Vince1178

This was the epitome of self-centered delusion. As far as Abigail knows, Marlena just woke up from a coma after being shot at her own wedding. Maybe now is not the best time to go crying to her about your own problems. Does the weird baby breathing audio they pipe into any scene with an infant drive anyone else batty?

Can someone please give JJ an actual story line. As it is, he's just bumbling around town comforting his exes, his sister, and his mom. Poor guy needs a damn life.

Well, damn. Those scenes with Belle and John were terrific. I know Belle has gotten a lot of flack on here lately for her reactions to Sami (which, while harsh, aren't exactly unwarranted), but I really like her a lot. And I think the actress is terrific. I’d love to see her stick around.

I spent a portion of the long weekend playing a little catch-up. Here are my sundry thoughts. I think this is the best acting we’ve seen from Drake/John in ages. I particularly enjoy that the show is allowing him to stay at the hospital and grieve. Let the others run around town tracking Kristen. John belongs where he is, and is getting some really great emotional beats. Eric in his slightly unbuttoned tux shirt was really doing it for me. He even did this little slouchy move where he scooted down on the bench that made me swoon. I mean, I know they were in the hospital chapel and all, but I’ve no clue how Jen didn’t jump him then and there. (Expect I do know. Jen is a prude.) I really enjoy when Sami and Paul share scenes. The actors work well off of one another, and their dynamic is interesting. She’s Will’s mom. He’s Will’s boyfriend/the man who came between Will and Sonny/the man who nearly didn’t tell Sami that Will is alive. Alison plays the scenes really well. You can sense that Sami’s not a fan, but is willing to go along with things for Will’s sake. Hope remains the worst. Sami remains the best. I mean, while Hope is busy being all self-righteous and uselessly stubborn, Sami tracks down Kristen and stands right in front of her loaded gun like a stone-cold boss. And then we have Paul. Here is the only person in Salem willing to try and tackle skinny little Kristen and he ends up valiantly going out a window. All while Sonny is whining about needing Will back right this very second, despite the fact that a) Will got his memories back six seconds ago and b) Will is in a relationship with another (better) man. Remind me who I’m supposed to be rooting for again. Brady ... Eve ... something ... who cares ... why? Does Kristen always have tattoos? If they are the actress’s I would have thought they’d attempt to cover them up for continuity sake. (Which, I know, is a totally ridiculous thing to expect from this show.)

Well, that was an episode! And, boy, do you all have some feelings about what’s going on. I think that’s great. Love it or leave it, I’d rather the show elicit some sort of response from the audience than just lull us all into sleep. And I too have some thoughts. I’ve really enjoyed that the elements of humor that have been tossed in this week. I like when Days is funny and winks at its own ridiculousness. The show used to do that more often, and it’s good to have that sense of fun back. The new actress tackling Kristen/Susan is working for me. Sure, it would be nice to have the original back, but I can’t really grouse too much about that. It could have been a lot worse. I agree with those of you saying that almost anyone at the wedding could have taken down Kristen at any time. But … this is a soap. Shit like this happens all the time. It’s basically a universal truth of soap operas that no one will do the most logical thing in any given situation so that the greatest amount of drama can be wrung from the situation. Sure, the argument that no one did the smart thing is true. But it’s true for 90% of current and past story lines as well. Best not to dwell on it. Oh, Will. It’s good to have him back. And, yes, the actor nailed it. But, man … those scenes really killed the momentum of the episode for me. And Sonny just came off as smarmy. I get that’s he’s thrilled that Will’s memory is back and that Will clearly has feelings for him again. But he’s also pushy as hell, and it’s not a good look. Also, he has a weird mouth. But maybe I’m just bitter because I prefer Paul. I want to see Eric’s birthmark.

Marlena wanted both Eric and Brady to walk her down the aisle and asked that they put aside their differences. So they did ... for the most part. Eric did a lot of grovelling about stealing Nicole, and Brady accepted his apology. But Eric still does not know what Brady did to get Nicole out of town. Jennifer now knows (thanks to Eve), but is keeping quiet so as not to lose Eric.

I agree with most everyone else that the woman playing Susan is doing a terrific job. I was really concerned about the recast, but so far I have no complaints. I’m also really digging the wedding stuff. It all feels so classically Days. Characters are coming together for a big event. Folks are flying in from out of town. There are possible villains lurking around every corner. Mysterious gifts are arriving. There’s some screwball humor with the black eye. Susan adds a much-needed element of good-natured craziness. Even the mention of Celeste and the tarot reading made me smile. It really does feel like the old days. And the show is really leaning into its history and legacy. Abe eagerly anticipating an interruption to the dream wedding was great; it’s fun when the show acknowledges the insanity that so often happens in Salem. Marlena’s anxiety also plays to that point as well, but on a more serious note. And it works really well. Anyone getting married in Salem should be waiting for a crisis to strike. I doubt the good will I’m feeling for the show will last, but for now I am happy to ride the wave. On to the nuptials!

