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'General Hospital' Stars Anthony Geary, Jane Elliot Dish Luke's Intervention, 'GH' Future
by Michael Maloney, posted Apr 25th 2011 1:20PM
Lately 'General Hospital' has become known for its the mob storylines and special effects like hotel fires, train wrecks and bus crashes. But, as true fans of the show know, soap operas have thrived on putting people in a room and letting them go at it.Good news soap fans, 'GH' is going back to those basics on Thursday April 28 at 3PM ET when Luke Spencer's loved ones stage an intervention with the the alleged alcoholic.
While he technically may not have been drunk the night he got behind the wheel and accidentally killed toddler Jake Spencer, Luke's been dealing with the tragedy by getting hammered.
This special episode has two goals -- the first is to get Luke to admit that he has a problem and the other is for the show to prove that the daytime serialized storytelling format still has some life left in it.
Six-time Emmy winner Anthony Geary (Luke) and Emmy-winner Jane Elliot (Tracy) spoke with AOL TV about Luke's intervention and how soaps have to up the fight to stay in the game.
Is Luke an alcoholic?
Geary: I do not believe he is, [despite] evidence to the contrary, perhaps. I don't think he's drinking anymore than he has in the past. He does use alcohol to deal with depressing situations and there's nothing more depressing than killing a child. That has changed his life. The real issue is he's responsible for the death of a child and that's gong to haunt him for the rest of his life. He did fall into the bottle, but I don't think that necessarily means he's an alcoholic. He doesn't wake up each morning saying, "I have to have a drink!"
Was he drunk the night he hit Jake?
Geary: He wasn't.
Elliot: That's what he says.
Where's Tracy in all this?
Elliot: Tracy and everyone around him believes that Luke is an alcoholic. We all see alcoholic behavior [on Luke's part] since the horrific catastrophe of Jake's death. We see him get through the day by drinking. Is he sloppy, falling-down, blackout drunk? No. But he is existing with a bottle in his hand. So for the rest of us, we believe it's a disease and it needs to be treated.
How does the idea for the intervention come about?Elliot: It's Lucky's idea. This [intervention episode] is entirely different. It's nothing that anyone has seen in the way it's shot, acted and directed. It's new. Yippee! How great is that. Bill Ludell, who directed it, has done an extraordinary job of doing something in a new way.
Soaps have done plenty of alcoholism storylines -- including one you, Jane, were in on 'Knots Landing.' How is this one different?
Geary: The whole show is in one set. There are flashbacks involved, but they're used in a very unique and creative way, a way in which I've never seen before. We go in and out of reality and not fantasy, but [something else.]
Is it good that the genre's trying something like this? The genre's never been about special effects as much as it's been two people in a room with a conflict.
Geary: Well said. That's what this medium has done best -- two characters, having connections and disconnections. This is cinematic in that it's artistically done.
Elliot: It's like theater. This is done stylistically. It's a very gripping episode, visually. It's also very simple. We're in a circle with folding chairs. Luke is paired up with his children [Lucky, Lulu and Ethan], Sonny, Carly, Nikolas and [my character] Tracy.
Why does Luke listen to Tracy in a way that he might not listen to anyone else?
Geary: He loves her and he knows that she loves him in a way that nobody has ever loved him before. She has accepted him for who he is like nobody ever has. This is a very mature relationship that isn't based on youth, romance, adventure ... this is based on two people who have been around the block and absolutely appreciate each other for who they are. When Tracy says something to him -- he may not like it -- but he'll hear it.
What does Luke bring to Tracy's life?
Elliot: He's like nobody she's ever known. He's gritty, uneducated, unrefined, and honest. He loves to manipulate, he loves to do the con, but with her, that's the game between the two of them. The manipulation is the con, the game. Some families sit down and play Scrabble at night. Luke and Tracy try to out-con each other. There's a rawness, earthiness and reality to him that she's never experienced from anybody before.
Do you think at a time when the soaps are facing difficult times that it's important to experiment with how stories are told?Elliot: My philosophy is leaving 'em wanting more. That's what you do. If we're going off the air, we should do the best work we've ever done just to make a point. Yes, I think everyone should try harder. What are they going to do? Take us off the air? We should go out with a bang. I'm very proud of Bob [Guza, head writer] and Elizabeth [Korte, writer] and of Bill Ludell by taking a chance on this. There are wonderful actors in this episode. We don't get asked to bring our A-game enough.
Geary: In this episode, actors brought their best game, but the cameraman do, too. When you have an opportunity to do something a little bit different, it makes people very happy. They want to participate.
Will Luke have a revelation?
Geary: He has several revelations in the show. I don't think that there's a resolution, but he certainly sees things that he hasn't seen.
Elliot: Luke Spencer never plays it like anyone expects him to -- and he's true to that.
What can the remaining shows do to maintain and even build their audiences so they can stay on the air?
Elliot: Don't give up. Don't sell out. Don't do less than you're capable of doing. Leave 'em wanting more.
Geary: This medium is about the people, the characters that the audience has grown up with; there's nothing like that. This is the only medium that has that. This is the only medium where Jane and I who've been doing this show for 30 years ago and you have the same actors; that's the strength that this show has. I say, it's about these people, these characters; it's not about flesh and glitter; it's about hearts and characters that the audience has invested in.
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