Sonny and Julian plunged into the river as Jason yelled out for Sonny. Jason tore his jacket off and jumped into the water after the men. A short while later, a soaked Jason walked the bank of the river, calling out for Sonny. Just then, a helicopter flew overheard, and Jason hid from the searchlight. The same officer from the bus station arrived at the scene and shared his location with someone over his walkie-talkie. A few minutes later, two officers carried over a body bag. Jason watched as they unzipped the bag to reveal Julian, and Jason breathed a sigh of relief.
The officer observed two gunshot wounds on Julian's body and assumed that he hadn't drowned. He found Julian's ID, and he recognized Julian as one of the men who'd fled the bus station. He wanted to find the other man who'd fled, and he ordered a team to the bridge. Just then, the group of cops heard rustling from Jason's direction, and they walked over to check the sounds out, but Jason was gone. They zipped the body bag back up. The cop gave one last suspicious look around and walked away.
At home, a worried Carly left a message for Sonny about what was going on with Taggert, and she urged him to return home soon. When she hung up, the doorbell rang, and she was disappointed to find Dante at the door instead of Sonny. A few minutes later, she put his gifts under the tree and thanked him. He could tell something was wrong, and she explained that she hadn't been able to reach Sonny, who was "out of town on business." Dante figured that Sonny would be back soon, and he turned to leave. Carly invited Dante to stay and catch up.
Dante told Carly about taking Rocco home from the Quartermaines', and Carly thought that that was the right thing to do. He commented that he and Lulu wouldn't even have their house without Sonny, and Carly played dumb. He revealed that he'd seen the bill of sale, and he'd seen that "someone" had made up the difference when they'd originally been outbid. Carly remarked that Sonny's generosity was no secret. She admitted that, since Dante had been back, she'd really noticed how much like Sonny he was.
Carly suddenly realized that Dante had never met Donna, and he apologized that he hadn't been by to do so. She knew that he'd had a lot on his mind, and she led him upstairs. Later, they returned downstairs, and Dante regretted not meeting Donna sooner. She thanked him for the visit, and she added that Dante returning home was the only Christmas gift that Sonny needed. Later, Dante was gone, and Carly heard the front door slam shut. She saw a distressed Jason in the foyer, and she demanded to know what had happened and where Sonny was.
Peter met Maxie outside of the Metro Court restaurant, and she assured him that the baby's check-up had gone well. She wondered if he'd want to know the gender of their baby before the birth, and they both admitted that they'd been having second thoughts about not finding out. "Why wait?" he asked. She handed him an envelope from Dr. Navarro, and he tore into it.
Valentin sat down with Anna at the Metro Court restaurant, and he asked about her meeting with Dante. "I don't think you're going to like what I have to say," she admitted. She talked about how guarded and uncomfortable he'd seemed, which was unlike the Dante she had known. She assumed that Dante's treatment had been successful or else the WSB wouldn't have released him. Valentin was only concerned that Charlotte would be safe around Dante. Anna replied that she wanted to trust Dante, but she didn't trust the process that had sent him home. Anna pondered why the WSB would send him home if he wasn't ready, and Valentin suggested that the WSB needed something from Dante.
Just then, Maxie and Peter approached with good news. Peter handed Anna the paper from Dr. Navarro, and she happily read that Maxie and Peter were having a baby girl. She hugged the pair, and she couldn't wait to tell Finn and Violet. She had to go, but she promised Valentin to keep in mind what he'd said. Maxie offered to walk Anna out so they could talk about the wedding. When they were gone, Peter sat with Valentin, and Valentin observed relief in Peter.
Peter was happy to be having a daughter so that she would be like Maxie and his mother. Valentin thought back to finding out that Alex was Peter's mother as Peter talked about how he'd worry about a son being like Faison. Around the corner, Maxie bumped into Dante and invited him to hang out with her and Peter. She informed him that they were having a girl, and Dante thought that Lulu would be happy. Maxie joined Peter and Valentin as Dante looked on.
