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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Friends, Loved Ones and Colleagues Gather to Mourn the Loss of Epiphany

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: ABC

There is a connection between the audience, the actors, and the characters they play in the soap opera genre that is so unique, that no other form of entertainment has it.  What we have seen play out leading to the highly-anticipated tribute episode for the late Sonya Eddy (Epiphany, GH) is the perfect example.

Here on this site, when we posted items and previews on this upcoming episode, fans were ready to also mourn the loss of the character and the actress they loved. Many of the GH cast already shared that being on the set the day of the taping of this tribute to Sonya was cathartic, real and raw as they were also honoring and mourning their beloved co-star.

Photo: ABC

If you watched yesterday’s episode of GH, you could see the utmost care that was taken by the GH writing team, who wrote a beautiful script and send-off.  We are sure, many of you reached for the hankies throughout, and well you should, it was extraordinarily touching.

When we start, Port Charles residents are already dressed and heading to Epiphany’s memorial service, headed up by Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) at the GH chapel. Elizabeth is uptight, yet on the verge of breaking down over the loss of her dearest friend and champion. Liz tells Finn (Michael Easton) that she believes Epiphany was disappointed with her in the end for the whole Esme and Nikolas mess that she was a part of.  She so wishes she could have made it right with her before she died. It is Liz’s hope that this memorial is the perfect way to make it up to her mentor and friend.

One of the key questions that everyone wanted answers to was finding out just how did the writers decide to kill-off Epiphany. We learned much of the back-story from special guest, Yvette Nicole Brown, who was excellent as the woman Epiphany saved before her untimely death. Making this even more emotional was the fact that in real-life, Yvette was one of Sonya Eddy’s closest friends.

The woman reveals to Liz and Finn that her car crashed into an electrical pole. Epiphany happened to be driving by and ran out to save her life.  She did so successfully, but when the woman asked for an update on Epiphany, she learned that she collapsed at the scene from smoke inhalation, but as Elizabeth put together, Epiphany had a heart attack, because she had a pre-existing heart condition.

Photo: ABV

Elsewhere, Anna (Finola Hughes) is mourning Epiphany and cannot attend the memorial because she is currently tucked away at the safe house. However, she gets a surprise visitor! Emma Drake (Brooklyn Rae Silzer) has come back to Port Charles to attend the memorial and gives her grandmother the biggest of hugs.  Emma is attending in place of her parents, Patrick and Robin, who couldn’t get away from their doctor duties to fly back to town in time.

Next, we learn Diane Miller (Carolyn Hennesy) is the executor of Epiphany’s will.  She seeks out the former head nurse’s mortal enemy, Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati), with some written instructions to be handled following the memorial service.

Photo: ABC

Meanwhile, several returns helped round out Epiphany’s history including: Marc Anthony Samuel as Nurse Felix, and Drew Cheetwood as her ex-boyfriend, Milo. In fact, Drew was very heart-tugging in scenes with Maurice Benard (Sonny).

Photo: ABC

Marshall (Robert Gossett) is blaming himself for Epiphany’s death telling Portia (Brooke Kerr) and Curtis (Donnell Turner) that if he hadn’t pushed her to go after her dreams as a doctor, maybe her life would have been saved.  Portia tells him that’s nonsense, he actually helped Epiphany achieve her goal.

Photo: ABC

When it’s time for the memorial, it starts with Elizabeth, and one by one people get up and speak on Epiphany including: Deanna (Dionni Michelle Collins), Portia, Sonny, Carly (Laura Wright) and others. Throughout, we get flashbacks of how the she impacted their lives.  At the end of the service, Diane gets up and tells everyone Epiphany has asked that everyone go to the roof following the memorial.  Once on the GH rooftop, Diane reads a letter from Epiphany that she wants no more tears and to be celebrated.  Cue the fireworks, that were set off and lit by none other than Liesl! Epiphany’s voice is heard singing her signature Nurses Ball song, “You’re Not Alone” as everyone takes a moment to reflect and honor her, including Anna alone at the safe house watching the fireworks in the sky.

