Peanut6711

I know how you feel. I'm right there w/ya in annoyance mode. You'd think it was 1980 and there were only 12 channels on TV, not half a dozen news networks that are airing the "breaking news" anyways, at least one of which is owned by NBC. It's not that I don't care about the "breaking news" but I can read about it after Days is over. Soaps have enough rating problems and these interruptions don't help.

Also no episode here for today (2/9). My one channel is being so generous 🙄 though...they plan to air Days at 3am in the morning!!! Since I'd like to be functional tomorrow, I don't plan on being awake at that time so summaries of today's episode are welcome. Did I miss anything good? So far I'm gathering that Laura bit the dust and Zander threw a temper tantrum about the CEO thing again.

I thought they both (especially Lanni) should have lost their jobs over the whole Kristin mess, but their idiocy on Friday took them beyond 'shouldn't have a badge' to 'too stupid to live.' If a hockey-masked manic with a machete shows up in Salem, they're odds of survival are grim to none. I can't decide which is lamer--the fortune cookie mumbo-jumbo or the Shakespeare crap. Combine them together w/their Bope semi-psychic connection and it just becomes a parody of a supercouple, not an actual supercouple. Though an actual parody would be more entertaining. Like it might actually be funny to see Ciara locked up in a glass room with a library of contemporary romance--modern smutty, erotic, one-handed reads with shirtless dudes who have abs like Ben on the cover, as opposed to the romantic tragedy the real plot is going with. But she has no privacy (the glass cage and all) and it's been months since she and Ben have spent endless hours in their bed at the Salem Inn. (Isn't that all they basically did for a storyline from last March to July anyways?) It becomes torture to Ciara (or at least some serious sexual frustration) to the point she's banging on the glass demanding he draw the curtains and give her a battery operated friend if he won't reunite her with her "true lust....ah I mean love," she screams! 😁🤣 Also, as a former English lit major grad, I just want to slap Rhodes upside the head with that book and tell him to stop bootlicking those dead white guys otherwise known as the English Canon or known to cowboy Rhodes as the classics. There's more compelling pieces out there. Agree! Louise Sorel made you forget how old Vivian (or herself in real life) was as she played it with vibrancy and sharpness, even (or perhaps especially) when she indulged in crazy. Linda Dano is playing the role as if she just completed a character study at the dementia floor in a retirement home.

I sure hope the actor playing Charlie is just off to bigger and better things of his own choice because if killing him off is Ron's decision simply for a who-dun-it plot then it's a huge waste of potential. There's lots of more storylines that Charlie could spin off for some time to come as his existence in Salem complicates multiple character's lives, unlike a dozen or more other characters whose exits wouldn't be a loss. Like Laura, no loss there. LOL, Ciara's hair is almost a set of it's own! And agree, I was a big Steve/Kayla fan in the 80s but another wedding is not needed, especially w/out their kids present. I'm always giddy when I see Orpheus's name in the upcoming episodes. Can't wait for his snarky dialogue! GD never disappoints on his delivery of lines. That should be interesting. I wonder if Abs will actually summon the integrity to properly apologize to Gabi first or if she'll just keep piggybacking on Chad's apology about the drugging. I'm suddenly seeing a new version of Three's Company with Rafe, Ava, Nicole all living together with a twenty-something who acts like a teenager, a baby, and a kindergartner which I suppose would make it Three's Company Plus Three. Perhaps the better question is why doesn't Ava, a mob princess, have mafia bodyguards to protect her?

I seem to recall Dr. Rainer mentioned something yesterday about the kidnapper giving her a list of things to bring or buy. So I'm guessing Ivan had Rainer provide diapers, wipes, and formula. Since they were born on Christmas and spent a week in the hospital, being discharged on or right after New Years, they'd be about a week or two old. So definitely frequent feeders and poopers. If Madame and Ivan haven't changed them, Lanni and Eli should be able to follow the smell trail soon. 😀 Jack did bring up Mike Horton yesterday when he was railing at Laura.

Marlena is delusional if she thinks Kristin has totally transformed herself. If Ciara didn't barf up the meal or poop on the floor, Rhodes should probably have figured she was faking it. Hope Launi doesn't go too hard on old Viv...after all Vivian is a MOTHER. 🙄

Not to mention that usually a prison escape gets you sent to a higher security prison. Statesville is only a notch above Mayberry's jail where Otis could reach the key without Andy or Barney getting up from their desk.

