Couples in Crisis: From General Hospital’s Jason and Sam to Days of Our Lives’ Chad and Abigail, Can Your Favorite Soap Pair Survive Against All Odds?
Not all of these couples will be together come Valentine’s Day!
It seemed as if the world was collectively betting on 2021 ushering in better days, but things aren’t looking particularly great for some of daytime’s most popular pairings. Before we were able to kick 2020 to the curb, The Bold and the Beautiful’s Steffy told Liam news that will likely rip his marriage apart, Days of Our Lives‘ Chad went from accusing Abigail of infidelity to committing the sin himself, and General Hospital‘s Sam remained determined to keep Jason at arm’s length.
More: What will happen next on all four soaps
Even The Young and the Restless’ Sharon and Rey, who tied the knot just before the proverbial ball dropped, could find their honeymoon ending before it truly begins if Adam has his way.
So which couples have what it takes to keep their relationships afloat in the rough waters ahead, and which will sink like rocks? Let’s take a closer look.
General Hospital‘s Jason and Sam
You’d be hard-pressed to find a couple who’ve been through more than these two… and that’s saying a lot when you consider the soap landscape. The fact that they found their way back to one another after he was presumed dead and Sam found happiness with the twin brother he didn’t know he had (and she wrongly believed to be a resurrected Jason) would seem a pretty strong indicator that they’re drawn together like magnets to steel.
So what’s the problem? Well, almost losing both Jason and their son Danny to Mob warfare threw a major scare into Sam. Taking a hard look at their life in general and his career in particular, she’s adapted a “family first” policy and, in order to keep her children safe, pushed Jason away. For his part, Jason has found his loyalties torn between the family he loves and the people he loves like family, Sonny and Carly.
More: Is [spoiler] going to be Sam’s new guy?
Do Jason and Sam still love one another? Without question. Sometimes, however, life takes people in different directions. The unknown here is whether the separate journeys on which Sam and Jason have embarked will lead them to new lives and even loves, or if eventually their paths will circle back to one another.
More: Our 2021 General Hospital wish list
Odds Their Love Will Survive: While we’re 100 percent sure these two will love one another until the day they die, we’d place the chances of them reuniting more around 60 percent, at least for now. Perhaps once Cyrus has been dealt with, Jason will realize that in order to be with Sam, he’s going to have to find a more conventional job… even if that means letting someone else protect Sonny’s family. (Anybody else suspect that’s a role Brando is being groomed for?)
The Bold and the Beautiful‘s Liam and Hope
If Liam had a theme song, it might be Mary MacGregor’s “Torn Between Two Lovers.” Except whereas she crooned about how the situation left her feelin’ like a fool, one gets the sense that perhaps Liam subconsciously likes the chaos his waffling ways create. How else to explain his actions? Because if ever a man proved the adage that those who forget the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them, it’s him.
As so often happens where daytime’s emotional ping-pong champ is concerned, Liam acted without sparing a thought as to the consequences. This week, as he prepares to tell Hope the truth about his night with Steffy — not to mention that his favorite ex-wife might be carrying his child (again) — we can only brace for the fallout.
More: Liam and Hope’s long, complicated journey
Odds Their Love Will Survive: Frankly, we’d love nothing more than to say there is zero chance that Hope will forgive her husband. We’d be equally thrilled if Steffy, too, extricated herself from the human morass that is Liam. If ever a group of people needed to walk away and not look back, it’s these three. Hope and Steffy deserve better — as do their fans. And Liam? Well, perhaps he and Thomas can get a great two-for-one deal on the therapy sessions both so clearly need.
More: Will Hope wind up with Steffy’s guy?
Ultimately, however, it seems clear that while Hope will no doubt be devastated by her husband’s latest accidental rebound, she’ll find a way to forgive him. Hard as it is to imagine, that is just who Hope is. If she can find a way to look past the horrific things Thomas did to her in the name of love — and she certainly has — then she’ll likely manage to forgive Liam yet again.
Days of Our Lives‘ Chad and Abigail
The past couple of weeks have been rough on the young DiMeras, thanks largely to Gwen. Although if we’re being honest, the blame doesn’t rest entirely at the feet of the interloper. Had Chad and Abigail — or any of the many people with whom they reside — talked to one another at any point over the past few weeks, a whole lot of heartache could have been avoided.
More: Billy Flynn on Chad’s two very different ladies
Instead, Gwen whispered one lie after another into the ears of those around her, planting seeds of discord which easily took root. Next thing we knew, Chad was drunkenly questioning everything about the wife he claims to love, including whether she was genuinely mentally ill or simply used that as a Get Out of Everything Free card.
Odds Their Love With Survive: Frankly, it might be easier for Abigail to forgive Chad — she has, after all, made a few pretty big marital mistakes of her own — than it will be for the audience to do so. We’re holding out hope that Gwen will eventually reveal that Chad passed out before they could… er, seal the deal. But it seems far more likely that she’ll instead announce that the night in question left her pregnant!
Translation: Good luck, Chad and Abby… you’re gonna need it.
More: The truth about that EJ DiMera rumor
The Young and the Restless‘ Sharon and Rey
Of the pairings on our agenda today, this one has the shortest history. And if Adam has anything to say about it, Sharon and Rey will never make it onto our list of all-time best soap couples. Although Adam would no doubt tell you he is very much in love with Chelsea, were Sharon to cross his field of vision, what you saw in his eyes would speak volumes about the true owner of his tormented heart.
“Wait,” you’re probably saying. “Aren’t we here to talk about Sharon and Rey?” Yes. Yes, we are… but the fact that Adam so quickly and easily hijacked the conversation is probably not a great sign for the newlyweds.
More: The truth about Adam and Sharon
Odds Their Love Will Survive: Rey is many things, including a very good man who came into Sharon’s life when she needed him most. What he is not is the guy who has what it takes to make Sharon happy in the long run. Even were Adam not lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce, Rey would likely have to deal with her other ex, Nick, sooner or later. You know how the song suggests that if you can’t be with the one you love, you should love the one you’re with? Sorry, Rey, but that’s pretty much what Sharon’s doing.
In the final analysis, we’d say that three of these four couples have a fighting chance, and that’s not bad… especially for soap characters. But hey, we could be wrong. It’s been known to happen. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts in the comments, then visit the gallery below for a gentle reminder that not all soap-opera couples — even the ones with cute “squish” names — are meant to last. It’s 10 dynamic duos who went from sizzling… to fizzled.
