'General Hospital's Latest Twist Ignites the Huge Power Shift the Series Desperately Needs

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for General Hospital Season 62, Episodes 248 and 249

After more than a year of power struggles and frustrations, someone in Port Charles finally took it upon themselves to take down corrupt congressman and supervillain, Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison). Drew has been the main threat on General Hospital essentially since his affair with Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) began in 2024, but the summer of 2025 saw him reach new unhinged heights as he’s gone after everyone from Alexis (Nancy Lee Graham) to Aunt Stella (Varnee Johnson).

On Tuesday, September 2, everything changed when a mysterious assailant broke into Drew’s home and shot him (twice)! While it was certainly an unexpected twist, this new story is so much more than it appears to be. Despite all his evils, Drew hasn’t been an interesting character in a long time, but rather an aggravating one due to his unchecked power and narcissism. But now, as his life hangs in the balance and everyone is a suspect, General Hospital is experiencing an exciting and much-needed shift in power.

Drew’s Attempted Murder on ‘General Hospital’ Has Many Layers

general-hospital-drew-cain-shot — Cameron Mathion’s Drew Cain lays unconcious after being shot on “General Hospital.”

It’s no secret that the soap opera genre has been on a steady decline for roughly a decade now, with several iconic shows having been cancelled. Part of the reason General Hospital has been able to avoid a similar fate is its ability to create twists that are both exciting and nuanced. Take Gio Palmeri’s (Giovanni Mazza) ongoing storyline, for example. Launched as a classic “baby swap” plot, the reveal that Gio is not who he or anyone else thinks he is was used to develop his character, rather than serve as pure soapy shock. The shooting of Drew is similar. Yes, it’s a moment audiences have seen coming for a while now, but it’s not necessarily about killing off Drew or setting up his potential redemption. Instead, this sets Port Charles up for a much-needed shift in power dynamics.

Drew has been frustratingly unstoppable for more than a year now, with his deranged need to ruin the lives of others reaching a boiling point over the last few weeks. Since the beginning of August, Drew’s rampage has spread to every key player on the show and has even spilled over on to the show’s recurring minors, such as Rocco (Finn Carr) and Danny (Asher Antonyzyn). It’s safe to say that the story was heading into uncharted territory. However, shooting Drew is not just an emotional victory, but a move that rightfully levels the playing field. When we consider the fact that the entire town is now against him, it would have been irresponsible storytelling to not have some sort of explosive action take place.

While there’s nothing nuanced about the break-in that has brought him down, it offers an opportunity for the show to explore the dynamics of morality and revenge in a way that is biting. In a sense, it doesn’t really matter if Drew lives or dies. This isn’t truly about him, but a commentary about the struggle for power in a small community. Of course, it wouldn’t be a soap opera without some mystery, and General Hospital is setting up one of its best in years with a twist on a fan favorite storyline.

‘General Hospital’ Has Set Up an Exciting Whodunnit Mystery

Few properties and genres can do the classic whodunnit mystery better than a soap opera. General Hospital has, of course, trafficked in the plot device a number of times over the years, with the most recent being late 2024’s murder of Sam (Kelly Monaco), and later Dex (Evan Hofer), at the hands of Cyrus (Jeff Kober). While it was devastating to lose those beloved characters, the story was fairly predictable and only lasted a few weeks. With the attempted murder of Drew, however, General Hospital has set itself up for one of its most biting uses of the trope in recent memory. There is truly no shortage of people who want Drew dead.

Everyone has a motive, and he has pushed even the most moral of characters to a place where it’s believable that they would attempt to kill him. Sure, there are the obvious suspects, such as Sidwell (Carlo Rota), but even certain theories suggessting Alexis and even Willow come off as believable. This immediately sets up a conclusion that has the potential to be deeply satisfying, regardless of who the attempted killer turns out to be. Even if the show decides to reveal the mystery sooner rather than later, it’s incredibly tantalizing and has the potential to mirror something along the lines of Dallas’ famous “Who shot J.R. (Larry Hagman)” storyline. Additionally, the long list of suspects allows General Hospital to explore the darker side of many beloved characters. Even those who will likely be found innocent sooner rather than later, such as Carly (Lauren Wright) who has an alibi, recently threatened to kill Drew, which gives viewers an insight into just how far even the most moral characters are willing to go.

The downfall of Drew Cain has been a long time in the making, but the story’s execution is far more fascinating than many of us could have imagined. Not only is Drew’s life at risk, but everyone in Port Charles is also a suspect, which has ultimately set up one of the show’s most complex and intriguing mysteries in years. Though viewers will have to wait some time to find out who has taken down the corrupt congressman, the next few weeks promise to be both exciting and rich.

General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.