How General Hospital Can Make Their Jacklyn Zeman Tribute Unforgettable
It's been a long time coming for "General Hospital" to acknowledge the heartbreaking death of beloved star Jacklyn Zeman, who died back in May 2023. Zeman played fan favorite Bobbie Spencer since 1977, a character who became a pillar of the Port Charles community. She didn't live in the shadow of her world-saving brother, Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary), and carved out her own niche as a nurse. Although she had flings with the likes of ambulance chaser Scotty Baldwin (Kin Shriner) and mobster Roy DiLucca (A. Martinez), her one true love was Dr. Tony Jones (Brad Maule). The tearjerking death of their daughter B.J. Jones (Brighton Hertford) will remain one of the sudser's most memorable stories.
Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) was Luke's longtime lover, and in 2022 returned to town to sadly inform everyone that he died in a cable car accident. On the November 8, 2023, episode, Tracy told everyone that she and Bobbie were headed to Amsterdam to continue sorting out Luke's affairs. (Why this wasn't completed the first time she went back to do that in 2022 has yet to be explained).
But now, the teaser for the December 8 episode shows Tracy on a plane, presumably home to Port Charles, looking at her phone and covering her mouth as she reads what appears to be shocking information. It can only mean that "GH" is killing off Bobbie, which will have a ripple effect across Port Charles.
Hopefully Bobbie's death will serve her character well
It was a completely ridiculous move for "General Hospital" to kill the heroic Luke Spencer off-screen in such a mundane way. It didn't befit a character who had saved the world and been an icon on the show for decades. But Jacklyn Zeman's death is entirely different; as the show has done in the past, Bobbie Spencer should have a proper sendoff. The question is, how will they do it?
When Sonya Eddy, who played head nurse Epiphany Johnson, died in November 2022, she and her character were honored with a tribute episode tied into the show's 60th anniversary in March 2023. It was explained that Epiphany died from heart failure after rescuing a woman who had been in a horrible car accident. Considering Tracy's reaction in the teaser, Bobbie has clearly died. Hopefully, her end will be more appropriate than Luke's and given the care that Ephiphany's was.
Bobbie still has major ties in Port Charles, especially her daughter, Carly Spencer (Laura Wright), who recently took over the family business, Kelly's Diner. We expect the devastating news will affect her the most moving forward. Fans are positive that "GH" will do both Zeman and Bobbie justice, as one person on X, formerly Twitter, confidently wrote, "Rest assured it will be a grand celebration of her life & a forever goodbye to those she loved dearly, her friends & fans! Lots of laughter, some tears [and] happy memories!"