Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[callmebetty]

I missed the show yesterday can you still watch them online?

[Happytobehere]

Happytobehere, thank you for this, I loved it!  I am only a somewhat new Days watcher, so it was fun to hear the love from the hosts of the show, as well as from Kassie who is clearly a fan (Kayla and Steve fan).  I also loved seeing Kassie and hearing her take on things on Days and OLTL, as I am a forever OLTL fan.  This is a great little show I didn't know about, but will now watch.  It is long, but worth it.  Kassie is very charming, engaging and funny.  Loved it!  The hosts were fun, too.

bannana most episodes are not that long. The show is given extra time when they have guests. It is always a great listen and has served to help me get caught up with the characters and stories upon my return. I usually listen to it via iTunes while driving, so that's always an option if watching is too time consuming.

[QuelleC]

Yes you can, callmebetty.  If you're quick you can find them on YouTube sans commercials, they run 36 min.  The next day they'll run on the NBC site.  In fact, I'm just about to watch yesterday's.  I don't have cable or a DVR.  Check out the Questions thread!

[LeftPhalange]

The endings for Bo/Hope and Steve/Kayla were so ridiculous that I would accept a retcon that revealed they were being held captive this whole time. I guess they're going to do that with Bo but that still leaves Steve. 

[Lastwaltz]

Agree with everyone -- yesterday's episode rocked. The Clyde/JJ scenes had me on the edge of my seat -- man, can James Read play dangerously creepy or what? I just feel awful (again) for JJ, because Paige's demise will be All. His. Fault. for telling her the truth. 

 

I know they changed the writing staff, but did they also change director/crew? The lighting, the use of different angles for scenes have all been very different and very, very good. 

 

Chad! Why not call a lawyer when asked for a DNA sample?! Aaargh. I hope he's cleared relatively soon.

 

I give old Caroline and Victor a pass this time. They're old and not really well, either of them. Neither are saying that they'll be obstacles in Hope's plans. One can say that they ought not to give their opinions, but Hope would expect them to be honest. And truly, she didn't seem all that bothered by their negativity. 

[Apprentice79]

Tomsell with the approval of Ken Corday did a hatchet job on the male half their super couples..They threw Jack, Steve, Bo. Shane, John under the bus to facilitate their awful writings. Bo and Steve would never abandon their family..It was so hard to watch Steve admitting to being a deadbeat, Steve and Kayla had Joey because he missed Stefanie's childhood.  Bo would never abandon his family..It was out of character for Hope to accept it so quickly. She would have investigated and demanded that Bo tell her to her face that he did not want to be with her anymore. John would never have tried to sleep with Kristen to get her  away from Brady and be so blase about Marlena's feelings..Shane would never put the ISA before his children, not after the drama he went through with both Andrew and Jeannie/Theresa...I wont even mention Jack, because I am pretty sure you guys are tired about my complaints about the character assassination of Jack...These awful writers have never really understood the couples of this show and instead of trying to get an understanding of them, they sought to destroy them and to show us that couples were interchangeable. That is why they were pimping Dannifer as the best thing since sliced bread...Long time fans know that Jennifer written in character would never pick Dan over Jack..NEVER..

[TeeVee329]

Bo would never abandon his family.  It was out of character for Hope to accept it so quickly. She would have investigated and demanded that Bo tell her to her face that he did not want to be with her anymore.

 

On one hand, yes, that's all true.

 

But on the other...the actor left the show.  How exactly was Hope supposed to investigate and demand he see her face-to-face if the actor, you know, wasn't on the show?

[Apprentice79]

Good writers who care about the show and their characters would have crafted a story that would give us a good ending...They did it with Hope years ago, when she "died" on the cruise of deception..The show knew that Kristian was only coming back for a few months, when she came back to the show with Peter and they gave use a great story that had repercussions...I still remember the scenes between Bo and Mrs H after Hope died...Simply  wonderful! I always loved the dynamic between Bo and Alice Horton...I still miss Mrs H....She always had great taste in men, she loved Bo, Steve and Jack....

