A new year may have arrived in Port Charles, but the town’s darkest secrets didn’t reset at midnight. If anything, they’ve sharpened. Tuesday’s episode is poised to turn the courtroom into a pressure cooker—one where a missing security video, a shaky alibi, and a child’s quiet confession could finally drag the truth into the light.

At the center of the chaos is the Drew Cain shooting case, now spiraling into something far bigger than a whodunit. This is no longer just about who pulled the trigger. It’s about who lied afterward, who covered it up, and who is about to sacrifice someone else to survive.

And in the most chilling twist of all, the person holding the key might not be a hardened detective or a seasoned attorney… but Scout.

The missing security video: Dante drops a bomb — then scrambles to contain it

The trial’s momentum surges when Dante Falconeri confirms a detail that instantly changes the temperature in the room: there was security footage that appeared to show Willow lingering around Drew’s house the night of the shooting. It’s the kind of revelation that can reshape a case in one sentence—because it doesn’t just imply proximity. It implies intent.

But then Dante delivers the second blow: the video is gone.

Deleted.

And suddenly, Dante isn’t only a witness—he’s a man standing in front of a courtroom full of people wondering whether he’s incompetent… or complicit.

Behind the scenes, Dante’s determination to figure out who erased the footage becomes its own mini-investigation, but it also raises an ugly question: if he’s trying so hard to recover the truth, why does it feel like he’s still steering the narrative?

Because in Port Charles, everyone knows what Dante won’t say out loud: Michael is his half-brother. And if the evidence threatens Michael, family loyalty becomes a dangerous weapon.

Alexis turns the screws on Michael — and she’s not asking politely

Enter Alexis Davis, who arrives in court with the energy of someone who’s already mapped out three different ways to win—depending on who breaks first.

On Tuesday, Alexis targets Michael Corinthos on the witness stand with one brutal, deceptively simple question: Is he absolutely sure he was with Justinda all night?

It’s not just legal strategy—it’s psychological warfare.

Because “absolutely sure” is the kind of phrase that forces a witness to commit. If Michael hesitates, the jury hears doubt. If he overcommits, Alexis can later expose the lie and make him look rehearsed. Either way, she’s positioning him to lose.

And Alexis isn’t doing this gently. She’s doing it like she’s convinced the truth is sitting right under Michael’s carefully controlled expression—waiting for one crack.

Justinda’s panic: the alibi that starts to wobble

Alexis’s second move is even more dangerous: she shifts her focus to Justinda, not as a supporting character, but as a potential detonator.

Her line of attack is clear—she will imply that Justinda wasn’t with Michael the way she and Michael told the police. She will suggest Justinda was with Ezra instead.

That insinuation changes everything. Because it reframes Justinda from “helpful witness” into “manufactured alibi.” And once a jury suspects an alibi was staged, every other testimony becomes contaminated.

The tension builds in the smallest moments: a pause before an answer, a quick glance toward Michael, a shaky breath when Alexis repeats the question in a slightly different way. Justinda doesn’t have to confess outright for the courtroom to sense fear.

The real question becomes: Is Justinda scared because she’s lying… or because she’s about to tell the truth?

Elizabeth takes the stand — and Edward’s gun becomes the nightmare detail

Just when the trial feels like it can’t get more volatile, Elizabeth Baldwin is called to testify—and her answers could create a new problem for Michael.

Elizabeth’s testimony is expected to focus on a chilling detail: whether Michael came to her house before the police arrived, searched, and found Edward’s gun.

If that gun becomes linked—directly or indirectly—to the shooting, Michael’s actions start to look less like concern and more like interference. Even if he didn’t fire a weapon, moving around evidence, searching for guns, or being present in the wrong place at the wrong time creates the kind of narrative a prosecutor can weaponize.

And if the jury believes Michael was trying to get ahead of law enforcement, the words “cover-up” and “guilt” creep into the room like smoke.

Tracy goes into full protection mode — and Port Charles knows what that means

Where Michael is concerned, Tracy Quartermaine does not do subtle. She does war.

Tracy is expected to defend Michael with the ferocity of someone who refuses to let outsiders rewrite the Quartermaine legacy on a witness stand. Even if she doesn’t have clean answers, Tracy’s power has always been her ability to dominate the room—by intimidation, by confidence, by sheer refusal to back down.

But Tracy’s loyalty also raises the stakes. Because if Tracy fights too hard, it makes people wonder what she’s afraid of. And in a case where deleted video evidence and “missing” truths are becoming the pattern, Tracy’s defense could end up drawing attention to her rather than protecting Michael.

Carly and Valentin: a dangerous alliance — and Brennan may already be watching

Away from the courthouse, a different war is brewing. At Carly’s house, Valentin reportedly proposes moves in a plan to take down Jack Brennan. It’s the kind of alliance that feels thrilling in the moment—two people with shared enemies and overlapping motives—but in Port Charles, “teaming up” often means “getting played.”

The complication? Rumours suggest Brennan may have already installed a tracking device on Carly.

If that’s true, then Carly and Valentin’s strategy session isn’t private at all. It’s bait. And Brennan isn’t just reacting—he’s anticipating.

That turns the power dynamic upside down. Carly and Valentin may believe they’re setting a trap… while Brennan quietly updates his next move with every step they take.

Lulu warms to Nathan — but the comfort comes with a warning label

Meanwhile, Lulu finds herself growing closer to Nathan during one of the most exhausting and emotionally stretched periods of her life. Nathan’s steadiness offers comfort, and comfort in Port Charles has a habit of turning into attachment fast—especially when fear is sitting at the table every day.

Nathan insists he’s waiting for Maxie to wake up and return, but the emotional reality on canvas looks less certain. The closeness between Lulu and Nathan is starting to feel like the beginning of a bond forged in crisis.

Yet there’s an edge to this storyline that should make viewers nervous: the rumours that Nathan has changed—harder, darker, more unpredictable. If he’s drifting into villain territory, then any romance with Lulu isn’t a love story. It’s a countdown.

Scout’s secret: the quiet moment that could shatter everything

And then there’s Scout—the smallest figure in the biggest storm.

While adults argue timelines and trade accusations, Scout may quietly go to her father and reveal something that reframes the night of the shooting. A detail she didn’t understand at the time. A call she made. A ringtone she recognised. A person she saw. Something that adults overlooked because they weren’t listening closely enough to a child.

That’s what makes this twist so powerful: Scout doesn’t have motive. She doesn’t have strategy. She has memory.

And memory, in a case filled with manufactured stories, is the most dangerous thing of all.

Drew watches Michael unravel — and the satisfaction looks personal

Finally, in a moment dripping with irony, Drew may find himself watching Michael struggle on the stand—and enjoying it more than he should. If Drew truly believes Michael played a role in what happened to him, then this isn’t just courtroom drama. It’s emotional payback.

And that leaves the episode ending on a high-stakes cliffhanger: if Michael’s testimony cracks, if the alibi collapses, if Scout’s secret lands at the wrong time…

Will the writers push Michael toward arrest for obstruction—or even deeper involvement in Drew’s shooting?

Because once Port Charles smells blood in a courtroom, it doesn’t stop until someone’s life is ruined.