Wowzer

Wow, Daniel was a hypocritical gem today. He treats Nicole horribly and won't confide in her yet wants JJ to spill everything to him. I think Zander is bad news for Nicole but anyone would be better than Daniel. He doesn't trust her and definitely doesn't deserve her. He brushed off Nicole's fear that he still has feelings for Jennifer and then continues to punish Nicole for any lingering concern she has for Eric. I don't think that there has been a romantic pairing where he hasn't been a massive jerk. Daniel is not JJ's dad. Jennifer may have asked him to find out what was going on in JJ's life but he has overstepped at every turn. I agree with those who have said Shut up Rafe needs to mind his own. In what world does Rafe need to know their marital problems? Maybe if he referenced his history as Will's stepfather but yeah vaguely threatening Will and Sonny only made me want him to be confined to the backroom of Victor's club. The only thing EJ did was hurt Abigail's pride. I agree with everyone who said she was an equal and more than willing participant. She was the aggressor and used what she knew about Nick's disappearance to get him to sleep with her at least once. Ben again blamed his actions on someone else. He had that EJ dig in his arsenal and used it when he felt threatened by Chad and Abigail's relationship. IDK if the writers intended for the audience to want them to work on their relationship. The music kind of made me think that Abigail was in danger from Ben's possessiveness. Chad doesn't even need to engage Ben in person anymore. Ben self-destructs if he even hears his name.

I really enjoyed today's show. I'm not the biggest John fan, but laughed when he stopped Paul from leaving and just seemed so happy about the benefit. They were all so tense and he just had such enthusiasm. Way to read a room John. The Kate and Lucas scenes were also good and brought back old times. More Roberts family! I'm glad Lucas preemptively told her to back off his job. Kate would so take Lucas out for power or at least finagle her way into a top position at Mad World. I thought Ben would take a hint when Abigail seemed less than thrilled to move in. He really is dumb to bring up EJ. I wish the writers would just have Chad continue to ignore Abigail. That would probably be the best revenge since she can't handle rejection. I really just wish that they would move Chad away from this storyline. I've thought of Chad being closer to Sonny over the past few years because they were business partners and he revealed to Sonny that he was being blackmailed by Nick. When Chad first came on the scene I thought he was Will's romantic rival for Mia. I know Will/Chad became friends after that though. I also loved the Eve/Theresa scenes. It made for more rounded characters and I needed to see Eve actually show affection for Theresa. Theresa seems to seek out Eve and it was starting to feel like a one sided relationship. I don't think Theresa is cold or unloving, I just think that she is self-destructive and picks the wrong men to be with. She also lashes out even when people reach out to her. I hope the Bradys get more involved in her storyline as it fleshes out more and that she accepts them as a support system.

Yeah, my eyes rolled when Kate said that about Chad and EJ. EJ was always honest with her and let her know it was just sex. The whole Chad is an evil Dimera thing is ridiculous. He is at the children's table of the Dimera family and has only really known he was one for 4ish years. Abigail and her scheming to trick Austin and get EJ into bed has more Dimera qualities than him. I liked Melanie today and Friday, I realized that she is threatened by Theresa even though she knows that Brady is dedicated to her. I just wish Melanie would tell someone, Maggie, Victor, Nicole, Hope or Brady, that Theresa also had her blood drawn or that she saw Clint with the vials of blood. She let him get away. I don't think Theresa even knows she had blood drawn. Theresa was out of it so I can see why Melanie would think that she was drunk rather than drugged by Clint. Even for Theresa's health it would have been good. I just go back and forth on Melanie because she is smart but withholds pertinent information.

Jennifer's just obsessed with besting Eve. They have a mutual obsession with each other. I would say that Jennifer's is slightly worse because she thinks that Eve slept with JJ to get back at her. I don't think that Eve had any intention of using JJ for revenge. I also think that the book royalties fight had little to do with Jennifer and really what was driving Eve is the money. Jennifer's annoyance was just a bonus. JJ has hooked up with Paige's aunt and mother, I would think that Jennifer would want him away from the Donovan women's orbit.

Jennifer believes that JJ and Paige love each other and deserve a chance to be a couple without interference from the outside. She saw how miserable JJ was without Paige and that Paige wanted to make the relationship work. I do agree a major motivation is to piss off Eve. I think that one of the reasons why she was such a JJ/Paige proponent was that Eve didn't want JJ/Paige together pre-affair. IDK why Jen would want anything to do with her or to be around her. Instead of keeping her distance, Jen's now seeking Eve out, creeping next to her at the park and ripping out Eve's earbuds to threaten her. Jen's inner voice is telling her that this whole thing is a bad idea but her hate of Eve and wanting JJ to be happy is what's driving her.

