In the world of daytime drama, the revolving door of life and death is part of the genre’s DNA. We have seen characters fall off cliffs, vanish in explosions, and succumb to rare tropical illnesses, only to walk back through the doors of the General Hospital lobby years later as if they had merely been away on a long vacation. However, as we navigate the high-stakes landscape of early 2026, two specific absences continue to weigh heavily on the hearts of the Port Charles faithful: Sam McCall and Spencer Cassadine. Both exits were seismic, both were deeply controversial, and both left massive narrative holes that the show is still struggling to fill. This has sparked a civil war among fans over a single, agonizing question: If only one could return, who should it be?

To understand the weight of this choice, one must look at the specific gravity each character brings to the canvas. Sam McCall, portrayed with an iconic, gritty grace by Kelly Monaco for over twenty-one years, was more than just a character; she was a pillar of the community. Her “death” in late 2024 following a liver transplant surgery was a shock to the system that many viewers still haven’t forgiven. Sam was the bridge between the high-octane world of private investigation and the deeply emotional territory of the Davis girls and the Corinthos-Morgan inner circle.

The case for Sam’s return is rooted in the concept of narrative justice. For two decades, we watched her evolve from a scrappy con artist into a fierce mother and a legendary investigator. Her absence has left Alexis Davis without her primary confidante and has left Danny and Scout—children of two of the show’s most important men—without the anchor they desperately need. More importantly, as long as Steve Burton’s Jason Morgan is on the screen, there will always be a segment of the audience that feels the show’s romantic center is missing. A Sam resurrection wouldn’t just be a return; it would be a healing of a twenty-year legacy that many feel was dismantled prematurely and under “retaliatory” circumstances.

On the other side of this emotional battlefield stands Spencer Cassadine. When Nicholas Alexander Chavez exited the role to pursue high-profile projects in primetime and film, the show lost its most electric young leading man. Spencer’s “death” in the icy waters of France was a tragedy that effectively paused the “Sprina” phenomenon—the pairing of Spencer and Trina Robinson—which had become a global social media sensation. Spencer is the rightful heir to the Cassadine throne, and his blend of charming arrogance and deep-seated vulnerability is a specific flavor that the show currently lacks.

The case for Spencer is about the future. While Sam represents the bedrock of the show’s middle-aged core, Spencer represents the vitality of the next generation. Bringing him back would reignite the Cassadine-Spencer feud in a way that feels fresh and dangerous. It would give Trina a reason to move out of her “grief cocoon” and provide Valentin with a worthy successor to the family’s complicated legacy. With Nicholas Alexander Chavez becoming a bona fide superstar, his return would be event television in its purest form, drawing in a demographic that craves high-stakes, youthful romance.

So, where do the lines get drawn? The legacy loyalists argue that you cannot simply delete twenty-one years of history. They point to the fact that Sam’s death felt like a stunt or a creative misstep that didn’t serve the story. To these fans, bringing back Kelly Monaco is a way for the show to admit it made a mistake and to honor the loyalty of the audience who stayed through every twist and turn. They argue that a show is only as strong as its foundation, and Sam McCall was a cornerstone of that foundation.

Meanwhile, the new era fans argue that the show must evolve. They see Spencer as the character who can carry the show for the next twenty years. They argue that while Sam’s history is great, her story had reached a point of circularity, whereas Spencer’s journey was just beginning to reach its peak. To them, a Spencer return is a shot of adrenaline to a show that sometimes leans too heavily on its past. They want the Prince back on his throne, reclaiming Wyndemere and challenging the status quo.

The difficulty for the producers in 2026 is that both arguments are valid. If you bring back Sam, you risk the show feeling “stuck” in old patterns. If you bring back Spencer, you have to find a way to make it work without the lightning-in-a-bottle talent of Nicholas Alexander Chavez if he is too busy with his Hollywood career—which means a recast, a move that is always a gamble.

Perhaps the most interesting perspective comes from the plot theorists who believe both returns are actually linked to the current Faison Project and Secret Mirror technology. If the WSB is experimenting with memory mapping and faked deaths, it is entirely possible that both Sam and Spencer are being held in the same clandestine facility. This would allow the show to pull off the ultimate double resurrection, though such a move would likely be reserved for a massive milestone.

Ultimately, choosing between Sam and Spencer is about choosing what you value most in daytime drama. Is it the deep, enduring comfort of a twenty-year history, or the explosive, unpredictable energy of a rising star? Is it about fixing the mistakes of the past or building the legends of the future?

As the blizzard of January 2026 continues to blanket Port Charles, the silence left by these two characters is deafening. Whether it is the leather-clad investigator or the prince in the polo shirt, Port Charles needs a miracle. The fans have spoken, and the message is clear: the town is too quiet without them. One way or another, the Secret Mirror needs to reveal a face we recognize before the ice thaws and the next chapter of Port Charles begins.