Loved the Mac/Maxie/Anna scenes.

Loved the Lanview scenes.

So glad Liz is sticking up for Sabrina and seeing the real Britt.

Love the little smile on Robert's face as Helena came out of the tunnels and I loved the look of annoyance on Helena's face to be disturbed.

The jury's out on Shawn/Alexis for me. Wasn't feeling it and I'm not sure why.

I'm already bored with the Connie stealing the manuscript storyline, but that's my only complain about the show lately.

I enjoyed seeing Alexis getting into something other than legal briefs, for a change. It won't last, but I'm happy to see her sink the two-ball in the side pocket.

The Llanview stuff was a highlight for me. Seeing Carly and Skye and Blair and Téa in one room was like seeing a team-up of AMC, OLTL and GH! It was a nice dose of sentimental nostalgia for a Friday afternoon (and the catfighting was just a bonus) .

I'm not sure how happy I am to see Helena back. Things always get too cartoonish for me when she's around. However, Ron hasn't done much wrong these days, so I owe him the benefit of the doubt.

It's been a terrific week in Port Charles and even Llanview. It's even nice to know Stuart's got another art exhibit coming up in Pine Valley. Nice job, everyone at GH!

Perkie, I wasn't feeling Shexis either, there was no real passion there. Maybe it has been too long for Alexis.

Other than that, GH is rockin' it!

The thing about Shawn and Alexis is that it was billed as they have a fight which leads to passionate sex. Didn't really go down that way. they were both kind of whining at each other more than arguing, so it wasn't really an anger turning to passion thing. Plus I kept getting distracted by the beach motel motiff in Shawn's room, yikes!

I think they're starting to overdue it just a tad with Olivia's psychic abilities. I did love the scene between Maxie, Mac, and Anna. FH played that perfectly.

Thrilled to see Helena back, I hope they use her better than last time (Lady in white nonsense and all) and I can't wait to see her and Faison together.

Love all things Llanview-based. Sad to not see Ted King show up as Tomas/Alcazar. I get the feeling he will not be making an appearance. Other than these scenes, I found the episode a letdown. I do enjoy seeing Mac but I thought his scenes with Maxie would have been more interesting had the surrogacy reveal happened in the same room as Lulu/Dante telling Sonny & Olivia. That could've been funny.

Mousy Nurse v. Bitchy Doctor plays out like some contrived, silly sitcom from the 1980's but not nearly as fun. I HATE Rebecca Herbst and Jason Thompson are propping this schlock. In fact, I found Liz's nice moment with Britt after Heather went over GH's roof_ the scene where Liz mourned Jake and empathized with Tea & Sam_ to be more indicative of a potential friendship. Liz listening to Sabrina whine over Patrick is Liz being made a prop for a lesser character AGAIN.

Finally, Alexis & Shawn have the spark of a wet blanket! I'm all for "love in the afternoon" but I am not for an underdeveloped, chemistry free, awkward pairing. This "pair" feels like a last ditch effort to make these characters revelant on the canvas. It's forced and passionless and annoying. Alexis should be chemistry tested with Sonny because they have a spark. Shawn needs to be paired with character development or a bus ticket out of Port Charles!

Not into the Faison stuff, Duke stuff or Helena stuff. I think I need a break from this show. I thought it was on a roll months ago. I never thought I would prefer the Sonny/Kate stuff but I do. Oh well.

I am disgusted with Revenge also. They took a fantastic show with all the relationships and revenge and added the intrigue in last few episodes which makes it just like my other dramas, I already watch. Ie, Criminal Minds.

I guess I have different categories of shows and when they let me down, I am gone. I love, love, love, Scandal. I hope the show stays the same.

I hope GH goes back to the rhythm they had before. I was surprised the current group were chosen for sweeps. It caught me off balance there on that decision. Oh well. Each to his own.

Dante/LuLu should adopt. Same old same old there. I don't need to be taught about OPTIONS.

I am disgusted right now with the turn of the show. Must see has turned into Must go away.

PLEASE GENERAL HOSPITAL, SLOW DOWN!!!! All of these stories that are being told right now can be amazing but at the break neck speed the show is going I am not invested AND DON'T REALLY WANT TO BE INVESTED.

