This page is dedicated to my one true vice - the daytime drama called General Hospital. It is the only soap opera that I follow faithfully (meaning I tape it every day and watch when I get home), and I never miss an episode. A lot of people don't understand this, but I feel for the characters in almost the same way that I feel for my friends. When Stone Cates was nearing death, I cried as though one of my own friends was succumbing to AIDS. This speaks volumes about the writers, directors, producers, and everyone else involved in the production of the show, because the characters and storylines are (for the most part) the most realistic I've ever seen. Other shows depict human interest stories such as AIDS, cancer, drugs, and alcoholism, but the storylines often fade into the background, or are miraculously resolved. General Hospital, on the other hand, usually takes these storylines to their natural conclusions, unpleasant as they may be, and does not pretend that life is like a fairy tale.

The GH story that most interested me was the Jax-Brenda-Sonny triangle. When Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard, right) and Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil, center) first got together several years ago, I became a devout SonnyandBrenda fan. Like other such fans, I was sure that true love would conquer all, and they would live happily ever after. But they weren't happy, due to Sonny's lies and inability to talk about his life with the mob, and Brenda's need to know more and eventual betrayal of Sonny (by wearing a wire, intending to give the information to the police). When billionaire Jasper "Jax" Jacks (Ingo Rademacher, left) came along, I figured that he was just another obstacle on the road to Sonny and Brenda's blissful life together.

But Jax did something that Sonny never could - he made Brenda truly happy - and in doing so he won my heart and my approval. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was so easy on the eyes (even my little sister has a massive crush on him). Anyway, I started to root for Jax instead of Sonny, and I hoped that some day, he and Brenda would finally be legally married. You see, they were married on his yacht in the Mediterranean, and were about to renew their vows at a public ceremony in Port Charles, with friends and family present, when Jax's presumed-dead first wife, Miranda, showed up (with a little help from jealous Sonny). Since his marriage to Brenda wasn't legal, Jax divorced Miranda and he and Brenda were planning to elope to New Orleans, when life reared its ugly head. The wedding was postponed indefinitely, and Brenda and Sonny reunited and planned to be married in September. However, Sonny disappeared moments before the wedding, and Brenda's heart was once again broken. Jax and Brenda eventually got back together, and I was looking forward to the lifetime of happiness they should have had together. Unfortunately, Brenda's mentally ill mother arrived in town, and drove her daughter and herself over a cliff. Both were presumed dead, and Vanessa Marcil began to play the character of Gina on Beverly Hills, 90210. However, since that series has ended, I still hold out hope that Brenda may someday reappear in Port Charles.

At the top of the page I mentioned Michael "Stone" Cates (Michael Sutton, above left) - he was Sonny's surrogate little brother, who died of AIDS before he was twenty years old. He was also Robin Scorpio's (Kimberly McCullough, above right with Steve Burton as Jason Morgan Quartermaine) boyfriend. In the days leading up to Stone's death, Robin admitted to him that his greatest fear had become a reality - he had passed the HIV virus on to her. This particular storyline, and especially its tragic conclusion, was absolutely heartbreaking, but it was also riveting, and it told a story that is rarely seen on television, but happens far too often in the real world. Since Stone's death, Robin has carried on with dignity and poise. Although Kimberly has left GH for primetime acting roles, her character is currently studying at the prestigious Sorbonne in Paris. The character of Robin Scorpio is the embodiment of courage, and is a role model to her peers, both on-screen and off.

In Port Charles, New York, status quo means that every so often, there is a gang war (or at least a tiff), or a new Quartermaine scandal is plastered on the front page of the newspaper, or someone has a life-saving operation. Things had been running according to the status quo until the Cassidine family returned in 1996. It turns out that Laura Spencer (half of "Luke and Laura," the supercouple) gave birth to a son while Stavros Cassidine held her captive 16 years ago. This son, Nikolas (Tyler Christopher, above left with Alisyn and Kelli Griffith, who portray Laura's daughter, Lesley-Lu) came to Port Charles with his uncle Stefan (Stavros' brother, played by Stephen Nichols, above right), and things haven't been the same since.

This ABC Daytime site owned by

Dianne Smith
Click for NEXT | RAND | NEXT 5
Or learn more about the
ABC Daytime Soap Ring

Disclaimer: This unofficial fan page is a project undertaken by Dianne Smith, and has no affiliation with General Hospital, ABC, or any other organizations or individuals associated with this television program. This page is not intended to infringe upon properties held by any organizations or individuals associated with this television program. This is a personal web page intended for fans of the ABC-TV show General Hospital, and as such is not intended to make a profit in any way.