Originally meant to be a bit role, Dr. Liesl Obrecht has continued to make trouble on GENERAL HOSPITAL for years! The character was introduced in the summer of 2012 with Kathleen Gati playing the devious doc, and as time has gone on, she’s been given a family and even a love interest, but she’s never stopped stirring the pot! And no matter what kind of tight spot Obrecht finds herself in, she always seems able to find a way to wriggle out of it!
Obrecht was first seen as the director of the clinic in Switzerland where Luke Spencer was searching for Anna Devane, who was herself looking for her daughter, Robin Scorpio-Drake. She managed to steer Luke and Anna off the scent, and reported her success back to Duke Lavery, who was thought to be dead! However, it later turned out that it was really super-villain Cesar Faison in a Duke mask. He scolded Obrecht for nearly letting Robin escape, and after Faison was arrested, the doc drugged Robert Scorpio and delivered Robin to the villainous Jerry Jacks.
Months later, Obrecht resurfaced to reunite with her daughter, Dr. Britt Westbourne, and help tamper with paternity results in the hopes of helping her win back Dr. Patrick Drake. Obrecht was obsessed with Faison and jealous of his enduring love for Anna. She tried to poison her rival but nearly killed Duke by accident. After Britt gave birth and confessed the truth about her child’s paternity, Obrecht abducted the infant and left him with Robin on Cassadine Island. Disguising herself as Anna, Obrecht got Faison out of prison and brought him to meet his grandson.
When Obrecht was finally brought to justice, she blackmailed Britt into getting her released by threatening to expose how she got pregnant (by stealing Lulu and Dante Falconeri’s fertilized embryo!). With the help of former flame Victor Cassadine, Obrecht was not only set free but made chief of staff at GH! When the truth came out about Britt’s son, Obrecht kidnapped the kid and shot hostage Elizabeth Webber as Ben was rescued.
Locked up next to Madeline Reeves, it was revealed that the two women were sisters. And not only that but Obrecht came to realize that Nathan West was the son she gave up to her sibling to raise! She struck a deal to return Lulu and Dante’s last remaining embryo in exchange for her and Britt’s freedom. When Nathan went missing, Obrecht learned Victor was holding him and told him Nathan was his son. But when DNA tests proved that was a lie, Victor was about to shoot Obrecht when Anna burst in on them to arrest him. Obrecht shot Victor dead, believing it better he die with everyone believing he’s Nathan’s father because the truth was so much worse.
Obrecht was happy to learn that Faison was still alive, but after their reunion, helped him flee the country with Britt to avoid being arrested. She was fired from her position as chief of staff and later was one of the prime suspects when patients in the hospital were found murdered. Although thrilled to learn she was going to be a grandmother when Nathan and Maxie announced they were expecting, Obrecht was devastated when the truth came out that Nathan was Faison’s son.
Faison returned to Port Charles for one final reign of terror, and in a confrontation with his other son, Henrik (calling himself Peter August), fired a shot that killed Nathan! Peter shot Faison dead, and Obrecht mourned the loss of both men. But her grief over losing Nathan caused her to abduct Peter and seek revenge against the man she blamed for bringing Faison back and causing Nathan’s death. However, while she tortured Peter for a while, she ultimately didn’t go through with killing him.
When her prison transport crashed, Obrecht wandered in the woods until she came across Nelle Benson about to give birth. She helped deliver the baby and later realized that the baby Brad and Lucas were raising was really Nelle and Michael’s. Madeline passed away and at her funeral, Obrecht spotted Valentin Cassadine taking DNA from the corpse. She later revealed to Valentin she knew that Sasha was not really Nina’s daughter as they claimed, and used that to blackmail Valentin into convincing Peter to drop the charges against her.
Obrecht knowing the truth about Wiley almost got her killed when Brad pushed her off the Haunted Star, and her leverage against Valentin vanished when Sasha came clean to Nina. But things got even worse when Obrecht found herself framed by Peter for Franco and Andre’s attempted murder! She declared her innocence to everyone but no one believed her this time and Obrecht eventually found herself shipped off to The Hague to stand trial for her crimes!
In September 2020, Obrecht resurfaced when Dr. Kirk reported to her that Dante was ready to go after Peter and Anna and she hoped her innocence would finally be proven!
Stay tuned to GH to find out how Obrecht’s story continues!
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