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Soaps’ Best and Worst of 2020 — So Far: Hottest Couple, Coolest Twist, Lamest Rivalry & More
A little more than halfway into the year, Soaps.com evaluates what’s hit — and (ruh-roh) what’s missed.
Daytime TV is a lot like life: You throw some stuff at the wall and see what sticks. And, at each year’s midpoint, some website — in this case, Soaps.com, your experts in all things sudsy — evaluates what’s worked and… erm, what still needs work. Maybe even a lot of work. (What? That doesn’t happen in your life? Interesting. Can we, um, be your friend? But we digress… )
In the photo gallery below, you’ll find our picks for 2020’s best and worst — so far. The jury is still out on what we’ll choose as the year’s ultimate successes and failures. So the storylines that we loathe and the couples that we love could yet change before the ball drops on December 31. In the meantime, however, these are our picks for soapdom’s hits and misses.
Singled out among our high and low points are a Days of our Lives duo that’s truly, ahem, killer, a pair of nemeses that make The Young and the Restless seem dazed and confused, a slap on The Bold and the Beautiful that was heard — and damn near felt! — around the world, and a General Hospital supercouple that is probably ready to take the “super” out of their couple designation.
You won’t agree with all of our picks. We know this as well as we know our own names (and all of John Black’s aliases!). But that’s alright. Part of the fun of daytime is the drama that we let it create for ourselves. So, after you peruse the photos in the gallery below, by all means, hit the comments with your own picks for 2020’s best and worst so far.
Image: ABC
1/20
<p>First, <em>General Hospital</em>’s Nelle turned Shiloh’s awkward memorial service into a total cringefest by revealing that she was the widow of the only individual whose persona was more non grata in Port Charles than her own. Then, mere months later, she topped herself by introducing into Wiley’s custody proceedings subsequent hubby, Julian (who only <em>wished</em> he was as dead as Shiloh!).</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
2/20
<p>No sooner had <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> removed the Thorne in their sides than it had rushed former marrieds Bill and Katie into an altogether unearned reunion for no reason other than to… what? Amp up the supposed drama when he once again (inevitably) locked lips with Brooke? Bill, Katie, their relationship, their son and, frankly, we <em>all</em> deserved better.</p>
Image: CBS
3/20
<p><a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/570206/daytime-emmy-awards-2020-best-worst/">The Daytime Emmys</a> aired on television for the first time in ages and, better still, brought in over three million viewers. Hopefully, network executives seeing those numbers will realize just how hungry the audience is for daytime drama (and, dare we dream, bring back <em>All My Children</em> and <em>One Life to Live</em>, if not <em>Guiding Light</em> and <em>As the World Turns</em> with them?).</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
4/20
<p>Ever since being busted at his wedding to Zoe, <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em>’s Thomas has been MIA, leaving the show with a major villain-sized hole in the canvas. We want to know where he is… and, more importantly, what revenge he’s been cooking up and with whom. Sheila? Ivy? Amber? The possibilities are as limitless as Thomas’ warped mind.</p>
Image: XJ Johnson/JPI
5/20
<p>We get that <em>GH</em>’s Willow is the epitome of sweetness and innocence — eat your heart out, Snow White! But are we <em>really</em> to believe that she — unlike half of Port Charles and pretty much every one of the show’s viewers, even the ones with blinders on — didn’t immediately see through Chase and Sasha’s fake affair? It <em>is</em> possible to be lovely and smart at the same time.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
6/20
<p>We know where the “fast-forward” button is, but where’s the “slow-down” one? <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Victor allowed himself to be blackmailed by Adam, only to, days after putting his son in the top spot at Newman Enterprises, have the truth come out and the consequences be… pretty much nonexistent. Months later, our heads are still spinning — and not in an “OMG, that was great!” way.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
7/20
<p>Can anyone tell us why <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em>’s Rick and Maya split up? Anyone… ? Bueller? No. OK, then riddle us <em>this</em>: Why bring back as a solo act Maya — a beloved character who happens to be <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/570736/soap-operas-lack-diversity/">both African-American and transgender</a> — if there was no plan whatsoever to position her front and center? </p>
Image: ABC
8/20
