The death of General Hospital legend Anthony Geary in December 2025 sent his colleagues and fans into mourning. The show acknowledged it in measured ways: re-airing Luke Spencer’s final episode on New Year’s Day and ending a recent broadcast with a tribute card bearing Geary’s image and a brief memorial message. Respectful, yes. Complete, no. Fans noticed this and said as much, and now the show is answering them.

Key Takeaways

• GH marked Anthony Geary’s passing with restrained on-air gestures that many viewers felt fell short.
• Fan response pushed the show to acknowledge that the initial tribute was not complete.
• ABC confirmed a more substantial montage is in development and will air later this month.
• The reaction reflected long-standing frustration over Luke Spencer’s off-screen death and lack of narrative closure.
• Fans aren’t asking for nostalgia, but for a farewell that matches the character’s legacy.

A Promise in Writing

ABC executive Nathan Varni addressed the growing frustration directly, posting on X, formerly Twitter, “Our team is working on a loving montage to be included later in the month, keep an eye out. RIP #TonyGeary 💔.” It wasn’t flowery or defensive, but an acknowledgment that what had aired so far didn’t feel like enough.

The response was immediate and emotional. One fan thanked him simply, writing, “Thank you for seeing my post about that.” Another pushed harder, asking for scale instead of sentiment: “Don’t hold back. I want an entire episode, at least of memories and flashbacks.” Others went straight to comparison, pointing out unfinished business elsewhere: “Hope he gets a more fitting tribute than Monica did. Still waiting for Tristan’s.” That, of course, was a reference to the passing of GH icons Leslie Charleson (Monica) and Tristan Rogers (Robert).

There was gratitude threaded through the criticism, but also impatience. One viewer summed it up cleanly: “Not a montage. A tribute episode.” That wasn’t anger. That was expectation, shaped by decades of investment in the show’s stories and characters.

Why Luke Still Feels Unfinished

Part of the tension sits in how Luke exited the canvas. Luke’s exit in 2022 came off-screen, reduced to a cable car crash in Austria and a report delivered after the fact. It never matched the character’s presence, and Geary’s death brought that unresolved ending back into focus.

Some comments circled back to that choice, blunt and unsentimental: “Show should not have jumped the gun killing Luke off years ago,” one viewer wrote, adding that the audience was “cheated out of a true tribute.” Another asked the obvious question many still carry: “Don’t you think it’s time they find his body and have a real funeral for him?”

What fans are asking for isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s coherence and closure. A goodbye that reflects the scale of what Luke meant, not just to the show, but to the people who grew up watching him.

No airdate or format has been announced. But the promise is now on record. And this time, the powers that be know people are watching, waiting, and remembering every beat that came before.