The idea is to tell great story that has a beginning, a middle and an end. Right now we have a DROPPED OUT OF NO WHERE beginning and a feverish rush to the end. In between we have a couple of weeks of dialogue and then the climax but NO EMOTIONAL STAKE in the story or program.

Sure, GH will keep viewers but if a viewer checks out the show, let's say, on Monday of this week and likes it but doesn't return until Thursday or even Friday, possibly one week later and the story has progressed to the point of "wait, they just met and now she's 3 months pregnant" or "wait, the whole town was sick on Monday and now they are all better on Friday? How did that happen?" Those new fans won't stick around. And the ratings show it. Sure, the demo is up for 18-49 yr old women but that's about it. In overall numbers everyone has leveled off or gone down and part of it is definitely the pacing of the stories.

Give a hint of Lulu and Dante wanting kids but give them a another story in between saying LETS START A FAMILY and then getting Maxie to be a surrogate. Give a hint of Lorenzo and Tomas being the same person and then show us the fall out of Tea and her baby, then reintroduce Blair. The same with Duke/Faison/Helena story. So far, the mob/evil doers stories have all melted into one another and it just doesn't seem plausible. So far Jerry, Joe Jr., real/faux Duke (Faison), and now Helena (most likely) will have their hands in Robin's death, as well as spiriting Robert in and out of Port Charles. It all looks good but when you look back at it, it because ridiculous.

AJ is another factor that should have been paid attention to, as well. It would have been good to always have that suspicion that AJ may or may not have had a hand in Jason disappearing and not just faux Duke. Jason left on Friday and AJ appeared on Monday. The show should have paid more attention to the dynamic of the Q family and not just brought AJ back to take the reins of ELQ and wreck havoc in Carly n Sonny's lives. A simple look from Jason at a glimpse of AJ and then Jason being shot would have been amazing. (Later, depending on the story with AJ and whether or not Steve Burton or another actor come on board, the glimpse of AJ could be explained away as AJ just passing by and he didn't see Jason OR AJ joined forces with Helena/faux Duke-Faison to exact revenge on all for what they took from him).

As for the Sabrina/Britt nurses... WHO THE HELL ARE THEY and why the duke are they on the show?!!! Too many characters, too little story and too little desire to care about them. With those two and then the back and forth of the Llanview crew makes GH more like the LOVE BOAT/FANTASY ISLAND soap than one I can invest in. The head writers have a history with OLTL and GH but a lot of fans who watch GH don't and this "guest starring for 2 weeks" stories just aren't cutting it with me and I am sure other fans. Either keep Tea in town, as well as Blair and get rid of those nurses to make room for these two stars OR JUST LEAVE THEM OFF THE CANVAS as well as killing off the dull nurses.

SLOW DOWN!!!

I FLOVED the Mac and Maxie scenes. I really wish that RC would have focused on Maxie/Mac/Felicia reforming their relationship instead of the DID crap, Joe JR wants revenge, Jasam vs Liason or well another pointless Blair visit. I mean Mac and Maxie are pure GOLD. That scene was 100% perfection, I was moved by it, I was invested and connected to it from the jump! And then I was furious that I didn't get my Felicia wins back her family story! I wanted that story, I loved that family and it was ignored.

Today's scenes with those two and even Anna were great. Mac is just the best parent in the history of GH. And he better have a huge role in finding Robin is all I can say, because the bond between Robin and Mac honestly for me trumps that of Robin and Anna.

I also agree with the poster that said they need to slow down the story. I mean I am suppose to feel of Lante when its been 3 weeks. Its too rushed! Play the beats, same with Michael, I love him turning on Carly and Sonny but there are a million beats to that story that would make it so compelling and honestly so good and LIFE CHANGING for all characters but if you don't play all the beats then Michael just seems really OOC. Slow down play the beats. If the story is good, the audience will be patient and go for the. Its when the story is pure undeniable crap like the DID that we are screaming for it to end and yet it never ever ends. Makes no sense why rush the good stories and drag the crap ones?

