4evaQuez

I just watched the Shockwave episodes, and The Closer/Major Crimes definitely know how to excel in high octane season finales. I was shockingly touched by the Commander promotion for Raydor. As for season 5, overall I loved it. I love Sykes/Honor Roll and Hickman. I think I ship them. Also, did they change the way Sykes is styled this season? She seems a lot more glamourous. I love the tan coat she wears this season, they seemed to have made changes in her makeup, and her ponytails seem a little more styled. Sykes visually stands out this season in a way she previously hasn't. I was severely disappointed that Camryn Manheim/Winnie Davis wasn't promoted to Asst. Chief. I love the actress, I loved the character, I think Raydor excels when she has an antagonist, and I actually thought an Asst. Chief who is less than thrilled about the Major Crimes division had storyline potential. I also resented how Davis was unceremoniously removed from the Shockwaves follow-up. The show put up so much set-up in the first episode regarding a Davis vs. Major Crimes or even a Davis is wrong about terrorism plot to completely abandon it. Unless Wikipedia is wrong, she doesn't seem to be returning for season 6. I actually liked what the show seemed to be saying about ambition, and ambitious women with her character, and sadly, it doesn't seem like that'll actually go anywhere. That being said, seeing Raydor tell Detective Nolan and the Major Crimes team that regardless of how they feel about Davis, she will not be disrespected in Raydor's presence confirms all the ways I love and respect Raydor. Just an amazing scene. Speaking of Detective Nolan, unless he earns his weight in Season 6, I'm not quite certain what his purpose is yet. He seems...okay. Honestly, I'm not quite certain of his characterization yet, who he is, the team still seems to be adjusting to him, Raydor seems to forget he's there most of the time, and he has a cockiness that is unearned thus far. He's cute enough and I like his eyes, but as a character, the show seems to be struggling to find his niche. I assume he's there for season 6, but I didn't care enough about his character to check Wikipedia. Is the actor a producer's cousin because I just can't explain his inclusion in the show thus far. Julio and the junior Klan member is not something I care about. The only episode I've skipped this entire series is the one centering the junior Klan member's mom. I don't care about his grandmother. I don't care about his foster experience. I don't care about his potential adoption. While the idea of a single man fostering and potentially adopting is something I do think has a lot of potential I just don't have an interest in hearing a child spout racism and other forms of hatred. As a minority who was a high school teacher for 3 years, believe me I got my fill, and I don't need to relive those memories in entertainment. I wish I had more to say about Raydor, but Raydor was Raydor. She was consistent in her values, actions, and characterization. It's odd that for a show that's about Raydor, Raydor doesn't actually get storylines. I will say that she is the type of leader I hope to one day be. Rusty. Ugh. So I will say this. I do think pairing him with Andrea at least gives him a legitimate reason to be in Major Crimes that wanting to be a journalist does not. Also, I do love that Andrea in no way worships Rusty, nor does she seem to hold him in high regard. He is an intern, and I'm sure one who's there only because of her relationship with Raydor. Similar to Sykes, I've noticed that Andrea is styled differently and more glamorously this season. Her makeup is different and so is her hair. Actually, while Raydor's makeup seems the same, she does have more elaborate hairstyles this season, too. There's one episode where she has this half updo that was stunning. Back to Rusty, I struggle with this character so hard. Raydor gets no storylines, and Rusty gets them all - slight exaggeration. I couldn't care at all about Sharon Beck being pregnant. I didn't care about the journalist storyline, and I was so annoyed when the judge had to tell Rusty what a great lawyer he would be. Rusty and Gus completely confound me. I struggle to think of one happy moment the two shared. And while I know they are young, seeing them make even simple disagreements into life altering decisions seem out of place and more appropriate for the CW, and I'm someone who actually likes the CW even though I am in no way in their demographics. One of my least favorite moments between the two is when Rusty is judgmental about Gus wanting to be a chef instead of attending college. Rusty, the boy who was selling himself in Griffith Park to survive seems to not understand that people are sometimes placed in less than ideal situations where they must make hard decisions to survive. Also, I have a bad memory, but why did Rusty flip off the female lawyer in the White Lies episode? Do they have a history I've forgotten? That being said, I love that female lawyer. The show is also obviously setting up the Philip Stroh return. I am of two minds of this before I watch the final season: 1. I do like that this will give Rusty an actual purpose to be on the show. 2. I do not like that this will give Sharon and the rest of the team a reason to fret over Rusty and turn their attention away from interesting cases to fear for Rusty's safety. Lastly, I miss Emma Rios. I love the character. Was she unpopular as I feel that she easily has a purpose on the show even without Stroh's inclusion. A Wikipedia search shows me she shows up in season 6. I didn't look to see how many episodes because I do want to be surprised, but I hope she has the same attitude toward the team, Sharon, and especially Rusty that she had in seasons 2 and 3. Anyway, I'll update you all during the halfway point of season 6 unless something major happens first.

