‘General Hospital’ Spoilers And Speculation: When Is Jason Thompson Bidding Farewell As Dr. Patrick Drake? [Updated]
Fans have been disappointed to learn that Jason Thompson is leaving General Hospital and the role of Dr. Patrick Drake that he has played for a decade. It is easy for fans to see that Patrick is facing some tough times right now, given the big reveal that Jake Doe is really Jason Morgan, the presumed-dead husband to Patrick’s fiancee Sam. Many wonder just what comes next for the character of Patrick and when Thompson is leaving the role.
While Jason Thompson confirmed that he is leaving the role of Dr. Patrick Drake, he did not detail a final air date. The buzz that was circulating indicated that it might be sooner rather than later, and now there is a hint that this is exactly the case. The show has yet to share any specifics, though.
General Hospital star William deVry, who plays Julian Jerome, posted a tweet recently that got GH fans buzzing with worry and anticipation. Did he just let the cat out of the bag in terms of Thompson’s final air date?
DeVry tweeted that fans needed to tune in this week and next week for the Jason Thompson finale. He teased that there is great stuff in store. General Hospital fans quickly caught that wording and panicked over this being the end for Thompson in the character.
Be Sure To Tune in to #GH All This Week & Next. @MyJasonThompson Finale. RT Great Stuff in Store.
— William deVry (@WilliamdeVry1) November 10, 2015
Within the thread of responses, deVry did follow up to say that he has no idea about Jason’s last day, and he’s not a schedule person. He said fans would have to ask Frank Valentini, the show’s executive producer. Naturally, Valentini has not shared anything about Thompson’s departure at all yet, so at least for the moment, fans are left hanging on this front.
Though deVry may have walked back his comment about Thompson’s big finale, it seems logical to think his initial tweet was accurate in teasing when Jason would be wrapping up his time as Patrick in these next couple of weeks. It would be hard to imagine another scenario where it made sense to reference these upcoming scenes as being the actor’s finale other than to say it’s when he would be leaving.
Where do we go from here? #GH pic.twitter.com/KlLmZNzUhj
— Nathan Varni (@nathanvarni) November 10, 2015
GH fans are anxious to know what the show plans to do regarding the character. Will they recast? Will they just send Patrick out of town, or could something more sinister be coming? There haven’t been any hints at all about tragedy striking Drake, aside from the idea of heartbreak regarding Sam, though anything is possible.
However, General Hospital spoilers have teased that there could be a recast coming, as several prominent soap actors are rumored to be in the running for the gig. If Thompson really is leaving next week, many would guess that Drake will be sent out of town for a bit with a recast coming later. At the same time, if ever there was a show that could pull off surprising recasts, it would be this one, so anything is possible in terms of the timing of a potential new Patrick.
General Hospital spoilers have indicated that Patrick will be calling Robin this week to fill her in on all of the Jason news, and from the sounds of things, Robin may be paying a visit to Port Charles this month for a bit. Could Patrick and Robin reunite and head out of town, as the doctor sees that his relationship with Sam is doomed now considering the Jason reveal?
Liz is hit with a bit of anxiety, Patrick asks if she's getting cold feet – her answer? Tune in to #GH Friday! pic.twitter.com/JJgehFCRrG
— Nathan Varni (@nathanvarni) October 30, 2015
On the other hand, a new report from Soaps in Depth via Celeb Dirty Laundry indicates that Thompson may have decided to extend his time a bit on the soap. Sources are detailing that Jason may have agreed to extend his contract by about four months, perhaps as a way to allow the soap to wrap up his storyline in a purposeful way. It may be, too, that he extended his stay in order to allow the show to recast in the best way possible or some other reason.
It seems that at least for now, General Hospital fans will have to wait and see what the future holds for Dr. Patrick Drake. Everybody will be anxious for more information to emerge regarding Jason Thompson’s departure from the show, whether it be this month or a few months down the road.
At this point, everything regarding the future of the character of Dr. Patrick Drake is speculation, other than the fact that Jason Thompson is leaving the role. Do you think the actor is leaving the show this soon or will he be around for a few months yet? What do you think General Hospital should do with the character in the wake of Thompson’s departure?
Updated: Some comments that came during a weekend General Hospital fan event seem to lend some clarity regarding Thompson’s departure from the soap. As Soap Opera Spy details, Thompson has now indicated that he is done filming in the role of Dr. Patrick Drake. Despite some rumors floating around that he had extended his contract for a brief period of time, it seems that was not the case. In addition, reports indicate that Finola Hughes, who plays Anna, said that Jason’s last scene will air prior to Christmas.
[Photo by Paul A. Hebert / Getty Images]