I also hate that Liz is being used to prop Sabrina. Liz is a legacy character and she NOT be propping this Sabrina storyline. I'm still not sure why we have to endure Sabrina and Britt. Sabrina acts like a freakin 12 year old and it's annoying. Did love Liz giving it to Britt.

I LOVE SKYE!!! She better get on contract. She is soooo needed. Blair/Carly don't know how to spar using words so they have to attack. Skye got Blair though and threw her down on that couch. What I don't understand is why they are so focused on letting Blair know that Tomas is Lorenzo. Shouldn't it affect Tea more? That's her brother.

Love that self righteous hypocrite Dante took Sonny's blood money. He had the nerve to judge AJ and talk crazy about him while he takes Sonny's money. The same Sonny he came to town to take down, the same Sonny who shoot him in the chest, etc. I just can't stand this character.

That Shawn and Alexis scene was very hard to watch. It was so awkward. They couldn't get each other clothes off. The only part I liked was when Shawn grabbed Alexis face to kiss it. Otherwise they should have rehearsed that scene a couple of times.

If I close my eyes real tight, the Liz, Sabrina, Britt, Steven and Patrick scenes were really Liz, Sabrina (Steven's hereto unknown teenage nursing student daughter), Sarah, Steven and Patrick. Liz and Steven are happy that Sarah is dating Patrick, but also empathizing with Sabrina's crush on a much older man. See? Problem solved. It's all about the Webber family and Patrick. Patrick has moved on with Sarah and then Robin comes home to find out her husband is not with her BFF, Liz, but with Liz's older sister, Dr. Sarah Webber.

I loved the scenes with Blair, Tea, Carly, Todd and Skye! Until the whole PP licensing issue goes away in January, we will not see Ted King on the show as Tomas "Luis or Lorenzo" Alcazar Delgado.

Liz needs her own story and a hot new man that is not crazy!

I think Jamey mentioned on one of the DC's podcast that JMB wasn't happy that Lulu did not have a story, which is probably why Lante is now baby crazy with rabies! Dante is a hypocrite in taking Sonny's blood money.

Maxie as a surrogate. Did the writers conveniently forget that she is a heart transplant recipient who should not be doing this? But then this is GH. History means nothing.

We are at the beginning of the surrogacy plot so lets give Maxie's heart condition a chance to be introduced as a barrier to the pregnancy. It was mentioned today so I don't believe the history was forgotten.

I know it's shallow of me to make this comment rather than discussing the episode, but...what a man, what a man! That picture is drool-worthy. Ay papi, I didn't know you had it like that!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but after Anna left Kelly's and it was just Maxie with Mac, didn't Maxie mention the heart transplant? I believe she said something along the lines of, "Don't worry Mac I'm going to tell the doctor I had a heart transplant."

Let's keep in mind that Maxie had her heart transplant when she was a little girl. I don't think that asking doctors when she was a child if she would be able to have babies was a concern at the time. Now compare that to what Katie on B&B went through with her pregnancy, she was an adult when she had her heart transplant so it may have been more of a concern at that point.

And also to say history means nothing on GH...That may have been the theme in the past with past regimes who used Robin's HIV status as a disgusting plot point. But this regime has brought or will bring us: Faison, Duke, Anna, Robert, Brought AJ Back from the Dead, Playing on Sonny & Carly's dastardly deeds to get Michael from AJ, brought a whole houseful of Qs, Lucy Coe's return, THE NURSE'S BALL and memorialized the legendary Edward Quartermaine, all the while remembering his beloved Lila along the way.

Re Shawn and Alexis - I SO wanted to love these scenes - but I didn't. Alexis has way more chemistry with Jerry Jax.

Bypassing Llanview because I have no background or investment in it.

Unlike most I'm sure - I liked the scenes with Dante, Lulu, Sonny and Olivia. In case no one has noticed, they are Dante and Lulu's family - sadly the Spencers, including Luke, have disappeared. And, also in case no one has noticed, Sonny is being removed more and more from the mob world. In recent months, his scenes have been much about his personal life - Kate, Michael, Kristina and now Dante.

To let the mob element go, I'm willing to let Sonny move on .. and to enjoy family scenes and family relationships. There is a new headwriter and I'm prepared to give him to move to re-set characters. Besides, Dom and Mo have great chemisty together and I like their scenes - so I'm happy to move into RC's new GH.