I agree. In general I am okay with SORAS as just a tool for the genre, but I was confused with the Ciara/Chase SORAS. As you said, I was confused with how long we were supposed to think Hope/Aidan were together, how long Bo was "dead," if Ciara/Chase should have seen each other as siblings, and if the other Hortons should have seen Chase as family. In this case, it just seemed too soon for the SORAS. Also, at least the little Ciara had an actual onscreen relationship with Bo that SORAS Ciara never had. It was hard to be impacted by her loss of Bo when her Ciara never knew Bo. Not to mention they brought back Jason Cook's Shawn even though he hadn't been in the role since Shawn's early 20s, and he had no intention in staying in the role. But that will get me on my bitterness of how the show completely failed both the Shawn D and Belle characters, and the only reason they're seen as important is because of their parents, so I'll just stop here.

On top of this, I always got the feeling they had him change his name to keep the Horton surname on the show. Will's last name magically changed around this time, as well. I want to say Melissa's name changed around this time as Nathan showed up and both their names became Horton. I thought that was the actual reason for the Horton name as change.

I still think the first SORAS Ciara was set-up to fail. The show gave her too many heavy storylines during her initial introduction. 1. Hope nearly killed by the Necktie Killer 2. Aidan believed to be the Necktie Killer 3. Bo back from the dead (was Bo dead or just missing. I can't remember) 4. Bo immediately dies 5. Raped by Chase (I'm actually more upset this happened in the Horton living room. What were they thinking?) 6. Allegedly changing directions of the Ciara character from conception to execution (Allegedly Ciara was supposed to be a young Erica Kane and not the whatever she was we ended up with) That's a lot for a young actress with little experience. I actually thought the actress had great chemistry with Hope/KA, much better than the recast Ciara honestly. I thought they did a better job exploring Ciara as a character. And I thought she could have grown in the role if given time and not immediately thrust into some really heavy storylines. While I like the recast Ciara well-enough, I think the first SORAS Ciara could have done better if she were supported better by the writing.

This would be absolutely delicious. I actually almost want them to kill off Gwen and then SORAS her child to mid-20s just to see the interactions and the inevitable Abby/Some man that isn't Chad/Gwen Jr. triangle with Laura and Jack as mediators.

Ooops, I see you and Shapeshifter tried to more subtlety correct me in other posts. I somehow missed the proper spelling. Great observation about her age and the part of her life she is currently living. While I think I often thought about how her job in Internal Affairs impacted Sharon professionally and personally, I never thought about her current station in life. She is beyond the need of seeking validation from others. That explains the lack of a confidants; although, I still think Sharon could have benefitted from having one. Wow. Stubborn is an interesting interpretation as I don't think I've ever seen Sharon as stubborn. In general, I think she's often willing to give people the benefit of the doubt based on new evidence. I think I'm thinking mostly of the other Sharon here. While Sharon Raydor definitely sees Sharon for the addict she is, Raydor is more nuanced in her interpretations of Sharon Beck's character than Rusty. As a leader, she also seems willing to listen to her team's suggestions and even change directions based on their feedback. And while stern and a stickler for the rules, removed from her IA position, she actually seems more willing to listen to her team when they are less than stellar in their conduct while in the field. I'll have to watch future episodes to see if I'm missing something. I agree. I wanted to know Sharon outside her Captain Raydor role, which is something I haven't seen yet. However, I also wonder if this was a conscious decision by the writers because this is one of the things that makes for a hard line in distinguishing Brenda from Sharon. Thank you! I'm in the process of reading some posts here - I'm not someone who is concerned with spoilers - and I'm amazed at everyone's amazing memory for both The Closer and Major Crimes. I'm doing a binge now, but I'll have to do a rewatch where I view episodes more closely, so I can have the detailed discussions I'm seeing and loving here.

