The revolving door of Port Charles continues its frantic spin, and the latest twist arriving with the sound of a record scratch is the alleged “return” of Anna Devane. But hold the celebratory champagne, because General Hospital is clearly running on fumes, judging by the predictable, almost insulting revelation that this returning Anna is not the real deal—a truth supposedly sniffed out by the perpetually brooding, perpetually resurrected Jason Morgan.

This storyline is not a shocking plot development; it is an exhausted trope masquerading as one. It is the cheapest card in the soap opera deck, pulled out when the writers lack the imagination or courage to address genuine character development or real-world issues. The moment an actor needs time away, or, as in this case, when a beloved character is brought back, GH resorts to the most transparent of cheats: the evil twin, the face swap, or, in this latest cynical iteration, the elaborate imposter.

Let us dissect the sheer hypocrisy of this narrative choice. For years, the GH writers have meticulously crafted Anna Devane as the ultimate intelligence agent—a master of disguise, deception, and psychological warfare. Now, they expect the audience to believe that a fake, a mere stand-in, could fool everyone from her fiancé Valentin to her daughter Robin, only to be exposed by Jason Morgan—a man whose primary method of detection involves glowering intensely and lifting heavy objects. The entire premise is a spectacular insult to the character’s legacy and the audience’s intelligence.

The network’s intent is painfully obvious: they are attempting to generate a short-lived buzz by using a classic “who-do-you-trust?” mechanism, all the while disrespecting the genuine emotional investment viewers have in Anna Devane. This “fake Anna” plot conveniently allows the show to use a different actress (or a highly managed set of scenes for the real one) while dragging out the storyline for maximum dramatic effect—meaning, maximizing ratings without having to do the hard work of writing compelling material.

And Jason Morgan, the supposed hero of this pathetic reveal? His character is continually shoehorned into every major plot pivot, positioned as the infallible arbiter of truth. His involvement here is a predictable, lazy attempt to keep him relevant by making him the sole person smart enough to notice the person sitting across from him isn’t the one he remembers. It’s not a testament to Jason’s acuity; it’s a testament to the writers’ inability to let other, often more interesting, characters drive the action.

The return of a beloved character should be a moment of genuine emotional resonance, not a flimsy trick designed to be undone in a few weeks. The decision to make Anna an impostor reveals a deep contempt for the audience and a crippling lack of originality within the General Hospital writers’ room. It is a calculated manipulation that cheapens every past storyline and every future return. The only “shock” here is the audacity of the showrunners to present this exhausted narrative as fresh content.