Daniel Goddard Exits General Hospital After Dalton’s Final Reckoning

Well, that escalated fast. General Hospital just slammed the door on Henry Dalton, and with it, Daniel Goddard's quick-but-busy run in Port Charles. If you saw the November 19 episode, you know the chaos finally caught up to him - and it was messy.

So, why is Daniel Goddard out?

Because Dalton is dead. Shot by his partner, Sidwell, after a confrontation that spun out in record time. Goddard only joined GH back in April, and the show says this was always the plan - Dalton was built as a short-term character.

'We can confirm that Daniel Goddard has exited General Hospital as Professor Henry Dalton.'

That came via a spokesperson to Soap Opera Digest. Executive producer Frank Valentini also sent him off with the standard good-luck wishes.

How the downfall went down (Nov 19)

• Dalton got drunk and told Josslyn he had been running illegal animal experiments.
• Emma - who had been suspicious for a while - was right on the money.
• Panicked, Dalton bolted to Wyndemere to meet his partner-in-crime, Sidwell.
• Britt, fed up with the damage Dalton was causing, pushed Sidwell to 'cut loose' the professor before things got worse.
• Sidwell pulled the trigger. Dalton died, and Goddard's stint ended right there.

The short run, the ripple effects

Even with the brief stay, Goddard made a splash. Fun fact: he first auditioned for GH back in 2005, well before his long stretch on The Young and the Restless as Cane Ashby. Once he finally landed in Port Charles as Dalton, the story linked him closely with Emma (played by Braedyn Bruner), and fans warmed up to their scenes fast. Bruner praised his grounded, natural work, and Goddard returned the compliment, saying she was a joy to collaborate with.

With Dalton gone, there is still plenty of fallout to sort through - the illegal experiments, Britt's role in pushing Sidwell, what Sidwell does next, and how Josslyn and Emma deal with the mess. For a 'short-term' character, Dalton left a long shadow.