General Hospital: Five ways Willow is just like Nelle (and 5 she isn’t)

Willow Tait recently turned into a dark personality on General Hospital as stunned fans witnessed her confession to her vegetative husband, Drew Cain. While she seemed lost and grieving after losing the custody of her children, she became more determined to get them back. Viewers know that Willow married Drew to boost her chances of regaining custody. Fans recently saw her stab Drew in the neck to cause an ischemic stroke, after being found not guilty for shooting him.

While her transformation from a kind nurse to a diabolical wife was shocking, viewers speculated that her character had a surprising similarity to her late fraternal twin, Nelle Benson. Longtime fans who knew Nelle’s vindictive nature and venomous character were left wondering whether the twins had common nature that Willow kept hidden so far. However, both sisters were raised in separate homes, so their similarities may be coincidental rather than genetic.

5 ways Willow and Nelle are similar on General Hospital

1) Both sisters committed crimes that they hid from the world

General Hospital's Willow and Nelle hid their crimes I Image: ABC

As longtime viewers of General Hospital know, Nelle, played by Chloe Lanier, committed one crime after another but kept it hidden from the world for as long as she could. From swapping babies to trying to kill Michael, she pretended to be normal and planned to fool others. Moreover, she tried to play up her case and teamed with criminals like Ryan Chamberlain.

Similarly, Willow shot Drew in the back and hid that from the world. When Curtis was picked up as a suspect, she let the innocent Ashford take the fall for her crime. During the court hearing scenes, she kept having flashbacks of her crime, but continued giving out a different statement. Just like her twin, Willow also expected to fool people while getting away with her crime.

2) Both have chaotic mental state from to being raised in unstable homes

General Hospital's Nelle and Willow were raised in unstable homes I Image: ABC

While Nelle was raised in the loveless house of Frank Benson, Willow was raised by Harmony Miller, her adoptive mother with a questionable character. Frank Benson was a neglectful adoptive father who disliked having Nelle at home. On the other hand, Harmony forced Willow into the Dawn of Day cult and to get intimate with its leader, Shiloh. Moreover, she hid the fact that Willow became pregnant and put up the child for adoption.

Besides the influence of their adoptive families, both Nelle and Willow may have been physiologically influenced by the antidepressant overdoses their mother, Nina, was administered during pregnancy. While Nelle was officially known to have mental illness, the effects on Willow may be revealed later on General Hospital.

3) Love for the children rule supreme for Nelle and Willow

General Hospital's Willow loves Wiley who is Nelle's child I Image: ABC

Fans of General Hospital know that many actions of Nelle revolved around her child, from swapping her baby to give it a safe home with Lucas and Brad to stealing Wiley and trying to escape. Moreover, she blamed everyone connected to her baby from Carly to Michael, when she lost complete custody of her child.

In a similar case, Willow was seen trying to hold onto her children over her own interests. She adopted Wiley, knowing that the child was not biologically hers and genuinely loved him nonetheless. Later, during her affair with Drew, she kept her children her priority even when deciding to move in with the congressman. Her shooting Drew and trying to frame Michael stems from the same complex, yet loving instinct towards her children.

4) The sisters have their story arcs involving same set of people

Nelle and Michael in a scene from General Hospital I Image: ABC

Since Willow and Nelle are fraternal twins, the two share the same parents, Nina and the late Dr. Silas Clay. While Nina was not at fault for their adoptions and difficult childhoods, both eventually ended up disliking and targeting her.

Moreover, both Nelle and Willow were romantically involved with Michael and Chasel. Although Nelle’s reason was Michael’s money and Willow’s was a more noble cause, both made enemies out of him. Nelle tried killing Michael, while Willow framed him for Drew’s shooting. Incidentally, Carly’s possessiveness towards Michael made her an apt enemy for both sisters.

5) Similarity in the method of attacks

General Hospital's Nelle and Willow showed similar attack ideas I Image: ABC

In August 2020, General Hospital fans saw Nelle use a pair of scissors to attack Brook Lynn. The latter had overheard Nelle’s plan to kidnap Wiley and was trying to inform the police. However, Nelle stopped BLQ’s attempt by targeting Brook Lynn’s neck and slashing her throat with the scissors.

Recently, viewers saw the newly married Willow, played by Katelyn MacMullen, take her husband by surprise when she stabbed him in the neck with a syringe. Being a nurse, Willow possibly knew the effect her syringe attack would have on Drew. However, the similarity between the attacks and the target body part left a chilling effect on fans. Incidentally, their mother, Nina, had attacked Ava using a syringe.

