In 2022, Footprints celebrated the 25th anniversary of its premiere and a quarter-century of soapy storytelling. As we move into 2023, tensions are running high among members of the Fisher family, as the umbrella storyline involving little Gabrielle intensifies. But that isn’t the only story that will be causing fireworks in the coming year — read on to see what 2023 has in store for the residents of King’s Bay…
Loretta’s Reign of Terror: The vengeance-minded Mrs. Ragan has gotten away with a lot in her time, but there are only so many balls even a master villain can juggle at once, and we’re beginning to see her lose control. The Fishers have been desperately attempting to find any way to put Loretta back in prison, and now she has put Natalie in the impossible position of having to walk back her comments about seeing Loretta at the Moriani house on the night it exploded. But when Loretta discovers what she considers to be a major betrayal, all hell will break loose. Will she finally give the Fishers and their allies enough of an opening to take her down, or will she get everything she’s ever wanted at long last?
Travis & Rosie vs Molly & Brent: These two couples are trapped in a situation with no good resolution. Molly and Brent merely want to raise the daughter they were told died at birth, while Rosie and Travis have known Gabrielle as their child since she was only a few weeks old. While family members take sides and a custody suit is officially filed, Brent comes up with a surprising tactic to level the playing field. The next turns in this tale will lead the series into its next big umbrella story, one that will dominate 2023 and beyond.
The Battle for Objection: While Molly is focused on winning custody of her actual child, there is another war going on — the one for the company that she has run for a decade-and-a-half. Finn, who is secretly the love child of Objection founder Camille Lemieux and mobster Nick Moriani, has been pushing Gia to oust Molly from the company for good. What does he intend to do if that plan works? We also have Alex, who is suspicious of Finn’s involvement at the company, and Trevor, whose attraction to Finn is blinding him to the reality of the other man’s intentions. And this all ties back to Loretta, who brought Finn to town as another means of exacting revenge upon Molly. Can Finn count on Loretta’s support? What will happen if her hands are too full to help him? Look for Molly to be pulled back into this corporate storyline, which will dovetail more clearly with the other threads involving Loretta very soon. As for the burgeoning love triangle tied into all this, watch for Alex and Trevor’s marriage to continue to suffer, giving Finn an opening to make his move — but a surprising fourth party will cause unforeseen complications for all involved.
Tim/Claire: The exes have been growing closer for some time. But Sonja, the mother of Tim’s young son, is desperate to get out of the safehouse where she and TJ have been staying, and she’s going to play upon her and Tim’s history to do so. When Claire gets an eyeful, how will she react? And how far will Sonja go to get what she wants?
Samantha/Tempest and Diane/Isaac: These two couples’ stories have long been linked. With the animosity between Tempest and Diane resolved (for now, at least), the path seems clear for both to move forward. As Samantha and Tempest set their sights on a happy ending, Diane resolves to let Isaac into her life and her heart — but will she be too late? The arrival of a new figure thrusts both pairs’ fates up in the air once more.
Jason/Sabrina/Sophie: It’s apparent that Jason and Sabrina care for one another, but his daughter’s outbursts have forced them to keep their relationship on ice for a long time. By the time Jason steers Sophie into therapy, Sabrina — who is determined to carve out a life for herself on her own terms — might not be willing to wait around. Watch as this relatively grounded tale of human emotions takes some much more heightened turns later in the year, launching a long-planned thread that will be a major part of the series’s future.
Young Love: With Zane behind bars, Tori attempts to rebuild her life, and that includes acknowledging the feelings that have developed between her and Landon. But while he’s ready to dive in headfirst, Tori has a lot of demons to put to rest first, and it will be a struggle for the pair to get on the same page… Things get more serious between Marcus and Bree, while Caleb begins to see Jasmine’s true colors… Christian finally embarks upon a journey of coming out, but without the guidance of someone more experienced, he exposes himself to danger… Under extreme duress, Elly and Spencer finally confront their mutual attraction and what it could look like for him to leave his marriage to Natalie.