Most Concequential Soap Plots

[Planet Soap]

Good or bad, which soap plots affected the show's canvas significantly for years to come. For example:

Y&R Newman takes over Jabot. When Jack convinced John to make the company go public, and Victor bought controlling interest, the takeover lasted 10 years! It wasn't until '99 when Jack was able to get Jabot back. 

GH: Carly's arrival, and Jason's accident. Those two events in 1996 would go on to shape the remainder of GH's history. Once Jason's personality changed, he got involved with Carly, and went to work for Sonny, the stage was set for those three characters to completely envelop the series.

Rick Webber (2002). Vibrations from this disastrous story were being felt as late 2008. Laura ended up in the rocking chair, Alan and Monica suspected each other. Lulu was looking to clear her mother's name even as late as the Metro Court crisis. It was major.

OLTL: Victor Lord's Murder/Affair with Irene. This event fueled nearly 30 years of story: The Secret Room, Nikki's 85 return, Dorian's murder trial, Todd Manning's birth, Viki's 95 breakdown, and Two Todds 2011. Next to Marty's rape, this was the most critical story in the show's history.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2022 by ironlion

[titan1978]

Hard to argue with the Victor Lord/Irene fallout.  It also gave us Tina as a Lord and gave Andrea Evans so much great material to play with.

Days- the Roman/Marlena/John affair is almost a total turning point on several fronts.  It cements Sami as not just troubled, but scheming and vindictive in a way she hadn’t quite reached yet before that, which plays out for decades.  It destroys Roman, and leads to the desecrator and possession stories, which created a storytelling style that dominated Days for almost 20 years.  And it led to John and Marlena being together.

GH- Left Handed Boy/Frank Smith led to the show focusing on more action oriented storylines that were completely away from the hospital.  By the mid 80’s GH was much more umbrella storyline and action focused  than it had been, and that continues through today.  Not to mention the near constant presence of the mob in Port Charles- Smith, Mr. Big, Duke and the Jerome family, Sonny. Even Labine, while more grounded, wrote several action oriented events/stories.

 

[Paul Raven]

Y&R Jill goes to work for Katherine. That story and fallout fueled plots for years.

Kay/Jill/Derek

Kay/Jill/Rex

Phillip's return and death

Jill claiming the house etc

Culminating in the horrendous Jill/Katherime mother daughter fiasco 30 years on.

[Planet Soap]

Kay/Jill/Philli, and Victor Lord's death, are prime examples of landmark storylines. Sonething the show references and draws plot from for years!

OLTL: Jessica's Kidnapping 1986

Baby Jessica's kidnapping by Alison Perkins reared its head again in 2001. Natalie came to town and it was eventually retconed that Mitch Laurence had orchestrated a baby switch. Viewers were led to believe that Natalie was Clint's and Jessica was Mitch's all the way until the series finale in 2012.

OLTL Marty's rape: 

That event stained Todd's legacy for the remainder of the show and helped shape the character for better and worse. It became a huge factor again when Powell returned to Llanview in the late 2000s, when Blair accused "Todd" of rape in 2004, and the re-rape story with Todd dating amnesiac Marty. 

GH: Luke and Laura

As @titan1978 in the left, handed boy storyline, I think we can conclude that Luke and Laura's initial action story had a trickle down effect in other soaps, including ATWT, GL, and DAYS for much of the 80s. 

Edited November 26, 2022 by ironlion

[Maxim]

BOLD

1. Brooke takes over Forrester Creations

2. Brooke sleeps with her daughter's husband and gets pregnant 

 

These two things drove like 70 percent of storylines.

[carolineg]

Days-My first thought of this thread was the John/Marlena/Roman affair.  30 years, a recast, and several John/Marlena marriages later and we still hear it talked about today.

The only other thing I could think of was Stefano's arrival and set up as Roman as his enemy setting up the Brady/Dimera feud.  Those writing decisions have carried the show for about 40 years.  About 75% of the stories today still tie back to Stefano Dimera today.  

[Soaplovers]

Days:

I would say Roman's being persumed dead in late 1984 has spurred story that's lasted to this day (including the 1993 John/Marlena affair).

Marlena being possessed by the devil spurred some plots that resonate today (encouraging Sami to go after Austin when Sami had a moment of guilt/hesitation, showing Kristen that Tony was deceptive..which eventually led to Kristen going to the dark side, and kickstarted John/Marlena's renewed feelings after the affair story in 1993).

Guiding Light:

Ed/Lillian's affair..which led to Mo's death thus changing the canvas forever (Lillian visiting Mo's grave in the final week really showed the impact of that affair)

 

[heffos]

GL-Phillip Spaulding's paternity-generated storylines heavily from the early to mid 1980s and left repercussions with his relationships, especially Alan, until the end of the show.

[Joseph]

Y&R: Jill Foster's Affair With Phillip Chancellor = 35 year Rivalry

Sheila Carter's Obsession with Scott = Baby Steal, Escape To L.A., Mortal Rivalry with Lauren 

OLTL: Victoria Lord's Multiple Personalities = Storylines in 1968, 1979, 1986 and every 5 years there on

Victor Lord's Death = Explosion of The Dorian/Viki Rivalry, Several Questions on The Circumstances, Ultimate Revelation of Several Secrets

B&B: "Destiny"

AMC: Kendall = Part of Erica's Behavior Explained, Secrets Revealed, New Troublemaker in town

[kalbir]

Y&R

Jill and Katherine's first encounter at the hair salon led to nearly 40 years of storylines.

Victor entering the Abbott orbit with the Mergeron takeover storyline set in motion so much of what we see today.

Edited November 25, 2022 by kalbir

[Soaplovers]

Bold and the Beautiful:

Brooke helping her mother at a catering event a few months into the show's run in 1987.

Y & R:

Victor seeing Nikki strip at the Bayou in fall 1981...a year of various random character interactions..who knew this particular one would take off.

 

[Joseph]

They had some help

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[Planet Soap]

I would like to have seen a Victor/Lori marriage play out.

[Joseph]

So did Bill Bell, It Was Jaime Who decided to Give Prime Time a Shot, but apparently it was amicably and in 1984 We Saw The Brooks Girls and catched up on them a little

[kalbir]

I think Victor/Lorie was Bill Bell's initial plan, but he changed course with the unexpected popularity of Victor/Nikki My Fair Lady storyline, MTS real-life pregnancy, and JLB departure.

When Bill Bell put Victor/Lorie in each other's orbit in 1980, it was the wealthy businessman introduced as the new villain that was drawn to the vixen daughter of the main upper-class family. A Victor/Lorie marriage probably would have been more along the lines of a 1980s high society power couple. While Victor may have had some affection for Lorie, I never felt that there was genuine love between them.