An unexpected recent development in General Hospital has officially sparked fans’ suspicions that a return could be on the cards for a major character.
As of Aug. 19’s episode of the ABC soap, we know Lulu, Luke and Laura Spencer’s daughter, is not doing so well after her mother was called to the care facility she has been hospitalized in since falling into a coma in 2020.
As a result, every General Hospital viewer is now trying to figure out what this means for the legacy character’s future, so let’s rewind first.
How did Lulu end up in a coma?
Back in November 2020, Lulu and Dustin’s relationship was moving into forever territory as the English teacher and songwriter prepared to propose to his girlfriend of one year. They had met through a dating app when Lulu was working on a story about a man who used the platform to rob his female dates, and immediately hit it off.
By the time Dustin was ready to ask Lulu to marry him, they’d moved in together and he’d become close with the reporter’s kids, so it seemed like the obvious next step. Lulu, however, wasn’t entirely in agreement and was ready to turn him down when, in true soap fashion, an explosion stopped her. The couple was at the Floating Rib when a bomb planted by Julian Jerome to kill Jason Morgan under orders from Cyrus Renault went off, causing major casualties.
Dustin was killed and although Lulu seemed to have come out of the tragedy unscathed, a head injury eventually sent her into a coma. And that’s been her status since.
Could Lulu really be ready to wake up?
Throughout the last couple of years, General Hospital has made sure to keep Lulu’s memory alive among viewers. Laura and Dante (Lulu’s former husband) have repeatedly mentioned her and even visited her on one occasion.
That July 19 episode, where both characters opened up about missing their loved one, was what initially got fans wondering if this could be the beginning of a return storyline for the tenacious Spencer daughter. With recent events bringing her right to the center of Laura’s storyline and a new casting call for a “Lauren” character fitting Lulu suspiciously well, some viewers are confirmed she will wake up soon. Could the news about her being poorly just be a red herring to throw fans off the scent?
Actress Emme Rylan is not reprising the role
Although it was Julie Marie Berman who turned Lulu into an iconic General Hospital queen in her years playing the character between 2005 and 2013, the last actress to take on the role was Emme Rylan. When the above-mentioned casting rumors hit the forums, Rylan was quick to address them.
“Yes, it is true. General Hospital has decided to recast Lulu. Although I am very disappointed, I am glad to finally have closure,” she stated on an Instagram story at the time, per multiple outlets. While it’s unclear whether the actress obtained insider confirmation that this ominous “Lauren” character was in fact Lulu, or she was just going off of online rumors like the rest of us, her reaction has at least established that, should the Port Charles resident return, she will have a new look. Fans, of course, are calling for Julie Marie Berman’s comeback.