I firmly believe Ryan Paevey’s return on General Hospital—could give Maxie and Britt the closure they deserve

Ryan Paevey hinted at his return to the small screen, leaving General Hospital fans to hope for the appearance of his character, Nathan West, on the daily soap again. Since Kelly Thiebaud has already announced her return to GH, Ryan's appearance, even as a memory or a spirit, may make sense.

As a longtime viewer of General Hospital, I always wanted the crisis between Maxie and Britt to be resolved. With the latter dying in 2023, while fighting The Hook, Britt and Maxie never reconciled their frictions. Britt's brother, Nathan's mediation, might have solved their differences.

However, Nathan was shot dead by his own father five years before Britt died. As such, Maxie never got closure with Britt or Nathan. Although happily married to Spinelli, Maxie's romance with Detective Nathan was charming, and James is a reminder of that.

While either character's return from the dead may need a plausible explanation, both Britt and Nathan would make a great addition to the current General Hospital storyline. Meanwhile, Port Charles residents gear up for a showdown between the town's mobster and his prime enemy on ABC's long-running daily soap.

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A revisit to Ryan Paevey's character on General Hospital

Paevey played Detective Nathan West from December 2013 to February 2018. He was the biological son of Dr. Leisl Obrecht and the villain, Cesar Faison. However, he was raised by Leisl's sister, Madeline Reeves. He joined the Police department after his sister-cousin, Nina, fell into a long coma. He initially arrived in Port Charles to confront Nina's husband, Dr. Silas Clay and Ava Jerome.

During his investigation, he met Sam McCall and befriended his colleague, Dante Falconeri. However, his work took a turn when Carly was kidnapped. While working on Carly's case, he met other residents of the town, such as Lulu.

After arresting his adoptive mother for causing Nina's coma while trying to kill the latter's baby, Nathan met Britt Westbourne at a bar. Maxie stopped their relationship from taking an incestuous turn. Soon, Madeline informed him about his birth mother and Britt being his sister.

Later, Nathan got involved with various activities in town, from the Nurses Ball to Nina's wake-up. Finding Levi a con, he asked Dante to stop Maxie from marrying him. While being in love with Maxie Jones from the start, he revealed his feelings after rescuing her from a hostage situation. He married Maxie in January 2017 and found her pregnant during Thanksgiving of the same year.

He also reunited with his sister when she returned to town to surrender to the police. In January 2018, he allowed Lulu and Peter August to use him as bait to catch his father, criminal Faison. However, Faison took Maxie at gunpoint at the Metro Court. As Nathan rushed to save Maxie, the criminal shot his law enforcer son.

While Jason killed Faison later, Nathan died from his gunshot injuries. At his funeral, Maxie saw Nathan's apparition leaving for heaven with Georgie.

Also Read: General Hospital: 3 major developments to expect this week (June 30 to July 4, 2025)

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General Hospital: How will Paevey's return affect the storyline?

Currently, Maxie is in a stable relationship with Damian Spinelli. Moreover, James has a loving stepfather in the latter. However, with Thiebaud slated to return to the General Hospital plot soon, Maxie's relationship with Dr. Britt may be in focus.

As such, Nathan's references may make it into the story arc. Maxie may see him in dreams or as an apparition. Alternatively, there may be flashbacks. Either way, I believe, a revisit to her past may give Maxie the closure she deserves.

Also Read: General Hospital sneak peek for the upcoming month (July 2025): Here’s what to expect

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Continue watching General Hospital to know whether Nathan returns to the daily soap's plot.

Edited by Poushali Guharauth