In Friday’s episode of General Hospital, many of those who knew and loved Luke Spencer will gather at the docks to pay tribute to not only the iconic character but his Emmy-winning portrayer, the late Anthony Geary. The occasion? A photo sends Lulu down Memory Lane as she attempts to come to grips with her grief over her father’s passing — a grief that she was never able to fully process, life in Port Charles moving as quickly as it does.
By and by, Tracy, Laura, Carly, Elizabeth and Sonny are all drawn together to share their recollections of Luke. “Through intimate conversations, memories and personal rituals, each character confronts how Luke shaped their lives, culminating in a collective celebration that affirms his enduring presence in their hearts,” says ABC. “The episode closes on a quiet, hopeful note, honoring Luke’s legacy as a force of love, chaos and connection that continues to ripple through Port Charles.”
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Obviously, we are in for an emotional journey. But will it be a truly satisfying one? That depends. Among the flashbacks that are replayed have to be five key scenes from Luke’s incredible life. They are:
5. The Morning After
Hangovers don’t get much worse — or scenes more hilarious — than the 2005 one in which Luke, dressed in a sequined cowboy outfit, informed Tracy that the previous night they’d gotten soused and tied the knot in Vegas. Not only does the moment highlight Geary’s chemistry with Jane Elliot, it serves as a stellar reminder that he was every bit as comfortable playing comedy as drama.
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4. One of a Kind
Truer words were never spoken — or, for that matter, sung — than when Luke brought down the house at the 2014 Nurses Ball with his spirited rendition of the gay anthem “I Am What I Am” from La Cage Aux Folles. The show could try for 100 years to craft another Luke and fail each time; he was, as he sang, his “own special creation.”
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GENERAL HOSPITAL – Shoot Date: July 13, 1980. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)ANTHONY GEARY;GENIE FRANCIS
3. A Night to Remember
Most of us would be hard pressed to think of being on the run from a mobster as the time of our lives. But when Luke fled from Frank Smith in 1980 with Laura, the two of them sure made they most of it. In particular, the evening that they spent dancing at Wyndham’s department store was so magical that it still leaves us weak-kneed just thinking about it.
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2. A Night to Forget
Although Luke would regret it for the rest of his life — and Laura would eventually forgive and fall in love with him — there is no avoiding the fact that he raped her in 1979. It wasn’t a seduction, it wasn’t a crime of passion, it was an act of violence. To ignore that key piece of his history, as ugly as it is, would be to paint an incomplete picture of the character.
GENERAL HOSPITAL, 1963-present, Genie Francis, Anthony Geary, in the wedding episode, 11/16-17/81
1. Wedding of the Millennium
Obviously, no Luke retrospective would be complete without a revisitation of his and Laura’s wedding, arguably the most lavish in daytime history and certainly the most-watched. But we’ll give the show bonus points if it also includes nemesis Scotty crashing Luke and Jennifer Smith’s nuptials, sending the groom flying overboard into the drink!
Now that we’ve covered the clips that the special must include, can we all agree on one memory that we could do without: no “Fluke” stuff, OK?
While you’re here, review Luke’s whole life story in the below photo gallery.
