General Hospital commentary: Family ties and lies

Family ties are tested. Sam’s selfless act is about to change more than Lulu’s life, but will the writers leave the door cracked open for Kelly’s return? With Sasha set to share life-changing news with Cody, are his days in Port Charles numbered? Is Heather bound for Arizona with Steven Lars, or will she find an excuse to stay? It’s a new General Hospital commentary for the week ending October 25, 2024.

Family ties might be binding but lies have the power to tear loved ones apart. This week, many of those family ties were tested.

The wonderful gift of life

Full disclosure, my husband is a liver transplant recipient, so I’ve been down the very same road as Laura.  Like Lulu, my husband had PVT (portal vein thrombosis) in addition to a few other complications. Unlike Lulu, PVT didn’t make the doctors hesitate to go through with the transplant. Within a few short hours of being approved by the state for the transplant list, my husband was prepped for surgery. He received the incredible gift of life on the anniversary of his brother’s passing nearly a decade earlier. That was 3 precious years ago, and I’m happy to report that my husband is going well.

I understand that the writers ratcheted up the drama with a scary complication that reduced Lulu’s odds of survival in order to put viewers on the edge of their seats. However, PVT happens frequently in liver failure patients. Certainly, often enough that transplant surgeons are used to dealing with it. To be honest, it wasn’t even on my husband’s transplant team’s top 5 concerns. Never at any point did any of my husband’s doctors discourage him from having the transplant or offer odds of survival. That’s not how it works. End stage liver failure is terminal, so the survival rate without a transplant is zero.

Lulu is a cancer survivor who received a life-saving bone marrow transplant when she was a child. She’s also been on a ventilator for years. Additionally, she’s in a persistent coma. There was no need for an added complication, especially since the big story here isn’t really Lulu. It is Sam. General Hospital has confirmed that Kelly Monaco’s exit will be the result of Sam’s demise. Unfortunately, that moment is upon us because Kelly’s final scenes were during Thursday’s episode. Sam will not be walking out of General Hospital.

Truthfully, I don’t care about Lulu at the moment because I know that her family will get their happy ending. The role has been recast with Alexa Havins. That means Lulu’s transplant will be successful, and she will soon be waking up. Sam’s family has a different fate awaiting them.

Right now, I care about Kelly and the send-off that Sam deserves.

We love you too, Deuces

As soon as the news broke that Kelly would be exiting General Hospital, rumors began to swirl that she was fired because of some drama behind the scenes. I always take rumors with a grain of salt. There are usually two sides to every story, with the truth somewhere in the middle. However, this is different. Kelly has been vocal that it was not her decision to leave the show. She also strongly hinted that some personal grievances led to her dismissal. To my knowledge, no one from the show has commented or denied Kelly’s claims.

There’s no denying that Sam’s storyline fizzled out when Billy Miller left the show. Sam found romance with Dante, they became a blended family, and Sam was promptly shoved to the back burner. She didn’t even play a prominent role when Jason turned up alive. Instead, Sam occasionally popped up to scold Jason for abandoning their son Danny and living a dangerous life. It made no sense because Sam has always been a self-professed danger junkie.

It’s hard not to see that Kelly’s firing was anything except personal.

The scene at the Quartermaine mansion underscored that. Cameron Mathison’s Drew is a completely different character than Billy Miller’s Drew, so I didn’t need nor expect to see a special scene between Sam and Drew. Yet, it seemed that Drew got more from Sam in the scene than Jason did. Once Jason arrived, Sam made her announcement and quickly scuttled past Jason as if touching him would turn her into a pile of ash. She couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. What was that? Why couldn’t Sam and Jason have had their moment? Sam and Drew did.

The sting of being denied a proper Jasam (Jason and Sam) goodbye wasn’t lessened by Jason showing up at the last moment just as Sam was taken to surgery.

Sam’s final scene with her sisters was equally disappointing. Instead of a warm and fuzzy final moment where the Davis girls supported each other, Molly and Kristina argued about poor dead Irene. Again. I don’t blame Sam for storming out, but it made me sad. I won’t have much empathy for Molly and Kristina when they get the heartbreaking news about their big sister. The selfish harpies couldn’t even put aside their differences long enough to wish her good luck with the surgery. The Davis family ties have completely unraveled.

