Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[serenitynow]

I loved seeing Steve and Kayla together today.  A very long time ago, I saw an interview with MBE where she talked about how much she and SN rehearsed even the smallest of scenes.  It shows.  It also is a jarring contrast to some of the actors (coughKateMansiandGuyWilsoncough) who don't seem to realize they are acting opposite someone else.

And I kind of like AssholeRafe but that might be because it's the only time he has a personality.

[rustyspigot]

 

And leave it to Abigail to want to upstage Christmas!

 

HA! Yes, Abby is the special little sociopath of Salem isn't she? Fuck the Horton family Christmas tradition, Abby wants a pregnant Christmas wedding like Alice and Tom intended, silly Serena being murdered be damned.

[Peanut6711]

"Don't give me tips on parenting."  Ooh! Quite the tension between Steve and Kayla. And great acting from both of them. I wonder why Steve went to Hope first and not to Jennifer? No mentions of Stephanie?

 

I caught a passing mention of Stephanie as a throw-away line when Kayla and Joey were at the pub talking but otherwise they didn't say where she was.

 

Steve and Hope were good friends back in the '80's so it made a lot of sense that he'd go see her. (I always liked their chemistry too but in a totally platonic good friend way.)  I don't remember many scenes of him and Jennifer at all but then the last time Steve came back to town I gave up on Days for a while so I might have missed more recent stuff.  Otherwise, Jen was in the teen scene when Steve & Kayla's romance first developed. 

[Happytobehere]

Today's episode was spectacular. It's been a long, long time since I've enjoyed an entire episode of any soap the way I did today's show.

I could swear I never much liked Patch but I sure did enjoy him today. Maybe it's because he was less sure of himself, less full of himself. Or maybe it was because Kayla finally got the chance to be something more than a cheerleader for Abigail, or the apologist to the family of the man who raped her, or just a glorified day player. But in any case, I loved them on their own, and I loved them together. Joey, I'm not sure about how he'll hold up on his own, but he fit in fine in his scenes with Kayla.

Kayla in mom mode was good. She came across realistically in her attitude to her son, and it was also easy to see how a young guy would be squirming a bit under all that attention. Show didn't hit us over the head with the obvious, but instead let us see the subtle between mother and son, and between Kayla and Patch. Isn't it refreshing how much seasoned actors can communicate with a look, a raised eyebrow, a pursed lip? You could see and feel the hurt and distrust Kayla feels for Patch, and you could feel the uncertainty, the almost-sadness Patch feels around her. All good, very good.

And Hope had exactly the right reaction to seeing Patch. Maybe he thought he'd get an open-armed welcome, but instead he got a more appropriate reaction. Sure, she was glad to see him, but she's also wary of him, and angry, both on Kayla's behalf, but also because of what has happened between Bo and her. Again, all good.

If this was all Show had given us today, it would have been more than enough. But it wasn't.

We also got see Rafe in his complete asshole mode, "interviewing" Chad. It's just one small step for Rafe to go from a big blank to a smarmy shithead. He's got an attitude with Chad that's pretty much based on how badly things turned out between Chad and Gabi. Which was mostly all due to Gabi. But Rafe is NEVER fair with anyone who said no to any of his precious family, so he tarrs Chad with the "Dimera" crap and treats him like that. I don't like Rafe much, most of the time. Show might want me to see him differently but I don't and that's mostly due to Galen Gering, I think. The guy has two settings - Off and Annoying.

Aiden and Hope are just fine together, I think. I know it's doomed and it pisses me off but I'm going to enjoy it while I can. Alfonso hasn't had a scene partner as good as Cosgrove in ages. That ring, though......it looked more like a doorknob to one of Liberace's bathrooms, IMO. So does Aiden have a gambling problem?

Of course, we also had Our HEROINE, Abigail, and her trusty sidekick, Gumby aka Ben. It felt so jarring when Show went from scenes with the pros like Patch and Kayla to those two. Show, we're just not that in to Abigail and Ben - because they suck.

So Show wants us to think that pregnancy has Abigail craving sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, huh? We all know that if Abigail does have cravings, she's far more likely to want to nosh on baby brains, dead bats and the entrails of puppies and kittens. Cuz that's what you feed whatever it is can gestate inside that horror.

And leave it to Abigail to want to upstage Christmas! Yep, everyone is going to have to put aside their own celebrations so they can bow down to the Amazing Abigail as she makes herself the center of attention at the holiday season.

Abigail mentioned the Horton ball hanging tradition.....does Ben realize that she means that literally? He better do a selfie of his nether regions, because he won't be seeing his balls again, unless he happens to be near the Horton tree.

Oh - Ben might just want to stop with his "Well, Chad is a DiMera" crap. He doesn't have a clue what that even means, and besides, he's the spawn of Clem Kadiddlehopper and that's nothing to brag about.

I love everything you said, with the exception of my being an uber Kayla and Steve fan. Having said that. I loved Kayla's anger, hurt and disappointment, all of which MBE convincingly conveyed without the heavy-handedness actresses of a lesser caliber in the show would have used. I also loved Steve not being so sure of himself around Kayla, and not getting just how much damage he has done to her until speaking with Hope. I hope the with Steve back and Bo returning, we get to see more of Hope and Kayla because they really were very close. This closeness even carried over to the 2006 S/K return. I would love scenes between them and a few scenes of them discussing their failed relationships with Steve and Bo, especially since both ladies always commented on the fact that even when they were at each other's throats, Bo and Steve were exactly alike. So for both men to have walked out of the lives of the women they loved and their kids in favor of the ISA should really give them something to talk about.

