Not a lot of General Hospital characters have stuck around since the early 2000s. Port Charles life can be dangerous, after all. But although every soap opera is crowded with solid characters, fans have enjoyed watching Kelly Monaco play Sam McCall since 2003.
The current season of the ABC soap opera has been jam-packed, and no one thought that a storyline could be more exasperating than Heather Webber (Alley Mills) getting out of prison. But viewers have more than a few thoughts about Sam’s latest plotline. Let’s learn what Sam is up to in Port Charles and what fans have to say about it…
Did Sam die on General Hospital?
It’s been a melancholy time for General Hospital fans who are grieving the exit of Violet Finn (Jophielle Love) and now saying farewell to Monaco. Ever since viewers heard that Monaco would stop playing her famous character, they knew Sam would die. Viewers think Sam’s last General Hospital episode just aired on Oct. 24, 2024, and there isn’t a dry eye anywhere.
Sam was at the hospital getting ready for surgery as she is donating some of her liver to Lulu Spencer (Emme Rylan), whose cirrhosis put her into a coma. Fans saw her going into the operating room, but before she did, she signed “I love you.” Everyone who still wants Sam/Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) to be together went wild. When Jason told Sam that she could handle the surgery, she said, “Piece of cake.” That’s Sam: ready for anything, even when others would be absolutely terrified. This scene is proof of Monaco’s strong acting.
Several characters, including Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna), supported Sam and wished her well. Her kids were, of course, there too. The episode had a very “series finale” kind of feeling to it as it felt like everyone Sam had ever known came by. It’s clear that she’s not going to survive much longer because if this was just routine surgery, why would all the other characters have to visit?
A General Hospital fan posted on X that Sam must have passed away during surgery, or perhaps viewers will find out that something went wrong when she was healing afterward. The most common reaction was, of course, sadness that this cherished character is leaving.
One fan posted on X that Sam’s storyline “doesn’t even make any sense,” which is a fair point. But, honestly, there’s no way that General Hospital could kill Sam and satisfy viewers who have been watching her for 21 years. Would it be more logical for Sam to be murdered by a Port Charles villain, like The Hook killer? What about if she was randomly diagnosed with a life-threatening illness? No one wants her to die, that’s for sure.
Monaco wasn’t pleased with the road her character went down and told a fan on Instagram that she didn’t like Sam after Billy Miller stopped playing Drew in 2019. She wrote, “Stripping Sam of every characteristic she had. Something I worked for decades to build… Slowly dismantling her, into a character that I did not recognize, let alone the audience.”
At least General Hospital fans can take comfort in the fact that Monaco gave what is likely her last scene her all. It was her decision to sign “I love you”: she posted on X, “It was not scripted.” Another reason to love Monaco… and start the grieving process for the lovely Sam.
