Viewers of General Hospital may have noticed an increase in the use of flashback scenes in recent episodes. As it turns out, the decision to insert more blasts from the past than what fans are used to seeing stems from the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Soap Central previously reported, all four daytime dramas are currently on hiatus due to the coronavirus situation. They can each air only what they taped prior to suspending production before they run out of new material, hence the decision by GH (and The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful) to air throwback episodes on Fridays. However, with the pandemic not over yet, GH has decided to get even more creative to further expand its run of new content.
The powers that be at the ABC drama are incorporating extra flashbacks into its existing episodes, which fans first got a taste of in the episode that aired on April 8. Among the newly filmed flashback scenes that showed Eden McCoy (Josslyn Jacks) as a young Carly and James Patrick Stuart (Valentin Cassadine) and Cynthia Watros (Nina Reeves) playing Frank and Virginia Benson, the soap edited in actual flashbacks from previous episodes to help flesh out the storyline. This, according to Soaps In Depth, padded out the episode and stretched what would have been one show into two shows.
While some fans have been thankful for the flashbacks and their ability to bring newer viewers up to speed on former storylines, others haven't been thrilled with so much repeat material. However, as Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) reminded fans on Twitter, "We're going through difficult times. The show is going to weave and bob, not to your liking. The important thing is we keep it going. The alternative is most unpleasant."
For more on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world of soap operas, check out Soap Central's complete coronavirus coverage.
What do you think about GH inserting flashback scenes into new episodes as a way to further extend new material during the COVID-19 pandemic? Which moments from the soap's history would you most like see again? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
