A look back at the good, the bad and the indifferent on soaps in 2017.

Happy 2018 soap fans! Soaps.com took a look back at 2017 and chose a few standout soap opera moments from “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “Days of our Lives,” “General Hospital” and “The Young and the Restless:” good, bad and indifferent. The following made an impact on our writers…

Most Shocking Romps:

B&B:
Bill’s attempt at fixing his relationship with his son involved getting naked with his daughter-in-law Steffy, which made it shocking in a sleazy kind of way. Nevermind that he was still getting over Brooke, the most recent love of his life, all of a sudden he and Steffy belonged together? Um, ok.

Days:
Lani and Eli. Not because they had sex despite being in love with other people, but because of the timing. It lessened the emotional impact of Gabi talking JJ down from killing himself to have Lani run into Eli’s arms because she thought her man cheated on her. At least wait until the next week before segueing from a suicide attempt to a love quadrangle.

GH:
I never would have paired morally corrupt Ava and do-gooder doctor/former priest Griffin, but I’m glad TPTB had the foresight. Their build-up was a recipe for hotness and they did not disappoint when they finally hit the sheets.

YR:
Did anyone see Jack and Gloria coming? They were funny and surprising and made for an entertaining start of 2017. Short lived, but a hoot while they lasted.

More: Soap alums we lost in 2017

Most Anticlimactic Storylines:

B&B:
Soaps.com writer Candace Young mused, “[The] build-up for Thomas going into business with Sally was anticlimactic when he abruptly left.”

Days:
Nicole and Brady rekindling their fire should have been exciting to watch while they were on the run from Deimos. Sadly, buying a hardware store in Canada and fearing a sketchy porn addicted neighbor did not cut it. Not even the addition of “As the World Turns” fan favorite Jennifer Landon could save that story.

GH:
There was so much potential for who Nelle was and why she wanted to destroy Carly. I was hoping she was Jerry’s daughter, but no. She was the bio daughter of Carly’s adoptive deadbeat dad, who Carly barely knew and the audience never met. Big fat let down.

Y&R:
Candace chimed in, “The sex trafficking ring storyline was convoluted, full of newbies and boring. The only thing in the way of ‘payoff’ was newbie Zack getting shot and Scott and Abby having sex in the storage locker.”

Most Annoying Characters:

B&B:
Candace chose Bill and his obsession with his skyscraper Skye. My choice was Steffy. Her singular focus on forcing Liam and Bill to forgive each other was annoying and I am over her constant state of weepiness.

Days:
Soaps.com writer Dustin Cushman’s pick was, “Everyone that lives in the teens apartment on Days.” I am in complete agreement, but I have to single out Claire. She is whiny, frail, entitled and not at all how I like my female soap characters.

GH:
Dustin empathically chose, “Nelle, Nelle and Nurse Amy lol. Oh and Aunt Stella . . . ‘Listen here Jooooordaaaaaannnnnn.'” I agree with the first two, but I confess, I am a fan of Curtis’s auntie.

Y&R:
Candace was torn between Abby, who annoys most viewers, and Nick and Chelsea, who aren’t winning anyone over with their forced chemistry that’s constantly on display.

Most Notable Recasts:

B&B:
This one has to go to Ingo Rademacher replacing Winsor Harmon as Thorne. It came as a complete shock to Harmon, as well as fans, not to mention, there doesn’t seem to be any real reason for the switch.

Days:
Soaps.com writer Christine Fix reminded me that recasting Anjelica Deveraux with Morgan Fairchild “didn’t turn out well and ended badly with her death.” I could not agree more. It was a questionable casting choice to say the least.

GH:
Dustin and I agree that although not a recast of a character, the casting of a previous actor in a new role fits this category. I didn’t expect to like ex-Carly Tamara Braun as a new character, but her Dr. Kim Nero has entered the Port Charles mix seamlessly and I’m intrigued by how she’ll continue to affect Drew and others.

Y&R:
The SORASing of the Ashby twins was a little rough going at first, but that may have had more to do with the clunky teen writing on Y&R than the actors themselves. I think aging the twins has added an interesting dynamic to the Ashby family, but as Lily’s portrayer Christel Khalil just turned 30, Lily would have had to have been a teen herself when she gave birth to the twins for them to be adolescents now. She was not, but that’s par for the course on a soap.