Now about Maxie's heart transplant ... RC is doing a better job than Guza did in 2006 with Maxie's fake pregnancy story. For two full weeks, Maxie broadcast to all of Port Charles - Lucky, Liz, Dr. Lee, the Q's, Mac (twice), Georgie and Dillon - that she was pregnant .. and NO ONE - not ONE - mentioned her heart transplant. Finally, Mac, in this third set of scenes with Maxie and after two full weeks of this story, brought it up ... and Dr. Lee said simply that, as a heart transplant recipient, Maxie would need to be extra careful. That's all ... and the story continued to the pillow pregnancy stage. And remember that everyone thought Maxie was actually pregnant at the time- not just considering a pregnancy.

I'm on the same page as JTHAWK here. As I said on my Facebook page, I thought that Friday's episode was pretty freaking epic. It was like a Robert Altman movie mixed with The Avengers! LOL

After after a week of Quartermaines & ELQ machinations (more screen time for that family than in ages and ages), we had ONE SINGLE EPISODE on Friday featuring Anna Devane, "Duke Lavery"/Ceasar Faison, Robert Scorpio, Blair Cramer, Tea Delgado, Skye Quartermaine, Helena Cassadine, Mac Scorpio as well as Todd Manning, Alexis Davis, Sonny Corinthos, Carly Jax PLUS Maxie, Dante, Steve, Patrick AND several newer characters! At least two soap operas were directly cross-referenced (GH and OLTL); FOUR if one counts both the continued reverberations from "The City" and AMC with Sky's mention of Stuart, who obviously survived the shooting cliffhanger at that soaps' end!

Frankly, I was dazzled and impressed with the sheer number of story lines and plot threads that were playing out and being addressed in this episode. It was almost like watching the daytime soap version of The Wire or Lost in terms of the number of tales told and characters being serviced. It reminded me of the heady days of the 80's of Henry Slesar's 'The Edge of Night" where a half dozen stories would play out at once and Douglas Marland's "As the World Turns" when it was not uncommon to find 25-30 out of 40 contract players/characters in a single, regular episode. Other soaps, including all the ABC serials, did this in those days as well but those two soaps did it exceptionally. The producers & writers, with their then sky high budgets and illusion of the luxury of time everlasting, trusted that viewers had the intelligence to could keep up with all that was was going on...and viewers did just that. In today's shrunken soap bubble, with smaller budgets and less time to tell stories (running times of soaps are down from roughly 45-50 minutes of storytelling to just over 36 minutes sans commercials), it is truly a miracle that Frank Valentini has been able to pull off this level of soap opera in a non-sweeps, non-event episode and I applaud him and Carlivati & his team for it.

To that end, I was a big critic of ATWT's warp drive speed stories during the latter years of Chris Goutman's run, but I have no complaints about how "fast" Carlivati and Valentini are moving with GH's stories. I have said it before and I will say it again: these shows — GH in particular, even with ABC's reported newfound faith in the series — do not have time to waste anymore. Getting to the show's 50th anniversary is what we all more or less know the show will do, but after that is frankly anyone's guess for now (although there was an interesting hint that Mr. Giddens let slip in one of the last podcasts about some stuff that may be happening over at ABC). Nonetheless, the semi-official position is that GH has at least to 50 before it is Logan's Run-ned and Mr. Carlivati and Mr. Valentini are pulling out all the stops to a) make to that date and b) get the ratings up so that GH survives past that date.

In that regard, I will repeat what I said on a DC podcast after Guiding Light was cancelled : if [the remaining] soaps can find ways raise their viewership/ratings and stay on the air, the more power to them — even if those changes result in shedding some current viewers along the way. A net gain is much more important than a small loss. It was as true when Gloria Monty took over the show and radicalized the look, feel and pace of GH when it was just a few months away from cancellation as it is today. GH's ratings (households and/or 18-34 women, depending on who and when you follow) are up — modestly yet also significantly — from a year, two years ago. Ron Carlivati & Frank Valentini are doing something right. Make that many, many things right. They have given GH fans so much more of what they have been clamoring for for years, even a decade(!) than the fans ever thought was possible or would have received from previous regimes...and didn't. If that means a story or a character here or there doesn't click with everybody, is not the greater good of the show so much better than a couple of stray parts?

