Ryan Carnes played Lucas Jones on General Hospital on and off from 2004 to 2024. Toward the end of Carnes’s run, Lucas became angry and bitter, and for good reason. Lucas married Brad Cooper (Parry Shen), and the two adopted a baby. However, when the baby died of SIDS under Brad’s watch, he panicked and headed to the hospital with the child. On the way, he had a mental breakdown and came across the evil Nelle Benson (Chloe Lanier), who had just given birth. She convinced him to swap his dead baby with her living one. Once the truth about that debacle came to light, Lucas was done with Brad and divorced him. Now, Van Hansis has taken over the role of Lucas, bringing with him a dark and mysterious air.
The apple didn’t have far to fall on General Hospital
Traditionally, Lucas has been a generally nice guy who didn’t engage in schemes. Angry because of the heartache that Brad caused, Lucas’ demeanor changed. With newcomer Hansis in the role, he seems like a much darker character who may have a hidden agenda. It seems fitting that Lucas may be headed for the dark side, considering his father was Julian Jerome (William deVry).
Julian was the son of Victor Jerome (Jack Axelrod), head of the Jerome Crime Family in the 1980s. Julian was originally portrayed by Jason Culp and was a hothead, bearing a passing resemblance to Hansis. Julian was presumed dead in 1990 but returned in 2013 with deVry in the part. Julian constantly tried to change his ways but kept getting caught up in crimes and couldn’t avoid a tragic fate when he perished from a gunshot seconds before a footbridge that he and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) were fighting on collapsed.
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It’s well within the realm of possibility that the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Lucas gives off a dark demeanor and could follow in his father’s footsteps, maybe not as a mobster, but as someone to be reckoned with. Despite always being upset at his father’s evil deeds, he may want to get revenge on Sonny.
Welcome to the dark side
Brad also has a connection with one of the Five Families, a group of criminal organizations, including Sonny's, that form a sort of truce to maintain some degree of peace in the area. Brad’s aunt is Selina Wu (Lydia Look), who runs the Wu Crime Family that was prominent in the 1980s under the rule of Mr. Chaing Wu (Aki Aleong). Lucas may take this connection and ally himself with Selina in an effort to take Sonny down. Early on, Brad had mentioned his connection to the Wus, and up until recently was coerced into working for Selina, but he is now back as a lab tech at General Hospital.
It’s unclear if Lucas really does have an agenda, but he’s been coming across as angry and may have something brewing. He already greeted his aunt Ava Jerome (Maura West), giving her an earful, and may want to target her, as well. If so, it will be a nice twist as long as the writers don’t paint him into a corner from which he can’t get out, like they did with Julian.
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