Least satisfying return

[titan1978]

All the return threads got me thinking in this direction.

 

GH- Lesley.

No Rick returns to see his beloved wife.  No time spent regaining her life, her work. She was a vital character on the show for a long time.  She deserved being in an actual story about herself, not just there for Laura.  

 

I would have pitted her and Alan and Monica against each other for control of the hospital.  Especially after the Cassadines saved GH.  Just think if she had to work with Stefan while chief of staff!

[applcin]

Every time Mitch Laurence was dredged up on OLTL. Always loathed the character and his ridiculous storylines, didn't care for Roscoe Born since his RH days...I used to take breaks from OLTL when they brought Mitch back. And to top it off, I loved Jared & Natalie together and Mitch killed Jared. I didn't watch  OLTL again after that.

 

[Clark Still]

I'll go ahead and say it: KZ/Reva's mid 90's return to GL. 

 

Why was she needed again after a good write off and aside from the clone ratings spike, what did bringing her back accomplish? 

 

It became the Reva show and thus brought back KZ and her big mouth. The fact that she got the final scene of the show😒

[Faulkner]

The 2010 and 2013 Brenda returns on GH. Destroyed the character and any memory of her greatness back in the '90s (all to prop Carly). The 2002 return was great (at least initially) and rejuvenated the show.

[Gray Bunny]

 

Well, the Reva/Josh/Annie triangle brought in big ratings in 1997, and the Reva & Josh pairing was pretty much the show's most popular couple during the show's final 15 years on the air, so it actually accomplished a lot. 

 

DAYS:

-Tony Dimera, 2007. Once it was revealed he had been stuck on an island for 20+ years, he fit right back into Salem society without blinking an eye. 

-Billie Reed, 2002 and 2012. Both times, they didn't have a clue what to do with her; they just wanted to get Lisa Rinna back. They tried to reignite the Billie/Bo/Hope triangle in 2002 which quickly fizzled. Then in 2012, I couldn't even tell you why she was brought back. They literally had zero story laid out for her, and she was featured once every other week. 

-Chloe Lane, 2013 (I think). She comes and goes so often, I can't remember if this is the correct year. But when they brought her back the first time after her 2011 departure (where she fell into prostitution), they said it'd be a great redemption story for her, and instead she became the manipulative interloper between Jennifer and Daniel. It did the character no favors, again. 

 

[cassadine1991]

Aiden on DAYS, why was he even brought back

[victorlord75]

I couldn't agree more, and furthermore, I was always dissatisfied that they never gave Lesley the chance to rail against a Cassadine after one of their own kept her a prisoner for all those years.  As you rightly point out, the missed opportunities abounded!

[Gray Bunny]

Another DAYS person held captive with no signs of trauma was Lexie's 2007 return, having been stashed away in some tunnels below a DiMera property. When they found her, she initially was acting like a caged beast, but then quickly reverted to being Abe's doting wife. I think she was actually let go twice in 2007 and returned again like nothing happened. 

[cassadine1991]

What happened to Tek?

[Gray Bunny]

 

Good question. 

[Melroser]

Andrea Evans' return to OLTL. I had never watched the show when she was on initially and had become so popular but I just remember how much she was talked about. As a loyal viewer from around '99 on, I was excited that she was going to be coming back to the show. Then she carried that stupid dog everywhere and let Tess scare her into being quiet about natalie and jared locked in the basement. Tina seemed so weak and corny. I wanted a spitfire to stir up Llanview and that was not the case. 

[titan1978]

Agreed.  She was a powerhouse character during her 1980's run, and for longtime fans that was a return that people truly wanted. 

[SoapDope]

Y&R....Lorie Brooks. She was the shows powerhouse diva during the shows first decade, but her early 2000's return was a bust. She had a few good sparring scenes with Nikki, but they threw her under the bus when she came back asking for Victor's forgiveness. She was the only woman in the history of the show to screw over Victor Newman, but now here she was groveling at his feet. I wanted to hurl. 

[StepBack]

Y&R's Patty Williams. It should have never happened. I liked Stacy H, but the writing did her no favours. 

 

Y&R's David Tom as Billy. Poor guy :-(

 

Y&R's Shemar Moore emo-Malcolm return during that dreadful Malcolm is Lily father stuff

 

Y&R's Alex. A minor character who got Daniel into trouble and was slapped by Phyllis (MS - some great scenes), returned again later to the Y&R set looking like a hot mess. 

 

Y&R's Liz Foster just to kill her off in some dumb ass storyline

 

Y&R's Victoria Newman return in the form of Amelia Heinle and some botched writing 

 

 

[soapfan770]

Hmmm let me see here: 

 

ATWT: Anytime that Damian returned to town after being presumed dead in 1996. Also Rosanna's 2007 and 2009 returns. 

AW: What the heck was up with Cecile's return in '96? Same goes with Michael Hutchinson's return(although I never liked him to begin with). 

B&B: Sheila's 2003 and 2017 returns. Also I'd say Taylor's return from the dead did the character zero favors.

Days: Anyone who returned in the September 2011 reboot. 

GL: Ben Reade's return. India and Alex's 1998-99 returns were a huge waste on GL. Ed's return in 2002 was squandered. Alan-Michael and Dylan's returns in 2005 and 2007 respectively were also both downright insulting. 

Y&R: Malcolm's returns except for 2014, Phillip III's return, Sheila's returns, Nina's return overall. 

 

 

I believe it was assumed that Tek had died in the car accident with Lexie but I can't even remember if the show ever actually referenced it or not to be honest. 

 

Yeah Billie's returns in 2002 and 2012 with Lisa Rinna were a joke. At least they had found something Julie Pinson's Billie to do.