The bad blood between Drew Cain and Ned is boiling over.
Drew Cain is out of prison on General Hospital after serving time for insider trading. Ever since his early release, he’s reconnected with friends, family, and Carly. He’s also, apparently, taking no prisoners when it comes to Aurora and ELQ. He and Michael plan to grab the family business by snatching it right out of Ned’s capable hands. What? Where is this Mr. Corporate Raider act coming from? And, why now?
The Origin of Drew Cain’s Resentment
First of all, we do understand why Drew (Cameron Mathison) is resentful of Ned (Wally Kurth). From his perspective, he has valid reasons. Ned took Valentin’s (James Patrick Stuart) side in the epic Quartermaine ELQ showdown of 2022. Ned’s back was against the wall because he felt Drew and Michael (Chad Duell) were icing him out at ELQ (they kinda were). On top of that, he thinks Ned turned him and Carly (Laura Wright) into the SEC, which is how he ended up behind bars.
Now mind you, Ned isn’t the whistleblower. Pre-Eddie Maine (also Wally Kurth), he kept telling Drew and Michael that but they just didn’t believe him. Then, came the many months of Ned-less existence when Ned became Eddie after racing across the Metro Court pool area to tell everyone he was innocent. Instead, he slipped, fell, and hit his head on the side of the pool. Thus, Eddie Maine made his big rock ‘n roll return.
But now, Michael and Drew know Ned is back. Right before the news broke, the Aurora heads decided to take advantage of Ned’s memory issues and take over ELQ in his absence. And, it looks like they don’t even care that his memories have returned, they’re simply going to change their strategy for how to get the company out from under Ned’s leadership.
Where’s the Empathy?
To balance things out, once Ned found out Michael made a deal with some conglomerate, his claws came out. Why wouldn’t Michael step in to steer the wheel at ELQ? Valentin’s drama with his father and then his daughter made him a non-factor; same with Ned’s amnesia and Drew’s prison sentence. But now that Ned’s back, it’s time for Michael to concentrate on Aurora’s business. Period.
The thing we’re questioning is that even though we get that Drew resents Ned and that he will always and forever be Team Michael, why does he think Ned’s so incompetent? He actually told Ned that he could never make the deal Michael made. He laps up everybody’s worry and concern over his stint in prison, but he can’t muster up even an ounce of sensitivity and concern for what Ned just went through.
Effects of Trauma
Before Ned got into it with Michael and Drew, he was gracious in acknowledging the hell Drew just experienced. Where does Drew’s insensitivity come from? Is this some sort of emotional reaction to being in jail for months? Is that how his trauma is manifesting? Teasers revealed his time in prison will leave emotional scars that may color his outlook on life from here on out. But, still, this sudden callousness is odd and jarring.
Ned isn’t that big a Drew fan but he managed to show empathy for him. Why couldn’t Drew do the same? Right now the powers that be aren’t exactly helping us accept Cameron Mathison as Drew Cain. It feels like they don’t know who Drew is, which is causing many fans not to know who he is either. Let’s hope they figure it out sooner rather than later.