We are mourning what could have been.
General Hospital bid adieu to Professor Gregory Chase during its Tuesday, May 21 episode. For roughly the last year, the soap opera followed this character’s journey as he dealt with his sudden ALS diagnosis. While Gregory’s story was poignant, we couldn’t help thinking about a missed opportunity. We adored the developing relationship Gregory forged with Tracy Quartermaine.
What Could Have Been
Initially, Gregory (Gregory Harrison) was a character with much potential. It was admirable that he and Finn (Michael Easton) were able to rebuild their father-son relationship, considering their relationship was dysfunctional and dramatic. They worked through a lot, including Finn’s resentments towards his dad, Finn’s long-ago affair with Gregory’s wife, and Finn’s stepmom, Jackie Templeton (Kim Delaney). Plus, the subsequent paternity scare. For a minute, they thought Finn was Chase’s (Josh Swickard) dad, not Gregory.
Post-Jackie, the show attempted to pair Gregory with Alexis. But the two gave friendship vibes and nothing more. They were both a match intellectually. He eventually confided in her when he was diagnosed with ALS. They greatly supported each other, but their connection began and ended there.
Suddenly, Gregory and Tracy started clashing. Honestly, we didn’t originally see how these two would work. However, as the slow burn of their relationship developed, Gregory and Tracy became another important source of support and honesty. There was judgment, but not in a bad way. Ultimately, they kept each other in check.
It was refreshing to witness a mature couple open up to each other more and more. They confided in each other their thoughts, fears, and wishes. And they advised each other with pure, unflinching honesty. They didn’t hold back because that’s not who they were. Again, we were hesitant because it seemed like Tracy was softening in every aspect of her life. But then we realized she never changed so much that she was unrecognizable. With him, she was still Tracy Quartermaine.
With Gregory’s ALS diagnosis and now death, their relationship is an unfortunate casualty. And we’re sad about that because we’ll never get to see what could have been. Now, Tracy will have to grieve her friend, who could have been more.