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Soap operas have long existed in a reality of their own where the absurd is standard, and the unbelievable becomes true every other day. These longtime dramas have honed the technique of storytelling from the heart, but come on: some of their greatest moments are constructed upon the most improbable clichés. Whether it's a dramatic return from the dead, a bad case of amnesia at the worst moment possible, or a decades-spanning love triangle, these tropes are the lifeblood of soap dramas. And yet, despite how many times we've seen the clichés, we still can't help but watch these soap operas.
Part of the appeal of soap operas is that they wholeheartedly indulge in the over-the-top with no shame. They go for the absurd and make us feel every turn, no matter how clichéd. You could nearly scream, "Of course that happened!" and that's the very reason we adore them. From clones to comas, hidden babies to surprise ailments, soaps have built a world where anything is possible.
So, let's travel down melodramatic memory lane with nine of the most cliché, old-school soap opera plot twists that still make viewers gasp, laugh, or roll their eyes: usually all three.
1) Waking Up Just in Time: The Coma Comeback
Comas on soap operas are time-honored plot gimmicks. A character goes into a coma following some traumatic incident (typically a crash or betrayal), only to wake up at some pivotal moment, usually to foil a wedding or spill a life-altering secret. This dramatic "coming back to life" usually leaves viewers gasping, particularly when actors are resurrected after years of assumed death. General Hospital's Luke Spencer awakened from a coma after almost two years, only to become entangled in a dramatic family saga. Comas in contemporary soaps such as Days of Our Lives serve at times as a plot device to bring in new storylines, revivals, or character makeovers, adding an air of drama.
2) Double Trouble: When Clones and Twins Take Over
The evil twin trope is a soap opera staple, frequently showing twin characters both identical but one good and the other devilishly bad. Whether it's a long-lost sibling shrouded in mystery or a scientist-created clone, this trope fuels family drama and identity crises. A good example is Days of Our Lives, which created the chararcters of Sami and Eric as twins: one good, one bad, causing endless confusion and betrayal. More recently, reports say that General Hospital may employ the idea of "clones" in the case of characters like Drew Cain or Victor Cassadine, coupling science fiction and soap opera cliche to lend even greater complexity to the story.
3) Death Is Just a Detour: Surprise Resurrections
Soap operas live on bringing back characters who were presumed dead, usually under utterly unlikely circumstances. Fake deaths, bodies being unidentifiable, and magical resurrections are all in the spirit of things. The Bold and the Beautiful famously resurrected Finn Finnegan. In recent times, General Hospital brought back the character of Nikolas Cassadine, who had been assumed dead after falling into water. The growing application of technology and pseudonyms in soaps has rendered such returns even more exciting and at times, more complicated than ever.
4) Memory Wipe Magic: Soap Opera Amnesia
Soap opera amnesia is the reset button, period. Characters conveniently forget significant relationships, their identities, or betrayals most often following a dramatic accident or emotional trauma. General Hospital's Jason Morgan forgot who he was after a car accident and undergoing several face reconstructive surgeries. In The Young and the Restless, Ashley Abott also suffers from amnesia and goes missing. This selective memory loss allows writers to stir the pot, rework love stories, or revive past feuds. While the trope is overused, its randomness is what keeps viewers in suspense, guessing who's going to forget what and how long it'll be until the truth gets revealed.
5) Baby Bombshells: The Shocking Secret Kids
Fewer tropes are more dramatic (and salacious) than the secret baby reveal. Whether a secret pregnancy or a surprise paternity revelation, this trope has powered scores of plotlines. Learning that there is a "secret child" usually triggers explosive confrontations, tearful breakdowns, and dramatic family drama. On The Young and the Restless, Phyllis Summers kept her pregnancy a secret from Nick Newman as she was having an affair with another man. Another example of the surprise parentage trope was The Bold and the Beautiful's revelation that Finn Finnegan was the father of Luna Nozawa.
6) Cradle Confusion: Switched at Birth Shocks
One of soap opera's oldest clichés is the "switched at birth" plot. Two babies are born on the same day and accidentally switched at birth, and it leads to years of misunderstandings, family secrets, and an explosive revelation that shatters long-held friendships. Days of Our Lives employed this cliché in Sami Brady and Nicole Walker's dramatic plot, where a baby switch was facilitated by a nefarious plot. In later years, shows such as General Hospital have incorporated genetic tests and paternity disclosures, providing a contemporary spin on the trope. Such twists tend to bring about drastic alterations in the relationships of characters, so the disclosure becomes that much more significant.
7) New Hair, Makeover = New Identity
Soap operas have consistently used the power of makeovers, wherein an actor acquires a new hairdo, wardrobe, or attitude and is forever changed. The unveiling of this "new" version of the person usually results in a radical change in how people view them usually propelling them into social groups or dating possibilities. All My Children's Erica Kane experienced several iconic makeovers that had pivotal points in her storyline. Now, the same is happening with The Bold and the Beautiful's Steffy Forrester, who gets new fashion makeovers regularly that change her character in the family drama to reflect empowerment and personal growth.
8) Triangle Trouble: Love You, Love You Not
Love triangles are soap operas' bread and butter offering limitless plot twists, heartbreak and emotional turmoil. At the center of every soap opera is a love triangle that lasts for years frequently involving generations or changing love interests. On The Bold and the Beautiful, Brooke Logan, Ridge Forrester and Taylor Hayes' perpetual feud is one of soap opera's longest-running love triangles, going on for decades. With new players and intricate histories coming to the forefront the triangles are still a staple of contemporary soap storytelling.
9) Soap-Style Sickness
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Soap shows are renowned for creating sudden, life-threatening diseases that surprise both the characters and viewers. But these diseases are either solved in the nick of time, typically through a dramatic medical development or create plotlines that can be further explored. General Hospital showed the brain tumor storyline with the character Franco who got cured after his tumor was found benign. More recently, Days of Our Lives incorporated a story where Kayla Brady discovers that she is suffering from some uncommon sickness, a twist that enthralled the viewers and demonstrated how the soaps are still balancing the medical drama with the classic soap clichés.
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