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Which Soap Was Best This Year? What Was 2022’s Worst Storyline? Check Out Our Picks, Then Share Yours!
Friday, December 23rd, 2022
It’s been a wild year… so we have a lot to talk about!
People love to declare, “My life is a soap opera!”, but we’re kinda hoping that yours wasn’t quite as messed up as the dramas which played out on Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless over the past 12 months. Otherwise, that would mean you’ve dealt with everything from enemies faking their death to being torn between two hot, rich brothers.
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Okay, we suppose that second one doesn’t sound so bad.
With the final days of 2022 slowly slipping away, it’s time for us to take stock of what’s transpired this year. And while we could ponder our own ups and downs, it’s much more fun (and far less traumatic) to focus on the soaps.
More: Check out how your favorite soap spent holidays past
Now, if there’s one thing we know, it’s that y’all have opinions. We do, after all, read every single comment we get on Facebook or Twitter (@soapsdotcom). We also know that y’all don’t always agree with ours, which is part of the fun when it comes to discussing soaps. So clearly, when we declare our pick for Best Soap of 2022, a whole lot of you are going to disagree… which is the entire reason that comment sections exist. Are we right?
So if you’re ready to begin debating, flick through the gallery below, in which you’ll find our pics for everything from Worst Storyline to Biggest Cliffhanger. We also had fun with categories such as Grossest Prop, Best Slap and even Best New Character (in both the Human and Animal divisions).
So what are you waiting for? We’ve got a lot of awards to hand out! Plus, we’re dying to read your thoughts, reactions and counter-picks.
For all of our Best & Worst picks, click the gallery below. Then make sure to come back to this post and share your thoughts!
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<p>And the winner is… <em>General Hospital</em>. Yes, the show threw out some duds in 2022; such is the nature of the beast. But ABC’s daytime drama is the only one that consistently surprises us (RIP, Brando!), dares to ring in the new (viva la Josslyn and Dex!) and does what so many soaps have forgotten how to: keep us on the edge of our seats waiting for that first kiss (“Sprina” FTW!).</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>The moment Victoria Grace’s Wendy appeared on the <em>Days of Our Lives</em>‘ spinoff <em>Beyond Salem</em>, we were both hooked and somewhat relentless in our determination to have Li’s little sis brought over to the mothership. You’re welcome. </p>
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<p>Since first being introduced back in 2011, <em>Young & Restless</em>‘ Chelsea has been… let’s go with “complicated.” So in the wake of her depression and attempted suicide, having the character not only seek therapy but go on an apology tour was a great idea. Except for one little thing… </p>
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<p>When <em>Young & Restless’ </em>Chelsea apologized to Billy for having drugged and raped him when first they crossed paths in Myanmar, his response was appalling. “I walked on the wild side and enjoyed every minute of it,” he quipped. To say <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/news/654808/young-restless-chelsea-rape-billy-story-fan-reaction/">fans were displeased</a> would be an understatement. </p>
Image: CBS screenshot
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<p>It only took them three decades, but <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>‘s Brooke and Taylor finally realized they both deserved better than Ridge. Of course, we’ll see how long their resolve lasts… </p>
Image: ABC screenshot
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<p>Like <em>General Hospital</em>‘s Britt, we’re not entirely sold on Cody. We love, however, his companion Comet! The set on which the gorgeous horse lives is an odd amalgamation of human and pony habitat, but we’re always happy to visit! </p>
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<p>We didn’t see Sloan and Eric’s sex-fueled romp coming, but once <em>Days of Our Lives </em>went there, all we could hope was that these two would keep coming back for more! </p>
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<p>Our jaws definitely dropped when <em>Young & Restless</em>‘ Devon and Abby suddenly started going at it on the couch… and the stairs… and against the wall… </p>
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<p>What does <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> want us to think of Bill after, in a matter of minutes, he begged Brooke, then Katie to take him back? “Pathetic” is a very new and different look for the onetime power player.</p>
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<p>It was all the way back in March of 2021 that <em>General Hospital </em>killed Elizabeth’s beloved Franco so they could introduce Austin. Since then, Austin/Maxie and Liz/Finn have both proven to be duds, leaving us to wonder yet again… what was the point? </p>
