general hospital lexi ainsworth
Credit: Image: Chris D./JPI

Her absence marred an otherwise darn-near-perfect storyline!

For days, General Hospital fans wept along with the Corinthos family as they dealt with patriarch Mike’s final days. Strong writing and performances combined to create a storyline that will long be remembered as one of the show’s most poignant. Yet even through their tears, fans found themselves questioning why a very important member of the family wasn’t present: Mike’s granddaughter, Kristina!

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The young woman’s absence was certainly noteworthy, especially given that everyone from Brando to Stella got to spend extended time at Mike’s bedside. Yet Sonny and Alexis’ daughter was nowhere to be seen. Worse, there was never any attempt made to explain her absence! Some viewers found this especially galling, given that when Carly called Ava — asking that she bring Avery back to Port Charles — she specifically said that Sonny wanted “all his children” around him!

“Um, why was Kristina not there to say goodbye to Mike?” asked Twitter user Ivy Joy. “Isn’t she Sonny’s child and Mike’s grandchild?”

Some hoped that with Nathan Parsons’ Ethan back on the canvas, he might reconnect with the missing young woman. After all, there was a time when Kristina had more than a little bit of a crush on the handsome older man. Not to be forgotten, those who loved Kristina’s romance with Parker wondered if perhaps the younger woman’s grief might be used to reunite the former lovers.

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But whether they were hoping Kristina might find love or looking at the bigger picture, there was one thing nearly every fan agreed upon: Kristina’s absence made no sense. “While I thought the way [General Hospital] handled Mike’s death was lovely, I’m troubled,” tweeted Felicia Kreiss. “This big deal was made of Brook Lynn and even Brando’s relationship with Mike and Sonny, but we never saw Kristina show up once to say goodbye to her grandfather. Her name was never even mentioned!”

The good news is that it’s not too late for General Hospital to rectify the situation. As we write this, Mike’s funeral has not yet aired, meaning that Kristina could still make an appearance. At the very least, someone in attendance might make a remark which will explain her being a no-show! Ultimately, we can’t help hoping that the character will return to the canvas, and not simply for a short visit. Lexi Ainsworth, who has played the character off and on since 2009 (and snagged an Emmy for her portrayal in 2017), has crafted a wonderfully compelling character who has both the brains of mom Alexis and the fiery temperament of dad Sonny. More importantly, Kristina’s self-declared sexual fluidity opens the door to the kind of complicated romantic entanglements that soaps would do well to explore on a more regular basis if they want to connect with a modern audience.

Would you enjoy having Kristina back on the canvas? Visit the comments section to let us know with whom you’d pair the character. Then click the gallery below as we discuss other General Hospital characters we want back!