What's been the darkest storyline?

[project90]

What do you think been the darkest storyline over the years?

Sarah Lewis storyline up there for me especially the hostage climax.

I was only a kid at the time but remember Gypsy being held hostage and that really creeping me out when I was younger. If anyone could give me a run down on what that was all about be appreciated. 

 

What do you think been some of the shows darkest?

[Trudy Heine]

Rape and cult storylines, also the storyline about racism in 2010

[CaptainHulk]

On 08/06/2023 at 05:01, project90 said:

What do you think been the darkest storyline over the years?

Sarah Lewis storyline up there for me especially the hostage climax.

I was only a kid at the time but remember Gypsy being held hostage and that really creeping me out when I was younger. If anyone could give me a run down on what that was all about be appreciated. 

 

What do you think been some of the shows darkest?

Basically Joel had nicked David D'Angelo (who used the pseudonym Robert Perez) years ago in and once he got out, he posed as Gypsy's tutor then kidnapped her as revenge and later set the Nash family's house on fire. He was arrested, but later got out to recover some money which Duncan and a mate had found and he menaced him and Ailsa.

A clifftop battle ensued, Joel pulled D'Angelo to safety who then lied about him assaulting him but it was proven untrue and D'Angelo was sent back to prison.

 

 

[nenehcherry2]

I haven't watched the show in over 15 years so can't comment on anything post circa 2008.

Laura's death still continues to shock me to the core. Being hit by a train. So brutal. And a soap first at the time (not that us in the UK could decipher what the **** was going on!).

[CaptainHulk]

^ I actually was a little late for my YR6 play , watching the first 10 mins of the aftermath! Lucky, it was a bit part and I only had one line!

(Mum still had a bit of a go at me though but lol)

[James Martin]

I've got to go with Sarah Lewis.  That storyline was wonderfully ahead of its time.  We understand mental health a lot better now, but back in 2004 there was still a stigma.  I don't think you could do it like that today.  Plus, Bevan Lee to his credit had the balls to kill off a major character - not a guestie or randomer - and unleash the drama that followed through from that.  Which in turn gave Beau's then girlfriend the opportunity to deliver the performance of a lifetime as a grieving Hayley.

As it was, 7+ had the Olympic Siege up last Christmas (both broadcasters had 35th Anniversary best ofs on their streamers) and thanks to a VPN I was able to see it in HD for the first time.  Still epic.

[Homeandawayfan.]

Many dark storyline have been since 1995 at least such as Saul's cult, the Robert Perez drama although lots of that was flashbacks, Sarah Lewis, and 99% of Braxton related drama and other river boy style drama, basically most of H&A since 2011.

[Trudy Heine]

Also the stalker storylines following Sarah Lewis,  and Tasha with the Believers

[cymbaline]

I don't know if you'd call it dark but the Edward Dunglass storyline has stayed with me. Being told you have an incurable degenerative disease has got to be the most terrifying thing anybody can deal with. 

[nenehcherry2]

As someone else said previously, we must apply time context when interpreting the brutality degree of a storyline. Meg's death, arguably, felt brutal in 1992. As did Dale in 93; EastEnders had "done" cot death in 85 but the soap was still very new. We had known Pippa (and the show) for five years and she was, arguably, the most linchpin character. We also knew what a great Mum she was. So we felt it immensely. 

There's also something so real, brutal and clinical about soap comas / brain deaths from the early-mid 90s that we never saw again, before or after, including Bobby's. If you compare with Daphne in Neighbours' ridiculously unbelievably romanticised "I love you Clarkey... Flatline!" (and every soap coma post 2000 with miraculous recoveries or someone murderously snipping a ventilator chord), Bobby's brain death assesment (along with the coldness of the actress playing her Doctor) was a far more accurate depiction of the reality of those situations. Which made it hurt more. Very similar to Tony Dixon (Brookside, though that was a Persistent Vegetative State scenario), Julie Martin (Neighbours) and Samir Rashid (Coronation Street). Factually believable and gritty. With it being Bobby, it just hurt that bit more. Wouldn't it have been so far less effective to see say Frank returning to a "I love you Frankie!"... oh, wait, she's in cardiac arrest type sitiation? I believe so...

Edited September 1, 2023 by nenehcherry2