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<p>To say that most fans were upset to hear <em>Days of Our Lives </em>would be moving from NBC — where it had aired for over five decades — to streaming service Peacock would be a massive understatement. </p>
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<p><em>General Hospital</em> has kept us waiting for so long for “Sprina” to really happen that we’ve started to wonder whether the characters will be AARP members by the time they get together. That said, we’re pretty sure it’ll be worth the wait. </p>
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<p>We were happy to hear that Jefferson White and Kathryn Kelly would be Yellowstone regulars in Season 5 — until we realized that Jimmy and Emily’s Texas address meant we’d go the first seven (!) episodes without so much as a glimpse of them.</p>
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<p><em>Bold & Beautiful </em>finally took us back to the runway with a fashion show which gave us everything we’ve come to expect from the folks at Forrester Creations. </p>
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<p>No, we’re not saying <em>Young & Restless</em>‘ Sally and Adam don’t have a shot at happiness. We’re actually showing you the reason she and <em>Nick</em> will inevitably hit the skids! </p>
Image: ABC Screenshot
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<p>We get that <em>General Hospital</em> didn’t have long-term plans for Rory and Trina. But why kill off the appealing newbie rather than keep him around, either to redeem Esme through a rebound romance… or to join her on the dark side?</p>
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<p>We assumed when <em>Days of Our Lives</em> had Alex hit the sheets with Chanel and Allie, viewers would rise up in protest. Instead, most seemed willing to go with the sexual flow. </p>
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<p>We were totally intrigued when weird things started happening to <em>General Hospital</em>‘s Elizabeth. But the story has taken so many ridiculous twists — She’s being haunted by Franco! She’s haunting herself! It has something to do with Finn’s dead wife! — that honestly, we stopped caring. Then, they compounded the problem by having Liz tell… </p>
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<p>We get why <em>General Hospital</em>‘s Nikolas looks so dumbfounded. We, too, were stunned when Elizabeth claimed to be carrying his baby. Sure, she “fixed” the situation by saying she’d miscarried a few days later, but by then, the damage already had been done. </p>
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<p>If <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>‘s Brooke thought Thomas using a knife to peel his apple made him a danger to son Douglas, imagine how freaked out she must be whenever someone breaks out a carving knife to slice up the Thanksgiving turkey! </p>
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<p>At the 2022 Daytime Emmys, <em>Young & Restless</em>’ Mishael Morgan (Amanda) became the first Black nominee to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.</p>
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<p>If <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> had to (temporarily) kill off fiery Li, at least Naomi Matsura’s character got one hell of a send-off, going up in flames — literally! — while being pursued by Finn’s <em>other</em> mother, lunatic about town Sheila.</p>
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<p>We’re not sure which twist we liked better… <em>General Hospital </em>dropping some pretty big hints indicating that Felicia was Esme’s mom… or the shocker that Heather’s tryst with Ryan had resulted in the hellion’s conception! </p>
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<p>Having listened to Carter pour out his heart for ages, <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>‘s Quinn knew he wanted nothing more than to marry someone — pretty much anyone — and start a family. So her dumping him weeks after they got together because they wanted different things made no sense whatsoever. </p>
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<p>It was a long time in coming, but <em>General Hospital</em>‘s Stella and Portia finally discussed the racial ramifications of Esme’s having framed Trina. “I’ve lived in this world long enough to know how elusive justice can be for people who look like Trina,” sighed Stella, kicking off a discussion many assumed the show wouldn’t dare have.</p>
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<p>The final moments of <em>Beyond Salem: Chapter Two</em> revealed that bad girl Megan had been keeping Bo on (literal) ice since his death, leaving us to wonder if he and Hope might get a real reunion following that swoonworthy dance they shared in heaven. Now that both are slated to return to <em>Days of Our Lives</em> in 2023, we’ll finally get our answer!</p>
