General Hospital (GH) spoilers tease that although Spencer Cassadine (Nicolas Bechtel) is smack in the middle of his dad Nikolas Cassadine’s (Nick Stabile) fake death drama, it may be one of his last. Bechtel just landed a sweet renewal deal with Disney, so is Spencer leaving Port Charles?
Stuck in the Middle Season 1 had 17 episodes and, in fact, the season 1 finale won’t air until July 22. However, the show has been such a hit that Disney went ahead and renewed for Season 2. On the family-friendly show, Bechtel plays Lewie Diaz, one of seven kids in a big family.
Although Disney is the parent company of both ABC and The Disney Channel, that doesn’t mean Nicolas Bechtel can easily bounce back and forth between the shows. Consider this – the kid is just 11 so that means he’s also got to take care of schooling and homework.
Even with a tutor, his education is (hopefully) a priority for his parents. It seems like two TV shows plus sixth grade is a lot to have on his plate. Remember also that Bechtel is also a special correspondent for NBC’s Extra – he’s a workhorse – but also just a kid.
Is that just too much for him to juggle? It depends on GH showrunners. When Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante took charge of writing the show, they pledge fewer kid-centric storylines and, truth be told, we have seen less of the Port Chuck short set.
But sometimes a child will come into play prominently and be necessary to a storyline. General Hospital spoilers reveal that Jake Webber (Hudson West) will soon get more story time because he’ll confess to Franco (Roger Howarth) about his time on Cassadine Island.
That ties into Spencer Cassadine’s story as well. Spencer knows his dad Nikolas faked his death and is in on the scheme, but Nikolas has been kidnapping by avid antiquarian Huxley Lynch (Trent Dawson) along with Ava Jerome (Maura West).
Spencer’s story should have him going to meet his dad on Cassadine Island to start their new life but there’s a whole lot of roadblocks about to hit. Even if (and when) Nikolas gets loose of Huxley, he’s supposed to be on the island and facing danger.
Will the writers send Spencer out of Port Charles to meet his dad, but then make up a cover story about him staying with a governess while his dad is away? Or perhaps they’ll write him as going to a fancy boarding school – that’s a common soap tactic to get rid of kids.
Then, inevitably, they hit them with a SORAS (soap opera rapid aging syndrome) recast and bring them back as a teenager. What happens to Spencer’s character is anyone’s guess, but clearly Nicolas Bechtel’s career is kicking into high gear and he could leave GH in the dust.
In addition to Stuck in the Middle, Nicolas Bechtel did a great turn as young Rob Kardashian on the mini-series The People vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. Bechtel is constantly working on other projects, so him leaving General Hospital seems more like a case of when, not if.
General Hospital spoilers tease that this big Cassadine Island adventure could indeed be a last hurrah storyline for Spencer Cassadine and Nicolas Bechtel if his shooting schedule is too hectic for him to continue on with the ABC soap.
Also, consider that Emma Drake (Brooklyn Rae Silzer) has been largely written off the show. Hannah Nordberg fell prey to a SORAS recast, and Hudson West was just brought in after James Nigbor was axed without warning and gets little screen time.
So what do you think GH fans? Is Nicolas Bechtel’s Stuck in the Middle renewal news great news for the Disney Channel and bad news for GH viewers? Is Spencer on his way out of Port Charles for good? Share your comments below.
Be sure to check back with CDL often for more General Hospital spoilers and news.
