General Hospital: why wouldn’t Britt tell her mother she’s alive?

General Hospital's Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) has always had a very complicated relationship with her mother, Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati). That’s probably an understatement, but when Jason (Steve Burton) approached Liesel at the bar and asked her about Britt’s death, Liesl seemed genuinely upset and still grieving for her daughter, even though we know she is very much alive.

Far away in Croatia at the Five Poppies, Britt is also having some complicated feelings, wistfully said “Goodnight, Mutter” before falling asleep. That makes it seem like she misses her mother. Why hasn’t she reached out to Liesl in all this time to let her mother know she’s alive? That seems strange.

The Britch

Britt isn’t known for being a sentimental person. She didn’t get the nickname “The Britch” for nothing. And from the way she treated the massage therapist at the Five Poppies it doesn’t look like she’s changed much.

During her relationship with Jason, she did become a little softer and let her guard down more. Plus, she told Liesl in the past that it upset her to think that people thought she was cold and mean; and she did return to her mother when she was dying, seeking comfort from Liesl in her last moments.

It’s possible that even though she survived the poison, Britt has an illness. In Croatia we saw her inject herself with some kind of medication. Maybe she hasn’t told her mother that she’s alive in case the treatment she’s getting doesn’t work.

Even the mean and manipulative Britch may have wanted to spare her mother the agony of watching her daughter die twice. It would wreck Liesl to find out her daughter was alive, then have to lose her all over again.

But is The Britch capable of that kind of empathy for another person? I’m not convinced. She was never taught empathy or kindness as a child, so even though she did soften up over the years I am not sure that she would go to these lengths to protect her mother’s feelings.

Jason Morgan

The one person who seemed to be able to break through Britt’s shell was Jason. The fact that they share a lifetime of doing morally questionable deeds and crimes probably helped build that bond. Jason’s motives are always good though, while Britt’s are usually self-serving.

Maybe Britt didn’t tell her mother that she was alive so that Liesl wouldn’t tell Jason? Britt has to know that Jason would come looking for her if he knew she was alive.

If Britt is mixed up in something shady again she might not want Jason to find her so that he won’t get involved in whatever it is she’s up to. She’s been keeping tabs on what happens in Port Charles, so she must know Jason is alive. It’s plausible that she would keep quiet so she doesn’t appear on Jason’s radar.

The Cassadine connection

But the best motive for Britt to not reveal herself to Liesl is that she is connected to something deeply shady that is affecting the power players in Port Charles. The shot that she gave herself is a clue. So is the fact that the courier delivered Dalton’s (Daniel Goddard) backpack to her.

Whatever Dalton is up to, he’s been testing something on animals, which is why Emma (Braedyn Bruner) wants to bust him. But I doubt the WSB wants to get the inside scoop on Dalton because he is engaged in animal testing. Animal testing is heinous, but it’s not the kind of thing that the WSB would send in a team over.

What if Sidwell’s (Carlo Rota) arrival, his purchase of Wyndemere, Dalton relocating to GH and conducting experiments there, and Britt’s reappearance are all connected? They all seem to be tied to some mystery man that is calling the shots. What if that mystery man is Victor Cassadine (Charles Shaughnessy)?

It would make sense. The bomb that was set in Sonny’s penthouse that injured Michael was an older WSB explosive device. Victor was at one point the director of the WSB. He kidnapped Liesl, so if Britt is now working with Victor that could be why she hasn’t reached out to her mother.

Maybe Victor somehow saved her from the poison that supposedly killed her, and got her to help him with some kind of medical testing, which is now being carried out in Port Charles. He could have some kind of partnership with Jenz Sidwell to get rid of Sonny (Maurice Benard) and take control of Port Charles so that Victor could return and once again be the primary power in Port Charles.

Whoever is behind the experiments that Dalton is doing must have deep pockets and connections to Port Charles and General Hospital, because there are secret experiments going on in General Hospital labs. Britt would know what labs in the hospital could be used secretly, and how to access them. She could be directing the research and experiments from afar.

And, if Britt is involved in some kind of highly experimental medical tests funded or directed by Victor Cassadine, it would make sense that she wouldn’t let her mother know about it. Even if she does love and miss Liesl, Victor would make sure that she keeps quiet either by threatening to have Liesl killed or some other type of coercion.

It will be interesting to see what Jason finds out about Britt, and why she hasn’t revealed to anyone that she’s alive. It will also be interesting to see if the WSB is aware that she’s alive.

New episodes of General Hospital air on weekdays on ABC. If you miss an episode, you can catch up on Hulu.