‘General Hospital’ Poll: Are GH’s Franco and Nina Port Charles’ Next Luke and Laura (VOTE)

For decades, it was “Luke and Laura” that were the definitive super-couple of Port Charles. But a new General Hospital duo may supplant Luke Spencer [Anthony Geary] and Laura Spencer [Genie Francis] as fan faves. While it may not look too good right now for Nina Clay [Michelle Stafford] and Franco [Roger Howarth], since they’re both in the Port Charles lock up, they will soon be free to live and love.

Today we’ll take a look at how Nina and Franco can transform themselves from Port Charles’ resident nutters to a couple that sends our hearts aflutter…

First, there’s the undeniable chemistry between Franco and Nina. They truly love each other and they sizzle with an intensity that’s part sweet romance and part unrequited passion. When these two finally hit the sheets, it’s going to be smoking hot.

Second, there’s the emotional dynamic. Nina is someone who has been taken advantage of again and again by her family. Nina needs someone who will never do her wrong – and that’s Franco. Even now, he’s throwing himself on the proverbial sword by confessing to murder to protect Nina.

Three, there’s the potential for so much more. I’m personally rooting for a Nina/Silas baby. Nina really needs a baby after hers was either miscarried or stolen away (depending on what rumors you believe) by her evil mother Madeline Reeves [Donna Mills].

Fourth, there’s the craziness. Nina and Franco are so fun because they’re so off the wall. Individually, they border on lunacy. But together, they are crazy in love, yet balance each other out into a semblance of mutual sanity. It’s the power of love, baby!

Because Nina and Franco don’t have large families established in Port Charles, they can move outside of the legacy family dynamic which makes writing for them more flexible and open to creativity. Nina has her lunatic mom Maddy and psycho husband Ric Lansing [Rick Hearst] (one of whom will be in Pentonville soon for the murder of Silas) plus her brother Nathan West [Ryan Paevey].

Franco has his dad Scotty Baldwin [Kin Shriner]. And Franco and Nina share a tie to Dr Liesl Obrecht [Kathleen Gati] – she’s Franco’s BFF and Nina’s aunt. That’s a fun cast of characters they’re linked to without being bogged down in a ton of family history. Beefing up Nina and Franco into a super couple also means beefing up Obrecht and Scotty which would be amazing.

And, there are many similarities between Franco/Nina and Luke/Laura. Luke had a criminal past – he raped Laura and was active in the mob (and other criminal endeavors) for years. Plus, like Franco, Luke has mental health issues. Flip over to Laura. She had a child she didn’t know for years – Nikolas Cassadine [Tyler Christopher] – and mental health issues. Nina likely has a mystery kid too.

Interest in Franco and Nina is lighting up GH fan boards. Everyone seems to like their sweet and genuine affection for one another. All the talk is that their couple storyline has redeemed the two characters. It takes powerful acting to make you love a serial killer and a kidnapping lunatic – yet Roger Howarth and Michelle Stafford have done it so artfully.

Expect things to heat up between Nina and Franco once they are out of the Port Charles lock up – although you had to love their juice box data behind bars… I can’t wait for them to get out, really get together and that start wreaking havoc all over Port Charles. These two are both magic and chaos in a bottle and can definitely fulfill the Luke and Laura super-couple mantle. Three cheers for Franino!

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