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<p><em>Yellowstone</em> ended Season 4 with a bang, alright — with Beth forcing Jamie to kill biodad Garrett. But after the thrill ride that was Season 3’s finale, it seemed like more of an “Oh, OK” than an “OMG!” climax.</p>
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<p>Remember the way that <em>Young & Restless</em> fans refused to let anything or anyone upset the apple cart that was Lily and Cane? Yeah, that’s now pretty much happening with Tessa and Mariah, a couple so untouchable, they’re all but forbidden to have dramatic story. It’ll be interesting to see what the writers do now that the pair are happily wed!</p>
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<p>Hands down, it goes to <em>Days of Our Lives</em> for its over-reliance on easy-access masks that can transform anyone into… well, anyone. Heck, if one of our rivals got their hands on one, this whole entry might have been added by an editor from one of our competitors!</p>
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<p>It may have taken a few years to get there, but the moment <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>‘s Thomas and Hope agreed to co-parent Douglas, we knew they’d eventually wind up butting heads over custody of the boy. </p>
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<p><em>General Hospital</em> can push Austin/Maxie all it wants, but every time he shares a scene with Britt, we become more firmly entrenched on Team #Braustin. #Austitt? Whatever you called ’em, we’re all in.</p>
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<p>As much as <em>Days of Our Lives </em>fans dislike Gwen — and boy, do they! — we kinda like that when the chips are down, she and Xander know they can call on one another. While we know we’ll get a whole lotta crap for saying so, it’s hard not to acknowledge that he’s a better fit with Gwen than Sarah! </p>
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<p>For months after Brooke’s New Year’s Eve tumble off the wagon, the <em>Bold & Beautiful </em>heroine asked on a daily basis, “Why did I drink?” If we chugged each time she posed the question, we’d have been dead of alcohol poisoning by St. Patrick’s Day. </p>
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<p>The year wasn’t even two weeks old when <em>General Hospital</em> had “conniving bitch” Nina talk to the hand — <em>Carly’s</em> hand, as you can see. And needless to say, Nina did not like what the hand had to say.</p>
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<p>Approximately 12 seconds after <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>‘s Quinn discovered Eric’s infidelity, she rushed off to reunite with Carter while her hubby happily moved Donna into the mansion. All in all, the situation proved about as dramatic as a bean-growing competition. </p>
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<p>After <em>Young & Restless</em> gave Michael a Very Special Episode to celebrate Christian Jules LeBlanc’s anniversary with the show, we feared that he wasn’t so much being put out to pasture as he was already there. So imagine our surprise — <em>and</em> excitement — when Victor decided to put the sneaky bastard’s unique skills to better use.</p>
Image: CBS screenshot, Howard Wise/JPI
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<p>It was with mixed emotions that we tuned in to the February episode of <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> in which Krista Allen’s Taylor was finally able to ditch the wig that she, we, <em>everybody</em> had had such a good time laughing over. On one hand, we’d miss the chuckles. On the other, c’mon! Au naturel was gorgeous.</p>
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<p>Only the last flashback of the final episode of <em>This Is Us </em>revealed the “secret” of the Pin the Tail on the Donkey game: Rebecca had insisted they buy it because the three children on the cover reminded her of their own brood. </p>
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<p>The January dustup in which <em>General Hospital</em> had Ava go ballistic at Carly for letting Avery sleep at “grandma” Bobbie’s after Luke’s memorial was (a) a sharp insight into the accidental conflicts that can arise in blended families, (b) all too familiar to any of us who fly off the handle before we hear the whole story and (c) hilarious, thanks to Brook Lynn’s background interjections. More real, human drama — with comedy — thank you.</p>
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<p>Why didn’t <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> have Deputy Chief Baker monitoring infamous psycho Sheila at all times? Do L.A. cops really think that this particularly rabid leopard has changed her spots?</p>
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<p>Rather than invest in a private office, <em>Young & Restless</em>’ Sharon insisted on treating Crimson Lights patrons to analysis along with their croissants and lattes. “No, not <em>you</em>,” she might as well have told everyone in line after Abby. “As if! Only series regulars need apply!”</p>
