General Hospital: Why is Nina Reeves the most tortured soul in Port Charles?

General Hospital. There is no a woman on General Hospital who has been through the wringer more times than Nina Reeves. To put it mildly, she has become the punching bag of Port Charles. Even for things she had no part in, that can’t possibly be her fault. Fans and writers of the show alike magically find a way to make it Nina’s fault.

We all knew that justice for her actions would be coming Nina’s way after it was revealed she was the one who was behind the information that put Drew Cain and Carly Spencer in the hot seat. But I do want you to keep in mind that as Nina keeps telling everyone (nobody listens to logic on this show)they did break the law. Now if Nina isn’t offered any leniency for her actions, why should we feel so much sympathy for Drew and Carly. I, for one, do not.

OH, IT’S A TANGLED WEB YOU WEAVE, NINA REEVES.

Let’s take a look back on everything Nina has lost. Her husband, Sonny Corinthos. That was a given after seeking some revenge on her husband’s ex-wife and the mother of his children. He’s not in love with Carly anymore, but they will always have a strong bond. Nina acted out of impulse after Carly hid not just one but two daughters from her. Nelle had died before she ever got the chance to be a mother, and if Carly had offered up that information it might have been enough for Nina to help her turn her life around. But we will never know.

If that was enough, Carly also hid the paternity of Willow during a time she was dying of cancer. Of course, Carly Spencer always has an excuse and the writers always have a way of making her into an angel who has never done anything wrong in her life. Anyone who knows the history of General Hospital knows that’s a lie. Carly claimed Willow didn’t want to know who her birth mother was, but these were extenuating circumstances. She needed a donor to survive, and it was poor judgement on Carly’s part. She’s constantly letting her feud with Nina cloud her judgement, but Nina is the only one who gets scrutinized for doing the same.

Now let’s get back on track. Sonny still refuses to talk to her. Not only has he been betrayed by his wife but also his best friend, Jason Morgan, who has had some kind of role behind the many attempted murders that have come Sonny’s way. Not to mention his son’s Michael’s role in hiring Dex to gather the necessary information to take Sonny down and put him in prison. I’m not giving Sonny excuses, but I can see why he thinks the whole world is against him. Personally, compared to all the betrayal, Nina’s poor lack of judgement doesn’t seem quite so bad.

Drew Cain wasted no time to exact revenge on Nina. Because he is the President, co-owner, and CEO of Aurora Media, he had Nina’s job at Crimson ripped away from her. A pretty unprofessional act, given Nina Reeves is masterful at her job. When she first took over at Crimson she was hired on in hopes that it would fail, but everything Nina touches is gold and Crimson was no different.

In an act of more unprofessionalism Drew hired his girlfriend Carly Spencer to take over Nina’s job. It was the perfect revenge arc to take Nina’s livelihood away from her after Nina had bought Carly’s half of the Metro Court. But let’s not pretend that Nina made that move out of spite or jealousy. Drew was the one who approached Nina to buy Carly’s shares of the hotel so that she could sell them back to Carly. However, she was not going to accept charity from her sworn enemy and turned that offer down.

Carly never had much business stepping into the role, and even Carly will tell you that. I guess she could have done a worse job, but she’s no Nina Reeves. After a lover’s quarrel, Carly decided to step down as Editor-In-Chief because she didn’t like being at the forefront of Drew’s revenge plot. She wanted to move on and not focus on extracting revenge. Which is a refreshing change because I can tell you the entire world is so tired of the granny wars.

BETRAYAL IS THE ONLY TRUTH THAT STICKS.

However, in a turn of events, not only has Nina Reeves lost her husband, but she’s on the very cusp of losing her best friend, Ava Jerome. Though the years, Nina and Ava have become thick as thieves and are my favorite friendship on the show. Everything Nina has been through has been devastating, but this would really be the straw to breaks the camel’s back. It’s realistic for people Nina has crossed and hurt her the way that they have, and maybe some of it is even warranted. But from her best friend? I’d like to think the show isn’t going there, but all signs are pointing in that direction.

