General Hospital 2025: All About the Scenes

The General Hospital Suds Scene with Kris

A Three-Part Retrospective

PART 3: All About the Scenes

 

2025’s AMAZING SCENE PARTNERS & SCENE STEALERS

Some expected, some unexpected, all endlessly delightful

• • Tracy & Martin

• Jane Elliot and Michael E. Knight delivered every time they were on screen. The quick and cutting banter between Tracy and Martin is reminiscent of the repartee in old Cary Grant movies and makes them so very entertaining to watch. They served up a master class in partner acting and stole every scene they were in along the way!

• • Tracy & Stella 

• J’adore Jane Elliot and Vernee Watson together. There’s a genuine regard for one another that makes Tracy and Stella’s friendship feel special. 

• • Tracy & Cody
    • Regardless of what the scenes call for, Jane Elliot and Josh Kelly are always enchanting to watch. Elliot and Kelly’s chemistry and natural rapport make their characters’ unlikely friendship feel genuine and sweet.   
  • Tracy & Gio

• So impressed with the charm and soul Giovanni Mazza brings to his character, Gio, which makes the connection he has formed with Tracy feel all the more authentic. 

• • Tracy & Jason
    • Steve Burton and Jane Elliot did such a beautiful job in all of their scenes after the loss of Monica Quartermaine. You could feel the love and reverence they had for Leslie Charleson and her iconic character. 
  • Tracy & Ronnie
    • It was a pure delight to get to watch soap legends, Jane Elliot and Erika Slezak, go toe-to-toe on screen!
  • Alexis, Kristina, Ava, & Ric (Special recognition to the scene-stealing ball gag)

• There aren’t enough superlatives to describe how entertaining the scenes around Rick’s forced “sabbatical” in Alexis’s basement were. From getting clubbed over the head with Alexis’s favorite antique paperweight to waking up with a ball gag in his mouth, Ric was a victim that was easy NOT to feel sorry for. Maura West (Ava), Kate Mansi (Kristina), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), and Rick Hearst (Ric) were flawless in delivering every line of their delicious dialogue. The wrath, power grabs, resentment, hubris, greed, hypocrisy, deceit, betrayal, broken morality, and perverse humor of it all had me rewinding to watch these scenes of the dark comedic storyline again and again. 

• • The Davis Girls

• Nancy Lee Grahn, Kate Mansi, & Kristen Vaganos 100% feel like a real family.

• • Alexis & Ric

• Any scene with Alexis and Ric is going to be laced with acerbic wit and be pure gold. The chemistry between Nancy Lee Grahn and Rick Hearst is off the charts, and their wry wit and comedic timing are flawless. 

• • Kristina & Cody

• Cody was the perfect choice to carry out one of Kristina’s harebrained schemes to seduce Ava. Josh Kelly has an effortless charm whose comedic timing has only gotten better since his character crashed-landed into Port Charles a few years ago, and Kate Mansi played the perfect comedy straight-man to his non-stop quips. 

• • Cody & James and Cody & Outback, aka Princess Pie

• W.C. Fields famously said, “Never work with animals or children,” because he knew they would steal the scene. Gary James Fuller (James) is such a talented young actor, and Outback/Princess Pie is adorable, but because Josh Kelly is an absolute natural at acting with both children and animals, all of their scenes together are sweet gems. 

• • Carly & Valentin
    • Whoever thought to make Carly & Valentin partners in crime deserves a bonus. Laura Wright & James Patrick Stuart are on another level with their ability to make emotional transitions in scenes and can deftly switch from biting wit to thoughtful to calculating to vulnerable within the same scene!
  • Carly & Lucas 
    • Laura Wright and Van Hansis have such great sibling chemistry, you’d swear they were actually related.
  • Josslyn & Trina

• Eden McCoy (Josslyn) and Tabyana Ali (Trina) bring a great authenticity to one of the most stable and supportive friendships on GH. 

• • Sonny & Laura 

• Nothing like one grandparent helping another grandparent to avoid a false murder rap and political scandal. Watching their scenes, you can feel the mutual respect Maurice Benard and Genie Francis have for one another. P.S. Check out Genie Francis on State of Mind with Maurice Benard.

