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Thanksgiving Review: Separating the Year’s Hot Plots From… Well, the Turkeys
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022
We’re more grateful for some stuff than others.
As Thanksgiving draws so close that we can practically taste the cranberry sauce, we’re looking back at 2022 and sizing up some of primetime as well as daytime’s most memorable shows and stories, twists of plot and people of interest. Which sounds like a good thing, right? Except, of course, for the fact that not every one of those was memorable for the reason(s) that could have possibly been intended.
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So, included in the below photo gallery, you’ll find not only the characters and curveballs from The Young and the Restless, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful — as well as Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago P.D., Yellowstone and more — that left us buzzing with excitement, you’ll also find the ones that left us groaning in disapproval.
And we’ll admit that it feels kinda mean to shine a spotlight on the misses as well as the hits, especially at this time of year. But then, we always want our soaps, whether afternoon, evening or streaming, to be their very best. So it’s with a spirit of “Come on, you can do it!” that we’re pointing out the stuff that fizzled as well as the stuff that sizzled.
After you check out our picks for the year’s “turkeys” and the stories that had you coming back for seconds in the below gallery, hit the comments with your selections. As an added bonus, not a single item will add a calorie to your Thanksgiving intake.
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Image: ABC screenshot
1/44
<p>Never mind that <em>General Hospital</em> has never actually let “Sprina” be together. They remain 2022’s most swoon-worthy near-pairing.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
2/44
<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> struck gold in Tripp/Wendy/Joey… then left it behind, all shiny and [bleep] when it wrote off Tanner Stine.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
3/44
<p><em>Bold & Beautiful</em> thrilled fans, us along with them, when it resurrected Tanner Novlan’s Finn. But then, we also had to say…</p>
Image: Sean Smith/CBS
4/44
<p>As quickly as <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> put Finn back in Steffy’s arms, she took off for Aspen to play matchmaker for Mom and Pop.</p>
Image: Paramount Network
5/44
<p><em>Yellowstone</em> wasn’t just renewed, its fifth season was so massive that it had to be broken in two parts.</p>
Image: ABC screenshot
6/44
<p><em>General Hospital</em> may want to mix some of its mismatched doubles (Carly/Drew, Austin/Maxie, Britt/Cody).</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
7/44
<p>Some <em>Days of Our Lives</em> fans will always be ticked that the show moved to Peacock. Us? We’re just grateful that the sands are still flowing.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
8/44
<p>Enough already — more than enough! — with <em>Young & Restless</em>‘ bonkers habit of having characters change jobs every two days.</p>
Image: Netflix
9/44
<p>Rather than kill our beloved Mad Max, Stranger Things left the door open for her to revive and turn our world “upside down” again.</p>
Image: ABC screenshot
10/44
<p>The last thing <em>General Hospital</em> — or we — needed was Holly slapping on Anna’s face to frame her for Lucy’s shooting. Or for any other reason!</p>
Image: Peacock screenshot
11/44
<p>If Victoria Grace isn’t all of daytime’s rookie of the year, Wendy’s portrayer is most definitely <em>Days of Our Lives</em>‘ rookie of the year.</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
12/44
<p>On what planet would <em>Young & Restless</em>’ Victor be cool with Victoria plotting to steal Katherine’s company from her grandson?</p>
Image: ABC screenshot
13/44
<p><em>General Hospital</em> has kept us guessing for months with the killer storyline that has set loose a fishhook-wielding murderer.</p>
Image: CBS
14/44
<p>The <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> story in which Ridge raced down the aisle with Taylor without ever telling Brooke why he dumped her is ludicrous.</p>
Image: ABC
15/44
<p>Meredith who? <em>Grey’s Anatomy</em> introduced a new class of interns that jabbed a shot of adrenaline into the primetime drama.</p>
Image: ABC screenshot
16/44
<p>We don’t even know what to make of the convoluted story that <em>General Hospital</em> trotted out for Liz. She deserves better. We all do!</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
17/44
<p>It took a while. A long while. But <em>Young & Restless</em> finally capitalized on the sparks that flew between Nick and Sally from the start.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
18/44
