In one regard, our daytime dramas are like all of us: They have their

good days and their bad days. And lately, we’re afraid

they’ve made a few missteps. Shall we discuss the decisions that

left us facepalming while watching The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives and General Hospital? Let’s!

Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Bless Bold & Beautiful. If nothing else, it is consistent. Pick a year, any year, and you are all but guaranteed to find the Brooke/Ridge/Taylor triangle playing. The actors may change. The rooting value may change. But good Lord, the show will not let that tug-of-war end. The problem therein: It doesn’t allow any of the characters to grow or evolve. As a result, what we now feel for Taylor as she gazes googly-eyed at Ridge isn’t understanding or even sympathy, it’s pity. Heck, we said it when Krista Allen was playing the part, and we’ll say it again now that Rebecca Budig is. Taylor is theoretically smart, definitely gorgeous and too damn good for Ridge. Let her move on already!

Chances are, it’s not really a dumb move on the part of Days of Our Lives to let Serena Scott Thomas slip through its metaphorical fingers as Fiona; her stint as Xander’s Mommie Dearest was probably always meant to be short-term. But damn, we miss her already. The character was an Olympic-caliber pot stirrer, and her portrayer, a mischievous delight. Even when Fiona was being downright fiendish, we wanted to hang with her rather than see her hung out to dry. We can take some consolation, at least, in that she wasn’t killed off or even sent to prison. In other words, the odds of her booking a return trip to Salem are even better than the chances of us groaning during Body and Soul episodes.

Whatevs

There was a time when we would’ve cared deeply that Young & Restless’ Daniel might be sent up the river for a crime that he didn’t commit. But that was before he cheated on Lily with Heather and reunited with an ex about whom no one much cared. Now? It’s like, “Eh, whatever.” The soap desperately needs to undo the damage that was done to Daniel so that we can go back to loving the character as much as we do his portrayer, Michael Graziadei. One solution? Once Daniel is off the hot seat — because we all know Sharon has to be found out eventually! — restart him and Lily as friends. Let them be each other’s wingperson, even. Then move them slowly, carefully back where they belong: toward coupledom.

Th-Th-That’s All, Folks!

There is a case to be made that General Hospital is being bold in its storytelling by writing off Kelly Monaco as Sam. (Read about it here.) But when your audience yells that loudly and that long about a fatal plot twist, it would probably be prudent to listen. Maybe the show is, even, and a few months from now, Sam will wind up being un-killed. She’d only be the zillionth Port Charles resident to be issued a new lease on life. Or perhaps a surprise twin sister will show up. More likely, though, Monaco will take her pick of new roles — there are quite a few options! — and make General Hospital regret its decision to let her go by bringing her star power as well as her fans to a rival soap.