It’s been a rough couple months for longtime General Hospital fans. The tragic passing of one beloved actor (Tristan Rogers) after another (Denise Alexander) and another (Leslie Charleson) rocked viewers and left the show struggling with how to address the losses of their on-screen personas. While we’ve yet to learn the fates of Robert Scorpio and Lesley Webber, the writers managed to work a minor miracle when it came time for Dr. Monica Quartermaine’s passing to be explained.

First came the lovely tribute as Port Charles gathered to say farewell to one of her most beloved residents. We were still wiping away our tears when the arrival of Monica’s heretofore unmentioned sister turned the canvas in general — and the Quartermaine family in particular — upside down. Better still, Ronnie came to us in the form of Erika Slezak, one of the genre’s most loved, missed and talented performers.

Ronnie’s storyline not only gave us a fun little mystery as we pondered if she was the real deal but pitted Monica’s sister against tormentor-turned-beloved-sister-in-law Tracy. The fireworks were immediate and epic. The only drawback? We knew from the start that Slezak’s return to the screen would be relatively brief. Sources indicated she had taped approximately six weeks worth of episodes.

Which brings us to this week’s big reveals. Yup, Ronnie is the real deal… and Martin has been pulling her strings all along. He replaced Monica’s real will with a forgery leaving the mansion to Ronnie. He barged into Brook Lynn’s tea party and drugged his accomplice — without her knowledge — in order to throw fuel on the fire of Ronnie’s rivalry with Tracy. (You can read a recap of the revelations here.)

When Will Erika Slezak’s Ronnie Be Leaving?

The reveal was delicious and (mostly) made sense. My only wish was that the script featuring the revelation had been massaged a bit more. Much of it wound up feeling like clunky exposition, and not only during the Martin/Ronnie scenes. Knowing this was a huge moment — and that people would be tuning in to see it — I’d have made sure that script sparkled like a diamond. Instead, what we got was really good plot wrapped in the dialogue equivalent of cubic zirconia.

“Lest you forget,” said a newly-menacing Martin, “the house, your newfound fortune? None of it would be yours if it weren’t for me. Because as we both know, Monica didn’t write you into her will. I did!” It’s a personal pet peeve of mine when soap characters say “as we both know” and then speak aloud the sins that anyone in proximity could overhear.

In any case, now that the truth is out, it’s safe to assume that the countdown to Slezak and her alter ego exiting. Here’s hoping that when they do, the door is left wide open for a return. I know I’m not alone in loving seeing one of daytime’s most legendary performers back on my screen. (And by the way, other potential Outstanding Guest Performer nominees can probably skip writing acceptance speeches, as next year’s Emmy in that category is without doubt going to grace Slezak’s mantle… right?)

Will Martin Be Exiting, Too?

It would seem likely that we will also be losing Michael E. Knight’s Martin. Yes, this is a show on which hitmen and mobsters are heroes. But it’s the lesser criminals who wind up behind bars in Port Charles, if only to give us some sense — incorrect though it may be — that evil doesn’t always triumph over good.

Much as we’ve loved having the erstwhile Tad the Cad back on TV, it feels as if Martin has — at least for now — run his course. If we had to guess, Ronnie will redeem herself (and clear the path for future visits) by turning on the scheming attorney. She’ll go back to bussing tables while the Quartermaine’s get justice by charging him with fraud.

No matter how things play out, we’ve absolutely loved this story arc, given that it brought Slezak back and put the Quartermaine clan front-and-center.

Given that it was Charleson’s passing which led to the creation of the current storyline, now seems like an appropriate moment to pause and reflect — via the gallery below — on the stars we’ve lost in 2025.