I'm still hoping that John's return to the ISA will link John, Marlena, Steve, Kayla, Bo (for as long as he is around) and Hope.

The show needs to get more teens (never thought I'd hear myself say that), because at this point, there is literally no one, male or female Joey can date because he is related to or all but related to (Brady and John) damn near everyone on the show and the girls coming on (Ciarra and Claire).

It's a shame that the actress who plays Abigail is simply incapable of bringing anything to the role except ineptness. In order for a wholly despicable, morally bankrupt, wastrel of a character like Abby to work, you need someone with skills, finesse and actual talent. I mean SN took Steve from a horror who was using the Pawn a.k.a. RomaJohn, tormenting Bo and threatening to pour acid on Hope's face to being the iconic character we love today, a character who is close friends with all three characters he was initially at odds with. Hell, he even stalked and terrorized Kayla and look at how that turned out. But then again SN had Patch terrorize with his actions, while KM simply terrorizes with her version of acting. The thought of that creature being able to ruin the memory of the Horton holidays with her special nothing damn near breaks my heart.

I caught a passing mention of Stephanie as a throw-away line when Kayla and Joey were at the pub talking but otherwise they didn't say where she was.

Steve and Hope were good friends back in the '80's so it made a lot of sense that he'd go see her. (I always liked their chemistry too but in a totally platonic good friend way.) I don't remember many scenes of him and Jennifer at all but then the last time Steve came back to town I gave up on Days for a while so I might have missed more recent stuff. Otherwise, Jen was in the teen scene when Steve & Kayla's romance first developed.

Steve was present when Jennifer was with Frankie. Steve was still around when Jennifer and Jack initially came together. In fact, Jack came to speak with Steve about it given his [Jack's] past and his feeling unworthy. Upon the return, Steve interacted with Jenn because Jack facilitated his return, but I wouldn't call them close per se.

When Steve mentioned going to see someone, I assumed it was one of three people: Hope, John, or Adrienne. As much as I want to see Steve with Adrienne, I wouldn't mind if the next person he went to see was John. I mean, they have their history, the ISA, and his concern about Bo.

Edited September 1, 2015 by Happytobehere

[TigerLynx]

I enjoyed the acting between SN (Steve), MBE (Kayla), and KA (Hope).

 

I detest Stefano, Kristen, and EJ, but all this Dimera shade that is being thrown at Chad is ridiculous.  Compared to the other Dimeras, Chad is a teddy bear, and the people criticizing Chad aren't saints themselves, far from it.

[General Days]

Everyone thought Sami's reaction to EJ's cheating was crazy, but I thought her reaction was more normal than Ben's. I mean, I know she took him back, but that was after she had the appropriate show of anger. Ben doesn't remotely seem angry at Abigail. That's just weird to me. And I feel guys are less likely to forgive a transgression like that than women. (I'm not trying to stereotype, but how many guys do you know who would react like Ben? Yeah, I know he has the stalker app, but I get the impression that idea would have never even come to him if he wasn't so susceptible to anything Clyde suggests, sort of like how Chad and EJ do whatever Stephano want because....we still haven't figured out why. The desire to use the stalker app thingy doesn't actually seem to be part of Ben's core character though -- whatever his character is).

 

The whole Ben story has been so weird. "Dad, my girlfriend just had sex with Chad DiMera! What should I do?" CLYDE: "Well, marry her [so I can get my hand on some valuable land in Ireland. I have no idea why it's valuable, but Stefano thinks it is] son." BEN: "Yeah, that's exactly what I should do."

I'm actually glad they're turning Ben into a stalker creep controlling jerk, because maybe he'll matter for a second.

 

 

Hope has money.

 

I know it's been established Hope has money, but how much and why? I mean, decades ago, her mother Addie had money, which I think is part of the reason Doug got involved with her, but I thought Addie just had "money" in comparison to former con artist Doug, and not like money money that a lawyer like Aidan (who inherited riches from his first wife) would recognize as money.

Oh, maybe Hope has money because she didn't have a house for about a decade and just slept on a park bench, when she wasn't sleeping with Aiden at the Salem Inn. I was seriously miffed when the Drug Dealer got an apartment set, while Hope still had to go have quickies at the Salem Inn. I was quite relieved when she finally got a house last week.

 

I'm sorry but his whole "Suddenly Evil Aiden" thing is stupid. No reason Bo couldn't be held hostage with Aiden being a regular guy.

 

I completely agree. It's even more stupid, because we were led through months of misdirection that Aiden was evil, only to discover he was a protective parent who didn't like drunkenness.

 

It goes back a billion years to Caroline and Victor's backstory when they were lovers. Giving him a different pronunciation to use set him and their relationship apart from the rest of her life, her husband and marriage - something like that.

 

I've been watching since the Victor character was introduced. My impression was always that John Aniston consistently screwed up the pronunciation, so they just let him. My mother always flubs up Caroline/Carolyn, even in non-soap talk (e.g. Caroline Kennedy). I stopped correcting her when she was talking about Caroline Brady, because the show is so inconsistent about it. This makes me wonder if it's a generational thing, though -- if "Caroline" just wasn't that common (in the U.S., at least) and older people aren't used to it.

