General Hospital Review

Volume II, issue i
October 1999
published October 3rd

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Letter from the Editor
by Amy McWilliams

Happy Anniversary! And welcome to the General Hospital Review!

Yes, it's our anniversary, and the beginning of our second year. We can't believe we've been doing this for a year, but we would like to thank all of you for reading what we have so much fun creating for you each month. The photos in the navigation menu come from the past twelve months. Well, one of them doesn't, but it does come (I believe) from the reviews contained in those twelve issues. (No, I won't tell you. You'll have to figure out which one it is for yourself. *g*)

This issue contains something from each of us, as well as something from all of us. In "Five Voices," we talk about Port Charles, the spin-off soap that doesn't receive much attention here because of our GH focus. If you'd like to share your opinion on PC after reading ours, check out the poll question below.

One thing we'd like to do in our second year is bring in some commentary that involves other soaps in contrast and comparsion with our own. Because of that, I was happy to see that Joan's contribution this month is a piece on dancing, in which she contrasts Robert Woods of One Life To Live and Tony Geary of GH with regards to their characters' styles of dance. Judy returns with a fabulicious episode of the hit fan-fiction series, "What's Cookin' on the Backburner." Terry does character study in her own way, by means of the small scenes and moments; she talks about Carly in recent months. This time around, Arda addresses the question of structure in the soap genre by a close look at a recent episode of GH. And I've finally written an article I've planned since we started this little project: an installment of "Set Pieces" that looks at Luke's Club.

But wait, there's more! Julia's back with a character study of Sonny, and we have a new guest writer, Elizabeth Hutchens, who donates a piece on the mixed-marrieds storyline. And to top it all off, I've covered two weeks of GH in the review, but they're an amazing two weeks--the weeks immediately following Lucky's "death" in the fire. The review finishes up the month of April.

And though you've had to come through the front page to get here, I encourage you all to bookmark us at our new domain--www.ghreview.com--so that you'll always come to the right place, should we ever move or restructure. Thanks!

So enjoy, and, as always, feel free to write in with your opinions at the feedback form. We look forward to another year!

GH in Review
by Amy McWilliams

This review covers two weeks on GH, from April 19 through 30. These are the two weeks following Lucky's "death in the fire. Though I'm several months behind because of my schedule this past spring, I hope you enjoy looking back on episodes from the recent past as much as we do. As always, the other editors' opinions appear here as well; recently, however, I've been adopting the "Five Voices" format for their comments.

As always, thanks go to the GH Transcripts Page. I depend on it as well as the daily updates from the official ABC website and r.a.t.s.a. Thanks also to everybody on the GH side of the Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.tv.soaps.abc for their discussion of the show, and to the other editors, whose discussion always informs my own opinions and makes the show so much more fun to watch.

GH in Review: April

Five Voices: Port Charles

In this column, our editorial board sits down around a virtual table (we like to imagine ourselves at Kelly's diner) to discuss various topics. This month, we compare notes on the little spin-off that could, Port Charles.

Five Voices

"And Another Thing...": Gotta Dance
by Joan Roseman

Never one to mince words, Joan Roseman's opinion column has covered a wide range of topics. This month, she takes on the Fred and Gene of the soap world (though she abandons that comparison as unworthy immediately), Robert Woods, Bo from One Life to Live and Anthony Geary, Luke Spencer from GH.

And Another Thing

What's Cookin' on the Backburner
by Judy Ellison

Judy Ellison's concoction is a fictional look at the characters who are, shall we say, not so busy right now. In this month's episode, Judy joins the action, then sits back and munches some chexmix as she watches her plan unfurl. I have to say, this is my favorite episode yet; it's a blend of Mystery Men and Mystery Science Theatre that you just have to read to believe.

But first, after a year of chexmix references, I thought you might like to see where that running joke began. So go to another of my pages, The Anthony Geary Webpage, click to the "General Hospital" section, and half-way down the page you'll find a scene Judy once wrote just for me--but now I'm sharing it with you, too. *g*

In addition, I want to include the link to Judy's fan-fiction opus, Q.E.D.. This multi-part piece was written back when the Cassadines first returned to Port Charles, but if you enjoy her work here, you will enjoy this alternate history as well. The other editors often confuse it for real history, so it seems appropriate to include it with an episode about what might have been. Thanks, Judy.

What's Cookin' on the Backburner

Small Things: A Study in Character
by Teresa Leslie

Teresa Leslie's column focuses on the small, seemingly insignificant things on GH. When noticed and considered, however, these little details illuminate many things about the characters and plots. In this installment, she turns her small things powers towards character study, focusing them on Carly.

But first, another shameless plug, this time from the author herself: "I love writing about my favorite show for the GHReview, but this is merely an avocation. By training, I am a medieval historian. I finally have my name in print as an historian, and I wanted to pass that news along. I did the text for the "Medieval Woman 2000 Calendar" from Workman Press, a gorgeous wall calendar with sumptuous illustrations from medieval art. It's available, as they say, wherever fine calendars are sold (most bookstores, for example) and costs about $11. And yes, it's a regular gig, as I am presently working on the entries for the 2001 edition.

Small Things

The Floating Rib: Beginning in Ending: The Structure of Soap Episodes
by Arda Clark

I named the "Floating Rib" column for a restaurant that appeared as a staple GH set back in the late '70s and early '80s. Its name fits this column, which contains a different topic every time it appears. In our first "Rib" this month, Arda Clark explores some of the generic conventions (as in genre, not black and white packaging) of soaps' episodic structure.

The Floating Rib

Set Pieces: Luke's Club: Borderland, Refuge, and Metaphor
by Amy McWilliams

"Set Pieces" looks at the spaces and settings of our soap. Here, writers consider both the literary and practical aspects of the different sets on which the action of GH occurs. This month it's my turn, as I theorize about the space and character of Luke's Club.

Set Pieces

A Study in Character: Sonny's Women
by Julia Hayden

This time, Julia's "Good Stuff" (and her good stuff) takes the form of character study. In this piece, she talks about Sonny Corinthos in recent months. She demonstrates how Sonny has canonized his dead wife, Lily, and how his need to do so explains the "re-writings" about which some fans are complaining. She also considers Sonny's responses to others, including Brenda, and shows how those responses stem from his childhood.

A Study in Character

The Floating Rib: Mixed Marrieds
by Elizabeth Hutchens

In our second "Rib" this month, we are thrilled to present a new guest writer, Elizabeth Hutchens. You may remember Elizabeth from the letters of hers we've printed in the past. She wrote this column in response to Judy's article on the mixed marrieds, which ran in the last issue. In it, Elizabeth talks about what's working and what's not with Jax, Alexis, Ned, and Chloe.

The Floating Rib

Letters to the Editor

I've included all the reader mail in one place this month, because the three pieces all have a different take on Hannah, as well as other things. Check out what these readers have to say, then send your own letter--or a response to one of our past polls--at the feedback form. We'd love to hear from you. And look for a new poll question in our next issue.

Letters to the Editor

Readers' Poll

Our "Reader's Poll" questions this month come from our "Five Voices" column above. Check out our 10 questions on Port Charles, then send us your answers to any or all of them at the feedback form.

Feedback

Fill out the feedback form.

Editor-in-Chief: Amy McWilliams
Editorial Board: Arda Darakjian Clark, Judy Ellison, Teresa Leslie,
Joan Roseman, and L. B.
Recurring Writer: Julia Hayden
All original content is © 1999 by the author. The GHR, including page design, is © 1998, 1999 by Amy McWilliams.
General Hospital is the property of ABC.