General Hospital (GH) spoilers tease that GH fans are already anxiously awaiting new episodes, even though by all accounts it seems it will be quite a while before TV shows can begin to be produced again. There are several riveting GH storylines that were left dangling when the last new episodes aired weeks ago. And one of those involves the pending death of Mike Corbin (Max Gail) as he succumbs to Alzheimer’s Disease.
The story of Mike and his decline over the past couple of years has been tragic and heartbreaking, and it has all been building up to what’s happening now – Mike is in the final debilitating stages of the disease and his body is finally giving in.
Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) is an emotional wreck and doesn’t know how to best help his father at this point.
It’s all building up to a dramatic conclusion where Mike succumbs to the disease, and whether he and Sonny will have any final moments when Mike is experiencing some clarity remains to be seen.
Of course, from a storyline perspective, it will be necessary for Sonny to have some final moments with Mike as Mike passes away peacefully.
But will viewers actually get to see this play out on screen? After all, we have to take into account that Max Gail, who portrays Mike, is 77 years old and will probably be among the last of the actors and crew who will be allowed back on set, all due to health precautions.
Max is in a high-risk group for COVID-19 given his age, so will the scenes of Mike passing away even be able to be filmed once production restarts?
It might be a while before Max heads back to work – even long after production restarts for the other actors and crew. So, how will GH handle the situation?
Well, one option would be that viewers don’t actually see Mike and they just see a body double laying in the hospital bed without seeing the actor’s face. However, this would be very disappointing for fans, who will surely want to say their own goodbyes to Mike.
Another option would be to have all the GH storylines pick up after a time jump, with Mike having already passed away. Then, at a later time, once it’s safe for Max Gail to return to work, the death scenes could be filmed and shown as flashbacks for viewers.
This certainly seems like the better of the two options for viewers, yet still it wouldn’t be the same as seeing the death in “real time.”
But these times call for creative measures, and GH will necessarily have to work around the coronavirus issues, and the most important thing here is that Max and all the other actors are kept as safe as possible.
How do you think GH should handle Mike’s death in light of the challenges it faces with Max Gail returning to work? Stay tuned to the ABC soap and remember to keep CDL at the ready for all your General Hospital spoilers, updates, and news.