Black Knight

Whoever was playing the secretary was awesome - no lines, but she threw in some good reaction shots. She was shaking her head at one point at the shenanigans...hee. Congratulations to Kate for making Sami back down at the last second. Although I did love when Sami refused to read the apparent 2-pages-plus of an ode to Kate's awesomeness. At first when Kate insisted that there was more to the letter that Sami needed to read, I thought there was another component to the deal besides co-CEO, but no, it was just praise of her. Anyway, I'm thrilled Kami managed to hold together and execute their plan despite the last-minute jitters. I loved their handshake-turned-handhold at the end. They do have some sort of weird affection and respect for each other deep down. Also, I must say Sami was looking really great today - everything was working, from the hair to the dress to the eyes. Abby may be younger but I'll take Sami. EJ was a dumbass. I'm so looking forward to tomorrow. I don't care enough about the rest of what went on to comment, except that I see the writers are determined to make me think Eve is the evillest Eve that ever evilled. Look, Jen was going to give Eve what she asked for, and now Eve wants more than that, and really is stealing money from the veterans! Our veterans! Everyone hate her and bow down to saintly Jen, protector and defender of our veterans! Ye gods. It's like they knew at least some portion of the audience would say that Eve is entitled to what the agreement Jack signed gave her, so of course Eve must demand even more.

He did manage to preface his "it's ok to close the door on a toxic person" comment with something about how he and Spencer wouldn't be together if not for second chances, but...yeah. Which is another reason I don't have a problem with Emily seeing Ali for a little while - what Ali did to Emily doesn't come close to the levels of what Toby and Ezra put Spencer and Aria through. Caleb did shady shit in the beginning too, but with him the writers actually did the work to redeem him so that Haleb could be viable. They haven't done the same work with Ali yet, but she's only been back in Emily's life for a little bit and yet has already had more apologetic conversations with Emily about how she treated her than Ezra or Toby have had with Aria or Spencer despite having had much more opportunity/screentime to do so. So I'm fine with Emison for a time, although my personal preferred endgame is Emily/Ashley. (Yeah, I can't help it. Inappropriate, sure, but this is Rosewood. And they've never done anything terrible to each other!)

I'm so happy! Emily/Alison! I was wondering when the show was going to get to my crackship now that Ali's not dead, and I love that they saved it for the 100th episode. (I'm ignoring that it was sandwiched in between #EzriaForever scenes.) I take back what I said a week or two ago - Paige can stay. Long enough to find out about Emily/Ali so I can watch her head explode. Then she can leave. I don't actually want Emily/Ali to be endgame (though obviously I don't want Paily to be endgame either, considering how much I can't stand Paige) - I want Emily to eventually leave Ali because Ali's a lying liar who lies, and they do stay friends (I'm complicated like that), but Ali always regrets losing Emily as her girlfriend. To me that's fitting in a number of ways. I don't think Emily can ever get over Ali if she doesn't first have her, and get validation that her feelings weren't one-sided, and then eventually have her passion burn out. And for Ali it's appropriate punishment for all the crap she put Emily through, to have her and then lose her, and maybe that would be impetus for her to finally shape up - she doesn't get Emily back, but doesn't ruin her next relationship. A couple of little things I liked: 1) Emily telling Ali that it's easier to tell the truth than to lie. I'm honestly not sure that's ever occurred to Ali, because when you get caught up in lying regularly, it starts to seem easier than telling the truth, which perpetuates the cycle of lying. 2) The little smile Ali gave Emily that prompted Emily to finally lean over and kiss her. 3) The "you belong to me" lyric while they were kissing (yeah, again, ignoring the #EzriaForever) 4) All the couples gathered together, even though I can't stand two of them (Ezria and Spoby), only tolerate the third (I like Caleb, but his paternalism towards Hanna annoys - I much prefer Travis with her)...yeah, I'm not sure what it says about me that Emily/Ali is the only couple out of them I like unreservedly, or why I'm comfortable with that. Maybe because even though I like them I'm not rooting for them to stay together forever? Oh, and JENNA! I fist-pumped when Jenna showed up with her creepy sunglasses on. The last few episodes have been slow, but with Jenna returning, and plotting with Mona, who's back to her old scheming ways, and then a new A blowing Toby's house the fuck up...now I'm excited. I also really liked Mona and Ali's confrontation. Ali's off her game a little, but that was kind of the point, I think - she's not changed as much as she's claiming, but she has changed a little. The things Mona made sure not to include on the recording she showed everyone underlined that...we viewers saw that Ali did try not to go scorched earth on Mona, and even after the threats and slaps Ali dialed it back down a little and told Mona they didn't have to do this. In full context, especially with what Mona did being brought up as well, it was not that bad. The return slap was understandable and Ali really should've told the girls upfront about it; they would have been fine with it, I think. It goes back to Emily's point to Ali, that telling the truth is easier.

