General Hospital’s Lazy Writing May Hit a New Low: Are They Stealing From DOL?

Summary:

• General Hospital is an ABC soap opera that has been on the air since 1963.
• In March 2024, the show brought back Jason Morgan, portrayed by Steve Burton.
• Viewers worry that his storyline will be too predictable and similar to the one he played on another soap, Days of Our Lives.

Although soaps often expand their casts and introduce new characters or new actors for existing roles, the world of soap opera actors is still relatively small. Although primetime TV actors now mingle with A-list Hollywood celebrities at the same events and awards shows, daytime professionals are still separated in a different circle.

That's why it's not surprising to see all four of the major soap operas currently running on American television swapping stars from one show to another. However, it can get confusing when an actor is asked to play pretty much the same storyline in two completely different dramas.

Many General Hospital viewers now fear that by bringing back Steve Burton as James Morgan, ABC's flagman soap is admitting its inability to come up with an exciting storyline on its own.

Steve Burton on Days of Our Lives

Although Steve Burton will forever be Jason Morgan to all General Hospital viewers, the actor first appeared on Days of Our Lives as Harris Michaels. Joining the show in 1988, the actor had a rather short run, but then returned in 2022 after being fired from General Hospital for not complying with the COVID-19 policy.

Now that the COVID-19 measures don't require mandatory vaccination, Jason Morgan will return to Port Charles.

The fandom is abuzz with theories about who he will be with, but the most important question is whether or not Jason will be revealed as Sonny's killer. And if so, how will General Hospital distinguish this storyline from the one the actor's DOL character went through?

Everything suggests that Jason will turn out to be the one who shot Sonny. Unless the writers come up with some other explanation, the only reasonable thing to assume is that he was brainwashed and programmed to do it, just like Harris. It was the power of love that broke Harris, but that probably won't be enough for Jason.

Although the actor himself has promised that viewers will be surprised by whatever the writers come up with for Jason, longtime General Hospital fans take that promise with a pinch of salt.

There are only so many years a show can run before it exhausts its arsenal of tropes and plot twists, and with more than 60 years under its belt, General Hospital has shown them all.

However, if you are still excited to see Steve Burton back on the show, tune in to ABC Monday through Friday to never miss another episode.