Ever since Edward Quartermaine (John Ingle) died in 2012, his family has been in disarray on “General Hospital.” In recent years, his grandson Ned Quartermaine (Wally Kurth) had become chairman of the board for the family conglomerate, ELQ.

But when Quartermaine family members Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) and Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell) were going to merge their company Aurora Media with ELQ, Ned felt he was being ousted. Simultaneously, Drew and Michael’s mother, Carly Spencer (Laura Wright), inadvertently committed insider trading when she wanted to inflate Aurora’s value to help her son and boyfriend. Ned threatened to turn the two in to the SEC, but Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) secretly beat him to the punch, which landed Drew in jail, and everyone blamed Ned. Just after he learned about Nina’s actions, Ned had an accident and ended up out sick from work for months with amnesia.

But now, he’s regained his memories. His wife, Olivia Falconeri (Lisa LoCicero), asked him not to out Nina as the snitch because Drew was freed from prison early, and everyone was happy, so he reluctantly agreed for the moment. Unaware that Ned’s Ned again, Michael and Drew are hatching a scheme to take control of ELQ. With the impending hostile business attack and the knowledge that Nina ratted out Drew and Carly, Ned is perfectly poised to become the next Edward Quartermaine.

Ned must bring his A-game to fight Michael

ABC/Scott Kirkland

Michael Corinthos has become almost as ruthless and manipulative as his great-grandfather Edward Quartermaine, so if Ned Quartermaine is going to go toe-to-toe against him and Drew Cain, he’s got to bring his A-game to the table. As Ned gained power in recent years, it caused an issue with Olivia, and he chose to prioritize his family over business. However, this made him something of a pushover, and Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) — a decidedly non-Quartermaine — became a majority shareholder and CEO of ELQ. Now that Ned’s back, he’s going to have to use a different strategy in order to maintain peace in his marriage and keep ELQ intact as Edward did for decades.

He’s got one advantage in that he now has something to hold over Nina’s head. While Michael is already using his own knowledge of her actions to control her, Ned could do the same and paint her as a villain. In doing so, he could be just as ruthless as he needs to be, while simultaneously laying the blame at Nina’s feet. Poor Nina doesn’t really deserve what’s coming her way, and her new marriage to mob boss Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), as well as her recent connection with long-lost daughter (and Michael’s wife) Willow Tait (Katelyn MacMullen), are going to be blown to smithereens. But hey, that’s the price of doing business. You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.

Ned’s going to have to fight dirty

ABC/Craig Sjodin

Ned Quartermaine has generally been a nice guy on “General Hospital,” although he hasn’t been above lies and bribery to get what he wants. If he puts on his big boy pants and isn’t afraid to fight dirty while maintaining his family’s happiness, he won’t become a villain, but he can put himself in a position to be respected. ELQ is what keeps the Quartermaines financially stable, and Ned’s going to have to dig deep into Edward’s book of tricks if he wants to remain at the top. Ned’s no killer like Sonny, but destroying Nina’s life to clear his name should be his top priority. He lost a lot of credibility when everyone believed he had turned Carly and Drew in, even though he claimed it had only been an empty threat. Now, his threats are going to have to be real.

This sets up the character for some good stories, and down the road, he could have a potential redemption arc. If Ned uses a scorched Earth policy, takes no prisoners, and fends off Drew and Michael’s coming business attack, eventually Olivia and even his daughter, Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton), are going to be horrified and demand that he stop. His mother, Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot), will be cheering him on, though, so the path ahead of him is going to be rocky. But ultimately, he’ll be able to come back and be the good guy the rest of his family wants.

Read More: thelist.com