Finn answered the door to Chase and Gregory. Finn revealed that Violet was asleep and that he had to go to bed early, since he was returning to work the next morning. Chase told him that they had to continue a family tradition, and he held up a case and announced that it was poker night. A few minutes later, the men sat at a card table with root beers as Chase shuffled the cards. Chase said he'd heard about how good Finn had been at poker until he'd stopping attending Gregory's poker nights. Gregory reasoned that Finn had a busy job, so it was also understandable that Finn had missed Gregory and Jackie's wedding. Finn apologized for acting out, but Gregory understood that things were complicated.
Gregory talked about how his sons had been the only things he'd done right, but he admitted that he'd been harder on Finn than on Chase. Finn assured Gregory that none of Finn's actions had been a result of anything Gregory had or hadn't done. "Then what's been eating you all these years?" Gregory asked. Chase advised Finn to follow his own advice and be honest in his relationships, and Chase got up to get more root beers.
Gregory admitted that Jackie had told him why Finn had been so opposed to the marriage. He continued to a concerned Finn that Jackie had blamed herself for being too self-absorbed to think about how her marriage to Gregory would impact Finn. He continued that Jackie had always been fond of Finn, and he hoped that Finn could accept that she would always be family.
Later, Finn was escorting Gregory and Chase out when Anna returned home, and she was sorry to have missed them. Finn and Gregory shared a meaningful "goodnight," and Gregory and Chase left. Anna had news for Finn, but she noticed that he was distracted. He told her that he couldn't keep his secret in anymore. He wanted her to know the real reason why he hadn't gone to Gregory and Jackie's wedding and why he'd been estranged from his family for so many years.
In Florence's room, Martin wished his mother a happy birthday, and Cyrus did the same as Laura looked on. Florence demanded to know where she was, and Martin reminded her that she liked it in the facility. She asked who Laura was, and Laura introduced herself. Cyrus added that Laura was Gordon's daughter, which prompted Florence to start wailing for Gordon. Martin told Florence that Gordon had been gone for years, and she remembered that Gordon's death had been Cyrus' fault. Cyrus reasoned that he'd helped her when she'd needed it, and he wished she wouldn't look at him like he was a stranger. "You are a stranger," she said angrily, and Laura pulled a stunned Cyrus out of the room.
Outside the room, Laura informed Cyrus that he couldn't ask his mother for something she couldn't give. She believed that Gordon's death was an accident, but she couldn't believe the man that that boy had grown into. She added that he could have just told her that they were related instead of leaving her clues. Cyrus told her that all families had secrets, and they'd have to get to know each other better before he shared any more. She preferred for him to keep his secrets and leave Port Charles. He thought that they were alike. She refuted his statement and countered that she tried to make the world a better place, while he'd made killing a way of life.
Laura continued that if Cyrus wasn't so dangerous, she would almost feel sorry for him. She blamed him for Lulu, "your niece," being in a long-term care facility. As Martin left Florence's room, Cyrus warned Laura not to push him, as she didn't want him as an enemy. Martin demanded that his brother not talk to their sister that way. Laura accused Cyrus of trying to buy Florence's love, and he shot back with a smirk that he'd bought the city she loved. "Not all of it. Not yet," she replied. "One piece at a time, sister dear," Cyrus said, and he walked away. Martin suggested that he get Laura back to her room before someone caught her loitering. As they walked away, Laura lamented that she was there to find something to use against Cyrus, but she would be leaving with more questions than answers.
Cyrus returned to Florence's room and stated that he'd remembered her birthday. "I could buy you so much more than flowers," he said, and he added that he would do anything she wanted if she would just smile at him. He informed her that he'd made something of himself after she'd thrown him out. He emptied his wallet, showing her all the cash and cards he had, including his ID card for the hospital. He stated that she would one day see him as the world did, and then everything he'd done would have been worth it.
Alexis was sitting in the interrogation room at the police station when Diane entered and handed Alexis some water. She loudly scolded Alexis for driving drunk, but Alexis insisted that she hadn't. Diane informed Alexis that, as an attorney, she would bail Alexis out, but as a friend, she was scared and angry. Alexis related that she didn't want to face her kids.
