Today’s General Hospital recap for December 29, 2023, details a night that Nina will never forget — as well as other Port Charles residents as they ring in 2024.
Cyrus Gives Nina Some Pretty Good Advice
Nina (Cynthia Watros) was running late with work when Sonny (Maurice Benard) came to get her for their New Year’s Eve date. She still had to get holiday bonuses out and promised to meet him at The Savoy before midnight. Once alone, Nina was stunned when Cyrus (Jeff Kober) showed up with some news.
As soon as he told her that she didn’t walk alone, she knew he was the ‘priest’ she confessed to on Christmas Eve. When he asked if she had set herself free, Nina went into complete freakout mode and asked Cyrus what he wanted from her.
Nina was furious at Cyrus for pretending to be a man of God. But Cyrus insisted he was a man of God and wondered how he could help her. Nina was sure Cyrus wanted to blackmail her for money, but he told her that he just wanted her to confess to the people hurt by her tip.
Cyrus tried to get her to see that just telling the truth rather than cutting deal after deal to keep her tangled web going would set her free. And he was right. She needed to confess so we could move on and so we could move on.
Lois Figures It All Put
Michael (Chad Duell) and Carly (Laura Wright) were ready to ring in the New Year at The Savoy, but as soon as Carly saw Ned (Wally Kurth) she chastised him for ratting her and Drew (Cameron Mathison) out to the SEC for the crime they really did commit. A frustrated Ned came close to telling Carly the truth.
Instead, he pointed out that she committed a crime and he did not, even if he was the one who informed the authorities that Carly and Drew committed insider trading. Carly continued to push his buttons anyway, issuing empty threats.
Ned was once again about to tell the truth when Michael heard them and stopped him. After all, he couldn’t let his blackmail material become irrelevant. That’s when Sonny came along to also go off on Ned. Once Michael got Ned alone, he warned him not to say anything. After all, they had a deal.
Lois (Rena Sofer) and Olivia (Lisa LoCicero) watched from afar with Lois getting increasingly upset that Ned was being blamed for something he didn’t do. Olivia told her to zip it and move on. However, Lois became even more curious when they spotted Michael and Ned arguing.
As Olivia continued to tell her to drop it, Lois jumped to the wrong conclusion that it was Michael who turned his own mother into the SEC. Olivia quickly told Lois to get that crazy idea out of her head. Still, Lois correctly assessed that Ned had something about Michael, so Michael paid him off with ELQ shares to keep him quiet.
However, Lois finally figured the whole thing out when Sonny came along and Olivia asked him where Nina was. When he went to check if she was coming, the lightbulb went off. Carly was the target and it was Nina who tipped off the SEC.
Olivia begged Lois not to rock the boat. Everyone was going on with their lives, Sonny was happy with Nina, so why tell? Too bad Lois didn’t listen. As soon as she had a moment alone with Sonny, she got ready to spill.
At least Carly was home by then, happy to see Drew who surprised her with an early return home from Australia.
The Old Esme Is Back As ‘Sprina’ Makes Plans
Spencer (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) arrived at Trina’s (Tabyana Ali) dorm room to pick her up for their New Year’s Eve date. As she got ready, Spencer spotted an envelope on Trina’s desk from the Sorbonne. Trina explained that she was accepted into a program there, thrilling Spencer.
However, she didn’t feel she could go due to everything happening with Curtis. She also didn’t want to leave Spencer, but he insisted she could not pass up this opportunity. Trina suggested that Spencer could come with her, but that would mean leaving Ace behind. Still, he decided he would go and just fly back for visits with his baby brother.
Meanwhile, Esme (Avery Kristen Pohl) made her way over to Pentonville to visit her mother. Heather (Alley Mills) immediately knew her daughter had her memories back, especially because she mentioned Trina’s name with such contempt. The Esme she knew at Spring Ridge looked lost, but not the Esme she saw now.
Esme was just relieved to have someone to talk to about her memories returning since she wasn’t ready to tell anyone else. She felt like two different people and didn’t know how to think or act. Was she a horrible person who hurt Spencer and Trina or a mom who just wanted to be there for her son?
Heather was happy she came to her mother and advised Esme not to tell anyone she got her memories back. Interestingly enough, the new Esme was horrified when she heard what she’d done, but the old Esme was back, remembered it all, and now it seemed justified.
Later, Esme spotted Spencer and Trina taking in the fireworks at the pier as her trademark fist clench returned.
A High Flying Affair
Despite just being released from the hospital, Gregory (Gregory Harrison) was ready to skydive with hot mess Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) by his side. She made it just in the nick of time for this bucket list activity. Alexis did everything she could to get out of the jump, but to no avail.
Finally, she declared that she wasn’t going to do it and that was that. While she was sure that Sam would be fine if she died, she felt Kristina (Kate Mansi) and Molly (Kristen Vaganos) wouldn’t. In the end, Gregory talked her into taking the plunge.
Despite her better judgment, Alexis did something she never thought she’d do and jumped from an airplane — or as she calls it, a “toy plane” — to end 2023. And, she absolutely LOVED it. When she told Gregory how it transformed her, he finally pulled her in for a long-awaited kiss.
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