ALL: Character's heyday vs Character's low point

[Maxim]

Can we compare and share popular soap character's ultimate heyday moment- the moment that they were shining the brightest in the show. And the low point - a point in the show that the character was not what it used to be, doing something that is completely far from their highest peak. The best vs the worst storyline, if you understand me. The question can also have different interpretations. I am interested in all of them.

 

Let me start

Brooke Logan on The Bold And The Beautiful

- HEYDAY MOMENT - Brooke takes control of Forrester Creations.

This now 37 years in, seems to be, the culmination of the character in terms of personality growth and storyline evolution. After 7 years of trying everything she can to first get into and then continue to be in the Forrester family, in 1993 Brooke was a single mother, with everyone against her. She did it all to herself, by manipulation, cheating on Eric and trying to split Tridge. But how amazing it was to see this now somewhat of an anti-hero character emerge as the Count of Monte Cristo, executing her revenge and making Stephanie squirm. This period gave us some of the most memorable and highest quality dialogue in the show ever. Here is one of the most iconic episodes in the show's history.

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- LOW POINT - Brooke sleeps with her daughter's husband

As funny and scandalous as it sounds... it's the junk food period of the show that symbolizes the COMPLETE transition to very low quality storytelling and completely ruining the character of Brooke. This was the point a lot of people turned on the character. I remember the boards back in 2006 when these episodes were airing in my country. Pretty much everyone was disgusted by Brooke. I don't think the character ever survived past this story. Brooke became a laughing stock and a sex scandal pony that Bradley rode every other year to try to be Taboo and DARING. It really is her LOWEST point for me. I enjoy it, don't get me wrong... BUT this is not the Brooke from 1993, this is some creature I just can't care less about. Here is an episode, which paints this story - her daughter Bridget finds out that her mother and her husband are having an affair. And her mother is PREGNANT by her son in law. Pretty sick, right.

 

[Franko]

What a fun idea for a thread! 

ERICA KANE (AMC)

Highest Point: Leading the "An American Beauty" campaign for Sensuelle.

Lowest Point: The Woman of the Year meltdown.

[Maxim]

Stephanie Forrester

HEYDAY - 1987-1988 FOR SURE - aka The Matriarch trying to save her marriage and family TAKE ONE. The Queen was in superb form in the beginning. It was all before the Valley girl had succeeded in destroying her life. Stephanie was A FORCE. Her tongue cut like a razor, her sarcasm was like a venom, her icy blue stare was enough to make even Bill Spencer squirm. I TRULLY love her in he beginning. Such a clean slate of a perfect character.

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LOW POINT - 2007 - Orchestrating Brooke's rape. In a disgusting storyline that went too far we had Stephanie giving a complete stranger keys to Brooke's house and telling him she loves men and sex. All of this led to Brooke's rape which damaged Stephanie's reputation in the show forever. It left really bad taste in the viewer's mouth and IT WAS JUST... BENEATH Stephanie's original character. It was way too cynical and way too evil.

Edited January 19, 2024 by OpportunisticSlut

[belzoni1982]

Phillip Spaulding 

Low Point: kidnapping his children, "New Springfield"

High Point: rescuing Lizzie from Cyrus towards the end of the show

[AMCOLTLLover]

Luke Spencer from GH!

Highs… Finishing off some Cassadines and saving the world and finishing off Frank Smith and his organization!

Low: The Rape! Most of 2006-2011 was his lowest. 

I thought it was juicy soap drama BUT her sleeping with Oliver thinking it’s her grown ass Ridge is the lowest of low points lol

[Maxim]

She made a mistake. 

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[Soaplovers]

Erica Kane:

High points: founded and ran Enchantment, having female friends (Opal, Janet)

Low point: kidnapping Maria and Edmund's baby 

 

 

[kalbir]

@OpportunisticSlut Re: Stephanie, it's the writing that made the difference. Bill Bell wrote Stephanie complex and layered. Bradley made Stephanie one-dimensional. 

[I Am A Swede]

Bradley's writing for both Stephanie and Brooke (the two examples in this thread) made them both into caricatures. Their dynamic was dynamite during the first years, but the writing got progressively worse and worse. It was only the fantastic rapport between SF and KKL that kept it going.

[Khan]

I agree.  That plot-driven decision had ABCD's fingerprints all over it.

[Soaplovers]

If you watched the first few years of the show, Brooke is very layered as a character.

She's a straight A student studying chemistry, she gets a well paying job as a chemist, and she loves her family very much.  Even though she dreams of financial security, she's also genuine in her love for Ridge and also in her friendship with Caroline.  

 

[Contessa Donatella]

This is such a good topic! 

Rachel, Another World

A high point: Janice Frame has been poisoning Mac & he is near death. Location: Island remote. A fight with Janice Frame in the pool where Rachel comes out alive & Janice comes out dead. Then she rushes Mac to medical care, just in the nick of time. 

A high point: Mac died unexpectedly & she holds the family & Cory Publishing together. 

A high point: She discovered sculpture.

The lowest point: the doppelganger Justine, the whole second half of the story, including grinding the gears driving an 18-wheeler & bricking Vicky up into a wall. 

[Maxim]

Thank you. I am happy that even a week later the idea got picked up from other people in the topic. I am very interested in these comparisons. It symbolizes the spectrum of the character.

[Janet Marlowe]

Erica Kane:

Highest Point: Yelling at the Bear

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, jk. No, I think it would be when she was getting national recognition while living in Manhattan, releasing her memoir Raising Kane (even though Adam sabatoged the film version) and later becoming an entrepreneur. And special recognition to the moment after Kendall wheeled Richard Fields into the courtroom to taunt her, Erica returned and read him (and Kendall) to filth, ending it with her trademark "I AM ERICA KANE!".

Lowest Point: Going on the run with Baby Bianca, and becoming a diner waitress named 'Sally'... and hooking up with that creepy guy that Travis later killed.

Janet Marlowe Green:

Highest Point  Telling off all the Pine Valley hypocrites in the courtroom while fighting for Amanda. She referred to Trevor as a "lump of lard."

Lowest Point: Wanting to kidnap Brooke and steal her life. Good thing that was dropped.

Edited January 27, 2024 by Janet Marlowe

[John]

I remember that Bull. RM's contract talks werent going well so ABC was gonna drop RM . Have Janet redo her face as Brooke & have Julia Barr play both Brooke & Janet. I still remember RM's Janet trying to mimic Brooke's voice.

WHOMEVER finally worked out a deal so RM could remain on AMC & drop that story

Thank you