Yes! JJ is as much to blame. He could have avoided Eve and simply not gone to her apartment. There was no seducing or manipulation, in terms of getting someone into bed, in the storyline. I liked that when Jen found out JJ placed equal responsibility on his shoulders. I think as time goes on he's placing more blame on Eve since he has Paige back. What I don't understand is Jennifer continually threatening Eve about the affair. It's mutually assured destruction - JJ and Eve both lose if the secret gets out. It doesn't really work for Jen's plan for JJ and Paige to tell. If Paige and JJ broke it off naturally, would Jennifer then tell Paige to hurt Eve?

Jessa has no nonsense personality - she likes to get things done her way and doesn't want to have to put up with random crap. When the kids were up and wandering around during schooling she wanted to redirect there attention and get them back to work. Her method seems harsh but it was the only way she knew how at the time. It can come off as being a bitch and I think that she took out her pent up aggression on her siblings. I don't think she has any regrets. I thought it was sad when Michelle said that she and Ben were opposites and then went on to say that Ben was compassionate. You can be no nonsense and have compassion. I would have liked to hear from her buddy group about how her leaving would affect them. There was a whole segment from Joy, James and Jennifer about that transition. I know that Jessa isn't as hands on as Jill but she had to have had some bond with Justin, Jordyn, and Jeremiah (or Jed). Maybe she alienated herself from the rest of the kids but I just can't see it to that level.

Jeb turned 3 in February. I liked that they show Gil so hands on. Also, that the adult Bates boys seem more hands on with the younger siblings. I thought it was nice and telling about how the siblings interact when Jeb went into the arms of Trace when Gil and Kelly were leaving for the overnight. Also, when Zach flipped Jeb in the air. They were small moments but are genuine interactions. The kids look out for each other but don't seem to be in designated buddy groups. I wonder if UP paid for the party - the kids didn't seemed concerned spending the money on the food and budgeting. In contrast, Kelly and Gil had a meeting about the budget for Whitney's baby shower. I liked Nathan being concerned that there was enough food for the guests. A 1pm party time is still within the realm of lunch time so it was smart and good hosting etiquette. The thing I liked best about this episode, and show in general, was that it didn't seem like the party was pitched to them. They would have done it with as much thought and care whether or not the cameras were there.

I thought Derick painting Jill's nails was a nice gesture but out of place due to timing. It's great for bonding, do it at home. They were in the middle of getting ready for the ceremony - I would think that bridesmaids would be running around to see if they could help get Jessa anything/help with the dress. Painting her nails put Jill out of commission for a while with application and drying. It was almost declaring that she wasn't going to be Jessa's "errand runner." It reminded me of an episode where Jessa whipped out nail polish when the older girls were getting the little girls ready one morning.

I am surprised to hear Riker actually competed in a troupe and they cast him on the show. I can understand if he had dance lessons because a lot of child stars took them, ex. Ryan Gosling. It seems like he says such extreme advantages: competitive dance background and then the Hough advantage. Rumer is getting ahead of herself with the front runner business. I remember thinking that Ralph Macchio was on his way to winning during the first few weeks and he got fourth. She has the age advantage but I don't know about a solid enough fan base. Initially, I thought she meant that she felt like her internal voice/perfectionism was her biggest competition. I read a quote and realize I was wrong. Nastia has Derek and she has had some dance lessons. She also has an Olympian's drive. I don't think Rumer will get a pass very much longer if this becomes her angle and she continues to underestimate those around her. I wonder if Henry was supposed to be Nastia's partner if Derek hadn't signed on again. After his trio dance with Artem and Leah, I was hoping that he would be a pro this season. Has Jenna been in the troupe that long? I had to look her up and didn't recognize her. Also, she and Sasha didn't draw the short straws - those costumes looked like fun.

I was disappointed that Redfoo was eliminated this week too. I thought that he was lackluster last week and at the middle of the pack. This week's dance was a huge improvement. I think he would still be on the show if he did tonight's dance week 1. If he has stayed, he would have been lighthearted fun and I really like Emma. Hopefully she'll be featured heavily with the troop throughout the season. I miss seeing the stars learning the dance in the intro packages. More rehearsal footage please! I would have preferred seeing Keo's teaching style/Charlotte trying to learn her dance over the cyberbulling angle. Build on work ethic rather than trying to gain sympathy. The judge's 180 on Allison's choreography is really interesting. She's still flashy and seems to have the same choreography style but it's so much better received. Riker is at a completely different level than Jonathan was last season and can rise to Allison's challenge. They were just so cruel to Jonathan and snippy at Allison when they were dedicated and working hard. Maybe it's because Riker is a ringer or member of the Hough family.

