Oh My Jason, I'm Totally Bugging

If you had told me a few years ago that Steve Burton would be leaving General Hospital and that we'd soon be seeing a Jason-free Port Charles, I'd...I'd probably be chagrined that my 2012 was still watching General Hospital. But after THAT, I'd say "No! You lie!" because the thought of Port Charles without its religious idol/mafia hitman is so bizarre that the very thought of it would have to be a joke.

Except that it is not: Steve Burton is leaving General Hospital and taking the amoral, non-blinking hired killer with him.

And I have nothing to say about it. Actually, I have plenty to say about it. I have been stockpiling things to say about this very event for EONS because such an event would have a prominent spot on my dream board, if I had a dream board, and now that it finally happened, it's like so many things are running through my head at once that I can only stammer and then throw my hands up (literally--I'm nothing if not dramatic and prone to wild gesticulations) but you can't see me do that, you can only see me abruptly end this post with a series of exclamation points. Me of a few years ago would be so disappointed at my complete and utter speechlessness!

!!!

 

Comments

[Dawn]

This does not surprise me at all. SB has always maintained that is Guza left, he would go. He no longer has a regime that caters to him and his character and the "hero". I have just been waiting on this news to come down at some point.

[Michaela]

I'm so happy. It's rather ridiculous how happy I am that a fictional character and the actor who plays him are leaving my television.

[C]

Group hug!

[LogopolisMike]

My partner is in the hospital (and unfortunately not because someone injected him with a magic potion antidote), but when I read this news earlier today I grinned for you.

[Beth R.]

There may have been dancing around my office. My co workers may have been confused.

[Tanya]

Please say the mob is gone. Please have sonny and Jason ride off in the sunset together.

[LadyBug]

SBu has been saying for the last few years, that if the timing was right that he wanted to move his family to Tennessee. I have a feeling that SBu thought GH would be off the air in September and since his contract is up, he sold his CA home and bought one in Tennessee, it is time to Go.

Adios, Steve!

[LaTanya]

Let him and Sam find the baby and decide to move out of town together. I use to like Jason before he became St. Jase mob boy. He should have regained his Q memories years ago then had to deal with what he had done as Jason Morgan but nooooooo they had him become the blue eyed hitman with a heart!

[horselover]

This makes me almost as happy as Duke returning!

[bethie]

ooh, I am not happy. Not because I love Jason. I used to love Jason and have hated what his character has become.

It was such a great story back then, the boy with no past. He laughed and smiled and had fun with Robin, and he cared about people , and did good things but he also did stupid and bad things, . . . he was a good guy without being the perfect friend/lover/mobenforcer/moralcompass that Guza and others before him made him.

There was such potential in all the mysterious illnesses, headaches and problems. . . so much stuff there for them to explore, about Jason possibly regaining some Q memories an having to have jasonQ's conscience deal with jasonM's reality. But they never went there. So sad at the potential of a great story(stories) - gone.

I'm glad the mob may be gone from PC for a while (remember, Sonny wasn't the origin of the mob in PC - Luke was involved - as was Duke and maybe Tracy but I started watching around the Luke and laura era so I don't know)-- but I hope it's not front and center anymore because it's time has come and gone it's just too bad that Jason couldn't remain and be mobless.

I have mixed feelings. I don't like what Jason's become, but my heart hurts for Jason of old. I'll miss him.

[LadyBug]

When Jason hurt his hands four years ago, I thought it would be the perfect story for SBu to have his character out of the mob and unable to protect Liz, Cam and Jake, but, Guza came back and had Michael shot in the head.

[Soap Fan in Ohio]

Happy, happy, joy, joy. That is all.

