General Hospital Recap, January 23: Peter August crawls out of the Faison graveyard to torment Anna

On the January 23, 2026, episode of General Hospital, Jason tried to make sense of Carly and Britt's fight, Lucas flirted with danger, Britt received an ominous warning, and Peter returned to haunt Anna.

What happened on General Hospital

General Hospital's Jason was left confused by Britt's fight with Carly | Image: ABC

Things kicked off in the aftermath of Britt and Carly's confrontation at Bobbie's. Jason asked Britt what happened, and she explained that Carly told her that he would never put her first. Britt decided that they could settle the debate once and for all, and she put Jason on the spot and asked, "Who comes first? Me or Carly?"

Carly asked Britt to leave him out of whatever she was up to. However, Britt brought up Carly and Jack's relationship, which drew her ire. Britt reverted to her original question, but Jason refused to answer. Jason's refusal to give a direct response told Britt everything that she needed to know.

Jason wanted to talk to Britt privately, but she refused. Britt believed Brad was right and felt he would never cut the cord with Carly. She demanded that Jason stay far away from her, and she stormed out of the restaurant. Carly was confused by Britt's outburst, but Jason demanded to know what provoked her.

Carly was offended by Jason's insinuation that she caused Britt's meltdown. Carly refused to give in to Britt's tricks, and Jason couldn't fathom what changed so quickly. He asked Carly, "Why is it so hard for you to believe that I can love you and still have room for somebody else?"

Carly claimed she no longer had full control over Jason as she did in the past. A lot had changed, and their relationship was in a different place. Despite Carly's disdain for Britt, she chose to respect his decision to pick his own romantic partner.

Jason wanted the full rundown of what led to her showdown with Britt. Carly was convinced that Britt purposely staged a public fight with her.

General Hospital's Chase and Brook Lynn discuss the idea of adoption | Image: ABC

Brook Lynn asked Chase whether Internal Affairs had made a decision about his future as a law enforcement officer. He said he had both good news and bad news, so she asked him to give her the bad news first. Chase had been demoted to patrol officer due to his extracurricular activities.

The good news was that with the new schedule, Chase had a more set schedule. He hoped that the extra free time would give them the chance to start a family. Brook Lynn commented that it had been quite some time since they had broached the topic of adoption.

Chase agreed to wait while Brook Lynn and Gio worked things out, but he felt like it was time. He spent so much of his time at work, and it was time to put his family first. Chase assured Brook Lynn that building a family with her was his top priority, and the time was right.

Chase saw the look on his wife's face, and he wondered if she was still hesitant about the idea. Brook Lynn said she did want to start a family with Chase, but it felt sudden. Chase didn't think it was that out of the blue, so she reminded him of the professional loss he took earlier that day.

Brook Lynn wanted Chase to grieve the loss of his position, and she worried that he was using the adoption to deflect from what happened. Chase admitted he thought about this regularly. This wasn't something that he thought up to fill a void in his life.

Brook Lynn believed that Chase hearing the news from Dante was a crushing blow. The department no longer trusted Chase, even though he was "right" about Willow being acquitted. However, Chase was committed to rebuilding his career as he had in the past.

General Hospital's Emma and Gio want answers about Anna | Image: ABC

Emma and Gio raced to the PCPD looking for Mac, but he was out, so Nathan offered his services instead. Emma appreciated that Nathan wanted to help, but it was more of a family matter. He reminded her of their familial connection, and although Emma wanted to leave, Gio believed that Nathan was their best shot at getting answers about Anna.

Emma didn't want to turn her concerns into a circus, but Nathan promised her that he owed Anna everything, so he was willing to listen. Emma told him, "Nathan, I'm starting to think that my grandma's in trouble." He claimed that she had been pulled away for a top-secret WSB announcement, and since she'd been away for months, it wasn't like her.

Emma and Gio didn't think that Anna would go so long with no contact. The longer everyone went without hearing from her, the more concerned Emma became. Nathan asked if Robin had shared any of the same concerns, but she hadn't. Anna was known to go off the grid. This felt different for Emma, though.

