‘General Hospital’: 4 Changes the Soap Needs to Make Right Now
General Hospital has undergone many changes during its 60 seasons. There have been many transformations, from recasting characters to producer and writer regimes. The soap opera might want to consider more changes to bring excitement to the show.
One change ‘General Hospital’ needs is to stop focusing on the same characters
Like many soap operas, General Hospital has certain characters they focus on constantly. In their case, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) are their stars. Sonny and Carly are two of their most famous characters, so it’s understandable why they’re given more attention. However, the writers are too focused on them.
It’s a guarantee that Carly or Sonny will be on just about every day. When Sonny and Carly arent’ dealing with their issues, they’re inserted into other characters’ storylines. The constant airtime has become too much. As one Reddit fan pointed out, “This is an ensemble show; featuring any one character too long is likely to be poorly received.”
The producers might want to change things by focusing on other characters and giving Carly and Sonny a break.
The writers need to work on the pacing of the storylines
Pacing is a crucial step in soap opera storytelling. You don’t want to go too fast; however, you also don’t want to prolong a storyline too long and risk fans becoming bored. One of General Hospital‘s biggest issues is their plots move too slowly.
Naturally, writers want to drag stories out for as long as possible to make them suspenseful. However, the soap opera tends to go too slow with its pacing. The Willow Tait (Katelyn MacMullen) and Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) maternity reveal are perfect examples.
Fans already know the two are mother and daughter, thanks to Carly. But they’re now waiting for Willow and Nina to find out they’re related. The secret should’ve been revealed by now, but the writers are holding out to make it more dramatic. When and if the maternity reveal finally comes, it may not pack the wallop that writers expected.
‘General Hospital’ needs to write better for their female characters
General Hospital has a huge cast of beloved female characters. Whether they’re veterans or newbies, fans love watching these women persevere. However, the writing of some of the women has come under criticism.
One of the negative feedbacks is how the writers take a woman’s storyline and center it on a man. A case in point is Elizabeth Webber’s (Rebecca Herbst) reunion with her estranged parents. The storyline had the potential of Elizabeth confronting her parents over their absence.
However, the writers decided to throw Elizabeth’s boyfriend, Hamilton Finn (Michael Easton), into the mix. Finn’s late wife, Reiko Finn (Mele Ihara), had an affair with Jeff Webber (William R. Moses), which led to her death and Elizabeth’s estrangement from her family. Instead of focusing on Elizabeth’s feelings, the show concentrates on Finn’s hurt over the affair and his wife’s death.
The show needs to stop adding newbie characters
Casting changes are a common occurrence in General Hospital. Throughout the decades, characters have come and gone. Beloved characters like Laura Spencer (Genie Francis) and Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) are still integral to the show. But there’s also been newbies who’ve arrived in Port Charles.
Newcomers are hit-and-miss with fans. Sometimes a new character immediately clicks with the audience, but most of the time, they’re a flop. General Hospital added Rory Cabrera (Michael Blake Kruse) and Cody Bell (Josh Kelly) to the cast this year.
While the characters had promise, fans didn’t welcome them. Despite the negative feedback, the show continues pushing them front and center. Given the show already has a bloated cast, they may want o hold off on adding more newbies.