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<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ possession storyline may have put viewers through hell, but could anyone argue that Johnny didn’t make a sin-sational host for Satan? Didn’t think so.</p>
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<p>Soon after <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> cast Cassandra Creech as Paris’ mom, we learned that Grace was both a doctor and single. Yet Grace was given nothing to do but fret about her daughter’s love life. Worse, once Paris was left at the altar by Carter, Grace vanished entirely! </p>
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<p>When Jesse Spencer decided to leave his role as the popular Matt Casey on <em>Chicago Fire</em> to concentrate on family, fans shed enough tears to douse a four-alarm blaze. Despite the huge blow of losing the leading man, happily, Casey has continued his relationship with Sylvie long-distance, which bodes well for a potential return… </p>
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<p>That would be the one in which <em>General Hospital</em> refused to release viewers from the endless — and endlessly loathed — Peter storyline. We never imagined we would start another year complaining about that one, and yet… there we were. And when the plot <em>finally</em> came to a close, it delivered the…</p>
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<p>Rather than use the fact that 99 percent of Port Charles wanted Peter dead, the show passed on playing a murder mystery in order to have Felicia whack him upside the head and leave him to perish in a bed of <span style="text-decoration: line-through">packing peanuts</span> snow. Zzz.</p>
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<p><em>Young & Restless</em> had Billy hatch a cockamamie plot to stick it to Adam and Victor, then had him not bother to follow through. Perhaps the powers that be realized just how cockamamie it was and didn’t want to read any more critiques of the storyline? And if you think <em>that</em> was anticlimactic, wait…</p>
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<p>The reason <em>Young & Restless</em>’ Billy wanted to get back at Adam and Victor in the first place was because they upended his cush job at Chance Comm. But since everyone in Genoa City is rich, powerful and related, he wound up immediately being hired anew to work with the same person (girlfriend Lily) in the same office. So yeah, <em>totally</em> sensible and relatable impetus for revenge, guys. Nailed it.</p>
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<p>Loved <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Johnny as the devil, yes, but didn’t at <em>all</em> like the rape-y way that the demon forced kisses on Gabi with the ultimate goal of bedding her. Also, wouldn’t a supernatural force <em>that</em> omnipotent have a grander plan than having sex with a random hottie?</p>
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<p>Answer: Because <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> is written based on plot necessity, not history or logic. Question: Why did Brooke make such a big deal of keeping secret from Ridge her drunken kiss with Deacon? This is the same Ridge who basically laughed it off when she mistook daughter Hope’s masked boyfriend for him and schtupped the young buck against a wall at a party.</p>
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<p>When Jack began receiving mysterious texts, we joined <em>Young & Restless </em>fans in trying to guess from whom they were being sent. We came up with some pretty far-out ideas… but never once suspected Diane would rise from her (premature) grave to stir things up again! </p>
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<p>We have problems with <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ decision to have Craig realize late in life that he’s gay — but they have nothing to do with the realization itself. (We don’t like that the show took away the fantasy that the plus-sized gal could be the hot guy’s turn-on.) That was bold, modern storytelling that many a family could tell you rang true to life.</p>
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<p><a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/621806/chad-duell-discusses-breakup-with-courtney-hope-general-hospital-young-restless/" target="_blank">In a late-January <em>State of Mind</em></a>, <em>General Hospital</em> leading man Chad Duell (Michael) broke his silence on the subject of his breakup with longtime significant other Courtney Hope (Sally, <em>Young & Restless</em>) in such a way that he let fans know that they were OK — and that he wouldn’t be divulging any details.</p>
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<p>After what seemed like years of Ellen Pompeo indicating she really wanted to leave <em>Grey’s Anatomy</em>, Meredith finally departed for greener pastures, with her portrayer taking on a much smaller role moving forward. </p>
