ALL: Bad Moves by Well Regarded Soap Writers/EPs

[DRW50]

There was the brief time when Lillian and Vanessa were on Annie's side after Reva returned, making some catty remarks about her as she was on the outs, although that was badly written and just made people call Lillian a hypocrite.

[Mitch64]

I remember ..(McTavish of course) Lillian was saying she saw Reva come out of a dress shop or something and her dress was stuck in her but or something. Stupid and I could see Nola saying something like that..(they had Nola saying at Chirstmas, when Van is saying Josh and Annie are laying low, "Well I don't blame them now that Reva is back in town!") I always wanted a Reva/Nola catty session but I don't think we got it!

[P.J.]

Long did enough whitewashing. There was always a new sob story to explain her selfish, idiotic behavior. And the Lewis men worshipped Reva practically as soon as the ink was dry on her divorce from HB. Billy may have been a little more realistic in his vision, but he always seemed to forget how badly she treated him. 

I didn't think the addiction story was a bad idea for Vanessa. She was a wealthy, spoiled woman with low self-esteem who looked to men for validation and rarely found it. Long just didn't care to probe that in any depth, and the story lasted three months. (And yeah, if someone from 1986 could've jumped back and told Maeve that Vanessa had given up a child, after she cracked after nearly lost Little Billy, it might've helped with the motivation) References to it did occasionally pop up, but not in any depth. And the viewers who only knew cool, calm and collected Vanessa probably didn't understand what they were talking about.

Although not a lot of 86 is up, I think Vanessa was more of an office manager, not a secretary. Not that Ross needed an office manager either, as he was just re-establishing his practice. And she's back at Spaulding running the foundation by May-June when Alan comes back to town. 

[AlexGrimaldi]

YR

Bill Bell was a wonderful and gifted storyteller, but he did some mistakes killing off young characters who could have provided more future storylines involving relatives and persons close to them. Like Phillip Chancellor III, Jill's biological son and Katherine's temporary son (she was his legal guardian for a while and she loved him dearly). And like Robert, son of Nikki and Jack Abbott, who died soon after his birth in 1993. 

[titan1978]

I agree about Nikki and Jack having a child that should have survived. The natural fighting over loyalty and rivalries with Nick and Victoria would have been excellent.

I disagree about Phillip though. It put Nina in a power position because of their child and drove story between Nina, Jill, and Katherine for a few years. I don’t think Phillip being alive added as much as Nina did.

[Liberty City]

They gave that to Adam (via Hope & Victor). Shame. Jack & Nikki (the superior pairing) got robbed of their son, Robert Abbott.

[Khan]

Who, in my book, would have transitioned after struggling with their gender identity as a youth.

[Planet Soap]

And the show continued desecrating their future generation by eighty-sixing Cassie, Delia and Colleen.

[Liberty City]

Cassie's death is one I am alright with, because it is fallout we still feel today.

[Planet Soap]

I see that Cassie's death did drive story helping break up Nick and Sharon, and putting Nick and Phyllis together. But it was a stunt move that really wasn't necessary. Seems like showrunners regret it because the actress was brought back in another role.

[Liberty City]

Different show-runner, though.

[Soaplovers]

Bold and the Beautiful:

Bill Bell and Brad Bell too obsessed with Brooke.  Her character was limited in terms of story.  Storm and Donna in the early years had more potential then Brooke.

Young and the Restless:

Never really evolving Nikki after she married Victor and post divorce from Victor.

General Hospital:

Labine and Riche..too much focus on Sonny and Brenda.

 

[Planet Soap]

I knew that was going to come up. It's true but at least they did realize that killing Cassie off really wasn't beneficial.

[Planet Soap]

Agreed about Nikki, she was a I need a man housewife for a loooong time and grew snotty by the 90s.  Her first step toward independence that I liked was joining Jabot in 2000.

Nikki was really showing some independence especially in 2009 under MAB, only to have her leave Paul to pine for Victor againl

[Liberty City]

I disagree: it was beneficial. It's still trickled into the stories being told in 2024. The bigger mistake, to me, was the premature killing off of John Abbott. That was purely a plot-driven piece by Lynn Marie Latham & John Griffith.