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General Hospital 101: Everything You Need to Know to Start (or *Get* Someone Started) Watching Today — Characters, Conflicts, Connections and More
Friday, August 19th, 2022
If you are someone you know is in the market for a new soap to watch, might we suggest ABC’s singular sensation?
Chances are, when Days of Our Lives moves behind a Peacock paywall on Monday, Sept. 12, it’s going to lose some viewers. To subscribe to the streaming service is only $4.99/month, but let’s be real: Not every fan is going to fork over the five bucks.
So what are they to do? Take up a new soap is what we’d suggest. And General Hospital, still very much free, thank you very much, is in terrific shape. Check out its vitals!
There’s a Lot to Love
Not only does the ABC sudser feature Days of Our Lives vet Wally Kurth as Ned Quartermaine, the patriarch of a Port Charles family that’s every bit as rich and quarrelsome as the DiMeras or Kiriakises, it boasts couples galore (including star-crossed would be sweethearts Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine), intrigue aplenty (much of it stemming from the machinations of Victor Cassadine, played by Days of Our Lives’ former Shane Donovan, Charles Shaughnessy) and exceptionally complicated relationships (like the antagonistic one that’s sprung up between Willow Tait and Nina Reeves, who don’t yet know that they’re mother and daughter!).
That was then… this is now.
Credit: NBC/Getty Images, ABC
Oh, and of course, General Hospital is also blessed with the presence of the one and only Laura Collins — yes, the Laura of Luke-and-Laura fame. The enduring heroine is brought to life by Genie Francis, once John Black’s amour, Diana Colville.
Francis today and in bygone Days… of Our Lives.
Credit: ABC, NBC/Getty Images
Getting Into It Is Easy as Pie
Now we know that if you or someone you know was considering tuning in to General Hospital for the first time (or the first time in a while), the prospect might seem daunting. It needn’t, though. True daytime fans will catch on to the action fast. And to help them do so, we’ve compiled a beginner’s guide to the show.
Check out the photo gallery below to find out who’s who in Port Charles, how they’re related and why they’re always giving one another side eye.
Beginning September 12, Days of Our Lives will be airing exclusively on Peacock. To make sure you never miss an episode, click here. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.
Image: ABC
1/51
<p><em>General Hospital</em> largely revolves around <span style="text-decoration: line-through">fearsome mobster</span> mild-mannered coffee importer Sonny Corinthos, who at this point has fathered half of Port Charles. Maybe more than half. We suck at math.</p>
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2/51
<p>Sonny’s current <span style="text-decoration: line-through">moll</span> girlfriend is <em>Crimson</em> magazine publisher Nina Reeves, with whom he struck up a relationship while she kept secret for months the fact that he wasn’t dead, just chilling in Nixon Falls with amnesia.</p>
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3/51
<p>Sonny only decided to make a real go of it with Nina when mercurial missus Carly Corinthos elected to put a stop to their marriage over his lingering feelings for “the other woman.”</p>
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4/51
<p>… Carly has Aurora Media bigwig Drew Cain, the twin brother of her late BFF/sorta husband Jason Morgan. Considering that this is how Drew looks in handcuffs with a boo-boo, we doubt that the friend zone is where he’ll stay.</p>
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5/51
<p>ELQ exec Michael Corinthos is actually the result of Carly’s one-night stand with the late A.J. Quartermaine. But Sonny sorta took possession of the boy, who now loathes “Dad” for choosing Nina over their family.</p>
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6/51
<p>What only Carly knows so far (and isn’t inclined to reveal!) is that Michael’s pregnant-and-ailing significant other, schoolteacher Willow Tait, is the long-lost daughter of — awkward! — Nina. Explosions in three, two…</p>
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7/51
<p>New to Sonny’s organization is Dex Heller, who the boss has no idea is, in fact, a spy sent by Michael to undermine his pop. Apparently, the hottie has not been clued in to Sonny’s feelings about betrayal.</p>
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8/51
<p>Sonny’s confidant, Brando Corbin, might have figured out by now that Dex isn’t on the level, had he not been distracted by model-wife Sasha Gilmore’s pill-popping in the wake of their son’s tragic death.</p>
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9/51
<p>To mom Carly and stepdad Sonny and pretty much <em>everyone’s</em> horror, the first time that Josslyn Jacks made love with boyfriend Cameron Webber, a video was shot — unbeknownst to the teens — and uploaded to the Internet.</p>
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10/51
<p>Joss’ gal pal, Trina Robinson, was accused of the crime. But as if the halo around her head didn’t make it clear enough, she was beyond innocent. The actual guilty party was…</p>