 

See what happens when Kayla is allowed to interact with someone other than that roach infested parasite terrorist piece of trash?

 

Who is the roach infested parasite terrorist piece of trash? I feel like I've been missing some interesting character.

 

 

I agree. I think Chad and Theresa would be so hot..Billy Flynn is awesome to watch and he brings so much to the role..

 

I think you can't mix two baddies (or at least edgy characters) for too long (EJ and Sami not withstanding). I think the good, calm, rational characters (like say a Rafe or a Jennifer) need to be coupled with a character who is a schemer, or a liar, or impetuous, or something. Rafes need Samis. Jennifers need Jacks. Erics need Nicoles, etc.

 

 

The writers' infatuation with Kate Mansi and the character of Abigail is truly baffling.  She's a horrible actress playing an entitled, unsympathetic, and boring character.  Billy Flynn definitely needs someone better.  If it's not going to be Theresa, I hope they bring on someone new.

 

I think Kate is a good actress. Now, when I read her interviews, I find her answers off-base, so I just fixed that and stopped reading her interviews. I think she does a fine job with Abigail, when the writers give her something to do.

 

I don't think Billy Flynn can carry the Chad/Abifail pairing either, but it's not because I think he doesn't have any talent. Kate Mansi is AWFUL and any pairing involving her will be AWFUL automatically. There's nothing BF or any other actor can do to make Abifail likeable and KM has proven several times now that she isn't capable of stepping up her game for even brief moments when in the presence of more skillful actors. 

 

I don't think he'll have to carry it. I think they have good chemistry together. I love Billy. His Chad is so much more interesting than either of the last two stiffs who Abi has been seriously paired with, or the collective four stiffs who have played them (i.e. the Bens and the Camerons). The last time Abigail was interesting in a pairing, is when she was screwing EJ. She wasn't admirable or what have you, but she was interesting. It's amazing to me that Days has had such bad luck casting roles like Cameron, Ben, and even the Will recast. I really think it might be time for a new casting director. There are only four soaps left. It shouldn't be so hard to cast 20-something year old males.

 

When Patch said 'I know who I got to see first', I figured it would be his sister Adrienne not Hope.

 

I knew it was going to be Hope, because he had just stopped at Tom and Alice's monument in the square. I actually got chills when he was at the monument. It surprised me.

How great were Steve Nichols' scenes with MaryBeth and later with Kristian? I felt like I was once again watching the soap I'd been watching my whole life. I was particularly impressed with Kristian's performance. She was glad to see him, but she's still so mad at Bo, that she couldn't warm up and couldn't not let him know how much he (and by proxy, Bo) sucks, for bailing on his wife and kids.

I'm really annoyed that right now, Bo's re-entry story seems to be exactly the same as Jack Devereaux's the last time Jack was brought back. Dear Audience, for years now, we've let you think this character heartlessly abandoned his wife and children, but see, no, he was being tortured. Please erase the memory of the negative feelings you've had for this character for the past however many years. He totally couldn't help it.

Edited September 1, 2015 by General Days

[Artsda]

 

I know it's been established Hope has money, but how much and why? I mean, decades ago, her mother Addie had money, which I think is part of the reason Doug got involved with her, but I thought Addie just had "money" in comparison to former con artist Doug, and not like money money that a lawyer like Aidan (who inherited riches from his first wife) would recognize as money.

Addie had money-money from her first marriage. Hope got all of Addie's money for that first marriage, which was a lot because at that time Addie was the richest in town. Who moved them to Paris, they were really rich.

 

And leave it to Abigail to want to upstage Christmas!

 

Because how dare anyone want a holiday wedding. No matter when she wanted this wedding, people would still attack her like she deserves to be killed over everything she does or says.

[boes]

Because how dare anyone want a holiday wedding. No matter when she wanted this wedding, people would still attack her like she deserves to be killed over everything she does or says.

 

Now that's an idea I could really get behind.  And what a heartwarming Christmas storyline that would be!  

Skip the balls this year and just hang her on the tree.

Edited September 1, 2015 by boes

[Happytobehere]

 

1) I know it's been established Hope has money, but how much and why? I mean, decades ago, her mother Addie had money, which I think is part of the reason Doug got involved with her, but I thought Addie just had "money" in comparison to former con artist Doug, and not like money money that a lawyer like Aidan (who inherited riches from his first wife) would recognize as money.

Oh, maybe Hope has money because she didn't have a house for about a decade and just slept on a park bench, when she wasn't sleeping with Aiden at the Salem Inn.

 

2) I've been watching since the Victor character was introduced. My impression was always that John Aniston consistently screwed up the pronunciation, so they just let him.

 

3) I think you can't mix two baddies (or at least edgy characters) for too long (EJ and Sami not withstanding).

 

4) How great were Steve Nichols' scenes with MaryBeth and later with Kristian? I felt like I was once again watching the soap I'd been watching my whole life. I was particularly impressed with Kristian's performance. She was glad to see him, but she's still so mad at Bo, that she couldn't warm up and couldn't not let him know how much he (and by proxy, Bo) sucks, for bailing on his wife and kids.