Outside the interrogation room, Sam asked Chase if anyone had been hurt by Alexis driving drunk, and Chase replied that everything was fine "this time." "There won't be a next time," Sam vowed. He told her that she could go into the room, and he was sorry that Sam's family was going through the difficulty of a loved one with an addiction. Sam replied that Alexis knew she had a problem but didn't care.
Sam went into the interrogation room, and Alexis was surprised to see her. Sam replied that Diane had called her, as she had a hard time turning her back on her mother. Diane left the room, and Sam demanded to know if Alexis had been trying to kill herself. Alexis insisted that she'd only had three drinks, and Tracy had driven her home. She maintained that she hadn't driven drunk, but Sam didn't believe her.
A few minutes later, outside the room, Chase promised to back Diane and Sam if they were sure about their actions. Sam and Diane rejoined Alexis, who wondered if Diane was going to arrange for her bail. "That depends," she replied. Sam explained that if Alexis was going to be bailed out, she needed to let Sam take her to rehab. Alexis refused and again insisted that she would never drive drunk.
Diane refused to condone Alexis' behavior as an attorney or a friend, and she walked out. Alexis refused to be bullied into rehab and planted herself. A visibly upset Sam left the room, and she watched as an officer escorted Alexis out of the room a few minutes later. Just then, Chase asked Sam if she'd heard from the Secaucus police. He revealed that a body pulled from the Hackensack River was believed to be Julian.
Outside the Quartermaine mansion, Dante tried to call Dr. Kirk, to no avail. Inside, Olivia told Ned about her conflict with Alexis, which had culminated in Alexis telling Olivia to worry about her marriage. Tracy entered, and Olivia made sure that Alexis had gotten home all right. Tracy thought back to how she'd staged Alexis' drunk driving scene, and her thoughts were interrupted by Olivia's ringing phone. Olivia walked out of the room to take the call, and Tracy confided that Alexis had been arrested for drunk driving. Ned wanted to go to the police station, but Tracy thought one "ill-advised encounter" with Alexis was enough for him.
Dante arrived as Olivia returned to the room, crying. She informed everyone that Julian was dead, and she asked Dante to check on Leo. Olivia cried that Leo loved his father. Ned promised that he would be Leo's father in every way possible, and Olivia knew he would. Tracy chimed in that Ned understood the importance of family, so he wasn't going anywhere. Dante returned and assured Olivia that Leo was fine, and she embraced her son.
Tracy pulled Ned out of the room, and she urged him to tend to Olivia's needs, as he was getting more like his father every day. She thought that getting arrested could be a wake-up call for Alexis, and she instructed him to stay out of it. Olivia poked her head out of the living room and wondered what was going on. Ned and Tracy returned, and Ned wanted to be honest with Olivia.
Dante went to check on Leo again, and Tracy was visibly nervous. Ned informed Olivia that Alexis had been arrested for driving while intoxicated, and Olivia hoped that Alexis would get help. She assured him that it was all right with her if he wanted to go to Alexis, but he responded, "Here is where I belong." Outside the room, Dante again attempted to call Dr. Kirk.
Scott opened his hotel room door to Liesl, and he demanded to know where Dr. Kirk's body was. Just then, Franco emerged from the bathroom and invited Liesl to breakfast with them before their flight. She was surprised to learn that they were leaving, but Franco answered that there was no point in staying if Dr. Kirk wasn't there. She hoped that he would get the tumor treated immediately, but he was reluctant to do so with the voices still in his head. Scott reminded Franco that Dr. Kirk had said that the voices and the tumor weren't related. Just then, Franco's phone rang, and he walked into the other room to answer it.
Liesl whispered to Scott that she'd dealt with the body, so he had nothing to worry about. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Scott answered it to two cops who had questions about Dr. Kirk. They entered as Franco returned to the room, and they revealed that they'd found Dr. Kirk dead in an alley with empty pockets and a stab wound. They asked Franco questions about his appointment the night before, and Franco assured them that nothing strange had happened. Liesl chimed in that Dr. Kirk had been sent away for a last-minute WSB assignment, but he hadn't given any details about it. The cops thanked the group for their time and left.