Biggest Returns:

B&B:
Though Candace called this one anticlimactic as well, she initially thought, “Sheila’s return was a true shock and huge.”

Days:
There’s so many to choose from this year from the NBC soap. Will’s return from the dead storyline probably had the most impact and brought more than one fan favorite back, but Vivian came in just under the deadline and will probably be the biggest pot stirrer and most fun in 2018.

GH:
Stone Cold, of course!

Y&R:
Per Candace: “Alice’s return was a genuine surprise; JT’s, most hyped.”

Biggest Grab the Tissue Moments:

B&B:
Christine said, “During Christmas when Brooke was wishing that her sister Donna could be with them and suddenly she came through the door. That along with the music that played when they embraced, then having all the Logan sisters together was touching.”

Days:
The fallout of JJ shooting Theo was dark and intense, especially JJ’s standalone episode. The performances have been incredible and more than a little tissue worthy.

GH:
Watching Jake insist Drew was his father, not Jason, had the little guy, and me, in tears. Second choice would be Tracy saying her goodbyes as she exited Port Charles, taking the much-missed Jane Elliot with her.

Y&R:
Dina’s Alzheimer’s storyline has been filled with touching and teary moments. It was especially heartbreaking to watch Ashley’s face fall after spending a wonderful day connecting with her mother, who didn’t remember a thing when they got home from ice skating.

Most Reinvigorating Events:

B&B:
To say they reinvigorated the show might be a stretch, especially since they’ve been M.I.A. of late, but reintroducing the Spectras with new family members was a great nod to the show’s history. The clan also gave the Logans, Forresters and Spencers fresh blood to tangle with.

Days:
Ron Carlivati coming on as head writer shook things up in a good way. While not everything was gold, he brought so many characters and actors back, spreading them out across several entertaining storylines. He also allowed viewers to enjoy the love between favorite couples again and course-corrected poorly matched pairings in the process.

GH:
Hands down the Jason/Drew storyline. I didn’t think I’d like Steve Burton’s return, but I have been captivated by “GH” the last couple of months. It’s also given Billy Miller the most interesting stuff to do since he came on the show.

Y&R:
Candace felt, “[The] head writer change at Y&R was positive, though the jury’s out on the faster pace.”

Most Entertaining Pairings:

B&B:
Katie and Wyatt own this category. Candace enjoys their role-playing, while I just appreciate how, in a show built on retreads, they feel fresh and different.

Days:
I love bitter, snarky Brady. He’s way more entertaining this way and his cat and mouse game with Eve is a treat to watch.

GH:
I loved Finn with Hayden, but Finn and Anna’s charged banter is amusing and awkward and sweet and I can’t wait to see more.

Y&R:
Now that they’ve worked out their crap, Candace and I agree Billy and Phyllis are a fun, sexy couple. Their latest antics have been a rousing departure from the usual angst.

More: Soap opera spoilers, 2018 previews

Biggest Saw It Coming Moments:

B&B:
If you’ve watched soaps long enough, you could have written Steffy becoming pregnant after cheating on Liam with his father yourself.

Days:
Deimos’s deeds had become so dastardly, the only place for him to go was six feet under and his death predictably became a whodunit.

GH:
I think we can all agree that Nelle turning up pregnant was the obvious next step in her story with Michael and Carly. The only surprise was she wasn’t faking.

Y&R:
Of course Abby and Scott were going to have sex when they were held captive. How else would they pass the time?

Only on a Soap:

B&B:
Per Candace, “Bill blows up a building with his son still in it. Son is fine.

Days:
One word: Doppelgangers.

GH:
Memory mapping anyone?

Y&R:
Chloe made it look like she committed suicide, but in “reality,” she was given something to paralyze her, making it appear she was dead. The drug apparently wore off while she was in her casket, because she climbed out of it, shocking Kevin.

Thanks for following Soaps.com each year for updates on your favorite daytime dramas. Don’t forget to tell us your most notable moments from 2017 below!

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Photo credit: Jill Johnson/JPI

– Lori Wilson