Top 10 Most Shocking Reveals on Soap Operas
#10: Lucky Is Alive “General Hospital” (1963-)
Not only was he the beloved son of the show’s ultimate supercouple, but Lucky Spencer was coming into his own as a soap opera hero. When he was presumed dead in a 1999 fire, it was an aching and terrifying moment for the Spencer family. We watched Luke and Laura grieve, process, and ultimately lash out at each other. The revelation that Lucky was not only alive, but trapped by the Spencers’ longtime rivals, the Cassadines, was a welcome shocker. Given how far the show had taken us down the road of their despair, though, it was a revelation that was well-timed for maximum emotional effect.
#9: Delia’s Death “The Young and the Restless” (1973-)
Revolving around the drama-filled denizens of Genoa City, “The Young and the Restless” had its fair share of sad storylines. Delia Abbott was the very happy, but very sick young daughter of Billy Abbott and Chloe Mitchell. Audiences watched as she bravely fought against childhood leukemia, but soon another unexpected tragedy struck the family. Delia was struck by a hit-and-run driver in 2013. But no convenient soap opera physics or sleight of hand were called on to save her. She passed away from her injuries, and her parents were left to pick up the pieces in the aftermath.
#8: Stefano’s Return “Days of Our Lives” (1965-)
If there’s one thing you could always count on, it’s that Stefano DiMera would find some way to escape death. Leave it to “Days of Our Lives” to find an incredibly ingenious and completely unexpected way to revive the longtime villain. Viewers thought Stefano would be gone for good when Hope Brady shot him dead, after which his original actor, Joseph Mascolo, retired from the role and passed away. Not only was his subsequent revival in 2017 a shock because DiMera was alive, but because Mascolo was still playing him. In footage shot before his death, Mascolo was able to live on in the role even after his death.
#7: Reva’s Clone “Guiding Light” (1952-2009)
In the late 1990s, Dolly the Sheep was a household name. The successful cloning of a sheep inspired ethical debates, cultural commentary, and even a soap opera storyline or two. When “Guiding Light” tackled the subject, it did so with a particularly campy plot involving leading lady Reva Shayne. With Reva presumed dead, which admittedly happened a lot, her husband Joshua had her cloned. In a severe case of Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome, the clone Dolly went from infant to full-grown adult in record time. It was a shocker, made possible only by time travel and some serious suspension of disbelief.
#6: Erica’s Past Comes Back to Haunt Her “All My Children” (1970-2011; 2013)
Due to their often cyclical nature, some soap operas create new plots out of old ones, sometimes rewriting everything we thought we knew about beloved characters. In 1974, “All My Children’s” Erica Kane had an exceptionally groundbreaking and timely storyline that saw her having an abortion. But in a 2006 reversal that made many fans angry, a new character named Josh Madden appeared. With him came the bombshell that he was the result of Erica’s thought-to-be-terminated pregnancy. The revelation that he was somehow transplanted into Dr. Greg Madden’s wife’s womb as a fetus just didn’t add up for anyone, but it was certainly unexpected.
#5: Karen’s Testimony “One Life to Live” (1968-2013)
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Karen Wolek arrived on the scene in 1976, providing Llanview, Pennsylvania with a dose of much-needed adrenaline. Blackmailed into sex work by her former lover, Marco, Karen’s secrets were exposed in a blistering courtroom scene. Wracked with guilt, she couldn’t keep her secret life hidden once Marco was murdered and she was cross-examined in court. Her emotional testimony saw her raked over the coals, baring her soul to the entire town and to her husband, Larry. It was a striking moment that destroyed Karen’s marriage and forced her to rebuild her life, but it was the performance of actress Judith Light that made sure no one ever forgot it.
#4: Metro Court Hostage Crisis “General Hospital” (1963-)
One thing Port Charles residents never could avoid was a catastrophic event putting all their lives in danger. When almost everyone in town was held hostage by a group of masked gunmen in the lobby of the Metro Court Hotel, it wasn’t clear at first who was responsible. But the revelation that Jerry Jacks, the troublemaking younger brother of Jasper Jacks, was behind it all, made a lot of sense in retrospect. The last time we saw him, he was a criminal and money launderer who skipped town after being arrested. His return set in motion events that would forever change the show. Most of all, the crisis saw longtime character Alan Quartermaine suffer a fatal heart attack.
#3: Melaswen Island “Days of Our Lives” (1965-)
Sometimes, when the ratings dwindle, the cast does too. In the early 2000s, “Days of Our Lives” was hemorrhaging viewers and something needed to be done. So longtime actors were fired en masse as “the Salem Stalker” dispatched characters left and right. Dr. Marlena Evans was revealed to be the killer, which was crazy enough, but the big reveal set a new standard for soap opera retcons. Not only was everyone alive, and their respective actors brought back, but they all had been kidnapped by Andre DeMira and were being held captive on an island called Melaswen. You know, it’s like “New Salem” but backwards.
#2: B.J.’s Heart “General Hospital” (1963-)
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A sudden school van crash left Bobbie Spencer and Dr. Tony Jones’ beloved daughter, Barbara Jean, braindead. Knowing that there’s a girl at General Hospital in need of a heart transplant, Tony convinces Bobbie that B.J.’s heart should go to her. But that’s not even the half of it. The child is B.J.’s cousin, Maxie. When his brother Frisco and his wife, Felicia, find out that their child’s miracle comes at the expense of their niece’s life, their happiness is short-lived. It’s a tearful and heartbreaking moment of realization between parents whose prayers have been answered and parents whose worst fears are coming true.
#1: Marlena’s Possession “Days of Our Lives” (1965-)
Dr. Marlena Evans has been guilty of many things, but surely deadly attacks by a wild panther and a swarm of bees couldn’t be laid at her doorstep, right? Wrong. When “Days of Our Lives” introduced its wacky, ratings-grabbing demonic possession storyline, no one could believe they were going there. But not only did they go there, they gave Marlena a host of supernatural abilities that wreaked havoc on every single character in Salem. The show, and its visual effects department, took the opportunity to go full “Exorcist.” Outlandish as it was, it’s gone down in history as a high point for the show, and may be one of the reasons it’s survived so long. What was your favorite soapy surprise? Sound off in the comments.
