A heartbreaking goodbye, a powerhouse team-up, and a scary overdose helped make soaps memorable the week of May 25-29. Soap Hub breaks down the hits and misses across Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Young and the Restless, and Beyond the Gates.
Key Takeaways
- Derek’s memorial delivered one of Beyond the Gates’ most emotional and heartfelt episodes.
- General Hospital’s Dark Michael revealed a ruthless new side that could change everything.
- On The Young and the Restless, Matt complicated the Newman family’s outlook.
Hits and Misses Breakdown: May 25-29, 2026
Beyond the Gates
HIT: Derek’s memorial. BTG threw a simple, heartfelt, and ultimately heartbreaking send-off to a character who had been part of the soap’s fabric since it began. At Uptown, Derek’s memorial service truly honored the former firefighter turned general manager. The actors delivered on the emotion with their characters’ stories and memories of their friend. And it all culminated with Derek’s firefighter friends paying their respects with The Last Call. What a wonderful way to say goodbye to a character who died selflessly.
MISS: Doug’s a figment of Deanna’s imagination. This development is a mixed bag. Jason Graham and Angela Fairley played the scenes so well. It was devastating to realize this was all going on in Deanna’s mind. And the potential for this kicking off a mental health storyline is very welcome. However, we’re not going to lie. We wanted Doug to be alive. It would have created even more drama if that had been the case. And it would be great to see Joey (Jon Lindstrom) forced to deal with a suddenly returned Doug.
Honorable Mention (HIT): We finally got Jacob’s heartbreaking perspective. Since Derek’s death, Jacob had been racing around doing his best to close this case, even though The Impaler was still out there. He wouldn’t even take a breath to stand still. But the way he listened to Ashley (Jen Jacob) talk about Derek (Ben Gavin) at the memorial service made it clear he wasn’t doing well. And when he finally opened up to Naomi (Arielle Prepetit) about his thoughts and feelings over losing his best friend, it was a very satisfying moment to finally understand what he’s going through. Jibre Hordges nailed his performance.
MORE: Here’s what’s coming up next week on Beyond the Gates
Bold and the Beautiful
HIT: Deacon’s Bikini Bar. The launch of Bikini is a big win for Deacon (Sean Kanan) and for the young adults on the show. Whenever there was a Forrester party at Il Giardino, the setting felt too stuffy for Will (Crew Morrow), Electra (Laneya Grace), and the rest of the company’s Gen Z staff. Bikini has a younger, hotter vibe. Perfect location for the summer season.
MISS: Hope’s leave of absence. Hope (Annika Noelle) could have just quit outright. She had every right after the numerous Hope for the Future delays and disagreements. But this leave-of-absence business causes needless chaos. And has she read her contract at all? There’s probably a noncompete clause or something to that effect. How do you temporarily leave one place and then go work directly for the competition? Just cut the cord already.
Honorable Mention (MISS): Young adult drama makes its way to the CEO’s office again. The R.J./Electra/Will triangle can’t keep their drama out of Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) and Steffy’s (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) co-CEO office. They shouldn’t have to listen to Will talk about his love for Electra. Not as executives, that is. As family outside the office, yes. But an entitled R.J. (Brayan Nicoletti) firing Will after his rival sucker punched him at Bikini was beyond the pale.
MORE: The latest Bold and the Beautiful Comings & Goings
Days of our Lives
HIT: Say hello to Gustavo. Javi (Al Calderon) has talked about his new boyfriend, who makes him happy. He arrived in Salem and is now getting used to the town. They have a lot in common, and Gus (Michael Ocampo) is willing to prioritize his boyfriend’s needs. It’s natural that Javi wouldn’t want to be in a complicated relationship and would need a break from the drama and the baggage that came with being with Leo (Greg Rikaart).
