7 Daily Soaps incidents, so impactful, that they had their effects on many episodes that followed

From love triangles to long-standing feuds, daily soaps have been entertaining us with their sizzling storylines for a long time. With long and elaborate storylines, these daily soaps make us a part of their narrative, as we can’t stop rooting for our favorite characters to come out victorious from any situation life throws at them.

Sometimes they even come back from the dead or survive demonic possessions. Amid these thrilling storylines, these daily soaps are filled with heartbreaks and deaths as well, giving us some emotional and profound moments. However, not all storylines are as long—some are resolved within months or even weeks. But some storylines run for more than a year and still never lose the interest of the viewers. Even after running for many years, these storylines keep us engrossed in the narrative and leave an unforgettable impact on us.

Here’s a list of 7 such storylines from daily soaps that ran for many episodes and left a mark on the audience with their compelling narratives.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the writer's opinion and contains spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.

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7 Daily Soaps incidents, so impactful, that they had their effects on many episodes that followed

7) Stefano swapping babies in Days of Our Lives (2000-2002)

Baby switching is not a new plotline in daily soaps, but even after being used so many times, the impact each storyline makes is unique and powerful, as it brings several character dynamics and arcs to the fore.

In a 2000 incident, Stefano switched Hope and Bo’s baby, thinking it was his and Hope’s. As ordered by Stefano, Rolf switched Lexie’s adopted son with Hope’s.

However, it couldn’t stay a secret for long. In 2001, Stefano had to reveal the truth to Lexie, who—now grown attached to the boy—kept it to herself and didn’t tell her best friend, Hope. But after a DNA test, it was proven that Hope’s baby was someone else’s, and they had to give him back. This prompted Lexie and Abe to return the boy to Hope and Bo.

This is just one of the many ways Stefano traumatized the residents of Salem, continuing to do so for years and creating some of the most epic narratives in daily soap history.

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6) Monica’s breast cancer in General Hospital (1994-1995)

One of the popular characters of General Hospital, Monica Quartermaine, was introduced as a cardiologist. She was also one of the favorite characters and part of a supercouple with Alan in the soap opera.

The beloved character had to go through one of the saddest storylines when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994. The storyline was heartbreaking, as we saw Monica pushing Alan away because of it. She even lost a friend during that time who was also suffering from cancer.

The storyline was impactful in showing the love Alan and Monica had for each other. One wanted to part ways so the other wouldn’t suffer more, and the other tried to fight to be with their love during the most crucial time of her life. This resulted in one of the most impactful storylines in daily soaps.

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5) The Salem Stalker and Melaswen Island storyline in Days of Our Lives (2003-2004)

This thrilling and shocking incident started in 2003 and became one of the most popular storylines across daily soaps. After being brainwashed by Andre, who staged everything, Marlena was made to believe that she had killed Alice, Maggie, and her ex-husband, Roman.

Marlena was shot dead by the police. However, the storyline didn’t end there. In 2004, all the murdered people, including Marlena, were found alive on Melaswen Island, where Andre had kept them after kidnapping them all.

The whole storyline is regarded as one of the most popular in Days of Our Lives and would definitely remind you of a good slasher movie.

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4) David Kimball's storyline from The Young and the Restless (1986-1991)

Who could forget the charming but ruthless conman and killer David Kimball from The Young and the Restless? With one of the most twisted villainous storylines across daily soaps, Kimball came to Genoa City and tried to lure Jill Abbott to steal all her money. However, the plan failed when she dumped him for Michael Crawford. But he didn’t stop there, as he later pursued Nina, who fell for him unconditionally.

Even after being warned by Christian and Danny, Nina married Kimball and made him heir to her fortune. He then, with the help of Diane, made a plan to kill Nina and her son to claim all the money for himself—just like he did with his previous wife. However, Nina found out and tried to kill him but failed.

The Kimball saga didn’t end there. After a couple of failed and successful plastic surgeries, he came back and married Nina’s mom, Flo. Just like his twisted stint in the soap opera, his death was nothing short of gruesome and dramatic. While fleeing from Detective Paul Williams, he was crushed by a compactor after ducking into a garbage chute.

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3) Little Eric’s paternity and custody storyline from The Bold and the Beautiful (2000-2003)

Eric was Deacon and Becky’s son, and since his birth, he had been caught in the middle of finding a permanent home. After Deacon walked away, not wanting the child, and Becky was unfit to be a mother, the child was given to Becky’s sister, Amber, who began raising him with Rick Forrester.

Later, Becky wanted to reclaim her role as a mother and tried to raise Eric with C.J., but she died, and little Eric went back to Amber, who was now ready to raise the boy with C.J.

However, Rick couldn’t let that happen and brought Deacon back, hoping he would gain custody of his biological son so Rick could eventually win parental rights from him. But Deacon had other plans—he took Eric and forced Amber to live with him for four months. This brought the father-son duo closer, but didn’t work out with Amber, who was still in love with Rick.

After several more struggles and custody battles, Deacon took his son and later involved Amber in raising him. With so many twists and turns, Little Eric’s story was filled with drama and remains one of the most engrossing storylines from daily soaps.

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2) Phyllis and Diane’s rivalry in The Young and the Restless (early 1990s/2000s)

One of the most dramatic rivalries in daily soaps is between Phyllis and Diane, who have both been in love with Jack Abbott. It began in the early 1990s when Jack and Phyllis fell in love and got married, and sought custody of Kyle from Diane. They did not win and had to let Diane stay with them—who later tried to frame Phyllis for her attempted murder.

Since then, several incidents have stemmed from their feud, involving many others who took sides in the rivalry. The tension, schemes, and betrayals between Phyllis and Diane have made their storyline one of the most iconic in soap history.

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1) Brooke and Stephanie’s feud in The Bold and the Beautiful (Late 1990s to 2012)

Brooke and Stephanie’s rivalry might be one of the most memorable and important storylines in The Bold and the Beautiful, as it generated numerous narratives. Due to Brooke’s relationship with Ridge and her mother’s past with Ridge’s father, Stephanie always harbored hatred toward her.

This animosity only grew as Brooke became romantically involved with multiple Forrester men over time—even Stephanie’s husband. Stephanie tried everything to push Brooke out of the family—from faking a heart attack to physically abusing her.

However, their relationship evolved over time and eventually delivered one of the most powerful arcs in daily soaps. Like many iconic rivalries in daily soaps, their feud was rooted in personal history, emotional betrayals, and shifting loyalties. The emotional moment when Stephanie was dying of cancer and Brooke was the only one by her side, taking care of her, brought a poignant end to their once-volatile relationship. It was a sombre yet heartfelt conclusion to a legendary feud.

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Also Read: Let the game begin: 7 Instances from daily soaps that mark the beginning of a dynamic rivalry