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<p>Hmm. You’ve just recovered your memory and come back from the dead, only to blow up your marriage by revealing that you still have feelings for your “new” self’s girlfriend… Sure, <em>General Hospital</em>, that would be a time when Sonny would say, “Ya know what? Who <em>needs</em> lithium? It’s the broccoli of drugs, and I’m not having any.”</p>
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<p>After <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> won the 2021 “award” for <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/gallery/daytime-soap-operas-best-worst-2021-couples-scenes-photos/vinny-confess-bb-cbs-2/" target="_blank">Most Unintentionally Hilarious Fight</a>, we were delighted to see the show come out swinging in 2022 with a Ridge/Deacon smackdown that was so intense, we had to put a Band-Aid and icepack on our TV when it was over.</p>
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<p>No gold medal for <em>Days of Our Lives</em>, which seemed to be so caught off guard by the two weeks of pre-emptions that accompanied the winter Olympics that it didn’t leave us with any real “Ack! But I <em>need</em> to know what happens next!” cliffhangers. Worse, the same thing happened when the soap made the move from NBC to Peacock! </p>
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<p>Continuing its new tradition of turning away from drama as often as possible, <em>Young & Restless</em> set up an Abby vs. Devon fight over Dominic… and then resolved the matter amicably with no courtroom histrionics whatsoever. Where’s the fun in that?</p>
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<p>Even though it’s as plain as the smile on Link’s handsome face, <em>Grey’s Anatomy</em> doc Jo never thought in all the years that they’d been friends that they’d make a sweet couple? Seriously? As you can see, all she had to do was have someone Google it, and boom! Their pairing would have been obvious to her. (Hey, at least she finally got there!)</p>
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<p><em>Young & Restless</em> recast Noah with the appealing Rory Gibson, only to turn the legacy character into a sad sack obsessing over an ex who was never all that into him in the first place. Why? Fortunately, Noah would eventually find a new lady over whom to moon in Allie. </p>
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<p>Every post from <em>General Hospital</em>/<em>Days of Our Lives</em> alum Tyler Christopher seemed to say the same thing between the lines: I’m back, I’m well, I’m ready… Who wants me? </p>
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<p>Holy [bleep], if <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> ever let Taylor be <em>half</em> as hilarious as portrayer Krista Allen is on Twitter, Ridge would have gone running back to her ages ago. “You’re so self-aware and funny and cool, I don’t even <em>notice</em> the wig anymore!” Speaking of hairpieces…</p>
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<p>We are 100-percent behind our characters getting older right along with us. It makes us feel less like the world is Benjamin Buttoning! But explain to us why, exactly, when <em>Days of Our Lives</em> brought back Patrika Darbo as Nancy, it outfitted her with a wig straight out of the Mrs. Claus collection?</p>
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<p>Richard Burgi felt terrible about it. But after accidentally violating <em>Young & Restless</em>’ COVID policy, he was pink-slipped and replaced by <em>Guiding Light</em> vet Robert Newman (Josh) as Victoria’s hubby, Ashland… who wound up being killed off less than six months later. </p>
Image: NBC, NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> brilliantly brought the past into the present by having poor, addled Sarah come to believe that she was, in reality, Stefano’s long-dead daughter, Renee. Great, bonkers use of history to make us go, “WTH?!?”</p>
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<p>After Stella put her engagement to Kelly in doubt after going radio silent on him while on tour with Girls on Fire, this duo has since proven they are meant to be. <em>Chicago Fire</em> fans were delighted when Severide came through with the ring he promised Kidd and told her he was “the luckiest man in Chicago” as he slid it onto her finger. It was a truly magical moment under the stars as they heated the chilly air with a hot, passionate kiss to seal the deal. </p>
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<p>Fans who’d been seriously ticked at <em>Bold & Beautiful </em>for causing Steffy so much heartache were over the moon upon learning that Finn’s adoptive mom, Li, had fooled everyone into thinking he was dead even as she worked to bring him back from the brink. </p>
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<p>We actually felt kinda bad for <em>Young & Restless </em>newcomer Kelsey Wang when her Allie was stuck wandering around Keemo’s empty house talking to her dead dad. Thankfully, she soon had a new talk-to in <span style="text-decoration: line-through">Taylor</span> Diane… not to mention a beau in Noah.</p>
