2022 was quite the year for General Hospital. Unfortunately, I don't mean that in a positive way. In looking back at the show for the year, it's hard to make sense of the creative choices that were made. At a time when its millions of viewers really needed the escapism, it provided us with very little. Sure there were some positives, but mostly I was left pretty frustrated.
This year my Best and Worst list won't be as detailed as in the past. The last few months as well as the 2023 previews have given me a little bit of hope that GH may become watchable again. I want to put my attention to another article focusing on what I hope the new year brings.
Here are my picks for Best and Worst of General Hospital for 2022:
Best Couple - Valentin and Anna
The pairing of Valentin and Anna is lucky enough to have years of build up, sexy adventure and great chemistry. They are one of the few reasons to tune into GH right now.
Best Young Romance - Spencer and Trina
Though not officially a couple yet, the longing between Spencer and Trina is classic soap. Spencer becoming a better person for the woman he admires is the proper way to do a bad boy/good girl romance.
Worst Couple - Finn and Liz
The pairing of Finn and Liz suffered - as did the audience who had to watch it - due to lack of chemistry and poorly executed story. The changes made to these characters in order to try to make them fit together was damaging to both. Viewers were more relieved when they broke up than heartbroken.
Best Break-Up - Maxie and Austin
I don't know who thought pairing Maxie and Austin together was a good idea but they were wrong. It took too long for them to figure out they just didn't work as couple but I was happy to see that the breakup was as uneventful as the romance was.
Worst New Character - Cody Bell
GH spared no expense when they introduced Cody Bell. Too bad it was all a big waste of money. Not only were viewers not charmed by Cody's lack of charm or curious at all about his camp days with Dante, but rodeo clown reject is just not a character that GH needed. Lucky Spencer and Dillon Quartermaine would have been much better options than this ill-conceived mess.
Best Villain - Victor Cassadine
Soap villains are the best when they're suave and Victor Cassadine oozes charm. He's evil, does bad things and I'm rooting for the good guys to win yet I adore him.
Best Surprise - Heather Webber Returns
GH managed to keep a tight lid on who Alley Mills would be playing so it was a pleasant surprise when she turned up as Heather Webber. Recasts can be tricky - especially when someone as talented as Robin Mattson previously played the role - but Mills has been a delight to watch. It's nice to have this larger than life character back in Port Charles causing mayhem.
The You Really Wrote That Award - Liz's Finn's Past Trauma Explored
I don't think I've read an end of year list yet that hasn't given this Worst Story of the Year. It's really a shame that the writers didn't put more care into the long awaited return of Liz's parents. Viewers were told this story was meant to honor Rebecca Herbst's 25th anniversary. Why anyone would think making Liz's abandonment by her parents all about Finn's deceased wife who we don't know or care about was a good way to congratulate Herbst on her 25 years with GH is unfathomable.
Best Moment - Peter August's Reign of Terror Ends
Peter August and his story did a lot of irreversible damage to GH's history and brand. It was satisfying when he finally met his end and at the hands of Felicia. Anna watching him take his last breath was also a nice touch.
Find A Cure For It Already - Misogyny
I'd like to think it was not the writers intent to have the show's leading men come off as misogynists or to strip the leading ladies of their agency, but GH was very hard to watch in 2022. Finn tried to control Liz while overstepping boundaries, Gregory talked down to Alexis, Cody negged Britt into dating him, Nik cheated on Ava with his son's teenage girlfriend... these are just a few of the questionable choices made.
GH isn't known to celebrate women. It spent decades with Luke and Sonny as the leads after all. But something felt very different about how the stories played this year.
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