1) I don't remember the whole back-story, but somehow, Addie (Julie and Hope's mom) had a ton of money, like serious money. I can't remember if the money was something she got fro Julie's dad, but I do know, that the money left to Julie and Hope is the money that has enabled Doug and Julie to travel the world low these many years (I could however be misremembering the basics,but the point is Hope has quite a bit of money).

2) Like you, I think that the issue with Caroline versus Carolyn was John Aniston mispronouncing her name. It was not some character driven thing because I don't know about you, but nothing turns me on more than a thug who can't be bothered pronouncing my name right. Prior to Victor, everyone called her Caroline, Ma, or Mrs. Brady.

3) Lucas and Sami were a successful scheming couple. Todd and Blair (played by our very own Eve) from OLTL were perhaps the ultimately happily scheming couple. Keith and Gina from Santa Barbara were also successful schemers. I know there are other such pairings, but I can't call them to mind now.

4) The MVPsof the day were most definitely SN, MBE and KA.

[General Days]

3) Lucas and Sami were a successful scheming couple. Todd and Blair (played by our very own Eve) from OLTL were perhaps the ultimately happily scheming couple. Keith and Gina from Santa Barbara were also successful schemers. I know there are other such pairings, but I can't call them to mind now.

 

 

You're absolutely right about the above. After I posted my prior post, I knew that argument was weak sauce. I added in the bit about Sami and EJ to mitigate that and published it. What I really should have said is that you cannot pair two goodies together, and so I think it's better to mismatch baddies with goodies, sometimes. Certainly, there have been compelling couples with two baddies. Two goodies together, though, is the kiss of death. In other words, I don't think I'd waste Chad and Theresa on each other, not because they wouldn't be interesting together, but because they can wreak so much more havoc if they spread out among the blander Salemites.

Thanks, also, for the refresher on Addie. I guess I figured that money was long gone by now, but what you said makes sense.

Edited September 1, 2015 by General Days

[bantering]

I don't even think Ben comes across as that stalkersh. Plastic maybe, but not truly stalkerish. He seems concerned like anyone else would that Abigail would cheat on him, but  why he continues to want to be with her knowing that she could possibly cheat on him  makes the whole idea of him wanting to be with her in the first place, well,  implausible.  He doesn't really come across as EJ, who would truly go psycho if Sami or Nicole considered stepping out on him. Maybe EJ set the bar too high for psycho-ness that anyone else in comparison now seems more or less normal to me? Ben comes across as concerned in a normal way. But anyone who is concerned in a normal way would not really want to be with Abigail.

 

Though, in all honesty, I do tend to skip over Clyde's scenes because he's nasty, so maybe psycho tendencies were revealed by Ben that I skipped over. But whenever he's with Abigail he seems normal enough to me. The only thing I find truly weird about him is his eyebrow and how plastic he looks when Abigail is flicking her underwear around the room.

Edited September 1, 2015 by bantering

[Sidney]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think he'll have to carry it. I think they have good chemistry together.

 

 

 

I love them together. They have  amazing chemistry. Their scenes last Friday was made of all kinds of win.

[Artsda]

I don't even think Ben comes across as that stalkersh.

The tracking app is pretty much definition of stalker. He tracks her, he also also has a track record for getting into physical altercations, you can definitely staring to see him go down lately.

[bantering]

The tracking app is stalkerish, but it doesn't seem like the kind of idea Ben would have ever come up with on his own. Like, it just seems that Clyde suggested it, and he was all "Um, ok, if you say so" but we have no real idea of why Ben decided to go along with it.  Both Clyde and Stephano seem more interested in tracking Abigail's movements than Ben. 

 

He does get into physical altercations, but so does everyone else on this show, including Abigail. How many times has she slapped someone? Whatever Ben does, even when he's getting into a fight with someone, doesn't seem abnormal by Salem standards.

 

While I can't help but make fun of the fact that Ben looks like a Ken doll when he takes his shirt off, overall he seems to come across as a guy from Boston who is more invested in figuring out whether Tom Brady really did take part in deflating the footballs than stalking Abigail feverishly.  He does seem to love Abigail, but not in a way that I think he'd have to have her at all costs.  I tend to think Chad comes across as a little more unhinged in that regard, and even he's willing to let her go. However, the reason I think Chad probably comes across as unhinged is  because we see him sobbing all the time whenever he flashbacks to her...and I find that just as abnormal as Ben not having an extremely angry reaction to Abigail cheating and possibly carrying another man's baby.

Edited September 1, 2015 by bantering

[Artsda]

Doesn't really matter that the app was Clyde's suggestion, Ben's the one that downloaded it on Abby's phone and is the one using it to stalk her whereabouts.

Abby slapping someone is quite difference than altercations to end up with the other people getting medical attention at the hospital and getting arrested. How many times has Ben been arrested? When he went after Rafe, Rafe was still a cop. The Chad one, Chad dropped it. The only reason his FBI case was dropped was because Clyde killed the witness against Ben and that got Ben's charges dropped. Ben's hardly a goody goody of Salem.

