Valentin Cassadine Is Not Romeo Montague Come To Life. He's a Real-Life Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde!

I have never been the biggest fan of General Hospital, Executive Producer's, regime. AT ALL. But the way his writing team insists on painting Valentin Cassadine (played by James Patrick Stuart) as this tortured, misunderstood bad boy with a heart of gold to make him more endearing for fans looking for love in the afternoon is truly distasteful. Anybody with eyes can see how Valentin's continual treatment of his ex-wife, then ex-fiance, then back again (I think that's the right order anyway) Nina Reeves (played by Cynthia Watros) is reminiscent of emotional abuse and toxic relationships 101. And yet the narrative continues to hint towards them as endgame. WTF!

The reason that this bothers me a lot more than any other toxic relationship on this God-forsaken show is that emotionally abusive relationships are often more damaging than physical ones. You aren't just beating down on a person's flesh and bones--those will heal over time. But when you abuse someone emotionally, you are attacking their mind, their soul, their self-worth. Those bruises are so deep that it can take years, maybe even a lifetime to overcome. Nina Reeves has been a victim of this type of abuse for her entire life. It all started with her mother, Madeleine Reeves (played by Donna Mills), a cold, snobby, patronizing, money-hungry socialite who did everything in her power to break down Nina's self-esteem and control every aspect of her daughter's life, including her marriage. This leads to Nina miscarrying her child (allegedly) and laying the foundation for her deep-seated (often annoying and obnoxious) romanticization of motherhood and having that greeting card family that she never had growing up. This desire proves to be her Achilles heel when it comes to pursuing future relationships post-coma.

Let's take Ric Lansing (played by Rick Hearst), a talented, yet slimy lawyer and single father as our first example. Ric marries Nina under false pretenses to steal her fortune with the most enticing thing someone like Nina could be reeled in by...becoming a stepmother to his daughter Molly Lansing-Davis (played by Haley Pullos) and getting a family. Of course, Nina later gets rescued out of this marriage of manipulation by Franco Baldwin (played by Roger Howarth), but Nina doesn't appear to learn anything from this experience. She just goes on to the most recent and most damaging emotionally abusive and toxic relationship she encounters...Valentin Cassadine.

(Valentin Cassadine and Nina Reeves, previously played by Michelle Stafford)

If telling lies was like coin collecting, Valentin would break the world record with his stock. And what's worse is that Nina keeps going back for more and I truly believe the main trigger is because of the one weapon that Val can always rely on to thaw Nina's resolve...his little girl, Charlotte (played by Scarlett Fernandez). The bond with Nina and this child is so strong that Nina allows herself to constantly become the fly enraptured in Val's web of deceit and lies. His most recent manipulation of paying Sasha Gilmore (Sofia Mattsson) to pose as Nina's long-lost child is what Nina claims is the nail in the coffin. However, I have my doubts.

With any addiction, regression is always a risk. And yes, based on what I've seen from Nina's behavior she looks like someone who is addicted to emotionally abusive and toxic men, i.e possibly even a behavioral addiction or compulsion. Nina is capable of pursuing relationships with men who actually want decent things for her and treat her well, but in the back of her mind, there's a tiny voice pulling her to return to Valentin and all his baggage because "they have a bond like no other". #inserteyerollhere One of the most recent scenes of Val and Nina just displays how obviously abusive and manipulative this man is, and yet Nina defends him even now.

When caught red-handed for all his lies, Val plays the blame game with everyone in the room and turns it around to make Nina second-guess her choice. This is no different than if Valentin hit Nina and told her that he's doing it because he loves her. He's trying to get Nina to see him as the lesser monster in a room of monsters. HE'S MANIPULATING YOU GIRL!!!

This scene is abhorrent and manipulative and true to Val's psychopathic behavior, but I can see in her eyes that part of Nina is falling for his speech.

Nina is no different than so many other women in the world who've been in a relationship with a man who does nothing but hurt her, but deep down she thinks that it's her duty to save him. He's good deep down and only I can see it. Nina has this compulsion to defend people who do nothing but treat her as an emotional punching bag. She suffers the consequences of these urges and yet it keeps happening. This is yet more evidence of a possible behavioral addiction.

And now there is a strong possibility that town nutcase and sociopath Nelle Benson (played by Chloe Lanier) is her real long-lost daughter. This will serve as a trifecta for one of the most emotionally abusive relationships that Nina will ever suffer. Nelle is compulsively vindictive, a pathological liar, and incapable of receiving or expressing love. Basically, she is Valentin with boobs. The writing on the wall is that Nina will be the trigger for Nelle's "redemption arc". However, there is no redeeming someone who has literally killed for something as common as money. And yet, Nina will likely cave and try to mother this poor, abused, pathetic waif. And of course, Nelle will stab Nina in the back (maybe literally) and she will be left in an emotional heap, yet again.

I'm at the point where I cannot even say that I truly hate Nina. I mostly just pity her. I want to take her out of this horrible situation and away from these horrible people and get her some severe professional help. If anyone needs it, it's her. However, when it comes to any addict (behavioral, substance, etc.), you can only help someone who wants to be helped.