It’s Only My Opinion: General Hospital’s Carly, Young and Restless’s Victor and More Kicked Off 2026 With Surprises
It was good-bye 2025, hello 2026 on General Hospital, Young and Restless, Days of Our Lives, Beyond the Gates and Bold and Beautiful last week. Here’s our critic’s take on how the new year kicked off across the daytime lineup.
It’s been hit-or-miss on daytime for the last few weeks (juggling new episodes with football and soap reruns) but a few shows bounded out of the 2026 gate with some real shockers.
Who saw General Hospital‘s Carly drinking champagne in the attic with fugitive Valentin on New Year’s Eve?
Valentin: “You’re one of the few people that talk to me like I’m a parent.”
Carly: “As opposed to what, a criminal? I’m used to hanging out with criminals.”
Ain’t that the truth! It’s so refreshing when they write Carly like a flawed heroine instead of some phony savior (orchestrating the African drone strike, “helping” her grown son Michael navigate his life, etc.). Carly explained, rightly, that criminals can also love their children and Charlotte clearly benefits from having Valentin in her life, so she was happy to organize a clandestine visit. Besides, Carly’s desire to get Joss away from the WSB while also punishing Brennan for luring her daughter into danger gives her a common goal with Valentin, who despises Brennan. And not for nothing, baddies with a heart of gold are Carly’s wheelhouse.
Carly (sarcastic): “I hope you’re enjoying the luxurious accommodations in my attic.”
Valentin: “Watching fireworks a few miles from my daughter that I already got to hug because of you makes you somebody I owe. I honor my debts.”
Carly: “Well, I’m running a tab.”
Ha! I’m not on board with a Carly/Valentin romance (yet) but it would be fun to watch Nina’s head explode if GH hooked those two up.
DAYS went with a series of soap tropes for Javi and Leo’s New Year’s Eve wedding, but they worked. First up: The groom is late, will he show up?
Gabi: “Where the hell have you been?”
Leo: “You know my morning routine; I don’t just roll out of bed looking like Matt Bomer. You didn’t think I was going to bail, did you?”
Ari: “That’s exactly what I thought.”
The next soap cliché was the suspicious guest clearly planning something. In this case, it was Gwen surreptitiously checking her phone with a sly look on her face as the ceremony commenced. Last came the old “ex-lover shows up at the wedding!” ploy — but it was still a moment when Leo’s ex walked in as the grooms celebrated amongst the guests and twinkly lights.
Javi: “Should we catch up with the photographer?”
Leo: “Let’s do it.”
Dimitri (entering): “Leo…”
Tune in tomorrow!
Over on Y&R, did we really think Nikki would turn on Victor in order to save Jack’s company? She came close, but after Victor gave her a bazillion dollar necklace from Marie Antoinette’s mother (I swear I am not making that up) suddenly Nikki was all, “I can’t do it.” But have no fear, she is certain she can appeal to Victor’s better angels.
Nikki (letting Jack down easy): “I believe love will win out over his hatred for you.”
Matt: “I’m going to take the Newmans’ money, but there’s no way I’m letting my cheating whore of a wife and her lover boy have their happily ever after. The way this ends is the two of them in a deep, dark grave never to be seen again.”
Festive. The real shocker here is the waste of Roger Howarth in a role that doesn’t have one redeeming quality or speck of rooting value. A close second is bringing Noah back having dumped Jack Abbott’s granddaughter, Allie, in favor of a married woman who is literally his mother Sharon’s age. On a show where the Newman/Abbott feud is the money story, that seems shortsighted.
Anita’s breast cancer battle overshadowed the celebrations on BTG, but the show wisely used it to bring exes Dani and Bill together.
Anita: “What brings you both here?”
Bill put his arm around Dani (as they discussed the chances of Naomi and Chelsea carrying the same cancer gene) and Vernon’s eyebrow went all the way up to the attic. He pulled Dani aside and asked why she brought Bill; Dani downplayed it that Bill just wanted to wish Anita well. Meanwhile…
Anita: “It feels like I’m seeing you more these days than when you were married to Dani.”
Bill: “If I may be so bold, I have a little advice. I know my stroke was nothing compared to what you’re facing, but when the reality hit me I felt helpless. I know you are the great Anita Dupree…”
Anita: “You got that right!”
Bill: “Getting knocked down caught me off guard. I realized that no matter how much I strut around like a man half my age…”
Anita: “…with a woman half your age…”
Bill: “… my body still ended up failing me. My advice is to accept every bit of help that comes your way.”
The Duprees letting Bill back in the house is one thing, but actually taking advice from him? Shocking.
But not as shocking as the fight that ensued between Brooke and Katie after Katie named her new fashion company Logan and Brooke objected because she said she has the more famous name in fashion.
Brooke: “I don’t think its unreasonable to ask you to give up the Logan name.”
Katie: “Of course you don’t. You take whatever you want. You took my husband, so why not take my name?”
Ooh, snap! Let’s go down that messy road. Can we have flashbacks of Brooke and Bill’s secret kiss being exposed during a party (by Quinn) and Brooke and Bill getting married in Abu Dhabi? That would go a long way towards fueling this overdue war between the older sister who’s gotten everything in life and the younger sister who feels she deserves it.
Katie: “Bill and I were married. You didn’t honor that marriage, or me. You could have had any man but you took my man.”
Brooke: “That was a long time ago.”
Not for Katie. She poured her heart out about her pride, her self-respect, how hard she worked to get Bill back, how hurt she’s been by Brooke, and how much she wants to build a fashion house that will be a major success. (Side note: Katie approaches Deke this week to come work for her. Please tell me Katie will also hire the discarded Eric Forrester!) Brooke predicted Katie will fail; Katie insisted she will prove Brooke wrong.
Katie: “It’s time for you to go. You’re not welcome here.”
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