The voting is over, and I want to thank everyone that sent in their votes. We had a very large response with more than a few surprises.
We had a few write-ins. As I suspected, I left out a few things. One reader couldn't believe I left out Elizabeth-Matt-Maxie -- well, I did. But the readers were great about not only submitting write-ins but giving comments as well.
Winners, second place, and honorable mentions are in bold and marked as to how they came in the voting. Also if there was an interesting write-in, even if it only received one vote, I have included it. I've also thrown in my own comments.
Story Arc That Went On Too Long:
Franco - HONORABLE MENTION
The Balkan
Lisa Niles - #1 - DUH! No Surprise there.
Spinelli becoming The
Jackal - #2
Best Wedding:
Sonny and Brenda - #2
Jason and Sam -#1 -LANDSLIDE - Most people commented that this wedding was very true to the couple.
Dante and Lulu - RUNNER-UP (Distant)
Best Villain:
Lisa Niles - #2
The Balkan - RUNNER-UP
Franco
Anthony Zacchara - #1 - Have to say this surprised me. If you develop a character and have a good actor in the role, an audience will respond.
Best Return:
Monica #1 Another DUH!, and this was a landslide.
Skye
Best Storyline: (PICK YOUR TOP THREE)
Woman in White
The Message from Siobhan
Siobhan's death
Jake's Death - #1 (TIE) - Despite all the controversy, this storyline won in a tie.
Luke's alcoholism and intervention*
Spinelli Becomes The Jackal
Michael's Rape - #1 - TIE
Bus Crash
Carly-Jax custody battle; Sonny framing Jax with drugs*
Sonny trying to kill Jax by tampering with this plane
The boat cruise
More brain surgery for Jason
Lulu chasing Luke to the bordello where he grew up.
Elizabeth being accused of trying to hurt Siobhan*
Molly's post-traumatic stress*
Girls at Vaughn's being roughed up, leading to Abby going to Chicago and her death
mob war
Sonny excises his demons when he returns to Bensonhurst with Kate.*
Jax's attitude toward the custody case.
Brenda leaves Sonny. - #2
Spinelli's bakery caper where he emerges a hero.
*Honorable mentions - same number of votes
Most Wasted Opportunity
Brenda's Return - #1 - I wasn't surprised by this; I heard a podcast recently where the guests COULD NOT BELIEVE the mess Guza made of her storyline. A true wasted opportunity blown sky high.
Lucky's marriage to Siobhan - #2 - this was a surprise as I was under the impression that everyone hated Siobhan.
Lucky and Elizabeth - HONORABLE MENTION - A bad move, particularly since Jonathan Jackson came back with the understanding that Elizabeth and Lucky would reunite. Amazing that no one cared enough to try and keep Jackson.
James Franco - He didn't get many votes, but in my opinion, this is another blown opportunity by GH. It actually started off okay with a terrific scene between Jason and Franco 'way back and went steadily downhill from there. Since Franco wasn't always available, he has been filmed having no interaction with other characters and we really don't know enough about him to figure out this crazed love/obsession with Jason. Here you have an Oscar nominee willing to work for you...well, what am I talking about -- GH let Jonathan leave, and a chimpanzee could have played Brenda.
Best New Character:
Maggie
New Kate - #2
Ewen - Runner-up
Delores Padilla
Shawn Butler - #1 (LANDSLIDE)
Woman in White
Character You Were Happiest to See Leave: (PICK TWO)
Nikolas
Jax
Kristina
Abby
Luck
Old Kate
Suzanne*
Brook Lynn Ashton*
Siobhan - #1 - No surprise - LANDSLIDE
Maya*
Kristina
Brenda
*three-way tie
Character You Were Saddest to See Leave: (PICK TWO)
Nikolas - #2
Jax - HONORABLE MENTION (TIE)
Kristina
Abby - HONORABLE MENTION (TIE)
Lucky - #1
Old Kate
Suzanne
Brook Lynn Ashton
Siobhan
Maya
Kristina
Brenda
Most Shocking/Exciting/Interesting Moment (PICK THREE) - People voted on the premise that just because the moment was shocking, exciting, or interesting, that didn't mean it was liked!
Jason locked up by Franco in a room with a monitor so he sees Franco grab Sam - #1 (TIE)
Sam on the stretcher after the limo Brenda entered was bombed. - #1 (TIE)
Jake's Death - #2
Michael's admission that he was raped - HONORABLE MENTION
Suzanne's true identity revealed
Patrick
Robin's news that her drugs are no longer working
The dream sequence of what might have been had Jason not had his accident
Lucky burning down his family home
Ethan catches Maya with another man.
Lucky learns he is Aiden's true father.
Dante and Lulu break up.
Dante and Lulu become engaged.
Game of strip pool at Jake's
Favorite Couple:
Jason and Sam - #1
Sonny and Kate
Michael and Abby
Matt and Maxie
Steve and Olivia
Tracy and Luke - #2 (TIE)
Diane and Max - #2 (TIE)
Dante and Lulu
Robin and Patrick
Favorite Potential Couple:
Shawn and Carly - #1
Liz and Ewen
Ethan and Woman in White - #2 (THREE-WAY TIE)
Tracy and Anthony
Alexis and Mac - #2 (THREE-WAY TIE)
Johnny and Delores - #2 (THREE-WAY TIE)
Most in Need of a Storyline or a Better Storyline:
Mac - HONORABLE MENTION
Alexis #2
Spinelli - #1 - Readers felt that Bradford Anderson is an excellent actor and that GH has no idea what to do with him.
