General Hospital offered us a mixed bag in 2023 while also seeing its ratings suffer. As 2024 begins, a tragedy will rock Port Charles, secrets will be revealed, but there is still a whole lot we want to see that can fix GH and move it into a successful future.
Abandon Couples That Just Don’t Work
For some bizarre reason, GH likes pairing couples who have absolutely zero chemistry because they might look good on paper but not on screen. And, no matter how much fans protest, GH refuses to cut its losses. We had to sit through Maxie (Kirsten Storms) and Peter (Wes Ramsey) for nearly five years until the show realized A-they weren’t interesting, and B-nobody wanted Peter around at all because he didn’t even make a compelling villain.
After Peter died, we only had to endure Maxie with Austin (Roger Howarth) for under a year, which was like some sort of miracle. GH realized they didn’t work and thankfully ended that pairing with speed. Sadly, the same can’t be said for two pairings that both bore us and enrage us at the same time.
First, we have Finn (Michael Easton) and Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst), aka Fiz (or ‘Fizzle’), whom Daily Drama chose as the worst soap couple of 2023, along with several other soap outlets. But still, GH is trying to make fetch happen with this lackluster pair. It was bad enough we had to sit through Finn trying to rule Elizabeth’s life when they hadn’t even had one date in 2022. In 2023, we thought it was over as the year began, but halfway through the show either changed its mind or thought a few months off would be enough for fans to forget how bad this couple was.
Well, it didn’t work. Rather than just ending what wasn’t working, GH doubled down and gave us a few awkward dates, and an even more awkward weekend away in a cabin tapping maple syrup (in Maine in October) as foreplay. They are still as boring as ever and our fast-forward buttons have never had a bigger workout.
All GH has to do is end it. Just like that. They can realize they are wrong for one another and we can all move on. Elizabeth can be paired with a returned Nikolas and the show can finally explore the chemistry between Finn and Alexis that’s been there for years.
Unfortunately, we also have Crew to contend with. If Elizabeth and Finn have zero chemistry, Carly (Laura Wright) and Drew (Cameron Mathison) have less than zero. When GH resurrected Drew, Crew was not the intended pairing, but then Jason allegedly died again. The show then forced Carly and Drew together and proceeded to tell us they are victimized heroes after committing insider trading and getting caught. How dare someone turn them in for something they actually did?!?!
Knowing the character of Carly the way we do, it’s apparent that the only reason she is even with Drew is because he is Jason’s brother and for now, this is the closest she will ever get to the real deal. Despite the chemistry that Carly had with crooked WSB director John Brennan (Charles Mesure), our newly returned writers seem to have decided that strike-written character and story deserved about two weeks of airtime.
Now, we’re back to the snoozefest that is Crew, which is a disservice to Carly, who needs a man who can keep her on her toes rather than a yes-man who is willing to go to jail for her. Again, GH can end this nightmare couple any time it wants and fans wouldn’t cry.
End The Granny Wars
It’s been nearly three years since Wiley’s grandmothers decided they were at war and that war seems to be never ending. However, this rivalry needs to be put out with the trash in 2024. Pitting two formidable actresses like Laura Wright and Cynthia Watros together seemed like it would be everything we wanted to see as two petty and impulsive characters battled it, but lopsided writing ruined any potential.
Yes, Nina (Cynthia Watros) keeps making mistakes after Carly opens her big mouth and berates her, but rather than owning what she does and standing up to Carly, Nina is written as Carly’s lapdog, continuously apologizing to someone who never apologizes to her. Carly and Nina have both done awful things to one another, but only one ever feels remorse while the other couldn’t care less.
The best way to solve this problem is for them to each go to their corners and not bother each other for a good, long while. Once this whole SEC mess is out in the open, Carly and Nina need to be out of one another’s orbit so fans can get a rest from three years of constant bickering.
Give Us More Mystery And Romance
Despite having some dud couples, GH also has one of the best couples on soaps, Anna (Finola Hughes) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart). It took six years to make them into a pair worth rooting for and once they were in an established romance, we couldn’t look away. In 2022 and 2023, GH sent Vanna on the run, proving they are not just outstanding romantic partners, but also incredible crime fighters together.
Anna has always been the heroine bringing the bad guys to justice, but with Valentin, the scenes were so much sweeter. Their chemistry is unmatched, their stubbornness makes for witty banter, and fans are clamoring for more. Yes, Vanna is going through that supercouple rite of passage known as the breakup, but we hope to see more of them together in 2024.
We also want to see Spencer (Nicholas Alexander Chazez) and Trina (Tabyana Ali) on another adventure, bringing down the bad guys. They held their own in Greenland against Victor Cassadine. Now, we are ready for them to take on an Esme full of memories but not full of regret. Between Vanna and Sprina adventures, GH can be the soap to watch for action and romance during the year ahead.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for times. Remember, you can always find the latest GH spoilers, recaps, and news on Facebook at General Hospital Daily. Also, meet fellow fans and talk all things GH with our Facebook community group.
