July 5th 2024.
We understand how you feel, Phil. Soap operas are a guilty pleasure that keep us hooked week after week, year after year, with their captivating storylines. But even the most dedicated fans have their pet peeves. Despite the hard work put in by writers and producers to deliver daily drama, there are times when the lack of originality or the limitations of the genre lead to the use of classic soap tropes. This hot topic is currently being debated on Reddit, with users discussing the most annoying plot devices used by soap bosses.
One of the top contenders for the most annoying soap trope is 'the secret son'. From EastEnders' Patrick Trueman and Issac Baptiste, to Coronation Street's Bernie Winter and Kit Green, and Emmerdale's Frank Tate and Caleb Milligan, it seems that soap operas can't resist the drama of a long-lost child suddenly appearing out of nowhere.
Another common trope that has been pointed out is how every couple, no matter how devoted, will eventually cheat. We all remember when Mick and Linda Carter were first introduced in EastEnders and everyone made a big deal about how they would never cheat on each other. Then along came Whitney Dean and Max Branning, and the sighs from fans were audible. It seems that even the most unbreakable couples in soapland are not immune to infidelity.
And let's not forget the lack of CCTV in the Square. If you want to commit a crime in Walford, you'll probably get away with it because there seems to be zero CCTV coverage. This is the only explanation for how Ravi Gulati was able to move his father's body out of Suki Panesar's flat unnoticed, and how The Six managed to lug a dead Keanu Taylor from the Vic to the caff after killing him at Christmas. Maybe the residents of Walford haven't caught on to the trend of Ring doorbells yet?
It's also worth mentioning how everyone in soapland seems to have everyone else's phone number, regardless of whether they've ever even spoken on screen. And as one user pointed out, the lack of text history between characters is also a classic trope. It's as if they delete every message immediately after receiving it. The Group Chat must be pretty dead in Soapland.
Another trope that has been discussed is the lack of knowledge about contraception. Recently on Coronation Street, Toyah Battersby found out she was apparently expecting Nick Tilsley's baby. As one Redditor explains, if you're cheating on your partner, the chances of getting pregnant increase tenfold, especially if you've had fertility problems in the past.
Funerals where half the family doesn't show up is also a common occurrence in soapland. While it may be difficult to get actors to reprise their roles for just one or two episodes, it's still jarring to see a character being laid to rest without their parents, siblings, or best friends present. The least they could do is fill up the pews with extras.
We've all lost count of how many times a character has uttered the line, "If you don't tell them, I will." It seems that soap characters just love to issue ultimatums. And speaking of relationships, the enemies to lovers trope is also quite common. While it can be great for shock value when done well, it can become overused, especially when it's the same character going from enemy to lover multiple times. EastEnders' Phil Mitchell is a prime example, with his track record of going from Kate Morton to Denise Fox to Kat Slater.
One of the most frustrating tropes is the arrest, trial, and often conviction of an innocent character for a crime they didn't commit. Coronation Street seems to be the worst offender in this regard, with characters like Dierdre Rachid, Sally Metcalfe, Peter Barlow, Yasmeen Nazir, and most recently Roy Cropper all falling victim to this plot device. The 'Free Deirdre' campaign in the 90s was just the beginning.
And finally, there's the trope of the factory being in trouble and needing to complete a special order to avoid going under. Despite being a mainstay on the Street since the 80s, Coronation Street loves to place the factory in danger, which often has low stakes for viewers.
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