Ever since it was announced that Rick Hearst was returning to General Hospital as Ric Lansing, there’s been much speculation about the reason the character was heading back to Port Charles. We originally assumed that Ric’s return had to do with a looming custody battle that appeared to be brewing between Molly (Kristen Vaganos) and Kristina (Kate Mansi). However, after Kristina fell out of the Metro Court window and lost her baby, that theory was put to rest.
We then started thinking about the amount of rage Molly, Kristina and Sonny (Maurice Benard) have built up toward Ava (Maura West). With all three blaming Ava for the death of baby Ashford-Lansing, the gallery owner has a target on her back which we assumed would lead to Ava being murdered or at the very least, attacked. Given the motive, all three family members would be suspects if something were to happen to Ava, and we believed perhaps Ric would return to defend his daughter against charges.
While the latter theory could still ultimately be the reason Ric resurfaces on the soap’s canvas, with Kristina’s arrest in the General Hospital episode that aired on August 16, we have to wonder if Ric is returning as perhaps the prosecutor in Kristina’s case.
Again, Ric is an attorney and has spent some years working as a prosecutor. Not much is known about what he’s been up to since leaving town, so it’s entirely possible that he’s managed to acquire a job as a federal prosecutor or even a special prosecutor. With that being said, and likely wanting to be near his daughter in this difficult time, it’s not hard to imagine him returning to make John Cates’ (Adam J. Harrington) case against Kristina.
Now, for those questioning the likelihood that Ric would actually be willing to prosecute his daughter’s sister, and technically his niece, we have to remind you we’re talking about Ric here. In the past, he’s done some reprehensible things, so his stepping into the courtroom for this case isn’t such a wild idea. Plus, knowing how much his daughter is hurting right now and how much it seems Molly will increasingly come to blame Kristina for the death of her baby, Ric may want to enact revenge on Molly’s behalf.
At the moment, this theory is just that. However, we’ll be paying close attention to the situation revolving around Molly and Kristina to see if the theory becomes reality.
New episodes of General Hospital air on weekdays on ABC. If you miss an episode, you can catch up on Hulu.