NATHAN WEST’S RETURN HAS SOME FANS CELEBRATING AND OTHERS ABSOLUTELY FUMING!
TL;DR: Nathan West (Ryan Paevey) is back from the dead on General Hospital—seven years after being shot by Cesar Faison and dying in Maxie’s arms. Paevey’s return was supposed to be exciting, but fans are divided. Some are thrilled to have their favorite detective back. Others are exhausted by yet another back-from-the-dead storyline, especially when Maxie (Kirsten Storms) isn’t even around to react.
Let’s break down how Nathan’s alive, why Paevey came back after quitting acting, whether the Westbourne family reunion is worth it, and ask whether GH has officially jumped the shark with the resurrections?
Nathan’s Back (And Nobody Knows How It Happened)
Ryan Paevey returned to General Hospital in September 2025—reprising his role as Detective Nathan West, the character he played from 2013 to 2018. Nathan died heroically saving Maxie Jones from his father Cesar Faison, and fans watched him bleed out while declaring his love for her. It was devastating, emotional, and final.
Or so we thought.
Fast forward seven years, and Nathan showed up as a John Doe accident victim after crashing his vehicle. When Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) questioned him in his hospital bed, Nathan revealed that his last memory was being shot by Faison. Then he says he’s confused about how his wounds healed so fast.
Anna had to inform him that from a “dog years’ standpoint”, things weren’t looking too good. Because the shooting happened SEVEN YEARS AGO. Nathan has no idea where he’s been, who kept him alive, or why he was brought back now. Convenient amnesia strikes again!
The Westbourne Family Reunion Nobody Asked For
Nathan’s return comes right after his sister Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) crawled out of her own grave. Britt supposedly died in Croatia, but she’s alive and back in Port Charles with mysterious secrets about who resurrected her and why.
Now Nathan’s back too, and their mother Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati)—who never left—gets both her children returned from the dead. It should be joyful, but instead it feels like a setup for something sinister.
The prevailing theory? Someone—possibly Peter August (please God no), Cesar Faison (somehow), or another villain—orchestrated both resurrections for nefarious purposes. Britt received a mysterious box with medication and a note signed “C.” Nathan has amnesia and missing time. Neither knows the full truth about what happened to them.
This family reunion comes with strings attached, and fans are dreading the eventual reveal of who’s pulling them.
Why Ryan Paevey Came Back
In 2024, Ryan Paevey announced he was stepping away from acting entirely. He told fans that “Hollywood hasn’t felt like the place for me in quite some time now, and my mental health has suffered from it.” He wanted to focus on his jewelry business (Fortunate Wanderer) and spend time with his ailing mother.
So what changed?
According to Paevey, executive producer Frank Valentini sent him a surprise text asking if he’d consider returning. They discussed different story ideas and time commitments, and Paevey decided if he was coming back, he wanted to “really do it and surprise the fans with a meaty storyline.”
“I was surprised by my excitement for a homecoming and reuniting with familiar faces after seven years,” Paevey told Deadline.
Paevey is back on contract, suggesting this isn’t a short-term stunt—GH has plans for Nathan long-term. That’s good news for fans who love the character. But it also means committing to this back-from-the-dead storyline for the foreseeable future.
The Problem: Maxie’s Not Even There
Here’s the most absurd part of this entire situation: Nathan’s WIFE Maxie Jones (Kirsten Storms) is on leave from the show. Nathan died in her arms seven years ago. She mourned him. She eventually moved on with Spinelli (Bradford Anderson). And now her dead husband is alive… and she’s not even in Port Charles to react?
PEAK SOAP LOGIC.
Storms took a temporary break from GH for personal reasons (she’s stated she plans to return). But the timing of Nathan’s resurrection happening while she’s gone is BAFFLING. Did the writers really think fans would be okay with Nathan waking up and Maxie being conveniently absent?
The emotional payoff of Nathan and Maxie’s reunion is the ENTIRE POINT of bringing him back. Without that, what are we even doing here? Watching Nathan wander around Port Charles confused while everyone else reacts is a pale substitute for what should be happening.
Why General Hospital Fans Are Divided
Team “Welcome Back Nathan”: Ryan Paevey is beloved, Nathan was a fan-favorite character, and his death was tragic. Having him back gives GH a chance to tell new stories with a character viewers genuinely liked. Plus, Paevey and Storms had incredible chemistry—when she returns, their reunion will be EPIC.
Team “Enough Already”: GH needs to stop bringing dead characters back. Death should have consequences. Nathan had a beautiful, heroic death that honored his character. Undoing that seven years later cheapens his sacrifice and makes death meaningless. Plus, without Maxie there, the whole resurrection feels pointless.
Social media is split down the middle. The official General Hospital Fans Facebook page is full of comments like “I thought Ryan Paevey was coming back as a NEW character, not as Nathan” and “It would be refreshing if the writers could stop rehashing old storylines and bringing back the dead.”
Others are more enthusiastic: “I hope he comes back as Nathan and stays a long, long time!” and “So excited to see him come back!”
Has GH Gone Too Far with Resurrections?
Let’s count the recent back-from-the-dead storylines: Jason Morgan (returned after years presumed dead), Drew Cain (came back with amnesia), Britt Westbourne (supposedly died in Croatia), and now Nathan West (shot and killed seven years ago). Oh, and fans are speculating Liesl might have faked Peter August’s death too, which would make this even WORSE.
At what point does death become completely meaningless? When viewers watch a character die, there should be emotional stakes. If everyone just comes back eventually, why should we invest in those death scenes?
Soaps have always brought characters back from the dead—it’s part of the genre’s DNA. But GH is doing it SO OFTEN that it’s become a running joke. Fans are exhausted by it. The show needs to find other ways to create drama besides resurrecting corpses every few months.
What Happens Next?
Nathan currently has amnesia about the past seven years and no idea who kept him alive or why. Anna’s investigating. Britt’s hiding secrets about her own resurrection. And eventually, Maxie will return and discover her dead husband is alive.
That reunion—when it finally happens—better be WORTH IT. Paevey and Storms have the chemistry to pull off an emotional, complicated reconnection. But they need screen time together to make it work.
As for the mystery of who brought Nathan back? Our money’s on some villain with a “C” name—Cesar (somehow not dead), Cyrus, or the dreaded return of Peter August controlling his siblings from beyond the grave.
The Bottom Line
Nathan West is alive on General Hospital, and Ryan Paevey’s back on contract to play him. Fans are divided between excitement over his return and exhaustion with yet another resurrection storyline. The biggest issue? Maxie’s not even there to react, robbing viewers of the emotional payoff this return deserves.
GH needs to deliver a compelling explanation for Nathan’s survival and give Paevey and Storms the reunion scenes fans deserve. Otherwise, this resurrection will join the long list of back-from-the-dead plots that ultimately felt pointless.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC. Tune in to watch Nathan navigate his mysterious return and eventually reunite with Maxie—whenever she comes back from wherever she is.
Are you Team “Welcome Back Nathan” or Team “Enough with the Resurrections”? And how do you think Maxie will react when she finally discovers her dead husband is alive? Tell us in the comments!
Figured out what’s really happening? Email your theory to [email protected] and get the recognition you deserve!
