A “General Hospital” spoilers alert says that Tom Baker is back to Port Charles next week. The predator that raped Elizabeth Webber as a teen is back and a new actor has been cast. Don Harvey will play Tom this go around and he seems to have the appropriate “ick factor” required to terrorize Liz again.

Don Harvey recast as Tom Baker

Tom Baker, also known as Tom Yergin, was played back in 1998 by James Sloyan. Not only did he rape Elizabeth in the park as a teen, but he secured a career as a photographer and used that line of work to blackmail and terrorize a very young Emily Quartermaine.

This time Don Harvey has the role.

The guy was a predator and all-around creep and “General Hospital” spoilers say that the casting department went all out to find someone that could fulfill this vision. Don Harvey is a Yale School of Drama alumnus with three decades of film and TV work under his belt.

Harvey has had one-off guest spots on " The Blacklist," "Blue Bloods," "Justified," and "The Good Wife" plus small roles in the films "Taken 3" and "She Hate Me," along with tons of independent film work. This talented actor should do a good job as the recently paroled rapist Tom Baker.

Tom’s last words to Liz

The last time most GH watchers saw Tom was the exchange between him and Elizabeth at the PCPD where Detective Marcus Taggert (the remarkable Real Andrews) let her speak to her attacker before he was shipped off to Pentonville.

At the time, Tom talks about how Liz caught his eye with her red dress. She meant to have her say but then he talked obsessively about the two of them as if they were fated. Liz abandoned the call and ran out of the room. She’s never had the closure she needs.

(An aside: Taggert may have been the last good cop at the Port Charles PD.

Lately all they seem to do is let private detectives out-think them and sit on their hands until Anna Devane drops by to instantly solve the crime.)

Will Elizabeth get closure at last?

Some “GH” spoilers from tabloid sites say Franco Baldwin will attack Tom and who could blame him? Other “General Hospital” spoilers from the soap magazines say that Elizabeth doesn’t want Franco to interfere.

She needs closure and hiding behind Franco won’t allow that to happen.

Perhaps Tom will come to Port Charles to offer a mea culpa for his attack on her almost 20 years ago. But more likely is his obsession has grown while he was behind bars. With Emily dead, Tom Baker can focus solely on Liz. This is a nice story because it pulls Liz out of Jason Morgan’s orbit.

Many GH watchers don’t like this story because the writers have made it clear they are trying to redeem Franco vis a vis this plot and many don’t want to see him get a pass for his own rapist past. It’s true Franco didn’t sexually assault Sam Morgan but she thought he did, so the impact on the victim remains.

“GH” spoilers say Don Harvey debuts next week.

“General Hospital” airs weekdays on ABC.
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