<p>Rare are the exits odder than the one <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> gave Quinn. Eric dumped her, she reunited with Carter, and then poof… she was gone.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
19/44
<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> has been clever enough to keep scene-stealing Leo on the canvas, and we are <em>living</em> for it.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
20/44
<p>After what <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Leo did to Sonny, the show shouldn’t even think about going there.</p>
Image: ABC
21/44
<p>Evan Hofer has gone on the record with his delight at <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/652694/general-hospital-evan-hofer-dex-shirtless-photos-scenes/" target="_blank">how often <em>General Hospital</em> strips him down</a> as Dex.</p>
Image: Netflix screenshot
22/44
<p><em>Stranger Things</em> made us adore Joseph Quinn’s Eddie, only to then… sniffle. Sorry. We’re still not ready to talk about what happened “then.”</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
23/44
<p>Maybe it did make no sense. Nonetheless, we loved the jolt that was delivered by <em>Young & Restless</em>‘ outta-nowhere Devon/Abby hookup.</p>
Image: ABC
24/44
<p>We know, we know. We should be over it by now. It wasn’t even this year. But 2022 — and Austin — only made us miss Roger Howarth’s former <em>General Hospital</em> character more.</p>
Image: CBS screenshot
25/44
<p>We’d have done it a lot sooner. But at least before <em>Young & Restless</em> killed him off, it finally showed us why Ashland was supposedly such a fearsome character.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
26/44
<p>We propose that <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> return Darin Brooks and Wyatt to the frontburner. Their absence has only made our hearts grow fonder.</p>
Image: ABC
27/44
<p>Anytime <em>Grey’s Anatomy</em> brings back Kate Walsh as Addison — and now she’s recurring — it’s good for our vitals.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
28/44
<p>What’s nuttier, we’re not sure: <em>Days of Our Lives </em>playing fast and loose with a resurrected Stefan’s affections or Kristen imagining she can force Brady to love her.</p>
Image: ABC screenshot
29/44
<p>Bummed as we were to be losing Kelly Thiebaud as Britt on <em>General Hospital</em>, at least we got her back as Eva on <em>Station 19.</em></p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
30/44
<p>By resurrecting Li right after Finn, <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> robbed her comeback of the shock value that it should have had.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
31/44
<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> has yet to hit upon a slam dunk of a storyline for Johnny. Nonetheless, Carson Boatman strikes up chemistry with everyone with whom he’s paired.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
32/44
<p>Not only did <em>Beyond Salem</em> reunite Hope and Bo, but their portrayers both announced their returns to the mothership.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
33/44
<p><em>Bold & Beautiful</em> dropped the idea of a Katie/Carter pairing for so long that their sudden renewed interest seemed outta nowhere.</p>
Image: Netflix (3)
34/44
<p>Netflix’s <em>Heartstopper</em> wasn’t just one of the year’s most inclusive series, its story of young love was also <span style="text-decoration: line-through">one of</span> the year’s sweetest.</p>
Image: Lori Allen/NBC
35/44
<p>As much as it hurt to lose <em>Chicago P.D.</em>’s Halstead, at least there remains the chance that <em>As the World Turns </em>vet Jesse Lee Soffer could return someday.</p>
Image: Image: Howard Wise/JPI
36/44
<p>For too long there, <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> gave the Logan sisters nothing to do but look down on Quinn and butt into her marriage to Eric.</p>
Image: ABC
37/44
<p>Yes, she’s despicable — that’s the point. Avery Kristen Pohl was too great a pot stirrer on <em>General Hospital</em> to let the vixen stay dead.</p>
Image: ABC screenshot
38/44
<p>If <em>General Hospital</em> could just, ya know, never again mention Esme’s hookup with Nikolas, that would be fine with us.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
39/44
<p>Once <em>Young & Restless</em> unleashed Nate’s cutthroat side, we took a whole new interest in him. Genoa City, beware!</p>
40/44
<p>Sorry, Cameron. <em>General Hospital</em> has sold us hook, line and sinker on an inevitable Josslyn/Dex coupling. Even in a freakin’ dumpster, sparks galore!</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
41/44
<p>The clothes, or lack thereof, wasn’t the issue with <em>Days or Our Lives</em>’ Alex, it was how obnoxiously Robert Scott Wilson’s new character was written.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
42/44
<p><em>Bold & Beautiful</em> put its best foot forward with Sheila’s severed toe and all of the jokes that it subsequently inspired.</p>
Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, ABC
43/44