MISS: Chanel has cancer again. Chanel (Raven Bowens) and Johnny’s relationship has been one disaster after another. And they have especially had a hard time having a baby. They even struggled to adopt Trey, and now they must deal with a more massive obstacle: breast cancer while pregnant. We can’t help but wonder where this storyline will go. Let’s just say we would very much like Chanel to come through this like a champ. So she and Johnny (Carson Boatman) can live their happily-ever-after.
Honorable Mention (HIT): Marlena, Brady, and Belle remember John. It has been a year since John Black (the late Drake Hogestyn) died. But the emotions were as present as ever in Friday’s episode. Marlena (Deidre Hall) had breakfast with Belle (Martha Madison). She then spent time with Brady (Eric Martsolf) and Tate (Leo Howard). Belle stopped by to visit Brady while Marlena paid her respects at John’s grave. One of the things DAYS does well is to honor those characters who were the heart and soul of the show. In the same episode, Eli (Lamon Archey) and Lani (Sal Stowers) reflected on Tom (Macdonald Carey) and Alice (Frances Reid) while in Horton Square.
MORE: Here’s what’s coming up next week on Days of Our Lives.
General Hospital
HIT: Dark Michael is deliciously diabolical. Friday’s episode was eye-opening. We witnessed Dark Michael (Rory Gibson) in action and learned exactly how he feels about his cousin’s husband. He is showing no regret for potentially ruining Brook Lynn’s marriage, especially now that he can use her secrets against Chase (Josh Swickard) to get him into bed with Willow (Katelyn MacMullen). He spelled things out for Jacinda (Paige Herschell): “She doesn’t embrace the things that make her great because she’s too busy protecting his fragile little ego. He is nothing but a judgmental, insecure man with a white knight complex.” Wow. Tell us how you really feel, Michael.
MISS: Kristina got into med school. Med school is the last thing we thought would take Kristina (Kate Mansi) out of town. A reunion with Blaze (Jacqueline Grace Lopez)? Sure. But the med school acceptance kind of blew our minds. Kristina explained her undercover study sessions. She’s a smart person. It just wasn’t a situation that was on our bingo card at all.
Honorable Mention (HIT): Ava and Alexis join forces. This fishing expedition is the perfect way for Ava (Maura West) and Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn) to spend time together. They were enemies, then they were schemers on the same side against Ric (Rick Hearst). They held him captive together, and after calling a truce, things have been decidedly calmer. But this trip to the New York art world let Alexis see that Ava’s name has reach outside Port Charles. And Ava relishes keeping Alexis on her toes, which not many people can do.
MORE: Here’s what’s coming up next week on General Hospital.
The Young and the Restless
HIT: Matt saves Nick’s life and causes instant confusion. Sheer instinct drove a memory-less Matt (Roger Howarth) to save Nick’s life. He knew what to do to keep Nick (Joshua Morrow) alive until the EMTs arrived. While Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) did help him out, it was Matt who took charge. And now the Newmans are in a state of confusion, questioning everything they knew. It was easy to fight against a monster. But if you take away those memories, and he’s acting sincerely apologetic and opposite from the man they knew, can they still fight as hard against him? The Newmans don’t know what to do right now, which puts them in an interesting position. What will they do?
MISS: How is Nick not in an inpatient rehab right about now? So Nick basically died (he had no pulse). They gave him Naloxone and took him to the hospital. And he was allowed to go home pretty quickly. But instead of insisting he check himself into rehab, they have to deal with the Matt situation once again. Nick needs help now. And not the outpatient kind. He has already proved he’ll come up with excuses not to take care of his addiction.
Honorable Mention (HIT): Lily and Cane. Lily no longer wants to hear what Devon (Bryton James) has to say about Cane. She’s making her peace with her ex-husband. This week, they had a dinner date, and the two ended up kissing. The chemistry between Billy Flynn and Christel Khalil is fire. And even though Lily and Cane haven’t completely worked things out, they are close, which makes them one of Genoa City’s only couples not in dire straits right now. And that is to be appreciated.
MORE: Here’s what’s coming up next week on The Young and the Restless.
Additional reporting by Soap Hub staff.
