results look expensive and fresh, and give a great sense of the town as a thriving, expansive community.

GOOD

A stellar Spencer recast (Nicholas Chavez) and a stealthy new vixen (Avery Pohl’s Esme) has brought some badly needed sizzle to P.C.’s younger set, who had been drama-light and oddly chaste for far too long. Spencer and effervescent, no-nonsense Trina are the most promising young couple the show has developed in years, while “Spence’s” not-so-better half, Esme, appears poised to stir up some juicy trouble in Joss/Cameron paradise (not to mention cause chaos where her yet-to-be-revealed interest in Ryan Chamberlin is concerned).

The show has made marked strides in recent years toward diversifying its canvas — and while we lament that the show’s only gay couple vanished (Brad was dumped by Lucas and went to jail, while Lucas was recast, then faded away without fanfare — but Brad’s luck soon may change courtesy of his auntie, Ms. Wu), we love that Terry is getting more play (daytime’s lone current transgender character is now G.H.’s co-chief of staff), and are especially heartened to see the Ashford family grow; even though Briana Nicole Henry’s decision not to renew her contract sent Jordan abruptly out of town, Curtis’s father has recently arrived (plus he’s got a new club to run and a beautiful doctor, Portia, to woo), while the return of TJ’s biological father, Shawn (Daytime Emmy-winner Sean Blakemore), has been cause for applause.

SATISFACTORY

Fans made their displeasure clear when the history of beloved heroine Anna was tampered with to accommodate the character of Peter August, who was brought on as the secret son of Anna and Cesar Faison — and the show eventually responded to the outcry by rewriting the rewrite and making Anna’s twin sis, Alex, Peter’s bio mom. This did not function as a magic wand capable of waving away the damage done to Anna, whose blind spot where Peter was concerned (and her decision not to apprise Maxie that she suspected that she was pregnant by and poised to marry a dastardly criminal) continued to ding at her legacy, but what a difference a few months make! GH has gone a long way toward restoring Anna’s luster by ending her painful apology tour and playing to her strengths as a justice-seeking superspy — and giving rise to her promising pairing with Valentin. 

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

It’s a given of the genre that not every character will be in the throes of a front-burning yarn all the time, but with the largest cast in daytime, the unequal distribution of storyline wealth feels more pronounced on GH. Because of the lopsided focus on certain players over others, there is a stop-start quality to several plots that make them hard to invest in.

Viewers who watched Liz and Laura struggle with the knowledge that Nikolas hired a hit man to kill Hayden in 2015, then saw Sam and “Jason” (later revealed to be Drew) pin Hayden’s attempted murder on her cousin back in 2016, have had a hard time with the 2021 version of this saga, which has been overly reliant on the assumption that fans either don’t remember how things played out on screen just a few years ago, or will easily accept this once-resolved mystery being treated as unsolved. 

The show would also benefit from an increased dose of romance. In a year’s time, almost every couple in town broke up, with some splits particularly rough on viewers (as “JaSam” and “Friz” fans can attest). The promise of love in the afternoon is still a huge draw to the audience — and it’s in shorter supply in Port Charles than is healthy.