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<p>We still don’t buy that <em>General Hospital</em> really killed off Anthony Geary’s infamous Luke, but nonetheless, the character’s memorial was spot on. From the “party” crashers to the meaningful throwbacks, it was a feat of mourning glory.</p>
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<p><em>Bold & Beautiful</em> oughta listen to Darin Brooks. He was really onto something when he floated the notion of <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-bold-and-the-beautiful/news/623299/bold-beautiful-darin-brooks-wyatt-breaking-up-with-flo-hope/" target="_blank">Wyatt gravitating back toward Hope</a>. The twist would not only get his character out of storyline Siberia, it would give Annika Noelle’s something to do besides obsess over her parents.</p>
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<p><a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/622908/days-of-our-lives-paulina-preview-sends-wrong-message-about-abuse/" target="_blank"><em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ winter tease</a> that played Paulina’s reaction to her abuser for laughs — and then suggested that she needed relationship advice — wasn’t just wrong, it was all <em>kinds</em> of wrong.</p>
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<p>It took us a minute to realize just how sly and charming <em>Grey’s Anatomy</em>’s Kai is. But once it clicked in our heads, we started falling for E.R. Fightmaster’s character as quickly as Amelia.</p>
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<p><em>General Hospital</em> really went there. As upset as fans were about the Carly/Sonny/Nina love triangle, the show still let the don and his “other woman” cross the line — and, in spectacularly sudsy fashion, just in time for his wife to catch them!</p>
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<p>Like, wow. She really <em>is</em> nuts. Somehow <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> had Sheila convince herself that she was innocent because she hadn’t <em>meant</em> to shoot Finn. She’d only, um, meant to murder his wife in cold blood. Like that’s somehow OK?</p>
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<p>While not all fans were thrilled to see <em>Days of Our Lives</em>‘ Ben and Ciara literally sail off into the sunset, they took some comfort in knowing that the pair were alive and well, raising son Bo, somewhere out there. </p>
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<p>One day, <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> would have us believe that Paris just wants to settle down like Steffy and Finn. The next, it wants us to buy that she’s savoring being single and ready to mingle. Two weeks later, she was 100 percent into the idea of marrying Carter. Whiplash, much? </p>
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<p>We’ll give <em>Days of Our Lives</em> credit for trying something different with Duke. But we’d have given the show even <em>more</em> credit if it had realized that the talking toy was a misfire and “stuffed” the contrivance sooner.</p>
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<p>It’s gotta be Louise/Bailey on <em>General Hospital</em>, right? Could <em>you</em> tell that face no?</p>
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<p><em>Young & Restless</em>’ Tessa and Mariah gave the CBS soap its first-ever same-sex wedding — a milestone that we can’t help but think would have been reached years ago, were the late, great William J. Bell still alive.</p>
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<p>We’ll admit that for a long time, we were annoyed by Marshall. Nothing against portrayer Robert Gossett, but his alter ego spent months wandering around <em>General Hospital </em>talking about a big secret he wouldn’t disclose. Now that his past mental health issues have been addressed, we’re getting to know the charming side of Marshall… and hoping he sweeps Epiphany off her feet!</p>
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<p>When <em>Days of Our Lives</em>‘ Ben and Ciara cut into the cake at their gender-reveal party, it appeared to ooze blood thanks to its devil-possessed baker, Allie. What really scared us, however, was the idea of the tiny treat feeding all their guests! </p>
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<p>Like the rest of us, <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>‘s Forrester clan didn’t believe Detective Sanchez when he said Sheila was dead. Unlike us, they were convinced when he produced the supposedly-dead vixen’s toe. </p>
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<p>We knew Jordi Vilasuso was exiting <em>The Young and the Restless</em>, so Rey’s death wasn’t a surprise. What <em>was</em> kind of stunning was that it all happened off screen. Heck, even his funeral was held in Florida as opposed to Genoa City! Vilasuso’s wife <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/news/629415/young-restless-jordi-vilasuso-reacts-rey-shocking-death-exit/" target="_blank">said on their podcast</a>, “People are saying Rey deserved better,” and she was right. In fact, we were among them! </p>