Lucky’s absence was also noticeable. Did the writers forget that Sam and Lucky were once lovers? I’m stunned that Lucky didn’t take the time to pop his head into Sam’s hospital room and thank her for saving his sister’s life. Then again, he did abandon his son for 15 years, so it’s par for the course with Lucky. Still, the viewers would have enjoyed the nod to their shared history.

I don’t care what personal issues were at play. It shouldn’t have affected the show the way that it has. Sam had so much more story to tell. It should have been Sam — not Anna — who worked with Jason to free him from John Cates’ clutches. Sam should have been the one who flew to Africa with Jason to bring Lucky home, and she should have been the one that Jason kissed in Sidwell’s jail cell. That would have meant something. Imagine the predicament both Sam and Dante have found themselves in with their past loves back in their lives and Sam being instrumental in saving Lulu.

Now, that would have been a good storyline.

Sam’s death might make for good soapy moments in the short term, but what happens in a couple of months? Dante will likely be rekindling things with Lulu and moving on, while Danny and Scout grow up without their mother. Why kill off such a key character for such little return? It doesn’t make sense.

Touching goodbyes

There were two moments that made me cry. The first was during Sam’s visit with Spinelli. You could tell that the tears in Kelly’s eyes were from her heart. It completely gutted me when Sam tenderly cupped Spinelli’s face as they said their goodbyes. Sam and Spinelli had such a special bond, and it’s obvious that Kelly and Bradford did too.

The scene that made me ugly cry was when Sam was taken to the operating room. Kelly confirmed that Sam raising her arm and signing I love you wasn’t scripted. It was a truly beautiful moment. Thank you, Kelly. Thank for your contributions to General Hospital, your love for your fans, and the wild ride you took us — and Sam — on. You will be deeply missed.

I’m praying to the soap gods that Beyond the Gates snatches Kelly up.

Father knows best

Holly dropped the bombshell that Sasha is Robert’s daughter. When Sasha paid Robert a visit, he knew it was true because Sasha has his mother’s eyes. However, Sasha was surprised to learn that Holly and Robert had history — including a marriage. How is it even possible for Sasha not to know that?

The writing for this twist is forced and sloppy. Sasha has lived in Port Charles for years, but we are expected to believe that she had no idea of her mother’s connection to the town or to one of its most beloved icons, Robert Scorpio. Has Sasha never picked up a newspaper? Googled her mother’s name? It seems strange that Sasha never connected the dots between Holly and Robert.

I’m also not fond of the writers playing fast and loose with General Hospital history. Holly is a con woman, true, but she is also a decent person who has a kind heart. It’s why Robert fell in love with her. She wasn’t this calculating and manipulative creature they are portraying her to be now. I don’t recognize this version of Holly. Why should I trust what the show writes if it can be changed on a whim?

There were more interesting ways to break up Cody and Sasha than to make them kissing cousins. Why was it even necessary? Cody and Sasha weren’t a supercouple, but they had a sweet relationship. What did Sasha do to deserve to end up inadvertently falling her cousin? Wasn’t the death of her husband and child, and the nightmare that Gladys and Dr. Montague put her through enough? I guess we can’t have nice things.

I don’t mind Sasha being Robert’s long-lost daughter because it does give her family ties to Port Charles. I just hate that Holly turned out to be her mother because it makes Holly look absolutely horrible and tarnishes the love that Robert and Holly once shared.

I would have preferred that Sasha ended up being Nina’s daughter because they already had family ties, even if it was an illusion. Both Frank Benson and Madeline Reeves are dead, and both were evil to the core. It wouldn’t have been beyond the realm of possibility for them to have used Nelle as a decoy to keep the twins hidden. Frank sold Nelle’s kidney to Jax, so it’s not as if Frank cared about his daughter.

Releasing the kraken

Soaps are notorious for jumping sharks, especially in the courtroom. General Hospital is no exception. Not surprisingly, the writers gave Heather a new lease on life when a judge vacated Heather’s multiple murder and attempted murder convictions and set her free.

