A storm’s been brewing for weeks, and it’s finally about to hit Port Charles as General Hospital‘s Trina and Heather come face to face at the hospital. And given the impact the scenes had on the performers, what’s set to unfold in the episode airing on Thursday, August 8, is sure to be must-see TV.

“It’s very, very powerful,” Alley Mills (Heather) tells Soap Opera Digest of what unfolds once Trina, over mom Portia’s objections, enters the hospital room in which Esme’s mom is being tested. Surprisingly, things don’t go at all the way either of the women might have anticipated.

“Heather thinks [Trina] is there to yell at her,” sets up Mills. “But she’s not mean, she’s not aggressive. She gives me the opportunity to talk, and Heather takes that opportunity.” What follows is the older woman attempting to apologize for all the pain she — and, by extension, her daughter — caused. “And when I bring up Esme’s name and Spencer’s name… that’s when the scenes sort of flip.”

More: Who is currently writing GH? 

Needless to say, even thinking about Spencer — let alone discussing him with the mother of the woman who killed him — dredges up a whole lot of emotions for Trina. What follows is perhaps a long-overdue venting as portrayer Tabyana Ali allows Trina’s pain to surge forward. Watching her scene partner left Mills somewhat awe-struck. “It was like, ‘Whoa.’ It was so emotional, and I could feel it.”

The real question, however, is how the encounter impacts Heather. While Laura has struggled with whether to support the idea of the hook killer being released based on medical developments, Heather herself has not wanted to pursue that option. Mills admits that it’s a difficult situation, given that Heather knows exactly how much pain she’s caused.

Mills says one line, spoken by Curtis to Heather, has stayed with her and influenced her thoughts on the situation: The angry father told Heather she’d taken the light out of his daughter’s eyes. “Oh, it kills me,” admits the actress. “Just talking about it makes me cry.”

Those big emotions are definitely just beneath the surface during this week’s confrontation. “It’s a horrible feeling to know I did that to this young girl,” says Mills, in character, “and to [stand before] the girl I did it to. Trina is such a darling human, and normally very forgiving. But when you take away the love of someone’s life, and you take the light out of their eyes because their heart is broken… it’s really hard to crawl out of that pit.”

Look for the fallout to continue having a major impact in the days ahead. In the wake of the confrontation, Heather finds herself confiding in someone rather unexpected… Elizabeth! (Longtime viewers will recall that Elizabeth’s dad, Jeff, was once married to Heather, so the two women have a familial, if long-ago severed, tie).

Meanwhile, Trina’s mom, Portia, will find herself continuing to struggle with the idea of Heather being set free. Will the conversation she has with Laura bring either of them to a different conclusion where their opposing stances are concerned?

Need a reminder of how Elizabeth is related to various people in town?