We’re sure that it seemed like a great idea on paper for Days of Our Lives to bring on former General Hospital star Steve Burton in his long-ago role of Harris. Unfortunately, it hasn’t turned out to be such a great idea on screen.
The Best-Laid Plans
Harris was supposed to be an obstacle to the reunion of Bo and Hope. But Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso are off the show, which leaves Harris… nowhere. He just wanders around being brainwashed and terrible at his job. Did he kill Hope? No. Did he kill Stefan? No. Heck, he tried to kill boss Megan and even failed at that!
What’s more, the character has devolved into nothing more than an exact replica of Burton’s General Hospital character, Jason. He’s stoic and brooding. He favors tight T-shirts and firearms. Even his coiffure is the same!
Missed Opportunities
Maybe Days of Our Lives could have salvaged Harris by luring back to the fold Charlotte Ross as his onetime love interest, Eve. Then the show could have used vintage clips of her and Burton and given us that nostalgia factor. Ross even hinted that a Salem homecoming might be in the works back in April. But alas, it never materialized. So once again, Harris was left… nowhere.
He may, however, be going someplace. In the July 6 episode, he asked Marlena for help, which may well turn out to be the kind he can only get at Bayview. Were Harris to be checked in for some deprogramming, it would offer the perfect opportunity for the character to exit the canvas. Once freed up, Burton could potentially return to General Hospital and resurrect Jason.
Life After ‘Death’
When General Hospital dismissed the actor in late 2021 for refusing to comply with the vaccine mandate that had been put in place to protect him and his colleagues, he still held out hope that he hadn’t visited Port Charles for the last time. “Maybe one day, if these mandates are lifted, I can return and finish my career as Jason Morgan,” he said. “That would be an honor.”
It would certainly be an interesting time for Stone Cold to be thawed out. When he “died,” he and bride Carly were working hard to deny the feelings that had reawakened between them following the “demise” of her husband, Sonny. Now the Corinthoses are divorced, and Carly’s new boo — Jason’s brother, Drew — is behind bars. Would she remain true to him if she suddenly had another chance with Jason? Perhaps we’ll get to find out.
