There are few soap tropes more glorious and entertaining than the unhinged villainess who comes in to wreak havoc, only to disappear again to hatch another plot (like Days of our Lives' Kristen DiMera). General Hospital's Heather Webber and The Bold and the Beautiful's Sheila Carter are legendary bad girls who have done some of the most heinous things we've ever seen on daytime.
Heather started her litany of crimes in the 1970s when she went from gold-digging bad girl to crazy vixen after an LSD trip. Sheila Carter began torturing CBS soap characters in the 1990s, barreling her way through The Young and the Restless' Genoa City and B&B's fictional version of Los Angeles, leaving destruction in her wake with every reappearance.
In 2024, both soaps seem to have decided that these characters have been ostracized long enough, and the shows seem poised to make them productive members of society who should be forgiven for every horrible thing they have ever done. Oddly enough, this is not working out as planned because fans don't buy it.
While GH's Heather has killed before, as many soap characters have, in 2023, she was turned into a full-blown serial killer, murdering multiple members of Port Charles society with a poisoned hook. That should have been the point of no return for Heather, but instead, her murder spree has been explained away by cobalt poisoning caused by a faulty hip replacement. Laura Collins, Port Charles's esteemed mayor, is the one championing her and is now practically Heather's BFF.
In 2022, B&B's Sheila Carter shot her son and his wife and left them both for dead in an alleyway, with Deacon finding their bodies. Now, that son, Finn, and Deacon are both overjoyed that their precious Sheila is alive and well. They are ready to give her a second chance, despite every horrible thing she has done for decades.
B&B fans wonder what has gotten into Finn, especially as he tries to paint her as a hero who tried to save Steffy from her doppelgänger, Sugar.
"The way Finn sounds like a moron," wrote X user @KMe_ki. "How did she try to stop Sheila from hurting Steffy and the kids you idiot? The way this show is throwing that man under the bus is so painfully obvious it's embarrassing ."
The way Finn sounds like a moron. How did she try to stop Sheila from hurting Steffy and the kids you idiot? The way this show is throwing that man under the bus is so painfully obvious it's embarrassing #boldandbeautiful
- Kaei (@KMe_ki) May 7, 2024
"That man really thinks that Sheila who shot him, left him for dead and his wife can change but not Thomas," @coolwhatsnext tweeted, referring to Finn deciding no amount of mental health work could ever redeem Thomas, a man who never shot multiple people.
That man really thinks that Sheila who shot him, left him for dead and his wife can change but not Thomas #BoldandBeautiful pic.twitter.com/Buji76NvBM
- 𝙉𝙞𝙣𝙖 (@coolwhatsnext) May 6, 2024
"Sheila hasn't earned any kind of redemption," lamented @cynicphilesoaps. "The very least they could've done was to have her save Steffy from Sugar instead trying to make her out to be the victim."
Sheila hasn't earned any kind of redemption. The very least they could've done was to have her save Steffy from Sugar instead trying to make her out to be the victim. #BoldandBeautiful
- Cynicphile Soaps (@CynicphileSoaps) May 7, 2024
@DePettiestPeach sums it up bluntly. Sheila is a villainess and did nothing to make anyone think otherwise -- including other characters on the soap and the audience. "Two things can be true in fiction," they pointed out. "You can like a character. However, that same character could also not deserve redemption Sheila was created to be hateful; to be vile. There will never be a case that justifies redemption."
@tiffyt83 is still hoping for a twist and doesn't buy Sheila's Sugar tale for a minute. Maybe Sheila isn't being redeemed, after all? "You can't make me believe Sheila's is innocent, she set this whole thing up and I will die on that hill," she wrote.
You can't make me believe Sheila's is innocent, she set this whole thing up and I will die on that hill. This show has been horrible for the last month and it doesn't look to be getting any better #BoldandBeautiful
- 𝚃𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚢 ♡ (@tiffyt83) May 7, 2024
GH fans are even more outraged by Heather's sudden redemption. When the soap tweeted a preview of the May 7 episode, featuring Laura visiting Heather as they shared grandma stories, fans were blunt about their feelings. The comment section can speak for itself, but here is a sampling.
