General Hospital Commentary: Godspeed Fair Samantha

The good people of Port Charles gathered to say their final goodbyes to Sam McCall, but grief turned to confusion when the autopsy results pointed to negligence. Will Elizabeth take the fall for Fair Samantha’s death — or was someone else responsible for the overdose? Meanwhile, Lulu is awake and on guard around Cyrus. Will Lulu be the key to unlocking the mystery of Sam’s death? Let’s discuss in this week’s General Hospital commentary for the week ending November 22, 2024.

A heartbreaking funeral, bittersweet flashbacks, a medical miracle, a whodunit, and more made for quite a rollercoaster ride this week. I love twists and turns, and suspense and drama. It’s why I’ve been a soap opera lover for decades. A good soapy moment can make an otherwise uninspiring episode notable, turn a bad storyline around, and take characters down a different path. It can even lead to a coveted Daytime Emmy. Nancy Lee Grahn had many such moments in recent weeks.

Godspeed Fair Samantha

Even though viewers knew it was going to happen, Sam dying was still a shocking moment because so many of us had kept hoping that Frank Valentini would come to his senses, or someone higher up would put a kibosh on the exit. That did not happen.

Recently, I wrote about Kelly Monaco’s five best storylines on General Hospital. You can check it out here. Kelly’s contributions to the show were numerous, and Sam’s legacy will live on in Danny and Scout.

I think it was the wrong move to kill Sam off, but I also recognize that her death has generated some powerful performances, especially from Nancy Lee Grahn. From the moment that Alexis learned the devasting news and every moment leading up to her gut-wrenching eulogy has been Emmy worthy. At times, it was overwhelming and hard to watch.

Sam’s funeral itself was an emotional heart wrenching affair filled with tear-jerker moments. However, there were some noticeable absences. Where was Laura? Sam died giving Laura’s daughter a second chance at life, so she should have been there. If nothing else, Laura could have supported her heartbroken grandson. Also conspicuously missing, Diane — Alexis’ best friend and law partner.

I loved the touching flashbacks. I wept like a baby as Sam was remembered and roared with laughter during the infamous slap Sam gave Carly. Oh, how I had loathed Carly in those days. I remembered being so happy to see someone put the arrogant harpy in her place.

I’m going to miss Sam. It seems she will be one of those rare characters who will remain dead — much like her father, Julian Jerome. There’s no coming back on a soap opera when an autopsy is done.

How can you mend a broken heart on General Hospital?

Alexis is grieving and in pain. She is desperate to ease her broken heart, so she has latched onto the idea of raising both Danny and Scout. It makes absolutely no sense since they each have loving fathers who are very much present in each of their lives.

Alexis is not acting out of malice, but her intentions aren’t exactly pure. She wants Danny and Scout with her because they are her last link to Sam. She’s not putting the kids first, so I’m happy that both Drew and Jason did. One thing Drew, Jason, and Dante can agree on is that Danny, Rocco, and Scout have a sibling bond that should not be broken. Therefore, both Jason and Dante have agreed to move into the Quartermaine mansion with their boys.

Meanwhile, Scout announced that her father had agreed to let her live in the mansion, while he commutes between Port Charles and Washington, D.C. Less Drew? Please, say it’s so.

Alexis acknowledged that the law is on Jason’s side regarding Danny. Sam shared custody of both kids with their fathers, which means they now have full custody of their children. That’s how it works when one parent dies, unless the court deems otherwise. Alexis knows this, yet she forged ahead.

Honestly, I can’t believe that Alexis actually thinks this is a viable option. Alexis just got her law license back after being disbarred and spiraling into alcoholism. She doesn’t have the time necessary to give the kids what they need. She has her own checkered past too, including having covered up the deaths of two people that she was responsible for killing. More importantly, she is making decisions without thinking clearly about how it would impact both Danny and Scout.

Alexis had to have known that she’d never get the kids. She’s not even the executor of Sam’s will, so I don’t know what she had hoped to accomplish with that ill-fated meeting. I think Alexis would have been better served talking to Diane because several viewers mentioned seeing Sam’s will on Diane’s desk right after Sam died.

Cain versus the Enforcer

A war is brewing between Jason and Drew. There was a brief skirmish at the Quartermaine mansion the night before Sam’s funeral, but more is sure to come. I’m certain of it. Jason sees past Drew’s shiny veneer of good guy to the lying snake in the grass hiding just beneath the surface. I’m beginning to suspect the assault in Pentonville gave Drew a TBI that changed him fundamentally. That, or he’s one of our diabolical villains in a latex mask. One thing is for certain; Drew is no longer the hero he once was.

I’m not a violent person but watching Jason give Drew a much-deserved butt whooping was utterly satisfying.

Drew thinks Jason threw hands because Drew has been sneaking behind Michael’s back making moon eyes at Willow and stealing kisses. He has no idea that anyone — much less Michael and Jason — know about the illicit tryst in the children’s playroom. Silly man. For someone who spent years living as Jason, and who had all of Jason’s memories, Drew should know that Jason wouldn’t have pummeled Drew over a few kisses.