[bantering]

Then perhaps I feel something isn't coming across in Rob Wilson's performance that would make me think that Ben is particularly out of the ordinary in his behaviour. The stalker app is the one thing that raises a red flag, but even there....something feels blank. After Abigail did it with Chad, I suppose he was maybe supposed to seem creepy? but Abigail didn't seem afraid of him. That doesn't help matters either.  Maybe it's there in the writing, but in the performance itself I don't feel like Ben comes across as any more weird than Chad. Chad comes across as more sinister, and I don't think he's that sinister either. Both just seem like normal guys, if a bit over-emotional at times, pining for a girl who isn't particularly worth it when we consider that she'd most likely trade both of them for a night of shower sex with EJ  if he came back from the dead. 

 

Too many people have punched each other's lights on this show  or  shot each other in the head for me to have much of a reaction to Ben having done something to Rafe or Chad (didn't Chad say something about Jordan being better in bed than Abigail -- for a brother, Ben's reaction didn't strike me as weird and Chad seemed to know that what he said would evoke a hit from another guy).  I wouldn't say he's a goody goody but I don't think he comes across as more abnormal than everyone else in Salem either.  I did reference Abigail but I did also point out that everyone else  in Salem has wind up in an altercation at some point too, so I'm pretty meh on what he did to either Rafe or Chad. Rafe punched EJ, and I didn't find that out of the ordinary either because that seems like the standard reaction someone would have to a guy sleeping with his wife just like I think Ben's reaction to Chad seemed more normal than his buddying up with Clyde (the latter strikes me as far more strange considering his devotion to Jordan).  The only reason the others haven't been hauled off to jail is because no one ever seems to  press charges for messing with elevator shafts or shooting them in the head.  

Edited September 1, 2015 by bantering

[Rick Kitchen]

 

Lucas and Sami were a successful scheming couple. Todd and Blair (played by our very own Eve) from OLTL were perhaps the ultimately happily scheming couple. Keith and Gina from Santa Barbara were also successful schemers. I know there are other such pairings, but I can't call them to mind now.

 

Craig and Nancy.

[salvame]

Can't shake this feeling that Stefano is being phased out and Clyde is going to be this decade's bad guy.  The scenes with Stefano this past week seem to highlight that Joseph Mascolo's health seems to be failing.  They have to groom a new evil dynasty soon because they can't reduce his character to holiday appearances the way they did with Alice Horton as Francis Reid aged.  JM's delivery is slipping, and for some time now, I have been struck with how arthritic his hands are when hanging up the phone.  Going to be interesting to see how the new writers deal with this situation.

I was sure Clyde is the murderer, but that would be too easy, and seems like what Show wants us to think.  

So far, I am liking the story lines under the new writers, even though they are wrapping up some of them at warp speed.  Not really happy that they are screwing with Hope/Aidan again.  Don't care for that pairing, but don't like that they can't seem to make up our minds - is he good or evil?

[worleybird]

Kayla, Adrienne, Justin, Steve and Joey (in that order) were all added to the end of show cast list on Monday's episode as contract players.

Serena was dropped.

Xander was dropped on August 27.

Nicole's boss Miles will be making a return visit in the next day or so.

[Princess Consuela]

Loved the scenes with Steve & Kayla - I love that she's not falling straight into his arms & that he's going to have to work to get her back.    It's going to be fun watching them find their way back to each other.  

 

I also loved the scenes with Hope - not surprised that he went to see her since he was always close to her & Bo.    It's too bad Sonny's gone - would have been fun to have seen Steve & Sonny together.

 

Chad, Chad, Chad - do you honestly think people won't tell Rafe that Serena hit you at the bar?  

 

Still not sure what to make of Aiden - I'm assuming it's a gambling debt that he's trying to pay off?    It just seems very out of the blue & inconsistent from what we've seen this last year.

[Happytobehere]

The scenes with Stefano this past week seem to highlight that Joseph Mascolo's health seems to be failing. They have to groom a new evil dynasty soon because they can't reduce his character to holiday appearances the way they did with Alice Horton as Francis Reid aged. JM's delivery is slipping, and for some time now, I have been struck with how arthritic his hands are when hanging up the phone. Going to be interesting to see how the new writers deal with this situation.

This is where I always felt the show made a mistake not having any Dimeras who were not Stefano's children, grandchildren, etc. at this point we have Chad, who makes Tony at his nicest look like a hell-spawn, and soon to be teen-aged Theo. If they followed through on the seventh son of the seventh son, we could have Dimeras from Stefano's older brothers, who could have cemented the Dimera dynasty. Orpheus would have been the perfect first Dimera nephew. He was a good villain and he hated all of the same people Stefano's did. He also had kids. The show could have branched out from there.

I assume JM's health is why we are getting the return of Andre/Tony (don't know which one TP will be playing), but I don't know if he is back long-term. Perhaps he is on canvass to facilitate JM's exit.

Edited September 1, 2015 by Happytobehere

[TigerLynx]

I don't think the actor playing Ben has any talent, but the writers also didn't do a very good job of setting this up.  Then there is the fact that people in Salem do crazy things like poison brownies, bury people alive in coffins, put people in freezer trucks, shoot people in the head, replace people with clones, etc.

 

Look at all the crazy stupid things Sami did to get Austin, the original Salem man who was to stupid to live until Brady took over that title.  Look at everything EJ, Sami, Rafe, and Nicole did during the baby switch SL.  Sami and Nicole fighting in the park and falling over the bench was hilarious.

 

It doesn't help that the writers have made so many of the characters so passive, and not responsible for anything they do.  No responsibility means no fallout and no payoff.

