Laura (Genie Francis) on “General Hospital” has become one hot topic lately as the character prepares to bid Port Charles goodbye. The exit has some fans wondering whether Laura and Francis’ time on the ABC soap is up or just a break.
Is Genie Francis Leaving ‘General Hospital’?
The past couple of episodes have featured Laura putting her ducks in a row as she heads off to Ireland to see her husband, Kevin (Jon Lindstrom), and grandson, Ace. It has been months since she has seen them.
However, some things Laura has done make it feel like this may be more than just time away for a family reunion. Laura asked her grandson, Rocco (Finn Carr), to check in on things at her condo and also had a heart-to-heart with her daughter, Lulu (Alexa Havins), about finding love again.
Workwise, Laura met with police commissioner Anna (Finola Hughes) and DA Turner (Nazneen Contractor) to share her trip news. She also revealed Ezra (Daniel Cosgrove) would be helping out in the mayor’s office while she was temporarily away.
These actions had some fans worried that this was the end of the road for Laura and Francis on the hit ABC soap. The good news is that Francis and Laura will be back later this fall.
Laura’s trip to Ireland is simply a way to write out Francis, who takes a temporary summer break each year. It is something the actress has done since returning to the show as a regular cast member in 2018.
Since “General Hospital” films four to six weeks in advance, Francis likely wrapped filming in late June, right before the ABC soap took its July summer hiatus.
Genie Francis and Maurice Beanrd Wants Soaps To Get Back to Couples
Last year, Francis was a guest on Maurice Benard’s (Sonny) “State of Mind podcast.” The two friends looked back on what soaps were like in their heyday in the 1980s, 1990s, and even the early 2000s.
“Let me tell you something. They don’t do couples anymore. If you think about that time when you came back [in the 1990s], and I just started. Sonny and Brenda (Vanessa Marcil), Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura, Lois (Rena Sofer) and Ned (Wally Kurth), Jason (Steve Burton) and Robin (Kimberly McCullough) … couples were the thing. Now they’re not doing as many. I don’t know why,” he shared.
Francis agreed and wondered whether the pandemic and intimacy during that time had something to do with the lack of couples on soaps these days. Benard wasn’t sure, but what he did know was that having soaps focus on couples is a good thing.
Neither Benard nor Francis would ever tell the powers that be how to do their jobs, but they both feel like a little love in the afternoon should be brought back. They also feel that soaps need to invest in couples rather than throw some together.
The stars are correct, and “General Hospital” has started to do that at least with one couple in the younger scene. Emma (Braedyn Bruner) and Gio (Giovanni Mazza) have been giving fans 90s soap couple vibes since the jump. The fact that Gio is Sonny’s grandson and Emma is Anna’s (Finola Hughes) granddaughter makes this couple ooze history and chemistry.
