The Loved and the Loathed

[vetsoapfan]

Yes, Nikki also killed a john in a hotel room back in 1979 (I think), and let an innocent teenager stand trial for the crime. So her death count is four. I had forgotten about Diane.

 

I don't think your list took up too much space. This is the internet; space is meant to be used!

[P.J.]

As much as I loathe camp in general, I can't loathe The Spa on ATWT. It's a small-ish arc in Barbara's Descent into Madness story, and the build up to the kidnappings and rescue of Carly and Emily was full of suspense (the less said about Rose, the better, IMO). I'd literally have to give up my Carjack card---his rescue at the Funhouse and their reunion is an emotional highpoint of their romance. As much as I liked the Jen/Gwen babyswitch story, it's a load of WTFery, starting with Jen being full term or even close to surviviability at three months pregnant. But on a lot of levels, it was emotionally satisfying.

 

I save my disdain for the pointless crap like Keys to the Kingdom, the Slasher story, and Aaron/Lucy/Alison's Campus to Campus Fun Run.

[NothinButAttitude]

@vetsoapfan, Not surprised if Nikki did kill someone and let someone else deal with the aftermath. That's in her wheelhouse. At least we can commend the writers for keeping consistent with that. That's why I can't stand her ass. 

 

Moving on to my UK soaps now: 

 

Loved: 

• Who killed Tom King? (Emmerdale) 
• Mad Maya (Coronation Street) 
• Richard Hillman (Coronation Street) 
• Kings River explosion (Emmerdale) 
• Who shot Phil? (Eastenders) 
• Sharongate (Eastenders) 
• Charity v. Sadie (Emmerdale) 
• Chrissie kills Den (Eastenders)
• The double life of Mark Wylde (Emmerdale) 
• Robert beds Katie (Emmerdale) 

 

Hated:

• Who killed Lucy? (Eastenders)
• Who killed Archie? (Eastenders) 
• Who killed Frank? (Coronation Street) 
• The murder of Tina (Coronation Street) 
• Cameron the serial killer (Emmerdale) 
• Any Debbie pregnancy story (Emmerdale) 
• Who kidnapped Tom King? (Emmerdale) 
• Maria falls for Marcus (Coronation Street) 
• Declan v. Charity (Emmerdale) 
• Izzy's reefer fever (Coronation Street) 
• Becky/Steve romance (Coronation Street)

[DRW50]

Why did you hate the Tom King kidnapping?

[NothinButAttitude]

 

Because it was yet another story of Cain doing dodgy sh-t to get ahead, and I was over him at that point. Only good thing about that story was it was his exit story for 3 years. I didn't miss him while he was gone. I do enjoy him now with Moira as he tries to be decent. 

[SoapDope]

I Loved

Y&R

(1980's) John/Jack/Jill......when Jack and Jill slept together in the cabin during the snow storm. It started several years of fantastic storyline material with Kay black mailing Jill, John's heart attack and disowning Jack. John and Jill's divorce with her outrageous divorce demands with a percentage of Jabot and her shooting by Sven. Add to the mix her troubled relationship with Phillip III.

 

(1970's -1990's) Kay & Jill. A rivalry that fueled storylines for decades. It went south in the early 2000's when they did that STUPID Kay/Jill mother daughter thing and Jill's Foster family ties being destroyed. 

 

(1970's-early 80's) Leslie/Lorie/Lance/Lucas.....there were parts of this storyline that were fantastic with Vanessa playing cat and mouse games with Lorie and finally offing herself and blackmailing Lorie for her death. 

 

(1980's-early 90's) The Cassandra Rawlings's story. Loved it.

 

(1980's) Ashley in the nut house and the introduction of Leanna Love. Leanna's I hate men campaign. 

 

B&B

(Late 80's) Caroline/Ridge/Brooke/Thorne.....No matter how cheesy B&B is/was. I loved this storyline with Thorne (then played by Clayton Norcross) shooting pompous Ridge for sleeping with Caroline while she was out of it.

 

(1980's/90's) any scene that featured Sally Spectra

 

(ATWT)

(1970's)....what I have heard/ read of the Kim/Bob/Jennifer/John storyline. 

 

(1970's).....what I have heard/read about Kim/Dan/Susan.