 

I do think it's funny that EJ, Chad, and Ben do what Daddy Stefano or Daddy Clyde tell them to all while claiming to be their own man.  Not even, you pathetic weaklings.  Sami freaking worships Roman and the ground he walks on, and anytime Roman tried to give Sami advice, Sami did whatever the hell she wanted to.

 

I would be fine with Clyde taking over the villain role from Stefano, but I wish they hadn't made Clyde a child rapist.  This show has a lousy track record with rape SLs, and should never do another one.  Stefano should have been replaced years ago.

 

I'm still disappointed with what they are doing with Aidan.

Edited September 1, 2015 by TigerLynx

[plurie]

Hope HAD money, but I thought that she no longer did. Bad investments or something.

 

[bantering]

Was Abigail's relative that wealthy? Is the property worth that much? 

 

I guess I haven't seen Stephano try to acquire money though arranged-marriage making before, so this storyline just seems weird to me. (I know he wanted Tony and Kristen to marry each other, but I can't remember if actual money was involved.)

Edited September 1, 2015 by bantering

[Apprentice79]

This is where I always felt the show made a mistake not having any Dimeras who were not Stefano's children, grandchildren, etc. at this point we have Chad, who makes Tony at his nicest look like a hell-spawn, and soon to be teen-aged Theo. If they followed through on the seventh son of the seventh son, we could have Dimeras from Stefano's older brothers, who could have cemented the Dimera dynasty. Orpheus would have been the perfect first Dimera nephew. He was a good villain and he hated all of the same people Stefano's did. He also had kids. The show could have branched out from there.

I assume JM's health is why we are getting the return of Andre/Tony (don't know which one TP will be playing), but I don't know if he is back long-term. Perhaps he is on canvass to facilitate JM's exit.

Happytobehere, you know your history...The show missed an opportunity by not making Cassie and Rex Orpheus' children, bent on revenge against John and Marlena..Cassie could have used Sami's hatred against John to facilitate her schemes and that could have led to some deadly consequences..It could have been used to have Sami repent of her hatred against John and move forward in life...They could have really mended fences. The show for some odd reason the show has never wanted Sami to grow up, they were always hellbent on keeping her as the hellion that she was at 16...She could have remained an anti-heroine, but mature and introspective..Sami as a heroine never worked for me, she was always great as an underdog fighting and scheming..The show missed the boat by not making Carrie, the central heroine of the show...Carrie was always a good character and never really got the focus that she deserved..The show never explored her relationship with her mother Anna to the fullest..I always felt that Carrie should have been more affected with the evil plots of Stefano against Roman, John and Marlena..Eric and Sami were very young, whereas Carrie was old enough to understand what was going on...Carrie has never really had a stable family..Her mother abandoned her to Roman and Marlena and went off to live her life..Her dad Roman was presumed dead and he  came back with a new face..Then her Stepmother Marlena died..Her father that she had a close relationship with, turned out to be a fraud and her real dad came back to life..Then her stepmother came back as well...Carrie should have been more traumatized than Sami. I never really understood Sami's hatred of John...

Edited September 1, 2015 by Apprentice79

[QuelleC]

The land story is weird.  It's more Abifail propping.  The way she takes this so called inheritance for granted and doesn't even go see her nanny (why the hell did Jenn need a nanny?) immediately annoys me to no end. Oh well, more money and attention comes my way. 

 

I actually had a nightmare about Failure giving birth to an octopus or something. I won't go into details.

 

I always understood that Hope that money but she wouldn't spend it and she and Bo lived on their cop salaries. 

 

Speaking of money, it's said Jenn inherited a boatload from Alice not to mention the house.  I know Alice loved Jenn a lot but sheesh. 

 

I cut Stephono a lot of slack.  I heard years ago he wanted to retire and he's 86.  John Aniston is 82.  I'm always glad to see older actors kept on.  Except Clyde.  Raping his teenage stepdaughter was bad enough but when she confronted him he said you wanted it.  He makes me barf.  One note nastiness isn't going to keep you under the radar, Creepy.  Even Mar is on to you.

[Apprentice79]

You're absolutely right about the above. After I posted my prior post, I knew that argument was weak sauce. I added in the bit about Sami and EJ to mitigate that and published it. What I really should have said is that you cannot pair two goodies together, and so I think it's better to mismatch baddies with goodies, sometimes. Certainly, there have been compelling couples with two baddies. Two goodies together, though, is the kiss of death. In other words, I don't think I'd waste Chad and Theresa on each other, not because they wouldn't be interesting together, but because they can wreak so much more havoc if they spread out among the blander Salemites.

Thanks, also, for the refresher on Addie. I guess I figured that money was long gone by now, but what you said makes sense.

I also think that EJ and Sami could have been a dark power couple causing mayhem in Salem. I think the show was going to do a real triangle with EJ/Sami/Lucas, until Ken Corday stepped in and ruined it..Ej loved Sami's darkness and reveled in it..He told her that she should be who she is and to forget about what people said and thought about her..He also told her that there is nothing that she could do that would scare him away..This was before the show made him a rapist....

[General Days]

I was on a break from the show when EJ raped Sami, so in my world, it never happened. 

[QuelleC]

I'm glad you didn't see it.  Lucas was pinned under some logs, the cabin was burning down and EJ would only save him if she'd have sex with him. 

