In the last few days, it was reported by ABC: Soaps in Depth that Leslie Charleson who has played Monica on General Hospital since the 1970s was taken off contract. We may still occasionally see Monica on screen. Over this weekend, I mentally flashed to the past and thought about material from days gone by.
When I think of Monica, my first memories are from over 20 years ago. Monica went to a spa, and met a younger man named Ward, who was the tennis pro. They started sleeping together. Later it was revealed that Ward was really Ned, who is first cousins with her children with Alan. Monica hadn’t seen Ned since he was a child, and had no idea of his real identity until he returned to Port Charles. Monica and Alan’s marriage broke apart not specifically due to Ned. They fell apart primarily due to Alan’s affair with Lucy Coe. The ramifications of the hook up between Ned and Monica went on for years. Dawn, Monica’s child who she had given up for adoption prior to moving to Port Charles came to town. She became involved with Ned and they eventually married. The information about Ned and Monica’s affair destroyed that relationship even if they were no longer sexually involved with one another. Dawn broke up with Ned, and was disgusted with her biological mother. Monica only had a short time with Dawn as she was murdered.
Later they had another story on GH where Monica cheated on Alan again. This time the younger man was a fellow physician Dr. Pierce Dorman. While the character name may not be familiar, the actor should be as it is Tuc Watkins best known to daytime viewers as David Vickers. Monica was involved with two younger men way before it became the cool thing to do.
Monica and Alan had other affairs over the years before and after the ones I’ve referred to specifically. For some reason, GH would break up Alan and Monica to eventually reunite them. The triangle with Rick, Monica and Alan, which started in the 1970s, was one of the other plots going on during the ratings heyday of General Hospital. The most critically acclaimed Monica-focused story was when the character dealt with breast cancer. That story while sad showed how Alan and Monica really loved each other beyond the bickering that would take place quite frequently.
The last material that I really enjoyed with Monica was when the episode in which Alan was with Monica at Christmas. He had died, and they were reunited for a few minutes of material. In my mind, Monica and Alan are reunited squabbling on an island somewhere. If Edward could do that when everyone in Port Charles thought he was dead, so could Alan. I’d rather imagine that then think about Monica alone in the Quartermaine Mansion that she owns.
Some may say the fact that the most memorable scenes for me with the character of Monica happened more than a decade ago is justification for what happened. Usually whatever story I first see a performer in is usually the one that resonates the most.
As always, they may eliminate the characters we grew up watching. This doesn’t mean they disappear from our memories.
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