General Hospital May Be Building Toward Carly’s Biggest Valentin Test Yet

Carly has never exactly been known for making the safe choice on General Hospital. That’s what makes the invoking of “Ex Machina” so interesting. Valentin is rattled, Jack is desperate, Nina is warning everybody within earshot, and Carly is still standing firmly in Valentin’s corner. The question isn’t whether trouble is coming. It’s whether Carly’s faith in Valentin is about to run headfirst into a situation even she can’t explain away.

• Carly continues standing by Valentin despite repeated warnings from Nina and Lulu.
• Jack’s mysterious “Ex Machina” message visibly rattles Valentin.
• Carly volunteers to meet with Jack herself to protect Valentin.
• The meaning behind “Ex Machina” may point to a larger threat on the horizon.
• Carly’s loyalty could soon face its biggest test yet.

Carly Keeps Choosing Valentin

For months, Carly (Laura Wright) has made the same choice over and over again. Nina (Cynthia Watros) warned her. Lulu (Alexa Havins) criticized her. Yet every time Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) needed someone in his corner, Carly stepped forward. That’s become one of the more surprising developments in this story because trust has never exactly been a renewable resource in Port Charles.

The June 2 episode only added another layer to it. Nina delivered Jack’s cryptic message, complete with the mysterious phrase “Ex Machina,” and Valentin immediately looked like a man who’d just heard the world’s least comforting voicemail. Whatever that message means, it was enough to convince him that the situation was even worse than he thought.

And yet Carly didn’t back away. Quite the opposite. She volunteered to go see Jack herself because she believed it was too dangerous for Valentin. That’s not the behavior of somebody keeping one foot out the door. That’s somebody fully invested in the person standing beside her, regardless of what trouble may be attached to him.

The Biggest Test May Still Be Ahead

The problem is that Carly’s loyalty has mostly been tested by outside voices so far. Nina doesn’t trust Valentin. Lulu doesn’t trust Valentin. None of that matters if Carly believes she knows who he really is.

What could matter is whatever sits behind Jack’s message. The second Valentin heard “Ex Machina,” his entire demeanor changed. Suddenly, this wasn’t about hiding from the authorities or staying one step ahead of enemies. This felt personal, important, and dangerous. The sort of thing that can reopen old wounds and expose uncomfortable truths. He said Jack had invoked it, so it could mean a truce of sorts because of a bigger threat…namely, Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).

If that’s where this story is heading, then Carly may finally be approaching the moment that matters. Not a test of whether she trusts Valentin when everybody else doubts him. A test of whether she trusts him after learning something she doesn’t want to hear. Carly has passed every warning sign thrown at her so far. The real challenge may be waiting on the other side of whatever Jack is trying so desperately to say.