<p>Thanks to heartbreakingly real performances by <em>General Hospital</em>’s Maurice Benard (Sonny) and Max Gail (Mike), watching the Teflon don deal with his father’s final days left us saying, “We’re not crying… <em>you</em> are!” But — and yes, we know we don’t need to tell you this — we were lying and only relieved that you couldn’t see the absolute wrecks that this all-too-relatable storyline had made of us. </p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
9/20
<p>If one thing remained as true in 2020 as it was in the year that preceded it — and heaven knows we wished that it <em>hadn’t</em> — it’s that we just didn’t get the random animosity between <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ dissin’ cousins, Theo and Kyle. Jack and Victor, they ain’t — at least not yet. Give them stakes, a point, something into which we can buy. (Hey, we’re willing to meet you not just halfway, <em>Y&R</em>, but three quarters of the way.)</p>
Image: XJ Johnson/JPI
10/20
<p>Within moments of showing up in Salem, <em>Days of our Lives</em>’ Allie (and her unborn child) were causing all <em>kinds</em> of drama. Plus, daytime newbie Lindsay Arnold is easily holding her own against some of the soap’s heaviest hitters! Our one quibble: Is Allie daft? How could she think she could tell everyone in Salem she was pregnant without mom Sami finding out? Insert face-palm here.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
11/20
<p>We hardly recognize <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Billy anymore, which is a crying shame, given that portrayer Jason Thompson — a newly-minted Emmy winner, as if you didn’t know — has proven time and again that he can handle anything and everything that the writers choose to throw his way.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
12/20
<p>Who knew that when <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em>’s Wyatt walked in on Sally and Penny shortly after they’d bonked Flo on the head, it would be months before we found out whether he’d caught them in the act? As accidents go, that turned out to be an awfully happy one. Well, not for Flo, obviously, but for the show and us.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
13/20
<p>OK, maybe it’s a stretch to call <em>General Hospital</em>’s Ava and Nina friends; there’s been no braiding of one another’s hair — yet. But given that Nina once induced labor just to steal Ava’s newborn daughter hot out of the oven, the fact that they’ve come to plot <em>with</em> instead of <em>against</em> one another is pretty incredible.</p>
Image: XJ Johnson/JPI
14/20
<p>Even on a show overflowing with strong couples, the natural chemistry shared by <em>Days of our Lives</em>’ Robert Scott Wilson and Victoria Konefal gives Ben and Ciara an easy win in this category. To have picked any other duo, no matter how dynamic, would have been… er… #cin-ful.</p>
Image: XJ Johnson/JPI
15/20
<p>It’s time for <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/567389/general-hospital-jason-sam-break-up-new-romance/"><em>General Hospital</em>’s Jason and Sam</a> to either get it together or part already. Their prolonged separation isn’t as hot as we might’ve hoped. And let’s face it, sometimes even supercouples have to go their separate ways, whether for a while or forever, in order to remain relevant and interesting. (See also: Jason and Elizabeth, for whom the sexual tension is always simmering just below the surface.)</p>
Image: XJ Johnson/JPI
16/20
<p><em>Days of our Live</em>s gave Lani and Eli, the first African-American couple ever to marry on screen in the show’s history, the full, bonkers <em>Days</em> treatment, allowing their ceremony to be interrupted by not only a vindictive ex (dressed like she was auditioning for the road show of <em>Mamma Mia</em>) but a gun-toting vengeance-seeker (as traditional at Salem nuptials as “something borrowed, something blue”).</p>
Image: XJ Johnson/JPI
17/20
<p>We bought <em>Days of our Lives</em>’ Gabi crashing Lani and Eli’s wedding. We bought Vivian doing so while packing heat. But Tamara bailing on her daughter’s nuptials due to low blood sugar? Uh-uh. No. Would any of <em>your</em> mothers have even <em>considered</em> sitting out your “I dos” because of a little lightheadedness? No. Freakin’. Way. (Yeah, she made it back in time, but still… no. Just no.)</p>
Image: XJ Johnson/JPI
18/20
<p>If <em>General Hospital</em> keeps staging non-nuptials for Valentin and Nina that are as off-the-rails as their January attempt at an “I do”-over, we hope they never get pronounced husband and wife. And if their weddings gone wrong wind up joining in unholy matrimony <em>other</em> couples — in this case, sparring partners Ava and Nikolas — so much the better!</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
19/20
<p>We’re so enamored of <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ real-life loves, <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/news/570170/young-and-restless-brytni-sarpy-bryton-james-daytime-emmy-win/">Brytni Sarpy and Bryton James</a>, that we kinda-sorta dread that inevitable moment when their fictional counterparts, Elena and Devon, hit hard times. Maybe we could just watch them being adorable together for the next 20 years? Or 15? We’re easy that way.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
20/20
