7 fascinating facts about General Hospital’s most dysfunctional yet beloved family, the Quartermaines

Since the late 1970s, the Quartermaines have been the loudest and most chaotic family in General Hospital. They live in a mansion but argue like they’re packed into a one-bedroom apartment. Every fight feels personal, and every reunion comes with conditions.

They throw parties that end in shouting and funerals that somehow feel unfinished. Someone is always fighting for ELQ, someone is always getting cut from the will, someone is always getting married, and someone else is planning revenge.

They are rich, but they never act like a family with control. Their Thanksgiving dinners always fall apart. Their relationships never stay stable for long. They hold grudges that last for years. They forgive only when the timing benefits them. They bicker over everything. But somehow, they keep showing up for each other.

The Quartermaines are not just a soap family. They are a full-blown disaster with a long memory. That is why people still watch them. They are not perfect. They are not gentle. But they are always worth the mess. And that is why they matter.

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Fascinating facts about General Hospital’s Quartermaines family

1) They order pizza every Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving never goes well at the Quartermaine mansion. In 1994, their dog Annabelle ate the turkey, and since then something always ruins the dinner. Someone storms out, or someone flips a table, or someone accidentally burns everything. They never eat the food they plan.

Instead, they end up calling for pizza and singing We Gather Together like nothing happened. It started as a one-time joke, but now fans expect it every year. The pizza dinner says everything about them. They try to act like a normal family, but they always crash and burn in the most entertaining way possible.

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2) ELQ is always up for grabs

ELQ was named after Edward Louis Quartermaine, but ownership has never stayed in one place. Every generation fights for it. A.J. tried to prove he could run it. Tracy forged documents to take it. Skye showed up wanting shares. Michael and Drew fought outsiders like Valentin for control.

Edward used the company to punish people in his will. Every time someone gains ground, someone else tries to take it back. No business decision is ever just business. ELQ represents power inside the family, and everyone wants to win, even if it means tearing each other down to do it.

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3) Alan Quartermaine was killed off, then came back as a ghost

Alan died during the 2007 Metro Court hostage crisis after multiple heart attacks. His death shocked viewers, and many were furious he was written off. He had been on the show since 1977. After that he returned as a ghost several times.

He mostly appeared to Monica but also showed up to give sarcastic advice or judge family members. He never came back to life, but his presence remained. This gave the writers a way to keep him involved without undoing his death. Alan stayed part of the story even after dying which very few soap characters have pulled off.

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4) Edward’s will left Tracy a jar of Pickle-Lila

When Edward died in 2012, his will surprised everyone. Most relatives got ELQ shares. Tracy got a single jar of Pickle-Lila relish. The gift was not random. It referenced her failed attempt to beat her mother’s relish business with her own product called Pickle-Eddie. Edward always loved games more than honesty. Tracy felt humiliated, but it fit their history.

He favored Alan and rarely gave Tracy real respect. This last jab proved that even in death, Edward wanted control. The moment became iconic because it captured their relationship in one petty and perfect move that no one saw coming.

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5) The family tree is wildly complicated

The Quartermaine family tree looks like a puzzle missing half its pieces. Edward had children with Lila Beatrice and Mary Mae. Alan had children with Monica, Susan, and Rae. Jason and Drew are twins. Emily was adopted. Skye was also adopted, but as an adult. A.J. fathered Michael. Jason fathered Jake and Danny. Drew fathered Oscar and Scout.

Each branch comes with drama. Death, secrets, adoptions, and rewrites constantly shift connections. These changes create long-term tension between characters. Storylines depend on who finds out what and when. The confusion is not a flaw. It is part of what keeps them going.

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6) They treat the help like family, sometimes more so

The Quartermaines have always relied on staff to hold them together. Alice Gunderson served as a domestic help but also became a wrestler called The Dominator. Edward gave her ELQ shares in his will. Reginald Jennings started as a butler and ended up in family portraits.

Cook was never seen on screen, but everyone feared her. Monica trusted the staff more than her relatives. During fights or family breakdowns it was often the help who stayed calm. They were rarely treated like outsiders. Over time, some were given more respect than blood relatives. That said everything about how messy this family is.

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7) The Quartermaines have survived a writer’s war

In the early 2000s, the show reduced the Quartermaines' presence on screen. Alan A.J. and Emily were all killed off. Monica and Tracy were pushed into the background. Fans pushed back. They wrote letters and created campaigns. Slowly, the show brought the family back.

Monica stayed on staff. Tracy returned for major stories. Jason stayed central, even with a new face. Drew was revealed as his twin. New kids, like Leo and Scout, joined the tree. The show tried to bury them. Viewers refused.

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