General Hospital Needs to Fix Its Peter Problem in 2022 — Plus, Sonny, Carly and Nina Provided All The Fireworks Needed to End 2021

Credit: ABC/ABC screenshot

Well, we’ve finally made it to the end of 2021!  Last week I looked back at some of the 2021 highs and lows on General Hospital, and this week I’m looking forward to hopes for the ABC soap in 2022. Of course, I’m also looking back at this final week, which was filled with explosive moments.

The Final Week of 2021

General Hospital definitely ended 2021 with a bang, and yes there were also fireworks. However, the ones overhead couldn’t compare to the ones that resulted from Nina’s hearing. As epic as it was watching Willow on the stand revealing “Mike” and Nina’s romance, it was Sonny who brought the house down when he admitted “Mike” fell in love with Nina and he wasn’t a victim. Kudos to the judge for not only tossing the case out but for basically shaming them for wasting the court’s time with their family drama. And by them, I of course mean Michael!

Above: Sonny’s nobody’s victim

I, like many viewers, had been waiting for Carly and Michael to finally find out the truth, and it didn’t disappoint. Willow getting on her high horse and accusing Nina of using her to expose the truth was laughable. I used to be a huge Willow fan, but she’s been hanging out with Michael and Carly for far too long, and they’ve rubbed off on her. Nina telling Willow that she could have lied on the stand was a hilarious scene, and Cynthia Watros was stellar in delivering that line slowly in a “read my lips” type of manner. As for Michael, at least he’s starting to realize his father is partially at fault here, and I can’t wait to see his and Sonny’s confrontation over Nina. Frankly, I’d like to hear Sonny tell Michael to sit his spoiled rich butt down and shut his whining trap because it was not his place to see that Nina was punished. I think Scott should have pressed charges after Michael decked him because Scott was only doing his job, and Michael was just angry he didn’t get the outcome he wanted.

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I know I am probably supposed to feel sorry for Carly, but that’s not the case. I enjoyed the scene of Carly not even looking at Sonny after he got off the stand, and her line not knowing if he was Sonny, “Mike,” or someone else. However, what did Carly do after her rage subsided? She cried about how much she missed and needed Jason, and went to the footbridge to think about him some more. Hopefully, 2022 will have Carly actually facing the fact that a big part of her heart also belongs to Jason, and not just in a friendly way.

Above: For once Carly’s rendered speechless

BLQ’s steamy fantasy about Chase was hilarious and is clearly setting up a love story to come between them, and I’m all for that. Meanwhile, Marshall’s mysterious call to someone about following protocol leads me to believe he either has been in the witness protection program, or he’s undercover for some law enforcement organization. Either or, I’m still not finding myself very drawn into this storyline yet.

The New Year’s Eve show was a lot of fun, especially for Vanna fans. After that insane kiss between them on the dancefloor, I think it’s safe to say we can look forward to some happiness for these two in 2022, and it’s about time. I was disappointed that Valentin ordered Martin to choose between him and Lucy, especially seeing that Valentin is a partner in Deception. Hopefully, Anna can convince him to let Martin and Lucy find their happiness too. Then there was Liz, who finally took her wedding ring off, after losing it down the drain, only to put it in the kitchen drawer. Really Liz? You’re just going to shove it in with the ketchup, soy sauce packets, and plastic silverware? Finally, I really liked the idea of Alexis becoming a professor at PCU, but then they threw in the required background check. Here’s hoping Nikolas’ pardon helps her out because this is the best idea the writers have had for Alexis’ future in a long time.

Above: Maybe Vanna should get a room?

The Year Maxie’s Wish Hopefully Comes True

Looking forward to 2022, the number one thing that General Hospital needs to do is kill Peter off once and for all. Of course, it’s doubtful the show will want to get rid of their favorite new villain, but this storyline and his character ran their course a long time ago. Peter isn’t even the type of soap villain you love to hate, you just hate him and want him gone. If they won’t kill him, leave him in a coma and ship him off to Cyrus’ prison and dump him there. Do not pass go, Peter, do not collect two hundred dollars, do not figure out where Louise is, just go directly to jail and never return.

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Lighten Up On the Mob Storylines

It seems a good number of fans are always wishing there would be more hospital drama on General Hospital and fewer Soprano-style-storylines. With Cyrus in jail, the Novaks and Buscemas families in shambles, and Sonny 2.0 back and dealing with his personal drama, we could definitely use a big break from the mob. The only exception of course would be Ms. Wu and Brad, who we definitely need to see more of, and there is plenty of drama they can play out with them that isn’t completely mob-related.

Port Charles Needs Happiness and Fun Couples

Between Cyrus’ dark obsession with Laura and controlling Port Charles, Maxie having to choose to give up Louise to keep her from Peter, and Sasha and Brando losing Liam right before Christmas, hopefully, 2022 is a lot happier than 2021. This year was hard enough for most in real life, so watching the non-stop doom and gloom on our soaps was the last thing we needed. Obviously, soap operas aren’t always rainbows and sunshine, but hey, can we at least agree to spare the kids any more grief, pain and death next year?

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Soap scribes are often noted as saying happy couples are boring couples, but there was definitely a lack of happy couples in Port Charles this year. While not every couple can always be happy, they don’t always have to be miserable too. Scott and Obrecht provided great light-hearted drama and romance, and we could use more couples like them as well as Martin and Lucy to put smiles on our faces. In 2022, Monica and Yuri need to become a more prominent item on our screens.

Above: Lucy gets a Christmas present she wasn’t expecting

Britt and Drew are both single, but the show needs to avoid pairing them together simply because they are available. While Sam keeps insisting to Dante she’s moved on from Drew, there have been a lot more sparks between Drew and Sam in the few scenes they’ve shared than Dante and Sam have had. As for Britt, it should be revealed that Victor arranged for her test results to show she had Huntington’s Disease as part of his plan to lure Obrect into his trap. Hey, she could use some good news! Terry also needs a bigger storyline and perhaps a love interest as well.

Give Us More Mystery and Adventure

Last year’s adventure in Monte Carlo, which teased Holly’s mysterious whereabouts, and this year’s rescue of Drew in Greece were both fun storylines. And while soaps no longer have the budgets they used to do various location shoots, they’ve shown they can still pull off storylines that don’t take place in Port Charles. With Victor back on the canvas and urging the Cassadine clan’s need to be united, a big storyline involving the family having to put their differences aside could be just what they need to stop all their fighting. I’m still one of those fans who wouldn’t mind seeing the return of Helena, especially now that we know Victor and Helena have a more complicated history than we ever knew.

Above: What is Victor hiding?

Should the show actually kill off Peter, given the entire town hates the guy, it would make a great whodunnit mystery, which they already should have played out by now. Better late than never though! There is still the mystery of Esme’s fascination with Ryan that needs to be explored, and of course whether Hayden is still alive and where she might be. And of course, there is still the question of where Jeff Weber is, and if we will ever meet Liz’s mother.

As usual, these are only my opinions. Leave your hopes for 2022 in the comments, and everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!

As we get ready to close out the year, check out our photo gallery of 2021’s best and worst in soaps.