- Advertisement -

INSTAGRAM/Rick Hearst

It was at the end of July when the news was first revealed that Rick Hearst is returning to General Hospital and the time has finally come for him to begin airing. This Thursday, August 22, Ric is back — and he’ll be having an emotional reunion with his daughter, Molly.

Father Knows Best

As fans who watched the show Wednesday saw, Alexis placed a call and told her ex he was needed and to get to town. In a sneak peek clip provided exclusively to TV Insider, Ric does indeed make it back to Port Charles in time for the funeral of the little girl Kristina was carrying as a surrogate for Molly and her domestic partner, TJ — and he shares a tender conversation with Molly. Ric tries to explain that he didn’t want to be a distraction, and also admits that he and Alexis spoke and decided that he needed to be there for her. “Baby, I’m so sorry,” Ric tells her. “This is such a horrible loss.” Molly, who is grateful that her father is present for her in her time of need, accepts his consoling hug and breaks down in his arms.

“While he may not be the best father, his intent is to be the best father,” Hearst told TV Insider. Ric is a wild card, with intense relationships all over town and his presence is sure to be felt by more than his daughter. “That’s what I’ve always loved about this character,” Hearst noted. “He can go anywhere, he can connect with anybody, and at the same time, you never know what’s in store but you always know it’s going to be something that can be questionable.”

Ric’s daughter has had to deal with so many blows lately. Not only is she mourning the death of her daughter, but Molly suspects the baby’s demise is the result of Kristina being so hell-bent on confronting Ava that she took an unnecessary risk with her health, and that of the unborn child. (For portrayer Kristen Vaganos’s take on what Molly is going through, click here.)

Ric’s return to Port Charles is likely to affect more characters than just his daughter, what with three of his ex-wives (Liz, Alexis and Nina) still living there, along with his half brother, Sonny, and Sonny’s ex-wife, Carly, who Ric once held hostage. For a refresher on Ric’s storyline history, click here.

Hearst was last seen in Port Charles in July of 2016. The actor has been making his mark in daytime for decades, with a career that spans runs as Scotty Banning on Days of our Lives, Alan-Michael Spaulding on Guiding Light, Matt Clark on Young and Restless and Whipple “Whip” Jones III on Bold and Beautiful. He first appeared on GH as Ric in 2002. In 2004 and 2007, he won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on GH. Hearst also won in 1991 for his role on GL in the category of Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series.