Liesl thought that Dr. Kirk being killed right after Franco's appointment was a "horrible coincidence." Liesl decided that she would return to Port Charles to help Franco if Scott and Franco could help her keep a low profile. Franco left to check them out of their room, and Liesl asked Scott for a minute. She informed him that they were "in this together now," and that it was better to be her ally than her enemy. When Scott was gone, Liesl saw that Dante was calling Dr. Kirk's phone, and she rejected the call. "Don't worry, Dante. Your new handler is on her way," she said with a smirk.
In her hotel room "halfway across the world," Jackie wondered what she'd been missing in Port Charles, so she put in a call to Robert. She demanded to know what had been happening and how Finn was doing. Robert told her that he'd missed her and thought she was avoiding him. He figured that she'd been avoiding Gregory, as he had just arrived in town, and Robert wondered if there had been trouble in paradise. Jackie admitted that the two were separated, and it was no big deal.
Robert took a few minutes to fill Jackie in on everything that had been going on in town, and she replied that she could barely process all of it. She had to get back to work, so she asked Robert about Finn, and Robert assured her that Finn was fine and all ready for his wedding the next month. She hadn't realized that it was so soon, and Robert wondered if she would be back in town for it. She cracked that she would be back sooner if she could ever get off the phone. She promised that she would be back, and he proposed that she be his plus-one for the wedding.
Finn wanted no secrets between himself and Anna, so he wanted to tell her the real reason why he hadn't attended his father's wedding and had been estranged from his family for so many years. He added that he'd never told anyone. He started that he'd been the one to introduce Gregory and Jackie, as he'd met her when she'd been on a story, shadowing first-year residents. They'd started seeing each other outside of the hospital and had become friends. He admitted that they'd developed feelings for each other, and while she hadn't been allowed to get involved with a subject she was covering for a story, there was no reason that she couldn't get involved with his father.
Finn continued that he'd been shocked at how fast Gregory and Jackie had gotten engaged, and he'd had a hard time accepting it. He admitted that he'd slept with Jackie the night before the wedding, and he'd felt so guilty that he'd skipped the wedding. She'd promised to call off the wedding if he told her that he loved her, and he'd just walked away. He had hated himself and had wanted to tell Gregory the truth, but when he'd finally visited the couple, they'd already had Chase. Anna wondered if Chase was Finn's son, and he replied that Jackie insisted that Chase was Gregory's. Anna asked if he'd wanted to do a DNA test, but Finn hadn't wanted to ruin their perfect family.
Finn went on that he had continued to push Gregory away, and he had let Gregory believe that it was because of how fast Gregory had moved on from Finn's mother. Finn understood why Anna was reluctant to tell Peter the truth about Alex being his mother. Anna thanked him for trusting her, and he replied that he trusted her with his life. She promised that nothing he'd ever told her changed the way she felt about him and that he'd punished himself enough. She hugged him and told him that there was no reason that he couldn't have a relationship with Gregory, despite the past.
Jason arrived at Sonny and Carly's, and Carly demanded to know what had happened. He briefly told her about Sonny falling into the river. She wondered how fast they could get there, and they ran out of the house. In the car, he told her the story of the entire day. He assured her that Spinelli was monitoring police communication, and he had men searching the river.
Later, Jason and Carly arrived at the riverbank, and he advised her that they needed to move one step at a time. She wondered how long someone could survive in the cold water, and Jason thought that Sonny could do an hour. He assured her that Sonny hadn't been injured before the fall, and he was a strong swimmer, so he could have swum away from the wreckage of the bridge. The two searched the riverbank with flashlights.
Sasha emerged from a room at the hospital and found Brando waiting for her outside. She demanded to know if he was following her, and he reasoned that he was just checking up on her. She ordered him to go away, as she was done with drugs, Cyrus, and Brando, and she was no longer his problem. "You kind of are," he replied.
