When an actor’s soap opera character is a member of the mob, their life isn’t going to be rosy or easy. They also might be more of a diabolical villain than cheerful and likable. That’s why Maurice Bernard’s General Hospital character Sonny Corinthos is so unique. Fans actually love watching him… and they’re wondering how he can possibly be in yet another scary situation.
For a while now, Sonny has been suffering the effects of his heart condition, and things have been particularly bad recently. Sonny passes out while exercising and learns that he’s in rough shape. In the episode that aired Jan. 23, 2025, Natalia Ramirez (Eva LaRue) tells Sonny that it’s time to stop ignoring his health. Brick (Stephen A. Smith) also finds an L.A.-based cardiologist for Sonny.
Fans are worried about Sonny’s fate and there are definitely a bunch of questions right now. Is Sonny not long for this world? Is he going to stay in L.A.? One viewer shared on X that they’re concerned he’s not going to be on GH anymore. Another said “SONNY STOP BEING STUBBORN.”
Another fan broke it down well: “I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen Sonny smile. He’s gone from one heavy storyline to the next. Please writers give the man a break.”
It’s unclear what’s the next course of action for Sonny. At the moment, he’s not telling anyone about what’s going on, and Brick and Natalia are keeping his confidence. Hey, it wouldn’t be a soap opera without countless secrets, would it?
One brief and sweet scene between Sonny and Natalia sums it up well. When he tells her “You don’t have to do any more than you already had,” she smiles wisely and replies, “I think that there’s one thing that you need to learn when it comes to accepting help that’s offered and that’s not really just two small words.” He says “thank you” and she laughs. Whether dealing with his bipolar diagnosis or a fight with Dex Heller (Evan Hofer), Sonny sometimes cares more about pride and looking good than allowing others in his life to hear his vulnerable thoughts and fears.
No one wants to see Sonny in danger, spending time in a hospital bed, or on the brink of death. He’s already been through various characters messing with his bipolar medication, which is disturbing and terrible. How much can Sonny take?! Even before he joined the mob, Sonny’s stepdad Deke was abusive. Sonny isn’t 100% flawless. After all, he’s a mob boss, and he’s hurt people and also been unfaithful. But he won over General Hospital fans long ago because there are some redeeming qualities about his character, and his struggles have softened him a lot. Sonny is also so likable because of Bernard’s portrayal. As Soap Opera Digest explained, the actor has also had mental health struggles. Bernard said, “I knew that to survive on the show, I had to change the character. So I started bringing even more pain, so the audience felt for Sonny.”
Sure, no one wants a bland soap opera where characters smile all the time and get everything they ask for. I bet that most General Hospital fans would be fine if Sonny had some struggles every once in a while. Right now, his heart condition feels like too much. Hopefully Sonny’s character doesn’t follow the end of his former love interest Sam McCall’s (Kelly Monaco) arc. Then fans would really have something to say!
Published: Jan 24, 2025 12:58 pm