Sonny and Ava have been back in each other’s orbit for a while now. Recently, she has been there for him after his son Dante was shot, presumably by his best friend Jason. Ava, of all people knows what it’s like to lose an adult child. Given the fact that a share a daughter together (Avery)she has taken it upon herself to be a confidant for Sonny and Sonny doesn’t exactly turn her away. There have been a few moments already where the audience questioned if they were going to kiss. Could Ava become Nina’s latest and greatest heartache?

Now I know Soap Operas are forever changing and continually evolving, but I’m surprised Ava is so willing to let go of the fact it wasn’t long ago when Carly and Sonny wouldn’t even let Ava see Avery. Sonny and Ava really couldn’t despise each other more. It’s great to see them on civilized terms again, but I miss the fiery, does not suffer fools, deviously humorous Ava Jerome.

I was hoping with the new writers Patrick Mulcahey and Elizabeth Korte coming aboard, Nina would get a break, but that doesn’t look to be happening anytime soon. Though I absolutely adore Ava and Sonny as characters, this will be a soapy disaster and I fret to think how it will tip Nina over the edge. On the other hand, if these writers want to open up with a bang, this would be the way to do it.

AN EX TO HER GREATEST ALLY.

For Nina, not all hope is lost. Now that Jason Morgan is back in town, Drew Cain has suddenly become the most insecure man in Port Charles. He refused to stick around and wait for Carly to break up with him over Jason, so he bit the bullet and took care of it now. Which I don’t really blame him for. Everybody and their mother knew it would be a matter of time before Carly pushed him to the side. One thing I don’t like is making Carly out to be the hurt party. When it comes to active Soap Operas, I have never seen a character with more plot armor than Carly Spencer.

Now that Drew Cain is free, he could have taken the opportunity to further his vendetta against Nina since Carly is no longer there to stop him. But in a twist of events, Drew pays Nina a visit and offers her job back to her. And it may come right on time because Nina is on the verge of losing the very little she has left.

The only person who has remotely been in Nina’s corner is her ex, Valentin Cassadine. It was beyond time someone said something nice to Nina, and anytime Valentin is around he reminds me of a character in a romance novel.

He’s no longer with Anna and there is a possibility there, but Valentin isn’t saying these things to get back with her. He’s always respect and admired Nina, and she really needs these words to hold on to the truest part of herself. His latest declaration may just be enough for Nina to find herself again.

“Maybe you could remember who you really are… Nina Reeves is a marvel, a survivor, a rule breaker, Crimson, your life everything that you spun into gold, and it is my hope for you that you remember that.”

Time will tell seeing what Nina’s next chapter holds. Sonny has forgiven worse betrayals from women that he loves. It may take something like being with another woman to make him realize how much he still loves Nina when the guilt rushes in.

I, personally, think Nina should let him go. She loves him more than life, but she’s deluding herself at the moment. Begging to be forgiven by a mob boss who has done atrocious things throughout his lifetime is just coming off as pathetic.

At this moment in time, I think Nina can do better than Sonny and especially if he betrays her with her best friend. She’s already an emotional wreck ordinarily but Nina’s reaction to it may be unexpected.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Sonny and Maurice Bernard is one of my favorite people in the world, but Sonny has now regressed to the Sonny of old. The warmth and lightness he had has now vanished. Nina and Sonny are flawed more than most, but they had a way of bringing out the best in each other.

Cynthia Watros is a powerhouse actress and I commend her for taking all the Nina hate with stride. I could not be that much of an angel. But I’ve truly never seen so much hate come for a character who admittedly makes mistakes. Nina is treated worse than the real villains of the show.

Sure she’s a pretty little hot mess at times, but she has a big heart. Her imperfections and dream to be loved is what draws fans to her. I’ll be honest, I never paid much attention to the role of Nina until Cynthia took it over, and now she has me hooked. Masterclass performances of an Emmy winning actress will do that.

Tune in to General Hospital on weekdays on Hulu and ABC to find out what kind of beat down Nina will receive next.

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About the author: Shay has been writing as a journalist professionally for years. Her most common topics to cover are soap operas but she looks forward to getting her feet wet with new and exciting genres and projects. @ShaySleighs