A short while later, Sasha was at the park when she caught sight of Brando again. She advised him to get lost, or she'd scream and tell the cops that he worked for the man who'd given her drugs that had almost killed her. Brando offered to make it up to her, and he offered her a ride. She said that she could get back to Metro Court on her own, but he wondered why she would want to be alone at a hotel on Christmas Eve.
Brando offered to buy Sasha hot chocolate, and they sat on a bench and talked while they drank it. He remarked that the hot chocolate reminded him of Christmases when he'd been a kid, and he told her about the embarrassing pajamas his mother had made him wear. When they were done, Sasha noticed that they'd walked under some mistletoe. She kissed him on the cheek and walked away.
At the hospital, Laura thanked Kevin for stepping in as Santa for the celebration in the pediatric ward. She couldn't help but think of Lulu at that age, and she thought that it would be a Christmas miracle if Lulu woke up while they were visiting with her the next day. Just then, Martin entered the hospital, and Laura and Kevin saw him drop an armful of gifts. They got up to help him, and he explained that he'd gotten little gifts for some of the more elderly patients at the hospital. Laura and Kevin offered to help distribute them, and she invited Martin to dinner that night so the newly discovered family could get to know each other. Later, the three sat down at Kelly's and toasted to the holiday.
At the hospital, Sam remarked to Lucas that she'd spent so much time being angry at Julian that she thought she would identify his body and just be able to go about her day. However, she felt relief and sadness, and she regretted that Julian had never been able to get out of his own way. Lucas replied that, for all of Julian's talk about being a family, he hadn't deserved to be a part of theirs. Sam concluded that Julian had never gotten what he'd wanted, but he'd gotten what he'd deserved.
Carly and Jason returned to Carly's, and Jason promised that his men would keep searching for Sonny. Carly had really thought that Sonny would have been home for Christmas. On the other side of the foyer doors, Josslyn and Jax were decorating as Michael and Willow showed Wiley his new ornament for the tree. Josslyn found Carly and Jason and pulled them into the living room. Carly remarked that she'd had a long day, and it was perfect to be home. Michael chimed in that it wouldn't be perfect until they had Sonny's traditional Christmas Eve dinner. A tearful Carly informed her family that Sonny had gotten caught up in business, and he might not be home that night.
As the family continued to decorate, Carly took Jason aside and informed him that she didn't want to say anything about Sonny until they knew for sure what was going on. Jason promised to do whatever Carly needed him to do. Just then, he got a text from Sam saying that she was at the hospital, and she'd just identified Julian's body. Jason updated Carly, and she urged him to go to Sam. She promised to call if she needed anything. She hugged him, and he left. Josslyn approached Carly and told her how many cookies they'd made, and she escorted her mother to the kitchen.
Michael opened the front door to Lucas, and Michael wanted to talk to Lucas about Wiley. He couldn't imagine how hard it had been for Lucas to keep his distance from Wiley, and he asked for Lucas to be Wiley's uncle again. They went into the living room, and Lucas held Wiley. Willow watched with Carly from across the room and remarked that she'd always wondered what it would be like to have a big family. Even though the Quartermaines and Corinthoses were very different, Willow had observed that the common denominator was how much the family members loved each other. "You and Sonny must be proud," Willow said. "We are," Carly replied, tearing up, and she excused herself and ran outside. Jax followed Carly outside, and Carly filled him in on what was going on with Sonny.
Back inside a few minutes later, Michael offered for Lucas to help Michael and Willow read a bedtime story to Wiley, but Lucas was due back at the hospital. The couple went upstairs with Wiley, and Lucas informed Carly that her son was amazing. Carly hugged her brother, who she also thought was great. Lucas hoped Sonny would be home for Christmas, and he went to the kitchen to grab some cookies on his way out. As Carly begged for Sonny to return home, the phone rang. "They're here now?" she asked, and she looked out the window and saw flashing blue lights.
