GH reaction mashup liz nikolas ava trina spencer cameron
Credit: John Paschal/JPI; ABC screenshot (4)

Is the soap about to pull the rug right out from under us?

One of the best things about General Hospital currently is the sense that absolutely anything can happen at any time. Because the show releases so little information, viewers really do have to tune in every day if they want to see things happen as opposed to hear about it later.

Who could have predicted that Roger Howarth’s latest character would be a long-lost Quartermaine heir, or that good guys Finn and Liz would stash bad boy Peter’s body in a freezer? Even when we know something is on the horizon (Cameron Mathison joining the show), details about when and as who are kept under wraps until suddenly, the character pops up on screen one day.

More: First look at Cameron Mathison’s GH character

But based on recent dialogue, twists and even a few backstage whispers, we’ve been cobbling together clues and come to the conclusion that a few very big twists are about to hit Port Charles… the first of which has been hinted at for weeks. It can’t be a coincidence that half the canvas seems to be talking about Hayden Barnes, right?

Think about it: Shawn’s been released and is now determined to find out who really shot Hayden. And of course, Nikolas — who hired Hayden’s would-be assassin — has everything to lose should the truth come out. As an added bonus, Hayden’s babydaddy, Finn, has been getting closer to her sister, Elizabeth (hiding a body tends to bond people like that). With that many plates spinning in the air, the real shock would be if General Hospital didn’t bring Hayden (and portrayer Rebecca Budig) back.

More: How GH could help revive an axed soap

But bring her back we’re betting they will… perhaps even on the arm of Mathison’s new character? After all, what soap scribe could resist the opportunity to wink at the audience by reuniting Mathison and Budig, aka All My Children supercouple Ryan and Greenlee? Heck, for all we know the handsome actor could actually be stepping back into Ryan’s comfy shoes!

The biggest twist we see coming, however, involves the newly-returned Spencer. For a while now, the audience has been lead to believe that Nikolas’ son — no fan of his stepmom — is the mysterious “stalker” who has been terrorizing Ava. Certainly since Spencer popped up, the pieces have seemingly fallen into place, from the timing of his return to his knowledge of things only the stalker would supposedly know (such as details about the cockroach Ava received).

However, Spencer being the stalker feels a little too… obvious, especially on a show which likes to make us gasp as much as this one does. Ryan (Chamberlain, not Lavery!) is the other major suspect, but given his current medical condition, he feels like a bit of a long-shot.

More: Pics of the All My Children cast then and now

Which got us thinking… could things we were looking at as unconnected be coming together in a way we never imagined? What if during her time away, Hayden (perhaps with the help of Ryan — Lavery, not Chamberlain) figured out that ex-hubby Nikolas was her shooter? And what if she’s been seeking revenge by tormenting Ava in order to take away from Nikolas the thing he loves, just as his actions caused her to leave behind Finn and Violet?

Or perhaps during their mutual absences, Spencer and Hayden contacted one another and have been working together to drive Ava out of Wyndemere, each for their own reasons.

What do you think, gentle readers? Doesn’t it seem as if Hayden’s return has to be right around the corner? Do you have your own theories as to who Mathison will be playing or the identity of Ava’s stalker? Hit the comment section with your thoughts, then, even as we anticipate Hayden’s return, flash back to some of the soap exits we still haven’t recovered from via the gallery below.