Monday, 31 December, 2007 4:58 PM

Jason & Elizabeth: Daytime's Next Super Couple

Like mobster Sonny Corinthos and fashion ingénue Kate Howard, mob enforcer Jason Morgan and Nurse Elizabeth Spencer are two people from two different worlds. But they have save each other from death and each other, creating an unspeakable bond that can’t be broken – and a growing love that led to the birth of their son, Jacob Martin, also known as Jake.

Known as Liason, Jason & Elizabeth have been one of General Hospital’s most popular pairings since they first met at the bar Jake’s on August 27, 1999. Their fans believe they’re the next super couple since Luke & Laura. “The ‘bad boy’, ‘good girl’ stereotype could just make them perfect for each other” stated one fan to Soap Opera Digest in the summer of 2002.

“Maximum romantic velocity has not been reached, but there is a clear attraction there. What really cause these two to click are their shared threads, despite drastic fundamental differences. Their portrayers are magical together, the ease they share onscreen makes Jason and Liz less self-conscious than most budding ones, slow and steady will ultimately win the race. With the great complexity between these characters, every step should be a pleasure to watch.”

Even Steve Burton, who plays “bad boy with a heart of gold” Jason, enjoy Liason as well. “They can be themselves when together” said the Emmy-winning fan favorite to Soap Opera Weekly (SOW), also in summer 2002. “They don’t have to put on any acts. She confides in him and relied on him in the beginning (about) Lucky. He didn’t expect anything of her. Then it grew into a friendship and moved. You have a lot of storylines where there are affairs and passion and it’s all about sex – this is about being in love and being respectful of each other.”

For eight years, GH viewers continue to watch Jason & Elizabeth alternate between friendship and budding romance with a mixture of sweet and sexual tension between them. When Burton came back to the soap in 2002, fans were waiting for an entire summer to see his character and Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) to get together, and they did – almost. However, fans were upset that writers and producers decided to break up Jason & Elizabeth in October 2002.

This led to fans setting up a massive, continuing campaign for their couple through emails, letters, and comment calls to soap opera magazines and writers and producers of General Hospital, as well as to ABC Daytime President Brian Frons. In both December 2002 and spring 2003, the hard work paid off when Soap Opera Digest (SOD) printed two ads of Jason & Elizabeth, showing their dedication to them.

In a segment of SOAPnet’s original series Soap Talk (2002-2006) in 2005, Brook Arata stated that her, Mariah Christensen, and several Liason fans felt they “got jipped”. Jason & Elizabeth had a beginning, she said, but it ended without having a middle. Members of The Canvas, a website dedicated to Jason & Elizabeth, Arata and Christensen didn’t want them as an instant couple, but start over again as friends. Burton and Herbst, according to Arata, have amazing onscreen chemistry and there’s so much potential between their characters as a couple that has to be told.

In the summer of 2006, fans tuned in to see Jason & Elizabeth renew their friendship, leading to a night of passion that also led to their son conceived. But fans didn’t really know until last winter that Jason is the father of Elizabeth’s baby. As their theme song, Kina Grannis’ “Ours to Keep” goes, circumstances continues to keep them apart such as Jason’s dangerous lifestyle and keeping Jake’s paternity a secret from everyone in Port Charles.

However, like Jason & Elizabeth, that didn’t stop their fans from wanting them to be together. “It is great to finally see an actual romance develop instead of meaningless hookups” stated Karen Fritz, a fan who sent an email to SOW. “Liz and Jason are bringing back romance and excitement to the afternoon. I hope we get to see them together for a long time.”

Jason & Elizabeth have been voted number one twice in ABC Soaps In Depth’s poll for “Favorite Couple” in 2007, and has been chosen by Year in Soaps as one of the year’s “Hottest Couples”. And things will continue to get even hotter for them, as Jason & Elizabeth recently begin a secret romance, which will be one of the main storylines of GH for 2008.

“As long as Jason can be with Elizabeth, that’s bearable” Burton said in a recent interview from SOW. “Jason can see Jake through Elizabeth. She can show him pictures of his son and tell him stories about him. Jason’s finally giving in to his emotions – he wants to be with Elizabeth that badly.

Their story full of angst, what Jason Morgan and Elizabeth Spencer have is based on friendship, loyalty, trust, honesty, respect, and love. This is one of the few rare couples in soap operas that define and redefine both true friendship and true romance – because their love is “Ours to Keep”.