‘General Hospital’ spoilers confirm that this October 30th is the anniversary of the death of our “Fair Samantha.” Sadly, Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco) passed away shortly after donating a portion of her liver to Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins Breuning).
‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: Fan Backlash From Kelly’s Firing Was Fast And Fierce
Sam didn’t die from complications from the surgery, but she was killed by the psychotic Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober). He injected her IV with a fatal dose of the heart drug, digitalis.
She had a heart attack at the hospital and died. The explanation never sat right with fans, including this one. Cyrus believed that he was doing “God’s work” by killing people.
Lulu was in a coma, and Cyrus was trying to “help” Lulu die and be with her maker. Since Sam selflessly donated a piece of her liver to his niece, Cyrus thought she was in the way of bringing Lulu to God.
When GH fans found out that Kelly Monaco had been fired from the soap, they launched a persistent, aggressive campaign for Monaco to keep her job on the show.
Fan backlash was fierce, with fans creating billboards, signing petitions, threatening to boycott the show, and pressuring producers to reverse the decision.
Unfortunately, the “We Stand with Kelly Monaco” movement didn’t work, and an iconic character was unceremoniously killed off the soap.
Monaco portrayed the role of Sam McCall on GH from October 2003 to October 2024. That’s over twenty years of watching and growing up with a character.
I was twenty -one when Sam first arrived in Port Charles and spent much of my twenties shipping “JaSam.” I have some very fond memories of the character, including her fun friendship with Damian Spinelli (Bradford Andreson).
‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: JaSam Was An Epic Super Couple
Of course, her romance with Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) was epic imo. My favorite memory was their unorthodox wedding at the Noodle Buddha in September 2011.
“JaSam” fans were all but ignored in March 2024, when Burton returned after being fired from the show for a time due to ABC’s vaccine mandates.
However, the show made the wise decision to have Jason sit at Sam’s bedside and say a tearful goodbye to his ex-wife as a gorgeous montage played, featuring the couple’s well-known song, “Just You and Me.”
Despite whatever happened behind the scenes, Sam’s funeral was truly one hell of a send-off. Most of Port Charles showed up to pay their respects.
The church was lovingly and expertly decorated with bright yellow flowers by Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms) as Sam’s friends, family, and frenemies delivered eulogies, and a beautiful picture of her was displayed on her coffin.
As far as characters are concerned, Sam was one of a kind. A con artist turned bold private investigator, she made her fair share of mistakes.
Fans tend to either love or hate Sam, but for me, she was one of the few soap characters over whom I actually cried over her death. Most people say, it’s just a soap.
‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: We Grow Up With Our Favorite Soap Characters
Yet, when you grow up with a soap character, a lot of times, they can become like a family member to you. If you’re a major soap fan, you know how that story goes.
These characters are in our living rooms five days a week, 365 days a year, except for holidays and sports games. It’s no wonder soap fans are so passionate about their favorite characters and couples.
Sam McCall will always hold a very special place in my heart, and perhaps in the last years she was on GH, the writing wasn’t exactly favorable to the character, but I still found comfort in watching her.
In a sense, it’s hard to say goodbye to a character you grew up with because it’s almost like saying goodbye to a small piece of yourself.
It’s been a year now, and I am still holding out hope I will someday see Kelly Monaco on another soap. Maybe she could be a long-lost DiMera on Days of Our Lives or come to The Young and the Restless as an enticing newcomer.
She could also make some waves on Beyond the Gates. Regardless, Sam deserved better than her tragic ending. Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll see Sam rise from the grave. Love her or hate her, she was a huge part of GH history, and her presence in Port Charles is sorely missed.
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