Best/Worst Written Soap Affairs

[Faulkner]

The story wasn’t great, but I thought Jess and Josh Taylor had electric chemistry. Some of those scenes are seared in my mind to this day. 

[DRW50]

 I will also say the Harley/Cyrus relationship on GL, which was the last pit stop for an increasingly degraded, hollow Harley. The only entertainment value was the insane rumors surrounding the actors at the time.

[MichaelGL]

So much of those final years for both ATWT and GL had some of the most preposterous affairs. 

 

 

 

[Faulkner]

I just remember Harley screaming, “He makes love to me until I’m SENSELESS!”

[DramatistDreamer]

I was on and off with my viewing of the show at that time, so I wasn’t sure if it was just me, or was the storytelling truly that disjointed? Hearing your thoughts tells me it wasn’t just me, it really was that disjointed!

 The one redeeming quality was the chance it gave to Tonya Lee Williams to show her acting chops, an all too rare opportunity for her. Like I said, it really buried Nathan and the character never made his way back.

[kalbir]

@Paul Raven @DramatistDreamer The Nathan/Keesha affair really was a sign that Bill Bell had lost interest in Nathan.

[Joseph]

I JUST GOT OUT OF A KNOTS AND DYNASTY DEEP DIVE!

Lots of Aborted Affairs, Dynasty Had Aborted Affairs Between Blake and Alexis, Tracy, Lady Ashley, AND Krystle With Nick and Mark and Daniel. They Also Aborted The Amanda/Clay/Sammy Ho Triangle

On Knots Apparently After Realizing Gary was already too much of A manwhore They Aborted Any possibilities of him and Anne and Pat Williams

[Aback]

Millee Taggart's Alan/Olivia/Phillip on GL was awesome - I thought there was a lot of subtext in Olivia. I'd love to see that storyline again.

[Planet Soap]

In regards to Nathan and Keesha I wondered why they didn't let it play out onscreen. 

Why the hell would John marry Jill again especially since she'd slept with Jack twice, one of which cost him 25% of Jabot. Even worse, the marriage barely lasted a year. Jill has not had a  long term romantic lead to my recollection since that second divorce. John really hadn't learned his lesson about these kinds of women when he married Gloria much later on, not to mention Dina. 

Edited November 4, 2022 by ironlion

[Joseph]

LOL and I Remember he was once Interested in JoAnna Manning, Lauren's Mom, another No Good Lady, Dina Was His Weakness Every Decade she reappeared and He Would Briefly fall back in love with Her, Bill Bell always seemed to want to find a way for them to get back together but would never really go there, The Nearest of A Reconciliation they could get was after John Divorced Jill, But Dina Left At That Same Time! I Wonder if he Felt that Once Dina Became The Abbott Matriarch, Mamie Would Have To Go! Also What A Sin Dina Didn't Come For John's Funeral, I would love a Good barbs exchanged between Gloria and her

And What Can Be Said on Nikki And Victor's Last Free For All??? Wasn't it Weird Of Them to renew They're vows to have an Open Marriage?

[Planet Soap]

The bell soaps aren't really good at keeping couples together long term. Yes it's a soap and there's rifts and cheating, but I like couples like Margo & Tom or Alan and Monica where you see them work through their issues over time. 

BEST: already mentioned but GH: Monica and Rick Webber (1979). Such history leading up to this, and to see Alan and Monica at their most toxic and intense was great television. 

close second: Alan and Susan Moore / Monica & Phelippe, not to mention the  Susan Moore murder mystery. 

Edited November 28, 2022 by ironlion

[Paul Raven]

Those two really are an exception. Offhand I can't think of any other couples who managed to stay in a marriage for a length of time w/o being backburnered.

[Planet Soap]

I want to say Bob and Kim, but they were backburnerd by the late 90s-ish. At least Alan and Monica (married in '78), had story till at least '02.

Edited November 7, 2022 by ironlion

[Franko]

Rewatching scenes from Alan and Lucy's marriage has me realizing two things: (a) even though Alan and Monica weren't physical, they acted a lot like a guy and his mistress; had Lucy not slept with Scott, she would near-totally be justified in demanding Alan respect their marriage vows and (b) the dynamic between Scott and Lucy is awfully reminiscent of Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd on Moonlighting (which was already a year off the air, but my point stands; lots of trolling the prissy girl).

[Kristin]

I wonder if they were confusing Alan’s friendship with Tammy the prostitute. Which did take place during and really because of his drug addiction.