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11 Best Soap Opera Storylines

Dorathy Gass

Dorathy Gass

February 26, 2016

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There have been some pretty ridiculous soap opera storylines over the years. Who could forget when Marlena was possessed on Days of Our Lives (DOOL)? Or the recent storyline involving Jack Abbott’s doppelganger on The Young and the Restless (Y&R)? Then there was little Jake Morgan coming back from the dead on General Hospital (GH). The good still outweigh the bad when it comes to daytime drama, and there have  even been some incredible, ground-breaking soap opera storylines to compensate — here are the 11 best:

11. The Corinthos Men Struggle With Being Bipolar

Thanks to Emily Quartermaine, Sonny Corinthos was able to address his bipolar disorder in 2005. The storyline helped increase awareness about mental health, and the stigma often associated with this illness. Fast forward some years, and now because the disorder is hereditary, Morgan Corinthos, Sonny’s son, seems to be struggling with the very same mental health issues. The storyline with Morgan provides further insight into an issue that currently plagues our society, and is helping to educate another generation of soap opera fans in regards to mental health.

Source: ABC
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10. Saying Goodbye To Will Horton – Days of Our Lives

The Necktie Killer storyline was one that has rocked Salem last year, and claimed the lives of many beloved DOOL characters. While Days fans everywhere were saddened by the passing of Paige Larson, and Serena Mason, the storyline really got interesting when Will Horton became one of victims. As a longstanding DOOL character, fans had watched Will evolve from a sweet little baby, into a teenager, and then watched him become a father after finding his true love. The passing of Will helped legitimize the storyline, and as much as fans will miss Will, killing him off created a certain intensity around the Necktie Killer story.

Source: www.daysofourlivesnews.com
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9. The Evolution Of Jason Morgan – General Hospital

We all know Jason Morgan as a tough guy, working in the mob, but he also had a heart of gold. While he is struggling with his memory right now, it won’t be long before he finds he way back to being Sonny’s right hand man. However, there was a time when Jason was on the straight and narrow end of the law, yearning to be a doctor and contribute to society. A 1995 storyline that changed the face of GH in a lot of ways was when a drunken A.J. Quartermaine got into a car accident with his brother Jason as a passenger. A.J. was fine, but Jason was changed forever. The once ‘good’ kid completely cut ties with his Quartermaine family, and was drawn to the other side of the law. Jason aligned with Sonny Corinthos and grew to be a leading character within the show. Had he not gotten into that accident with his brother so many years ago, who knows where Jason would be right now? While his life on the show is in peril, the character continues to be one of the show’s leading men and fan favorites.

Howard Wise/JPI Studios
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8. Explanation Of The DiMera/Brady Feud – Days of Our Lives

Stefano DiMera burst onto the Salem scene in the early ‘80s with only one thing on his mind: to ruin the Brady family. After years and years of revengeful schemes, stealing people’s identities, and unsuspecting plot twists, the reason behind Stefano’s hate-on for the Brady’s was finally revealed in 2007. Santo (Stefano’s father) had an extramarital affair with Colleen Brady (Shawn Brady Sr.’s sister). After a tragic accident involving a cliff, Shawn claimed Stefano had killed his sister, while Stefano claimed it was Shawn. All along, Colleen had faked her own death because of the shame she had around her relationship with Santo. The storyline provided insight for the audience, explaining why Stefano was so angry with the Bradys and launched an over thirty-year vendetta against the family that still goes on today, thanks to his son Andre.

Source: NBC
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7. Ashley’s Abortion – The Young and the Restless

Digging in deep into the Y&R history archives, one would find a storyline that often does not hit the daytime television screens. Sure, characters have contemplated abortions in the past, but few go through with them. Back in 1988, Ashley Abbott was an exception to this rule. Victor and Ashley fell in love, while Moustache was married to Nikki. Ashley later learned she was pregnant, but by this time, Victor was back at Nikki’s side while she faked a fatal illness. Ashley went through with the abortion and shortly after Victor learned about Nikki’s deceitful ways. He was planning on getting back with Ashley, and then learned what she had done. Victor ripped into an already emotional Ashley, causing her to have a mental breakdown.

Source: tvmegasite.net
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6. BJ’s Death And Heart Transplant– General Hospital

Stock in Kleenex must have surely gone up a notch or two in 1994. Watching young BJ, the daughter of Tony and Bobby Jones, pass away due to fatal injuries caused by a school bus accident was heart wrenching to say the least. Even harder, was the decision that Tony and Bobby made to donate her heart to Tony’s niece, Maxie Jones. As if the sun and moons were ironically aligned, when BJ was brought into GH and pronounced brain dead, somewhere else within the hospital, Maxie was suffering, desperately in need of a new heart. The scenes around Bobby and Tony struggling with the decision to pull the plug on BJ to save Maxie, are some of the best to ever grace daytime television screens.