First, thank you for letting me know I'm not alone in my feelings for Rusty. Because he gets so much screen time in seasons 4 and 5, I assumed it was a result of audience demand. I'm happy to hear my issues with the character aren't me sitting at a table for one. To your bolded, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about what little we know about Sharon's personal life where she does not have to play a leadership role: One one hand, something I do love about the Sharon/Rusty relationship is that Sharon is recognizable even in her maternal role. Because Sharon is such a hard character on the Closer and Major Crimes, a lesser show would have used the Rusty relationship as a way of showing us "soft" Sharon, and to use her maternal role as a way of outright contradicting Sharon in her Captain role. For example, I loved how even as a mother Sharon calls Rusty on his crap including his selfishness and quickness to judge others. Sharon still is able to inform Rusty of his great attributes, when he's being too hard on himself, and when he's being too hard on others. Sharon still has a no-nonsense quality about herself as a mother to Rusty that perfectly transfers to her role as Captain Rayder. The actress plays Sharon slightly differently and a little more casual, but the writing also doesn't turn Sharon into a hypocrite or someone who rewards or excuses bad behavior. In other shows, I could see this being a problem to make sure they "humanize" Sharon for the audience. On the other hand, I actually do dislike that we never see Sharon outside her leadership Rayder role. As Captain Rayder, she's the leader, as a mom, she's a leader, her relationship with Flynn is immediately impacted by his health issues, so she must be a leader, and even her relationship with Taylor felt more like equals or the very least a subordinate who understands how to work the system for her gain. (I just made it to the episodes where Taylor dies, so I haven't seen her dynamic with Fritz yet. However, considering my opinion of Fritz, I assume he's a not very good leader, and she plays the role of leader in their interactions). Speaking of these episodes, because we don't see Rayder with anyone who she can be less guarded and authoritative, she must go to her priest for confession about her feelings regarding killing the white supremacist. I don't want a "soft" Rayder; however, I do wish we could get more of Rayder with an equal to understand her outside her role as captain. I think of this mainly because of what Rayder's son said to her when he was against her adopting Rusty. He said that Rayder was "lonely." Honestly, I keep thinking about that interaction because even though we see Rayder constantly surrounded by people, I do wonder if she's lonely because none of these relationships are one of equality where she can drop her guard as leader. Maybe I'll get more of this in the second half of season 5 or season 6. Also, to be clear, I'm not saying this as a criticism of the writing, character, or acting, but because I love the Rayder character, but feel very distant from her in a way that I didn't from Brenda. However, to be fair, they are such different characters that maybe that is intentional from a writing standpoint.

I just started watching Major Crimes on HBO Max. I was a huge fan of The Closer, and I loved Sharon Rayder's character on that show. I'm excited to finally watch. I haven't had a chance to read everyone's comment, but I plan to; however, I just needed to get something off my chest. I'm currently on Season 5, and while I thought the first 3 seasons were completely engaging, I am finding it harder to stay engaged now. Not because of Sharon or the writing as I think both are still superb, but because I try loathe Rusty. I imagine that's an unpopular opinion, but while I liked him in the first 3 seasons, the last 2 have really stretched credulity to explain why he's always around and especially in the restricted access portion of the Major Crimes division. The Mariana/Alice case was interesting enough, but I am really struggling with the Sharon Beck storyline and the Buzz storyline for Rusty. I'm also not a big fan of the Rusty/Gus relationship. I just can't understand why these two are together since they spend most of their time complaining about the other. I'm also not sure why the writers decided to make Rusty so judgmental this season. These side storylines take away from the more interesting aspects of the show, and I wish Rusty was an appearance every 4 episodes characters if he must stick around. That being said, while they don't get a lot of screen time, I do like Rayder and Flynn and Provenza and his new wife that was an ER Nurse. I also really like Sykes and Tao sticks out to me more on Major Crimes than he ever did on The Closer. I actually think all the secondary characters are better used on Major Crimes than The Closer - I actually didn't like Provenza on The Closer but find him hilarious on Major Crimes. Anyway, I'll catch up with some of your comments, and I hope you'll enjoy a new member to your community.