 

(1980's).....Loved the Bob and Kim reunion and the stalker storyline. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bright Eyes]

Hollyoaks: Clare Devine's reign of terror / Niall Rafferty's revenge & obsession with Steph / George & Phoebe being homeless / Texas & Dodger's relationship dramas / the umbrella story of Walker's revenge on Brendan, Dr. Browning's obsession with Mercedes, & Riley and Lynsey's shock deaths / Justin & Becca's affair / Newt's schizophrenia / Silas the serial killer vs. Lynsey / The Dog explosion & mini bus crash stunts / Ste's physical abuse against Amy / baby Grace's cot death / Hannah's anorexia

 

Emmerdale: Sharon Crossthwaite's rape and murder / Daniel's cot death / Andy & Robert's rivalry / Victoria falling through the ice + her relationship with Daz / the famous plane crash stunt - the zenith of soap stunts / Kim Tate's exit / Donna's return, tragic love story with Ross and death / Declan's unravelling / Cameron the serial killer / Rhona's pill addiction, and Vanessa's all consuming love for her / Natasha killing cheating husband Mark and burying him in the woods / Priya/David/Alicia triangle / Carl pretending to love Lexi to keep her quiet about his murderous secret / Belle accidentally murdering her best friend, Gemma / Charity seducing Zoe, Zoe backstabbing her, Zoe's mental descent / everything Steph Stokes / Jack's funeral - my favourite soap funeral

 

EastEnders: Pat's death leading to David Wicks' return and turbulent relationship with Carol / Michael plotting Janine's death with brainwashed Alice / the baby switch for Sam Womack's performances alone / Den the cheater, Angie the alcoholic / Who's Michelle's baby daddy? / Max and Stacey affair / Billie's death / Nick's last reign of terror / Ben murders Heather / pub fire and Peggy's exit / Ian's breakdown/homelessness, and Lucy's struggle with it all / Lola fighting to keep baby daughter Lexi

 

DAYS: Kristen's descent and demise, and initial return stint / Sami/Austin/Carrie/Lucas quad / Franco murder mystery leading to Sami on death row / Zack/J.T. baby switch, leading to Lexie becoming a true DiMera / Jennifer pursues Jack, and their relationship dramas until their first wedding / Lucas and a mute Sami finally realize their feelings for each other / Nicole marries Lucas for $5 million, drama with her abusive father, and Victor's pursuit of her / Nick and Chelsea's initial courtship and break up over his one night stand with Billie / Ben/Abby/Chad

 

Shortland Street: Roimata's sexual assault by Zac / Josh's hero disease / killer virus resulting in Sarah's shock death / Seth's power plays for CEO of the hospital + Rachel's fall from grace / insane sister Bree steals Brooke's life / Brooke and Boyd marry for a mutually beneficial deal, but fall in love anyway / Kane's depression + suicide attempt / After numerous relationship woes, Vasa finally finds happiness with Sam / Brett's reign of terror / Ula's struggles to give up her son / Garrett's womanizing + affair with Rachel / Pania's obession with TK + murder of her husband Caleb / young Pixie survives cancer, but dies from pneumonia shortly after / Kylie's slutty ways resulting in her getting chlamydia / Vinnie/Nicole/Harper triangle / Nicole's brain damage / hostage crisis resulting in Wendy's death / *currently Victoria getting away with shooting Drew and framing love rival Margaret for it

 

Red Rock: paedophile Brian's reign of terror / the rivalry between the wealthy Hennessy's + the common Kielys / the umbrella story spurned from Paudge's money woes

 

Dark Shadows: murder of Bill Malloy / Laura the Phoenix / Barnabas's obsession with Maggie (I haven't watched past the very beginnings of the 1795 story!)

 

Guiding Light: Jonathan + Tammy's incest love story #sorryboutit

[vetsoapfan]

Thank you for your list, Juniorz. I would say that the very best thing to come out of SANTA BARBARA was the extraordinary relationship and chemistry between Cruz and Eden. A Martinez and Marcy Walker clicked beautifully on-screen. It's rare to find a couple on television or in the movies who create such magic together. George Reinholt and Jacqueline Courtney (AW) were another couple who had that undeniable spark, and it's always mesmerizing to see.

I have more than enough disdain to spread over ALL the dreadful camp stories which have ever been dumped anywhere on daytime TV, LOL.

 

I do agree with your point that if a story has a very satisfying emotional pay-off, viewers can be more forgiving about the nonsense involved. Unfortunately, so many of soaps' forays into low-brow camp have been stupid from beginning to end, and worse, provided no point or pay off to viewers who suffered through them.

Greg Foster, who was Nikki's husband in the 1970s, ended up defending the innocent boy in court, thereby adding another twist to the story. That's the plot that made me loathe Nikki, and I've never been able to tolerate her since then. That she has become a cornerstone of the show, while the Brooks and Foster families are all but forgotten, irks me to no end.

 

Of course, I've never forgiven Nikki for giving Paul Williams VD, either. ROTF!

