Current Plots Discussion II: Discussing Today's Episode and Current Storylines

[DaphneCat]

50 minutes ago, Artsda said:

Look at Brady calling out the truth in Theresa wanting the money and knowing about the letter.

How did Brady EVER get the Salem brain?  Of course, because he actually has it now, Alex will be FAR too stupid to actually listen to what he's being told.

[DisneyBoy]

Ahhh soaps. You can be utterly terrorized by a man for years...and then end up working for him in the end while bantering about his past misdeeds as if they weren't life-threatening. 🤔

What a weird moment between Xander and Nicole. You'd think she'd never bring her baby to work (wouldn't there be a DiMera nanny available?) and would tell Chad she refuses to speak to or be around Xander for obvious reasons.

Show: it's okay for some characters to utterly loathe each other forever, and for others to grow beyond it. Please choose better who does what in the future.

I don't see why EJ doesn't take more drastic measures to silence Stefan. It's not like they're really brothers with some deep bond. They've know each other....three years? Maybe? And Stefan has plotted against him the whole time. Its weird seeing EJ take orders from him like this.

Brady suddenly guessing Theresa's entire plot is convenient. Wish they'd made an effort to justify him piecing it together...this is the kind of thing I struggle to believe Brady suddenly realized.

Going by the huge stack of invites, does this mean Sarah was intending to have a wedding with (gasp) dozens of guests? And should we now assume the double wedding will be attended by twice as many people now? What a grand sight it will be!!

(...place your bets as to how many people outside the two couples actually attend. I'm guessing...8 or less.)

[boes]

32 minutes ago, DisneyBoy said:

I don't see why EJ doesn't take more drastic measures to silence Stefan. It's not like they're really brothers with some deep bond. They've know each other....three years? Maybe? And Stefan has plotted against him the whole time.

DisneyBoy, I was thinking the exact same thing today.  I'd be fine - more than fine - if EJ just pulled an Indiana Jones

and put us out of Stefan's overacting misery.

Even Gabi deserves better.

Edited June 28 by boes

[peachmangosteen]

12 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

Do you remember Justin almost marrying Kayla? Or Chanel marrying Xander?

Yes. Especially Xander/Chanel. Ugh, what could have been!

6 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

Going by the huge stack of invites, does this mean Sarah was intending to have a wedding with (gasp) dozens of guests? And should we now assume the double wedding will be attended by twice as many people now? 

Well, Bonnie being like 'might as well have a double wedding since you're inviting the same people anyway' was perfect.

[DisneyBoy]

Xander passionately dislikes both Theresa and Alex, so a double wedding with them is something he'd hate.  Sarah knows that and should refuse the idea...if this show ever made any **bleeping** sense!

When do rich people share their weddings with people they hate?

Let's guess who made the cut.

Xarah:

Maggie, Mama Cook, Bonnie (apparently) and therefore Justin? Aaaand...maybe Chad since he works with Xander? Everybody else who likes Sarah and Maggie would probably never come since Xander shot them all (Brady, Marlena). And Melissa doesn't exist anymore so...that's it. Short list.

 

B'Gwenresalex:

His personal trainer, his nutritionist, his body waxer, his overpaid barber...and Andrew and Tate, I guess? Maybe Shane? Or Sonny? 

 

I'm not seeing how either wedding exceeds a guest list of 5. Pathetic.

And where are they holding it this time? The freaking livingroom? Again?

 

I seriously just want to see a nice Xarah wedding without bozos and interruptions. The fantasy wedding they had when she was kidnapped was nicer than anything we got for real.

[brisbydog]

1 hour ago, DisneyBoy said:

Xander passionately dislikes both Theresa and Alex, so a double wedding with them is something he'd hate.  Sarah knows that and should refuse the idea...if this show ever made any **bleeping** sense!

When do rich people share their weddings with people they hate?

Let's guess who made the cut.

Xarah:

Maggie, Mama Cook, Bonnie (apparently) and therefore Justin? Aaaand...maybe Chad since he works with Xander? Everybody else who likes Sarah and Maggie would probably never come since Xander shot them all (Brady, Marlena). And Melissa doesn't exist anymore so...that's it. Short list.

