When alum Peter Reckell stormed onto our screens as Bo Brady on May 3, 1983, we never could have imagined the impact he — and portrayer Peter Reckell — would have on daytime. We certainly never imagined that more than four decades later, we’d be holding out hope that the oft-resurrected hero might once again return to Salem.

Sure, the character’s most recent return was not exactly what fans had hoped for. From a story which kept Bo from reuniting with true love Hope to a campy showdown which saw Bo shipped to an off-screen hospital, it wasn’t ideal. But the fact that there was so much debate and discussion over it is, Reckell insisted at one point, a good thing. It means people are just as passionate as ever.

Back on the 35th anniversary of his debut, Reckell tweeted that “On this day, what seems like a lifetime ago, I realized I was the luckiest man on Earth! What a gift, what a ride, it was amazing!”

At the time, of course, he had no idea that Bo would ever return. His heavenly adventure, resurrection and brainwashing were all still years away. But it was clear that those first 35 years of Bo were more than Reckell could have dreamed.

It was one heck of a ride, from Bo’s entrance, riding his beloved motorcycle and rocking a leather jacket. It all just screamed rebel. And really, that makes it a bit more understandable that after being brought back from the dead, Bo would want to rebel again — even if it was against the man he used to be!