Jason arrived at the hospital, and Sam thanked him for meeting her. She had a question for him that she couldn't ask in front of the kids, but before she could ask, Jason promised that he hadn't killed Julian. He told her what had happened that night. She lamented the pit she got in her stomach every time something dangerous happened, and she knew it would happen regardless of whether or not she and Jason were together.
Sam informed Jason that the kids had been upset at Jason's absence that day, and he wanted to stop by that night to see them. He offered to spend the night and then leave after presents and breakfast the next morning, and Sam agreed. They shared a meaningful look as Jason handed her coat over, and left, leaving Jason in tears.
Outside of Jordan's, Molly warned Alexis not to make Molly regret bailing her mother out of jail. Inside the home, T.J. thanked Jordan for including Alexis, but Jordan insisted that Alexis was family. A few minutes later, Alexis stood by as Jordan cooked, and she remarked that she was good at "sniffing out secrets." Molly pulled Alexis aside, but Alexis insisted that she had only been talking about food. She reminded Molly that, as an attorney, she'd had years of practice at keeping things secret. T.J. called Molly back over, and Jordan was texting Curtis that they needed to talk and be together on Christmas Eve. Alexis took the opportunity to stealthily pour some vodka in the mug she was holding.
Jordan announced that dinner was about ready, but T.J. wondered where Curtis was. Jordan didn't want the food to get cold, so she said that she would put a plate together for Curtis for later. Alexis thought it was unusual for an investigation to be taking place on Christmas, and she wondered if he was solving the mystery of where Taggert had been hiding. Jordan updated a confused T.J. and Molly, and Alexis understood why he'd faked his death. T.J. didn't know how Curtis had kept it from Portia, but Jordan clarified that she hadn't told Curtis about it. She continued that he wasn't home because he was angry about it, and she left to find him.
Molly grabbed Alexis' mug and smelled it, and she kicked Alexis out. "If that's what you want," Alexis replied. "I want a sober mother," Molly shot back. T.J. offered to take Alexis home, but Alexis left without him. Molly had been thinking about the damage both of their mothers' lies had cause, and she didn't want anything like that to happen between her and T.J. He promised that it wouldn't, but she had something to tell him. She reminded him that she loved him, no matter what happened next.
A short while later, Alexis arrived home and got an alert on her phone. She looked at it and saw an article about Julian's death, and she dropped her phone in shock.
Trina and Portia were walking by Kelly's as Curtis emerged. Trina exploded on him for not telling her that Taggert was alive. Curtis calmly replied that he hadn't lied, as he hadn't known that Taggert was alive. Portia instructed Trina to go into Kelly's to pick up their pies, and the girl complied. Portia apologized for what he'd been through, but he replied that she and Trina had suffered more than he had. Portia related that she was thankful that Taggert was alive, but she could kill him herself for toying with Trina's emotions like that. Curtis cracked that he would help, or just watch. Curtis didn't like what Taggert had done, but he did recognize that Taggert had thought he'd been doing the right thing.
Curtis continued that he was angry at Jordan for keeping it from him and that her lies were ruining their marriage. Portia wondered if he was willing to listen to Jordan's reasoning or if he'd already made up his mind that her reasons didn't matter. He answered that he wasn't ready to decide that yet. Trina returned with the pies, and Portia instructed her to take them to the car. Portia advised Curtis to go home, and she followed Trina. A short while later, Curtis found himself at the park, and he realized that Jordan had found him.
Due to the extended Christmas holiday, General Hospital opted to rebroadcast an episode from earlier this year. The episode, which originally aired on September 16, focused on Sonny's relationship with his father, Mike. You can read the entire recap of that episode here.
This programming change was planned, and there were no "lost" episodes as a result. Regular programming resumed on Monday, December 28, and picked up where the Wednesday, December 23, episode concluded.
Due to the Christmas holiday, General Hospital did not air.
This preemption was planned, and there were no "lost" episodes as a result. Regular programming resumed on Monday, December 28, and picked up where the Wednesday, December 23, episode concluded.
