John “Jagger” Cates is back in Port Charles.
No one knew who he was when Carly (Laura Wright) bumped into the man who introduced himself only as John, telling her he used to work at Kelly’s.
However, pieces start to fall into place after hearing him talk about his son, who is on the spectrum to Olivia (Lisa LoCicero).
Jagger (formerly played by Antonio Sabato Jr.) was last seen on General Hospital in the mid-90s but was mentioned on the spin-off Port Charles when his wife, Karen Wexler, returned to town without him. They divorced, and she was killed off in 2003, leaving Jagger to raise his son alone.
In 2008, Jagger popped up on the spin-off GH: Night Shift. It was then revealed he was the head of the FBI. Robin (Kimberly McCullough) worked with Jagger’s son after suspecting he was on the spectrum. After that, he returned to the West Coast.
So, why is Jagger back in Port Charles now?
Who is Jagger connected to in Port Charles?
Jagger’s connections to Port Charles are few and far between these days.
In the 90s, he learned his brother Michael “Stone” Cates was alive. He had been searching for his siblings and started building a relationship with them.
There was also a rivalry with Jason (Steve Burton) before he lost his memory. Jason was dating Karen, but Jagger was in love with her. The three of them ended up stranded on an island, and the dynamic changed between the group.
Brenda (Vanessa Marcil) was interested in Jagger, and the two struck up a sexual relationship, but his heart still belonged to Karen.
After things worked out, Jagger and Karen left Port Charles for Chicago, only returning once to visit Stone after learning of his AIDS diagnosis. He died shortly after that.
Why was Jagger given an entire overhaul?
While the writing in the General Hospital script introducing Jagger matches the history of the character, his looks do not.
Actor Adam J. Harrington looks much different than Antonio Sabato Jr., which may be why some viewers didn’t initially realize who he was.
It’s been such a long time since he was on-screen, and there are likely several viewers who are unclear about the character or his connection to Port Charles.
When Anna (Finola Hughes) recognized him as he busted up her sting, there were plenty of questions about Jagger heading up the investigation and why there had been no contact between him and the PCPD.
Is he back to wreak havoc on Sonny (Maurice Benard)?
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.
New Antonio is a ridiculous casting, as they could have just hired Antonia Sabato Jr back! New actor doesn’t even resemble original actor– that is unusual of GH, really.
Seems like they have based their decisions with recasting this role becaue of political differences. If so, my beloved GH has fallen short of putting the storyline and history first. Extremely disappointed! It’s a prejudiced type of mindset that is beneath the GH production legacy.
The original actor who played Jagger Cates, Antonio, Sabato, Jr. , couldn’t be recast because he passed away recently. Although I agree, they should’ve found someone else that looked a little more like the character but then again, it’s been a lot of years and people can change a lot.
Antonio Sabato Sr just died, not Jr.