5 Reasons Why We Love General Hospital's Cody Bell

We've been seeing quite a bit of General Hospital's Cody Bell (Josh Kelly) in recent episodes of the show. His interactions with several other characters (including our favorite beagle, Outback) have been charming, caring, and friendly. Here are five reasons why we love Cody.

He has shown character growth since his con-artist days

Cody jumped out of a plane and into the Metro Court pool when he first arrived in PC | Image: YouTube

Who could ever forget the hilarious way that GH's Cody made his entrance in Port Charles in 2022? He did a sky dive into the Metro Court pool, accidentally knocking Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) into the water. Cody was a con artist back then. He lied about being Mac Scorpio's (John J. York) son and claimed that he was the son of Leopold Taub (Chip Lucia). Taub was the dangerous ex-husband of Cody's mother, Dominique (Shell Danielson), and Cody lied because he was hoping to inherit Taub's 35-million-dollar necklace.

Cody was involved in a variety of bribes and blackmails in his first couple of years in PC. One of the most memorable bribes was the one he accepted from Drew (Cameron Mathison) in 2024, after a drunken Cody socked Drew in the face at the Brown Dog bar. Drew paid Cody $50,000 to keep quiet about his affair with Willow (Katelyn MacMullen), who was married to Michael (then played by Chad Duell).

Cody has shown a great deal of growth since then. He's been a responsible caretaker for the horses in the Quartermaine stables. He even developed somewhat of a friendship with Tracy (Jane Elliot), who is very choosy about whom she befriends. He doesn't accept bribes anymore, and we haven't seen him get drunk and punch anyone in a long while.

He brings out a fun, light-hearted side to Molly

Cody and Molly have a close relationship | Image: ABC

Initially, Cody and Molly (Kristen Vaganos) may have seemed like a mismatch. He is more of a free spirit, while she's always been more of a serious and buttoned-up type. That was why her previous partner, TJ (Tajh Bellow), seemed like the perfect match for her. He's a doctor, and she's a lawyer, which made them appear like a better fit.

But being romantically involved with Cody has done wonders for Molly. He's been bringing out a more fun and light-hearted side to her. She seems more relaxed around him than she's been around other men. She even based the lead male character in her romance novel on Cody. She made him the hero of her book, which speaks volumes about the positive influence that he's had on her life.

We even saw Cody read author Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, something he likely would not have done during his scoundrel days. He has been extremely supportive of Molly's novelist career, even joining her on a recent book tour to promote her book.

He had a great relationship with James

Cody and James have always had a special relationship | Image: YouTube

Even though James (played temporarily here by Easton Winn and regularly by Gary James Fuller) is not Cody's biological nephew, he and Cody had a close familial relationship. James wanted to take horseback riding lessons from Cody, but Mac forbade him because Cody had lied about being Mac's son.

When an angry and confused James ran off and accidentally fell into the lake by the Quartermaine boathouse, Cody jumped in and saved him, prompting Mac to forgive Cody for the lie. That emotional scene paved the way for a true father/son relationship for Mac and Cody.

The scene that still tugs at our heartstrings was the one where Cody gently explained to James that Cassius (Ryan Paevey) had lied about being James' father, Nathan. That was difficult news for James to accept. Now that he has moved to Australia with Maxie (Kirsten Storms) and Spinelli (Bradford Anderson), Cody misses the bonding time he shared with James.

He is an animal lover

Cody loves spending time with Outback | Image: ABC

Cody takes excellent care of the Quartermaine horses, and it's always fun to watch him hang out with Outback. He seems to understand her better than most of the other PC residents do.

After Serena (Kelly Kruger) caught Outback heading to the restricted nature preserve, Cody called Outback a "rebel." Maybe he feels like he can relate to the pooch, since he himself has a rebellious background. That's probably one of the many reasons why he likes Outback so much.

Cody told Molly that he's glad Serena, his newfound sister, is an animal lover as well. As they became even better acquainted, their shared love for animals would give them something to bond over.

He gives Danny excellent guidance and support

Cody is someone Danny can lean on for support | Image: ABC

When Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) was frustrated over Drew's refusal to let him see Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski), Cody gave him great advice. He basically told Danny to sit back and play by Drew's rules. Cody discouraged Danny from scheming and plotting because that would only get Danny in even more trouble with Drew than he's already in. He told Danny that the best course of action is to let Tracy and Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) fight for his right to see Scout.

"Play the long game," Cody advised. "Nice and calm. Slow and steady. No sudden movements." He knows all about the long game since he used to be a con man! We applaud Cody for teaching Danny how to handle the situation wisely. We hope he continues to be a good adult role model for Danny, since the troubled teenager surely needs one.

Cody was also a good listener when Danny talked about how much he misses his friendship with Rocco (Finn Carr). Thankfully, Cody is another adult in whom Danny can feel comfortable confiding, in addition to his father, Jason (Steve Burton), his grandmother, Alexis, and his great-aunt, Tracy. Danny's interactions with Drew are likely going to become even more stressful than usual, so it's good that he has Cody to go to if he needs help or if he just wants to talk. He's a good guy.

Catch all-new episodes of General Hospital weekdays on ABC and streaming on Hulu.