 

B'Gwenresalex:

His personal trainer, his nutritionist, his body waxer, his overpaid barber...and Andrew and Tate, I guess? Maybe Shane? Or Sonny? 

 

I'm not seeing how either wedding exceeds a guest list of 5. Pathetic.

And where are they holding it this time? The freaking livingroom? Again?

 

I seriously just want to see a nice Xarah wedding without bozos and interruptions. The fantasy wedding they had when she was kidnapped was nicer than anything we got for real.

Absolutely all of this!! I'd add Bobby and Everett to the Xarah list. Although I guess they are one person lol. And Kayla since Sarah was the one guest at her last wedding.

[Rodney]

6 hours ago, brisbydog said:

And Kayla since Sarah was the one guest at her last wedding.

Kayla didn't even come to their last successful wedding.  So I don't see that happening here.

Edited June 28 by Rodney

[brisbydog]

7 minutes ago, Rodney said:

Kayla didn't even come to their last successful wedding.  So I don't see that happening here.

To be fair they were heading to city hall and ended up at the Horton place. They had no guest list except Maggie 

 

 

[Rodney]

8 minutes ago, brisbydog said:

To be fair they were heading to city hall and ended up at the Horton place. They had no guest list except Maggie 

Uh, and Jack and Jennifer (who thankfully have kept their friendship with Xander as nonexistent after the Spectator blackmail).

[brisbydog]

42 minutes ago, Rodney said:

Uh, and Jack and Jennifer (who thankfully have kept their friendship with Xander as nonexistent after the Spectator blackmail).

Jennifer spontaneously invited them to have the wedding there, there was no formal guest list.

Jack acquired the paper by nefarious means too. Leo should be the owner by rights

[BuckeyeLou]

Melinda brought some much needed energy into her scenes today...I enjoyed her sparring with Rafe & then EJ.   Raven(Chanel) impressed me in her scenes today, she really made me emotional with her acting choices(Like clutching the stuffed animal).  It will take me awhile to get used to the NuGabi...she looks older than Camilla Banus & does not radiate "Sexiness" like Camilla did.

[Artsda]

Abe really went into that room to firstly defend his loud mouth does not wrong wife. Good for Chanel shutting him down. 

Melinda deserves to be in jail for all she did. Not running her mouth too. 

[DisneyBoy]

Chanel was excellent today. 👏👏👏

Paulina was unbelievable. Her daughter suffers a miscarriage and all she does is rush around telling people about how blamed she feels?! Where are the tears for the baby that never made it? Or for her traumatized daughter?? How about any real tears, J? Yeesh. And where the hell does she get off telling virtual strangers about Chanel's private medical business mere hours after it happened??? She was hitting Eric up for sympathy instead of letting the news spread according to her daughter's wishes.

😡 Unreal.

New Gabi is fine. Too willowy, but whatever. That's all they seem to want to cast (Ava, Claire, Allie, Holly, Abigail 2, Sloans 1 and 2 etc). I hope she gets more bite. Camilla had bite.

I'm feeling bad for EJ cuz every solution he comes up with makes things worse for him. Will Melinda tell? Will he just start sending people to the tunnels? It's getting pretty dire.

Nice to see Eric smile today. He sparks with Nicole when he smiles. Interesting to learn Greg can't sing, though.

[boes]

2 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

Paulina was unbelievable. Her daughter suffers a miscarriage and all she does is rush around telling people about how blamed she feels?!

Exactly.  I'm sure Show wants us to feel sympathetic towards her but pretty much everything they have her do and every word out of her mouth makes me hate her even more.  What a vapid, shallow, self-centered asshole of a character.

Raven Bowens was so good today, as was Carson Boatman.  I really felt EJ's sadness for his son, too.  

[Rodney]

9 hours ago, Artsda said:

Abe really went into that room to firstly defend his loud mouth does not wrong wife. Good for Chanel shutting him down.

Abe should defend his wife no matter what because he's that good of a husband.  I have no problem with him doing that.

But I haven't watched Friday's episode yet.  How did Chanel shut him down, exactly?

[brisbydog]

34 minutes ago, Rodney said:

Abe should defend his wife no matter what because he's that good of a husband.  I have no problem with him doing that.

