Is Shortland Street about to kill off TK Samuels after 17 years?

Is this the end of the road for Dr TK Samuels after 17 years? Photo / South Pacific Pictures

Ever since his arrival in 2006, Shortland Street’s Dr TK Samuels has witnessed his cousin be blown up in a car bomb, watched two of his wives die, survived every serial killer that’s come his way - and gone through one of the most drastic haircuts in New Zealand TV history.

Now, after 17 years on the street, it appears that the soap opera’s second longest-running character may be about to be killed off.

After surviving cancer over the last year, TK - portrayed by Benjamin Mitchell - was ready to leave the hospital behind for a new job with a hopefully smaller death rate for its staff. Instead, he was the last person shot in an active shooter storyline that dominated the show last week, leaving him on death’s door and requiring surgery, despite his fellow doctors struggling to keep him stable.

Left on life support, a discovery on Tuesday night’s episode saw the staff and his wife, Cece, learn that TK had an advanced directive on file that requested he not be kept on life support.

After initial protests from Cece and niece Esther, Wednesday night’s episode ended with them accepting that it was TK’s wishes to be taken off life support, and Cece telling Esther “We’re going to get everyone here so they can say goodbye. Let him rest in peace”.

Fans will have to tune in tonight to see if this is the permanent end of TK and Mitchell’s’s long tenure on Shortland Street. Fans fears weren’t helped by a teaser posted across Shortland Street’s social media last night teasing the shock return after nine years of Roimata Ngatai and Sarah Potts - TK’s departed wives played by Shavaughn Ruakere and Amanda Billings.

While all things seem dire for the long-running character, this isn’t the first time faces from the dead have returned in recent months. In 2022, IT specialist Damo was hit by a bus, sparking an episode-long fantasy sequence that saw him interact with several other departed characters from his time on the Street.

Damo eventually awoke from his coma and left the show to receive specialist care, but was back on his feet for a cameo appearance earlier this year.

The next few episodes will confirm if TK gets the same fate - but fans may want to prepare themselves for the final appearance of the long-running doctor.