The Best And Worst in Soaps In 2025
Top row: Cherie Jimenez, sean freeman, karla mosley, and Al Calderon. Second Row: Balvinder Sopal and Lisa Yamada. third Row: Nazneen Contractor and Brandon Claybon.
A lot went down this year on soap operas, and these events had a significant impact on the characters and plot progressions of their respective shows. Arguably, one of the biggest changes was the February premiere of Beyond the Gates on CBS. The freshman soap is the first of its genre to feature a predominantly Black cast since Generations (1989-1991) and the first new soap opera to debut since Passions (1999-2008), both of which aired on NBC.
The impact of Beyond the Gates on daytime television is undeniable. Daytime’s newest drama places characters of color at the forefront of the action and takes a positive step forward in visibility for historically underrepresented groups in media. On a broader scale, the debut of a new soap, more than 10 years after the mass cancellations of several long-running daytime dramas, signals a possible resurgence for the genre.
So much happened this year that we’re counting down our pics for 2025’s best and worst in Soaps.
Most Improved Character: Throughout 2025, ADA Justine Turner (Nazneen Contractor) showed significant character development on ABC’s General Hospital. Recently upgraded to contract status, Turner went from seeing the law in black and white to shades of grey. Despite being focused on taking down Port Charles mob boss Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Bernard), she forged a friendship with him and has even helped him on several occasions for the greater good.
Turner and Corinthos developed an increasingly romantic tension as the year went on. Viewers love a good enemies-to-lovers relationship, and that dynamic seems to be working quite well on this blossoming couple. Corinthos needs a new love interest, and Turner needs a partner who will keep her on her toes. This pairing highlights General Hospital’s ability to write quality stories for its people of color characters, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for ADA Turner next year!
Unrealized Talent: On Beyond the Gates, recurring character Shanice Johnson (Ernestine Johnson) has made a large impact on audiences, and it’s about time she was upgraded to a contract role. Head Nurse Johnson is always there for support whenever someone needs help, medically or otherwise. For example, she was a comforting ear to Nurse Ashley Morgan (Jen Jacob) throughout her relationship problems with Derek Baldwin (Ben Gavin).
At the same time, she’s not gonna be anyone’s doormat and knows her worth. When Leslie Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant) tried to get what she wanted from Johnson and her stuff through money and harassment, she was quick to put her in her place and shut her down. We hope to see much more of Johnson in 2026, and can’t wait to see what Beyond the Gates has in store for her in the future!
Best New Character: Without a doubt, Dani Dupree Hamilton (Karla Mosley) is the best new character to debut on Daytime Television in 2025. Mosley shines through every scene she’s in, no matter the material she’s given. She commands the attention of viewers with her ability to transform Dupree into a fully developed, three-dimensional character that audiences root for.
Despite her initial schemes to break up her ex Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) and his mistress Hayley Lawson Hamilton (Marquita Goings) by holding them at gunpoint at their wedding, Dupree has shown she’s still a good person at heart. She accepted that her ex isn’t the right guy for her and found a man who treats her right, Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman). Furthermore, Dupree is fiercely loyal to the people she loves. She provided emotional support for her sister, Nicole Dupree (Daphnée Duplaix), when she found out her husband, Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson), had cheated on her and had a secret child years prior. Additionally, when her daughter, Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla), was kidnapped, Dupree pulled out all the stops until she was found. We can’t wait to see her character journey in 2026!
Worst New Character: Daphne Rose (Murielle Hilaire) from CBS’s The Bold and the Beautiful is our pick for the worst new character of 2025. Of all the characters to debut this year, Rose arguably is the least engaging and has had minimal impact on the story. Most of her storyline has to do with her forbidden romance with Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor), but it has fallen flat.
Most of all, it seems like The Bold and the Beautiful doesn’t know what it wants to do with Rose’s character. She came to town helping to steal Forrester creations, but the storyline shifted to a love triangle with Walton and Hope Logan (Annika Noelle). Ultimately, it was too early in Rose’s character journey for viewers to care about her in a love triangle. These factors, combined with the lack of a clear writing direction for the character, make Rose a forgettable character to debut this year.
Best Male Character: Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hodges) on Beyond the Gates has got to be our favorite male Soap Opera character of 2025. Since the soap’s debut in February, Detective Hawthorne has proven himself to be a respectable man that Fairmont Crest can rely on to protect and serve. At the same time, Hodges manages to play a compelling, three-dimensional character and keep audiences engaged through his performances.