[Apprentice79]

If I was writing the show, I would have had Sami be torn between EJ and Lucas...I would have had the twins be for Lucas and Sydney be for EJ. Eventually, Sami would get back together with Lucas and EJ would move on to Nicole...

[Dandesun]

So, I have found a Steve/Kayla playlist that I am devouring like a starving bantha and it's rather humorous in its way because, at this stage, Steve is following Kayla around everywhere and she's really not sure what she thinks of him and what she's sure of isn't necessarily good. I know that a lot of their relationship becomes more of Kayla wanting him and Steve pushing her away (oh, the 80s) but it's funny to me that this is where I'm at since it's exactly what we've got on the show right now. Kayla wants little to do with Steve and he's kind of holding back but wanting to get in there and then some.

 

Also quite liked the Steve and Hope scenes, too.

 

See, this is the thing that soaps do that nothing else can... long lived relationships playing out over the course of decades. Love stories AND friendships AND enemies... when did they lose sight of this?

Edited September 1, 2015 by Dandesun

[bnichol]

Whatever happened to all that money that Alice was laundering? Did it end up going to Stephano?

[kitmerlot1213]

I love that the new writers have decided to give Theresa not only a secret ambition (fashion design) but a little backstory about her childhood.  I liked how Theresa looked uncomfortable when she made the "crazy" hand gesture while talking about her mom's mental issues and I also appreciated Maggie's sympathetic expression.  She knows how rough Kim had it and I like that she's giving Theresa a chance and encouraging her to find her self-respect.

 

I also liked that not only did Jenn hit Eve but that Eve was able to strike Jenn back--how many times have we watched the Horton Harpys haul off and smack somebody and the person just stood there and took it?  The new writers realize that a normal person would hit back.  I'm also liking the potential I am seeing in Justin and Eve--nice :)

 

And I also like that Justin's the new DA and he wants justice for Sonny's stabbing--I guess that storyline hasn't been forgotten.

Edited September 1, 2015 by kitmerlot1213

[Peanut6711]

What a difference a day makes. Watching yesterday felt like the show was moving in the right direction (aside from the Abigail/Ben snooze fest). Today I feel like I'm tuning back into the crap I left 11 months ago. 

[bantering]

 

I also liked that not only did Jenn hit Eve but that Eve was able to strike Jenn back--how many times have we watched the Horton Harpys haul off and smack somebody and the person just stood there and took it?  The new writers realize that a normal person would hit back.  I'm also liking the potential I am seeing in Justin and Eve--nice :)

 

 

 

 

Who knew another physical altercation would happen so quickly? Physical altercations happen on this show all the time, which is why I mentioned earlier that Ben doesn't strike me as THAT weird.

 

I just remembered Jenn also jumped on top of Eve previously. That was hilarious....I'm not sure if I was having the appropriate reaction though.

Edited September 1, 2015 by bantering

[TeeVee329]

And I also like that Justin's the new DA and he wants justice for Sonny's stabbing--I guess that storyline hasn't been forgotten.

 

Oh soaps...where becoming a public official means immediately setting out to settle personal grudges.

[shesajar]

I'm hoping he can act, but physically, the actor who plays Joey is a great match. He really looks like Kayla would have at that age, you know, if she were a boy.

[Peanut6711]

 Orpheus would have been the perfect first Dimera nephew. He was a good villain and he hated all of the same people Stefano's did. He also had kids. The show could have branched out from there.

 

I loved Orpheus's character. He's one of Days great forgotten villains. I blame DH's exit to do primetime for why he wasn't kept on longer. It would have made sense to connect him to the Dimera's as he fit that mold in many ways but at the same time it was nice to have independent villains, not always connected to the Dimera empire.  

[Artsda]

Theresa wants Brady to give her the money to buy HIS company? What? LOL. Then she tells Maggie she didn't mean to run Melanie off? LOL She blackmailed her to leave town, that was her sole intention. 

 

Loved all the Marlena and John flashblacks. However my favorite John was RoboJohn with no memory that lived in the Dimera house with EJ. He was fun and hilarious. I also loved brainwashed John better.

 

Marlena's also acting like everything is John's career's fault. She was the one that knew about Paul being his son and hid the truth. Then she's going to talk about trust to him?

 

Isn't Clyde going to have to kill JJ? He knows who he is now and his sister is engaged to his son.

Edited September 1, 2015 by Artsda

[micat]

That was the first time I had seen some of those John and Marlena scenes, since I was not watching when they happened. Can I just say (and please, no one think less of me) that the wedding vows spoken by Marlena to John had me totally weeping? And then laughing at the same time because even when in such a heartfelt moment, John cannot keep that fart-smelling look off his face.

Edited September 1, 2015 by micat

[Maelstrom]

So, I have found a Steve/Kayla playlist that I am devouring like a starving bantha

Do you have a linky to share? :)

 

See, this is the thing that soaps do that nothing else can... long lived relationships playing out over the course of decades. Love stories AND friendships AND enemies... when did they lose sight of this?

Amen! It's truly the one thing that no other type of show can offer - and it was a real treat to see SN, MBE, and KA sharing a screen again. They still have the magic even after so many decades. Even though I have no faith in Higley as headwaiter* I will be enjoying every crumb of goodness this show gives me, and those scenes yesterday were pretty damn good.

