4evaQuez

Maggie and Shawn were a pleasant surprise. Oh Doug you'll fit right in the Horton clan as a potential serial killer. They already have one serial killer (Ben), a rapist (Jack), and a violent thug (Xander), one more criminal to pass the orange juice at the breakfast table won't make a bit of difference. Were Jack and Xander making up supposed to be our Christmas miracle? Did the show ever acknowledge Xander's role in keeping a presumed dead Jack away from his family for years, or are we supposed to pretend that taking the paper is the most atrocious thing Xander has ever done to Jack? Speaking of, does Holly know that Xander kidnapped her and faked her death as a child while he held her mother hostage and Kristen stole Nicole's identity? That Xander is such boys will be boys rascal. How cute of Xander to buy Sarah red shoes in honor of Mickey and Maggie Horton's love story. I wonder how Mickey's spirit feels about Xander's role in covering up his namesake's death, switching her with Rachel, and Maggie's guilt of thinking she played a role in the car wreck that killed Adrienne, driving her to contemplate and attempt suicide. At least Xander bought some ugly red shoes. Anyway, I like the idea of Shawn and JJ being partners. I was happy the show told us how Shawn and Doug III were related. I was about to start doing the family history, and the show saved me about 82 minutes of my life. I didn't realize Parker had a Horton ornament, and I thought it was strange how the show lingered on his and Daniel's ornament first. I wonder if that's a foreshadowing of a potential arrival of the character. It would give Joy someone to interact with. Speaking of, I hope the show gives Holly and Joy some scenes together. Chloe is Holly's surrogate mom and was her legal mother several times. I think a surrogate aunt/niece relationship could be beneficial for both. I wish Julie slapped Xander.

Personally, I think this is what really damaged the character. I've felt for a long time that the show chose the wrong characterization for adult Shawn. The show wanted to make him a mini Bo; although, that was never his characterization when he was a teenager when Jason Cook played him. His Shawn wanted to be a lawyer, was smarter, more worldly, and quite wealthy because of his Horton and Kiriakis connection. I can't imagine Cook's Shawn in blue-collar work. (To be clear, there's nothing wrong with that). I wonder what would have happened if Shawn had more of Hope's spoiled and entitled qualities. (To be clear, that's not meant as an insult. That's part of the reason I love Hope). While Bo loved that in Hope and presumably Ciara, I do wonder if that's something he'll respect in a son. I wonder if that's something he'll see as too "Kirakis" about his son, and would feel alienated from Shawn as a result. While Bo is no longer blue-collar, I do think he still saw himself that way. Seeing a son that had a lot more of Hope and Victor in him, could have been a great source for drama, and it would have allowed Shawn to have more of his own identity. I think trying to replicate Bo and Hope (and Marlena and John via Belle) with Shawn and Shelle is what damaged the character as an adult. Instead of writing for the character, the show tried to replicate Bo. It handicapped the character. Changing Zach's paternity from Hope and John hurt the Shawn's character. (And killing him, of course). Imagine a Shawn vs. Zach rivalry because Zach sides with his sister, Belle, over her many infidelities instead of supporting his brother, Shawn. How would it impact Hope to see her sons feuding with each other? Would Bo lose respect for a white-collar son that reminded him of Victor who chooses to accept his wife's many infidelities? The show chose every opportunity to handicap Shawn inadvertently and keeping Beemer when the show doesn't want him around is another choice that damages the character.

Around the time Kayla, Kate, and Marlena "died" and Meagan Hathaway Dimera returned, a Days insider strongly hinted there was tension between KA and DH. They hinted that KA would not share scenes with DH. The insider stated that LK/Kate was somehow involved in this feud, but somehow resolved things with one or both parties. Around this time, the insider noted that KA often posted pictures where DH was removed from the photos. The insider also noted how KA posted a video of KA's return to Days and didn't include the portion that included DH in the promo. I couldn't help but notice that KA didn't share scenes with DH once more. I couldn't help but notice that DH and KA once again didn't share scenes.

I finished watching Tuesday's episode. I really liked it. I forgot Steve and Jack were brothers. I'm sad Hope's return has already ended. The show made it seem that she and Jennifer were going to play a role in discovering his true intent, but it resulted in a quick phone call. We still don't know if this is the real Doug III. We just know a Doug III exists. I'm not sure why she needs to rush off to look after a comatose Bo. KA/Hope and DH/Marlena did not share any scenes again for Hope's return. The rumor that they're feuding definitely seems true. Clyde's password is Nancy. A better introduction for Joy would have been Clyde kidnapping her to force Nancy to take him back, and Nancy asks Brady and Chad for help in her daughter's safe return. Someone here said that the Doug actor looks like the EJ actor. I really saw the resemblance in this episode.

