General Hospital will mark its 16000th episode on Monday, July 13, with the return of Steve Burton as Jason Morgan, and TV Insider has a first look at his comeback.
Burton last appeared on the soap on March 25, when Jason claimed to have shot WSB director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) to protect Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr), who was actually responsible for the shooting. The WSB arrested Jason, and he has been off the canvas ever since.
On February 10, Burton revealed that he would be off the soap for a bit, posting, “Hey everyone, I wanted to share that I’ll be taking a short break from General Hospital. I’m newly married [to Michelle Lundstrom] and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family. I’m grateful for all the support and will be back this summer. Much love.”
Disney/Christine Bartolucci
After Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) shot Cullum in the July 2 episode, she was visited by Z (John Oliver), the WSB chief, who asked her to keep the truth about Cullum’s shooting under wraps. Josslyn agreed to Z’s version of the events, provided that both Jason and Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) were released from WSB custody. Z complied.
Burton resumed filming on June 1. On the June 28 episode of his podcast, That’s Awesome, which he co-hosts with Bradford Anderson (Damian Spinelli), Burton teased what viewers can expect when Jason returns to Port Charles.
“It’s been a whirlwind for sure,” he noted of his return to the set. “Been a lot going on, a lot of good story. Had a lot of good scenes. It’s good.”
He also hinted that there will be changes ahead for Jason. “We’re shifting directions a little bit, which is going to be interesting for fans,” he revealed. “I think they did a really good job. It’s really given me something to play, which is nice. So, yeah, it’s going to be interesting. It’s shaking things up, which is going to be a lot of fun.”
In a summer preview interview with Soap Opera Digest, GH head writers Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten explained, “Jason returns from abroad a changed man. His imprisonment has had a profound effect on his outlook and how he intends to conduct the rest of his life. His decision will have big implications for Danny [Morgan, Asher Antonyzyn], Britt [Westbourne, Kelly Thiebaud], the Quartermaines, Anna [Devane, Finola Hughes], and especially Sonny [Corinthos, Maurice Benard].”
Jason will have a lot of catching up to do when he returns to Port Charles, including reconnecting with Danny, who has struggled during his father’s absence, and Rocco, who is stealing in the aftermath of the shooting. His reunion with Britt could also prove complicated. Their romance had only just begun before Jason left town, and Britt recently learned she isn’t dying from Huntington’s disease — a revelation that could reshape their future together.
“The way I was taking off the show, it was kind of a lot of questions,” Burton added on his podcast. “Where did he go? What happened? I think some of those will be answered, some won’t. But definitely I think it’ll be cool for the fans from a story aspect.”
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