Soap: Episode 26

Soap: Episode 26
ABC
September 14, 1978
Dramedy
DVD
B-

This is another one-hour season premiere that doesn't quite work but is nonetheless interesting.  Some of the plot threads:

• Chester attempts to commit suicide but instead, thanks to Burt's accidental interference, partially regains his memory.  After an indeterminate amount of time has passed, he confesses to Peter's murder right after Jessica's sentencing to 50 years in jail.  (The judge says this is what she would've received if she were poor and black.)  Jessica is understandably upset, but she decides she still loves Chester.  He goes to jail and meets tough killer Dutch Leitner (Donnelly Rhodes, who would turn out to be a series regular to the end).  Dutch plans to break out of jail and use Chester as a shield.
• Mallu is happy that Chester is going to jail and Jessica is free, so she tells him off and he leaves for over a year.
• Thanks to Jessica's suggestion, Mary thinks Burt is cheating on her, but he convinces her otherwise.
• Thanks to Jodie's advice, Danny tries to convince Elaine he's impotent, but she (offscreen) convinces him otherwise.
• Corinne meets Tim's mother, who tries to choke her and curses both of them.
• Corinne forgets that she's not Chester's biological daughter and worries she may've inherited murderous tendencies.
• Jodie moves in with Carol but starts seeing Dennis again.  I have no idea how much further time has passed (certainly the three weeks till Danny & Elaine's wedding must've come and gone), but it's enough time for Carol to know she's pregnant by Jodie.

Rene Levant would return in the role of the Guard.

Note that Soap had moved over to Thursdays.  Once the one-hour premieres were out of the way, What's Happening!! and Barney Miller would be on between Mork & Mindy and Soap on ABC.