Yes, it's the letter. Sami is supposed to read that letter Kate gave her right before the vote is taken, so this is Sami's cue and that's why Kate prompted her, but Sami instead was all "no further business." Which convinces me that Kate is being sincere in this scheme with Sami. But she should have known that Sami would be put off by the ultimatums, especially when they were delivered along with a heaping pile of humiliation in the form of "it's your fault EJ cheated with a young hot nubile thing." It was the wrong way to handle Sami, and now Sami's calling Kate's bluff by refusing to read the letter like Kate told her to do. It's kind of a stupid thing for Sami to do, but I can't help but admire her for refusing to give even an inch of ground. Kate is what poker players would call pot-committed. True, she could now vote against making Sami CEO, but she already read out the fake letter from Stefano endorsing Sami as CEO and she herself is the one who made a big deal about everything being recorded, so she's screwed. Her other option, which I'm guessing she'll choose instead, is to still go through with the plan and vote with Sami and hope that Sami follows through on her promises. But if Sami doesn't read that letter and Kate votes against her, it will be Sami's fault the Kami scheme fell apart. Not Kate's. Kate let Sami know what she expects as payoff for this scheme and Sami chose not to give Kate the guarantee she wanted. Sure, Kate went about trying to get that guarantee in the exact wrong way today, but it's ultimately Sami who sort of double-crossed Kate. I say sort of because if Kate goes through with the plan anyway, we'll have to see if Sami gives her what she promised - if she does, then she ultimately stayed true. Aside from the off-putting ultimatum and blame for EJ's cheating, a key thing Kate forgot is that if you tell someone you don't trust them, it lets them know they can't trust you. Because if you don't trust them, then you're obviously thinking about betraying them before they can betray you, and that can make someone who was actually not going to betray you decide that they had better beat you to the punch, because now they don't trust you anymore. I kind of think that Sami intended to pay Kate as promised (if for no other reason than because, with two DiMeras soon to be after her, she needs to keep Kate as an ally), but she was offended by Kate today and is now distrustful of her, and so she's going to make Kate prove she can be trusted...or not. I'm looking forward to seeing what Kate chooses to do tomorrow.

Someone like Sami wouldn't be content just walking out, without concocting a more elaborate revenge scheme. That's what makes her a fun character for me. EJ is no different - how many times did he plot against Sami when they weren't a couple? And he held onto all that evidence against her and her son, so any claims he might make that his intentions and plans for the future were nothing but innocent and pure and loving ring very hollow. The second Sami stepped out of line, he would've blackmailed her. If she had just tried to take the kids and leave, he would've blackmailed her. So if nothing else, she did at least need to string him along enough that she could get that evidence. Sure, she should have left it at just that and not gone after DiMera, but I would be very, very bored otherwise.

The howlers started for me during Julia and Barbie's sexytimes. They're all "I missed this," and I was thinking: You've been together like three days, and you were separated for maybe eight hours. Drama queens.

QuelleC, Molly/Tanner and Ginger/Brian were the B couples back during the period when Bo/Carly and Jack/Jen were the A couples. Bo/Carly would be on Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays, and Jack/Jen, Molly/Tanner and Ginger/Brian would be on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tanner Scofield (son of Vern Scofield, who you may remember working at the Spectator with Jack) was played by Michael Easton, Molly by Shannon Sturges - she came to town thinking herself an orphan (she was involved in a storyline of Eve's), but eventually learned that her birth mother was Ginger (played by Roberta Leighton, her character was a waitress at the diner Maggie started up at that time). Molly's father was also the father of Hawk, the con artist played by J. Eddie Peck who fell in love with Jennifer after originally crossing paths with her and Jack on their honeymoon. Ginger went on to fall in love with Tanner's brother Brian, played by Robert Mailhouse. I loved both couples, but all four characters ended up casualties of a mass firing at DAYS.

To roll Basic Black into Titan, and see if they can work together. Brady thinks if they can work together, that'll help them be able to interact on a personal level better too. I guess. John seemed suspicious of the proposal, or maybe that's just his Smell the Fart face as usual. Question of my own: What was up with that necklace that Sami was wearing, that she was in such a rush to have Kate remove? Why? I wondered if maybe it's a necklace EJ gave her and so she doesn't want to wear it, but 1) she could have just removed it herself upon leaving the jail 2) she's still wearing her engagement and wedding rings, and I'd think that if it bothers her to wear jewelry EJ gave her, she'd want to take those off first. Could she have a mic or a camera or something hidden in that necklace?

