The Best of 'General Hospital' in 2011

Sadly, much of "General Hospital" in 2011 was best watched with the fast-forward button in perpetual motion. However, there were some good things to happen in Port Charles this year - even if they were few and far between.

Best Return: The (Sort of) Resurrection of the Quartermaines
The Q's had long been a core family in Port Charles, turning dysfunction into a whole new art form. Sadly, the Quartermaines had been decimated to the point of embarrassment; with the exception of Tracy (Jane Elliot) virtually every Quartermaine had been put out to pasture or six feet under.

When Garin Wolf took the head writer reins from Robert Guza, Jr., his first order of business was to resurrect the Q's. Monica (Leslie Charleson) was suddenly back in town from her endless stream of medical conferences, she and Tracy were bickering like old times, and a clever nod to Jason Morgan's (Steve Burton) past as Jason Quartermaine, gave us a glimpse of our beloved Alan (Stuart Damon). While subsequent screen time for the Q's has waxed and waned, for a brief moment in time, Port Charles felt like Port Charles again.

Best News: Guza's Out
Much like recently ousted executive producer, Jill Farren Phelps, former head writer Robert Guza Jr. elicited strong (read: vile) reaction from most "General Hospital" fans. While Guza had a boatload of Daytime Emmys for writing, the truth is, Port Charles under his pen had become dark, dreary and one-note. The lion's share of the action revolved around that mob-tastic trio of Jason, Carly and Sonny (Laura Wright, Maurice Bernard), leaving the rest of the talented cast with precious little to do. Not to mention that travesty of a Balkan storyline. Fans cheered when it was announced that Guza had been given his pink slip, planting seeds of hope that "General Hospital" would once again reign supreme.

Best Special Episode: What if…Jason Morgan/Quartermaine
It was one of the most stunning character transformations in all of soap history. Golden boy Jason Quartermaine was in a brutal car accident that killed his brother and left him with a whopping case of amnesia. The end result was a personality transplant that turned him into mob enforcer Jason Morgan. While the new incarnation of Jason was infinitely more thrilling than the one that preceded it, fans couldn't help but wonder, "What if?"

We got our wish when another knock on the noggin sent Jason back into the OR. As worried friends and family held vigil, they each imagined what life would have been like had our favorite mobster stayed a Q. "Liason" fans had their greatest fantasy come true when Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) dreamt of that long-elusive life with Jason and Carly was able to get Sonny out of her life once and for all in favor of her own romance with her "best friend." The most bittersweet was Monica and Edward (John Ingle) imagining if Jason had become the doctor he was studying to be when he had his accident. Of course, each found their dreams were really disguised as nightmares and alas Jason woke up a Morgan once more. With haunting camera techniques for each person's "What If?" fantasy, accompanied by a kaleidoscope of heart-tugging flashbacks, fans got to simultaneously relive one of "General Hospital's" most memorable storylines while indulging in their own fantasies of what might have been.

Best Scene(s): Diane Taunts Sonny about Brenda
There's no question that Brenda 2.0 (Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo) was an utter flop; you CAN'T always go home again. However, it would be worth going through it all again just to see the newly-liberated Diane (Carolyn Hennessy) stick it to Sonny about how much better off the supermodel was without the mobster. As Sonny's lawyer, Diane had long held her tongue about Sonny's rash decisions and reckless behavior. After penning a bestselling novel and going on a successful international book tour (where she ran into Brenda in Rome), Diane saw the light, tendered her resignation and leapt at a new career as a gossip columnist. True to form, Diane couldn't resist a parting shot at the dour mobster, proclaiming Brenda a changed woman since fleeing Port Charles and Sonny. Brenda "was dressed completely differently. Colors. A nice dress with heels. She didn't look like a fugitive anymore." More than anything, Diane wanted Sonny to know Brenda was happy and at peace without him and that she was "not pining away." After years of putting up with Sonny's crap, it was clear how much Diane relished twisting the knife into the mobster's heart. Of course any scene with the fabulous Hennessy is always a treat and this was just the cherry on the sundae.

Most Overdue Accolade: Laura Wright Wins a Best Actress Emmy
Since her turns as sweet Ally Rescott on "Loving," and stripper with a heart of gold Cassie Winslow on "Guiding Light," Wright had proved herself a standout actress. She even silenced the naysayers who said she'd never be able to play the landmark role of fiery mob wife, Carly Corinthos. Wright stepped into Carly's stilettos like she was made for them, turning in stellar performances and winning fans and critics to her side from day one. And yet, Emmy gold proved elusive, as Wright failed to even notch a nomination for her work. The snub was made all the more glaring because Sarah Brown had won three statuettes, while immediate predecessor, Tamra Braun, had snagged a nomination. All was forgiven when Wright was not only nominated in 2011 for Outstanding Actress, she won the gold. It was a rare bright spot on "General Hospital's" increasingly dark canvas.

*Bonus: Best News that Remains to be Seen: Jill Farren Phelps is out and Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati are in
With the cancellations of "All My Children" and "One Life To Live," ABC Daytime was a bloodbath in 2011. Brian Frons, the network head who axed both shows drew much of the fans ire. In a stunning plot twist worthy of any soap, Frons resigned, but not before he fired "General Hospital's" longtime executive producer, Phelps, and demoted newly installed head writer Garin Wolf, replacing them with "One Life To Live's" highly regarded team of executive producer, Frank Valentini and head scribe Ron Carlivati.

The move has given fans hope that the show might lighten up and get back on track. "One Life To Live's" cancellation had remained a head scratcher, as it was considered by fans and critics alike to be creatively top-shelf, not to mention, it was the only soap to gain viewers while other shows were losing them in droves (in fact, "One Life To Live's" ratings have trumped "General Hospital's" for some time.) Carlivati and Valentini's appointment seems to affirm ABC's faith in its sole remaining soap. However, amidst concerns about "General Hospital's" timeslot being given over to a talk show next year and worries that ABC might be "pulling a Broderick" (the network assigned critically acclaimed scribe Lorraine Broderick to take over "All My Children," only to cancel it a week later), time will tell if "General Hospital" can be resuscitated or if its time of death is near.