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<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Abby wins this one, hands down — especially since before Chad had even discovered his wife’s lifeless body, headwriter Ron Carlivati was floating the idea that <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/comings-and-goings/633687/days-of-our-lives-marci-miller-leaving-abigail-murdered/" target="_blank">maybe she wasn’t <em>dead</em>-dead</a>. <em>Not</em> the way to get the audience to invest.</p>
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<p>They had us at “hi.” As much as we’d like to give this award to a daytime show, it goes, hands down, to Netflix’s impossibly magical <em>Heartstopper</em>, which told the love story of English schoolmates Charlie and Nick as they went from strangers to friends to so much more.</p>
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<p>Obviously, finding a way to keep uber-popular Robert Scott Wilson on the <em>Days </em>canvas after Ben and Ciara left was a brilliant idea. Having him play a character so unapologetically skeezy, however, wasn’t. Fortunately, over time, the writers have found ways to make Alex less of a jerk, but he’s still got a long way to go. </p>
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<p>The launch of <em>Young & Restless</em>’ Chancellor-Winters had glitz and glamour… and a sum total of nothing going on. When the big cliffhanger is “Will Nate go off script and reveal the company’s actual plans?” you know you should have RSVP’d no.</p>
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<p>Not since <em>One Life to Live</em> had Luna Moody arrive in Llanview by parachute has a character gotten as memorable an introduction as the one that <em>General Hospital</em> gave Cody. Unfortunately, his storyline has, thus far, been less impressive. </p>
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<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> could have made Tripp’s send-off impactful if it had let him die to save true love Allie. Instead, the show pulled its punch, snatching him out of the Grim Reaper’s clutches, only to then banish him to Seattle.</p>
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<p>Someday, <em>General Hospital</em>‘s Wiley is gonna find out that not only did his adoptive grandpa kill his real grandpa, but his adoptive mom is the twin sister of his biological mom, who tried to kill his dad before trading him for a dead child in the woods. Paging Dr. Kevin Collins! </p>
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<p>We really meant to be reeled in by the confrontation that <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> staged between Donna and Hope after she caught her aunt “playing pickleball” with married man Eric. But we’re sorry, we — and many a viewer — couldn’t get over the fact that Hope was dressed like a cowgirl.</p>
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<p><em>Grey’s Anatomy</em> ended its 18th season with half the cast in the flux. Teddy and Owen had resigned and were on the run, all of the residents had been canned, Meredith had sent Nick packing, and on top that, we were trying to figure out what voodoo chant we had to do to get Kate Walsh to return full time as Addison.</p>
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<p>You’ve come a long way, Steve — <em>so</em> long a way that in Season 4 of Netlix’s record-breaking <em>Stranger Things</em>, we were rooting hard for him to reunite with ex-girlfriend Nancy. (Sorry, Jonathan.)</p>
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<p>Billy’s podcast on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>. Enough said.</p>
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<p>The streamer got as carried away as we did watching its teen romance <em>Heartstopper</em> and renewed the British import for not one but two seasons.</p>
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<p>No other soap can top <em>Bold & Beautiful </em>when it comes to the show’s look. Whether it’s routinely doing location shoots or doing whatever it takes to get the shot, this show will do it. </p>
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<p>In an attempt to help son Michael, <em>General Hospital</em>‘s Carly put it all on the line… and lost! We thought it might be fun to watch Sonny’s ex try and remember what it’s like to live on a budget, but aside from losing her share of the Metro Court to Nina, Carly’s life hasn’t changed a bit. </p>
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<p>Maybe it was the fact that <em>Young & Restless</em>‘ Ashland didn’t live up to his pre-introduction hype. Maybe it was that the part had to be recast mid-story. Or maybe it was that even in death, he remained the most talked about person in town. As the saying goes, “How can I miss you if you won’t actually leave?” </p>