No soap is perfect, but I've wholeheartedly embraced the Valentini/Carlivati vision for GH. It's quite frankly thrilling and one might even say ambitious soap opera that won't please everybody. But I often want to know what's going on in Port Chuckles before some of my favorite prime time shows and that's quite the statement in a day and age when there is so much great television from which to choose.

@J Bernard Jones - Great essay - you said everything I have been feeling about this show. Never have I watched a soap that was this consistently entertaining on a daily basis - so many plots, characters, secrets, and surprises. Very ambitious and succeeding on nearly every count IMHO.

I just hope the Tocazar s/l isn't just a tease, and that they plan on TK making a short appearance, at least.

I've waited a long time to get my three babies back: AJ, Ric, and Lorenzo. One down, two to go.

GOS, but there are rumors/spumors of a reality type "hospital" show coming to ABC day time.

...although it would spend most of the show down at the docks.

More brilliance from J. Bernard. I'm afraid I take it for granted...

I have to agree with one of the viewers that said GH needs to slow down. I thought it was just me! On a certain day there are just too many stories going on at once. I would loved to have seen more of the Todd, Skye, Carly Blair and Tea scenes but they kept switching back and forth to all these different stories, Lulu, Dante, Mac, Alexis. Shaun, Sonny, Sabrina and Liz, my head was spinning. I love how Ron C. has brought back all the vets and given the Q's more air-time, but he has to slow it down a tad. How can we be invested in a storyline when the show is jumping all over the place?
Also, I read in the paper ABC is filming a reality show like General Hospital at this LA hospital and eventually will bring it to daytime. It has me worried. They said ABC is testing new things, they want to get away from the typical daytime game shows, talk show and soaps. I am getting worried that after GH's 50 the anniversay in April, will the show survive? All these vets GH is bringing on, I'm wondering where the money is coming from to pay all of them? Though may-be it's cheaper to just have them on without a contract. Tony Geary has been off for quite awhile. I wonder how long he'll stick to the show, he makes the most money. I really want GH to survive. I don't want another reality show, I still love my soaps!!!

I read the same article about ABC filming a "reality" type hospital show to be aired in daytime. ABC Daytime President Vicki Dummer came from a reality background (Ty Pennington's) old show, so we really should not be in the least bit surprised, that FV/RC is throwing everything that they can to get those ratings up before ABC tries to lower the boom and end GH like they did AMC & OLTL.

The original New York Post article points out the reality show could be developed for cable or syndication, so it doesn't automatically mean it would take a network slot. Even if it did, it could just as easily replace The Chew.

Also, the "reality" hospital show is not new. ABC has done three other editions of a reality hospital show: two seasons of [Johns] Hopkins 24/7 and a season of Boston Med, the latter of which is still available for view on ABC.com and other official ABC platforms (such as the ABC iOS app). There is nothing but speculation only that it could be slated for ABC Daytime, but as Gord points out it could be for other distribution platforms as well.

we really should not be in the least bit surprised, that FV/RC is throwing everything that they can to get those ratings up before ABC tries to lower the boom and end GH

I don't even know why this is an "issue." It is well known from the start that Valentini and Carlivati were brought on board to do exactly that. That is what new producers and writers are brought on to do for struggling shows of all types. How could this be missed when it was so widely reported?

All this brand new handwringing on these boards and elsewhere is, frankly, comical.

I’m not really worried about any sort of reality GH. The other two reality medical dramas you mention failed to make any sort of lasting impact and I don’t foresee this one being any sort of ratings darling. If anything I see it as an alternate to Katie. Katie was Frons’s folly and it’s over priced and low rated. A lot of affiliates are even showing it from what I have heard.

All this brand new handwringing on these boards and elsewhere is, frankly, comical.
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I am not doing any "hand wringing". I will enjoy GH until it goes off the air.

Why are there comments on other sites saying Becky Herbst was fired? Is this true? GH will be off my DVR tomorrow if it is true.

Not to be harsh, but why ask here? Why not ask there? Do they cite any sources?