Back when that Sami/EJ/Abs mess was playing out, I thought it almost was out of character that Sami and/or EJ didn't try to have Abi offed to solve their problems. It was around that time they also had a hit out on Nick. I never did think the full angle of it played out--where Abi realized not only that she was no longer the Horton Princess but a Horton Homewrecker but also in way over her head with a criminals family who didn't play by the Horton rules. Back to the present, since Gwen had all those news clippings, I would love for her to say that she got the inspiration for sleeping with Chad by mimicking her little sis when she couldn't stop dropping her panties for a nearly married EJ. Insulting the way Jack handled things when they were at the hospital after the test reveal. Her mother was paid off (which Gwen was lead by extension of Laura to believe was Jack's idea) and then Jack turned around in the present and did the same thing for real this time. That move signalized that he was still choosing to reject her and not deal with her, even if he didn't make the choice the first time. He was doing the very thing she'd believed he'd done all along. Except now he knew she was his flesh and blood, and (prior to going home and hearing what Laura did) didn't show any indication at the hospital that it affected him in a parental way. I get being angry with her for the revengeful route she took, but at the realization that she was his daughter, he chose to try and rid her from his life rather than make any kind of nod to get to know her and move beyond the messy hand they'd been dealt. Gwen's made perfectly clear how this affected her, and Jack can see that she's a woman lashing out after suffering the results of childhood trauma. The pickings for psychological help in Salem are a bit ironic, but I'd still expect Jack to try and help (not just financially but emotionally and psychological) his daughter. He's dealt with similar issues himself with his own adoptive & biological family so there should be a level where he can relate and find support. Heck, if Kayla can forgive him for raping her, then if we are to believe that Jack is a changed and good person, he'll work towards forgiveness for Gwen's actions , most of which relied on pulling the strings of existing issues Abs, Chad, and Jack/Jennifer had. Maybe there's a group rate for therapy in Salem. If not, apparently Jack has the funds to cover all of them. Good points! And the last one really touches on something I've noticed about the narrative. In the pub flashback scenes, Laura sat there high and mighty in her pants-suit and saloon hair, looking down on Tiffany in her 80s wanna-be rocker style. Putting aside the fact that Ron got the decades style wrong, it still felt like a rich and snobbish Laura couldn't wait to rid her family of a poor single mother because it was beneath them. As if Jennifer was somehow tainted by Jack stooping to have a ONS with a cocktail waitress even if they were then divorced. That was again reinforced when they returned to the present and Laura made commentary about how awful Tiffany was. Now I know Gwen indicated that Mum had a drug problem, but nothing in the scenes between Laura and Tiffany mentioned it. In those, Tiffany was just a scrapping to get by single parent who saw her child's father on a successful news show and decided it was time he paid support after realizing she had a way to let him know he was a father. But even if Laura did find out about the coke habit, all the more reason to have concern for little Gwen's well-being. None the less, the undertones of Laura's motivations (and Abby's support of) have a strong social class discrimination to them.

100% with you here! I couldn't believe he was still so dense to think it was about the money with Gwen and then how insulting to try and buy her off again. His lecture to an even denser Laura was a very compelling scene and well done. If only he had shown some of that anguish when he was with Gwen and realized he'd been robbed of a daughter. I hope now that it sinks in to him that he treats Gwen better than Abs did with that ridiculous stance she gave on protecting her grandmother who was the root of all of this trouble as Jack pointed out.

Agree, that was quite telling.

Is NuVivian supposed to be senile? Because she said she had Stefan/Jake 30 years ago, but Stefan's tombstone clearly says he's in his forties. Also since when did Viv care about federal offenses? Dr. Rainor didn't think a physical description and the tone of the kidnapper's voice might be helpful? Was kinda surprised Lanni put it together. when Eli didn't. And why did Laura the shrink look like she never heard the term 'nature vs. nurture' when Jack railed about it? Do you not have to pass Psych 101 in Salem med schools? Abigail sat through Laura's crazy explanation/confession and didn't deduce that Granny was presenting herself to Tiffany as if she was Jack's proxy? Laura's flashback had her stating she was "authorized" to offer Tiff the money, the insinuation that Jack authorized it (even though he didn't). But Abigail is so high and mighty in her opinion of her family that she's still pushing the narrative that Gwen's mother lied to Gwen, not that Looney Laura misled her? Good luck keeping Laura's role a secret if Julie or Nicole ever get wind of it.