Steve Webber
Best Triangle:
Lucky/Siobhan/Elizabeth - #2
Spinelli/Maxie/Matt - #1
Franco/Jason/Sam
The above is where I received a write in for Elizabeth-Matt-Maxie
Worst Direction Taken by a Character: (PICK THREE)
Spinelli's new personality (Jackal) - #2
Diane's book, breakup with Max, leaving Sonny's employ and becoming an undercover investigator
Luke's obvious alcoholism, alleged killing of Jake, his memories of being unhappy with Laura in the house, not to mention sleeping with Holly while married to Laura and fathering Ethan
Ethan's obsession with the Woman in White
Matt as a medical researcher
Robin not fighting her illness and deciding to disappear - #1 - This is really out of the character of Robin.
Lulu starting to drink (TIE)
The mayor's new career as a newspaper publisher and changing his name to Preston
Elizabeth's desperate manipulation to get Lucky back - HONORABLE MENTION (TIE)
Personally, I find the ex-mayor's new career and new name ridiculous. Probably should go under MOST STUPID.
Character I Got to Know Better This Year:
Matt - #1
Ethan
Anthony Zacchara
Tracy - #2
Characters I'd Like to See More of (not mentioned in the "need a storyline" category): (PICK TWO)
Coleman - #1
Johnny Zacchara
Steve Webber
Tracy - #2
Molly Lansing
Spinelli
Monica - HONORABLE MENTION
Shawn
Character I'm sick of: (write in) (PICK TWO)
This was a completely write-in category, with Franco getting the most votes. The rest of the votes were one and two apiece, but people voted for: Carly, Anthony Zacchara, Coleman, Ethan, Steve, Spinelli, Lulu, Robin, Michael, Patrick, Lulu, Lucky, Sonny, and Sonny and Kate.
Best Actor: (PICK TWO)
Jonathan Jackson - #1
Chad Duell
Tony Geary - HONORABLE MENTION
Bradford Anderson
Steve Burton - #2
Sean Blakemore
Bruce Weisz
Jason Cook
Maurice Benard
Jason Thompson
Daniel Benzali
Best Actress: (PICK TWO)
Laura Wright (Carly) - #2
Brianna Brown (Lisa Niles)
Kelly Sullivan (Kate Howard)
Julie Marie Berman (Lulu)
Kelly Monaco (Sam) - HONORABLE MENTION (TIE)
Kimberly McCullough (Robin) - HONORABLE MENTION (TIE)
Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) - #1
Carolyn Hennesy (Diane Miller)
Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis)
Jen Lilley (temporary Maxie)
Stupidest Moments on GH (please choose THREE from most exciting/interesting moments above) - Another write-in. Fans were divided, voting for each of these the most: Lisa trying to inject Patrick with Robin's blood; dreams of what might have been if Jason had not been in an accident; and Lucky burning down his house. Also mentioned (which I laughed about) is Ethan sitting around Wyndemere talking to himself.
Characters I would like to see return (played by the original actors, please):
(PICK TWO)
Laura (Genie Francis) - HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff Webber (Richard Dean Anderson)
Noah Drake (Rick Springfield)
Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers))
Cesar Faison (Anders Hove)
Nikolas Cassadine (Tyler Christopher -#2
Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring)
Lucky Spencer (Jonathan Jackson) - #1
A.J. Quartermaine (played by Billy Warlock)
Jerry Jacks (played by Sebastian Roche)
Announcement that has made me happiest:
Jax is returning for a story arc. - #2
Anna Devane is returning. - #3 - HONORABLE MENTION (don't want anyone to think she didn't get votes; she did.)
There's a new writer and producer coming to GH from One Life to Live. #1 HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL.
Rumor that has excited me the most: (PICK TWO)
Jake may be alive. - #2
Who's the daddy - Franco/Jason/Sam - HONORABLE MENTION
Woman in White is Laura's daughter.
Tristan Rogers may return for Kimberly's exit.
One of the familiar characters is a serial killer.
Lexi Ainsworth may return as Kristina!
Kate has a few secrets, one of which is a child.
Ewen is Valentine, the most evil of all Cassadines. #1 - LANDSLIDE
Rumor that has made me saddest: (PICK TWO)
Robin may die. - HONORABLE MENTION
Kristina may return sexier and looking more mature.
Dante may be Kate's son.
Spinelli may be Kate's son.
Tony Geary and Maurice Benard may leave the show. - #1
Shawn is a Fed.
Steve Webber knows that Jake is alive.
Edward may die. - #2
Spinelli may be written out of the show.
Most needed on GH: (PICK AS MANY AS YOU WANT)
Less dark storylines - HONORABLE MENTION (TIE)
Better writing - #2
A new love interest for Elizabeth
Jake returned to his mother
Lucky reunited with Elizabeth
Less cartoon-like villains
More comedy
More romance - HONORABLE MENTION
Happiness for Jason and Sam that lasts at least fifteen minutes - #1
More stories involving the Quartermaines.
Better treatment of women and more focus on women's stories
More attention the history of the show and the back story of its characters - HONORABLE MENTION (TIE)
Very close: Jake being returned to his mother. One reader wrote in that she'd like a nice storyline with a twist that doesn't involve Sonny for Mac and Alexis; a reconciliation of Anna and Robert, Sean and Tiffany back on the show, and less Cassadine drama!
So what are we to conclude? Well, if GH can make a mistake, it will. It has. And hopefully under the new regime, it won't.