Source: ABC
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5. Sami Brady’s Bulimia – Days of Our Lives

During a time when the general public was just starting to learn about eating disorders, Days launched a storyline that helped increase awareness on the dangers (and reasons) behind an illness of this sort. Sami burst onto the DOOL scene as a teenager (thanks to SORAS) in 1993, and a list of horrible events transpired. She first becomes smitten with her sister Carrie’s boyfriend (Austin), trying to break them up, and also witnesses her mother having an affair with John Black while she’s still married to Sami’s dad, Roman. Seeing her mom make love to another man traumatized Sami, and her mental health deteriorated significantly. She developed Bulimia, and DOOL viewers got an inside look at this terrible disorder and how it can affect a person’s health and mental state.

MITCHELL HAASETH/NBC
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4. Delia’s Death – The Young and the Restless

Cassie Newman’s death rocked Genoa City in 2005; however, who knew that years later the little town would be brought to utter shambles over the death of Delia Abbott in 2013. So much emotion and different elements were at play with this soap opera storyline. You had the guilty Adam Newman, being torn apart for realizing what he had done and not admitting to it. Billy Abbott, a dad who will probably never forgive himself for leaving little Delia in the car. A mother in Chloe, who seems forever shattered by this incident. The saddest part, is that little Delia had just recovered from cancer, already escaping death once. Most Y&R fans naturally thought she would pull through. Sadly, she did not, and she still makes appearances now and again as a ghost, to help her dad along with things he struggles with.

Source: CBS
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3. Robin Scorpio Is Diagnosed With HIV – General Hospital

Quite ground-breaking for its time, GH viewers were saddened in the mid-90s when the news erupted that Robin Scorpio was indeed HIV positive. Watching Robin grow from a smart, intuitive little girl into a responsible and beautiful adult, GH fans thought Robin was handed a death sentence. Dating Stone Cates at the time, when he became ill, it was revealed that he had AIDS. Robin immediately got tested, as the two had become sexually active. While she tested negative initially, a second test revealed that she was in fact, HIV-positive. Longtime family friend Allen Quartermaine broke the news to Robin, and the storyline would follow her character all throughout her life in Port Charles. The storyline also provided some incredible acting by Kimberly McCullough (the actress who plays Robin Scorpio), and offered daytime viewers a unique perspective to this horrible disease.

Source: general-hospital.wikia.com
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2. Zack Brady Dies Due To A ‘Texting And Driving Accident’ – Days of Our Lives

Nobody likes it when a soap opera child character passes away, but the 2006 storyline that involved Bo and Hope, as well as Zach and Chelsea Brady, was one that raised awareness to reckless driving, and texting while behind the wheel. On New Year’s Eve 2005, Chelsea ends up driving and texting, hitting her half-brother Zack, who was approximately 5-years-old at the time. Zach suffers severe injuries, and it taken off life support so that Bo and Hope could give his liver to their granddaughter Claire. Emotionally riveting, Days viewers witnessed the grief around losing a son, saving a grandchild and increased awareness around the need for drivers to have their full attention on the road when operating a vehicle.

Source: www.fanpop.com
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1. Victor Gets Colleen’s Heart – The Young and the Restless

While Colleen was his goddaughter, in 2009 Victor had an incredible vendetta against her. Paying Gloria and Jeffrey Bardwell off to get photos of Colleen in comprising positions, Victor’s goal was to get Colleen off of Newman’s Board, a right she had be given after the passing of her father, Brad. No Y&R fan could have anticipated what would happen next. After mentally unstable Patty Williams ran a rampage, Colleen was kidnapped and nearly drowned, and Victor was shot. Colleen was declared brain dead and it turned out that Victor needed a heart transplant. What occurred during this entire saga, was one of the best acting scenes and storylines the Y&R has ever created. From her deceased father reaching out for Colleen in the lake, to Tracey’s emotional plea at Colleen’s bedside, to Jack debating back and forth on whether or not Tracey should save Victor: Y&R fans were left feeling emotionally drained by the time Victor came out of surgery, with Colleen’s heart beating inside of him.

CBS.com
Dorathy Gass

Dorathy Gass

Dorathy Gass is an avid fan of daytime drama and has been watching Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and Young and the Restless for over two decades now. As a full-time freelance writer, she gets to combine her love of soap operas and writing through her Fame 10 articles. Also a mother of two busy girls and a mommy blogger, she's been published multiple times over in Huffington Post Parents and Scary Mommy.

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