This! 😍 And the other alternative for psychiatric care in Salem is Laura's old friend, the only woman in town to be possessed by the devil! If Ron's going to run with the campy train, he'd better give them a scene together where Marlena stops by the Horton abode to see Laura, takes one look at her, and summons her demon voice, "Girlfriend, you look a mess!" 🤣

I agree that Gwen's existence isn't completely out of reason given Jack's past. In fact, to a degree, their reactions reinforce the Horton's as the sanctimonious snobs they've become. I don't see the big deal that a single twenty-something (maybe even pushing thirty) Jack had a one night fling with a waitress. It's pretentious of them to act as if their family is above that. Especially considering that precious little Abs could have easily have found herself a single mom to a married man when she kept throwing herself at EJ. So why Laura went to such great lengths to keep little Gwen a secret is just silly. If she could accept that her daughter married a rapist who also slept with the prostitutes his father was murdering, then a step-child seems a small obstacle to overcome, especially considering that Jennifer and Jack were divorced and Jennifer was about to marry Peter when Tiffany showed up in town. Jennifer wasn't going to have to co-parent her anyways at that time. Jack sleeping with her mother seems like a bigger ick factor for Jenn than sleeping with a cocktail waitress she doesn't know back when Jennifer was still in high school and hadn't met Jack yet. As far as Laura in the mid 90s...I believe that was the time when she was out of the institution after having a fling herself with Jack at a self-help retreat. Today's 'past' scenes appear to be set upon both Laura and Jack's return to Salem in '95 maybe. I seem to recall Jennifer married Peter in the Fall of '95 so this must have been set just before. I did think that Gwen's dig about Jo keeping Adrienne while giving up Jack was actually a fitting nod to the past that correlates with the present. While Adrienne wasn't born yet when Jo put Steve and Jack/Billy into an orphanage to protect them from abusive Duke, I do remember it being an angle that hurt Steve when Adrienne came to town, revealed herself as his sister, and he realized that Jo kept her. I don't think Jack knew he was Billy yet when Steve grappled with that so I'm not sure how he felt about it later. Hopefully it's addressed at some point when Jack sees Steve next and updates him on his family drama. There are lots of missed opportunities lately between Steve and Jack that could make for some good scenes.

The joke about Peter stems from the real life rumors (and quite likely) of an affair between MR and JB who played Peter. Missy's abrupt leaving of the show/breaking contract at that time cemented the story. While Peter is mentioned once in a while, there was a long time when he was the name never to be uttered. I agree, Harper and Angelica make far more sense in this story. But alas now it seems their names are being avoided. That story yesterday about secretary Gladys and now Laura's looney explanation today are just lame.

I'm not sure if it was the show's intent, but I feel as if today's installment with Laura reinforced the reason why the woman was institutionalized for so many years. In fact, I think Bayview is still calling. What the heck kind of zany rationale did she spill today? I mean, to recap, a former lover of her ex-son-in-law shows up at the door looking for child support for their ONS love child, conceived long before her daughter and ex-son-in-law met. Instead of giving the man a chance to know his own daughter, she pays off the ex-lover in the hopes that her daughter, who is getting ready to marry another man, will reconcile with him. I can only hope that this story ends with Laura admitting that she was still in love with Jack and thus the one who was really jealous of Tiffany and then being carted back to the mental hospital. How cruel and depraved to deny an innocent child (which Gwen was at that time) not only knowing her father but having a real parent after her mother died. Laura didn't even express any remorse at the memory of learning Gwen would have been orphaned. Also, someone get Ron a time machine because I think he mixed up the decades. That sweater "Jennifer" was wearing was not 90s fashion and the hair style was actually Jenn's 80s do, not 90s. For the visuals... Jennifer and Frankie in the mid 80s: Jennifer (with hubby Peter, recast Jack, and Laura) in the mid 90s: I know, right! I was surprised too...and then I remembered Missy Reeves isn't around. 😁

If only the rest of the Salemites would see Julie as the "tiresome old bitch" she is too. Gwen just went up in my estimation.

