ALL: Daytime's Best Dads?

[dragonflies]

John Finnegan 

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[Gray Bunny]

My first thoughts were GL's Josh Lewis and DAYS' Bo Brady. 

[Wendy]

I was just about to say John [and John in his Roman days, no pun intended!]. Yes, John has his quirks and such, but he had a warmth with his kids [and Roman's kids he thought were his!] and always had their welfare in mind. And loved them unconditionally.

Hell, even after he discovered he wasn't Roman, he saved Brat!Carrie [as I thought of Tracy Middendorf's Carrie] from getting it on with Lawrence.

And I also agree with Bo Brady, John's sort-of brother, on the list, too.

[Contessa Donatella]

I always just called her NotCarrie, Brat is obviously so much better!

[Mitch64]

Definitely Bob Hughes....Chris and Grandpa Hughes must have been good too, but that was before dad's screwed their son's spouses so they were run off the mill. Bob had an active sex life (hello Susan, and horny Lisa was always ready to get her claws in him preKim so you know he was a good lay) but he still managed to act like a dad! And I love Henry too and H.B. later incarnation, when he first came on the show he was a horny old coot loving to cause trouble (and more fun too) before he became the voice of reason. Long wanted to eventually pair him and Bert but Charita became ill, they would have made a great team.

[AMCOLTLLover]

If it’s not John Abbott then I don’t want to her from anyone ever again lmao 

[Vee]

Wild as hell it took half the first page for people to mention Mac Scorpio. Robin, Maxie, Georgie and frankly Maxie's kids as well half the time.

I will of course second John as I thought how Sami treated him was unbelievable when he never did anything but step up.

[Khan]

That was the show's simplistic writing for you.  It never entered Sami's mind that John had been there for her when her actual parents were missing or presumed dead.  Nope.  Once the real Roman turned up, Sami just shifts her loyalties to him almost immediately (as if Roman had been there all along) and makes it clear she wants John out of their lives forever (even though John wasn't exactly the villain in this situation) with no inner conflict over her actions whatsoever.

If anything, I think Sami should have been trying to KEEP John and Marlena together, not tear them apart and essentially guilt Marlena into staying with Roman.

Edited July 5, 2024 by Khan

[Contessa Donatella]

Sami was old enough to have her own memories of Roman. It was different for her than it was for the Twins. 

[Wendy]

And this is why I always thought the twins were SORAS'ed too soon.

Because I think it would have been interesting - and a story with depth - if John sued for visitation of the kids if Roman [and/or Roman/Marlena] tried to keep John away (to be fair, maybe establish his own bond).

I could see the Bradys being conflicted, from Shawn and Caroline on down, and it would have been curious to see if anyone would take sides and such. Especially Carrie, given she was older and - to this day - seems just as connected to John/Marlena as much as her own parents.

I think it could have been a story with, yes, some sadness, but heart, too. Showing the shades of gray between a man that raised the kids versus the parents that missed time. Neither would be outright sinners or saints.

[I Am A Swede]

Aren't you confusing Sami with Carrie now? Sami is one of the twins, isn't she?

[Contessa Donatella]

You are so right! Oops. It was Carrie I was thinking of. Excuse me. Thought one thing & typed another. 

In 1991 when both Deidre & Wayne returned, Eric & Sami, hadn't even been to Colorado to live with the Evanses yet much less been SORAS'd while they were gone so Sami, who came back alone first, wasn't a kid anymore but a tweener, I guess. At any rate John was the only parent they knew in 1991. 

Edited July 6, 2024 by Contessa Donatella
typo

[Wendy]

Yes, Carrie would be the one with memories of Roman. AND John.

[NiqueAlexis2020]

I'm honestly quite curious after reading your post if the primary or more solely the reason Sami was Soras so quickly after the 2 Romans story was for the affair story, Belle's conception? Do you believe that is one of the reasons why we got a aged Sami but not Eric till later on. Like Sami catching J/M on the conference room table and Belle conception is the most defining moment in Sami's history right along with the execution story. It was the start of one of the best heel turns I have seen contributing factors her rape, insecurity, jealousy of Carrie, low self esteem, Carrie unfortunate testimony at her rape trial.

Though I will admit I always found Sami's infantilizing of Roman back then a little creepy. I get being a daddy's girl but she use to hang off him. Combine that with the scene with Marlena when she is helping her get ready for her date with Roman & Sami finds a pair of her earrings and talks about how she should wear them cause she use to hold on to them, wear them when she was presumed missing, dead made me think that Sami was over compensating. Probably cause of abandonment issues from Roman, Marlena both dying and missing a lot aka being kidnapped. I wish days had explored more of this regarding Sami psyche & R&M missing yrs, presumed deaths have caused instead of just making her a crazy bit##. I know mileage varys on this 

[DaytimeFan]

I will join the chorus when it comes to John Black - the guy has endured near endless abuse from several children, including some who weren't even his, but he relentlessly stepped up. His warmth and sense of humour have carried the character through. 

And of course, I have a very soft spot for Y&R's John Abbott. Clearly crafted in Bill Bell's own image, whether he realized it or not:

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