GENERAL HOSPITAL Recaps: What Happened in 2019
Wow. Yep, that’s the word that first comes to mind when we think of the wild and wonderful year in soaps. Just… wow. But, you’ll be happy to read that we came up with a whole lot of other words, sentences even, to recap all of the action and attractions of the past 12 months on GENERAL HOSPITAL. If you missed any of the drama, we’ll fill you in!
Ryan Tormented Port Charles Again!
Having left a drugged Kevin in his place at Ferncliff, escapee Ryan fell hard for “his” new patient, Ava — who was a hot mess over Kiki’s budding romance with Griffin. So Ryan did Ava a favor… and murdered her daughter! Griffin ultimately left town, while Ava found comfort in the arms of the killer she believed to be Kevin. After Ryan asked Laura for a divorce and killed again, reporter Lulu started putting the pieces together. So Ryan stabbed her… only to pass out before finishing the job! As they were recovering at GH, Ryan hypnotized Lulu into identifying Franco as her attacker. So Jordan forced Franco to play the part and brag about all his kills. Egomaniacal Ryan fell for her plan and attacked Franco! With locals realizing Ryan was back from the dead, he threw nosy Carly in his trunk and convinced Ava to run off and marry him. Thankfully, Jason saved the day. When Ryan jumped off a bridge, a horrified Ava refused to go down with him. Though Ryan was pronounced dead, Curtis and Laura investigated his potential survival, while Ava and Kevin pretended to be in love to lure him back — and it worked! Now one-handed, Ryan returned for Ava, who literally stabbed him in the back. He was rushed to GH, where Curtis, Kevin and a band of staffers conspired to steal his kidney for an ailing Jordan. While Curtis’ new wife was recovering from her transplant (and they were drowning in medical bills!), Mayor Laura asked Mac to step in as temporary commissioner, and Robert — who’d retired from the WSB — was tapped to be the new D.A. Once Jordan returned, Mac stayed on as chief of detectives. Now locked up at Pentonville, Ryan bonded with inmate Nelle, sent Ava love letters and once again killed in her name.
Soon after Oscar’s death, his parents both left town. (Photo Credit: ABC)
The Quartermaines Lost Two Sons!
Josslyn convinced her boyfriend to fight for his life, but Oscar’s cancer trial didn’t work. So he embraced his final days and took the Quartermaine name before dying. Just a few months after Edward and Lila escorted their great-grandson to the other side, Monica was hit hard when Drew was declared dead as well. Kim, meanwhile, missed her son so much, she’d actually drugged Drew in an effort to make a baby! Thankfully, Julian interceded, and with his girlfriend spiraling, he almost moved to Manhattan with her. After they broke up, Julian backed out of selling Charlie’s — and buyer Olivia wasn’t happy. Josslyn, meanwhile, also struggled after Oscar’s death. Though journaling seemed to help, her parents were worried — especially after she and Cameron got drunk at their school’s Halloween dance.
Sam Ended Shiloh’s Reign Of Terror!
Sam’s past came back to haunt her — and Port Charles! — when the son of one of her former marks brought his “self-help” group, Dawn Of Day, to town. After smiling psychopath Hank “Shiloh” Archer lured Kristina into his sex cult, Sam went undercover to con the con man. While Jason saved both of Alexis’ girls before Shiloh could rape them, the schemer always seemed to have another angle — or devotee! — to play. Even as he was going down, for example, he told Kiefer’s sister about Kristina’s pledge that Alexis had hit him on purpose years ago. And though Krissy’s confession was a lie, Kendra tried to kill Alexis for it! (Thankfully, Alexis’ new beau, Neil, and former beau, Julian, were on the case.) Hoping to find money hidden since he’d been in Afghanistan with Drew, Shiloh stole the infamous flash drive and implanted the Navy SEAL’s memories into Franco’s head so he could access them. That’s when Shiloh was finally caught and sent to Pentonville. Though he escaped custody with Peter’s help, Sam ultimately shot him dead to save Jason. Unfortunately, this landed her at Pentonville fighting to prove it had been self-defense!
Later, Cameron would feel really crappy about having cheaped out on the Father’s Day gift he got Franco. (Photo Credit: ABC)
Franco Sacrificed Himself!
With classmates and parents ostracizing Aiden for being different, Franco embraced the third-grader’s interests and dug into books about gender and sexuality. Still, Cameron had trouble accepting the killer into his family… until Franco married Elizabeth and then saved him from Shiloh and Dr. Cabot’s memory swap experiment! With Franco’s last words a promise to come back to Elizabeth, he underwent the procedure in Cam’s stead and awakened a new man. This “Frew” hybrid believed himself to be Drew — and was still in love with Kim! When Elizabeth fought for control of her husband’s medical decisions so Andre could “fix” him, sleazy attorney Martin won Frew’s freedom. But after Scott told Frew about how Franco had once saved Drew from being molested, he decided to undergo the procedure — which could bring back Franco, turn him into a vegetable, leave him with both sets of memories or expose more of Drew’s memories and, thus, Peter’s culpability. While Kim left Port Charles solo, Peter hustled to hide the fact that he’d actually been Helena’s project manager and planned Drew’s initial kidnapping. He almost confessed to Maxie but instead said that he loved her… and then had a henchman take down Drew’s plane, try to kill Andre and frame Sam for helping Shiloh escape Pentonville so she could kill him! Sam was sentenced to two years in prison, but the judge planned to recommend that she serve her time on parole and probation.