Photo: ABC

At the end of the episode, Elizabeth, who has returned to the GH chapel, receives a phone call from Monica (and we hear Leslie Charleson’s voice).  Monica tells her she received a glowing letter of recommendation from Epiphany a few days ago and reads it aloud to her. Liz learns that Pif has suggested to the GH hospital board that despite the mistakes she had made, that Liz become the head nurse at the hospital.  Monica tells her she plans on taking this to the board. Elizabeth is overcome in a beautifully-played moment by Becky Herbst.

Photo: ABC

The conclusion came too soon for us as we knew we had to say goodbye to our friend, Sonya, who was so memorable as the beloved Epiphany. A series of flashbacks, reminding us why we fell in love with the tough-as-nails GH nurse in the first place, began to play. Later, we see that Epiphany has joined the GH wall of remembrance for those revered doctors and nurses we have lost.

This was definitely a labor of love for the production, the writers, the crew, and the cast and it showed in the final product.  All we can say is … we have always loved Epiphany, and GH will never be the same without the presence of Sonya Eddy.

Now, share your thoughts on the Sonya Eddy tribute episode in the comment section below.  

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it was a beautifully perfect episode, and hearing from Monica made it extra special. Sonya will be remembered.

Beautiful episode, and so worthy of both Epiphany and Sonya. And all of the cast brought their A game. Very well done.

Overall, job well done. A fitting tribute to a beloved character and cast member.

Just as I was surprised to hear Sharon Wyatt’s (Tiffany) voice on the Sean tribute, hearing Leslie Charleson’s voice was a comforting surprise. We’ll take whatever Monica experience we can get.

Great to see Milo again. Drew Cheetwood has grown as an actor. Shame that he’s no longer in the business. Good that they finally had Diane acknowledge Max. Looking forward to see what see & Robert might bring.

Budgets are tight and all, but a bit strange that neither Sam nor Spinelli had any speaking lines. Terry, Kevin and TJ were noticeably absent. Lucy and Anna could’ve had a quiet bonding moment. Would’ve been nice to have Emma somehow use the term “Drake Junior” to refer to her dad.

Still, a great episode including appropriate use of flashbacks as well.

This episode was very well done. The writers put alot of thought into how to handle the death of the character and the actor. I loved seeing some of the characters that we don’t see very often like Felix. There were a few missing that I felt should have been there like Terry and of course, Monica in person. Altogether a heartfelt and wonderful episode.

She was a true light and her humor and voice fantastic. I will miss her on screen. Love to her family and GH

Even though this show did allow for the writers to write this difficult show, you could see that the actors took the lead on this. Their personal grief and admiration for Sonya showed thru on screen. I hope GH chooses this show for their Emmy Reel. It’s a sure win for all of them. Sonya would’ve been proud of them.

A wonderful triute. I thought character silence was golden: Emma coming off the elevator running into Robert’s arms. Wearing new hearing aids with Bluetooth I wasn’t sure if it was Leslie Charleston. Thank you for the confirmation.

It was one of the best episodes GH has done in awhile. Very tasteful and a great tribute to a great artist. We will all miss her as the hard as nails nurse with a heart of gold. Thanks to the GH writers for giving her a great memorial. Tissues were flying out of the box.

It was a very touching & heartfelt episode. I cried all the way through from beginning to end of the episode. Sonya herself would have been proud.

this show was a great tribute to Sonya she will be solely missed. I have loved her character forever and when she left there was a big whole in the show but like others we all hoped she would come back.. RIP our friend we’ll miss you ;( <3

I hope they show it again. I was
Not able to watch it first time and did not think
To tape it.

Beyond the Gates

RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers

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Beyond the Gates and General Hospital

The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.

According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.

Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.

Photo: CBS

MORE BY THE NUMBERS

In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .

