On last Thursday, Tracy Quartermaine left Port Charles for good. Jane Elliot who portrayed this brash and sassy character, retired after 40 years in daytime television. Most of it was spent on "General Hospital." Her exit has left a void, that may never be filled. Tracy's sons Ned and Dillon are on hand to keep the mansion going, but the women in their lives, are not Quartermaine material.
The new ladies of the manor
Tracy's first born, decided to stop going by Ned Ashton, and accept his birth name of Edward. He also legally changed his last name to Quartermaine.
It's a nice gesture to honor his grandfather and namesake, Edward L Quartermaine. Ned however is engaged to Olivia Falkenary, a spunky broad from Bensenhurst, in Brooklyn NY. On Friday's episode, Olivia told Ned she would be glad to take hisl ast name of Quartermaine when they married. A name change however, is not enough for Olivia to fit the bill.
Ned's younger brother Dillon is dating Kiki Jerome, who went back and forth between the Corinthos brothers, Michael and Morgan. At one point Kiki was thought to be a ember o this grand family, and lived short term in the house. Neither of these women have the class of Lila, who was Edward's wife. They certainly do not have the same moxie as Tracy.
These two women certainly will never be up to standard as ladies of the manor.
The original Ouartermaines, were ruthless, devious and fiercely loyal, at backstabbing each other. Ned is cut from that same cloth, and has shown his ruthless side on occasion. Dillon is young, and was raised away from all the drama of his family.
He seems almost too sweet to belong to his mother, and his father Paul Horsnby. Paul returned to town as the DA, and was later indicted on several murders. Olivia and Kiki also were never in close proximity to the goings on at the mansion. These woman are simply cut from another type of cloth, than Tracy and the other female Q.
The writers are again to blame
The writers failed over the years, to maintain the Quartermaine home, and refill it after the deaths of Edward, Lila and Alan. Leslie Charleson, who plays Alan's widow Monica has been put o recurring status, and now seems disconnected from her family, and the show. Monica appears and disappears from the canvas, without any real connection to other characters. Monica's son Jason wants nothing to do with his family, and even if he did his wife Sam, would not be a good fit for the mansion either. She is a former grifter, and lacks the style, class, grace and necessary evil to be one of the Q's.
By firing Stuart Damon, who portrayed Alan Quartermaine, and not bringing in characters who could give as good as Tracy gave them, the writers have let the viewers down.
Now it;s possible they may mold Kiki and Olivia into gracious ladies of the manor, but highly unlikely. They could bring in a love interest worthy of Michael, whose father A.J. was Alan and Monica's son. Michael has done well, in taking over the reigns at ELQ the family business. He also grew up with the dysfunction of Carly and Sonny, so he may have exactly what it takes to be a Quartermaine in grand style. Even so, Olivia and Kiki in the Q mansion is just not going to work. Longtime fans of "General Hospital," deserve so much better.