Julian Played Dirty!
Michael’s grief counseling confidante, Willow, fell for Chase and battled with Nina. The schoolteacher and DOD escapee also turned out to be the biomom of the baby Brad and Lucas had adopted — with Shiloh the baby’s daddy! While Nelle and Obrecht used the baby swap to manipulate Brad, Julian knew half the story and tried to keep his son-in-law in check. But when Brad tried to kill Obrecht and then pressured Julian to do it, he realized that Wiley was actually Jonah… and, therefore, Sonny’s grandson! Poor Lucas was left caught between the dueling machinations of his husband, his father and Dr. O. With Julian losing his patience, Brook Lynn showed up at Charlie’s and offered to lend him an ear. After he mistook her for a prostitute (ouch!), she checked in with her father at the Quartermaine manse.
“No, no,” said Nina. “After you!” Although furious with Sasha, Nina never forgot her manners. (Photo Credit: ABC/Valerie Durant)
Sasha Confessed!
Having supposedly found Nina’s daughter, Valentin won back his ex-wife and proposed again. When a suspicious Maxie and Peter ran yet another DNA test on Sasha, she somehow passed it. After Cassandra dosed Sasha with bird flu, Nina kept vigil, and a guilt-ridden Sasha told beau Michael she was a fake. She planned to confess after Nina and Val’s wedding. Unfortunately, Lulu overheard the truth and announced it in the middle of the nuptials! To protect Nina, Sasha covered for Val and Dr. O. To everyone’s horror, Valentin’s runaway bride went back to him… but Nina was plotting to bring him down! Lucy, meanwhile, wanted Sasha to be the new face of Deception Cosmetics.
Nikolas Returned!
When Jax returned to town as Aurora’s new co-CEO, sparks flew with Crimson chief Nina. Then Hayden arrived to help Jax find a codicil to Mikkos’ will that would strip Valentin of the Cassadine fortune! Curtis, Laura, and Kevin soon joined the effort and determined that the codicil was hidden in Helena’s portrait. After Ava got her hands on the painting, she caught wind of the fact that it was special and hid it safely away. That was when Nikolas appeared! Convinced by Laura she must have hallucinated Nikolas, Ava checked into Shadybrook. But Nik was indeed alive. Hayden and Jax’s secret partner even helped a newly-captured Cassandra escape from Pentonville. But he had ulterior motives, so Cassandra ran again and kidnapped Charlotte… only to be stopped by Anna. Earlier in the year, locals had learned that Patients 1-4 in the DVX’s memory-implant study had been none other than Kevin and Ryan, and Anna and Alex. So after accepting Finn’s marriage proposal, Anna had set out to find her sister and get to the bottom of the memory-swap madness. Though Anna returned in time to rescue Charlotte, Cassandra slipped away again… only to be blown up by a bomb Valentin planted in her escape boat. Val also tried to lure Hayden over to his side, so she got caught between him and Nik — and then was grabbed by someone. As word of the drug lord’s death and Nik’s resurrection began to spread, Anna returned to her manse and her fiancé… only to find him there with Hayden and the daughter he’d only just met, Violet. The surprises continued when Hayden, fearing for her life, skipped town, leaving Violet in her father’s care!
Why did Hayden partner with Jax and Nikolas? Um, have you seen them? (Photo Credit: ABC)
Sonny’s Family Expanded!
Sonny flew to Turkey and, thanks to Robert and a pickpocket named Dev, found Dante deep undercover. But after the guys killed Raj and returned to Port Charles, it became clear that Dante had been tortured and programmed to do someone harm. He checked into a WSB facility, but after he shot Peter during a visit, his treatment was put on hold. So Dante divorced Lulu! She took it hard… but found comfort in a light romance with PC High teacher Dustin. While Dante’s absence was felt by all, Sonny’s family also grew. He and Carly welcomed a new baby, Donna — who had spina bifida but came through surgery with flying colors. Mike moved into an assisted-living facility, where he married resident Yvonne — who happened to be legally wed to Stella’s long-lost love, Marcus! With Mike’s condition deteriorating, the kid who’d saved Sonny in Turkey showed up in Port Charles. After the don moved Dev in and created a fake identity for the newest “Corbin,” Jax wasn’t thrilled that a smooth-talking hustler was living with his daughter. But Dev quickly bonded with the teens and even shared his true identity with them.
For more GH news, recaps, and features, keep reading the ABC edition of Soaps In Depth magazine.
This story originally appeared in our print magazine
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