I finished the week. Jennifer and Hope were easily the highlight. It's uncanny how those two can just slip in and feel so natural with each other and the cast. I hope we see them working together to uncover this Doug Williams III mystery. Days really needs to overhaul its 20s and 30s cast. This has to be the worst young cast the show has ever had. I don't know if it's the writing, casting, acting, directing, low budget, or all of the above; however, I can't imagine any of these characters steering this show into the future. I know KM's Abby wasn't popular and neither are Ciara and Ben; however, they are young(ish) characters that are popular and dynamic. They are the type of characters the 20s and 30s set can revolve around. I found Leo's joke about everyone being related in this town odd, considering the people he was referencing did not currently live in Salem. Stephen hadn't lived there in literal decades, Abby is deceased, Ciara lives wherever she is for several years now and so does Lucas.

I'm catching up on this week's episodes. I have a tremendously unpopular opinion: I didn't like Doug's funeral episode. I read here that Hope/KA was not present due to scheduling conflicts. I understand the real-world purpose of this, and I thought I would be perfectly okay with a funeral without Hope. However, during the actual funeral, I couldn't help but feel Hope's absence. It felt like a two-legged table that was missing a leg. Hope is one leg, and Julie is the other leg. Liz Chandler, Marie Horton, Lucas, Stephen Olson, etc., did not make up for the missing leg. Doug is the father of one of the most important characters in Days' history; there was a void for me with that colossal part of Doug's contribution to the show and his legacy missing. I felt similarly but not as strongly about JJ and Chad missing the funeral. Those two and Ciara are the characters from a younger generation and more modernly relevant Days' landscape with whom Doug has the closest ties. Kayla, Steve, and even Lucas felt like a stretch when JJ and Chad were absent. Lucas said that Doug helped him feel like less of a black sheep in the Horton family when his paternity was first revealed. Is that true? I don't remember Doug being on the cast around that time. I also remember Alice being the one to bridge the gap between the Horton family and Lucas.

Marlena also didn't gasp as much with WN's Roman as she does with John.

Quite a lot when I started watching. There was the affair, Sami discovering the affair, the Belle pregnancy, Sami kidnapping Belle, John returning Belle for the Christmas miracle, Stefano discovering Belle's true paternity, and finally the Belle paternity reveal and Jarlena affair reveal at Belle's christening. It was probably a year or more of storytelling. In the midst of this big storyline, Roman and Marlena were dealing with professional struggles. Victor offered Marlena some dream job that I don't remember exactly what it was. I just remember it causing a lot of friction between Roman and Marlena. There was friction regarding how to raise Sami, who was unruly and dealing with her eating disorder. There was friction regarding a young adult Carrie because Marlena and Roman had different ideas on how they felt a young adult Carrie should behave. There was friction with John. Not because of the affair but because Roman held a lot of resentment regarding being replaced by John. Eventually, Stefano returned, and there was tension regarding Stefano. The two navigated life quite differently. While I hate Day's "working class Brady" family now because the Brady family is no longer working class; back then, Roman and Marlena represented a class and education divergence that was palpable and intriguing to watch. They were constantly challenging the other to see the world from the other's point of view, and they rarely had the same point of view. They also had very different personalities. While Marlena was more animated back then, she still had a reserved manner to her. Roman, recast Kimberly, Carrie, and Sami were some of the few that could get Marlena to step out of that reserved and professional box. Roman, however, was a spitfire. I always felt that Sami was a lot like Roman, but Sami is more delusional, irrational, destructive, and impulsive. Outside of those qualities, Sami and WN's Roman are a lot alike. Roman was hotheaded, unforgiving - mostly - and quick to act. Unlike Sami, he was also quicker to apologize and see the error of his ways and a little more mature. While I like Marlena and John, they felt more fairytale and magical to me. They fought the literal devil, twice. Roman and Marlena felt a lot more real-world and their obstacles felt more grounded with instances of Soap Opera Drama, i.e. the back from the deads and Stefano drama, which felt more grounded than the larger-than-life Jarlena love.

I started watching Days during the John/Marlena affair. While I thought John/Malena had a lot more chemistry, I actually was a bigger Roman/Marlena fan. I thought those two challenged each other more. It's sad to see that both men have passed.

But he has faked the death of Holly, Maggie's granddaughter. Maggie is a woman he claims to love. He also played a crucial role in the Mickey/Rachel baby switch. He's not a man I would leave with children.

