A major arrest shook up Fairmont Crest the week of September 21-25. Other memorable moments included a reunion, a wild birth certificate announcement, and a couple of voices of reason, which are much needed on soaps. It’s time to dissect the hits and misses on all five shows: Beyond the Gates, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless.
Key Takeaways
- Hayley’s arrest delivers a satisfying payoff after weeks of deception on Beyond the Gates.
- Gabi and Philip’s reunion brings some welcome romance back to DAYS.
- Traci gives Billy the perspective he desperately needs on Y&R.
Hits and Misses Breakdown: September 21-25, 2026
Beyond the Gates*** Standout Soap of the Week***
HIT: Hayley’s arrest. BTG did something so simple yet refreshing. It surprised us. We knew the Hayley (Marquita Goings) story was gearing up for a big payoff. But who knew it would all kick off in the middle of the week? There was a Dani/Hayley confrontation. And Hayley was the one to hold the gun on Dani (Karla Mosley), which was a perfect full-circle moment for the show. Hayley was arrested, and her con artist secret was out. And Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett) learned he was a mark. It was glorious TV.
MISS: Vanessa attributes Nicole’s concern about Heather to Carlton. Vanessa (Lauren Buglioli) remains clueless about Heather (Ashley Jones). Nicole told Vanessa she still thinks Heather is sketchy. But Vanessa somehow attributes Nicole’s bad vibes to her being upset about Heather sleeping with Carlton (Robert Christopher Riley)? Nicole’s not thinking about Carlton. And Vanessa should know that.
Worth a Mention: This week, Andre (Sean Freeman) and Joey (Jon Lindstrom) met up to discuss Heather. You gotta love it when characters who don’t often interact have a reason to communicate. More unexpected pairings and team-ups like this, please.
MORE: Here’s what’s coming up next week on Beyond the Gates.
Bold and the Beautiful
HIT: Zende reaches his breaking point. This was one of the beats of Hope’s defection story we had been waiting for. Hope (Annika Noelle) finally talked about her guilt for jumping to Logan without giving Zende (Delon de Metz) a heads-up or explanation right after it happened, presumably. But she has been reaching out to him, and understandably, he hasn’t responded. Meanwhile, R.J. (Brayan Nicoletti) treats Zende as if he works for him, rather than with him—hard pass.
MISS: Katie triples or quadruples down on her anti-Dylan stance. Katie (Heather Tom) is really projecting her Brooke trauma onto Dylan (Sydney Bullock). And now she says that Dylan isn’t “Spencer Quality.” What does that even mean? Kudos to Will (Crew Morrow) for sticking up for his girlfriend. We’ll see how long he does so, but for now, it was great to hear.
Worth a Mention: Finn’s facial expressions when Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) told him that she wanted to be the surrogate for Daphne (Murielle Hilaire) and Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor) were great. He doesn’t understand where this is coming from. And he certainly doesn’t think this is the right thing for their family. He’s the voice of reason to counter Carter’s unhinged perspective.
MORE: Here’s what’s coming up next week on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Days of our Lives
HIT: Gabi and Philip reunite. When they originally broke up, it was understandable. But we seriously hoped that Gabi (Cherie Jimenez) and Philip (John-Paul Lavoisier) would reunite. They might be our favorite of the newer couples on DAYS. They are fun and supportive. Gabi and Philip are both beyond flawed and are trying to be better people. They have chemistry, and she’s his lucky charm. What more could you want in a couple?
MISS: Joy’s paralysis scheme. Of course, Joy (AlexAnn Hopkins) is faking her paralysis. She calls up her dad and doesn’t tell him she is in the hospital. But she asks for a bottle of muscle relaxers so she can withstand the nerve tests they want to put her through. It would be great if Craig (Kevin Spirtas) and Nancy (Patrika Darbo) actually came into town and either helped Joy or blew her scheme out of the water.
Worth a Mention: We’re not ready to make a judgment on Marlena being Dominic Marino’s mother story just yet. We are glad that it is drawing in the vets, especially Deidre Hall.
MORE: Here’s what’s coming up next week on Days of Our Lives.
General Hospital
HIT and MISS: Jordan’s sister comes to town. So Chase’s sudden lawyer, Monet Mitchell (Blythe Howard), is Jordan’s sister. If TJ (Tajh Bellow) can’t be in town, then we are happy to have the show start to fill in some of the blanks of Jordan’s family. It has only taken over 12 years for this to happen. But could GH have eased us into the intricacies of their dynamic? The harshness of their first sisterly interaction in years was super jarring. Yikes.
MISS: Sonny and Ava’s beef reaches over-the-top level. Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Ava (Maura West) have long had beef. They despise each other. But lately it has taken a whole new level that feels off. Sure, it gives more weight to Ava’s decision to team up with Drew (Cameron Mathison). But it feels odd to see his willingness to abandon their custody agreement at a time when Sonny keeps trying to show Justine (Nazneen Contractor) his kinder, gentler side.
Worth a Mention: Poor Danny (Asher Antonyzyn). That is all.
MORE: Here’s what’s coming up next week on General Hospital.
Young and the Restless
HIT: Billy and Traci’s talk. We weren’t prepared for the conversation between Billy and Traci to be so incredibly emotional and poignant. But it was one of the best chats of the week. And Traci’s words of wisdom were something Billy needed to hear. Jason Thompson’s reactions to what Traci was telling Billy were spot on. And somebody, please give Beth Maitland all of the awards. Our entire Soap Hub staff agreed that this talk was one of the week’s most memorable moments.
MISS: Chelsea wants Adam at Sally’s wedding. Adam (Mark Grossman) decided that he shouldn’t attend Billy and Sally’s wedding. And that was a good, healthy decision for him. But Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) insisted that he should be there by her side and to suck it up and act like a big boy, basically. Billy doesn’t want Adam there. It’s his big day, so why is Chelsea trying to force the situation? She’s not the one who is getting married.
Worth a Mention: Is Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) leaving town or not? After this week, it’s unclear. He seemed determined to put Genoa City in his rearview. If he does end up exiting stage right, this is the longest goodbye ever.
MORE: Here’s what’s coming up next week on The Young and the Restless.
What are your personal soap hits and misses for the week?
Additional reporting by Soap Hub staff.