But I haven't watched Friday's episode yet.  How did Chanel shut him down, exactly?

She told him she didn't want to talk about her mother and never wanted to hear the word radiation again

[Rodney]

35 minutes ago, brisbydog said:

She told him she didn't want to talk about her mother and never wanted to hear the word radiation again

Doesn't much sound like "shutting down" to me.

And even then, I guess I'll be one of the few on the Shut Up, Chanel train, because unless she and Johnny were expressly told that that was the case, they have no way of knowing if the radiation was the cause of her miscarriage.  It could easily be a cause of it happening simply because it was her first pregnancy.  Lots of first-time pregnancies end with miscarriages since the women's bodies haven't properly conditioned themselves for pregnancies beforehand.  For all we (and they) know, the radiation had nothing to do with it.

[brisbydog]

9 minutes ago, Rodney said:

Doesn't much sound like "shutting down" to me.

And even then, I guess I'll be one of the few on the Shut Up, Chanel train, because unless she and Johnny were expressly told that that was the case, they have no way of knowing if the radiation was the cause of her miscarriage.  It could easily be a cause of it happening simply because it was her first pregnancy.  Lots of first-time pregnancies end with miscarriages since the women's bodies haven't properly conditioned themselves for pregnancies beforehand.  For all we (and they) know, the radiation had nothing to do with it.

Absolutely she shut him down. And while the radiation might not have been a factor it is long time for Chanel to set boundaries with her helicopter mother.

[Rodney]

13 minutes ago, brisbydog said:

Absolutely she shut him down. And while the radiation might not have been a factor it is long time for Chanel to set boundaries with her helicopter mother.

She already did that weeks ago.  No need to do so again.

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, brisbydog said:

She told him she didn't want to talk about her mother and never wanted to hear the word radiation again

She's me lol.

Raven Bowens has impressed me so much with these last 2 eps. I never expected her to be able to even semi-competently handle this tbh but she's actually exceeding my expectations immensely and knocking it out of the park.

Melinda was everything yesterday. The scenes with Rafe were so fun. I love when Rafe's being a little bitch lol. I hope Melinda just tells Nicole the truth so this can end but we all know she won't.

[brisbydog]

1 hour ago, Rodney said:

She already did that weeks ago.  No need to do so again.

She just lost a baby and during the miscarriage her mother referred to her being supported by her husband as "being alone". So yes, Paulina needs to be told again and again to back off.

52 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

She's me lol.

Raven Bowens has impressed me so much with these last 2 eps. I never expected her to be able to even semi-competently handle this tbh but she's actually exceeding my expectations immensely and knocking it out of the park.

Melinda was everything yesterday. The scenes with Rafe were so fun. I love when Rafe's being a little bitch lol. I hope Melinda just tells Nicole the truth so this can end but we all know she won't.

Raven was amazing. I hate the sad story but I'm glad she got to show how good she is.

 

Can we get rid of Paulina and have Melinda full time? I love her. Almost shipping her and EJ. That could be a blast 

[CanaryFan98]

7 hours ago, boes said:

Exactly.  I'm sure Show wants us to feel sympathetic towards her but pretty much everything they have her do and every word out of her mouth makes me hate her even more.  What a vapid, shallow, self-centered asshole of a character.

Raven Bowens was so good today, as was Carson Boatman.  I really felt EJ's sadness for his son, too.  

I wonder how hard it was for CB since his child was born around this time.  I know they're actors but they are also human beings. 

I agree about Paulina. Even though Whitley kidnapped Abe and kept him from his loved ones she was still less annoying to me than Paulina has been.

[oceanblue]

Paulina was over the top today and demanding to get into the room and making it all about her was ridiculous so the previous talking to obviously did not take.  And while it's true that we don't know the radiation did it, Chanel is in a whirlwind of hormones and if her anger is misplaced everyone is going to have to deal with it.

[DisneyBoy]

2 hours ago, CanaryFan98 said:

I wonder how hard it was for CB since his child was born around this time.  I know they're actors but they are also human beings. 

I was thinking the same thing. I'm giving more praise here to Raven because he seemed to be feeding off of her energy and drawing from his own parental fears, probably. Raven had to just use the lines and deliver...and she really has.

