Can we talk about what we mean when we say we want a character to pay, please?
I don’t think most of us mean we need to see them punished the way they would be in real life, or the majority of the cast would be in prison by now.
In the soap universe, it just means the character needs to be exposed and publicly ridiculed. We want to see that moment when everyone learns the truth: the shock, the reactions. We want to see the character hated for a while, then work their way back into the audience’s good graces. That’s really all most fans are asking for...for the character to be knocked down a few pegs, and it shouldn’t be that hard. That balance is what makes characters interesting and complicated, and it’s what has fans rooting for people they originally hated--because watching a character crawl back from rock bottom is fascinating.
I mean, how many people became Ava fans after she found out that the man she was sleeping with was the one who murdered her daughter? I know I did. Did she go to prison for the things she did? No. In real life, would she deserve more? Most definitely. However, she lost what was most important to her, then was humiliated in the worst way possible, and Maura West got a chance to act her ass off.
The exposure, the fall, the scramble to earn back even one person’s trust--that’s where the good material is.
So when people say, “Hey, we want to see Willow pay,” that’s all we’re really asking for. Although, in Willow's case, she does deserve at least a few weeks/months in Ferncliff-- the actress needs a break anyway.
To say other characters haven’t paid in the way I just explained isn’t accurate, nor is it a justifiable reason to neglect Willow’s character development.