While Friday's episode was a little boring, I at least appreciate that it helped to move several plots along. I also like that the show it at least attempting some cast integration. That being said, during the Brady/Kristen scenes, I was fixated on a prop in the back. It said do not spit on the floor as it spreads disease. Is that a common practice in prison? I was so focused on the sign and the many questions it raised that I missed most of what Kristen and Brady were saying. Also, I know some people are skeeved out because Kristen used to be Brady's stepmom, but today I couldn't help but notice the EM looks older than SH. As I'm sure you can tell, it was hard for me to get invested in their scenes. I usually love babynapping storylines, but I despise Lani and by extension Eli so much that it was hard to care. I found the return of Dr. Raynor pleasantly surprising, and I liked how the show incorporated Bonnie. It reminded me of when soaps had umbrella storylines that naturally incorporated most or all of the canvas. However, Bonnie's accent was annoying. Not only because it was over-the-top but because there were slight changes to it during the course of the episode, as well. She started off sounding like Scarlet O'Hara and ended sounding like Blanche Devereaux. Regardless, it's nice to know more people will be incorporated in this storyline than just Eli, Lani, their parents, and Julie. I guess Kristen will care, too. I know the show is on a budget, but I wish they would cover-up the actors' tattoos. When I was bored in the Eli or Sarah scenes, I found myself fixated on their tattoos and whether they were in-character or not. Overall, not the most exciting episode, but it at least is moving things along on the show.

Rafe was also with Sami and Kate. Ava isn't that odd a pairing considering that. Also, if this was a better written show, I think a Rafe/Ava relationship could be interesting in exploring Rafe's need to do evil things under the guise of love and protection. It could also explain his long-lasting relationship with Sami as a way of vicariously using the women he loves as a way of acting out his more evil and base instincts, which has been one of his most consistent character traits. Well that and being boring. Instead, it'll probably be another way to redeem Ava.

Not that I blame him, but why is Bo punching Rafe in that one clip. Rafe looks like he's tied up. Does anyone remember the back story there? Bo Brady is one of the few male characters on this show I truly love. When I first started watching Days in the early/mid 90s, the recast Bo was in the role. I remember thinking he was a secret Alamain because I thought he was evil, lacked a emotional connection to everyone around him, and always seemed on the verge of murdering someone. I obviously was wrong. Reckell's Bo is one of my favorite soap heroes ever. I love his relationship with Hope, he was usually portrayed as an effective cop - I said usually not always. And he had a connection with people that truly made me believe he was willing to die for the people he loved. The only time I remember disliking him was after Zack's death when he helped Chelsea cover her role in the death. I also remember being perturbed with him helping Sami to cover up shooting E.J. in the head. However, in the 2 or more decades watching his character, if those are the only times I disliked a soap vet, then I consider that a success. Bo/John are one of my favorite soap friendships. Bo/Marlena is another great soap friendship. Bo/Hope are one of my favorite soap couples and my favorite supercouple of all soaps. (There are other couples I like equally but they aren't supercouples).

I'm still bitter that the show gave Maggie a long-lost daughter in Summer instead of just using the actress to be a recast Melissa Horton. Right now seems like a great time for Melissa to be on canvas. She's Maggie's daughter, a Horton, Jennifer desperately needs a confidante now that Hope is gone, Sarah desperately needs a confidante that could appeal to her better side, Jack is on the show with his contentious history with Melissa, that also would give a reason for a recast Nathan Horton. Lastly, Melissa could discover Gwen was her long-lost daughter with Jack hell-bent on revenge against the Hortons and the Devereaux's. This would also open up Gwen's storyline possibilities instead of being stuck in the Chabby bubble that usually kills characters (Gabi, Stefan, and Andre being prime examples. I would add Dario but I don't know if he ever took off as a character). Instead of giving us Maggie's second long-lost child, this actress could have filled a needed void that would have paid off with Days now since this new actress would have been well-established in the role by the time Hope left canvas and Jennifer was recast. Someone else here already perfectly summed up why Daniel should have been Mike Horton, so my bitterness comes from giving Maggie two long-lost children that added little to the fabric of the show.