Abortion is always going to be a sensitive issue. But the show introduced it. Which means however they choose to go, some viewers could end unhappy with the way they handle it. As it is, I am sure there are viewers who are upset that Abigail even considered an abortion at all. But why would it be in bad taste for a character to decide for herself that she would never consider an abortion? It doesn't need to be a religious choice. For some people, that decision is no more distasteful than having an abortion. And for others, it's no more distasteful than deciding to carry your rapist's offspring for reasons that even then show can't seem to articulate with any clarity. Abigail was at the abortion clinic and ready to go through with the procedure. But Stefan talked her out of it ... somehow. I watched those scenes and still can't comprehend why Abigail didn't just slap the bastard and abort the baby. Nothing he said made any damn sense. But, as it stands, there's no clear reason why she's keeping the baby. None. It makes no sense. Abigail is keeping a baby that a) was the result of rape, b) was conceived when she was under the influence of an alternate personality, c) no one but her rapist is thrilled exists, and d) will likely end her marriage to the love of her life.

Thank you! That plot point just does not work for me. I see why Gabi doesn't want her to have an abortion (because the baby is really Chad's and she's not so cruel as to have Abigail abort Chad's kid). And I see why the show doesn't want her to have an abortion (aborted babies don't create lasting drama). But I don't understand why Abigail doesn't want an abortion. Yeah, she feels the need to integrate her alters or whatever. And what Gabby did is a part of her. And blah, blah, blah. It doesn't work. They simply should have had Abigail state that she would never have an abortion under any circumstances. To suggest she would, but have her not go through with it does not work in this story line at all.

Played catch-up over the weekend. And I have thoughts. I really don’t get what the show is doing with Eve. It seemed like Theresa’s return was designed to prop up Brady and Eve. But now it looks like the whole thing was a way to make Eve a wrench in Jennifer and Eric’s relationship. And what’s the endgame here? Eventually Eve’s lies will be exposed and then … what? We’ll likely be exposed to months of her whining and scheming and begging Brady to take her back. It’s not even happening yet and I’m already over it. And speaking of Jen and Eric, those two could not be more boring. Her keeping the truth from Eric is such a non-starter because their relationship is barely there as it is. It’s like watching a lukewarm bowl of oatmeal be threatened by some room-temperature milk. I’m all in for Gabi. Sure, she’s being a little cruel. But she’s speaking all kinds of truth about Abigail, and I love it. I really want for someone on the show to connect the dots between Abigail and Ben in a concrete way. Why does she get a pass and he doesn’t? I could imagine a really great scene where Abigail tries to talk to Ciara about avoiding Ben and Ciara calls her out on her hypocrisy. Or maybe Hope suggests that Ciara talk to Abigail and Ciara snaps back that she shouldn’t be along with Abigail since she’s a killer and the only reason she’s not in Statesville is because a doctor (he grandmother, by the way) said it’s safe for her to be on the streets. Can you tell I have feelings about Abigail? As for Ben and Ciara, I dig it well enough. The actress playing Ciara doesn’t bother me as much as she does some others on here. I’m not super invested, but I’m also not fast-forwarding through any of it. Is Bonnie really coming back? Please, no … Steve can see again. Yay! Kayla lied to him. Boo! This is going to be clichéd and annoying and it’s going to leave a bad taste in my mouth for Steve. Which is a shame. Because Steve and Kayla are consistently great. They are ramping up the mentions of Sami, Nicole, and Kristen. And we all know what that means. Bring it, show. Bring it hard.

I really hated those scenes in the Pub. After all that's gone down, all of a sudden everyone loves each other and they are one big happy family. WHAT?! Theresa listens to Eve and wants Brady to have Tate. But Brady insists Theresa take Tate. And Auntie Eve can read him bedtime stories over FaceTime. And Theresa and Eve are totally loving sisters now despite every horrible thing they've said and done to each other. Even Maggie stops vilifying Theresa enough to give her a hug. Why? Because Kim has cancer again? So being held captive by a psychotic drug lord for two years doesn't warrant an ounce of sympathy? But having a mother with cancer wipes all your sins clean? Dumb. Theresa should have left town without saying a damn word to Brady or Eve. That would have fueled Brady's rage, which would then spill over on to Eve when the truth comes out. Wrapping up Theresa's return in a nice shiny pink bow was just moronic.

I don't necessarily disagree with everyone's assessment of Kayla. However, it shouldn't be overlooked that Abigail and JJ are also Kayla's niece and nephew.

If the show is looking for a new writer, you get my vote.

