GENERAL HOSPITAL – “Episode 15576” – “General Hospital” airs Monday – Friday, on ABC (check local listings). (Disney/Christine Bartolucci) NANCY LEE GRAHN, KELLY MONACO, COSETTE ABINANTE Credit: Disney

Believe it or not, it was a year ago this week that General Hospital’s Sam died. You can be forgiven if you kinda sorta forgot, because aside from Alexis mentioning to Drew that Scout might want to mark the occasion with her fellow Davis girls, it’s not as if a big deal has been made.

Sadly, that’s been the case ever since Sam died and portrayer Kelly Monaco exited. Very little actual story was generated by Sam’s death. Heck, the off-screen drama was more interesting (and ultimately just as frustrating) with Monaco suggesting her firing had been “retaliation at its finest” and promising she would give “a proper statement” at some future date.

“The truth,” she said cryptically, “will set you free.”

That truth, however, never came. Nor did any big drama surrounding the on-screen death of a character who had driven literally decades worth of story, having been first introduced way back in 2003.

But the wonderful thing about the soap opera genre is that it is, to quote a song that’s about to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day, a never-ending story. Which means it’s never too late.

Why Now Is the Time For Sam’s ‘Resurrection’

We’ll be the first to admit that we’re not huge fans of “back-from-the-dead” tales. When actors leave — no matter the circumstances — there’s obviously the temptation to have them do so in a splashy manner. And certainly in real life, people die. But rare is the soap opera demise which… well, sticks.

Look around Port Charles, and you’ll find a shocking number of people who have risen from premature graves. Heck, some have done so more than once. (Yeah, we’re looking at you, Jason!)

So maybe, just maybe, it’s time for Sam to join the ranks of the living undead. The current story surrounding the mysterious returns of Britt and Nathan could accommodate another zombie… right? If that’s not something the writers wanted to explore, we — not to mention a legion of Sam fans — could suggest a dozen other potential plots.

Could Sam Be Recast (Again)?

We have no idea the circumstances surrounding Monaco’s exit. At this point, it’s likely we will never find out. But even if bridges were burned, that doesn’t rule out a return for her erstwhile alter ego. Hard as it might now be to imagine, there was a Carly before Laura Wright. Several, in fact!

Look at any soap and you’ll find examples of incredibly popular actors being recast. Sure, some have been more successful than others. But in this case, General Hospital already struck gold when Lindsay Hartley slipped into Sam’s black platform booties several times when temporary recasts for Monaco became necessary.

All we know is this: Sam is a character whose story was cut prematurely short. Why should she be the only person with a one-way ticket to the soap version of the Pearly Gates?