This is why I both love and hate KM's Abby. I think KM's Abby could be a tremendous character if they allowed people to properly respond to what a terrible person she is. I would love if we could get scenes with Jennifer and Jack or Jennifer and Hope (when she was on the show) where Jennifer discussed her guilt, anger, sadness, and confusion of who Abby turned into. I also wish we could get scenes of people being shocked that sweet, little Abby grew up to be a two-time homewrecker, murderer, liar, manipulator, and completely unstable - and that's when she's sane. Instead, we get a a terrible person who people respond to as if she's Jennifer Rose Horton Jr. I also disagree that MM's Abby is anything like Jennifer. Jennifer was/is spunky, introspective, a good judge of character - when the plot doesn't require she be a romantic fool - and always had a quiet strength about herself. MM's Abby lacks all of those qualities.

Doesn't that mean that Jennifer would share a sibling with her own kids? If Gwen had a child, that child would call both Abby and Jennifer Aunt whomever. Has that ever happened on Days or a soap before?

Even of those examples, Kristen/Lani is the only new friendship, and they do not work as friends, at all. Will/Chad are at least a decade long friendship (I'm including the Will before Massey and the Chad before Flynn) and Sonny and Chad have been friends for several years, too. I think that friendship started around 2013, but I'm not sure. Of the current cast, I just can't imagine any of these people choosing to be friends who aren't already connected.

In the Days in my head, Sarah and Eli are really good friends. They're both Hortons, and this could play into the Horton cousins bonds that have been popular since the 80s. Realistically, I can't imagine any interesting friendships on current Days. Besides from people who are already friends, I can't really think of any interesting friendships - I actually don't even think Sarah and Eli would be good friends, but it would be an interesting Horton dynamic.

That's interesting to read as I loved Sarah in the beginning. I thought she was a breath of fresh air and a character the show sorely needed at the time. She was mean, rude, quick to anger, routinely hit below the belt, melodramatic, and brought a vitality to the show that I felt it was missing. I still thought her relationship with Maggie felt weak and that the show would do odd things to reminds us she was a Horton, "COUSIN WILL!" while also reminding us she wasn't a blood Horton -"Mickey is my adopted father" to Bonnie Lockhart. However, those were the types of initial struggles I thought the show would overcome. Little did I know, that would be the highlight of her run - so far at least.

I love having Chloe back on canvas. I know the character has gotten a horrific storylines for about a decade, but there's something so comforting about Nadia's Chloe. The Phloe scenes were the highlight for me, and I'm excited to see them given the second chance the show refused to give them for so long. Their flashback was magical. Speaking of Chloe, I found it weird that the show only mentioned Xander's role in leaving her in Mexico and not him faking Holly's death. I also found it odd that the dialogue portrayed Chloe as equally villainous in stabbing El Fideo when she was fighting for her life - and John and Paul - and Xander left her in Mexico for a paycheck. That is not what I call tit for tat. There was a time I truly loved Maggie as a character. Everyday I see her on my screen it becomes harder for me to remember why I liked her so much. The thing I found most annoying about this episode was Sarah Horton. I truly am happy the character is on canvas. Being from the Horton generation that gave us icons like Julie, Jennifer, and Hope and still important characters like Mike, Melissa, and Lucas, Sarah should be the main heroine of the show and should be reminding us why the Horton family Has lasted so long when a lot of other original soap families have faded into obscurity. Sadly, this just is not what is occurring on my screen. I don't understand the Lucille Ball mixed with Melanie Jonas portrayal of the actress and the writing. The more I see of Sarah the more she seems out of place on canvas. They've done nothing to connect her with the Hortons on screen, so she doesn't even feel like a legacy character, have they forgotten that she's a doctor, she doesn't have any friends, the character seems too silly for someone who recently discovered her child died, and, for me, she is just not working. I kinda want them to retire the character and try again in a year. I still want Sarah to be a Horton as important as Jennifer or Hope or even Abby or Ciara, but she still feels superfluous. I'm ready for the holidays in Salem to be over, so we can get some juicy - or with my luck slightly moist - storylines again.

