Look who is dropping in on Port Charles! A sponsored cameo gave fans of ABC's last standing soap opera a special treat, as George Hamilton made his much talked about appearance on General Hospital as KFC's Colonel Sanders on Friday's episode. And it was more than just a blink, and you missed it, appearance too. The Colonel stuck around for roughly the entire episode to dish syndicates and secret recipes.
Colonel Sanders shared his scenes with Maxie (Kirsten Storms) and Lulu (Emme Rylan), the latter of which was shocked to learn that her friend knows the Colonel. And it is totally understandable why Luke and Laura's daughter was confused by the revelation, considering Maxie has never mentioned their relationship before. As the Colonel regaled fans with a tale regarding KFC's secret recipe, it seemed as though this may not be the Colonel's last appearance on General Hospital.
In fact, the Colonel left his secret recipe in the trusted hands of his BFF Maxie, who had Colonel Sanders, put it in her "book" with a secret storage compartment. As any soap opera fan will tell you, secrets do not often stay that way for long, and it would be surprising for the Colonel's to remain any better hidden. Fans had known this cameo was likely coming for a while, thanks to tweets that had been shared on KFC's twitter page, per The Wrap. You can watch some of the Colonel's General Hospital appearance in the clip below:
The hints on both KFC and General Hospital's social media ultimately gave us the National Fried Chicken Day cameo few could have predicted years ago. Will the secret recipe stay secret or like Pickle Lila, will it end up taking center stage as a storyline? General Hospital clearly knew that fans knew this on-screen sponsor would be a "moment" and the writers dove headfirst into Colonel Sanders' appearance. As awkward as it was, sponsored scenes like this can only help General Hospital's staying power.
Product placement has been a resource for advertisement, and while it is controversial in some circles, it is a helpful way to keep shows on the air. As much of a moment as it was, it gave Maxie and Lulu something to bond over, given the recent freeze up in their relationship. Not to mention, George Hamilton is always a welcome presence wherever he pops up.
And as product placement-centric as the scenes were, it did serve the characters in providing them with some screen time amid a cheerier backdrop than they have had lately. With National Fried Chicken Day over, is it the last General Hospital fans have seen of George Hamilton's Colonel Sanders? Stay tuned.
General Hospital airs weekdays at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. For new and returning television shows you can anticipate watching over the next couple months, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's summer premieres.
