Shortly before new episodes of General Hospital went off the air in May, viewers were watching a very tangled situation play out between Nikolas (Marcus Coloma), Ava (Maura West), Franco (Roger Howarth), and Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst). Nikolas is trapped in a marriage of convenience with Ava and thinks that if he can perhaps ignite a spark between his wife and Franco, he might be able to get out of the union without losing the Cassadine fortune. The catch is that Franco is married to Elizabeth -- who also happens to be the woman that Nikolas might want to be with. It's all rather confusing, but Marcus Coloma tried to clear it up in a recent interview.
"I think they're kind of intertwined in the sense that if he can get Ava and Franco together, it's such a win-win situation for legal reasons because of the post-nup," he tells Soap Opera Digest of whether he's turning to Liz purely for advice or if he's seeking a genuine connection. "But I also think his drive toward Elizabeth ... I think the majority of it is more to create a relationship with Elizabeth and get a potential best friend/soulmate back in his life."
He continues, "Obviously, they had a romantic relationship in the past, and I do think that at the time, [ending it] was a hard decision to make, but it was like, 'I'm going to pull myself out of the equation because I'm going to be the bigger person; I can't do this to my brother.' But maybe that doesn't seem like such a good decision to Nikolas anymore since it turned out, that relationship [Elizabeth and Lucky's] didn't work out anyway."
But that's not the only thing that is stopping Nikolas from pursuing Elizabeth more intensely. Coloma explains that her relationship with Franco seems really special, and he doesn't want to be the rain at that particular parade.
"It's hard because I've seen them together and I think they're really sweet together -- as an actor, like, as Marcus watching the show. It's so hard not to let the lines cross and there's part of me as Marcus that doesn't want to mess that up for them because it seems like a really good thing!" Coloma shares. "I do think Nikolas is self-aware enough to see that Franco is seeking redemption and I think he believes that people can change. He's seen Franco, like, at Elizabeth's house and with Cameron, and I think he believes he has changed. Nikolas is not a big fan of Franco, necessarily, but I think really more because of his own feelings for Elizabeth. But I don't think Nikolas can be objective. I don't think he can take a step back; when it comes to Elizabeth, it's more selfish."
Therefore, as Coloma explains, fans will see a bit of a mix when it comes to what Nikolas seeks from Liz when new episodes return.
"Step one is, 'Get the friendship back,'" the actor reveals, adding, "I think the reason why he is going for friendship first is that I don't think he's fully convinced that it's the right thing to do right now, to break up her family."
What do you think about the quadrangle between GH's Nikolas, Ava, Franco, and Elizabeth? Where would you like to see the pieces fall when GH returns to the air? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
