After playing Sonny Corinthos for 31 years, Maurice Benard knows a lot about the Port Charles-dwelling character who has gotten in trouble with the law, opened a coffee shop, fallen in love a few times, and shared his mental health struggles. Oh yeah, and he’s also a mob boss! Can’t forget that all-important detail.
Just like fans who are obsessed with what happens to their favorite characters, the General Hospital cast have their own thoughts about how the stories unfold. Benard recently shared what he really thinks about one plotline when chatting with co-star Evan Hofer, who plays Dex Heller, on his vlog State of Mind.
According to Soaps.sheknows.com, Benard said that he wasn’t sure about Sonny hurting Dex. Benard said, “I had a problem with beating you up because you’re not a bad guy.” He added, “Sonny was off his medication, but how far do you want to push that? To beat up a nice guy.”
On a General Hospital episode that aired in May 2024, Sonny thought Dex was spying on him and, then, Sonny punched Dex. He even yelled “I’m going to put a gun in your heads!” to Dex and Jason Morgan (Steve Burton).
General Hospital fans can’t agree on how to respond to this shocking scene. One X user called it “ridiculous,” another praised the cast’s acting, and another shared that they “feel for Sonny.”
One X user posted that they are tired of Sonny’s ongoing plotline, and they don’t like that he behaved so violently. According to another, viewers don’t want to watch this kind of scene.
Look, everyone has their own opinions, and no one can agree on absolutely everything. There are actually people who hate peanut butter, chocolate, and bacon! However, it’s hard not to believe that this scene marked a low point for Sonny. It’s problematic to feature a character who struggles with their mental health hurting someone else. General Hospital has done a solid job including a character who has bipolar disorder, but this is a wrong note in an otherwise solid storyline. It can lead to stereotypes that are devastating and uncalled for.
A soap opera has a golden opportunity to tell significant, consciousness-raising stories about mental health, filled with meaning and hope, especially since viewership is so high and since each season contains so many episodes. Several fans told Metro.co.uk in 2022 that watching U.K. soaps helped them feel seen, which is so necessary. If you don’t have friends or family who are going through the same thing, it can be important to see favorite characters having the same experiences.
Several General Hospital fans have been critical of the show’s ongoing storyline featuring other characters messing with Sonny’s medication. The show often explains that he was angry because he wasn’t taking the right dose. Yes, this is a nuanced issue and people do need to work with medical providers to figure out the amount of meds that work for them. If Sonny was meeting with his doctor about his medication, that would be one thing. Instead, unfortunately, this plotline is melodramatic instead of practical and helpful.
Benard has shared that he lives with bipolar disorder as well, and he told Soap Central that viewers “don’t want to see Sonny suffer, or me suffer.” As long as Sonny doesn’t repeat this behavior and the other characters start helping him instead of messing with him, General Hospital fans will continue following along with the people of Port Charles. Okay, they were going to do that regardless, but at least they’ll be happier if Sonny is happy, too.
Published: Oct 15, 2024 03:25 pm