More trouble on the horizon

Drew will soon have trouble coming from all sides because Michael is plotting to take Aurora Media from Drew.  It won’t be hard because Michael told Curtis the truth about Drew’s offer for Michael to take over running the media empire, while Drew is away in Congress. Curtis doesn’t believe Michael, but he soon will. Once he does, Curtis will align with Michael.

Meanwhile, Michael has an important decision to make about his marriage.

Affairs of the heart

Let’s face it, Michael and Willow’s marriage is done. There’s no salvaging that hot mess of dysfunction. Both have been unfaithful and each has lied. Repeatedly.

It was clear to me when Michael opened up to Sasha about the state of his marriage that he knows — deep down inside — that it’s over. Both Michael and Sasha agreed that Willow wouldn’t have slept with Drew unless she had feelings for Drew. I think what’s keeping Michael from having an honest conversation with Willow isn’t that he had a one night stand with Sasha. It’s that he’s not ready to admit that his feelings for Willow have changed too.

Michael was upset when he learned about the kiss between Willow and Drew, but getting drunk and sleeping with Sasha wasn’t the act of a man who loves his wife and had his heart broken. That’s something a person who has reached their last straw would do.

Michael and Willow haven’t been okay for months. They tried to be, but they never fully recovered from Michael keeping the secret that Nina had reported Drew and Carly to the SEC and blackmailed Nina. Willow resented Michael for keeping secrets from her and she’s had a wall up ever since. I suspect Michael too has lingering resentment over the fact that Willow hid her cancer diagnosis from him while she was pregnant with their daughter.

That doesn’t mean Willow gets a free pass. She doesn’t. She’s been carrying on an emotional affair for months.

Baby, baby, baby

Will there soon be a baby boom at General Hospital? Sasha picked up a pregnancy test, so we should know in the coming days if she and Michael are having a baby. Brook Lynn and Chase have also decided to expand their family. But it’s the third lady who interests me the most.

It’s a soap opera, so the odds are very high that Willow will soon learn that she is pregnant. Except Willow won’t know who the father is because she slept with both Michael and Drew within a few hours.

Willow and Michael were intimate when he got home from his one-night stand with Sasha. Later, Willow went to the mansion where word reached her that Sam had died. After leaving Michael a voicemail message of condolence, she went to the children’s playroom where she found Drew. The rest is unfortunately seared onto our poor retinas.

Will all the stork news lead to a baby switch down the road? It’s entirely possible whenever there are multiple babies expected around the same time on a soap opera.

Sleeping Beauty awakens

As Sam’s funeral ended, Lulu’s eyes popped open. Cheesy and predictable, but I loved every second of it. The rest though was pretty ridiculous.

Lulu was on a ventilator for years. Years. Apparently in the days since the transplant, she was well enough to be taken off the ventilator, feeding tubes, and catheter. I guess they were spoon feeding her in her unconscious state.

Hilariously — despite Lulu being pretty much motionless for four years — she was able to get out of bed and take a step before falling. Oh, and her incision is stitch and staple free already. When my husband had his liver transplant, he was stuck with his 200-plus staples for six weeks before they removed them.

My husband happened to catch that scene and chuckled. “I went to the wrong hospital,” he said. I howled with laughter. Miracle Hospital strikes again.

Based on Lulu’s flashback of Cyrus during their last encounter at General Hospital, it’s clear that her memories are in tact and she’s rightfully distrustful of her uncle. She should be. I’m more certain than ever that Cyrus has been up to no good. But more on that in a bit.

Should I stay or should I go?

Every day it’s the same song with Lucky. I’m so over it. Dude, if you don’t see how much your son needs you and how much it would benefit him to have a father in his life then good riddance.

Lucky cares more about feeling like the conquering hero than being a good father. It’s sad because Aiden is a great kid. He’s kind and compassionate. As Lucky lamented to anyone who would listen about his wanderlust, newly minted WSB Station Chief Jack Brennan offered to send Lucky on a WSB sanctioned mission to Africa. Lucas tossed out an equally tempting offer by alerting Lucky that Elizabeth might be in serious trouble.

No doubt, Lucky will take door number two and find his new purpose awaiting him at General Hospital.

That is not the way to clean up Lucky’s image. It’s a cheap trick that insults the viewers. Both Aiden and Elizabeth deserve better than someone who only sticks around only when he’s the star of the show. I don’t want Lucky to ride to Elizabeth’s rescue. I want her to clear her own name. If Lucky wants something commendable to do, he should take baking classes and bond with his son. That will score more points with Elizabeth — and the viewers — than Lucky uncovering the person truly responsible for that overdose of Digitalis.

Malpractice or murder at General Hospital?