Another layer of Hawthorne is his dynamic with his wife, Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit). Their relationship is an example to audiences of what a healthy and honest relationship looks like. Even when they have their disagreements, it’s clear there is so much love between them. Recently, they’ve been having disagreements over whether or not to have children, despite previously deciding not to when they got married. Despite their frustration, they still communicate healthily, and it’s clear they love each other first and foremost.
Best Female Character: Our pick for best female character of 2025 goes to Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle) from Beyond the Gates. The best thing about her is that there’s still so much to discover! Her actions and morals have been questionable, especially helping her mother, Leslie Thomas, in her scheme to break up Nicole and Ted Richardson for revenge. History repeated itself when she hooked up with Tomas Navaro (Alex Alegria), the boyfriend of her newly discovered half sister, Kat Richardson (Colby Muhammad). At the same time, Thomas has shown remorse for her actions and a desire to make amends with her newly discovered family.
What Thomas needs most is a good love interest, and Isiah Hawthorne (David Lami Friebe) may fit that role perfectly. Their chemistry is undeniable, and both characters need a partner in their life to keep them on their toes. It’s time for Thomas to start putting down roots in Fairmont Crest, and what better way than finding true love.
Best Heroine: Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) from BBC One’s EastEnders is one of the greatest heroines in soap history. Starting as a villain, Panesar has shown vulnerability on several occasions throughout her tenure. She was the victim of racial abuse when her store was vandalized, suffered the death of a child, and came out as bisexual.
All of Panesar’s struggles transformed her into the compelling heroine she is today. Watching her come out the other side through all her challenges allowed viewers to see her with her walls down and reveal the real person behind all the scenes. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2026!
Best Antagonist or Villain: In just two years, Luna Nozawa (Lisa Yamada) has become one of the most memorable villains on CBS’s The Bold and the Beautiful. She’s made an enemy out of everyone who crosses her path, and no one is safe from her schemes. Her crimes have included rape, trespassing, and murder, among others.
What makes Nozawa such a fun villain is her unhinged ruthlessness and consistent scheming to get what she wants in the most clever ways possible. During her recent prison outbreak, she escaped by hiding in a laundry of all places. Her reign of terror finally came to an end in November when she was shot, but no one stays dead forever on soaps, so who knows when we’ll see her again on our screens? It’s definitely going to be difficult for The Bold and the Beautiful to have another villain that can top Nozawa.
Best Three Recurring Characters: We have to give another shout-out to Shanice Johnson from Beyond the Gates. Despite not being a contract player, Johnson steals every scene she’s in and makes her presence known. We can always count on her to fill us in on all the hot hospital tea and put someone in check when she needs to.
Dr. Li Finnegan (Naomi Matsuda) from CBS’s The Bold and the Beautiful is one of the most memorable recurring characters of 2025. Among her most memorable storylines are her feuds with Sheila Carter Sharpe (Kimberlin Brown) and Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and romance with Jack Finnegan (Ted King). Finnegan is a great recurring character because she contributes to the story in an impactful way, proving that she has what it takes to be a contract player if the time should come.
Stella Henry (Vernee Watson) is often the voice of reason on General Hospital. She’s ready and willing to provide emotional support to her family, whether it be her nephew Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) or his daughter Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali). However, her loyalty doesn’t end there. She’s just as protective as a patient advocate at the hospital and is always ready to stick up for someone who needs her help.
Henry is a great recurring character because of how well she connects with everyone on the canvas. Anyone can come to her with a problem and know she’ll take care of them. Henry is fiercely loyal to the people she cares about, and even though she doesn’t appear too often, she makes an impact every time she’s on screen. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for Henry in 2026!
The Acting Ain’t Acting: Jens Austin Astrup, who plays Kai Taylor on General Hospital, has been falling flat in his role since his debut. It’s a combination of the acting, as well as lazy writing for the character. For example, his relationship with Trina Robinson feels forced, and it’s hard to root for them because they feel underdeveloped and rushed. This is an odd predicament, as Ali is one of the strongest actors on the soap.
Ultimately, it feels like we don’t actually know Taylor. His whole personality is football, and getting injured and possibly never playing football again could’ve taken the character in a different direction, but it happened too early for viewers to care. Similarly, it feels like we’re supposed to root for Taylor and Robinson, but we aren’t being given any reasons why. What Taylor needs in 2026 is more character development.
Best Couple: Without a doubt, Andre Richardson and Dani Dupree from Beyond the Gates have to be the best soap couple of 2025. We knew it was coming from their first interaction, but Beyond the Gates made fans wait anxiously for this slow-burn romance. Well, it was definitely worth the wait! Richardson and Dupree have the potential to be daytime’s newest supercouple, and it seems they can overcome any obstacle that’s thrown their way. Whatever happens next, we know they’ll get through it together and be stronger for it.