100% w/you! At this point, with this show, intensely stranger and more disturbing things have happened. Charlie escaping legal punishment via a few technicities, reasonable doubt, and unreliable witnesses won't be all that far fetched. I was expecting what you described too! Allie's memory/mind mixing images--struggling in bed, hand holding her down, muffled voice she was confused by, and then finally maybe a shot of Charlie's face looking down at her in the dark to give that 'a ha' confirmation moment. The fact that it was light enough for Charlie to read Tripp's note and that he and Allie had a conversation about it was just too much 'normal' for the fact that Allie was supposed to be pass-out drunk and only aware that Tripp was ever there. I had the impression before yesterday that Allie had never seen or knew that note existed till Tripp mentioned it in Salem this summer. Going by what they've established when Allie believed it was Tripp, I'm going to assume that Salem has no jurisdiction, and unless Charlie confesses, London won't want the case because it's still a he said/she said since Allie didn't report it at the time it happened and thus also didn't have a rape kit done. Henry's existence only proves that intercourse happened, not whether or not it was consensual. Now if Charlie ends up confessing to Rafe or someone in Salem who records him, then I suppose it would be a different story. In the meantime, he's still facing charges in Ava's kidnapping and drugging, but I suppose either her testimony (being that she was drugged and hallucinating other things on top of her less than stellar reputation) could be viewed as questionable. Or she could change her mind if Charlie is effective putting a guilt trip on her as her son. Or his attorney just gets him off--he doesn't have Justin so there's that.

Ah, thanks for the clarification! Since Victor is rarely out of that chair in the Kiriakis living room these days, I didn't realize he was actually at the hospital back then. It reminded me of one on that crazy show Pretty Little Liars (in the final season, I believe.) Or I suppose Ron could have been watching Silence of the Lambs what with the glass cell like Lector's. While I'm not familiar with the other pair, I did pick up a vibe or chemistry (not romantic) between Charlie and Gwen today too. Perhaps a partners-in-crime friendship to come? They'd certainly be funny together attending an 'I'm obsessed with my sibling' self-help group. Perhaps one will be court mandated for them. lol

I was under the impression that Zander switched the babies on Victor's orders, but I wasn't watching at the time the scene played out. So was Victor the one at the hospital then who switched them? In the mob ordeal, I was thinking more along the lines of Angelo or Ava paying Zander a little visit and scaring the living daylights out of him...or the sense into him.

Damn my “local” station for cutting in right in the middle of the “Mommy issues” scene between Charlie and Gwen for a vaccine update in a county I don’t even live in anyways. Thankfully my other NBC station is out of state so I got switched over and tuned back in time for the funny Norman Bates reference. Now that Gwen mentions it… Real subtle in the Props dept. for hanging the UK canvases on the wall in Allie’s flat. Gee we would have never known that took place in London without it. 🙄 Not like they ever mentioned that before. I’m glad we’re finally getting to see the infamous night, but I found LA’s acting underwhelming when it came to portraying her drunk state. I was expecting her to be a lot more sloppy drunk. Also, would have been nice for Allie to remember Charlie asking her to dance and her turning him down for the story to build on his rejection in the face of her going home w/Tripp. I’m also left pondering if Charlie picked her lock or Tripp simply forgot to lock it. Previously I think I just envisioned that Charlie slipped in while Tripp was putting Allie to bed in the bedroom but since there was only one room, that can’t be. The arrivederci line is coming a little late in the game to be a worthy ‘a ha’ moment. Has Ciara been screaming and banging on that glass this whole time!? I'm right there with you! I still don’t understand how Zander is walking around a free man after his role in the baby switch so if he doesn’t get some fall out from the mob mess I’m going to be super irritated. I’m not saying Philip doesn’t have to own some responsibility for Brady getting shot, but Zander is a damn self-involved, conceited idiot, and a reckless one at that for the way he handled the situation with the shell account and not realizing the chain reaction it was bound to set off. You'd have to be pretty dense to be Zander's age and a Kiriakis and still think the mob would go bye-bye that easily and to not realize you just pitted yourself against the mob's interests, pitted possibly anyone at Titan including Uncle Vic for that matter. Talk about a target on your backs.