I'm not sure EJ is this dumb, actually - the show seemed to be hinting today that he's figured out that Sami's playing him. The smile on his face kinda dropped as Sami walked away, and then at the end he was all "they're"...one explanation would be that his smile dropping is just because he's bummed about his situation and he had been trying to keep up a good front for his wife's sake, and that the "they're" is a reference to Stefano/Kate. The other explanation, of course, is that he's figured out that Sami and Kate have teamed up and are playing him, and he's maybe been in touch with his father. I don't know, Stefano making Kate his proxy just seemed a little too easy. Maybe EJ is testing Sami to see if she'll betray him at the board meeting, and if she does, no problem, Stefano will step in and ruin the plan, because, ba dum dum, he really did fly into Salem after all. Kate and Sami hugging continues to be the most bizarre sight for me. I'd find a kiss less weird, honestly, because that can always be ascribed to HateSex or AngerSex or some variation thereof. I do love the hugging, but it's just so strange to see! Sami holding Kate's hand and practically hyperventilating while Kate was on the phone with Stefano was amusing. As for the end, I can see Kate's side now - she's worried that once she does as Sami asks, she won't have any leverage and Sami can go back on whatever she promised Kate because she's already gotten what she needs. It's an entirely reasonable concern. I really would've expected Kate to have sorted this out with Sami a lot earlier, though, had a contract signed or something. Maybe if she'd spent a little less time on her stupid Destroy Jordan plot, she could have. (Hmmm. What if Stefano knows about Kate sleeping with Rafe? That'd kinda explain why the show bothered with that hookup, because on Rafe's side it's been a big nothing - he doesn't seem to even notice that he cheated on Jordan.) And speaking of such, are we going to get flashbacks? I want flashbacks showing how/when Sami found out about the cheating and how she and Kate got together on this scheme. My feeling is that Sami found out about the cheating shortly after Nick's murder, because I don't think she would've agreed to the hitman thing if she knew already that EJ had cheated on her - the last thing she'd want then is giving EJ even more leverage over her.

Well, Sami's often irrational, so I can understand Kate being nervous. But if the Kami scheme fails thanks to a double cross, I'll be pissed. I really hope this is just to add a little narrative tension for viewers because right now, their revenge scheme has been a cakewalk.

Bo/Billie Bo/Carly John/Marlena Molly/Tanner Ginger/Brian

Let them live, it seems fitting on a few levels.

Thanks, JBC344. I got curious enough to try to find the Kate/Billie scene I mentioned on YouTube, and it was there (the whole Who Killed Curtis? story is, actually). Curtis did tell Kate that their kids died in an accident, and Kate told Billie that, which I forgot. Billie then replied that Curtis was a liar, Kate knew he was a liar, and so how could she have just taken his word for it? Kate admitted that she should not have, and that she did because it was easier for her to think they were really dead than to think about what might be happening to them. That's when Billie informed her that Austin was being beaten every night and she was being raped.

I really can't imagine what for, but maybe she needs Abby's help with another part of her plan. And so she's going to guilt Abby into it. Kate thought Austin and Billie were dead? I remember very clearly the scene in which Billie told Kate that Curtis raped her as a child. She'd been yelling at Kate about not finding her and Austin all these years, wondering if Kate had even thought about them, and Kate said something about trying not to think about it, because she couldn't bear the thought of what might have been happening, "Maybe you were being hurt or neglected," and then Billie dropped the bomb.

Victor

The Tivo ep description for today included this line: "Marlena and Roman rush to support Sami." The writer has an interesting definition of "rush," because to me it looked more like a leisurely stroll. At least they made it to the house by the halfway mark. But of course, what happens when they get there? Sami not unreasonably suggests they're there to say "I told you so," and they deny it, but they don't so much as give her a hug, and Marlena instead asks to see the grandchildren so they can spend time with them. Yes, I'm really feeling the "support" for Sami there. The awesome thing was Hope showing up and saying she was surprised to see Marlena and Roman there. Nice BURN, Hope! And then those dumbasses didn't even get it - Roman actually informed her that they are Sami's parents. Yes, exactly, Roman. Way to reinforce Hope's point. I am really enjoying all of Sami's lines that have a double meaning. And when she found the evidence - did EJ have like no cognitive dissonance whatsoever about storing his wedding rings in the same safe as all the evidence he could use to ruin his wife-to-be? - props to her for doing what is so rarely done on TV and just burning it all immediately. No putting it in a "safe place" of her own so that it could be inevitably discovered by somebody else later. I also really liked the touch of Sami using her smartphone to get the safe combination, because I was just reading an article a few days ago about exactly that - people can use their smartphones or Google Glass to record from a distance while you're at the ATM or whatever and figure out your ATM number from the recording. So nice PSA there, DAYS. So we got through the graduation stuff - I think we did, anyway, I admit I was FFing all of it - so that means we can get right on to the board meeting? I hope!

