General Hospital (GH) spoilers and recaps for Thursday, May 22 note that the truth about Giovanni “Gio” Palmieri (Giovanni Mazza) finally came out, and in the most explosive way possible, so time to dive into all the drama.
The May 22 show picked up where the May 21 episode left off, with Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins Bruening) and Lois Cerullo (Rena Sofer) backstage at the Nurses Ball, arguing.
Lulu called Lois out on the Gio adoption lie, and while the woman tried to deflect, Lulu wasn’t having it.
The silver lining about the face-off between Lulu and Lois was that Lois made it clear that only she and her mother, Gloria Cerullo (Ellen Tralvota), knew Gio was Brook Lynn Quartermaine-Chase’s (Amanda Setton) and Dante Falconeri’s (Dominic Zamprogna) son.
She reasoned they wanted to keep the boy safe and close, so they knew he was okay growing up. She was clear – Brook Lynn had no idea.
Speaking of Dante and Brook Lynn, they were near the stage, as ‘mom’ congratulated Gio on a performance well done!
Dante also acknowledged that Gio did an amazing job and considering the tension that these two have had recently, Gio smiled from ear-to-ear at the compliment.
Still, Gio needed to prep for his next number and headed backstage. He was looking for his earpiece, which he believed Lois had.
Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring) directed him to a dressing room, which was the last place she had seen Lois.
As Lulu and Lois were arguing, Gio was near the dressing room door.
He went to walk in when he heard Lulu scream that about ‘Gio’s’ entire life having been a lie, and that his real parents were Dante and BLQ, not Camila and Francis Palmieri, who were his adopted parents.
Lulu then made a threat to Lois: tell Dante the truth today, or she’d tell him tomorrow.
Back to the Nurses Ball, viewers were treated to a nice number, as Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard) sang the “Look of Love” (by ABC) while Dante, Cody Bell (Josh Kelly), and Isaiah Gannon (Swandi Wilson) danced.
Singer and special guest star, YDE, also performed her hit, “Old Her”.
Meanwhile, Lois left the backstage area and frantically tried to convince Brook Lynn to head home, but Brook Lynn wouldn’t budge!
Whatever Lois wanted to talk about would have to wait until tomorrow.
Both ladies headed to their seats. Lulu runs into Cody while on the way to her seat and updates him on her talk with Lois, and the fact that she confirmed Gio was Dante and Brook Lynn’s son.
More drama was rolling outside of performances, as Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) and Portia Robinson (Brook Kerr) were still arguing on the patio.
Curtis was fuming at Portia, as she pleaded with him to forgive her for her most recent lie: Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) blackmailing her.
Portia worried that Curtis would end things, and much to her relief, he tells her, not today.
He wants to show Drew their united front, and he doesn’t want to leave Poria vulnerable to the cut-throat congressman’s blackmail.
Not to mention that Curtis doesn’t want to break his daughter, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali), heart. Tomorrow might be another story, but today they’ll stay together.
Over to Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros), she corners Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) in the bathroom and taunts her about the fact that Willow Tait-Corinthos’ (Katelyn MacMullen) legal strategy is presenting Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) as an absentee father.
Way to just show your hand to your opponent, right?
Nina also corners Portia at one point, but this was in an attempt to warn her that Curtis is suspicious; however, Portia lets her friend know that her hubby is now in the loop about her lies and Drew’s blackmail.
Later on, Nina approaches Willow and Drew, offering her full support to them, much to the dismay of Carly and Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy), who are watching.
Drew lovingly thanks his ‘mother-in-law’ for her commitment – it means so much to him, and Willow is just thrilled that Tracy Quartermaine’s (Jane Elliot) arrest proves Drew was drugged.
It’ll be so much easier to win custody of the kids now.
Speaking of Tracy’s arrest, Ned Quartermaine (Wally Kurth) confronts Drew, while he’s with Willow, on framing his mom.
After all, Ned knows his mom isn’t sloppy enough to get caught, so there’s no way she was involved.
Ned also tries to warn Willow once again about Drew, but she stops him; she then reveals that Michael didn’t want to see her when she went all the way to Germany to visit him at the clinic.
In a cocky tone, she states that Drew is clearly the admirable one in this situation.
This is when Olivia Quartermaine (Lisa LoCicero) chimes in and tells Willow that when the truth about Drew comes out, no one is going to feel sorry for her.
Elsewhere, Vaughn (Bryce Durfee) shows up in a tux, much to Joss’s shock.
Carly swings by as they are talking, and Vaughn introduces himself as a friend of Josslyn’s from PCU. After he leaves, Carly remarks that, “He’s cute” … with a smile.
Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) has another encounter with A.D.A., Justine Turner (Nazneen Contractor).
She comments on him talking very closely with Anna Devane (Finola Hughes), and he retorts that they were talking about the two people behind the reason for the Nurses Ball, Robin Scorpio-Drake (Kimberly McCullough) and Stone Cates (Michael Sutton), as he walks off.
Back to Gio, Lucy is frantically looking for him, as Anna and Chase are preparing for their tango number.
Emma Drakes (Braedyn Bruner) walks by and promises to go look for her friend.
She eventually finds him in the corner, crying – he looks terribly upset. Emma asks if he’s okay, and he’s clearly not, but the “show must go on”.
In the final moments of the May 22 episode, Gio comes on stage and starts playing the violin, as Anna and Chase begin their dance.
Gio stops, steps closer to the audience, and declares he’s going to do something for the first time.
Gio goes on to say that he’s decided to dedicate this number to his parents, Brook Lynn and Dante: the two who never wanted him and gave him up for adoption.
The camera pans to Dante, who looks confused, then Brook Lynn, who is emotional, as well as Lulu, who feels horrible, and a shocked Lois, Sonny, Ned, Olivia, and Emma (among others).
Gio proceeds to smash his violin into pieces in his rage and then runs off stage crying.
General Hospital spoilers hint now that the cat is out of the bag, fans can expect the proverbial poop to hit the fan, and things are bound to get ugly!
