If you've been reading this blog long enough, you know that bad news typically makes me get my shriek on. I'm sure you'd expect my reaction upon hearing the news that Rebecca Herbst was let go from General Hospital to include an absurdly long screed filled with, well, screed-length remarks in parentheses in the middle of a run-on sentence, and lots of ANGRY CAPS LOCK TYPING, and questions about Brian Frons and Bob Guza's job security that, if they were spoken aloud, would be verbalized in the form of a long, plaintive wail and a sneer (I'm not sure what the written equivalent of a sneer is, but roll with it) at ABC's somewhat terse statement about her exit:
"Storyline dictates the exit of Elizabeth Webber this spring. the next few months promise to be a 'not to miss' story for the character. We at ABC and GENERAL HOSPITAL wish Rebecca Herbst nothing but the best in all of her future endeavors."
(I am guessing that those are sarcastic airquotes, incidentally.)
But mostly? I am just really, really sad. I am sad that a daytime veteran (who plays a legacy character!) who was part of multiple (!) hugely successful pairings and some hugely memorable storylines is getting unceremoniously written off the show after spending years uncertain of whether she'd be dealing with the backburner or character assassination. I am sad to be losing a character that I have loved for years (I realize that this is not an opinion shared by many people; Liz seems to be one of the more polarizing characters on daytime)–I mean, she has not been written well in a REALLY long time, but, because I am an optimist and also a fool, I held out hope that the writers would realize how much story potential this character has in her.
And, selfishly, I am sad that my Things To Look forward To On General Hospital list–which was crazy short to begin with. And, like, five of the things to look forward to are Carly-related. CARLY!–is going to become even shorter. I will no longer be able to swoon over Rebecca Herbst's shiny, shiny hair and…I hardly want to type this, because I am just speculating and jumping to the worst case scenario, but: we may no longer have Cameron. I know. I'm perishing the thought and biting my tongue and so on! Ugh, I hate everything.