 

*Thank you autocorrect for changing headwriter to headwaiter. Much appreciated. RME

Edited September 1, 2015 by Maelstrom

[Rick Kitchen]

Was Abigail's relative that wealthy? Is the property worth that much? 

 

 

She's Abigail's nanny, not a relative.  Apparently she raised Abigail (off screen) when Abby, Jenn and Jack lived in Ireland.

[Black Knight]

I just remembered Jenn also jumped on top of Eve previously. That was hilarious....I'm not sure if I was having the appropriate reaction though.

I think MR definitely meant it to be a little funny. She's a soap veteran, she knows what genre she's working in.

 

That was the first time I had seen some of those John and Marlena scenes, since I was not watching when they happened. Can I just say (and please, no one think less of me) that the wedding vows spoken by Marlena to John had me totally weeping? And then laughing at the same time because even when in such a heartfelt moment, John cannot keep that fart-smelling look off his face.

John and Marlena have been a joke for years, but back in the day they did really have something, even if the cheesiness is apparent now when I rewatch, since I'm older. But they were far from alone in that...it was the era, too, not just Jarlena specifically. I didn't see the storyline where DHim originally came back as Roman, so I came in when Marlena returned from the dead and the pier scene made me a huge fan of them immediately and I was a sucker for all the flashbacks they did then and the stories that followed (the affair, the possession, Kristen going batshit).

[Dandesun]

Do you have a linky to share? :)

 

 

The Lady and the Tramp 1986 It's magnificent and I've only gotten to the point where Frankie and Max show up. Every scene with Steve and Frankie winds up with Steve holding Frankie in a shoulder lock while they yell at each other or someone else. It's tremendous.

 

I think MR definitely meant it to be a little funny. She's a soap veteran, she knows what genre she's working in.

 

MR and KDP did a joint interview where they talked about the big confrontation. KDP is no slouch herself when it comes to knowing her genre and she is a full blown pro at catfights. Blair got into her than her share back in the day. MR pointed out how Kassie kept telling her to come at her. I mean, the showdown in the hotel room between Eve and Jen was full blown awesome-ridiculous and it was all those two ladies. They know what they're doing.

 

It's why they need to get Eve off the 'let me just set up this person to get straight up murdered' train and just let her and Jen be enemies... until they have to actually work together and come to some sort of understanding... that gets blown out of the water once they're back in the real world or whatever. I think the two of them have what it takes to do a Viki/Dorian sort of thing.

[bobcat1946]

Why is Nicole talking about having a hard time  finding money to buy Basic Black since she should have tons of money since she was married to EJ twice.  The Money hungry Nicole that she was at the time would have taken him to the cleaner both times.

[Apprentice79]

I am loving the show, it  is so different from when Tomsell was writing it..I am loving where they are taking Theresa..My only gripe with her is that Theresa should be a trust fund baby. Shane was super rich and he is descended from British Aristocracy...Why is it as a fan that I can remember these details and these writers are ignorant of that..It takes me out of the story,when they write Theresa as a pauper...Kim had money as well from her career as a psychiatrist, plus she divorced Shane and he would have given her lots of money for her and their kids...

 

Clyde Weston is one scary guy and he should have taken over as the resident evil in Salem. It is too bad that they had to make him a rapist...I love that the real Kate is back and I loved her putting Clyde in his place..

[bobcat1946]

I think Theresa's parents cut her off in regards to money  when they saw she was a bad seed.

[kitmerlot1213]

Apprentice79, I don't recall Kim being a psychiatrist, that was Marlena's gig.  I remember Kim working with deaf people as some sort of advocate at the hospital--she was the person that taught Kayla to sign when she was deaf--so I think it's entirely possible that Shane and Kim cut Theresa's money off, especially when she got involved with drugs.

 

ETA:  great minds think alike bobcat1946  :)

Edited September 1, 2015 by kitmerlot1213

[Apprentice79]

When Kim came back in the 90's after being divorced from Shane. I remember her working with Marlena in psychiatry...I could be wrong..I don't like that the show says that Kim and Shane neglected her...I remember how much drama that they had gone through with both Andrew and Jeannie, both children were coveted by interlopers. Both children were believed to have been fathered by other men, other than Shane. Andrew was kidnapped by Shane's crazy ex Emma and given up for adoption..I don't see them neglecting her or Andrew at all. It was just bad writing by Tomsell..Kim is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, there is no way that she would have been a bad mother..I could see her being overprotective and smothering her kids with love and attention...They could have said that Jeannie was a spoiled party girl who loved attention,men, drugs and sex..I can see her attracting the wrong type of men like her mom Kim and that could have taken her down a dark path...To set her straight, she got cut off her trust fund..To get her hands on a Donovan trust fund that was set up by Shane's father, Theresa had to be be married for at least a year. She could have come home to Salem with the intention of finding a husband and she bumps into Philip, and sparks fly....

Edited September 1, 2015 by Apprentice79

[Peanut6711]

I too recall Kim working at the hospital in the '80's as some kind of children's counselor; don't think she had the actual MD in psychiatry credentials Marlena did then but they may have given her additional education and career advancement over the years much like Kayla used to be a nurse and is now a doctor.  I would love to know why they never have cast an adult Andrew. I picture him English and dashing like his father, maybe even working for the ISA. Someone in Belle & Shawn's age group.