General Hospital is taking a chilling turn, and it’s not just the personal dramas causing unrest! The escalating war with Sidwell is pushing Port Charles’s most powerful figures to their absolute limits, exposing their most ruthless tendencies and raising serious questions about who they’ve become. From Jason (Steve Burton) holding Marco hostage in a shocking display of force, to Sonny (Maurice Benard) declaring all-out war on his own father, the stakes have never been higher, and the city is bracing for impact.
This surge of darkness has left some fans deeply unsettled. In a recent episode of their podcast Stone Cold and the Jackal, Steve Burton (Jason) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) delved into these concerns. Anderson revealed that some viewers are worried Jason is becoming too ruthless, perhaps even as cold and calculating as Sonny. The alarming Marco hostage situation, in particular, has fueled these fears. However, Burton remains unperturbed by this audience reaction.
“I just don’t know what that means exactly,” Burton responded, emphasizing that viewers need to remember Jason’s fundamental role. He pointed out that “Fifteen years ago, nobody would have any questions about this at all.” Jason’s job, his very identity, “was very clearly defined” back then. He was Sonny’s unwavering enforcer, his hitman – a role that inherently involved getting his hands dirty and resorting to violence. The irony, as Anderson noted, is that Jason is now engaging in such actions less than ever before. This, Burton believes, is precisely “why I think people are having a hard time adjusting to it. I don’t really do any of that anymore.” It appears the audience has grown accustomed to a “softer” Jason, making his recent, more aggressive actions all the more jarring.
In fact, when pressed to recall the last person Jason definitively killed, Burton struggled, only managing to remember the sniper who targeted him on the docks upon his return to Port Charles. He mused, “I feel like I’ve maybe shot somebody else, but I can’t really remember.” This lack of clear recollection underscores how much Jason’s on-screen violence has diminished compared to his earlier years.
But it’s not just Jason who has pulled back from the brink. The overall landscape of the mob world in General Hospital has shifted dramatically since its “mob heyday.” While things have recently swung back towards a more aggressive tone, as evidenced by Sonny’s shocking act. “I think they were trying to make Sonny, Sonny again — the old Sonny, compared to this Sonny — when he killed Jagger,” Burton speculated. “I think they were trying to reinstate that edge. He’s in charge.” This suggests a deliberate effort by the show’s writers to restore Sonny’s terrifying reputation and underscore his dominance in the criminal underworld.
Burton fully supports this direction for Sonny’s character. He believes there “needs to be more of that, quite honestly, of Sonny in charge. Of Sonny going, ‘Hey, go take care of this problem.’ And I go take care of the problem. This is what we used to do.” He laments the perceived “watering down” of Sonny’s authority. In the past, when Sonny issued a command, “the audience knew it would be taken care of.” Now, Burton feels, “you’re just not sure if Sonny will follow through, or Jason’s going to say, ‘Hey, maybe there’s an alternative here.’” This shift in dynamic suggests a less predictable, and perhaps more dangerous, mob landscape in Port Charles. The established hierarchy is being challenged, not just by external forces, but by internal conflicts and a perceived hesitation within Sonny’s own ranks.
However, despite these observations, Burton acknowledges that change is an inevitable part of life, both real and fictional. He concedes that moving on is acceptable, “because there is progression in life and people do grow.” He even hints at a potential, though perhaps unlikely, future where both Sonny and Jason consider “getting out of the business.” Whether this is a genuine possibility or merely a fleeting thought remains to be seen.
Ultimately, the current dark atmosphere in Port Charles might just be a necessary precursor to a brighter future. As the old saying goes, “It’s always darkest before the dawn.” Perhaps the city, and its most prominent residents, are merely navigating this intensely dark period before the light of day finally returns, promising a new era, or perhaps just a brief respite, from the constant turmoil. Fans will have to stay glued to their screens to witness Jason’s continued evolution and the unpredictable turns of the mob war in Port Charles. His journey, marked by shifting alliances, moral dilemmas, and brutal realities, is far from over.