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11/51
<p>Esme Prince was the amateur “filmmaker” who turned Joss and Cam into reluctant viral sensations and framed Trina for her misdeed. But if she’s super mega twisted, you can probably blame it on…</p>
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12/51
<p>Before plummeting off the parapet at Wyndemere, Esme was being manipulated by Ryan Chamberlain, a card-carrying psycho serial killer obsessed with Port Charles’ foremost…</p>
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13/51
<p>Ava Jerome thought that she’d found something that made her as happy as martinis in her marriage to prince Nikolas Cassadine. Then he went and screwed it all up by sleeping with Esme.</p>
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14/51
<p>Maybe Nikolas is destined to blow every chance he gets. He is, after all, the especially chiseled product of mom Laura Collins’ time as the prisoner of his maniacal father, Stavros Cassadine.</p>
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15/51
<p>Um, she is. Years after her legendary marriage to Luke Spencer ended, Laura is living large and in charge as the mayor of Port Charles. She even has a new husband by her side. Unfortunately…</p>
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16/51
<p>Mainly because, as you can see, Port Charles’ shrink about town, Kevin Collins, is an exact replica of twin brother, Ryan. Except in the category of homicidal tendencies, thankfully.</p>
Image: ABC screenshot
17/51
<p>Nikolas’ son with Sonny’s late half sister, Courtney, worked as tirelelessly as sneakily to expose “girlfriend” Esme’s crime and exonerate Trina. He took so long, though, that the young woman he truly loved found herself in a most appealing…</p>
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18/51
<p>Rookie cop Rory Cabrera took one look at Trina and was not only convinced that she was innocent, he was convinced that he’d met the girl of his dreams. See that gaze? The boy is <em>smitten</em>!</p>
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19/51
<p>Also offering unconditional support to Trina is virtuous mom Portia, an MVP among General Hospital’s MDs who off duty plays doctor with…</p>
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20/51
<p>Curtis Ashford went from private eye to private parties — as the owner of hot spot The Savoy. He still loves a good mystery, though. What’s the recipe for those tasty cocktails that he serves? Only he knows!</p>
Image: ABC screenshot
21/51
<p>Here, Curtis’ auntie, Stella Henry, demonstrates the look that you never want to see cross her face. It is by and large an indication that you have done or are about to do something of which the social worker disapproves.</p>
Image: ABC, ABC screenshot
22/51
<p>Curtis’ dad, Marshall Ashford — long thought to be dead (take a number!) — is certain that Nurse Epiphany Johnson is good for the heartsickness that ails him.</p>
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23/51
<p>Yes, yes, we digress. Sonny’s firstborn, Port Charles PD detective Dante Falconeri — who conveniently looks the other way where Dad’s “coffee business” in concerned — is all boo’d up with his old man’s ex-lover, reformed con artist-turned-gumshoe Sam McCall.</p>
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24/51
<p>Sam’s mother, fiery <em>Invader</em> publisher, disgraced lawyer and ex-con Alexis Davis, has two other daughters, future RBG Molly Lansing (with Sonny’s half brother, Ric Lansing) and Kristina Davis (with Sonny himself).</p>
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25/51
<p>Molly’s honey is fine — <em>very</em> fine — upstanding, aspiring General Hospital doctor T.J. Ashford, the son of Sonny’s onetime muscle, Shawn Butler, and, ironically, Port Charles’ top cop…</p>
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26/51
<p>Jordan Ashford is charged with keeping law and order in Port Charles, a town where they’ve practically erected a statue to <span style="text-decoration: line-through">racketeer</span> coffee importer Sonny. We would <em>not</em> want her job. Her cheekbones, yes. Her job… no.</p>
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27/51
<p>These days, if Sam wants to catch up with Kristina, all she has to do is swing by Charlie’s Bar. Not just for a drink, but because owner Phyllis Caulfield recently named the young woman manager. </p>
Image: ABC (2)
28/51
<p>Back to Alexis for a second… Despite her predilection for mobsters, she’s currently embroiled in a flirtation with Gregory Chase, the ex of journalist Jackie Templeton and the father of…</p>
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29/51
<p>Because this is the cutest picture of all time. But beyond that, this is Gregory’s older son, Hamilton Finn, a doctor at General Hospital and the father of adorable Violet (with the MIA Hayden Barnes).</p>
Image: ABC screenshot
30/51
<p>Finn is enamored of Cam’s mother, Nurse Elizabeth Webber, who since the death of husband Franco Baldwin and their “killing” of his murderer, Peter August, has been a little unstable. As in, she occasionally hugs her attire. See?</p>
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31/51