This brings me to another unpopular opinion. While I truly used to love Samantha Gene Brady, and she made 90s Days of Our Lives for me, I think the character has damaged the show just as much as she is the face of it. I think the show is too dedicated in trying to make "The Next Sami." We saw this with Theresa's introduction - I still remember Sami outright saying Theresa was a younger version of herself before Sami's first departure from the show. They tried to make the recast Will "The Next Sami." And now they're trying to make Allie "The Next Sami." Personally, I don't need a "Next Sami;" one was enough. I'd rather have compelling characters that are written true to their experiences and characterizations. And I know this is ReRon, but I'd rather their storylines develop in an organic way and not Allie trying to shoot her rapist because her mom did almost 3 decades ago, and the fact that Ron isn't even trying to hide his "inspiration" from earlier and better written storylines is revolting. Again, I used to be a huge Sami fan, but I think the popularity of the character damaged a lot of once compelling characters - Carrie, Austin, Lucas and E.J. being 4 - that can't stand without her. Another unpopular opinion maybe: I am okay with Allie having a terrible relationship with Sami. I've always thought Sami would make a terrible mother. She's selfish, impulsive, lacks empathy and strong communication skills, and prefers vengeance to resolution. I also disagree that Ron hasn't done a good job to establish the strained Allie/Sami dynamic. Although we didn't get a lot; the little we saw showed that similar to Marlena/Sami, neither one is a victim and neither is the sole villain in this struggling dynamic.

This is something else that truly irritates me about Kayla. You already mentions Allie and Abby - though at least with Abby the show has been somewhat consistent in their interactions since. But, I was so annoyed a few weeks-months ago after Ciara was declared dead, and Kayla and Justin have a scene mourning Ciara. Justin tells Kayla how he can't imagine the pain Kayla is feeling of losing a loved one, but Kayla and Ciara had no on-screen relationship, as far as I can remember. Hell, Justin had a more established on-screen relationship with Ciara, and the show seemed to be forgetting that Ciara and Justin are cousins. I feel the same with most of Kayla's relationships - Marlena and Jennifer being the two that stick out the most. The show tries to randomly show she has these great relationships with people, and it just feels false. The only time it worked for me was with Theresa, but the show seemed to drop that relationship for Theresa/Caroline and Eric, instead. I know Kayla is a Brady and one of the major Brady siblings, but she just never seemed like she truly fit into canvas, and the show has been trying since 2006 - off and on - to make her fit.

I have two unpopular opinions that are closely connected: 1. Kayla Brady is by far my least favorite Brady sibling, and I genuinely hate everything to do with the Kayla Brady branch of the show: Stephanie, Joey, Steve, Tripp, Ava. I wasn't watching during Kayla's heyday in the 80's, but since her 2006 return, she's had nothing but horrific storylines. I also don't know if I truly understand the character anymore now than I did in 2006 - same for Steve who I see as an extension of Kayla. Personally, I wish the show would just ship off everyone connected to the Kayla branch of the show, and I hope they never return. 2. This brings me to my second unpopular opinion. It's time for the Brady siblings to be transitioned out of the show. Bo is dead. Josh Taylor is Roman and mostly serves people tea at the pub, Kim hasn't been a main character on the show since I've started watching in the early-mid 90s. (To be fair the recast blonde Kim was on the show, but I mainly remember her as a sounding board for Marlena. I don't think she had any storylines of her own). And I've already expressed my dislike of Kayla and everything connected to her. I understand they were huge in the 80s and 90s - and Bo and Wayne's Roman are two of my favorite Days characters - but I think, similar to Hope Brady, we've reached the end of the line with these icons.

