Suicide in Soaps

[prefab1]

During the Peapack years, when GL tried to inject more realism into their stories, they revisited the theme of serious post-partum depression with Reva's stepdaughter Ava. These scenes, which I believe were from Michelle Ray Smith's last day on the show, are by far her finest work as Ava.

 

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[Titus Andronicus]

In 1991, shortly after John found out he wasn't Roman via DNA results, he contemplated suicide.

It was framed as being self-destruct mode because of Stefano (as the ISA told Roman in front of Marlena) as well as being the natural reason that he'd seemingly lost everything. The scenes of John in his vehicle in the rain with gun in hand beside his head were well done.

Marlena found him and talked him out of it and took him back to her/Roman's home, but I don't think I've seen any of the fallout beyond that.

 

A dying Tony/Andre (whatever) framed John for murder in Aremid for revenge after Tony learned he was dying. I disliked a lot of Aremid, but the setup for this was actually a pretty good.

 

Off-camera, but short-term character Hart Bennett killed himself out of shame during Marlena's murder trial in 1985. It was key for the trial and also for Kimberly's psyche as she was trying to get close to Shane (she'd been the only one who actually liked Hart). Hart really wasn't explored in detail, but had been portrayed as a tragic figure during his run.

[FrenchBug82]

 

OK While it was off-screen, that's more what I had in mind. Had never heard of him; thanks for sharing!

[Cruising Soaps]

Traci Abbott back in the 80s.  They showed it as one of the Classic Y&R's this summer.  Also Ben played by Matthew Boomer committed Suicide.  I believe Reva jumped off an Bridge in the winter?  Nina tried shooting herself but Ryan stopped just in time on Y&R.  

[ReddFoxx]

There are a couple of reasons why soaps probably don't do suicide stories much. Soaps like to revive characters from the dead and it's hard to bring a character back from suicide even by soap standards. That aside it is also difficult to write the aftermath and long running complications for other characters.

 

The other reason is that soaps have viewers who are shut-ins or somehow isolated and the last thing producers/networks want to do is potentially encourage people to harm themselves.

[robbwolff]

Mike Marshall on Another World committed suicide in the summer of 1980 as the show was getting ready to launch Texas. Also, Laura Delaney Cooper on Somerset committed suicide.

 

[Titus Andronicus]

 

After I post, I remember a few more details of Hart Bennett.

 

Bennett was the prosecuting attorney against Marlena in 1985 in her murder trial of Stefano. Late in the trial, he admitted he had no case. Bennett, who had already been disgraced and was falling off the wagon before the trial, spiraled.

 

He'd been a friend to Kimberly years before and she was the only one to care when he returned to town and tried to help him repair his life before the trial. His spiraling caused communication problems with Shane, who was back in England - the prelude to Days going on location there. Bennett's death also had fallout with Marlena as she found herself pitying the lawyer who tried to destroy her once Kimberly told her the story.

 

The story pretty much had zero influence long-term, but did serve as a minor catalyst for that spring and summer.

[Paul Raven]

On Y&R Katherine drove Phillip off the road, so the intent there would have been to kill herself and Phillip.

A few years later she threw herself overboard from a cruise ship.

 

Way back in the 60's on TGL, Julie Bauer (Hope's mother) committed suicide whilst institutionalized.

[Bill Bauer]

 

Just a year later, Robin Fletcher committed suicide. That was a pretty big deal because she was a MAJOR character and had been born and grew up on the show. 

[FrenchBug82]

 

That was way too old for me to have even heard about it and it is fascinating. I wonder what made soaps more comfortable "suiciding" two majors characters in the 60s vs the more current skittinishness.
 

[prefab1]

TBH, the current skittishness is probably a good thing. There's a long and well-researched history of suicidal people being pushed over the edge by romanticized representations of suicide, dating back at least to Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther. And I recall there was a lot of legitimate worry over how Netflix's teen series 13 Reasons Why presented suicide.

 

So I actually think this is one of the few ways that today's soaps are being more socially responsible than 1960s soaps were, by showing characters who are on the brink of committing suicide (like DAYS's JJ) but are pulled back by loved ones who convince them that suicide is the wrong option. I think that's the far more powerful message, that it's possible to come back from a state of crippling depression/suicidal ideation and live a happy life again. 

[Manny]

 

Oh yes! That too! I actually enjoyed that whole storyline quite a lot because I adored the performances of Sabyn Genet and Rick Hearst  as Tricia and Matt. 

[Pine Charles]

On All My Children I can recall a few attempted suicides (and a staged attempted suicide).

 

•There is a scene of Janet (after being rejected by Trevor after showing up naked to the boat house in an effort to seduce him) in one of the Chandler Mansion bathrooms.

She breaks a glass and is shown picking up one of the shards and motioning it on her wrist..... before the mirror gives her the idea to assume Natalie’s identity. 
 

•Ceara, incest victim, attempts suicide by jumping from a bridge into the river. 
She sees her father’s face in the river water, taunting her.
She is talked out of jumping by Jeremy and Erica, who show up in the nick of time.

Ceara and Erica become friendly after this.

 

•Gloria, who had an abusive, religious fanatic mother (a la Carrie), had been raped by Will Cortlandt, and later gave birth to a grossly premature baby who died by Adam, attempted suicide with pills and passed out in her car in the Chandler Mansion driveway.

Her head fell to the horn, alerting Erica (again to the rescue) who traveled to the Mansion on business.

 

•Kendall (SMG) stages a suicide attempt with pills in an effort to gain sympathy (pretty much everyone has turned on her at this point, besides maybe Dixie’s brother Del).

Kendall is rushed to PVH, where Erica is alerted and seems somewhat sympathetic.... before Kendall’s cover is blown.

 

 

Edited February 7, 2021 by Pine Charles

[glfaninnyc]

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Then there was the time that Reva went over the bridge after another romantic setback. They got a lot of flack about this because it happened around Christmas.

Edited February 7, 2021 by glfaninnyc

[Ben]

Olivia on Sunset Beach attempted suicide twice. After believing her baby had died, and learning that she had his remains cremated but couldn’t remember doing it, she blamed herself for his death, convinced by Gregory that she must have been drinking at the time. Gregory made it clear that he believed Olivia had killed their baby, so she took a bottle of champagne and some pills to the Grotto intent on ending her life as the grief and guilt was too much. But Cole showed up in time and talked her out of it.
 

Olivia took some time out on a cruise to regroup (in real life this covered Lesley-Anne Down’s maternity leave), and when we saw her next, she was on the boat, contemplating jumping overboard. This time AJ (Cole’s estranged father) stopped her, pulling her back from the railings. He got her to open up, giving her hope that they would figure out what really happened to her son. As for her baby: Annie had stolen him and given him to Olivia’s daughter to raise as her own; she planted the seed in Gregory’s mind that Olivia was drinking on the night she gave birth.