Jessica has been kidnapped by El Puerco’s enemy and brought back to Malaguay. If El doesn’t return to the island, she’ll be killed. Mary is upset that her baby is likely half alien. After being hypnotized and regressed to a past life, Jodie still believes that he’s an old Jewish man named Julius. The Governor of Connecticut wants Burt to run as his Lieutenant Governor but insists that Burt distance himself from his crazy family. Before he can decide, Burt is lured into an ambush by thugs who’ve been told to kill him. Danny and Annie’s affair is discovered by a despondent Chester who’ll likely soon die in a duel with El. Feeling humiliated, he decides to shoot the pair first. Jessica tries to cajole and convince her captors not to execute her but is unsuccessful. She’s placed in front of a firing squad and we hear the guns fire. The series ends with several unresolved cliffhangers.

http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/soap/

as for Jessica, we can assume that she really did die; because she showed up later on an episode of "BENSON" as a ghost.

That answers my question. I knew the character of Jessica showed up on a later episode of Benson, so I thought that suggested she survived the firing squad. However, I didn't realize she appeared as a ghost! So she really did die. :(

Susan Harris revealed that Jessica would have survived the shooting (that the firing squad had blanks in their guns). I don't know if she ever spoke of the fates of Chester, Danny, Burt, etc.- I'm sure they would have survivied, though.

actually it was said on Benson that Jessica was in a coma in mexico. so she was still alive.

Someone pointed out to me years ago that she felt that the last episode was very negative. And having rewatched it a while back on DVD, I have to agree.

I know Soap had some darkness from time to time, but it really does seem to me like they piled it on a lot towards the end of the show's run.

I always imagined that the aliens returned to "save" Burt, but only because they wanted Scotty back (because Burt proved himself "unworthy" by ignoring his family in pursuit of a political career). And faced with the possibility of losing his son, Burt finally comes back to himself and fights to regain his family's love. Obviously Chester doesn't shoot Danny and Anne (who do eventually get married...and then break up), but I imagine that he goes crazy again and disappears for awhile. El, Danny and Dutch attempt a rescue and get captured themselves along with Jessica. They attempt to escape, but El and Jessica disappear over a waterfall and are presumed dead (thus Ghost!Jessica's comment about being in a coma somewhere in South America). Back home, Eunice, Billy, Dutch and Corrine (who has returned in the wake of the tragedy) search for Chester and try to keep the household together. And Saunders will stand around looking snooty and cracking jokes.

Obviously, I've thought about this for awhile. Haven't solved the Jodie/Julius issue yet (though I'd imagine that Wendy would be the one to snap him out of it).

That was the day the fans were cheated!! With no ending...

Jessie survived. I was glad about that when I saw her on Benson. She was not dead but in a coma somewhere in south america. I really cared more about her than anyone else for that matter.