I agree with you, jsm1125. Melanie has a good heart and would help someone she loathes. I kind of liked her when she started looking into Clint's background because she did seem to be concerned about Theresa. I've been turned off since Melanie wouldn't explain why she was looking into Clint and Mandrake and keeps accusing Theresa of faking the pregnancy. Also, she's too cutesy in the majority of her scenes. The only time I've liked Melanie this go around is in her detective mode scenes with Nicole.

You're right there is a pattern of destruction that happens every few years. Is it based off of the changes in the writers' room or just because the writers want a storyline a certain way disregarding the characters' histories? Based off Sonny/Chad's friendship history, Chad would have never tried to torpedo Sonny's second club. Chad valued their friendship too much. I also don't think that Nicole would be messing around with Daniel anymore. She is too much of a fighter and had a backbone. Kate definitely would not be with Clyde. I agree that they don't need to create story lines that tie characters to core families. I liked Melanie's storyline when she found out Daniel and Carly were her parents. That could have anchored her and Daniel enough. Tying them to Maggie was just overkill since Daniel also had his connection to Victor and Maggie isn't a blood Horton. So in my mind they should never have been tied to the Horton family to the extent of getting ornaments. I can't remember why I was happy that Melanie was coming back into town. I know I rooted for her and Nathan to be together and liked her when she was with Philip, but the writing this go around has made me retroactively dislike her. There are some characters that I can back despite all of ridiculous things they do, Sami was that person for me and Theresa is going that way, but I just can't with Melanie.

I loved the exterior of the house that they chose. Biakbiak, I agree that the kitchen was underwhelming. The only one that I disliked more on HHR was the orange decal kitchen. That was mostly because of colors. I thought that the kitchen was a mishmash of styles. I like it in segments but thought that together it was all over the place. I was over at my mother's house and she said that it was like five different designers worked on it without consulting each other. My favorite part of it was the pantry with the sliding barn doors. I didn't know what she was talking about when she first went off about plastics. I agree that vinyl can look nice and that you shouldn't poo poo something until you see the product. I'm curious, would the manufactured stone have plastics in it as fillers? I wasn't paying close enough attention during that segment so didn't hear what it was made out of. I was glad that they liked it after they were less than enthused about the way the slab looked. I liked that the show showed how the installers fused the two slabs together and that the couple was interested in the process. I didn't think that the salvaged marble/granite(?) that they used really enhanced the space but at least they can say they have it in the space.

I think that Gabi and Nick's characters were sacrificed for both Melanie and Will. When Nick was first on the show I thought he was nerdy, endearing, and had tons of charm. I think that writing wise, he did lose out in his relationship with Melanie. There was a chance for him to be redeemed many times since he had the backing and support of all of the Hortons. His character was absolutely destroyed when he tried to keep Will away from Arianna. At his worst, he still had charm but he was turned into someone who you feared and was so malicious that I was relieved when he was thrown in the river and ultimately shot dead. I think that Gabi's character was also sacrificed for Melanie and then Will/Sonny. When she first came on screen, she was a normal, bubbly teen girl. She had spunk and had normal crushes/relationships with Chad and Will. I also liked her dynamic with Rafe and sister Arianna. I know that they changed up her character when Camilla Banus came on, but I don't think it was for the better. They had Gabi go completely psycho to restart her relationship with Chad and Melanie was the good friend who tried to protect Gabi from a made up stalker unknowing that Gabi was after her boyfriend. It seemed like that story line was used to make Melanie even more sympathetic and to show that she was spunky and strong even when in peril. I actually liked Gabi up until the point where she misdirected the search team away from where Melanie was being held. I didn't care as much about her after Rafe helped cover her role in the kidnapping and explosion. The relationship that Gabi had with Will was so established and reinforced through the years that there was no way that she would keep Arianna away from Will. She was being used as a pawn by Nick but it never made real sense since he had Rafe, Sami, Kate and EJ to protect her against Nick. The writing went back and forth too much on her. I think that the writing was used to make Will sympathetic, but his want to keep Arianna's paternity a secret did him no favors. Making Nick homophobic is what made me want to get Arianna away from both Nick and Gabi. It was just strange writing all around. In regards to Chad and Ben, I do think that Chad intentionally manipulated Ben in their altercation. However, I don't think that physically assaulting him was in any way appropriate. Ben could have one upped Chad had he recorded him or simply repeated what Chad said to Jordan and Abigail. That could have led to blackmail. Why was it even kept a secret? The show made it seem like Chad said the worst thing ever. I would hope that a court wouldn't say to Ben, "Chad compared two women in bed? Well, you sir are free of all charges." It was also a series of Ben assaulting people that made me cheer that he was actually going to face consequences for hitting people. He knew what Chad was doing and chose to hit him. I just am tired of certain people assaulting others and getting away with it - Abigail is another example.