This doesn't have anything to do with the show really, but ... did anyone notice how the lighting/color changed in the scenes with Brady and Eve at Doug's Place? When the camera was on Brady, it was brightly lit and Eve was wearing a bright pink dress. Then when the camera was trained on Eve, the lighting was a bit muted and the colors were really dull. All of a sudden her dress was more dusty than bright. It was driving me insane. As for the show itself, it's been dull as of late. (I place the blame firmly on Ben and Ciara.) I kept falling behind and finally caught up last night. So ... yay me? I'm surprised by the turn of events with the Theresa story line. I thought for sure the plan was to bring her back, trash her to Hell, and reinforce the ridiculous idea that Brady and Eve belong together. And sure, that is kinda happening. And it was really bringing the show down for me. But now Eve has shown her true colors, and I for one can't wait for her hypocritical ass to get busted. Here's hoping Brady drops her and leaves town to ... do something stupid (and be off my television screen). I did have to laugh when Eve told Chloe about the drug plot. Every single time someone tells Chloe a secret, she inadvertently spills the beans. And, boy, did Eve serve up a good healthy serving of beans. I love you, JJ. But not as much as I love Eric. Throuple anyone? I am 100% here for everything Gabi is doing. Bring it on, Girl! The show really needs a catty, manipulative woman that the audience can still somewhat root for because she's sympathetic in a lot of ways. They had that with Sami for a long time. And Nicole. Kate sometimes fills that void, but has become less and less sympathetic over time. I can easily see Gabi fitting the bill, and it's clear the actress is having a lot of fun. I can't wait to watch her wreak some good, old-fashioned soap opera havoc!

Not as surprising as Maggie.

Does Kate not have Stefan programmed into her phone? I have a theory on why Gabi has been stuck in prison for what seems like 423 years: budget. We all know the show is strapped for cash. So maybe they had to cut the wardrobe budget, and poor Gabi drew the short straw. No more Gabi Chic looks for Julie's favorite murderess! No, siree! Instead Gabi will only be seen in prison denim until they can dismantle one of the three sets they're currently using in order to afford a few short, tight dresses.

PLEASE DO!

The Mexico scenes on Tuesday were so weird. Chloe stabs The Noodle, his goons do nothing, John and Paul overpower them. Okay, fine ... whatever. Then one of the goons states that they will never escape the compound because The Noodle's army of Rhythm Nation back-up dancers will take them all out. John growls something about blasting out of there. Okay, fine ... whatever. Next thing we know, all's well. Paul's on the phone with Will. Chloe's on the phone with Lucas. So ... what happened? Did they blast their way out? Is there a pile of dead Rhythm Nation back-up dancers somewhere? Did Chloe knife a bunch of dudes with ridiculous nicknames like The Cupcake and The Beach Ball? It would have been so easy to cut the line from the goon, which would have just let us believe that killing The Noodle was the end of it. But ... no. We're to believe that getting out of the compound is near impossible, and yet we don't see the consequences of that completely unnecessary statement.

Throughout the Theresa/Brady/Eve scenes, I kept hoping against hope that someone would mention Nicole. I mean, Brady has been with two women since Theresa left. And I'm pretty sure he's on his third engagement in that time. Hell, he all but abandoned his own kid to chase after Nicole and her daughter. He's no prize, ladies. If both Theresa and Eve dumped him tomorrow, he'd be madly in love with someone else and have a ring on her finger by Independence Day. Now ... can we please get Theresa out of the heinous jumpsuit?

I second that emotion. And that emotion as well. For me, Kassie somehow does not seamlessly fit into the world of Days. Part of it is the slight southern lilt to her voice. It shouldn't bother me, but it just feels un-Days in a way I can't put my finger on. My boyfriend occasionally watches with me, and he asked what her backstory was and why she had a southern accent. I informed him that she lived in both Africa and New York for a while, which was (obviously) no help.

Everyone knows real gay guys never wear shirts. Duh.

HA! I don't exactly know why, but that almost made me spit out my coffee!!

There was a line recently when Kate said something to Lucas like, "Now that you have your job back and you children back, your life is perfect and so you should just forget about Chloe." So ... I guess he got his job back? And his kids back?

Was Marlena wearing jeans?! I was so distracted by her aggressively pink blouse/jacket combo that I almost didn't notice. But ... jeans?! Yes, the Abby stuff is beyond ridiculous. She killed a man. She kidnapped (or at least aided in kidnapping) three women. She then attempted to murder said women. She committed perjury. And, on top of all of that, she's mentally ill, which makes her a danger to herself and to others. But ... sure. It's fine if she plays hide-and-go-seek with her kid while Gabi rots in jail. Come on! I sincerely hope Gabi gets out of jail and spends weeks tearing into every last person in Salem (starting and ending with Julie). Oh, Eric. Beautiful, beautiful Eric ...

You’re right. The show has always dabbled in the supernatural/science fiction here and there. But it feels like there is a big difference between a one-off story about demonic possession and introducing a drug that reverses death. Even in the past, the return-from-the-dead plots (in my memory) boiled down to the fact that so-and-so never actually died. Reviving a corpse that has been dead and buried is a whole other ballgame. Or maybe the ridiculous Abby DID storyline has just made me extra cranky and overly critical.