A crucial element that defines soap opera is the open-ended nature of the narrative, with stories spanning several episodes. Each episode ends with a promise that the storyline is to be continued in another episode. 肥皂剧最主要的一个特征就是故事情节进展的开放性,一部剧通常有好多集。每一集结束的时候都会为下一集的故事发展留下空间。