'General Hospital': Major Character Says Their Goodbyes in Shocking Exit

Alexis Davis is trading Port Charles for Pentonville Penitentiary for the next three years on General Hospital, but not before reflecting on how she's gotten to where she is and the trauma in her family life that still affects her to this day. In Thursday's special Alexis-centric episode of the ABC soap, the attorney (Nancy Lee Grahn) prepares for her life on the inside after pleading guilty to attacking Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) in her final day of freedom.

Spending time with Ned Quartermaine (Wally Kurth), Dr. Hamilton Finn (Michael Easton), Jasper Jacks (Ingo Rademacher), Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) and Nikolas Cassadine (Marcus Coloma) before reporting to prison, Alexis panics about what's become of her life, squeezing in an appointment with Dr. Kevin Collins (Jon Lindstrom) at the last minute. Reflecting on her abusive childhood, Alexis reveals her consultant recommended she find a purpose in prison, which is revealed later as she's shown in her cell to be helping her fellow inmates with their cases.

Grahn opened up about the episode to TV Insider ahead of its premiere, saying it went "deeper" than a standard anniversary episode. "There's something very poignant that happens at the end that will be very relatable. It serves the emotional well-being of the audience," she hinted at the time. "Everybody will be able to relate to what happens. [Viewers] will see that you don't get to skip over parts of your life and not deal with them. You can, but then you end up faking a lot of your life."

Grahn had nothing but complimentary things to say about her co-stars, calling Easton and Stuart "stellar" and "deep thinker[s]," whose curious nature makes them good actors and great to work with. "I think that audiences pick up on relationships that you have with people who are similar to you. Michael certainly falls into that category for me," she said. "Alexis and Finn's friendship is deep as ours is in real life. We appreciate and respect each other."

Keeping the character of Alexis alive throughout the years has been a journey. "There are good days and bad days. It's really been about my self-growth and not about the other people," she said. "I've always felt supported. I totally love the writers we have now, Chris [Van Etten] and Dan [O'Connor]. They're good human beings and that really matters. They respect the character. I've been very lucky." General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for daytime/syndicated shows.