Most pointless soap returns

[DRW50]

I know there are some soap returns which are great, and there are others which are horrible, but certainly do move the story along (like Mitch's 2002-2003 nightmare on OLTL).

What would you say were the returns that, in the long run, turned out to be a waste of time? I don't mean like, Danny Romalotti returns a few times a decade to sing, as we all know that's pointless. I mean returns that should have meant something but didn't.

My choices:

Marty OLTL. Why did they even bring Susan Haskell back? Is this really what they had in mind for Marty? A story where we're asked to sympathize with her rapist as he re-rapes her? And then she is pushed to the backburner after a very brief, tame period of anger and rebellion, her only airtime being when she gets to counsel Todd over his love life?!? I'm still in disbelief that they brought her back for THIS.

Anna GH. I still can't believe that her time when her daughter was pregnant was spent talking about how she didn't want to be old and ugly and didn't want to be a grandmother. That isn't Anna at all.

Dylan GL. Poor Morgan Englund. He was a competent actor and still hot, if GL's brief finale appearances were any indication. Yet, when they wanted Dylan back for a longer run, they brought in Brian Gaskill, who was completely wrong for the part, and who vanished after a few months anyway, barely even having time to interact with his daughter, which was the whole point of his return. And they broke up Bridget/Dylan, offcamera, in the process, for nothing.

I guess I will exclude poor Andrea Evans, since I assume OLTL had more in mind for her than what she got.

[MarkH]

Another one of these threads? Now from you, CarlD2? LOL. Is some almanac or something coming out?

But, anyway, there is an obvious answer to your topic.

P3, Y&R. Even Jeanne Cooper called it "unnecessary".

[dm.]

Yep, the first thing that came to my mind was Thom Bierdz. And then David Lago.

[DRW50]

I was inspired by the worst actor thread, because it reminded me of good actors who can't save bad returns.

You're right about Phillip of course. I forgot about him. I forgot they brought him back. He has been so irrelevant. What a fiasco. Poor Thom. I'm hoping they can turn it around (and not kill him off again for "irony").

[MarkH]

BITE YOUR TONGUE!!!

Don't even put that OUT there in the universe! Good heavens... Don't give them these ideas, please!!!

[Bright Eyes]

Any Days return under JER's second reign and Sheffer's. All completely stupid, boring and useless.

[R Sinclair]

Del Henry (AMC, now gone)

Laura Kirk English (AMC, now gone)

Julia Santos Keefer (AMC, now gone)

Jeff Martin (AMC, now gone)

Bobby and Anita Santos Warner (AMC, now gone)

Frankie Hubbard (AMC, 2002 Jason Olive version)

For me, it had nothing to do with the actors for most of my choices (although I didn't get de-aging AND changing the character of Del Henry giving Alec Musser the role, and Laura Kirk by casting that annoying Laura Allen), but their returns did the show NO favors at all.

[quartermainefan]

I think I have to go with SN and MBE on DOOL. They had that one story where he was brainwashed and tortured by EJ, but the whole thing was a giant waste of time and talent. Whatever story they had could have been easily tweaked to be about Bo and Hope, and it seemed like the show just didn't know what to do with them and finally just gave up and consigned them to reading letters from Colleen Brady.

[DRW50]

All great choices.

R Sinclair, I guess they just brought Del back because that guy won the soap star contest, although bringing back a character with so many ties to the canvas and then giving him nothing was stupid. The one I really hated was Julia's return. They could have found something for her to do and instead she was a spare part until she was brutally murdered, all so we could experience the "joy" of Tad being reunited with a daughter he does not care about and rarely spends time with.

I think that the Patch and Kayla return was something people had wanted for a long time, and MBE and SN still had chemistry, but DAYS had changed so much in the 15 years since their departure. It would have taken a brilliant writer and producer to bring them back properly, and those were nowhere to be found.

[soapfan770]

ATWT:

Lien Hughes in 2001

Craig, 2006-present. In three years since they brought back Craig after leaving in 2005 three different actors have attempted to play Craig but with the writing so bad there's been very little success.

B&B:

Macy's return although good ended up being pointless when they KILLED her off again after just a year! They could have easily recasted...

Days: Carrie's 2005 return--she's still a cheating whore thinly veined by a supposed aura of sainthood.

Steve and Kayla, Tony and Anna--enough said...

GL:

Ed's 2002 return because other than his pairing with Holly was wasted in horrid storylines.

Nola's 1995 return--horrid writing did nothing for her.

Alex and India's 1998 return--they brought them both back, but never used them.

Y&R:

Sheila's returns

Phillip III's return

Patty's return

Carl's return

Olivia's 2008 return.

I think enough has been written about these.

[DRW50]

I actually liked Carl's return on Y&R, I just hated the ending.

I'd forgotten about some of those others, but they're great choices.

[y&r_fan]

Y&R

P3. No contest.

B&B

Taylor - was brought back for no reason other than to prop Ridge and Brooke and have her character ruined in the process.

Whip - unfortunately his return so far has been a flop. Why bring him back just to be Jackie's confidante?

[aMLCproduction]

ok I'll bite

Days: Steve, Kayla, Carrie, jack and jenn(JER2.0), Tony(JER2.0) Anna

Y&R: Billy, Mac, p3,

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Maria Arena Bell to Y&R.

Hey, she started there as a Script Writer in the late 80's for 5 seconds before spending another 5 seconds writing dialogue for B&B!

[aMLCproduction]

Well if we are doing writers:

JER 2.0( Though I loved SSK!!!)

Guza 3.0

Mctavish 3.0