Ironically, my mom had a hip replacement at the beginning of the week. After the surgery — still high as a kite on anesthesia — my sweet soft-spoken mother asked the doctor if her hip had any cobalt because “my daughter is worried I’ll become a serial killer.” Horrified and embarrassed, my brother rushed to explain that I work in the soap industry covering General Hospital, and it was a storyline on the show. The doctor chuckled and assured both my brother and my mother that both of her hips — she had the other replaced a year ago — were titanium, so she would not be running around town with a poisoned hook picking off my perceived enemies. My mom and I are greatly relieved, but I’m pretty sure my brother is plotting some kind of revenge on me.

I don’t believe that Heather is cured. Not by a long shot. The Hook murders weren’t her only crimes. She’s been terrorizing the good people of Port Charles since the mid 1970s, long before she chugged that LSD-laced drink intended for Diana Taylor. I think Heather is just better at hiding her true nature since the cobalt left her system.

I fully agree with Portia; Heather’s homicidal tendances are not gone. Heather will eventually wreak havoc, and when she does, it won’t be on Ric. The responsibility for Heather’s mayhem will land squarely on Laura’s shoulders because Laura was the one who got the ball rolling on Heather’s release. If not for Laura, Heather would be behind bars where she belongs.

Heather was not a part of Steven Lars’s life during his childhood for a good reason. She severed those family ties when she sold her son on the black market and tormented his father. When she wasn’t in jail serving time for her various crime sprees, she was stalking her ex, blackmailing his lovers, and hooking up with a serial killer. She’s been given numerous second chances over the years, and each time she has faltered. She’d do well until she felt slighted, disrespected, or she was denied whatever she was fixated on. Her dark urges and wicked ways always won out.

As much as I hope that Heather will take Steven up on his offer and move to Arizona, I don’t see it happening. Heather’s new obsession is Ace, so she will find an excuse to stay in town. If by some miracle she does leave, she will return. Heather is very much like a bad penny.

Laura would be wise to avoid sipping beverages when Heather is around — especially iced tea.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night General Hospital

Finn completed his program, checked out of rehab, flew to Seattle, and landed a new job. He also found a new house for him and Violet. Not too shabby for a day’s work. What he didn’t do was go to Port Charles and collect his daughter or say goodbye to the people who’d been helping to take care of her. I realize that Finn was salty because Tracy showed him tough love, but I would have thought he’d be over that by now. Tracy deserves better than an ungrateful friend like Finn.

It’s sad to see Jophielle Love go but it’s necessary. Finn might be a grudge-holder, but he’s the only parent that Violet has. She belongs with him.

Marshall also left on a jet plane. He’s joining Wynton Marsalis on tour. Luckily, the door has been left wide open for him to return, so I expect to see Robert Gossett in the not-too-distant future.

Will Cody soon be heading out of town too? I could be wrong, but it feels a bit of foreshadowing that the Serenity estate is on the market. Will Holly part ways with a couple of those gems from her sack of diamonds to fund his ambitions of buying Serenity and turning it into a ranch for kids? He has family ties to the Scorpios now, but from what I recall, Serenity is a short distance from Port Charles. Mac and James could easily visit on a regular basis.

I can’t see both Cody and Sasha remaining employed at the Quartermaine mansion for much longer. Talk about awkward.

General Hospital quick takes

Why didn’t Holly call her old pal Selina Wu — the woman who drugged Victor as a favor to Holly — to fence those stolen diamonds?

It really irks me that Curtis acts like he’s Trina’s only father. He’s not. Marcus Taggert raised her, and he deserves to be included in all of this Heather stuff. In fact, given Marcus’ connections to the law enforcement community, he’s more qualified to deal with the threat of Heather than Curtis is. Not all family ties are biological, and it’s insulting to suggest that Taggert is now irrelevant.

Brad is amusing but I do not want Lucas to reconcile with him because what Brad did to Lucas was unforgiveable. I’m fine with a friendship, but no more than that.

Jordan and Isaiah’s scenes at Bobbie’s were a bright spot. I just love their chemistry, and the flirty banter between them was adorable. We need more of that on the show. I can’t wait for their love scene. Those two sizzle with just a glance.

Did Cyrus turn off Lulu’s ventilator? Does he see himself as some kind of Angel of Mercy? I wouldn’t put it past him. His only family ties are to Laura, but it ends there. He’s been lurking around the hospital for months under the guise of doing God’s work. Who authorized that? Even volunteers need permission to go room-to-room visiting patients.

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Liz Masters