Ryan Terrorizes The Teens on GH
Credit: ABC (3), Howard Wise/JPI, Chris D/JPI

This winter may not be a wonderland for the younger crowd in Port Charles.

From the moment Avery Kristen Pohl debuted as Spencer’s enigmatic girlfriend Esme Prince on General Hospital, viewers have wondered about the mysterious young woman. Reception to the character has ranged from curiosity about her mysterious background to annoyance with how she treats Spencer and his friends to disturbed with regard to her fascination with serial killer Ryan Chamberlain. And it’s that fascination that could put Esme and her friends in danger.

Esme taken by Ryan GH

Above: Even Harmony knows nothing good can come from Esme’s fixation on Ryan

Esme’s past is a true mystery. We know from Spencer that her parents are dead. Esme herself has told us that she and her siblings were all adopted, leading many to speculate that her fascination with Ryan could be because he’s her birth father. Currently, Esme’s focus has been on getting Joss and Spencer’s other friends to like her. In fact, she’s oddly obsessed with that goal. Like father like daughter?

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In order to try and win over Joss and the others, Esme has been pushing for a winter weekend getaway. While Esme sees it as a bonding opportunity, Joss sees it as a way to expose the real Esme to Spencer. Joss offered up her Uncle Sonny’s cabin for their proposed trip, which along with Esme’s presence, sends up a number of red flags. Nothing good ever comes of a trip to a cabin on the soaps. Let’s not forget that this is the same cabin the Corinthos clan uses to hide away from the world, meaning it’s far removed from civilization. It also happens to be the place where Nelle fell to her death in the dark, stumbling into a ravine. The entire setting screams horror film. Add a bunch of college kids into the mix, and you might as well be inviting your local psychotic serial killer to stalk them.

Hey, as far as we know, Spring Ridge could be just a hop, skip and a jump away from Sonny’s cabin.

Joss, Trina and Cam plot against Esme and Spencer General Hospital

Above: A getaway in a cabin in the woods. What could go wrong? “Everything,” replies Cameron’s expression.

Credit: ABC screenshot

Viewers know that Ryan, while still supposedly suffering from Locked-In Syndrome at Spring Ridge, has been able to move a finger here and there. He could very well be biding his time and building his strength to strike when least expected. And Esme’s visits to him appear to be deeply disturbing him, almost as if she’s a problem he needs to take care of. Should he escape, the college kids’ cabin getaway could prove a nice stop and refuge for him. Ryan’s no stranger to hiding out in cabins in the woods; after all, that’s where Ava once set a trap for him. And with Ava gleefully happy with Nikolas, Spencer could very well also be a target of Ryan’s. Wouldn’t Spencer’s untimely demise break the happy couple apart? Ryan sure might think so.

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Of course, the kids’ own history with killer parties could potentially work against them and give Ryan the upper hand. Recall the first time we met Esme was at Spencer’s big summer bash at Wyndemere. You know, the shindig at which his own father tried to prove Spencer was stalking Ava and pretended to be an escaped Ryan, who fake-stabbed him. So should Esme’s big weekend trip go all sorts of wrong and put the younger crowd in danger, it might be easy for them to jump to the conclusion that Nikolas and Ava could be punking them. And by the time they realize that isn’t the case, the danger to them could become as imminent as it is real. In the end, the entire scenario could set Spencer up to play the hero of the winter weekend and prove to his friends, especially Trina, that he’s not the jerk they often think him to be.

mac felicia GENERAL HOSPITAL - "General Hospital" airs Monday-Friday, on ABC (check local listings). (ABC/Todd Wawrychuk)KRISTINA WAGNER, JOHN J. YORK

Above: Ryan might make it his mission to wipe those smiles right off their faces.

Credit: ABC

However, there is also another potential target Ryan is likely to go after, and that’s the object of his obsession before he met Ava. With Kristina Wagner’s full-time return as Felicia Scorpio, and her character’s husband Mac back running the PCPD, Ryan could easily target them both along with others — such as Ava, Kevin and Laura — who he feels have wronged him over the years.

What do you think, General Hospital fans? Do you think Ryan is on his way back with revenge on his mind? And what is Esme hiding? Also, if you aren’t watching Yellowstone, it’s never too late! Get to know the show in our gallery below of  Yellowstone‘s best characters ranked.