• • Diane & Alexis with a splash of Suzanne

• Looking forward to Carolyn Hennesy (Diane) getting back on our screens soon because she and Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis) are perfection in every scene they have together. Jen Ray, as Suzanne, has also been a nice addition to the Miller & Davis law firm. She brings a little something extra to any scene she is in. Her food-flirting with Sonny was sweet & charming, and her facial expressions whilst listening to Willow’s mock testimony were everything.

• • Rocco, Danny, & Charlotte

• Finn Carr, Asher Antonyzyn, and Bluesy Burke have done a wonderful job of developing Rocco, Danny, & Charlotte into authentic, compelling, and entertaining characters.

• • Liesl with Anyone

• Kathleen Gati is a powerhouse who plays into every nuance of her character. Whether she is called to be the grieving turned embittered mutter to Britta, the loving mother to Nathan, the tough-love aunt to Nina & Willow, the doting oma to James, the wanna-be grandmother to Rocco, a manipulative mastermind, a Nurse’s Ball chanteuse, a relentless antagonist, or an eccentric truth-teller, Gati’s performance is always commanding and ceaselessly entertaining. 

 

CAUSING A SCENE

These Port Charles baddies seem to stir up trouble and mayhem no matter where they go.

• JENZ SIDWELL

• The highbrow sociopath has gained quite a foothold in Port Charles this year. Carlo Rota has relished the idiosyncrasies of his character, using them to command any scene he is in, and making Jenz Sidwell a most entertaining villain to watch. Article: General Hospital: Carlo Rota is Deliciously Evil as Jenz Sidwell

• DREW CAIN

“I think that Drew could rile the Dalai Lama up into a homicidal rage.” – Brook Lynn

• Drew may very well be one of the most despised characters in GH history. Some of Drew’s many nicknames and descriptors: Congressman Stuffed Shirt, Congressman Cutthroat, Locally Elected Rapscallion, Detestable monster masquerading as a human being, This man, Louse, Charlatan, Manipulative sleazy son-of-a-bitch, Self-promoting narcissist, Sorry excuse for a man, Corrupt bottom-feeder, Soulless Weasel, Pompous ass, and Coward without a shred of honor. You really have to credit Cameron Mathison (who, by all accounts, is absolutely nothing like Drew) for going all in on playing Drew to be a truly reprehensible character. 

 

OUTTAKES, BLOOPERS, & BEHIND THE SCENES

• I love the nod they had to Erika Slezak’s (Ronnie Bard) and Chris McKenna’s (Jack Brennan) One Life to Live mother and son characters (Victoria Lord & Joey Buchanan) in Bobbie’s diner. You could see the love and admiration the actors have for one another. Watch the cute outtake Chris McKenna posted on his Instagram: Outtake – Vicki & Joey.
• Jack Brennan Blooper
• Jack & Carly Blooper
• Dog Chaos on the Set
• Adrian Achondo Showing Off His Halloween Mask
• Ned’s Heart Attack Makeup

ANATOMY OF A SCENE

Some scenes this year were so layered in depth that they left a lasting emotional aftereffect.

When Vaughn found Josslyn in the shower at The Five Poppies

Eden McCoy and Bryce Durfee performances were simply sublime in this scene. After having to kill an assailant at The Five Poppies to save Vaughn and then having to dispose of the body, Josslyn eventually broke down in the shower. Without a single word of dialogue, McCoy & Durfee conveyed the intensity and utter heartbreak of the situation. You could see Josslyn paralyzed by the trauma of killing both Cyrus and Vaughn’s assailant and the need for the water to wash it all away. When Vaughn found her, it was clear he understood exactly what Josslyn’s new life was costing her and that the only thing he could do was hold her as she processed it all. 

