General Hospital Shake-Up: By Week’s End, Two Couples Could Be Over… and Two New Ones Could Be Paired

Romance — and trouble — is in the air at the Quartermaine picnic!

The moment General Hospital‘s Leo began whipping up a batch of “Sicilian thunderbolt,” we started having flashbacks to that time All My Children‘s David accidentally dosed half of Pine Valley with Libidozone. And while the boy’s love potion seemed harmless enough, we can’t imagine that even this show — with it’s much-discussed pacing problems — would spend two days in the kitchen with Leo and not have it going somewhere.

You’ll recall that Olivia told Leo the concoction had the power to “unite reluctant lovers and make them see that they were destined to be together.” Brook Lynn chimed in to say that this wasn’t a drink which would make you fall for the next person you happened to see. Instead, for the Sicilian thunderbolt to work, the two people in question had to be right for each other.

Of course, soon after, half the town was wandering around with shiny red cups full of Leo’s (presumably) tasty treat. And by the end of the episode airing on August 24, Sam, Dante, Brook Lynn and Chase — each conspicuously clutching a red cup — had crossed paths… but not with their current respective partners.

More: Happy anniversary, Kathleen Gati (Obrecht)! 

“You look like you could use a friend,” Chase told Sam, who has been reluctant to fully commit to Dante by moving in. “I’m available,” he added. Meanwhile, Dante and Brook Lynn nearly plowed into one another before exchanging grins which might easily be translated as saying, “Hey, I’m suddenly seeing you in a whole new light.”

Elsewhere, Nikolas went from fighting with Ava to challenging her to a game of corn hole (seriously), while Carly smiled suggestively at Drew when he offered her a hot dog.

The implication was certainly that these various pairings might, thanks to Leo, suddenly find themselves feeling all tingly inside. And while that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for the bickering Cassadines or Carly and Drew, it could make things very complicated indeed for Sam, Dante, Chase and Brook Lynn.

Truth be told, shaking up this quadrant of the canvas might not be a bad thing. As much as many fans have taken to the idea of Brook Lynn and Chase, their endless friend-zoning of one another has become monotonous. And while the Dante/Sam pairing sounded good in theory, they, too, have become — for lack of a better word — boring.

Looking at the potential new pairings through objective eyes, it’s easy to see why they might work. Dante and Brook Lynn are certainly cut from the same cloth. Plus, she would certainly have the all-important blessing of his mom, Olivia. (Sure, Liv and Ned’s marriage makes Dante and Brook Lynn step-siblings, but if Bold & Beautiful has taught us anything, it’s that little details like that definitely don’t matter on a soap.)

Chase and Sam might be a slightly more difficult sell, as they don’t immediately strike us as a natural fit. Yet his puppy-like nature might be exactly what Sam, who can drift toward the dark-and-moody side, needs to help her rediscover the more carefree woman she once was.

More: Take our quiz to see how well you know Sam

Now, does this mean we think that the Sicilian thunderbolt actually… works? Not a chance. However, given that this week’s promos have hinted that someone at the picnic has nefarious intentions, it’s easy to imagine that the mystery person might have slipped an extra ingredient into Leo’s mocktail, turning child’s play into a potential romantic nightmare for several locals!

Something tells us that in the days to come, we’re going to have to update this report on which General Hospital couples are thriving and which are withering on the vine!