Recently on “General Hospital,” Carly (Laura Wright) supported Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) when he said he wanted to be a friend Anna (Finola Hughes) could lean on. But that generosity could come back to bite her.
The more time Valentin spends with Anna, the greater the chances are that old feelings will resurface. And if that happens, Carly could find herself losing Valentin to the one woman he has never really been able to get over.
Carly seems happy with Valentin, and she’s planning a future with him. But is Valentin as committed to Carly as she is to him?
He says he is. But Valentin has loved Anna for years, and now that she’s struggling and needs someone, his instinct may be to become Anna’s “white knight” all over again.
Anna and Valentin Have a Long History
Anna and Valentin have one of the most complicated romantic histories on “General Hospital.” No matter what circumstances tear them apart, these two repeatedly find their way back to each other.
Valentin’s feelings for Anna go all the way back to their younger days in the WSB. Valentin fell in love with Anna long before she returned those feelings, and his belief that she had rejected him became part of the bitterness he carried for years.
Their history became even more complicated when Valentin believed Anna had slept with him years earlier. It was eventually revealed that the woman he had been with was actually Anna’s twin sister, Alex. But Valentin’s feelings for Anna never really went away.
Years later, those feelings finally became mutual. Anna and Valentin went from adversaries with a complicated past to one of Port Charles’ most unexpected couples. For a while, it looked like they might actually build a life together.
Their relationship eventually fell apart as Valentin became increasingly involved in Pikeman and kept secrets from Anna. Their conflict culminated in Anna discovering the truth about Valentin’s involvement and turning against the man she loved. Even that wasn’t enough to completely sever their connection.
Anna and Valentin have hurt each other, lied to each other and repeatedly found themselves on opposite sides. But underneath all of that history, the feelings have remained. That’s what should worry Carly.
Carly and Valentin Found Something Unexpected
Carly and Valentin have their own complicated history, although theirs began very differently. For years, they were enemies. But when Valentin was hiding out in Carly’s house, she began to see another side of him. Away from the schemes and power struggles, Carly saw that Valentin could also be loving, loyal and compassionate.
Then Valentin risked his own freedom to help save Joss, which cemented Carly’s changing feelings for him. Even though Carly may have initially started sleeping with Valentin partly to get back at Jack Brennan, what developed between them became much more than revenge. Carly ended up with genuine feelings for Valentin.
Valentin’s feelings for Carly seem genuine, too. After being cleared by the WSB, Valentin returned to Port Charles and appears determined to create a stable life for Charlotte (Bluesy Burke). Carly has become part of the future he’s trying to build.
For perhaps the first time in a long time, Valentin has the opportunity to simply live his life instead of running, scheming or trying to stay one step ahead of the authorities. But his connection to Anna may be stronger than his commitment to that new life.
Anna Needs Valentin Right Now
Anna is in an extremely vulnerable place after everything she endured during her captivity and the mental health crisis that followed.
Valentin knows Anna better than almost anyone. He understands her history, her strengths and her weaknesses, and he knows the kind of trauma she’s survived. That makes him a natural person for Anna to lean on.
Carly understands that, which is why she hasn’t tried to stop Valentin from supporting his former love. But emotional intimacy can be just as dangerous to a relationship as physical intimacy.
The more Anna opens up to Valentin, the more likely it is that the connection they once shared will begin resurfacing. And Valentin has always had a weakness for Anna.
Are Valentin and Anna Endgame?
Carly may have every reason to trust Valentin, but Anna isn’t simply another ex-girlfriend. She’s the woman Valentin loved for years before they ever became a couple. Even after everything that happened between them, he has never been able to completely turn off his feelings for her.
That doesn’t mean Valentin doesn’t genuinely love Carly. Their relationship developed unexpectedly, and Carly has given Valentin something he hasn’t had very often in his life: acceptance and the possibility of a relatively normal future.
But Anna represents something different. Anna and Valentin share decades of history, unfinished feelings and a connection that has survived betrayals that would have permanently ended most relationships. Now Anna is vulnerable, Valentin wants to protect her and Carly has essentially given him permission to be there for her.
Carly may eventually regret being quite so understanding. If Valentin becomes the person Anna turns to while she puts her life back together, old feelings could become very difficult for either of them to ignore.
For now, Valentin insists that his future is with Carly. But on “General Hospital,” Anna and Valentin have repeatedly proven that finding their way back to each other is what they do best. Carly might want to keep that in mind before she gets too comfortable.
