General Hospital Repeated Its Worst Mistake, and Fans Won’t Let It Slide

Of course, when a show has been running for 60 years, no one really expects it to be completely original in every storyline. The repetitions are inevitable, and it's how well the writers integrate them into the ongoing story that fans will either accept or resent.

One thing no one wants the show to repeat, however, is its mistakes. General Hospital has made enough of them, with most of them being a learning experience for the writing staff. Others, however, have come back to haunt all Sprina fans.

Is Spencer Cassadine Dead?

Spencer Cassadine, portrayed by Nicholas Chavez, was easily one of the most popular characters on the show, especially among the younger generation. His romance with Trina Robinson made them a super couple and won General Hospital many fans among the younger audience, which was an undeniable advantage.

However, as all good things must come to an end, Sprina had to end in 2024, as Chavez left the soap to pursue a new step in his career as a Netflix star. His character, Spencer, had to be killed off, as the actor doesn't plan on returning to the show anytime soon. That alone sent fans into a tailspin of emotions, but the way his death was handled made it even worse.

Trina, who lost the love of her life in one day, was not really allowed to grieve on screen. Her reaction to Spencer's death took up about 5 minutes of screen time, and the rest of it was quickly overshadowed by the protracted drama between Sonny, Nina, Carly, and Drew. All characters who historically get a lot more screen time than others.

But that's not so surprising, considering that General Hospital made the exact same mistake with Elizabeth Webber almost four years ago. Just like Trina, who is now expected to jump into a new romance as if nothing happened, Liz wasn't given any time to mourn her murdered husband Franco. Instead, she was rushed into another relationship.

General Hospital's tendency to push women into romances instead of giving them a more complex range of emotions and storylines is problematic on its own, but it gets worse with Trina, who is one of the few Black characters on the show and has been sidelined for a good few months now.

While viewers have been eager to see Tabyana Ali, who plays Trina, get the screen time she deserves, the new romance was not the way they wanted it to go. However, General Hospital can still surprise us and redeem itself, so be sure to tune in Monday through Friday on ABC to not miss another episode.