Retcons You Liked/Disliked

[Planet Soap]

What were some soap rewrites thats did or did not work for you?

Examples:

OLTL - I understand why two Todd's had to be done (brining Roger Howarth back). The Irene CIA explanation though was convoluted and confusing. It could have been explained better.

OLTL- Victor Lord is alive. Victor's life has been revised too many times. They changed it to Viki killing Victor, all for him to pop up alive in 2003, only for Dorian to intimate that he wasn't the real man. 

GH - Two Jasons: everything involving Franco, Betsy Frank, memory mapping and Afganistan was all over the place. When you recast a character, sometimes it's best to just not acknowledge that they look different in the event that the original actor wants to return, otherwise you end up in a situation like two Romans, two Todds, and now two Jasons. On the other hand, acknowledging a recast leaves room for a separate character (Drew or Victor Jr), if the OG actor returns. It also means the recast doesn't have to get fired like Greg Vaughn being ousted as Lucky in favor of OG actor Johnathan Jackson.

Edited December 15, 2022 by ironlion

[Melroser]

AW: Disliked 

Steve Frame back from the dead in the form of David Canary. He just wasn't the right fit and trying to recreate the popular Rachel/Steve/Alice triangle with none of the original performers seems futile. 

The whole Shane Roberts/Bobby Reno debacle. Robert Kelker Kelly's character was a hot mess and had no real hope. 

Liked:

Kathleen McKinnon and Carl Hutchins returning from the dead at the same time. 

 

[Efulton]

I thought that Steve's initial return written by L. Virginia Browne was good.  The problem to me was the casting of Alice and then Corrine Jacker's terrible writing.

I loved the return of Kathleen and Carl.  I think 1991 was AW's last really good year.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by Efulton

[j swift]

My vote for worst is the de-plastic surgerizing of Max Holden on One Life to Live.

James DePaiva played Max for three years, then the character was killed in a fiery explosion on his way to his wedding to Gabrielle.  Nicolas Walker came on as Matt, but he was obviously Max, with the explanation that the most amazing surgeon in the world not only removed all traces of Max's burnt flesh, but they made him incredibly handsome, just like Trey Clegg. 

Then, James DePaiva came back to OLTL, there was a full Max is Back promo (he was the real-Greenlee, before the real-Greenlee) and now he had a half-sister Andy that we'd never heard of in his first iteration, who magically recognized him because his plastic surgery wore off and he looked like the original Max.

My second worst are all of the retconned children of Heather Webber on GH.  Stephen Lars would be more than thirty years older than Esme, nobody is fertile that long.  And given her literal insane devotion to Stephen Lars, why would she have abandoned her other two kids?

Edited December 14, 2022 by j swift

[kalbir]

Some bad Y&R rewrites mainly due to them going against established history:

Jack the Vietnam veteran circa 1970-1972 when it was established that Dina abandoned the family in 1971.

Nikki becoming pregnant by Paul during the Summer 1980 cult storyline. That means Nikki would have given birth in Spring 1981 which we know did not happen.

Edited December 14, 2022 by kalbir

[Kane]

Worst: Erica's unabortion on AMC

Best: The introduction of Nikolas on GH, although maybe that doesn't count as a retcon since it just filled in the story of what happened to Laura during the period when she was absent and didn't actually re-write what played out on screen.

Worst: Luke's a philanderer who cheated on Laura left, right, and center 

[John]

Yep to all 3 

 

and Luke's de-evoultion is what happens when GH gave AG too much lee-way so he would stay on the show. 

Edited December 14, 2022 by John

[Paul Raven]

Y&R

Worst b/c not only were they lame they contradicted what we saw onscreen.

Carl Williams abandoned his family.

Katherine gave birth to another child.

Katherine arranged for Jill's baby to be swapped.

Diane was not killed 

Phillip  didn't die but escaped to Australia

Nikki had a 'cult' baby with Paul.

[Joseph]

I like John and Marlena from DAYS but I'm Not Fond fond of John, The character was never solid Ground, it's hard to like a totally unpredictable character??? 

1986 - He's Stefano DiMera; No He's Roman with Plastic Surgery 

1991 - He's John Black The Pawn

1992 - He was Romulus; He's Lawrence's long lost younger brother Forrest Alamain

1995 - He Was A Priest

2003 - He's Daphne DiMera's Bastard Son

2008 - He's Ryan Brady DiMera, Son of Colleen Brady and Santo DiMera 

[kalbir]

I think the Carl rewrite was that he went to work one morning and never came home. Onscreen he stopped being shown around 1990 without an explanation.

[j swift]

Come to think of it, shouldn't Nicholas Alamain sue John to get his part of the inheritance back?

[Paul Raven]

Yes, but I think he was mentioned for a while eg You're father is working late on a case etc. Then he just wasn't mentioned until years later that Paul, Mary and Christine talked about him disappearing as a prelude to his return/amnesia.

[AMCOLTLLover]

Liked: GH - Two Jason’s in 2017-18… It was so satisfying to have the real Jason back!

The whole Taylor is alive thing in 2005 on B&B was a hot mess. It didn’t made any sense and ruined a lot for that show and for me as a fan.  I mean we saw her die and Prince Omar was able to save her life? Sure sure lol

 

[Sapounopera]

Jill is not Kay's daughter 

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Jill is Lauren's sister 

 

[Taoboi]

Y&R Jill is Not Kay's Daughter

 

GH Peter is Alex's kid.

 

Off the top of my head.