"So #GH is trying to wipe out 40 years of psycho Heather history by doing a rewrite & having Laura as the conductor of the Heather redemption train," wrote @whoknowstv.
So #GH is trying to wipe out 40 years of psycho Heather history by doing a rewrite & having Laura as the conductor of the Heather redemption train. 🙄
- Me, myself, & I (@whoknowstv) May 7, 2024
GH fans are even more outraged by Heather's sudden redemption. When the soap tweeted a preview of the May 7 episode, featuring Laura visiting Heather as they shared grandma stories, fans were blunt about their feelings. The comment section can speak for itself, but here is a sampling.
"No, her remorse isn't enough. The fans are all speaking the same thing in the comments. Alley is an amazing actress but Heather is looney tunes & shouldn't be redeemed," said @bjtripp2.
No her remorse isn't enough. The fans are all speaking the same thing in the comments. Alley is an amazing actress but Heather is looney tunes & shouldn't be redeemed. #GH
- Brian Tripp (@bjtripp2) May 8, 2024
"Listen, Heather committed lots of crimes," tweeted @Ms_Speakeasy1. "Several of them involve death. It's not okay that she says sorry, and all is forgiven. If so, damn near everyone in Port Charles should receive the same pardon."
Listen, Heather committed lots of crimes. Several of them involve death. It's not okay that she says sorry, and all is forgiven. If so, damn near everyone in Port Charles should receive the same pardon. FOH!
- The Spoken One (@Ms_Speakeasy1) May 7, 2024
@hopefullofpeace just wants both Heather and Laura to be written in character. Right now, they seem unrecognizable. "Hey writers and Frank, this isn't Heather or Laura," they said. "Alley plays a great villain and a soap needs one, and Genie looks like she can't believe what her character is doing anymore."
Hey writers and Frank, this isn't Heather or Laura.. Alley plays a great villain and a soap needs one, and Genie looks like she can't believe what her character is doing anymore. 🤦🏿♂️ pic.twitter.com/zBdqzeqnMz
- Kara J (@hopefullofpeace) May 8, 2024
"WTAH is wrong with y'all?" wrote @Mama4Obama1. "She is a SERIAL murderer. There is NO REDEMPTION. This is why z I've stopped watching! This is ridiculous! Recast Spencer and get back on track!"
WTAH is wrong with y'all? She is a SERIAL murderer. There is NO REDEMPTION. This is why z I've stopped watching ! This is ridiculous! Recast Spencer and get back on track!
- #JoeMama🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🌻 (@Mama4Obama1) May 7, 2024
Many fans also take issue with how Laura is acting through all of this, seemingly not caring for her own children while spending time championing Heather.
"Laura's raising her Ace. Spencer died just died. Rocco's dad has been in coma. Charlotte got shipped off to boarding school," tweeted @Reygo21. " She has 3 grandsons she doesn't know. Lucky hasn't been seen & Lulu's been in a coma for years. Yet she has time to "mother" Heather?!?!? This is stupid."
Laura's raising her Ace. Spencer died just died. Rocco's dad has been in coma. Charlotte got shipped off to boarding school. She has 3 grandsons she doesn't know. Lucky hasn't been seen & Lulu's been in a coma for years. Yet she has time to "mother" Heather?!?!? This is stupid.
- Reygo2 💙🟧 (@Reygo21) May 8, 2024
Like B&B fans, some GH fans also hope this story comes with a twist.
"The only way this is redeemable is if Laura has been playing her this whole time and there's a big twist ahead," said @KateLucy41. "If this is as it appears, then I think they are trying to get GH cancelled."
The only way this is redeemable is if Laura has been playing her this whole time and there's a big twist ahead. If this is as it appears, then I think they are trying to get GH cancelled.
- Kate Lucy (@KateLucy41) May 8, 2024
Will Y&R try this with Jordan next? If they did, at least they'd be redeeming a fairly new character and not one that's been known as a villainess for decades.
What do you think? Are some characters irredeemable? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