Emma's conversation with Jack didn't do much to ease her worry. Nathan agreed to check their records to see if there was an update he wasn't aware of. Emma knew that Anna could handle herself, but she wasn't a superhero. She had her limits, and she could't shake the feeling that something had gone wrong.

General Hospital's Ava and Josslyn make great sparring partners | Image: ABC

Lucas welcomed Josslyn to Wyndemere, and she was thankful for the invitation to Marco's family cocktail hour. She promised not to cause any drama, which he appreciated. To Josslyn's surprise, Ava was on the guest list for the event.

Lucas didn't know that Ava would be joining him for the festivities, but she was celebrating. She was there to take measurements for a major art installation for Sidwell. Marco entered the room, and Ava asked if he and Josslyn had ever met.

Ava and Marco insisted that Josslyn join them for drinks, but she claimed that she needed to leave to check on Carly. She remembered she had previously agreed to babysit Donna, but Ava called that excuse out. Ava knew that Donna and Avery were spending the night with Sonny, so her childcare services wouldn't be needed.

Josslyn said she must've gotten her dates confused, and she agreed to a glass of red wine. Marco and Ava set out for the wine cellar, and Lucas apologized for the ambush with Ava. Josslyn had gotten used to dealing with Ava because so many important people in her life adored her. Besides Lucas and Avery, Trina was a big fan of Ava, so Josslyn had to suck it up.

Lucas hoped that Josslyn could get to know Marco better, since he had become such an important part of his life. Lucas went to find snacks, which gave Josslyn ample time to snoop around Wyndemere. However, she was quickly caught by Ava, who asked her what she was looking for.

Ava wondered if she interrupted Josslyn in the middle of something. Josslyn thought on her feet and confessed to being nosy. Ava gave Josslyn a walkthrough on how being blood-related to someone wasn't the only qualification for being family. She brought up Trina and reminded Josslny of how many people they had in common that they loved.

Josslyn told Ava to drop the act and stated how she wasn't capable of loving anyone but herself. Josslyn's speech reminded Ava of Carly, which she was more than eager to point out.

Lucas and Marco returned, and Lucas wanted to check out the catacombs. He hadn't visited them since he was a child, and he thought it would be fun. The moment he tried, Marco said, "Absolutely not."

General Hospital's Anna tried to make Peter disappear | Image: ABC

Anna awoke to the image of Peter August standing over her bed. He asked if "Auntie Anna" had missed him. Peter asked whether he should leave Anna to die, as she had done for him. He asked if she grieved for him when he died, and he led her to believe that he was potentially still alive.

Peter reminded her that Anna previously believed that Britt, Nathan, and even Faison were all dead, too. Anna told herself that Peter's appearance had to be a hallucination. Peter wanted her to believe that it was her conscience coming to life.

Peter grabbed Anna by the face, and he accused her of stuffing her conscience to the background until it ate her alive. Peter thought Anna made things complicated by refusing to believe what was before her eyes.

Peter tried to get Anna to stop fighting through the madness. He remarked that his father was almost ready to have Anna again. While Peter exclaimed that Faison's time was approaching, Anna covered her ears and shouted, "No. No, no."

Peter explained to Anna that she had no control over the situation. Anna wanted the mind games to end, so she asked Faison to reveal himself to her.

General Hospital's Britt has lost complete control of her life | Image: ABC

Rocco did community service at the hospital, and WSB Director Ross Cullum approached him. He wanted to know where Britt's office was, and Rocco agreed to take him to her. However, Britt spotted him talking to her "son," so she sprang into action and entered the room.

Britt told Rocco that she could handle things from that point forward and agreed to take Cullum to her office. She asked Cullum why he'd been with Rocco on two separate occasions, and he hauntingly responded, "I'm proving a point."

Cullum recognized that he could get to Rocco whenever he wanted. Britt pointed out that Rocco's family was well-connected enough to evade capture for long. However, the intimidating director didn't need to resort to kidnapping. Instead, he believed that he could easily place him into WSB custody.

Britt begged him not to hurt Rocco. She ended things with Jason, and she would move into Wyndemere if she needed to. Cullum was clear that there was no room for error. Britt needed to comply not only for her sake, but also for Rocco.

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