Killer Soap: Why TV detectives would be totally lost in a soap opera universe

TV’s cleverest minds—for instance, Sherlock and Olivia Benson—may be responsible for solving cold cases, but on the other hand, if they were in a soap opera would they be able to keep up with he sudden re-entries, memory lapses, multiple characters played by the same actor, and plot changes?

Crime time shows and soap operas are both TV institutions – one, steered by the mind, while the second led by the heart. Both, regardless of the difference, are defining factors of television.

Now, just imagine them colliding with each other. What if Olivia Benson walked into Days of Our Lives or Sherlock Holmes took a consulting gig in Port Charles?

This feature looks at one side of the ridiculousness, the humor, and the story disarray that might transpire if television's most skillful detectives were to come and solve crimes in the world of soaps.

Spoiler alert: This won't have a happy ending for the crime solvers.

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Part I: The resurrection problem — Dead isn’t dead here

Death is perceived as just a hiatus in the soap operas.

Stefano DiMera (Days of Our Lives), was not only seen "dead" no fewer than 15 times, but he also had his brain implanted into another individual. Yes, that's correct!

Jason Morgan (General Hospital), who had been declared dead several times, including a 2012 disappearance in the harbor, returned with a mask after many years; however, with recasting, of course.

Adam Newman (The Young and The Restless) played dead more than once, not to mention the explosions, and amnesia were also present to seal the deal of the case.

A procedural detective like CSI's Catherine Willows might examine crime scene blood and fingerprints only to identify the "victim" alive—besides that, the "victim" and the step-parent could be two-in-love. This is the kind of twist that doesn't feature in a typical FBI case file.

Part II: The DNA dilemma — Paper cleansing a sin

In the crime shows, DNA proves unbeatable. It identifies culprits, gives closure to the victims. However, in the soap operas, genes are changed like yesterday's script.

Switched baby cases have their specific niche in the soap world. Starting with the well-known General Hospital that had multiple baby replacement stories and followed by Bold and Beautiful where the plot about Beth Spencer took years, here truth has never been a must.

Apart from that, secret twins can come to light in the middle of the season, as was with Days of our Live’s Kristen DiMera, threw DNA tests into chaos.

Also, nobody mentioned that The Young and The Restless’s Kyle Abbott had a child ...until at the last minute he found out about them.

Whereas someone like Olivia Benson, who is portrayed in SVU and works hand in hand with her lab technician, is always sure about the results before testifying in court. The situation with evil twins in the court may be imagined as teaming with the most advanced investigation methods, which is similar to a forensic fever dream.

How will you be able to give evidence in a court trial with a witness who has been brainwashed by their evil twin?

Part III: Suspect lists in soapland: The whole cast is guilty

In the case of a typical Blue Bloods chapter, three suspects is the maximum. But for soap operas, you can't say that.

It is like one big family!

Each of them possess a reason, and the odds are in no one's favour whatsoever at all.

Each person involved has skeletons in their closet and has had them for the last 30 years at least.

What if Elementary’s Joan Watson were to detect a poisoning case at the gala of Newman Enterprises? She would need to consider family conflicts, illegitimate siblings, office betrayals, and even that one guy who was imprisoned and broke free in 1991 to find a man of a diabolic nature that killed a person.

If we also include a time jump—something is always present in soap operas that allows children to age 10 years in the course of 6 months—Sherlock would stop prying and start smoking again.

Part IV: Emotional Logic vs. Legal Logic

In police and legal TV series, tracing the prime motive for a crime is key. In the case of murder, it is quite likely that the murderer was influenced by financial problems, love, hate, or something. In soap operas, the motive is derived from emotion, and sometimes might even be irrational, but it is always highly dramatic...

For instance, in the Bold & the Beautiful, the characters betray and become liars of the very truth not for some personal gain but out of love.

Ava Jerome from General Hospital was the person behind many killings and fires, claiming to be doing so either to safeguard her daughter or to seek revenge for love.

Investigations as the one headed by NCIS agent Gibbs operate based on regulations and strict discipline. But the rules in the soap world are changed every Thursday.

Part V: “The case was solved, but…” — never-ending storylines

In actual crime shows, a case is solved at the end of a 1-hour long episode. Even in longitudinal crime drama shows (like True Detective, Broadchurch), the frustration is temporal.

But in a soap opera, cases go on and on. The storylines go on for years—sometimes they end, then suddenly make a comeback after 10 years.

The General Hospital Luke and Laura epic first love story was spread across 4 decades, starting as a love story, then turning into tragedy, and ultimately into a redemption arc.

Victor Newman, the protagonist of The Young and The Restless, experienced both sides of the coin – as a heartless businessperson and a loving father, depending on the month.

Any detective working in a soap would be like a dog chasing his tail. Even if the actual murderer were found today, the peace of mind would be shattered by an old diary reappearing, a recording becoming public, or an interruption during a wedding... highly dramatic.

Part VI: Industry Perspective — Soap Actors Know the Gap

Actors who’ve swapped soaps for crime dramas have put their oar in:

One of the soap opera's beloved cast, Sarah Joy Brown, who has appeared in such TV series as Cold Case and Without a Trace after leaving General Hospital, said,

“Soap acting is like sprinting in a hurricane. Crime drama is more like chess—strategic, quiet, focused.”

Michael E. Knight, who has been in soap operas for a long time, stated that the speed of the TV show is very fast:

It is “relentless—5 episodes a week. Crime shows get one. The energy’s totally different.”

The production model is different, perhaps extremely incomparable.

Part VII: The Flip Side — Could Soap Characters Survive Crime TV?

Do you think such a miracle is possible? Can Ridge Forrester be a great support for the Behavioral Analysis Unit in investigating a kidnapping in Criminal Minds?

Certainly not.

Ridge Forrester would be the man who is more likely to be disturbed by family problems rather than cop-with-the-case kind of activities.

Sonny Corinthos (General Hospital) might just unload his gun on the unsub – anytime, anyplace – with no warrant at all.

So, Brooke Logan is supposed to wink at the suspect during the ceremony and be adopted as the new Mrs. by mistake.

Soap opera characters are minor entities in the world of the law, but they carry the core of the drama. Throw them into a situation of crime and punishment, and they would be in custody by the end of Act 1.

Conclusion: The real mystery is how soaps make it work

Soap operas may not observe the "by the book" regulations; yet, that is one of the reasons why they are so popular. They're great at emotional continuity, maintaining the history of the character, and developing their arcs. The nature of the drama might be over-the-top and chaotic, and sometimes, so is life, although mostly, it's just the soap operas.

Hence, when the issue concerns TV cops as the bringers of objective justice to the small screen, soap operas are in the opposite part of the spectrum of bringing the chaos in— which means they’re unveiling a truth different and of their own kind.

However, the way Olivia Benson is the one who manages to solve the crimes in Salem is an unrealistic and non-actionable scenario that can never be expected. Currently, she is investigating the fact that Stefano has returned one more time….laughter.