Ben absolutely should have faced the consequences for beating up Chad. He's shown his anger multiple times. It seems that the only skill Ben has is using his fists - he went after both Rafe and Chad. I wish Chad and the DA hadn't dropped the charges. At least get Ben into anger management off camera. I have a giant soft spot for Chad. I think that people blame him for their own actions all of the time. People say he did awful things to Gabi - what? She all but stalked him to get him to fall in love with her. The worse thing Chad did was reveal Ari's paternity lie and they acted like he ruined Gabi's life. I would argue her actions ruined Chad's life with Melanie to a greater degree. Abigail had the choice not to get involved with him after Cameron stopped showing interest. Instead, there is talk about how he manipulated her into bed. He was shitty for sabotaging Sonny's club - I still don't understand how that worked and whether it was completely his fault or a combination because Sonny didn't fully vet the contract. I wouldn't be surprised if people start blaming Chad for causing marital strife between Will and Sonny. Chad can be a jerk but his actions have been on par with the "good" characters in town. Or at the worst a grey character. I dislike Rafe. Seeing him onscreen makes me want to fast forward scenes I would normally watch. Even when he is technically in the right, his self-righteousness bugs and I think he should be in jail for multiple counts of corruption.

My vote would be Nicole! They'd probably give it to Melanie though. Now I have a weird visual of sad penguin song and the Girls of Rock and Roll stuck in my head.

So the elephant had diamonds in it? HA! Maybe the writers took that storyline out of The Great Chipmunk Adventure where the Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon, Theodore) and the Chipettes were on a race around the world and exchange little chipmunk/ettes dolls. Turns out there was money and diamonds in the dolls. That is the only laugh/joy I got out of the elephant story. I wish Parker had found the secret hideaway and exchanged the diamonds for legos.

Abigail really is the worst. I give Dan props for not telling her how Brady was doing. Maybe he was upholding HIPPA but I don't think he knows the meaning of that. It was a really strange to see her and Jen gossiping about JJ's sex life over tea. Jen tried to keep her from prodding only because she knew what was going on. They would be planning on stalking JJ and taking turns hiding under his bed if Jen was still in the dark. They were way harsh towards Roxanne. They may disapprove because they know she did drugs with him or thought they were just platonic friends. She is aesthetically his type. I thought that she was coming onto him the entirety of her time in Salem. Two things: 1) Roxanne knows him better than Abigail/Jen do because she was there for him after Jack died and had his back in boarding school. He actually trusts Roxanne more than his living family members. 2) We saw that Roxanne had integrity because she didn't want to be mean or hurt Paige. I would want her to come back to Salem but I know that she would get the Theresa treatment. I care way too much about the JJ/Paige story. I even feel for Cole. He has treated Paige better than JJ has for months. Paige doesn't deserve him. Also, more Corey the unlikely voice of reason! I thought it was interesting that they had Will tantrum over Paul doing the charity fundraiser. It brought back memories of Sami and her threatening to withhold the donation to Salem hospital. I felt that it was a little over the top that the writers made it seem like both were so selfish that they would hurt children. At least Sami was donating to another hospital. I don't really see Will's end game in this. If Paul stays and Will exposes Paul's paternity or writes another story on Paul, he loses Sonny. Also, Melanie needs to take five seats and leave Theresa alone. Same goes for Theresa. I know that Melanie wasn't in Salem at the same time as Kristen but knocking someone out is a very Dimera thing to do. Daniel was kidnapped not long ago by Kristen. They have really short term memories in Salem.