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<p>No wonder <em>Days of Our Lives</em>‘ Rafe is only so-so as a cop: He couldn’t even detect the heat being generated between his new wife and her former husband. The rest of us, however, knew his marriage would have a shorter shelf life than month-old milk. </p>
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<p>The only way to explain <em>General Hospital</em>‘s Nikolas sleeping with his young son’s equally young girlfriend was that the writers thought, “Hey, this is a fun twist!” Unfortunately, it really wasn’t. And boy, did we hate how often they flashed back to the supposedly sexy scene. </p>
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<p>Nothing we saw on our daytime shows could compete with the steam generated by <em>Bridgerton</em>’s Anthony and Kate when at (long) last, they gave in to passion and made love.</p>
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<p>When at long last <em>Days of Our Lives</em>‘ Lucas was revealed as Sami’s real kidnapper, the stage was set for big drama… especially after she found out sis Belle was sleeping with EJ! Instead, Sami left town, Lucas went to jail and the whole story turned out to be much ado about nothing! </p>
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<p>The only thing harder to buy than <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>‘s Bill eating in a seafood shack? That the restaurant son Wyatt had discovered just happened to be a few feet away from where a traumatized Li had apparently been living ever since driving off the wharf! </p>
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<p>Both <em>Young & Restless</em>‘ Nick and his son, Noah, ditched working at the non-profit New Hope in order to, respectively, rejoin the family company and open a nightclub. But hey, it’s not like Genoa City has any poor folk in need of help these days. </p>
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<p>Say what you will about <em>Days of Our Lives</em>‘ Rolf, but the dude <em>did </em>manage to keep a literally heartless Stefan alive four years, including when the MD himself was locked behind bars! As for his methods… </p>
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<p>Anybody else think actress Adele Lamont — star of the 1962 flick “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die” — is giving <em>Days of Our Lives’ </em>Stefan side-eye, as if to say, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” </p>
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<p>The music swelled and the tears flowed as <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>‘s Steffy rushed into the arms of her newly-resurrected husband, and it all happened against the gorgeous backdrop of Monte Carlo. It was everything a soap fan could want… and more. </p>
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<p>At this point, it’s a wonder that Nikolas hasn’t been ordered by Port Charles officials to rip the parapet off the side of Wyndemere. Then again, since it tends to be <em>General Hospital</em> evil-doers like Esme who plunge from its heights, maybe everyone has agreed to look the other way. </p>
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<p>Alex spends so little time dressed that one might assume there’s a fabric shortage in <em>Days of Our Lives</em>‘ Salem. Not that we’re complaining, mind you. </p>
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<p>Seriously, when’s the last time you remember seeing <em>Young & Restless</em>‘ Chance smile? </p>
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<p>The moment <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>‘s Ridge and Taylor locked lips in Monte Carlo, we knew it was a clip we’d be seeing again. What we couldn’t have predicted was that the gorgeous scene would get more airtime than two-thirds of the cast. </p>
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<p>From the moment <em>Days of Our Lives</em>‘ Chad found his dead wife’s body, portrayer Billy Flynn has stunned us with his work. That continued up to (and beyond) him finding his wife’s killer, confronting Clyde and getting some small bit of closure via Abigail’s ghostly visit. </p>
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<p>Bad Pun Warning: From the moment <em>General Hospital</em>‘s Ava was attacked during the Quartermaine party, we were hooked — sorry, we had to do it! — on the show’s <em>I Know What You Did Last Summer </em>homage. </p>
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<p>Yeah, Elena, we don’t get it either. But apparently, <em>Young & Restless</em>‘ Nate is now a wildly-ambitious guy ready to throw everyone he’s ever loved — including you — under the bus if it means he gets to be a major player. </p>
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<p>Given how much we love troublemakers, it’s no surprise that we were stoked to learn Chloe Lanier was bringing Nelle back to <em>General Hospital</em>. So imagine how disappointed we were to find out she was only appearing as a ghost! (Despite this, we’re still holding out hope that Nina’s daughter will one day resurrect, just like so many other locals!) </p>
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