I fear that Lanni will show up in front of the Statesville warden, plead on Kristin's behalf, "But she's a MOTHER!" The warden might not buy into that bs defense but to finally get post-partum Lanni out of her office (cause we all know how fast that mother crap gets old), she'll agree that instead of Kristin getting more time tacked on her sentence she'll just punish her by revoking her unlimited internet access, unlimited visitation, and unlimited phone calls. Oh and maybe she'll have to clean the toilets with Clyde.

Ditto on Tony and Anna’s scene with the drink at the end. That was great. Loved TP’s expression. “He was in this slut’s room!” says the woman who has slept with both dad and son, while talking to ex-lover dad. And then later when Kristin spun the Trope is Right wheel, tossing out paralysis and amnesia as possible clichés the writers might go down next she forgot to mention the option of him dying with a revival via Rolf’s magical undead serum. Wonder if she has any left from what she used on EJ? I can’t believe I’m suggesting this, but hey maybe it will give him something useful to do—Ben should apply for a security job at the hospital. Background checks you say? I’m sure they’re expendable at University Hospital like the HIPPA forms. He has experience working security for Stefan, and the hospital is a PR nightmare right now. Two stolen babies and an armed escaped convict can’t be good for their reputation, though it might be lucrative for the newspaper business right now. Both are more exciting of a headline than “Dimera CEA Steps Down After Sex With Nanny.” “Hospital Hires Reformed Necktie Killer for Security Chief” might sell even more copies.

Right! It's not like Rolf won't bring the 'victim' back from the great beyond at some point if the writers want him/her back on screen bad enough. Or either excuse or redeem the killer (*coughs Ben*) if they don't want them sent off to jail, although the residents of Statesville aren't always lacking air time...or privileges. (*coughs Kristin*)

And instead of trying to call Brady back, maybe Kristin should have called 911 too. Can you do that from prison? Dispatcher: "911, what's your emergency?" Prison Operator: "Will you accept a call from the Statesville Penitentiary from Kristin Dimera?" Dispatcher: "Um, okay?" Yeah, I wondered that too. How did leaving town for a few months negate her rights to the property? That's a good point. I hadn't thought of it because I was too busy trying to figure out how that kitchen lined up with the shot of Rafe's living room we've seen in the past. Though I did wonder if that back door was the one Orpheus left himself in through the time Rafe found him sitting in his living room uninvited. Very true. I would have expected her to give permission to Patch (given her attachment to him), Tripp, and Angelo. But it sounds like she might have just listed her Christmas card list on the HIPPA form. This! I was pondering that mess too yesterday. I think it turned out that Tony was really Andre after the whole suicide/murder framing in Aremid (I still chuckle when I think about that town), but I can't remember if it was Andre all along or she really married Tony who was swapped out by Andre at some point? And how did Andre survive that? Dr. Rolf I suppose or the Aremid coroner is on Dimera payroll?

I'm not disagreeing that the storytelling is often flimsy, lame, and unoriginal and has the potential to be improved, factoring in or out the budget issues that hinder an enhanced production these days. It's just after so long of viewing the show and/or genre in general you see it for what it is and balance that with your expectations when tuning in. And while the writers may not have a textbook that they are following like Corday is going to grade them on it....hmm well....probably best to not dwell on who's pulling the strings too long. Besides it's possibly more accurate to envision Ron whipping out the old Soap Bible, closing his eyes, madly rifling through the pages, and dropping his finger on the trope that he'll worship next. Or maybe the headwriter's office has one of those big wheels like on the Price is Right. Instead of numbers on it, there's simply phrases 'long lost child,' 'switch/kidnap baby,' 'amnesia,' 'affair,' 'who's the daddy?' etc. Playing along at home though probably requires a shot glass and alcohol….on second thought, that can get viewers drunk pretty quick. Probably better to just grab water. The perk then of viewing the show is that everyone is well hydrated. Now since the big arrow has landed on 'murder mystery"... I wonder if there's a Plinko board for the clues, and if he solves who-dunnits via those little lottery balls swirling around in glass boxes as his writing staff sits around the zoom chat in their underwear....nah, they aren't that conscientious of germs so... sits around the writing table waiting for the reveal scene assignment. "And the killer is...." Ron calls out! *everyone chugs a lug* lol