General Hospital: 5 ways Willow is different from Nelle

1) Willow is not a cold-blooded criminal like Nelle

Willow in a scene from General Hospital I Image: ABC

While Willow’s latest stunt of shooting Drew and then stabbing him in the neck left fans shaken, Willow is new to crime. Unlike her sister, Willow was always portrayed as the kind, soft and loving daughter of Nina. She was a good nurse and a loving mother. Her recent change seems to be a deviation from her pushover personality towards a desperate attempt at getting what she wants.

Unlike her, Nelle was a more hardcore criminal and had a longer list of crimes. As mentioned before, Nelle tried to kill Michael and slashed BLQ’s throat to silence her. Besides multiple attempts at Michael’s life and numerous assaults on Carly, Josslyn, Jordan, and more, Nelle also killed fiancé, Zachary. Moreover, Nelle was a master planner and had long-term schemes.

2) They have different psychological reasons for their crimes

General Hospital presented different psyche for the twins I Image: ABC

General Hospital portrayed Nelle as a true narcissist, albeit wronged in her childhood. All her actions stemmed from her desire to avenge her loveless life. As such, her actions were more deliberate and well thought-out. However, when challenged, she went into denial. Moreover, she weaponized her denials to build up more crimes.

Unlike her sister, Willow’s recent transformation towards her dark side stemmed from her desperation to reach out to her loved ones. She hurt Drew and lied in court under oath out of love for her children, fear of losing them, and trying to stay upright in their eyes. She used denial to hide her actions. Neither her lies nor her cruelty came as strategies. They were reflexive adjustments reacting to unbearable conditions.

3) Nelle and Willow differ in their moral compasses

General Hospital's Willow has more moral clarity than Nelle I Image: ABC

Nelle’s arc presented her as a manipulative sociopath from the start. While she claimed to love her child, she displayed none of the traits that make a responsible mother. Her criminal tendencies seemed more compulsive than necessary. She hurt people even when she had no ulterior motive. Some examples were her interactions with Sam inside the prison, taunting about Jason, getting Avery’s nanny fired, and trying to kick Chase.

Meanwhile, Willow’s actions were always stemming from her warped idea of connecting to people she loves. In 2023, she violated HIPAA by exposing Sasha’s toxicology report to help the latter. March 2024 saw her helping hide Jason and stealing medications for him from the hospital. She briefly kidnapped baby Daisy to rattle Michael. And finally, she hurt Drew, believing he kept her from her kids.

4) Nelle was a loner while Willow sought support in each move

Nelle and Willow of General Hospital I Image: ABC

After her childhood left her bitter, Nelle remained primarily a loner throughout her life. While General Hospital fans saw her collaborating with Chase at one point and also Ryan inside the prison, those were basically her pawns to meet her end. She was never seen placing her faith in anyone, not even Brad, whom she trusted with her baby. She reached out to Martin, Julian, and Valentin for help but did not hesitate to threaten them when she saw fit.

Willow, on the other hand, was the selfless, nurturing, timid, pushover teacher-turned-nurse. Despite being manipulated by her adoptive mother and cult leader, Willow retained her trusting nature. As such, she always leaned on her support system. Initially, it was Sasha, Chase, and Michael, then Drew, and, more recently, Elizabeth and her mother, Nina.

5) The possibility of redemption sets Willow apart from Nelle

General Hospital's Willow is likely to face remorse some time I Image: ABC

As mentioned before, Nelle was a hardcore criminal. While she died in 2020 without any chance of redemption, she never wanted to turn a new leaf. General Hospital fans may remember her repeated promises of transforming, only to commit the next crime. Moreover, she had no remorse for any of her actions, from killing Zachary to slashing BLQ’s throat.

While Willow’s recent actions made it difficult to believe in her good side, Willow of the past always showed remorse when she strayed from the straight path. Since most of her past crimes were an attempt to help others, her character seemed open to emancipation. Her recent crimes come from her desire to reunite with her children. In her aim, she felt justified in removing anyone who might become a hurdle. As such, there may still be hope for salvation for Willow.

While Willow’s recent nefarious actions seem to invoke Nelle’s memory, behavior is not passed down in family bloodlines; it is acquired. That is more so, since Willow and Nelle were raised in separate homes. However, Willow’s coping mechanism with her situation seemed to bring her on par with her twin psychologically. If Willow is not careful, she faces the danger of sliding permanently into the dark side.

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