One of the most compelling elements of their relationship is the near-impossibility of it. Richardson is Dupree’s sister’s nephew through marriage, so there’s no blood relation between Richardson and Dupree. However, they’re still family-adjacent, which is a potential ick-factor. On the other hand, Dupree struggled with lingering feelings for her ex, Bill Hamilton, and Richardson was involved with Ashley Morgan, a close friend of Naomi Hamilton-Hawthorne, Dupree’s daughter. At the end of the day, they kept finding their way back to each other, as true supercouples do.
Worst Couple: Carter Walton and Daphne Rose from The Bold and the Beautiful are by far the worst new soap couple of 2025. To begin with, we as viewers haven’t learned enough about Rose. There has been very subtle character development, and she hasn’t been around long enough for us to care about her relationships. At the same time, we were introduced to her as a villain, coming to Los Angeles to steal Forrester Creations. What little we know about her paints her in a negative light, and the writers haven’t done enough to change our view.
Adding fuel to the fire, the chemistry between Walton and Rose is almost non-existent. It almost feels like the writers don’t know what to do with them, so they just threw them together. It feels like they are second-thought characters that the writers paired for the heck of it. As of now, Walton and Rose don’t have what it takes to become an iconic daytime supercouple. We hope there’s better material in store for this couple in 2026.
Best Scene: This year in Soap Opera history started with a bang (or should we say fall?) On the Jan. 1 episode of BBC One’s EastEnders, Suki Panesar fell off a balcony after Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) pushed Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry). None of the other soaps could top this iconic EastEnders moment, even after nearly a year.
What was so great about this moment was that a relentless and seemingly indestructible villain was finally eliminated, after years of tormenting others. However, in true Soap Opera fashion, there are always unintended consequences. Just when we think things are finally looking up, the rug gets pulled right out, keeping on on our toes and our jaws dropped. Who knows what EastEnders has in store for 2026, but we can’t wait to see, and we won’t even bother trying to guess.
Worst Scene: The breakup of Trina Robinson and Kai Taylor on General Hospital is, without a doubt, the worst Soap Opera scene of 2025. What’s crazy is that they’re not even a good couple, so their breakup is actually good news (and we wish it stuck). The issue is that we can’t even care about their breakup because we don’t care about the couple. Tabyana Ali is a stellar actress, and she had big shoes to fill after Sydney Mikayla, but she has truly made the role her own. However, her skills still aren’t enough to make this pairing work.
Ultimately, this scene fell flat because the viewers hadn’t been given enough reason to care about this couple. This is also the worst scene of 2025 because Robinson and Taylor broke up because of his loyalty to Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison), who is quite possibly the worst General Hospital villain since Peter August (Wes Ramsey). Robinson told Taylor a secret about her parents in confidence, and he gave that information to Cain out of blind loyalty due to being his intern, and not seeing him for who he really is. While we may not care much for this couple, it sucks that even more characters had to become victims of Cain’s schemes.
To be fair, it’s a hard task to beat Robinson’s insatiable chemistry with Spencer Cassadine (Nicholas Alexander Chavez). Still, the writers could’ve tried a bit harder to find someone with whom Ali has better chemistry with. We hope to get better scenes for this couple in 2026.
Best Rivalry: It’s been a winning freshman year for Beyond the Gates. Kat Richardson and Eva Thomas have the best rivalry of 2025, and we haven’t seen a feud this entertaining in years. These two didn’t like each other from the moment they met, and finding out they were half-sisters didn’t change anything. Of course, Richardson and Thomas can’t seem to avoid each other since they have so many people in common. How can two people share the same blood, but be so different?
It all started when Richardson caught Thomas snooping in her mother’s files while she was posing as her assistant, and from that moment, she never trusted her. Finding out they were sisters and that Thomas was aiding her mother, Leslie Thomas, with breaking up Richardson’s parents, only added fuel to the fire. An even more compelling element of this rivalry is the likability of both characters, making it hard for viewers to pick a side. Their best moment has to be when Richardson walked in on her half-sister after her boyfriend, Tomas Navarro, slept with her. When these two daytime divas share a scene, our eyes are glued to the screen.
Best Writing Decision: Creatively, Beyond the Gates has had an exceptional first year on the air. The writers have thrown constant twists and turns at the audience, showing us that we can never get too comfortable. While we weren’t introduced to Hayley Lawson under the best of circumstances, learning that she slept with her best friend’s mother and then married him, it took months for Beyond the Gates to show us her true colors. While not necessarily a twist, Lawson is revealed to be after Bill Hamilton for his money and plotting to kill him so she can get his estate. Her co-conspirator is none other than her cousin, Randy Parker (Maurice P. Kerry), and the two are absolute strangers to everyone in Fairmont Crest.