[Soapbaby]

Best of luck to Steve Burton. He gave a lot of himself in 21 years as Jason Quatermaine/Jason Morgan. I wish the story had be told that Jason M. regained the memories of Jason Q. and had to cope with the life he lead for years as a mob hitman. That could've told itself and been really compelling drama. I never expected 'Jason Morgan' to exist forever, completely replacing Jason Quatermaine in the long run. Le sigh. Also, I am disappointed that Liason was never given a real shot at a fully realized love story. Man, Liason was the last coupling I really got into as a soap viewer. If I can't have them, it's best Jason exit the canvas! ;-)

[gjb]

I'm shocked and AMAZED that port charles resident saint/hitman/"moral leader" Jason Morgan is ACTUALLY FINALLY leaving the show!!! I like Steve Burton but I stopped caring about Jason Morgan the day the character threaten to kill his current wife a few years back. That's what did it for me. Anyway, I wonder what Sonny will do without his little bitch and what Carly will do now that her "bff" is not gonna be around.!

[Fleur]

Loved the post, Mallory. I thought I'd have more to say about this but Steve Burton's tvguide interview was so gracious and humble, all I really want to say is that I wish him the best.

I hope the uber fans understand that he plays a *fictional* character and that he's actually not *obligated* to continue it. Sidenotee: I'm sure Mr Burton must be awfully tired of wearing that black tee shirt/jeans combo. Seriously, if I were him that would drive me *ca-razy*.

As for how this relates to the show, honestly I think the character's been stale for awhile now. I watched the show as a teen, and came back to it years later when JJ returned, but continue to watch it. In terms of the character, what was once a young, fresh, edgy (and I'll admit it, sexy) loner bad boy had become a stale caricature of its former self. I guess that was the problem with keeping him a lone wolf, they'd run out of places to take him as a character to the point where all of us were screaming, PLEASE not another brain injury! Definitely don't blame him for leaving. Heck, I was bored with it and I was just the viewer, not the one having to act it out. Felt the same way about the character of Lucky by the time they wrote him off, as much as I admire Jonathan Jackson's acting.

Hopefully, as with Jackson, this will be a springboard into other opportunities for Burton. The most interesting part of this development for me is seeing who they choose to fill the 'Jason' onscreen void. Evaluating the show in relation to its 90s heyday, I was struck by how many of those characters were 'young, hot, fresh' in their cast at that time. The twenty something set has definitely aged up--which is fine, the older I get the more I prefer watching people over 30 given opportunities on the screen. and I am SO happy they're allowing Luke/Anna/Tracy to have actually stories-- but to every thing a balance. The show hasn't done much to fill that Youth Gap. Lulu/Dante/Maxie just aren't cutting it for me in terms of the writing, and 2 of that pair, plus Mr Tall Dark and Handsome (ahem, Patrick Drake) are married. Married is not usually sexy or dramatic. What happened to beautiful looking characters in the first flush of love/passion/drama? The Young Jaxs, or Brendas, Sonnys, Liz's, Luckys, etc. Of such things were ratings made once. Maybe they can start adding a bit of that, if they want to recapture the youth market. (Which is my way of saying to any GH rep reading this, you should hire me for your script development department. Or the serial drama writers. Seriously.)

[Lisa Too]

Whoo- except is there a chance the character will be recast? Surely not, right? Right?

That's as likely as them killing Jason off.

[Ziyal]

About bloody time. Happy future, Steve Burton, and may you never return as Jason M. but only as Jason Q.

[SZima]

"I'm so excited and I just can't hide it!"

Nothing against Steve, and I'm happy he's leaving of his own accord, but I'm so happy to have "Jason" gone. May he RIP and never return.

[Janet B.]

So glad there won't be crimes solved and people rescued by a mob hitman anymore. Steve Burton seems like a good guy but his character wore out his welcome years ago. It'll be interesting to see what happens. They should keep Jax and give him and Patrick more of a leading-man presence on the show.

[Ms Chicklet]

I'm happy for Steve Burton, and that this move is something positive for him and his family.

And I'm happy that the show is losing one of the most destructive characters it ever had. What will be interesting is where the show goes from here. Without Jason, I don't know if Sonny alone can sustain viewer interest in the mob stuff. Which calls Maurice Benard's future on the show into question.