I know the Emmy's aren't what they used to be but boy I hope this storyline gives her a bit more meat so she can fill a reel up, submit and get a nomination. She's killing it.

...its interesting to contrast this with her sister Lani's miscarriage storyline from years ago. Sal cried, I remember that, but I didn't feel anything real from her like I do here with Raven.

I still miss Melinda being more serious and grounded. She's sloppy now, helping Sloan for no reason, narrowly avoiding jail, causing problems for EJ, etc.

[brisbydog]

Carson said it was so hard that he was calling his 8 month pregnant wife between each take to hear her voice and make sure she and the baby were ok. It definitely affected him, you could see it in his performance too.

[norcalgal]

3 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

its interesting to contrast this with her sister Lani's miscarriage storyline from years ago. Sal cried, I remember that, but I didn't feel anything real from her like I do here with Raven.

I wonder if the contrasting situations contributes to this?  As I recall, Lani got pregnant when she cheated on JJ (?) with…Eli (?) then tried to pass off the baby daddy as the person she cheated on. Chanel otoh, got pregnant while married to her baby daddy in a loving marriage.

[peachmangosteen]

7 hours ago, brisbydog said:

Can we get rid of Paulina and have Melinda full time? I love her. Almost shipping her and EJ. That could be a blast 

Oh yea, I've been shipping them for awhile. We need a fun little affair lol.

6 hours ago, CanaryFan98 said:

I wonder how hard it was for CB since his child was born around this time.  I know they're actors but they are also human beings. 

I didn't even think about that. That's so tough. 

[DanaMB]

3 hours ago, brisbydog said:

Carson said it was so hard that he was calling his 8 month pregnant wife between each take to hear her voice and make sure she and the baby were ok. It definitely affected him, you could see it in his performance too.

I wondered about that when I was watching the scenes. That had to be hard. 

[DisneyBoy]

6 hours ago, norcalgal said:

I wonder if the contrasting situations contributes to this?  As I recall, Lani got pregnant when she cheated on JJ (?) with…Eli (?) then tried to pass off the baby daddy as the person she cheated on. Chanel otoh, got pregnant while married to her baby daddy in a loving marriage.

Hmm. I can't remember exactly what happened...only that Lani slept with a blackout drunk and openly grieving JJ during his trip to...somewhere to find out if Abigail had really died in a plane crash.

She'd treated it like a one-night stand but he had zero memory of it, yet we were supposed to think she was noble and stuff.

I do remember Gabi was spending the night at JJ's side to stop him from committing suicide (I *think* that was after he shot Theo or something? Maybe I'm mixing up events here) and Lani seeing her with JJ instead of with Eli (who was Gabi's boyfriend at the time) sent her to Eli, and they had "well to heck with Gabi" revenge sex.

Or something.

My point is, Lani was a ho. LOL. She slept with all of her coworkers.

(That impression is entirely divorced from her miscarriage, just to be clear)

Also, Chanel can clearly act and has a massive likeability factor. Hopefully she sticks around for a long time.

[SouthernChick]

I like this version of Gabi better than Camila’s Gabi. Way more likeable.

[Rodney]

46 minutes ago, SouthernChick said:

I like this version of Gabi better than Camila’s Gabi. Way more likeable.

Cherie Jimenez also plays her a lot less smug than Camila Banus did.

Edited June 30 by Rodney

[oftentimes]

She seems like a "kinder and gentler" Gabi.  Doesn't seem like the type that could pull a fast one over on Rachel. More like Rachel would chew her up and spit her out.

I could be (hope I am) wrong!

On a really positive note (for me) is she doesn't nod her head up and down constantly as she speaks!

Edited June 30 by oftentimes

[CanaryFan98]

I think Camilla has sex appeal and charisma but she always seemed harsh otherwise except in scenes with Will/Sonny and JJ. 

That being said I would've been fine if Stefan/Gabi were written out entirely at this point also.

 

[DisneyBoy]

They should have been last time.

[DanaMB]

Not liking the NuGabi actress. She’s playing this like some old school soap actress stereotype. So breathy. Plus, so far she’s not showing any of Gabi’s fire. But she got Stefan to shave his pornstache, so yay for that. 