This writing decision shows audiences that they can never fully trust the characters on Beyond the Gates. Everyone has an ulterior motive or dark secret they are hiding. On the other hand, it sends the message that when someone shows you their true colors, believe them. Lawson had no qualms about sleeping with her best friend’s father and enjoying the life of luxury that comes with being Bill Hamilton’s wife. We can’t wait to see how the rest of this story plays out.
Worst Writing Decision: Throughout 2025, Audra Charles on CBS’s The Young and the Restless suffered a complete character assassination. Charles went from a smart and confident businesswoman who can also be manipulative, into someone who uses her body to help Victor Newman, of all people, completely dumbing down the character. While The Young and the Restless is hardly the first Soap Opera to ruin one of its best characters, it still sucks to watch a character change for the worse, seemingly overnight.
Race is an element of this storyline that can’t be ignored. There are already so few soaps that know how to properly write for characters of color, and it’s painful to watch a once compelling character become flanderized. Even worse, Charles is being used by the writers to prop up a white male character, and in turn stripping her of her once unique qualities.
On a broader scale, this is a pattern for The Young and the Restless. Its characters of color have consistently been featured in less than half of a given month’s episodes, suggesting that the writers haven’t prioritized representation. We hope to see this pattern change for the better in 2026.
Best Storyline: In its first year on television, Beyond the Gates has told several compelling stories. While the job of television is ultimately to entertain, Soap Operas are known for their depiction of real-world issues, and Beyond the Gates is no exception. Featuring a predominantly person of color cast, it comes as no surprise that this soap shows the reality of being Black in America. Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) is revealed to have killed a man in self-defense after a racially charged confrontation, and his grandfather, Vernon Dupree (Clifton Davis), helped cover it up. Richardson’s actions are shown to have lasting consequences on himself and loved ones.
The best element of this storyline is that we see things from everyone’s point of view. Richardson didn’t want to implicate his family in a crime by telling them about the situation, but his husband, Bradley "Smitty" Smith (Mike Manning), resents that Richardson wasn’t honest with him and doesn’t want secrets between them. Their relationship becomes so estranged that Richardson briefly moves out, but they eventually get back together, and their relationship gets stronger through this experience. Richardson’s mother, Nicole Dupree, is briefly estranged from her parents due to their involvement and not telling her about the situation.
Lastly, this storyline depicts how Richardson’s situation is different due to his release. Black people have had a historically difficult relationship with the police, and it’s understandable why Richardson would be hesitant to ask them for help, even when he’s the victim. Richardson can’t be sure the law will be on his side when he needs their help, which is a sad reality of the Black experience.
Worst Storyline: Peacock’s Days of Our Lives takes the cake for the worst Soap Opera storyline of 2025. On the 60-year-old soap, Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd) has an unwanted pregnancy due to the beliefs of her mother, Amy Choi (Shi Ne Nielson), and gives her baby up for adoption. Given the uncertain state of women’s bodily autonomy in our current climate, this storyline feels distasteful to say the least. A woman should have the right to choose what to do with her own body, and that choice should be her own, without interference from outside forces. It’s crazy that in 2025, America is still having this discussion.
Given what a sensitive topic abortion still is, it’s understandable that most soaps have avoided it entirely. It’s commendable that Days of Our Lives tried to tackle such an issue in today’s social climate. Soaps have historically depicted real issues that audiences can relate to, but it seems this time they missed the mark. Going back to the current social climate of our society, forcing a woman to have an unwanted pregnancy is a harmful message to send to audiences, especially given that Soap Opera audiences are largely female. Having an abortion isn’t an easy decision, and it would be more productive for Days of Our Lives to focus on the woman’s experience instead of her mother’s beliefs.
Most Improved Soap Opera: Over the course of 2025, Days of Our Lives has become the most improved Soap Opera in terms of representation for people of color. The Peacock soap has consistently featured its characters of color in prominent, front-burner storylines. It has also managed to balance screentime for its characters better than General Hospital, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful, and these legacy soaps would do well to take a page out of the Days of Our Lives playbook.
Additionally, Days of Our Lives has the second-highest number of actors of color on contract after Beyond the Gates. However, Beyond the Gates features a predominantly person of color cast, so it naturally has more actors of color. It also has the third-highest number of actors of color in its cast, behind Beyond the Gates and General Hospital, respectively. The numbers don’t tell the whole story, though, as General Hospital has several cast members of color who haven’t appeared in months or years. Sometimes, it’s a matter of quality over quantity, and Days of Our Lives takes the lead in quality storytelling for its characters of color.