[Pinky]

Yes! I cant wait to see the back of Jason! Sam will be free and maybe i will start to like her who knows. And I am glad we wont be subjected to another round of horrible Liason.

Basically great news.

[Barbara]

I don't really care that he's leaving. I had watched a long time ago but came back because of the transplants from Llanview. So I'm okay with him leaving. Steve wasn't that great of a husband to Sam and only until recently he seemed to be this emotionless guy that must have a really hard time figuring out what to wear each day. Hmm shall I wear this black shirt and jeans or that black shirt and jeans?

My dream is to one day have James Scott leave Days Of Our Lives. That moron has literally driven me away from my soap because the whole freaking world revolves around him. I don't know why The character sucks. The so called acting sucks. The blinking drives me insane.

At this shows that dreams can come true so the finges are crossed that mine will too before the soap gets cancelled.

[LadyBug]

Steve wasn't that great of a husband to Sam
======
Jason was the one married to Sam, not Steve Burton.

I never understood why JaSam or SamFF wanted their girl with Jason after the man threatened to kill her. Sad. When Lucky spewed all of that garbage to Liz when he found out about the affair with Nik, is when I wanted her to stick her foot up his nose and never revisit romantic LnL99999.

As for Jason and the black t-shirt and jeans, SBu admitted to having a sweating problem because of the hot lights and so did KeMo, which is why they mainly wear black all of the time.

The writing was on the wall with SBu leaving the show, because the actor along with MB and AG stated if Guza ever left they were gone. Here's hoping that SBu enjoys whatever endeavors he decides on in the future.

Jason M to Jason Q would have been an excellent story, but SBu was stuck on being the hit man with adventures and nothing more, which is truly, sad.

[RR61]

Good luck to Steve Burton. I hope this move is the best for him and his family.

My wish is for GH to use this cast change as an opportunity to reset their moral compass. Don't kill Jason off or recast him: send him to prison. Enough with the hitman with a heart of gold nonsense. Send the message that killing another human being is wrong and a felony.

[boes]

LogopolisMike, I hope your partner does well and that the hospital stay isn't a long one.

I will not miss Steve Burton or his character one tiny iota. GH lost a great deal of viewers when it became – and stayed – the Sonny and Jason Hour. Also, his performances have been lackluster and one-dimensional for a long time. I hope they use his salary to either keep Ingo Rademacher around or bring back AJ.

And Steve Burton has some rebuilding of his own to do. This is the same guy who pushed Monavie, that horrid pyramid scheme and used soap fans to do it.

The guy is no hero. Just ask Ingo.

[Pinky]

I know everyone has different opinions but wow! lol. James Scott is a great actor. The character sucks though.

But I can relate. I had to stop watching AMC cause Zachass Slater ate it. His ugly face was everywhere!

[Mel]

I'd be happier if he weren't being replaced by the just as bad McBain

[Rene']

I have to respectfully disagree about McBain. I don't even see how Jason and McBain can even be compared! I actually started to like Jason (I had to gag that one out) with McBain doing their little Hardy Boys mystery thing, but I'm just as fine with solo McBain. I hope a lack of Jason means more screentime for Todd! OMG, I never thought I'd love a soap character so much. He slays me! They must must must have a Todd/Carly pairing. IMHO

[Alley]

A Todd/Carly pairing? I hope to hell that NEVER happens. I wouldn't wish Carly on anyone, especially not Todd, whom I adore.

As for Steve Burton, I read he's having one last fan event and is charging his loyal fans $84 for the privilege. How about letting them in for free, Steve? Now that would be a nice gesture to the people who have supported you and your character for 21 years.

[LadyBug]

It won't be long before John McBain grates on the nerves of GH fans. Just wait until McBain shows up with his hands in his pockets as he kicks in a door to "save the day". Seriously. This really happened on OLTL!