[peachmangosteen]

I wasn't sold on her on Friday, but I thought she was doing a much better job today of bringing some of CB's energy. I feel like she'll continue to grow on me. But I don't give a single shit about Gabi/Stefan and my sister cares even less so we'll most likely fast forward the bulk of her scenes anyway.

Today was really entertaining.

I found it so hilarious that Kristen was dressed like she's from the '60s. 

I have just grown kind of fond of 30 year old teen Tate. There was a time awhile ago when GV was for some unknown reason playing Eric like he was a teen and I immensely enjoyed it and now nuTate is giving that vibe.

Loved everything with EJ/Melinda. Since they never did a Sloan/EJ affair they can make it up to me with a Melinda/EJ one.

Edited July 1 by peachmangosteen

[Artsda]

I can't deal with Holly claiming how horrible her grounded life is. She did drugs, she then ended up drinking, she lied, she paid no consequence when Tate was jailed and she lives in a mansion during this grounding.  She should have been put in jail like Tate was. 

Eric says he'll pray for her, pray for what? 

 Tate is just as bad, refusing any acknowledgement of his actions then attacking his parents.  Now he wants to run away, fine run save us from them. 

I kinda like new Gabi, first order of business the mustache is gone, good job. 

Edited July 2 by Artsda

[boes]

17 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I have just grown kind of fond of 30 year old teen Tate. There was a time awhile ago when GV was for some unknown reason playing Eric like he was a teen and I immensely enjoyed it and now nuTate is giving that vibe.

Same for me!  He's just so NOT right for the part, with the most unconvincing teen angst and he puts on the pout just like Eric does after anyone disagrees with him.  I don't know how EM didn't break out laughing that his 30 year old "son" didn't want to go to Lacrosse camp.

I can't wait for the "facts of life" talk.

Poor Gabi.  She's been locked up so long and when she gets out, she has to shower and then sleep with Stefan.  Will her punishment never end??

Kristen, knocking back the bottle of bubbly Drano was a hoot.  She's always like Snidely Whiplash's meaner sister.

Edited July 2 by boes

[DaphneCat]

So Gabi gets out of prison, and rather than simply being handed back whatever she was wearing when she checked in to Statesville (along with her other personal possessions), she somehow miraculously has access to a designer jumpsuit?  First impression is she's a bit stiff/flat.  Maybe she'll loosen up with time.

So Tate really thinks a couple of kids - with no street smarts whatsoever - can "run away" find a way to survive and NOT get caught when they inevitably try to access their families' money?  He REALLY did inherit Brady's smarts, didn't he?

[DisneyBoy]

Hands up if you knew the Body & Soul subplot was going to come back and bite us in the ass as soon as Ron returned?

🙄 Firstly, its bad enough that lifelong business woman Kate has had no career for years now. Suddenly in the span of 1/2 a conversation she's fully financially and emotionally invested in producing a soap? Just cuz? Seriously?

Secondly, this is going to turn into a cringy mess. How long before Kate and Marlena are wearing bad wigs and slapping each other on camera?

Thirdly, Abe watched this show while being tortured and drugged by a crazed nurse. I doubt he loves it.

Fourthly, DOOL does not have the budget to make real soap sets much less sets within sets....or hire additional actors to play the Body & Soul cast.

Fifthly, is it really a smart idea to do a behind-the-scenes look at producing a soap right now, Ron? How long before Leo is invited into this plotline to write or cast or whatever, and starts pulling the male characters in for close hugs and moaning their names?

I liked how casual Abe and Kate were today - very relaxed - but this isn't a direction either of them would believably go in. Sure, it'll give Johnny a place to work but...

....why?!  This show has enough problems. Stop trying to make it weirder, please!

Also, poor Steph is getting paired back up with Everett again, isn't she? All because stupid Abigail is maybe back?

*grumbles*

Edited July 2 by DisneyBoy

[DisneyBoy]

Just caught up on Monday's episode and....Melinda is working for Kristen now?

So...if I understand...she does nothing after Kristen pushes her kid down a stairwell to her death...then, Melinda helps Sloan steal a baby out of nowhere, supposedly because of delayed grief over losing her daughter, and now she can be bribed into working for the woman who killed her kid???

Can even Marlena make sense of that!?!