When I saw that scene, it felt like Chris came to some type of realization that he has no idea who his wife is. Did anyone catch the exchange between Chris and Monique in the kitchen when she says: she doesn't care about her image. Chris responds that he does, and Monique retorts with I know you do. I wonder if Monique's horrific actions were somehow a rebellion against the image Chris wants and she doesn't. We've seen a few times Monique get a little testy with the women, Gizelle in particular, and then Chris or their pastor would rein her back in. I wonder if this was her way of slashing off that leash because it's impossible to come back from this image wise. I mean, even if you want to forgive the actual altercation, the threats to kill Candaice, shouts about how we do this in the hood and the victim blaming language is just not going to get Monique - and by extension Chris - any endorsement deals. Monique bragging about assaulting a woman as her two young children listen is not what Chris signed up for. I'm not a lawyer, but I, too, zeroed in on Ashley saying she gets 50% of assets in the marriage. The way her husband responded to the post-nup dinged my spidey senses that Michael already found a loophole to protect his assets from Ashley. Not only does he not like that woman, but he seems to despise her. He also seems to enjoy humiliating her. I'm sure he's already on the prowl for a new trophy wife...and boyfriend on the side/allegedly. I don't understand why people are against therapy and not a life coach. I understand that therapy has a stigma, but I can call myself a life coach right now. It takes no education, training, credentials or a governing body that oversees a certain amount of ethics and professionalism. Hell even the way Karen explained the life coach sounded like a therapist to me. That being said, unlike Michael or Juan or Jamal, Ray does still seem to like Karen at the very least, and he seems to still be committed to the relationship even if he isn't "in love" with her right now. It seems he just wants to still feel needed in his retirement years, and I think that's pretty understandable. They don't seem like they are unrepairable...yet.

I assumed the poster meant the time Gabi accidentally pushed Julie down the stairs of the Kiriakis Mansion. Personally, I loved the moment, and I'm someone who likes Julie. I guess that brings me to my unpopular opinion, I loved the Julie/Gabi rivalry. Mainly because it was rooted in actual history that I saw develop and progress on the show and I thought both characters and the people around them responded in character and in a logical sense. It gave both characters fire and I thought the actresses worked well together and had great antagonistic chemistry. On the other hand, the Gabi/Abby rivalry is a complete failure to me because they don't have any of that in their favor. Especially when Marci Miller is in the role.

I wish there was a "Love" or "I couldn't agree more" option. I think Todd has a lot of flaws and you eloquently and succinctly explained them in detail. He is not the man I would marry, and I agree that he would not marry Kandi if she did not come attached with her bank account. In Season 5, he was almost drooling over Porsha. That seems more Todd's style. I very much also agree with what I quoted. I'm not wishing divorce on any family; however, if Todd and Kandi's marriage is how they portray on the show, it seems inevitable. My only caveat for Todd is that regardless of whether Todd knew what he was getting into or nor (and I agree with you that he went in with eyes wide open and neither Kandi nor Mama Joyce have changed) I still vehemently oppose Mama Joyce's treatment of Todd. Personally, I would love to see Todd curse Mama Joyce out one good time before hitting send to his lawyer about finalizing the divorce papers. I truly hate seeing people be mistreated, but that does not mean that I think Todd is a good husband. I do not. I think both Todd and Kandi are equaling failing at their marriage in different ways. Which I know you stated. I hope that didn't seem like I was disagreeing with you, because I wasn't, but I did want to make sure it was clear that my "defense" of Todd was more about how he is specifically being treated by Mama Joyce - and by extension Kandi - and not that I thought that he was a good husband or spouse.

Kaela acted like a weary 87-year-old impatiently waiting on death this episode. I was indifferent to Tanya until this moment. I literally rolled my eyes and insulted her shoulder pads. Yes, I'm petty. Call me Mama Joyce. This responses isn't about me defending Todd but me hoping Kanid learns how to communicate to her husband. I truly despise seeing a spouse call another spouse out of his/her name. I also hated seeing Kandi curse at Todd "you annoy the sh** out of me" when Todd was not using profanity at her. A lot of attention is paid to Mama Joyce not respecting Todd, but honestly, Mama Joyce is just a mouthpiece for Kandi's lack of respect for her spouse. Kandi, for whatever reason, does not see Todd as someone worthy of respect or even worthy of decent treatment. This is why she expects him to smile through Joyce's verbal attacks and to be apologetic at the relentless bullying - at this point this is exactly how I see Joyce's treatment of Todd. I also find it interesting that Kandi and Eva were discussing how there's a certain level of respect a Mama should always have. Under normal circumstances, I would agree. However, Mama Joyce accused Todd's Mama of being a prostitute months before her death and accused his deceased father of being a pimp even though she literally never even met the man. At this point, if Todd performed cartwheels on Joyce's grave, I would spring for the DJ. I wish Kandi realized how unlikable she is whenever the Kandi Koated Klique are featured. I can't think of anything else worth mentioning this finale.