Fantastic Returns

[titan1978]

To piggyback on the post by @SoapDopewhat returns ended up really working?

 

GH- Luke & Laura

 

It really gave the show a shot of adrenaline, and great casting for Lucky.  They seemed like the same characters, just older and fit back into the show really well, and still had chemistry with lots of characters, and each other.  For good or bad, it also allowed a vehicle to redeem Sonny and keep him on the show.  Laura seeing that house and the eventual introduction of the Ward family was especially strong.

 

AMC- Jesse returning and reuniting with Angie.

 

 I didn’t even start watching AMC until they were both gone, and they fit in so well once they were both back it was like no time had passed.  It felt natural.  The show felt like it had a center again for the first time in forever, and they still had it.  They made a great center for AMC 2.0 as well.

 

DAYS-Hope as Gina (not Princess!)

 

Maison Blanche was a great storyline, and Kristian looked incredible and the show took its time getting to her identity.  It also had a fantastic triangle with Bo and Billie, especially when Rinna was still there and they were not writing them as rivals.  These were three good people in an incredible circumstance fighting for love.  The only thing I think was missing was more time spent with Doug and Hope.  I know they had scenes, but there should have been more time spent with the two of them.

 

Honorable mention-

 

OLTL- Gabrielle

 

It started so great, with all of Asa’s widows, but they show ended up neglecting her terribly, and then killing her off.

[Faulkner]

Obviously Eileen Davidson as Kristen on DAYS was a phenomenal return, as was Vanessa Marcil’s first return as Brenda on GH.

 

Tricia Cast didn’t miss a beat with her recent (too short) return as Nina on Y&R. She generated instant chemistry with actors she’d never worked with. A bright spot on a dreary year for the show. 

[titan1978]

Kristen’s return- talk about giving a show a shot in the arm.  She was so great.  And Vanessa’s first return was another desperately needed arrival at the right time.  Guza and Pratt’s GH really came came together there and recovered from their rocky start with the story about Laura and the attic.

 

I haven’t seen Tricia’s latest return, but I thought her previous ones were fantastic, and made me miss her so much on the show.

[Soapsuds]

James Stenbeck return in 1986.

[BetterForgotten]

Roger and Holly to GL - revitalized that show for several years afterwards. 

[AbcNbc247]

AW - Kathleen and Carl in 1991. 

 

DAYS - Will in 2017. Ron corrected one of the biggest mistakes DAYS ever made, and the whole Rolf's miracle formula thing was actually interesting at that time. 

Edited January 2, 2021 by AbcNbc247

[titan1978]

What a classic moment as well when he was finally revealed.

Both characters were so well served under the HW teams Curlee was a part of.  And the recast of Blake with Sherry really added to the dynamics of their family.  I don’t think Maureen Garrett gets nearly enough credit for her work on the show.  She is such a cerebral, subtle performer.  I can always see Holly thinking. And also has charm to spare as Holly.

I can agree with that, it was a huge mistake to kill Will.

 

 

[Khan]

 

"Hello, Barbara": two words that will live forever.

 

 

Best of all, GL brought them back without retconning or whitewashing Holly's rape.  Nowadays, that would not be guaranteed.

Edited January 2, 2021 by Khan

[titan1978]

And they never tried to make Roger the hero.  They explained his actions, you saw his pain and his kinder side, but they never let you forget he was not the hero, and the other characters did not excuse his misdeeds like other soap rapists turned hero’s, Todd and Luke (among others).

 

Even Alexandra, who was turning a blind eye didn’t excuse it once she knew about the affair.  Because she was complex too- his misdeeds in business could be overlooked, but not when he violated their marriage with Mindy.

[Soap-princess]

Michelle Stafford 2000 return as Phyllis. I feel like this was her peak year. She was great and Phack was smoking hot. 
 

Hunter Tylo return to Bold in 2005. Probably the last year I truly enjoyed the show. 

[carolineg]

Brenda's 2002 return.  The first half of the return had some of Guza's best stuff.  I think the Amazing Grace montage when Sonny/Brenda see each other for the first time is probably the greatest single moment on GH in the last 20 years by far. The 2nd half on the return went off the rails a bit.  The Jason/Brenda marriage was good but the Jax/Brenda stuff and the Alcazar stuff wasn't great.  And the weird lack of S&B stuff was an annoying way to prop Carson because MB/VM were still smoking together in 2002.

 

Tracy Q's return in 1996.  Not as splashy as the others I am mentioning, but it was so nice to see her back and she fit seamlessly.  Her thinking Justus was the butler, bratty baby Dylan, her trying to take over ELQ with Jax, and her creating angst for Ned/Lois.  Perfect, just a perfect return.

 

Deidre Hall/Wayne Northrup's return as Roman/Marlena 1991.  Again the Tale of 2 Romans also went completely off the rails and making RoJohn John is probably still a huge mistake in retrospect, but that Pier Reunion with RoJohn/Marlena and when we first see WN's Roman was fantastic and the whole story started great and eventually lead to Isabella's death and the J/M affair which changed so much about Days.  

 

Stefano's return 1993 on Days.  He hadn't been seen in several years, he was tied to Peter/Kristen, and he was scary still.  A great way to build up the Dimera family again. Watching a 9 month pregnant Marlena get hysterical with fear when she first saw him was such a far cry from the wacky villain he would become a few short years later.

 

Kristen's Days return was great as well.  Through the first Brady/Kristen wedding, I would say it was absolutely fantastic.

[Franko]

This was right around the time I stopped regularly watching GH ('cause I had to do homework after school), but I was super excited about a new Quartermaine, and one who was so feisty. Re-reading the 1996 summaries, I'm impressed how well that story was crafted (especially since it was apparently short and intended to promote Jane joining THE CITY).

 

Ah, you beat me to it. This one's a true mixed bag. There was plenty that didn't go so well, like how Roman ended up overshadowed by John, the heavy in the triangle, etc. But still, that omg factor can't be ignored. (I cannot imagine the excitement DAYS fans must have felt during that summer.) And while I know Dee (and Drake) left and came back again, I'll make the slightly OTT claim that her '91 return is one of (if not absolutely) the most successful because the person in question stayed, led storylines, etc.

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Franko

[carolineg]

 

Tracy was completely new to me as well as I was quite young and only started watching in 1992 for the teen storyline lol.  But she just worked from her first scene.  The perfect jabs, the exasperation of her family, the evil schemes, her take downs of Lois-everything was good.  Her working with Jax finally gave him a layer of gray that he really needed after being the perfect white knight too.

 

I would have to agree Deidre's return is probably the most successful.  Maybe Kim Zimmer at GL?  Unfortunately, it basically destroyed Roman as we knew him, but Marlena (and John) became more popular from it.  And it definitely had some of the most OMG moments ever.  Unlike Hope/Gina, this was firing on all cylinders at the beginning.  The Tale of 2 Romans ended up being an overall crappy story as did most of 1992 except for Isabella's death, but once Marlena got thrown in a pit the chain of stories lasted well over a decade and effected so much of the canvas.  We STILL hear about John/Marlena's affair to this day.  I always thought Days made such a mistake firing Wayne when the drama could have gone on for years.

[Paul Raven]

Was he fired?

I thought his  contract was up and neither side were interested in continuing - Wayne because the writing made Roman the 2nd choice in the triangle and Days because they had written John as Marlena's best bet along with the fact that Wayne was probably going to cost them mucho dollars if they renewed his contract.

[BetterForgotten]

They drove a ton of story in their return stints, but as characters, would anyone ever say characters like Marlena and Reva were ever on par with who they were in their initial stints?