<p>Finn’s kid brother, easy-on-the-eyes Harrison Chase, is one of Port Charles’ finest. As in, he’s a detective with the PCPD… at least when not suspended for one reason or another. He’s also drawn to drama. Which explains why he’s made a VIP in his life the one and only…</p>
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32/51
<p>Natural born pot stirrer Brook Lynn Quartermaine, the songwriter daughter of ELQ honcho Ned and the third of his many wives, onetime L&B Records founder Lois Cerullo.</p>
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33/51
<p>Ned, by the way, has formed a whole new family with Sonny’s babymama, Olivia Falconeri, and her son by the late Julian Jerome, lil’ Leo, who has autism. And also, it would appear, a keen willingness to hold one’s gaze.</p>
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34/51
<p>For some reason, Ned, Olivia and a whole bunch of others live at the Quartermaine mansion, which Alan’s widow, fellow doctor Monica, will be quick to remind anyone within earshot is hers, damn it!</p>
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35/51
<p>No one has noticed that new Quartermaine on the block Austin Gatlin-Holt looks exactly like Liz’s last husband. Fashionista Maxie Jones is just glad that he isn’t as obviously evil as her last boyfriend, Peter August. That said, Austin and Franco could have been…</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
36/51
<p>This <span style="text-decoration: line-through">is</span> was Franco. But let’s be real — it could just as well be and/or have been Austin. The same as Finn could pass for John McBain or Silas Clay… We just don’t talk about that stuff, and you shouldn’t, either.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
37/51
<p>Among the first to smell a rat whenever Maxie’s late almost-husband entered the room was her former non-husband, Damian Spinelli. Kindly don’t call him geeky. He is, if anything, geektastic. Thank you.</p>
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38/51
<p>Ever since he parachuted into the pool at the Metro Court, Dante’s old pal, Cody Bell, has been turning heads. Alas, smokin’ as he is, sometimes he’s been turning them… away. Meanwhile, he was recently revealed to be the son of Dominique Stanton, the late love of Scotty Baldwin (whom we’ll meet in a moment). </p>
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39/51
<p>Reformed Dr. Feel-Bad Britt Westbourne has thus far remained immune to Cody’s charms. But with limited options and his unlimited appeal… c’mon, you do the math. Mainly because, as previously admitted, we’re terrible at it.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
40/51
<p>Britt’s longtime wingman is Brad Cooper — not Bradley, <em>Brad</em>. A former conniver, he, too, is now walking the straight and narrow after losing both his husband and his freedom by pretending Michael’s son was really his late, adopted one.</p>
Image: ABC screenshot
41/51
<p>Brad’s aunt, Mafia queenpin Selina Wu, would love nothing more than to involve him in the “family business.” OK, she might love to take over Sonny’s turf more, but that’s another matter altogether.</p>
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42/51
<p>Terry Randolph, Britt’s co-chief of staff at the hospital, is looking for love. It’s a bit trickier for her than most, however, as she’s an out and proud transgender woman in a world that isn’t always, or even often, welcoming.</p>
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43/51
<p>Once upon a time, Britt’s mother, Dr. Liesl Obrecht, was the obsessive acolyte of supervillain babydaddy Cesar Faison. Nowadays, she’s — gasp — kinda… nice?!? And she’s head over heels in love, as anyone would be, with…</p>
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44/51
<p>He’s been naughty. He’s been nice. But one thing that smarter-than-the-average-bear attorney Scotty Baldwin has never been is boring. One doesn’t achieve iconic status by being meh.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI (2)
45/51
<p>Lucy Coe hung up her devil’s horns ages ago. Now the question is, can she convince besotted barrister Martin Gray — who just happens to be Laura’s surprise half brother — to do the same so that the only Deception in their relationship is her company?</p>
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46/51
<p>Back when Sonny was living in Nixon Falls as amnesiac Mike, he became close with Phyllis, who eventually relocated to Port Charles and took over Charlie’s Pub, the bar previously run by the mafioso’s late nemesis, Julian Jerome.</p>
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47/51
<p>After years of miscommunication and animosity, onetime WSB operative and eternal badass Anna Devane surrendered to passion and struck up a romance with her longtime admirer…</p>
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48/51
<p>Valentin Cassadine is handsome, charming, rich, powerful… and so complicated that Rubik’s Cubes look at him and go, “[Bleep], we should’ve been more like that.” Making matters even more difficult for him and Anna is that he’s had to…</p>
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49/51
<p>And Valentin’s surprise pop, Victor Cassadine, is only a hair less treacherous than, say, Princess Aura’s dad, Ming the Merciless.</p>
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50/51
