General Hospital’s Obrecht—Too “Good” To Be True?

Fans were ecstatic to here the news that Kathleen Gati was bringing back Obrecht to Port Charles.

When word came around that General Hospital would be bringing back Kelly Thiebaud, fans hoped that would mean a return for Britt’s mutter, Liesl Obrecht, played to perfection by Kathleen Gati. Obrecht has been absent from Port Charles since 2023, following the tragic “death” of her daughter. Britt was fatally stabbed by The Hook killer—who was ultimately revealed to be Heather.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Dr. Liesl Obrecht has never been one to play by the rules. When Gati first appeared as the icy and cunning doctor back in 2012, Obrecht was working alongside the infamous Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), helping him pull off one devious plan after another. Among the most twisted? Holding Duke (Ian Buchanan) and Robin (Kimberly McCullough) hostage in Switzerland. And if that weren’t enough, Liesl even rendered Robin’s father, Robert (Tristan Rogers), comatose for an entire year just to protect Faison’s secret. Talk about ruthless loyalty!

But when Liesl popped up in Port Charles in 2013, her story—and her connections—started expanding fast. In a shocking twist, she was revealed to be the mother of Britt, and the two teamed up for one of GH’s wildest baby schemes yet. Liesl helped Britt impregnate herself using Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) and Lulu’s (Alexa Havins) embryo, which ultimately led to the birth of little Rocco (Finn Carr). As her criminal record grew, so did her web of ties to Port Charles.

In 2014, fans learned that Liesl was the sister of none other than Madeline (Donna Mills), making her the aunt of Nina (Cynthia Watros). But that wasn’t all—Liesl was also the biological mother of Nathan (Ryan Paevey), the man Madeline raised as her own. Though Nathan tragically lost his life in the line of duty in 2018, Liesl grew closer to his widow, Maxie (Kirsten Storms), and became a loving grandmother to James (Gary James Fuller). Through Nina’s daughter, Willow (Katelyn MacMullen), Liesl is also connected to Wiley (Viron Weaver) and Amelia (Sequoia and Serenity Mork Macko). Obrecht returned after Rocco emailed her questions about his parentage. She also arrived just in time to attend Willow’s wedding to Drew (Cameron Mathison), which imploded.

It has been really lovely having Gati back on the canvas and Obrecht seems to have softened a bit further since her last time in town. It remains to be seen if this is all an act, and Obrecht has known all along that Britt was alive, but the way Gati is playing the role, it seems Liesl is just as in the dark as everyone else. Watching Obrecht talk lovingly about the daughter she lost, with Britt’s former love Jason (Steve Burton) and with Anna (Finola Hughes) has been a real treat, knowing that the genuine sorrow is going to be replaced with sheer joy when she learns Britt is alive.

Jason is convinced that Britt did not die after seeing her in Paris and then hearing her voice over the phone. When he tried to gauge whether Liesl was in fact still under the impression that Britt was dead, the duo was able to strike the balance of sadness and reminiscing, with Jason not leading on about his suspicions. Liesl and Anna have had a very tumultuous relationship, but when the two women were speaking about their daughters and the mistakes they had made as mothers, there was a genuine connection formed. Gati’s return is a welcome one and I for one cannot wait to see how things play out once Britt returns to Port Charles with rumors of her death being greatly exaggerated!

Are you happy that Obrecht is back and do you think she is hiding the fact that she knows Britt is alive? Are you liking this new, softened Obrect, or do you want her to go back to her wicked ways? Sound off in the comments.