10 Most overstretched storylines in the history of daily soaps

Soap operas have been around for decades, and they’ve kept people watching with big drama and wild twists. But some overstretched storylines make the most loyal fans lose interest. These shows air almost every weekday. So, writers often stretch one idea into months of buildup. Sometimes that works, but other times it just drags.

A character might fake their death or vanish without warning and show up years later with no real reason. A love triangle might turn into a square or a circle and then spin in place for what feels like forever. It’s not that fans want quick answers, but when nothing changes for months, it starts to feel like a waste of time.

Some plots start strong and then lose focus or get recycled with new faces. People get tired of watching the same situation play out again and again. Whether it’s a never-ending redemption arc or a mystery that stalls for years, the tension eventually fades. These storylines didn’t just drag a little bit; they stretched way too far. Here are ten soap plots that just didn’t know when to stop.

---

Overstretched storylines in the history of daily soaps

1. Jason Morgan’s identity saga (General Hospital)

Jason was presumed dead in 2012 after being shot and falling into the harbor. Two years later, he returned with a new face after plastic surgery and no memory of who he was. The storyline focused on him trying to fit back into his life while people around him guessed who he might be.

Instead of resolving it when Steve Burton returned in 2017, the writers dragged it further by saying the original Jason had been replaced by his twin, Drew Cain. It could have ended there, but the show kept revisiting the identity drama for years, and it blocked every major relationship tied to Jason from moving forward.

---

2. Brooke and Ridge’s on-again off-again romance (The Bold and the Beautiful)

Brooke and Ridge have been breaking up and getting back together since the late eighties. Even when either of them married someone else, the story would always circle back to them again. That constant reset made their other relationships feel pointless.

In 2012, they had a natural endpoint when Ridge returned and chose Brooke after Stephanie’s death. Instead of building something new, the show kept revisiting the same problems. Each time they split, it was the same arguments all over again, and it stopped other characters from growing because they always got dragged into the mess.

---

3. Who shot J.R.? (Dallas)

J.R. Ewing was shot in the spring of 1980, and the storyline became one of the most-watched in television history. But what started as a strong cliffhanger turned into a drawn-out guessing game. For eight months, the show stalled the reveal with vague clues and repetitive scenes.

When Kristin was finally revealed as the shooter, the moment fell flat because the audience had waited so long. The show could have wrapped the mystery within a few episodes and still had an impact. Instead, it dragged things out to the point where it felt more like a gimmick than a real plot.

---

4. Stefano DiMera’s deaths and returns (Days of Our Lives)

Stefano has “died” more times than any other character on Days of Our Lives. Every few years, he would vanish and then return with a new plan or secret that rewrote past events. The pattern kept repeating itself, and each return felt less surprising.

In 2016, Hope shot him, and the story felt like a final chapter. But instead of leaving it there, the show brought him back in 2020 by making him inhabit Steve Johnson’s body. That move was so far-fetched it made past payoffs meaningless and weakened what had been a strong ending.

---

5. Adam Newman’s fake death and revenge plots (The Young and the Restless)

Adam faked his death in 2014 in a cabin explosion and returned with a different face and no memory. That alone was enough to reboot the character, but the show kept recycling the same idea. He disappeared again in 2016 and came back in 2019 with another personality reset.

Every version of Adam follows the same pattern. He loses everything, blames his family, and tries to destroy the people closest to him. The 2016 ending was enough to wrap it up, but instead, the show kept dragging it out. His returns always stalled progress and kept other stories stuck.

---

6. Victor and Nikki’s toxic love cycle (The Young and the Restless)

Victor and Nikki have been stuck in the same pattern for over forty years. They get married, then they fight, then they divorce, and eventually marry again. Each round follows the same beats with very little change. Every reunion leans on old memories and never creates anything new.

They had a clean ending in 2002 when they found peace after years of fighting. That should have been the moment to let them move on. Instead, the writers brought back the same cycle again and again. It blocked growth for both characters and stalled the people closest to them.

---

7. Marlena’s possession and repossession (Days of Our Lives)

The first time Marlena was possessed in 1995, it felt shocking and wild. It pushed the show into new territory and gave fans something completely unexpected. The story had energy, and it ended before it ran dry. In 2021, the show brought it back, but something was missing.

They stretched the return storyline across several months, and it never felt urgent. The payoff was soft, and the pacing was slow. It should have ended before Christmas, but instead, it kept going into the next year. The impact faded fast, and it felt more like a copy than a twist.

---

8. Todd Manning’s redemption arc (One Life to Live)

Todd Manning was introduced as a rapist in 1993, and the show spent years trying to fix it. They showed him struggling with guilt and trying to be a father and partner, but the change never stuck. Every time he improved, the writers dragged him back down.

In 2008, he kidnapped Marty again and erased most of the progress made over a decade. That should have been the moment to stop forcing redemption. Instead, they kept him around and kept restarting the same arc. The story blocked real development for him and hurt every character tied to him.

---

9. The baby swap that wouldn’t end (General Hospital)

In 2018, Nelle switched her dead son with Wiley and started one of the longest baby storylines in the show’s history. Brad raised Wiley while hiding the truth, and nearly every character in town got dragged into it. The reveal was teased over and over for two years.

By 2020, the secret finally came out, but the emotion had already faded. It should have ended in 2019 when Lucas started to remember the crash. Instead, the writers stalled that reveal and stretched every beat. The story lost momentum and took time away from better plots that never got a chance.

---

10. Paul Williams’ Christine love triangle (The Young and the Restless)

Paul spent most of the late eighties and early nineties torn between Christine and Nina. He would lean toward one until the other pulled him back. It was never about growth or choice. It was just recycled heartbreak and missed timing again and again.

They had the chance to end it in 1996 when Paul married Christine and seemed ready to settle down. But the triangle kept creeping back into the story. It didn’t add anything new and dragged out the same conflict for years. The constant reset stalled all three characters and left little room to evolve.

---

Follow for more updates.