By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman
Congratulations, Jean Passanante and Shelly Altman, co-headwriters of General Hospital. Marlena loves your GH! I’ve been watching since 1981, the year of Luke and Laura’s wedding. GH hasn’t been this good in eons.
Why do I love the new GH? Let me count the ways. Foremost, it is ultra feminist. When Olivia Falconeri (Lisa Locicero) was arrested for breast feeding in public, it was something daytime soaps haven’t been in years: socially relevant. I cheered the day attorney Alexis Davis (Nancy Grahn) and the ladies of Port Charles shed their blouses in court, showing their bras. Sisterhood is powerful.
There is also more romance on this show. Dante Falconeri (Dominick Zaprogna) and Lulu (Emme Rylan) are back together after his brief affair with Valerie Spencer (Brytni Sarpy). Dr Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner, a new actor I like very much) is having a romance with police commissioner Jordan Ashford (Vanessa Antoine).
There’s also so much drama here with high stakes. Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) had a seizure, complete with blood running out of her nose. She thought she was going to die. Elliot’s Tracy will never die. She is immortal — at least Tracy thinks so.
There was even a storyline that made me gasp. It seems Dr. Hamilton Finn (Michael Easton) was seen shooting up what appeared to be heroin. The heroin scourge on daytime TV — tres incroyable!
Jean and Shelly, you are doing a great job. GH and daytime are lucky to have you. Keep up the good work and soon I will start using the word “superb.”
So, mon chers, what do you think of Jean and Shelly’s new GH? Marlena would love to hear from you. Write to me at marlenadelacroix.com and I’ll post your comments on this site. Marlena loves, loves, loves letters!
Growing up I loved your columns in Soap Opera Weekly. After reading your love letter to the hacks known as Jelly I’ve lost all respect for you. General Hospital is uninteresting and dull, a show filled with mobsters instead of doctors. I’m pretty sure Frank Valentini and Nathan Varni dictated to Jelly what to write. Once upon time a healer called Dr. Steve Hardy was the moral compass of GH. Now we get the killer Sonny as GH’s moral compass. GH is filled with 500 newbies with no real ties to the canvas. Frank has all his buddies on playing horrible characters. Back in the day you kept it real. It’s sad how people change for the worse.
Marlena says: Thank you very much for writing.
Kudos to you, Connie, for “keeping it real” with so-called “fans” like Victoria Foxton with your mature response.
Marlena says: Chrissie, thank you very much.