The Real Reason Hamilton Finn's Wife Reiko Died On General Hospital

In 2016, actor Michael Easton brought his third "General Hospital" character to life, this time in the form of infectious disease specialist Dr. Hamilton "Finn" Finn. Initially introduced as a doctor meant to cure Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) from a mystery illness, Finn put down roots in Port Charles and has remained ever since (via Soap Central). In recent years, Finn has been involved with several prominent women on the "GH" canvas, including Hayden Barnes (Rebecca Budig), Anna Devane (Finola Hughes), and Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst). 

A source of confusion since Finn's debut on the soap has been the details surrounding his marriage to Reiko Finn and her untimely demise before he arrived in Port Charles. There has always been an air of mystery around Finn's past and what happened to Reiko, but the whole truth wasn't revealed until the fall of 2022. Viewers could never have imagined how Reiko, Finn, Finn's current girlfriend Elizabeth, and Elizabeth's father were all connected. As part of the storyline celebrating Elizabeth's 25th anniversary on "GH," the picture of Reiko's death became clearer.

Despite the belief that Reiko died due to Blackwood's Disease, a recently dropped bombshell revealed a much darker secret. For many years, Finn blamed himself for not being able to save his wife, but it was Reiko herself who triggered a chain of events that led to her demise — but Elizabeth also played a pivotal role in leaving him a widower.

When Hamilton Finn first arrived in Port Charles, he successfully diagnosed Tracy Quartermaine's mysterious illness (via Soaps in Depth). His ability to pinpoint the disease wasn't only because of his medical prowess but because of his own experience with the deadly Blackwood's Disease. Not only had Finn suffered from the illness himself, but it was also what had claimed the life of his late wife, Reiko.

Finn's infectious disease research had consumed much of his early adult life, and Reiko was forced to tag along on his overseas trips to spend time with him. Finn blamed himself for her death as she would never have contracted Blackwood's Disease if she hadn't accompanied him. Even though Finn worked diligently, desperately researching how to cure the illness, his clinic lost funding, and his work halted, paving the way for Reiko's death, per Soap Dirt.

Besides mentioning that his late wife died of Blackwood's, Finn never delved into much detail about his marriage or life prior to arriving in Port Charles. It wasn't until he got into a relationship with Elizabeth Webber that more pieces of the puzzle began to fit together.

After Reiko's death, Hamilton Finn tried to move on with several Port Charles women. His involvement with Hayden Barnes gave him his daughter, Violet, but the romantic relationship didn't last (via Soap Central). He then proposed to Anna Devane, but her constant lies regarding her "son" Peter August (Wes Ramsey) led to a breakup on their wedding day. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Webber had been happily married to reformed serial killer Franco Baldwin (Roger Howarth), per Soaps in Depth. However, she was devastated when Peter murdered Franco in cold blood and left her a widow, though her husband's death did leave the door open for an eventual romance with Finn.

The relationship between Finn and Liz had a slow start due to Elizabeth's emotional fragility in the aftermath of Franco's death. Finn remained patient, and their romance eventually progressed. However, strange things started happening to Elizabeth soon after, and the timid mother-of-three believed someone was stalking her. It turned out that Liz had been sleepwalking and seeing upsetting visions and was responsible for all the frightening things she had experienced, according to Soaps. 

The alteration in her state of mind was especially concerning to Finn and her oldest son Cameron Webber (William Lipton). Elizabeth initially resisted getting help for her newfound issues but ultimately realized it was necessary for the sake of her family. Neither Liz nor Finn could have fathomed that the root of her trouble was tied to Reiko's death nearly 25 years prior.

Elizabeth Webber's mental health took a drastic nosedive. The usually composed and levelheaded nurse began blacking out, sleepwalking, and injuring herself with no idea why. The people around her became concerned, and Elizabeth sought help for her mental health by checking herself into a psychiatric facility (via Soap Central). However, she ended up leaving against medical advice, believing she was in a better headspace.

After returning to her normal life, Elizabeth started having flashbacks to herself as a teenager, arguing about her father with a woman in a stairwell. Sadly, the details were hazy, and Liz couldn't determine who the woman was or even whether it was a real memory. After multiple hypnosis sessions with Dr. Kevin Collins (Jon Lindstrom), Elizabeth saw a vision of the woman falling down the stairs and was finally able to draw a sketch of her face, per Soap Hub. However, in an astonishing twist of fate, Elizabeth saw a photo of Finn's late wife, Reiko, and came to the startling realization that she was identical to the woman in her memory.  

Elizabeth knew she had to face a part of her life that she had left behind decades earlier — her parents. Though she was estranged from Jeff and Carolyn Webber, she knew they were the key to unlocking the truth. She traveled across the country to her childhood home to find out how her family was possibly connected to Reiko.

To unlock her buried memories from her childhood, Elizabeth Webber had to confront her past by breaking into her childhood home and searching for answers (via Michael Fairman TV). She told Finn that she was accompanying her best friend, Terry Randolph (Cassandra James), on a cross-country trip for a medical conference, but her true motives would impact his life more than he realized. She planned to get in and out quickly without being detected to avoid a bitter reunion with her parents, but unfortunately, she wasn't successful.

While in her parents' home looking for clues about Reiko, Elizabeth was interrupted by both Carolyn (Denise Crosby) and Jeff Webber (William R. Moses), who were stunned to see her. Liz hadn't seen her parents since 1997, so they understandably had questions about the reason for her visit, per Soaps. Elizabeth toyed with the idea of walking away without learning anything, but she decided to face her past head-on and asked her father why she was fighting with Reiko on the stairs.

Jeff began to explain what happened to Elizabeth, and she was transported back to that time, her memory clearer. What she wasn't expecting, though, was the reality she'd learn and be forced to confess to Finn.

As Elizabeth spoke to her parents, she began to recall what had happened to Reiko all those years ago. She remembered learning at the time that her father was having an affair with Reiko, and she was incensed (via Michael Fairman TV). An irate Elizabeth had confronted the woman at the top of a stairwell, and the two exchanged insults. When Liz threatened to reveal the truth, Reiko grabbed her by the wrists, and they struggled, resulting in Reiko tumbling down the stairs. Reiko had to be hospitalized and required a blood transfusion, which is how she contracted the disease that ultimately claimed her life. 

Elizabeth was devastated to realize what she had done, knowing that she would have to confess everything to Finn. After returning to Port Charles, Finn visited Elizabeth and told her he knew she hadn't gone to a medical conference. She knew it was time to tell him that she had indirectly caused Reiko's death (via Soaps). Finn was stunned to learn that it was Elizabeth who had landed Reiko in the hospital decades earlier. After suffering through years of guilt, believing himself to be responsible for his wife's death, Finn now has to grapple with his girlfriend's part in the tragedy.