Kate. Because for some reason she apparently wants dull Rafe back, so Sami and Victor are currently ahead of her in my book.

I don't remember seeing him kiss anyone. He was with the same woman in the club and in his vehicle at the end, and he didn't kiss her either time, unless I missed it.

Well, plenty of real-life funerals get televised (and streamed) - famous figures and heroes - so I wouldn't be too surprised to learn that in this age of putting everything online some people have started putting up videos of their own loved ones' funerals.

I was thinking the reason for that was that Ali was so confused as to why Emily wasn't responding to her texts and phone calls that she was hoping that maybe Emily just didn't have her number programmed into her cell and so didn't know it was Ali. It was interesting to see Emily avoiding Ali in this episode, and I was glad Aria brought up the elephant in the room to her, whether she still has feelings for Ali. (Duh.) On a related note, would someone please shove Paige in front of a car already? She's my least favorite character out of everyone. If they don't want to have another dead lesbian after Maya and Shana bit it, fine, have her start at Stanford early. Just get her off this show. I was thrilled when Emily booted her to the curb and I'm not enjoying this "let's be friends" awkward crap. Just GO, Paige! This show needs a new A to start up with torturing the girls, immediately. I didn't realize just how entertaining that kept things.

OK, this show finally made me laugh with it rather than at it for one second - Karen's "The lighting was strangely poor" in response to April's questioning of Starbucks cracked me up. Something about Yunjin Kim's delivery plus the sheer implausibility of it. They haven't shown Daniel kissing the redheaded woman, so I'm thinking she's not his girlfriend or wife. I really don't want to lose my Daniel eyecandy. Savi really irritated me a couple of weeks ago with how she somehow managed to claim the moral high ground in her conversation with Dominick about their affair, that resulted in her lecturing, "You're not watching yourself, which means I have to watch you," when she's the one who broke vows. Not that what Dom did was right, either, but he wasn't the one who was in a relationship. So nice to see her shown up as being a major hypocrite this week in regards to her friendship with Zack. But Dom ought not to be that surprised when he finally finds out, if he's remembered a couple of key life lessons: 1) How you get 'em is how you lose 'em 2) Major life decisions made in the wake of severe trauma or life-changing events aren't to be trusted.

I was thinking that too. As FAU points out, her sleeping with him is probably inevitable, but at least she didn't sleep with him already, five seconds after she thought Barbie died. I guess she loves Barbie a little more than she did her husband. Only a little more, though - the way she kept telling Barbie over and over that she thought he was dead sounded like her excusing herself for already eyeing another man. But all these men aside, Julia's true love remains her hairdresser. Congratulations to Natalie Martinez and Britt Robertson for escaping this show. I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason Linda's death played out as it did, with Linda simply shoving Barbie away rather than moving away with him, and then standing there for a few seconds until the SUV hit her, is because Martinez flat-out refused to move away from the SUV when they were shooting the scene. And so they had to rewrite it to include Linda's death.

Sonny. Love him, but he doesn't bring the story entertainment value of the other three.

If that's extortion, so would be tons of real-world divorces. It just seems like bargaining to me, so I decided to look up legal extortion: http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/extortion.html It doesn't sound like simply refusing to give Jack an annulment meets the standard for the sort of threat that would make this extortion rather than typical, entirely legal, negotiating. Refusing an annulment wasn't a threat to Jack's property or to his loved ones, it's not intimidation, and I don't see how it can be a false claim of a right given that Jack used Eve's trust fund money for his newspaper, so her asking for some financial consideration is hardly out of bounds. So Jordan Ridgeway's real name is Tammy Sue? I think I'll call her Jammy Rue, because I certainly rue the day Kate ever got caught up in this boring storyline. I can't help but feel that Jammy's backstory is designed so that when Kate learns that Clyde was abusive, she'll feel remorseful because it's so like Billie's own history with Curtis Reed. Which I hate because 1) I don't buy that Kate's spidey-sense wouldn't have started tingling 2) one of the great things about Kate is that she doesn't give two fucks. As for Jammy and Bollie, this was much more interesting with the original version, Billie and Austin. Yawn. Please let tomorrow be the wedding, please let tomorrow be the wedding. Because today was so dull.

It's my own fault for FFing Hope and Aiden (I like Daniel Cosgrove, but this storyline is just so boring), but have they said when the gala is? I hadn't considered that factoring into Kami's schemes. We know the wedding is "today" (in Salem time), the boardroom meeting is "tomorrow," so when is the gala? If it's taking place tomorrow night, after the board meeting is over earlier that day, I guess that would make sense.