We all have our guilty pleasure entertainment. For some, it’s overly sappy romances, for Steven Spielberg, it’s reality television, and for me, it’s General Hospital. One of the last remaining network soap operas, and longest-running dramas, General Hospital (or GH, as those of us who care way too much about it say) has always been a cut above the rest. Over the course of its 62-year run, the show has often taken on biting social subjects, using its dynamic cast of characters to address the issues.
From its groundbreaking inclusion of queer characters to its bold approach to the #MeToo movement in real time, I really look at this show as something more than just another “over-the-top” soap. However,for the better part of a year now, the show has been largely focused on the affair between Willow Tait Corinthos (Katelyn MacMullen) and Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison). Not only has the arc outstayed its welcome, but it’s also become increasingly problematic, endlessly frustrating, and has overtaken a majority of the show’s plot.
Drew and Willow Are Incredibly Problematic in ‘General Hospital’
Even casual viewers are likely familiar with Mathison’s Drew Cain. A staple of daytime television, Mathison has played the character since 2021, taking over for actor Billy Miller. Formerly a beloved addition, he has quickly become one of the show’s most disdained characters ever since the affair began with Willow during the summer of 2024. Willow has always been an interesting character as she survived a cult and overcame adversity before settling down with Michael Corinthos (most recently played by Chad Duell). Michael, son of GH mainstay Sonny (Maurice Benard), and Willow started a beautiful family, complete with children and a relatively peaceful existence, until Willow and Drew shared a kiss on the Fourth of July in 2024. Of course, affairs are a favorite storyline for soap operas, but what makes this one so seedy is that Drew is Michael’s uncle. The affair only escalated from there, culminating last December when a sex tape of Willow and Drew was leaked.
One would think that this would have been some sort of reckoning or pivot for the story, which had already gone on for months. Yet, here we are, almost a year later, and the situation has gone from “bad” to “toxic.” Michael has departed the series since his character is in a clinic recovering from a serious injury, but Willow and Drew have moved in together, and the gaslighting has only increased. Nearly every day, Willow laments about her fears of losing her kids in a divorce proceeding, yet hangs on Drew’s every word, despite warnings from nearly everyone around her. Drew gaslights her constantly, playing up the “good guy” act, even though he’s essentially become the show’s main villain. It’s horrendously painful to watch, and, frankly, feels like a huge step back for a show that has so often championed women. In more ways than one, Drew and Willow have become one of TV’s worst couples.
Willow Has Become a Negative Stereotype in ‘General Hospital
Like most soap operas, General Hospital is filled with stories that come and go. But as Willow and Drew continue forward, far better stories have been wrapped up quickly. That’s not to say that these arcs should be dragged out. On the contrary, a multi-episode arc that involved Drew trying to desecrate the graves of fan-favorite Tracy Quartermaine’s (Jane Elliot) parents was filled with intensity, and was portrayed at a pace that kept the arc interesting without overstaying its welcome. Likewise, the murderous streak of the series’ villain, Cyrus (Jeff Kober), which claimed the lives of multiple beloved characters on the soap opera, played out over the course of a month, before reaching a satisfying and cathartic end. Yet, Drew and Willow continue to drag on, and, sadly, for me, a devoted fan of the show, there is no end in sight.
Drew and Willow have been going on for the better part of a year now,and the story cannot come to an end soon enough. Not only are the characters ridiculously problematic, but Willow has become a shell of what she once was and continues to move into stereotype territory. As the show briskly moves through better stories, I can only hope that these two come to an end, eventually.
As I previously mentioned, GH has a long history of taking on liberating stories. That’s not to say the show has always been perfect, (the famous Luke (Anthony Gear) and Laura (Genie Francis) storyline began with assault, for one), but in the decades since, the show has made an effort to champion people from all walks of life. This includes LGBTQIA+ stories and highlighting strong women. In 2018, the show participated in the #MeToo movement, furthering its revolutionary status.
But the show’s current treatment of Willow just feels like such a step back. The character has been through quite a lot over the years, so watching her fall into a role that paints her as naïve and clueless is really disheartening. She hangs on Drew’s every word and has destroyed several relationships trying to hold on to her ideas of romance. With each passing month that the story has continued over the last year, Willow has become a pariah on the show, which only adds to the negative stereotyping of her role. What’s worse is that the show had a perfect opportunity to redeem her in recent weeks.
It seemed we were finally coming to a head with the drama when Willow’s mother, Nina (played by Lost alum, Cynthia Watros) hired a sex worker to break Willow and Drew up. Even after walking in on Drew with the sex worker, she once again fell for his “pretty words” without question, and we’ve had to suffer through another week of the couple. What makes things even worse is that far more interesting storylines have been wrapped up efficiently, while this one drags on.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
