Best US Soap Scenes

[Taoboi]

ALL OF THIS. 

I have never seen the scene all the way through...LOVE. 

[juppiter]

Loving the clips in this thread. Linda Dano is a fantastic alcoholic. I think my problem with TV shows is that they usually make alcoholism look more “fun” than it really is. Felicia is just miserable to deal with in those scenes, and so different from how Felicia was pre-alcoholism. 

 

That Kristen/Marlena clip is another gem. I think I had actually scene this one before, but damn it is so good and D Hall/Eileen Davidson are gold together. Plus the fact that these two have been at it so long adds a certain je ne sais quoi. 

 

But my favorite has to be that Ross/Blake/Holly scene. It reminds me of what is missing in modern soaps: Stakes. And it reminds me of how miscast Liz Keifer was. What makes this work is Sherry Stringfield’s youth and energy, and the realization that Ross is a bit more freaky than he or anybody else knew. 

[Franko]

An underrated and excellent choice, in my opinion (plus, I was close to posting it myself. =). It would be excellent to watch all of Christine's work from this storyline.

 

Tracy and Edward's farewell, 1993. When he won't let her touch his face, it's all over.

 

[Quent]

I wish I knew how to post videos. My choice would be from ATWT, when Kim Hughes learned of Bob's affair with Susan. Kathryn Hays knocked that scene out of the ballpark.

 

At the other end of the spectrum, for pure enjoyable camp, I'd love to see the scene from Dark Shadows where Barnabas "walls up" the Reverend Trask...alive!

[Khan]

Even in ailing health, David Lewis was the textbook definition of "master thespian."  With all due respect to Jed Allan and John Ingle, he was simply irreplaceable as Edward Quartermaine.

[victoria foxton]

 

GH from 1980 Edward fakes a heart attack.  

Please register in order to view this content

 

 

[DaytimeFan]

 

 

 

Linda Dano played an alcoholic better than anyone, daytime or primetime. And she did it for the reason @juppiter made: Felicia was miserable as an alcoholic. The only other performer I can recall who was played their alcoholic character that way was Jeanne Cooper. Katherine hated being an alcoholic because she knew it was a weakness and was embarrassed by it. 

 

I think Linda feels like an under-appreciated star because her run as Felicia was only 17 years long, so she's not a 'vet' like I think of Jeanne Cooper, Jess Walton, Jackie Zeman, Susan Lucci, Robin Strasser etc who have been in their roles 30+ years. That said, Linda was a star in the 80s and 90s, the zenith of soap stardom, and she had an incredible career, she was spoofed on SNL for her run on Attitudes. 

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

[BuckyB12]

Don't think we've had any Edge of NIght in this thread yet. Here's one of Louise Shaffer's tour de force performances, as her character Serena Faraday slowly deteriorates on the witness stand at her murder trial in one of writer Henry Slesar's classic twists. Skip to the last 10 minutes if you only want to see the climax (the part that's really stayed with me all these years).

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

It wasn't until the SoapNet reairings that I got to see Shaffer as Rae Woodard on Ryans' Hope, whom I then liked almost as much as Serena.

[Vee]

 

I have never forgotten these scenes on YT years ago. "And even at a hundred dollars a shot, I still don't have a heart of gold!" The line stayed with me.

 

I first saw the Serena Faraday ep above on WOST. WOST had me pretty obsessed with EON. You could still reboot that show today. Shaffer was unbelievable. That scream at the end was the scariest thing I'd seen in a DID story since the opening act of Viki's 1995 story on OLTL.

[Vee]

More from the Josie/Serena finale. Spellbinding and still one of the most brutally honest portrayals of DID, IMO. "Everybody lives in prison."

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

 

 

[BuckyB12]

Thanks for those follow-up scenes, Vee.

 

There's another memorable Edge scene a few episodes later but I don't think it's survived - Adam (or Nancy?) convinces Josie to "play" Serena one last time to say good-bye to her son Timmy before she goes off to the mental facility. Doug McKeon was a really strong child actor.

[DRW50]

Ryan's Hope.

 

Jill had had a child, Edmond, with her longtime lover, Frank, conceived when he was still married to another woman. This ended the relationship, as Frank's political career meant they would always have to remain a secret. She had married Seneca, who was publicly treated as the child's father. Seneca's controlling nature had begun to push her away, so she went with Edmond to stay at her family beach home.

 

A day Jill planned for introspection instead becomes the worst day of her life, as Edmond is killed. She nearly dies trying to find him, and this begins a painful recovery process (and soon, a pill addiction). Nancy Addison Altman was incredible in this storyline. Amazingly this was the only Emmy nomination she ever received.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jovuQ1tjksY

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4BcxZ0pRQo

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFgzj938UAE

 

There was another scene, which I'd have to dig for, where Maeve (his grandmother) cries as she remembers the baby she lost.

[Faulkner]

Love this thread. It’s not often that the discussions that happen in the Cancelled Soap threads emerge from their corners. 

 

Here’s sort of an “In the Heat of the Night” moment on GH from the mid-‘90s. (I know JE left for a while, but they really should have pitched Justus/Tracy as Quartermaine adversaries instead of linking Justus to the mob and killing him off. But that would have meant valuing the Qs, who were out of step with Guza’s eventual “Love During Wartime” mantra.) 

 

I’m not sure if Michele Val Jean wrote it, but she scripted some really cutting, truthful dialogue for the Ward family about race. 

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

[Soaplovers]

When I was a kid, I recall when Kim Zimmer announced she was leaving.. and back than (before spoilers really were a thing).. you knew it was due to happen in July.. but viewers didn't know what, when, or how it would happen.  Reva driving off the bridge was pretty memorable and it wasn't done as a stunt.. but was built up as it turned out for some.. something that happens to those with extreme post partum depression.  From researching that in 2018/9.. it is now said for women and those around them to pay special attention if they have a history of depression/bi polar disorders, etc.. because they are at a higher risk of developing post-partum depression.  

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

[MichaelGL]

I'd like to echo the fact that Rauch/B&E had started out so strong, and it's a pity they also contributed to GL's down spiral. These scenes of Annie cracking under pressure while on the witness stand are perfectly acted and directed. The use of shots of the jury helps to add so much to the scenes. That final scene of Annie collapsing to the ground is just icing on the cake for such dramatic scenes!
 

Please register in order to view this content

One of my earliest memories of GL was watching Vanessa and Nadine's confrontation after Nadine's schemes(including passing off Bridget's child as her own) to hold onto Billy blew up in her face. If only that scene could be uploaded on YouTube. I'm a huge fan of Jean Carol and her onscreen chemistry with Maeve Kincaid was one of a kind. 

Another scene from that era that was also quite memorable was the scenes at the Blue Moon where Billy attacks Roger, nearly killing him upon learning of his affair with Mindy. Great acting and directing from everyone involved. One thing that stood out to me was Holly's attempt to attend to a badly hurt Roger, while everyone else who was in attendance looked at Roger in disgust. Brilliant writing on the part of Curlee/Demorest and their incredible team of writers who weaved in so many character's reactions to Billy's attack on Roger, from Fletcher/Alex to Nadine/Vanessa, to Nick/Mindy. Not one single beat was missed.  
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrOugro4YpI