GH experienced a new Executive Producer and Head Writer change after One Life to Live and All My Children were cancelled. Steve's favorite executive producer, Jill Farren Phelps, was deservingly fired and went to work at The Young & The Restless. Steve stuck around for several months, Jason did get interesting storylines but he wasn't part of the trio (Sonny, Carly, and Jason) hogging the show screen time any more. Steve was actually part of an ensemble cast! I guess he missed Jill a lot. He was her teacher's pet. Around the same time, Steve moved his family to Nashville, Tennessee and was voicing his anxiety to be with them. Pretty reasonable... So Steve quit GH as it wasn't accommodating him as much to travel to see his wife and children. Jason was shot, killed, and kicked into the freezing waters of the harbor, floating away to become fish food. Steve flew off to Tennessee in the sunset. Except, a couple of months later, Steve announced he had a role on Y&R! Where Jill is! Look, I get he needed to pay the bills, but surely he could've found work in Nashville? Seemed like Y&R had the means and needs to accommodate Steve to travel back and forth that GH didn't have. I saw this as bit of a betrayal. I bet GH does have the ability to make things work for their actor. Roger Howarth commutes between California (where GH is filmed) and New York (where his wife and kids live).
Billy, I guess since Jill arrived and quickly realized what a sucky EP Jill was, quit and about 2 years later since Steve left the role, took over the role of Jason.
Jason was rescued from the freezing cold harbor and recovered from his wound on Cassadine Island. Surprise, surprise, Helena had something to do with it as she always does. Helena liked Jason's skills as a mob enforcer and hated Sam, her husband's illegitimate granddaughter, so it was her psychotic revenge. Jason was transferred nearby to Port Charles to Helena's brother-in-law Victor Cassadine's clinic. He escaped but was hit by a car (Ava, by accident) she drove off. Jason's face was so badly mangled that after surgery, he had a brand new face! He also suffered from severe memory loss and became Jake Doe. He eventually discovered who he really was and gained his memory back.
What I don't like is that some actors, major example: Rebecca Budig who played Hayden Barnes, get fired or laid off for budget cuts and to accommodate the return of Steve Burton. If this had happened 10 years ago, I would've been thrilled at the return but I grew, started liking other actors that were more colorful than the one-note "cold stone" performance. I have no clue who Steve will play, the tale of two Jason's, or different character, or even how long other than it will be long term.
So... What? Nothing available at Days of Our Lives or The Bold & the Beautiful? Tyler Christopher just joined the cast of DOOL instead of returning to GH.
Obviously to say: I'm not ecstatic over the return...