I don't think it's crass. I assumed KA and SSH would submit their work for the Emmys. According to Wiki, SSH has been nominated 6 times since the 70s and her last nomination was in 2020 and has never won. I wouldn't be shocked if this is an award for both her performance and her longevity in the genre. I completely agree with Julie seeming out of character regarding her initial response. I expected Julie to doubt Jack and run up the stairs to check for herself. However, as the scene progressed, I think, narratively, she stayed downstairs, so she and Eli could share a more intimate scene. The scene downstairs and the scene in the bedroom, before she checks on Doug, is the only chance she has with a direct descendant to mourn her loss. No offense to Eli, but once Jennifer, Maggie, and even Marlena entered the scene, his level of importance dropped dramatically. Once Hope arrives, he will take even more of a backseat. I'm going to assume Ciara will arrive, a direct descendant of Doug and a more popular character, and Eli's screen time will again drop dramatically. I think the writers correctly - I would argue - decided to give Julie and Eli their moment early. This brings up your other point regarding Jack/MA. I agree that he feels widely out of place here. I think Eli should have found Doug to make the transition from Julie downstairs to Julie and Doug's bedroom more natural. While Julie is assertive, I could see her taking more of a pause with Eli than with Jack. Jack also felt out of place calling Kayla - for several reasons - and even dropping off the kids at Maggie's place. Maggie seemed genuinely insulted at Jack barging in, even though she said she wasn't. I couldn't imagine her having that reaction with Jennifer.

I've mentioned that all my favorite Days characters are offscreen: Chloe, Jennifer, Hope, Sami, Bo, and Nicole. It's wonderful seeing Jennifer and Hope again. It feels like Days again with those two on screen. I enjoyed all the Days' flashbacks and appreciated that the show chose so many from the 80s and before. Was that a scene of Julie and Doug's first meeting? The flashback was so brief that I couldn't tell the context of their conversation. Why was Hope wearing one earring in the flashback when she's pregnant with Shawn Douglass? Was that a fashion trend? I liked hearing Addie mentioned. It seems so rare that she is. It was good seeing so many people in the Horton House. It feels like such a treat to see that many characters in one place now. I wish they'd left Charlotte and Thomas with Holly instead of Xander. I would never leave my kids or grandkids with that man.

But does this apply to any of the Horton women mentioned? Abby may be the only one with her DID, but even then, she never fought for Chad. He usually fought for her: Stefan, Ben, Cameron, and Dario are the four that come to mind. I guess there's Gabi who always lost in love to Abby regarding Chad. Has gone villainous for Chad and for a time became obsessed with not being able to have children. Gabi is not a Horton. I know people here hate Cin, but I don't recall Ciara being in a love triangle with Ben, and again, wasn't he in a couple for her: Theo and Tripp. Ben is also the one in several asylums and prisons and suffers from mental illness. I guess there's Claire, but I wouldn't call that a triangle as she became a pyromaniac and was obviously not the root for couple. I'm also certain her pyromania came about because of Tripp and not Ben. So there's one Horton woman this could apply to. Ironically, this is the one Horton woman the show obviously did not care about. I can't recall Sarah ever fighting for Xander, so far, unless you count Maggie. (That's obviously a joke). Jennifer and Hope, I would argue, aren't simply defined by Jack and Bo. Hell, Jennifer and Hope is one of the most important friendships/familial relationships on the show. I would argue that none of the Horton women can be defined simply by fighting for men, except for Claire. And where is she again? Oh yeah, as unsuccessful a character as the male Hortons. I'd argue Lucas can't be defined with Sami and Kate. Shawn can't be defined with Belle, Bo, and Hope. Eli has never been defined except as the token black guy, who is sometimes a cop. The women are doing much better.

There were so many Horton and Horton adjacent characters on screen today: Julie, Jennifer, Jack, JJ, Chad, Eli, and Lani. It felt like a classic Days episode. I really enjoyed it. I know there's a lot of discussion on this board about the show not caring about male Hortons, but I thought today's show represented why that is. Julie and Jennifer really carried every scene they were in today. The Horton women are staples because they are just so dynamic. Even in death (Abby) or absence (Hope), they are still instrumental to the plot, and they are still felt. I always loved Jennifer vs. Chad scenes. After KM's Abby, MR's Jennifer is Chad's best screen partner. I wish the show had done more to build the Chad vs. Jennifer animosity during Abby's first death when they were fighting for custody of the kid(s). JJ is a terrible strategist. He wants to convince Gabi to help him, so he reminds her of the time Abby as Gabby framed Gabi for murder, which resulted in false imprisonment. While imprisoned, she was beaten to the point of losing the ability to have children. Gabi should hate Abby even more than she hates Clyde. At least her leg healed. I didn't like the Gabi and JJ scenes. CM still can't generate romantic chemistry. Lani, Abe, and Paulina should be a familial unit with a lot more tension. I know this storyline happened a while ago now, but Abe should be angrier at Paulina for allowing him to think Lani was his daughter. Whenever they mention Lani's felony and conviction, it should be a sting to Paulina and Abe's relationship. I don't mind Doug dying on Thanksgiving. It gives Jennifer and Jack (and Eli) a reason to be onscreen and provide immediate comfort to Julie. If they were not on canvas, the only person who would make sense to be a shoulder to Julie would be Maggie. I've found the Julie/Jennifer relationship to be more endearing and important these past few years than Julie/Maggie, so I'd rather Jennifer be her immediate confidante.

Unfortunately, I've missed several episodes these past couple of months. I was wondering if Philip ever explained what happened with him and Chloe. I assume they broke up, but did he give a reason why?