[vetsoapfan]

Yes, yes, yes, the Jill/Katherine dynamic was pure gold for Y&R, and fueled that show for decades. William J. Bell was a master at creating situations and relationships which could be milked for years (another great example being the secret of Mike Horton's paternity on DAYS, a story which literally lasted for A DECADE, and which was consistently mesmerizing throughout).

 

The 1970s were great for both Y&R and ATWT. The Kim/Bob/Jennifer/John mess was riveting and so complex, as was the Kim/Dan/Susan storyline. The show moved like a glacier during that era, but the fans loved it anyway, because the characters were so well-drawn, the drama so interesting, and the emotional stakes so high. The Dan and Kim love story came very close to making my "best-loved" list. I looked forward very much to every episode in which they would meet in the park and tentatively start growing closer. It was also refreshing to see the "villains" in the piece, John and Susan, being fleshed out, fully-realized human beings. It was complex, adult drama, which daytime TV could use more of today.

 

It seems most everyone loved the stalker storyline. 

Bright Eyes, what have been the very best foreign soaps, in your opinion? Just curious.

[Bright Eyes]

 

For me, it would be Brookside, Emmerdale, and Shortland Street.

[titan1978]

I love posts like these, because often people list things I've forgotten or maybe never heard of, and sometimes I can find awesome stuff online!  I'm limiting myself to 10 of each.

1.  BJ's heart GH- From the early beginnings with the bet between Damien and Lucy to finding Frisco to the accident to Felicia finding out who saved her daughter and Tony throwing Bobbie out.  It was just heartbreaking and masterful.

 

Jack/Jill/John Y&R-  Katherine focused on revenge even if it hurts John was a great storyline.

 

Nina/David Y&R- silly at times (his wig), but a thrilling story and I've always loved Nina!

 

Jill/Katherine/Phillip/Nina Y&R-  Jill and Kathetine fighting over young Phillip, then teaming up to protect him from Nina, then trying to take everything away from her after he died was a great run that I consider one long form story.

 

Bo and Hope fall in love-Days.  Green acting, but tons of charisma and sex appeal and ties to the best characters on the show made me care about both of them in a way I had not ever been invested in a teen invasion storyline.

 

Stone dies GH-  I just loved him, it was heartbreaking and profound storytelling.

 

Alexandra gets her revenge on Roger GL-  true umbrella storytelling with ties to nearly the entire canvas, and a triumphant culmination befitting an actress of Beverlee's talents.

 

Craig and Jean-Paul fall in love Hollyoaks- the first time I watched an entire storyline on YouTube and just really fell in love with it.  It just felt more real than anything the US soaps had attempted until the Will storyline on DAYS.

 

Lesley/Rick/Monica/Alan GH-  How awesome was that slap Lesley gives Monica?  And Alan tries to kill them, injured his hand, and is never again the doctor he wanted to be.  Luke & Laura get all the credit, but this story is apparently the one that got the show to number 1.  They just kept it there and took it higher.

 

Viki killed Victor, and Dorian knows why OLTL-  using the soapy hidden room but adding a more realistic take on Viki's DID gave the show its last great storyline.  

 

Loathed-

Jessica/Tess OLTL-  just disgusting to do to this character, and to Viki.  I don't believe the Nikki Smith we watched would ever let this happen.

Sam Rappaport and family OLTL- a waste of time onscreen.

Gillian killed AMC- the only thing tolerable about Ryan was Gillian.

Text Message killer GH- They decimated the last stable and viable younger set of characters the show has had since the early 90's, killed another Quartermain, and then blamed it on a nothing character.

Salem Stalker DAYS-  Just bad from beginning to end.  The murders were suspenseful but also damaging to the show.  If they were going to all be alive, come up with a better storyline.

Phillip is alive Y&R- No.  Just awful.

Frank Smith is alive, just to be killed off again in the next episode GH-  what a terrible way to retire Luke.  And to be subjected to.

Holly is the kidnapper GL- Talk about an actress and character that deserved better.

Reva the clone- GL these types of stories just die on that show.  It's too grounded to run with it, and seems silly when they try.

The Balkan GH-  wasting characters that people enjoy and good new actors on such a mess of a story, that was falling apart as it was airing due to actor/writer/producer conflicts.

[vetsoapfan]

I've never seen any episodes of either BROOKSIDE or SHORTLAND STREET, but I'll check out the internet to see what's available for me to sample.

Yes, I think we are all being reminded of material from the past which we had either forgotten about, or never known about to begin with.

 

I appreciated and agreed with everything on both your loved and hated lists, BTW.

[DeeeDee]

Nikki's only killed three times. The fourth death wasn't her fault.

[vetsoapfan]

The fourth death, meaning Diane?

[DeeeDee]

No. The john in the hotel.