After Sam’s funeral, Portia headed to General Hospital and picked up the results of the autopsy report that attributed Sam’s death to a deadly dose of heart medication. Lucas was relieved that he wasn’t responsible for his sister’s death, but the same can’t be said for Elizabeth. She is the head nurse and the one who was responsible for the medications that were administered to Sam.

Will General Hospital scapegoat Elizabeth or will they dig deeper and remember that someone had mysteriously turned off Lulu’s ventilator recently. Someone who has taken it upon himself to slither through the hospital corridors on the pretext of spreading the word of God and saving souls.

I believe Cyrus turned off Lulu’s ventilator, and he’s the one who was responsible for the Digitalis. I don’t know if he sees himself as some kind of Angel of Death delivering poor unfortunate souls to God or if there’s something darker at play here. Why would Cyrus tell Lulu’s doctor not to share good news about Lulu with Laura? Cyrus’ excuse about not wanting to get his sister’s hopes up was poppycock, and I’m disappointed that the doctor didn’t remind Cyrus that Cyrus didn’t get a say in the matter because Laura is Lulu’s legal guardian.

Cobra Kai

I loved Spencer and Trina (Sprina). The star-crossed lovers had found love despite Esme’s scheming ways. It was wonderful to see Trina happy instead of playing the third wheel to Josslyn’s love life. Trina deserved her own love of a lifetime, especially since her first boyfriend — Rory Cabrera — was ruthlessly murdered by Heather.

Sadly, time was not on Trina and Spencer’s side. Trina gave her heart and soul to Spencer only to have him cruelly ripped away from her. They never even had a chance to have a happily-ever-after. It shattered Trina, and she’s spent months grieving and rebuilding her life.

Enter Kai the football star. Trina took an instant disliking to Kai because he didn’t take art history as seriously as she did, and he cost her a lower grade when he blew off their assignment. I definitely understand Trina’s annoyance. My first impression was that Kai is a typical jock; a gifted athlete but not a great academic. However, Kai turned out to be a nice guy who wanted to make amends. I like that.

Trina doesn’t though. It’s like the writers pulled out old Trina and Spencer scripts, scratched out Spencer’s name and scribbled in Kai’s.

It’s frustrating. Trina is not the same person that she was back when she met Spencer. She’s lived through stuff that would break most people. She’s light years more mature than her counterparts and she’s easily one of the most forgiving and opened minded people on this show. This nonsense shouldn’t ruffle her feathers, and she certainly shouldn’t get this worked up over a lower grade.

I expect this kind of behavior out of Josslyn not Trina.

Me, me, me. It’s all about me. Always.

I’m convinced the General Hospital writers get together at the beginning of each week and open the meeting with, “So, how can we make Kristina more annoying and unlikeable? Any ideas?”

Throughout the week, it felt like Kristina kept taking everything back to her loss, as if her grief somehow trumped everyone else’s. I also hate how Kristina keeps referring to the baby as “Adela.” It’s like she can’t even give Molly and T.J. that one thing despite secretly scheming to keep the baby under the ridiculous guise of protecting Molly’s rights.

Like it or not, the baby’s legal name is Irene, and T.J. had every right to name his daughter.

I don’t blame Kristina for the baby’s death. Ric is right. It was a terrible tragedy, and the trial will hopefully establish that. Ava is no more to blame for Kristina falling out that window than Kristina is. Honestly, if anyone is to blame for what happened, it’s the hotel for having those flimsy windows.

However, I do blame Kristina for storming over to the hotel and initiating the confrontation with Ava. I take issue with Kristina acting as if she had no role in that heated exchange, and that Ava was the aggressor. I recall things a bit differently. It was Kristina who came in hot and quickly tossed out veiled threats and weaponized Avery.

Kristina knows very well that Ava didn’t push her. We know that because we’ve seen Kristina have flashbacks of jerking out of Ava’s grip, tripping over Jagger’s bag, and stumbling backwards out the window. In her heart of hearts, Kristina knows that the fall was an accident.

Kristina wants absolution. She needs Ava be found guilty so she doesn’t have to take accountability for putting herself and the baby in that situation. It’s why I’m rooting for Ava to prevail in court. Kristina needs to get into therapy. Blaming others for her own poor choices doesn’t mitigate her actions.

Next week is sure to be explosive because Ric is a master at pushing buttons. He’s sure to trigger Kristina.

General Hospital Quick Takes

Does Willow still work at the hospital? It’s been ages since I’ve seen her at General Hospital. I think the last time was when she was telling comatose Lulu all about her crush on Drew.

It’s sad that Lila’s headstone was never updated to reflect her name. Baby Girl McCall seems so impersonal.

Not cool Gio. I have no issue with him stopping by to check on Trina, but knocking on her door and letting himself in was inappropriate. Two young women live in that apartment, and they have a right to their privacy when they are home. He’s always lurking and crossing boundaries lately. It’s not endearing. It’s starting to feel…wrong.

I love hearing from readers, so please be sure comment below.

Happy viewing,

Liz Masters

For more commentary, be sure to check out my author’s page.