BEYOND THE GATES

Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:

Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).

Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.

Photo: ABC

GENERAL HOSPITAL

Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:

Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.

Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.

Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.

Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a  benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.

However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.

So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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General Hospital

Antonio Sabáto Jr. Breaks Silence on His Son’s Arrest for Fatal Hit-and-Run

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Antonio Sabato Jr.

Antonio Sabáto Jr., the former Jagger Cates of General Hospital and GH: Night Shift, and the former Dante Damiano of The Bold and the Beautiful has issued his first public statement since the incident involving his son, Jack’s arrest in Alaska for a fatal hit-and-run.

Jack is the son of Sabáto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, and according to court documents obtained by KTUU  Jack, was allegedly driving a white Chevy Tahoe when he hit and killed Carl Simmonds, 42, near an intersection in Anchorage around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, November 9.

The reports indicated that Jack fled the scene — but later decided to called the cops to say he hit “something” that “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing.”

Jack Sabato

Photo: NBC

Now, Antonio has taken to his Instagram breaking his silence on the situation, sharing, “At this time, my family and I are navigating an extremely sensitive and deeply personal matter.”

He added, “As a father, my love for my children remains unconditional, and my priority is the well-being of my family. We ask that the public and members of the media honor our privacy during this difficult time and keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.”

The soap alum concluded, “I also wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the gentleman who tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well. We sincerely appreciate your compassion, understanding, and respect for the privacy of everyone affected.”

Jack Sabáto was arraigned in court on Tuesday, November 10 with bail set at $5,000, and a no-driving order and the potential of $5,000 penalty fees if he fails to attend future court appearances.

Antonio is the father to Jack, 34, daughter, Mina Sabato, 24 and son, Antonio Sabáto III, 15.

This is a developing story. You can check out Antonio’s official statement below.

So, let us know your thoughts on this tragic hit-and-run, which claimed the life of another man, and Antonio’s statement, via the comment section below.

 

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A post shared by Antonio Sabato Jr (@antoniosabatojr)

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos

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Ayla Bullington

Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Ava’s (Maura West) daughter Avery looks quite different, starting on today’s November 9 episode of General Hospital. That’s because GH has made Avery into a full-blown teenager and the role is now being played by actress Alya Bullington.

In her debut, the Tennessee native was thrown into the deep soap waters with Daytime Emmy winners, Maurice Benard and Eden McCoy (Josslyn). Bullington weighed-in to TV Insider about her first scene which featured Avery overhearing a fight between Sonny and Josslyn.

She explained “It was something I have never done before, I did not have a lot of experience with the screaming and the crying stuff, but I got my first script, and I was like, ‘OK, this is a huge opportunity to learn so much about how that stuff works and to become this character that I have never even tried playing before.’” 

Josslyn

Photo: ABC

THE TEENAGED VERSION OF AVERY WILL HAVE A LOT TO CONTEND WITH

Speaking of working with McCoy, Bullington shared, “She’s incredible. I remember her just laughing and making jokes on set, and then the minute that they started taping, she just locked in and she cried immediately, and my first thought was, ‘I want to be able to do that.’

The soap opera newcomer added, “I think she just inspired me so much because she is so great and she can just lock into whatever character she wants to in the moment.” 

The character of Avery was born back in 2014, but as recently as the October 8 episode of General Hospital, the character was suddenly referred to as a teenager. This is the second young female character in recent months to be aged up following the casting of Kayden Brenna Tokarski as Scout Cain.

As for her take on Avery and what’s ahead, Alya said,“She’s emotional, and she’s curious, and she’s a really fun person to play because so much stuff is happening in her life. I think she’s kind of confused about what’s happening and what to believe.”

So, what do you think about General Hospital making Avery a teenager? Are you excited to see the conflict between Sonny, Ava and Avery now that they have aged up the character? Share your thoughts and welcome Alya to GH via the comment section below.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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