When Carly had to pretend that she wanted to be with Jack

The scenes in Brennan’s Metro Court hotel room were understatedly chilling. Jack was clearly falling hard for Carly, but also confidently thought he was still getting away with his subterfuge. Carly had to walk a tightrope of managing how she felt about him before the betrayal, how she felt about him then, and how to fool him into thinking she was still all-in. Chris McKenna expertly switched back & forth from the lovesick puppy-dog eyes to the WSB autobot-mode.To watch a woman being backed into a position of having to compromise her physical and emotional safety is uncomfortable and disheartening, but Laura Wright was ever impressive in showing Carly feigning her romantic feelings for Jack to mask her hurt, anger, utter revulsion, and determination to take him down. 

When Spinelli sat by an unconscious Maxie’s bedside 

Bedside scenes at the hospital are often heartrending, but when Spinelli (Bradford Anderson) solemnly pleaded, “So, you see, Maximista, you have to wake up because you are irreplaceable in so many ways”, it was a poignant tug at the heartstrings. It only took one word to represent their years of history together. It’s been almost two decades since Spinelli nicknamed Maxie, Maximista, and when he used it so affectionately in this scene, it was like showing reverence to the love they have carried for each other throughout their entire adult lives.  

Felicia and Anna’s talk at the hospital

It took me a bit to stop crying from the emotional anguish of their conversation. Felicia (Kristina Wagner) reflected on the miracle of Maxie’s life and everything she had lived through and was terrified it was all about to be taken away. “I just keep remembering when Maxie was six…I got that miracle”, she said to Anna, “What if that miracle has run its course?” The history of Maxie getting BJ’s heart, as well as Kristina Wagner’s own lived experience with loss and grief, showed in Felicia’s face as she shared every parent’s worst fear with Anna. 

 

CHANGE OF SCENE

Recasts of 2025

General Hospital had several permanent recasts this year. Chris McKenna as Jack Brennan, Braedyn Bruner (who technically started toward the end of December 2024) as Emma Scorpio-Drake, and Bluesy Burke as Charlotte Cassadine have all successfully stepped into the roles of established characters and taken them in new directions, deepening and strengthening their presence on the GH canvas. Arguably, the biggest recast, however, was for Michael (Quartermaine) Corinthos III. 

Chad Duell inhabited the role of Michael for nearly 15 years, winning a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor along the way. Duell transitioned Michael from a teenager to adulthood and masterfully saw his character through more traumas, losses, and heartache than one person should ever have to endure. 

Replacing Duell as Michael was a tall order, but from the moment Michael walked into the Nurse’s Ball to get Wiley, Rory Gibson quickly proved he was up for the challenge. Since stepping into the role in May 2025, Gibson’s Michael has had to contend with the ire of his vengeful Uncle Drew, the custody battle that never ends, and being a suspect in Drew’s shooting. Through it all, Gibson has brought a darker edge and an intense magnetic energy to Michael, which continues to make him a most compelling watch. 

 

And Scene…

The Passing of Monica Quartermaine

Jason slowly walked from the stairs into the foyer with his head lowered, and the inevitable moment of losing Monica Quartermaine had finally come to pass. Seeing the tears well in Jason’s red-tinged eyes as he told Tracy that Monica was already gone was a solemnly respectful way to begin to say goodbye to this legendary character. 

It’s amazing to think that Leslie Charleson played Dr. Monica Quartermaine on GH for 46 years and had the longest tenure of any actor on General Hospital. The many scenes dedicated to her character’s loss and legacy reverently showed the profound impact Monica had on her family, friends, and the hospital, as well as the lasting impact that Charleson had on the show and her fellow castmates.   

 

IN MEMORIUM

Video: General Hospital ~ In Memoriam 2025 (Video)

The Soap Scene Article: In Memoriam: General Hospital’s Anthony Geary 

The Soap Scene Article: Legendary Actor from General Hospital Anthony Geary Dies at 78

 

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The Soap Scene’s General Hospital aficionado, Kris Grandinetti-Johnson brings her sharp eye and wit to her weekly round-up of all things Port Charles. This week, she’s highlighted a look at 2025 in a 3-part retrospective of fashion, quotables, set highlights, and other memorable GH moments and tributes.

Read more: Part 1: Fashion and Scene-ry

Read more: Part 2: Quotables and Special Awards

Read more: Part 3: All About Scenes