[Rodney]

2 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

Can even Marlena make sense of that!?!

Even Melinda couldn't initially make sense of that.

[DisneyBoy]

I'm not saying the last few months were the best the show has ever been, but the herky jerky "just because I say so" developments Ron is implementing are absurd.

Next up - Brady becomes a Rabbi! Bonnie becomes President! And Julie and Gabi become a Latin ballroom couple!

....I mean hell, why not right? 🙄

[Artsda]

Kate and Abe are going to make a soap opera? I guess Johnny the filmmaker will be involved? 

Paulina is so me me me me. She needs validation for herself. They even had to vindicate her obsessive parenting by creating another magic reason for Chanel to forgive and she gets what she wants by Chanel not moving. 

Bobby scenes were good.  

 

[Giuseppe]

So I did hear right? Abe and Kate are producing a soap?? I was half-asleep during today's show and I remember them discussing Body and Soul for some reason, but I thought I must have been dream-hearing the convo about making a soap because how would that make any sense, but...that's really happening? Okay then.

So what exactly was the point of the Paulina radiation round-up if there were not going to be any consequences? Was this just the scab writers wanting to go one way but Ron coming back and nixing it all because Paulina is his pet? The Radioactive Mayor Recall storyline has fizzled, and now she's free and clear of having caused Chanel's miscarriage. I would've enjoyed watching the fall out from radiation exposure causing health problems for Chanel (baby or no baby) and how that affected her relationship with her mom, but everything just seems to have been tied up with a pretty bow. Meh.

[DisneyBoy]

Hopefully Chanel gets to be less in her mother's corner from now on. Once burned twice shy. Paulina has always been reckless, self-involved and irritating. And Raven has proven she can give a good death glare.

I mean...a guy can dream right?

[Soapy Goddess]

Well, I happen to like pretty bows.

Edited July 3 by Soapy Goddess

[methodwriter85]

On 7/1/2024 at 5:25 PM, peachmangosteen said:

I have just grown kind of fond of 30 year old teen Tate. There was a time awhile ago when GV was for some unknown reason playing Eric like he was a teen and I immensely enjoyed it and now nuTate is giving that vibe.

I can't help it, I feel for the guy. I didn't watch his Disney show but he just screams 2010's Disney teen star and it's kind of funny how he's still trying to be that guy. It's like Baby Jane Hudson singing "I've Written A Letter To Daddy."

[methodwriter85]

3 hours ago, Giuseppe said:

So I did hear right? Abe and Kate are producing a soap?? I was half-asleep during today's show and I remember them discussing Body and Soul for some reason, but I thought I must have been dream-hearing the convo about making a soap because how would that make any sense, but...that's really happening? Okay then.

One Life to Live had a soap-within-a-soap called Fraternity Row in the late 80's/early 90's. It starred Vicki's first retcon daughter Megan. During the last few months of One Life to Live in 2011, Ron revived Fraternity Row to make meta jokes about One Life to Live. 

[Rodney]

7 hours ago, Artsda said:

Paulina is so me me me me. She needs validation for herself. They even had to vindicate her obsessive parenting by creating another magic reason for Chanel to forgive and she gets what she wants by Chanel not moving.

There was nothing "me, me, me" about that.  Paulina wanted the closure for herself and Chanel.  She VERY CLEARLY said that to Kayla.  And she perfectly understood Kayla being unable to tell her directly unless Chanel gave her permission to do so.  She accepted it like an adult that it was Chanel's choice.

Oh, and I feel vindicated that, yes, Chanel did jump the gun and blame Paulina too soon and found out that it was something completely out of either one of their control.  I've heard of partial molar pregnancies before, but never thought that it would happen on a soap.  (To explain what happened, it would seem that two of Johnny's sperm fertilized the same one of Chanel's eggs, causing an overabundance of chromosomes, which caused the embryo to lose all viability.  If Chanel hadn't miscarried, then she would've had to terminate the pregnancy, anyway, since there would've been zero chance of the baby developing.)  And nothing "magical" happened.  Johnny and Chanel decided to stay in town on their own.

God, do you people hate Paulina so much that you'll find fault with everything that she says or does?  Even when it's not that bad?  It's getting woefully tiresome.