All: Have soap operas over the past few years gone

[danthig]

It seems like for the past few years the soap operas seem to be more serial killer heavy in their storylines.I like serial killer storylines because it creates suspense not knowing who is going to live or die.In the past several years ATWT,GL,DAYS,Passions,AMC,OLTL,and GH have featured one or several serial killer storylines each.Y&R and B&B have yet to feature one.With Latham handling things on Y&R I wouldn't put it past her to do a serial killer storyline sometime in the near future.With B&B's Bradley Bell,Brooke and Ridge would never fall victim to a serial killer if that kind of storyline played out because Ridge would save Brooke's life at the last second before the assailant snuffs her out.Then Ridge would be a hero.

[Mason]

Passions hasn't done a serial killer storyline. They currently have a serial rapist/attacker, but he's not a serial killer (yet).

[DrewH]

I remember there were rumors circulating around for months that B&B would finally do a serial killer storyline, but we have yet to see it.

[Cheap21]

OLTL is the worst. There have been WAY too many murder mysteries, particularly serial killer ones in the past few years

And who would be left? Stephanie, Brooke, Eric and Ridge?

[SteveFrame]

It has become a overused and tired plot device. But also so has the mad woman/psychotic woman/mad man/psychotic man running around terrorizing the community. I have gotten so tired of that. I once appreciated them, but now there are too many and so many are just alike or rip offs of the originals.

[Mason]

The serial killer trend didn't become popular until DAYS did the Salem Stalker in 2003. Since then, almost every other show has tried to rip off that storyline, but none have been anywhere near as successful (ratings-wise).

[daysfan]

That is what I have noticed. Sure, soaps have done serial killer stories before that, but after that is where it all started.

[psychofan]

I actually love Serial Killer stories. They're my favorite kind next to the "psycho woman" stories. Obviously, DAYS' Salem Stalker has been my favorite, but I also really enjoyed GH's w/Mary Bishop and the one that AMC has going now. They're just so suspenseful, and basically one of the reasons I watch soaps.

Steve- I'm hurt to hear that you're sick of the crazy women lol. I wouldn't mind if every soap had one all the time!

[Mason]

Exactly. And you can even trace it back further to DAYS. Until the Salem Strangler and Salem Slasher storylines, soaps never even did serial killer storylines, but then you had others in the 80s like AW's Sin Stalker and SB's Carnation Killer. The same thing happened 20 years later with the Salem Stalker storyline.

[SteveFrame]

I knew it wouldn't be a popular opinion with you especially. I just hate when soaps get on the habit of copying anything. I hated back in the 80's when every soap had to send their super couple on the run just like Luke & Laura went on the run. I think that is the reason I am not fond of Shawn & Belle being on the run now because it is just old and tired.

The psycho women were so good in the beginning and so unique. I loved them. I loved when Janet Green first came on. She was so exciting and so unique. The same for Sheila Carter on Y&R. But soon every show got one and it is just starting to get old and tired to me.

And the serial killer stories are getting to be the same. When Days did it "ORIGINALLY" in the early 80's. It was exciting and thrilling. And the outcome was special.

A few of the first ones that followed were the same way.

But now all of them are not shocking or surprising anymore. I was actually enjoying AMC's but the spoilers and having no way to seemingly avoid them has ruined the Serial Killer story for me. I mean I have tried to avoid spoilers on the AMC story to not ruin it but a SoapNet promo ruined Dixie's death for me. So now I read the spoilers and am very disappointed with who the killer is. It just doesn't interest me anymore.

Two of the last ones that have been done too were very disappointing. OLTL's was the worst, but Days was ruined by the convoluted ending.

I don't know I just get tired of the shows copying the same stories and the same gimmicks. I want something new.

[dc11786]

Wasn't there someone who poisoned Alistair sending him into a coma and attempted to off Eve or Julian with a poisoned drink that Liz drank? This storyline was labelled a serial killer storyline by TV Guide.

[daysfan]

I agree with you Steve. I have enjoyed the serial killer stories, and still love the psychos, but everything is getting old.

Something new needs to be done. No more serial killer stories. They are old. They do help cut down on the extra cast and provide shock or whatever but shock is not everything. And the cast can be trimmed in a different way. There are many ways to have a cast trim without doing a serial killer story.

I have liked serial killer storylines, but one thing I would like to see more(and soaps have done this, just not too frequently) are murders where everyone on the cast is involved. And I don't mean like Carmen Mesta. What I would like is that everyone in the cast has a GOOD reason, NOT stupid, to kill the person that was murdered. That is just a thought.

But, yeah, something new is needed besides serial killer stories, triangles, etc.

[psychofan]

I definately see where you're coming from. I feel that that's one reason why these serial killer stories aren't too popular with many anymore. I was spoiler free during the Salem Stalker and NEVER suspected Marlena. On the day of the reveal, when Tony looked up and said "I knew it was you" and we saw Marlena standing over him I was just in SHOCK. It was PERFECT and I loved every minute of that story (until Melaswen) for that reason. But now that I'm a spoiler-obsessed person, the shock-value has been lost on me for the most part. I wish that the world could go just one MONTH without spoilers. I wonder if things would be different and/or more positive.

[Mason]

No one actually died, and there were only 2 victims.

[psychofan]

I'm having a dumb moment. Who were the victims again?