I agree that Ben and Jessa are more natural together than Jill and Derick. I think that Ben and Jessa had the advantage in that Jim Bob moved Ben onto his property and allowed Jessa all day access to him. There was more hang out time. Jill and Derick had a more formal relationship because it was skype and then planned visits. Though, at the point of filming, Jill and Derick were married and should have a similar natural quality. I still can't believe that Jim Bob had Ben move in with them. Even with little spies all around, that is way more permissive than a lot of families outside of Gothard would be. The Josie pizza thing was really gross. I agree that someone should have stopped her and taught her how to cut with a knife, even if it was plastic. I can't imagine any of the other kids getting away with that at her age or even younger. I noticed that Michelle holding Josie in the kitchen. Her back must have magically healed. I liked that Jessa and Ben had a friend chaperone, but think that the dress fitting would have been something fun for Jinger to be a part of. I would like the show to do an episode on the day in the life of Jinger or Joy vs Jed/Jeremiah.

I was seriously surprised with him on DWTS. He does have rhythm. He had dance pro Witney motorboat his pecs! That was more personality in those 30 secs than any conversation I saw with the women. I wonder what bachelor Whitney thought about that. Must be awkward for her since dancer Witney has probably spent more concentrated time with Chris than she has been able to.

I'm still catching up on episodes from last week but have been reading recaps/comments. Quick question: Why is Victor getting back at Kate at this time? Is it because she is with Clyde or is there an ongoing beef between the two? I know the general back story but thought that they had been friendly for the past few years or is it only where Philip is concerned? Or is this all so that Stefano will be in his debt?

I thought that the pro's opening number had awkward lighting - it washed the pro women out. Too much peach. I also miss the announcer as well as the Harold Wheeler orchestra. I was shocked at how well Bachelor Chris could move. I agree with those who said he showed more personality in the opening than he did his bachelor season (and Andi's season too). I thought he actually did better than Redfoo. Riker bugged! He seemed so smug. He can dance but it was way too hectic. I was happy that Charlotte came in with a good attitude but yeah focused on the boobs waaaay too much. I feel bad for Keo getting another lemon, though think that he was ecstatic being able to dance in the bumpers and showcasing himself last season. I would like to see him with a Nadia or a Kelly Osbourne to see what his teaching style is. Noah is truly inspiring and seems like a truly humble, sincere person. I have also loved Sharna since she joined DWTS. I just was so nervous for them during the dance after we saw him fall in his opening. I hope the experience is enjoyable for him and that we get to hear more about his story in the coming weeks. I thought that Patti LaBelle and Suzanne Summers moved really well for their ages, they did better than people decades younger. I loved Patti's opening package and how she wanted to have content in the dance. Artem had the perfect mix of choreography and making sure she was comfortable. Rumor was great. I hope she and Val go far this season, but don't want it to get too much into this being Val's chance to finally win. I loved that her family was there to support her. It was kind of weird seeing Bruce Willis and Demi Moore in the ballroom, but pretty great at the same time to see that they took the time to do so. I felt kind of bad that Demi was in back of Bruce and their daughters. I didn't notice she was there until Rumor's dance. I'm in for the season and will probably fast forward through Riker, Charlotte, and the shark tank guy.

I had forgotten that it was Kaitlyn who told Chris he "could plow her field" and tried to make the inappropriate joke during the opening speech. I wanted her to be eliminated that night. As time went on, and maybe because she was more comfortable with Chris and in front of the cameras, I thought Kaitlyn became much more likeable. I think she handled herself better the further she got into the competition. I thought it was funny when she did the "Kaitlyn heart Chris" billboard because it reminds me of Arrested Development when Michael's family had the "Family love Michael" banner. I think I may be giving her too much credit and it wasn't an Arrested Development reference. I hope they'll focus on her dancing instead of hip hop career. Unless, it is done in an ultra cheesy way or someone on par to Boys II Men comes on. It's interesting that the two women who had the most memorable entrances were in the running for bachelorette. Also, interesting is that the only one Britt really tried to undercut in the competition was Kaitlyn. It may have been because she viewed her as competition or because they were such opposites that she didn't "get" Kaitlyn. I'm not a fan of the boxing-type of dates. I thought it was awful when Ames got a concussion. I would take the bachelor talent show or a Costco-type date over combat.

Well that's one way to get attention. I hope they told both women about this "twist" before they signed contracts. Or at least gave them time to process it before having to go on stage. This is worse than Ashley's season where she was against the men's disappointment about her not being Emily. I can just hope that they do this in a way where whichever woman does go home they have some dignity. It really seems to go against the whole idea of the bachelorette where the woman has control over her love life. I know it's reality tv, but bleh.