General Hospital Performers of the Week: Steve Burton and Jane Elliot do it again

It's very unusual for Soap Central to give General Hospital performer of the week honors to the same actors two weeks in a row, but sometimes special circumstances call for special exceptions. This week, Steve Burton and Jane Elliot had our jaws on the floor for the second week in a row with sublime performances as they said goodbye to Leslie Charleson and their characters said goodbye to Monica Quartermaine.

Heartache, tears, and laughter on General Hospital

Tracy said goodbye to a sister on General Hospital | Image: ABC

Jane Elliot took General Hospital fans on a journey this week, as Tracy rarely lost her acerbic wit in between becoming overwhelmed by constant waves of grief. After tolerating Lucy (Lynn Herring) while trying not to pull her hair out (her own and Lucy's), Tracy was finally alone in the foyer by the great winding staircase that Monica (the late Leslie Charleson) loved so much. She walked up the stairs, but finally had to let it out.

When Elliot fell to the floor on the stairs, our hearts fell with her. It was such a real moment for both the character, the actress, and us. We have all lost someone close to us and been fine one moment before the enormity of the loss hits us.

Elliot and Tracy's dry humor was on display again when Tracy took off to Atlantic City to drown her feelings in booze and blackjack. Her hurt was also on display, but Elliot knew how to mask it, as did Tracy. By the time the day of Monica's funeral finally arrived, all Elliot had to do was speak with her face. However, Tracy also had a problem to take care of.

Tracy took charge when Drew (Cameron Mathison) showed up and quickly wheeled him right out of the church. When Tracy saw all eyes upon her, she actually appeared mortified, which isn't like Tracy. That's when she knew she had to speak. Elliot delivered Tracy's eulogy from the heart, as if she and Tracy were both delivering them for a beloved friend and "sister" on-screen and off.

A son comes home

General Hospital's Jason bids farewell to his mother | Image: ABC

And what can we say about Steve Burton, who just mesmerized us for the last two weeks as a lifetime of pain and regret was written all over Jason's face? Even when he was with Britt (Kelly Thiebaud), explaining what had happened, he seemed to be going through the motions. But when he got to the church, all of that changed.

Burton has done an incredible job taking Jason on a journey from Morgan to Quartermorgan this year, and he took his place as Monica's son when he greeted mourners, especially Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst), with whom he shares a deep and abiding bond. You could hear a pin drop in the church and in our living rooms when Jason took to the podium with tears in his eyes, acknowledging Monica as his mother throughout his entire life, and not just from 1996 on.

Then, Burton worked in tandem with Elliot as Tracy tried to speak, and a tear-filled Jason nodded to her that it would all be okay, as he encouraged Tracy to speak her truth. Like their embrace on Monica's sofa last week, that moment solidified the Jason-Tracy relationship that has been building all year.