Opinion: From GH to Y&R, Soap Stories Should End With a Bang, Not a Whimper
General Hospital delivered a boffo 30-year-old payoff with Jason and Tracy, while Beyond the Gates is toying with Hayley finally getting busted. But fans are waiting too long for satisfaction when it comes to The Young and the Restless‘s Victor, The Bold and Beautiful‘s Sheila, and Days of Our Lives‘s EJ.
Mob Canned
GH is finally ditching the Port Charles mafia! Decades of committing crimes on the PC piers led to Jason being arrested on one of them, and he returned from prison with a life-changing epiphany.
Jason: “I have to do better; I’ve failed my son. I can’t kill for you again. I’ve got to stop before Danny wants to follow in my footsteps.”
Sonny: “He already has.”
Sonny shared Danny’s desire for retribution, which led to a deeper talk about their complicated history: How Sonny was there for Jason after the 1995 car accident (caused by a drunk A.J.) that left him with brain damage. The former med student turned his back on the Quartermaines and signed up to be Sonny’s enforcer, which cost him the happy family he might have had with Elizabeth or Sam. Jason told Sonny he gave his life purpose and became the brother he always wanted (sorry, A.J.), but Jason now needs to prioritize his son over his boss. He’s gotta go.
Sonny: “Do what you need to do.”
Jason: “It would be nice to have your blessing.”
Sonny: “You have it.”
That conversation alone would have been a fitting end to decades of mob tales, but GH used it to spin Sonny in a new direction too. He confided to his son (the cop) that he also planned to walk away from the mob.
Dante (disbelieving): “What brought this on?”
Sonny: “Sidwell. His fall has opened up some opportunities for me.”
Dante: “I never thought I’d see the day.”
Me neither. Talk about a cultural shift in daytime’s oldest show! But wait, there’s more: Jason shared his decision with his Aunt Tracy, the only Q left to recall the “old” Jason.
Tracy: “I’ll be damned.”
Jason: “Danny deserves a better father. That starts with me being a better example. I can’t keep making dangerous choices. I need him to believe me when I tell him he’s making a mistake.”
Tracy: “So what you want for Danny is what Alan and Monica wanted for you.”
Aww! That’s a 30-year-old payoff right there. Tracy absolved Jason, saying Alan and Monica would be happy to see how much he’s evolved. Danny will get there, too.
Tracy: “I spent years estranged from my family. I changed. So can you.”
What a great reward for GH fans — especially those of us who’ve been tuning in since the 1970s. Somewhere, even cranky old Edward is smiling.
She-lusional
Soap fans have been watching Sheila Carter commit crimes across two soaps since 1990 and there have been some shocking/amusing payoffs along the way (killing Lance with a swarm of bees, cutting off her toe to fake her death…). But B&B closed the door on Sheila having a relationship with her birth son when she shot Finn and Steffy and left them for dead in 2022. I cannot write one more word about the absurdity of Sheila begging forgiveness from Finn and Steffy, thinking they would let her anywhere near their family. She is a proven danger and it would make Finn a moron to absolve her. Sheila’s latest stunt — booking a seat next to Finn on his flight to meet Steffy in Monaco — showed her desperation.
Sheila (smirking): “Fancy meeting you here.”
Finn: “This isn’t funny. You need to get off this plane.”
Sheila (taking his hand): “I’m going to Monaco with my handsome son. This is going to be the best trip we’ve ever had in our lives!”
It’s too dumb. B&B has to find something believable for this murderer to do. How about having Eric gravitate back to her? They were married in the mid-1990s, and he could use a devoted nurse right about now since his health is failing and he is estranged from his wife Donna. Would Steffy let Sheila spend time with her family if it would get Sheila away from Steffy’s beloved grandfather? I say yes.
Pod Blast
Speaking of whimpers, what was the point of Lexie’s return to DAYS? The explanation that she had been resurrected from a glowing pod in the basement after being dead for 14 years strained every inch of credulity. She didn’t look or act like the Lexie we knew, and Abe choosing her over Paulina wrecked what is arguably Salem’s most entertaining marriage.
Just when Lexie started to make headway with Abe and their son Theo, the magic serum keeping her alive stopped working. Rather than say a proper goodbye (like she did the last time she died in 2012), Lexie lied that she was going to visit her mother and decamped to the DiMera dungeon.
EJ: “You’re making a big mistake.”
Lexie: “I want to be with them more than anything but we’ve had our time together. It was beautiful and perfect. This way, they’ll remember me the way I want to be remembered. I don’t want to be greedy and ask for more.”
DAYS fans deserve more than Lexie 2.0 writing letters to her loved ones while sobbing in the basement. She hasn’t even been back six months! This isn’t a soap arc, it’s a cry for help.
Caveat: If it brings EJ down, that might be worth it.
Nailing Hayley
BTG has been flirting with Hayley getting busted for months now, and they’ve pulled the rug out every time. She poisons Bill’s drink, he stumbles, doctors try to figure out what’s wrong, and Bill hightails it back to work because he’s too much of an alpha male to lie in a hospital bed. His new bride “supports his decision” because she just wants him dead.
Hayley (smiling sweetly): “All I’ve ever wanted was for you to have exactly what you deserve.”
Bill: “I know, baby.”
To quote Bill’s daughter Chelsea, “Open your eyes!” It’s maddening how long this is taking because Bill could be the Victor Newman of Fairmont Crest but that won’t happen if he keeps being fooled.
Bill’s girls are onto her: Chelsea reported in a text chain with Naomi, their cousin Kat, and their mom Dani that she told Bill his bride was cheating on him. They’re right that Hayley’s a scammer, but wrong that she’s having an affair with Randy. He’s her cousin.
Dani: “I know what you and Hayley are up to and I am all for you scratching that itch.”
Randy: “You think me and Mrs. Hamilton?!”
Dani: “Nothing would make me happier than you and Mrs. Shamilton riding off into the sunset.”
BTG is a new soap riding a very positive wave — it’s time for this arc to see some major movement.
Wedded Miss
Which brings us to the whimper that was Nikki and Victor’s reconciliation on Y&R. Victor forbade her to see Jack after Jack helped her get sober (in a hotel room where nothing happened), screamed at her for months, threw her out of the house he bought for her, and then did the bare minimum when Nikki went blind and “allowed” her to come home.
Nikki (to Jack): “Victor and I have reconciled. Now that I have my eyes back, I can see that you’re wincing.”
He wasn’t the only one — Jack’s reaction was all of us. He reminded Nikki how angry she was with Victor re: Victor bringing Patty back, which resulted in her stabbing Jack.
Nikki: “Victor told me he loves me more than he hates you. He agreed to end the fight.”
Jack: “Do we really trust that he’s sincere?”
Of course not. Cut to Victor and Nikki hastily renewing their vows in the living room with only their offspring Victoria, Nick and Adam and granddaughter Claire looking on. (Sorry kids, no dates allowed.)
Victor (reciting his vows): “All I’ve ever wanted is to live with you.”
False. Nikki should have demanded Victor give her another house as a wedding gift — with just one key.
Hey. It’s only my opinion.
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