One of the most compelling characters of color on Days of Our Lives is Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez). This character has been given prominent, front-burner storylines since her introduction in 2009. It has been an amazing journey watching her character develop from an initially scheming and selfish young woman who didn’t care how her actions affected others, to a loving mother who would do anything for her child and family.
At times, Hernandez has reverted to her old ways when deemed necessary. In March, she led a revenge plot against EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel), shortly after being released from prison. She believed DiMera was responsible for her manipulating the memories of her brother, Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering), and nearly shot DiMera in his mansion. However, she realized, with the help of Jada Hunter (Elia Cantu), that there wasn’t enough evidence to risk throwing her life away after she just got it back. This showed great character development for Hernandez, as she has begun to think her actions through clearly.
Another great moment for Hernandez in 2025 was her reunion with her daughter, Ariana Horton (Marissa Reyes). Horton was last seen on the canvas in 2022, and she reappeared this May, being rapidly aged and recast with Reyes. This personal moment showed a softer, maternal side to Hernandez amidst the typical Salem drama. It was a full-circle moment for her as well. If she had followed through with shooting DiMera, Hernandez may have missed the chance to reunite with her daughter, realizing that doing the right thing pays off.
Peacock’s Days of Our Lives has featured the most compelling storylines for its characters of color over the remaining three legacy soaps. The soap has consistently told compelling storylines for characters of color throughout 2025, and maintains a healthy screentime balance for its cast. It’s the soap that has most successfully integrated people of color into its cast and represented groups that have been historically unrecognized in media. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for Days of Our Lives in 2026!
Soap on the Ropes: The soap that has slipped the most with representation for people of color in 2025 is CBS’s The Young and the Restless, which, after The Bold and the Beautiful, features the second-fewest number of actors of color in its cast. However, it boils down to a question of quality over quantity again. While The Bold and the Beautiful has the fewest number of performers of color, it knows how to tell compelling stories for those characters and features them prominently on the canvas. On the other hand, The Young and the Restless frequently has characters of color who don’t appear at all in a given month, and those who do often appear in less than half of that month’s episode total.
One of the most disappointing moments of 2025 for The Young and the Restless was the character assassination of Audra Charles at the hands of Victor Newman. Charles was involved in a scheme to break up Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) and Newman’s granddaughter, Claire Newman (Hayley Erin), in exchange for funding her company. It was disappointing for fans to see another character be ruined for the benefit of Newman and one of his endless schemes.
Moreover, it was extremely out of character for Charles, who, up until this point, was known as a strong and confident businesswoman with a good heart. This inconsistent writing makes it appear as if Charles is only on the canvas as representation for representation’s sake, instead of being a fully developed character. Charles and Newman’s scheme had a significant impact on both others and Charles herself. She risked her relationship with Nate Hastings (Sean Dominic) to break up Abbott and Newman, losing a man who loved her and a healthy relationship to help a man who has gotten away with endless schemes since he arrived in Genoa City in 1980.
It was a year of turmoil for Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) as well. One of her major storylines centered on the dramatic return of her ex-husband who was believed to be dead, Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn), under a false identity, and the subsequent murder of her new boyfriend, Damian Kane (Jermaine Rivers), by one of Ashby's antique daggers that was thrown into his back by an assailant. Ashby arrived with a new face under the guise of "Dumas" and had kept his identity hidden while working with his villainous father, Colin Atkinson (Tristan Rogers). She was highly disturbed by the extent of Ashby’s lies and secrets, particularly his association with his father, leading her to adamantly state she wanted nothing to do with him romantically. These events collectively marked a challenging and dramatic period for Winters in the 2025 storylines.
Furthermore, only one new character of color introduced this year on The Young and the Restless managed to stick and find a permanent place in the canvas. Damian Kane ended up being a plot device for the return of Cane Ashby, and the introduction of Holden Novak (Nathan Owens) exposed a shady past for himself and Audra Charles, contributing to her downfall. Novak and Charles knew each other in Los Angeles, where they made questionable choices, including a “passionate fling" and Charles stealing a wallet while Novak was a bartender. Viewers have learned very little about Novak outside of his connection to Charles and their shady past, making it difficult to connect with the character.
In 2026, we hope to see The Young and the Restless introduce more characters of color with substance who have the potential to become mainstays in Genoa City. Representation for representation’s sake is no longer going to cut it; viewers want to see themselves depicted in their Soap Operas as relatable, three-dimensional characters that are written authentically. If The Young and the Restless hopes to remain the highest-rated Soap Opera in America, it had better step up its representation for people of color.