Edited September 3, 2015 by Apprentice79

[TeeVee329]

Oh absolutely, they could have written a better story.  But once the actor was gone, they were kinda stuck in the bed they'd made, you know?

 

Soaps in general are pretty terrible at writing out one half of a couple.  When Tika Sumpter left OLTL, they chose the worst possible way to break up Layla and Cristian.

[Apprentice79]

I remember that story. They turned her into a cheater...

[TeeVee329]

I remember that story. They turned her into a cheater...

 

When her whole arc was that she had been devastated by the serial cheating her boyfriend Vincent did on her, which led her to doubt her instincts when she got involved with the closeted Fish, which then led her to finding love with Cristian.  GAH!

 

Oh, on-topic?  Sonny's recent exit is the same kind of mess, leaving him and several characters tied to him trapped in a weird limbo.

[Apprentice79]

Exactly..Sonny's exit was indeed lame..It is obvious that Tomsell had no long term plans..From my understanding Actors usually tell the show in advance, if they are staying or going when their contracts are up..So they had no excuse for his stupid exit..

Edited September 3, 2015 by Apprentice79

[swtrgrl]

They knew Freddie was leaving. They had time to either recast or write something better. Although, this wasn't his original exit story, right? This was the re-do. The one we didn't see was according to Freddie, "Bizarre." I think what we saw was worse than bizarre. It was downright awful and against character. I'd like to see how this gets resolved when he's back for the 50th stuff.

[DisneyBoy]

Woah - so there was a MORE bizarre ending for Sonny that we didn't see?

 

Dodged a bullet there I guess. In my mind, there's no reason for Sonny to be emotionally tied-up in two such idiotic guys. Will, I can understand to a degree since they got married. But still, Will's been deceptive, hostile and unpredictable for months now (a year?) and they only got married a little more than a year ago. Not good. And it's not like they've been up against too much as a couple, other than Gabi going to jail. So...cripes dudes. Time to end it. And Paul is pretty overrated as a character. He was introduced as John's son but they've done practically nothing with it. It's like they have Drake and Deidre available for two days of shooting a month or something. Marlena hasn't even had a scene with Caroline since the stroke, has she? And wasn't she Paul's therapist? And yet he's AWOL now too...annoying.

 

But we've already watched Caroline do some agonizing about Hope moving on with her life, and we watched her make peace with it.

 

I think I actually caught those scenes by accident one time while channel surfing. It was nice to see someone play devil's advocate instead of just saying "Sure Hope, move on, the other actor is unavailable so let's just trash him."

 

I wanted to ask you guys: is anyone else really annoyed that THREE of the show's male leads are basically saying the exact same things to their women? Steve, John and soon Bo are all going, "darling, I've made mistakes and kept my distance from you for years...but I'm devoted to you and fixing this."

 

*eyeroll* It's one thing for ONE leading guy to do it, but for THREE? Oy. It's this kind of writing that makes girls/women stick with their crappy husbands/boyfriends out of a sense of duty so long as they say those magic words once every three years or so, just when the divorce papers are about to be signed.

 

Did anyone else like that the writers at least gave Marlena and John a moment - brief though it was - of acknowledging that their biggest problem has been how they treated each other within their own marriage? I liked that.

 

...of course I still want to hear Marlena tell John he's a freaking horny scumbag idiot for thinking sleeping with Kristin would save Brady. But now that it's the 50th Anniversary, they're going to try and sweep that under the rug and make us all swoon at the Freedom 55 rehash romance.

 

Why am I not surprised John gave Marlena a blank book? Pretty apt metaphor for John Black.

 

And for the record: I think it's awful the way they discarded Serena like she was a day player. The actress was great, had good chemistry with Eric and was utterly wasted. I'm going to miss her. Hope she lands a play or a primetime show or something.

[Apprentice79]

To be fair to the new writers, Serena was poorly conceived and poorly written..The woman was stuck in storyline hell with those damn diamonds and elephants..The actress should have been cast as Sarah Horton and paired off with Eric..Sarah's return could have brought back Melissa..I loved Melissa and her relationship with Hope....The show needs more likable Hortons on the canvas...

 

Billy Flynn as Chad is sublime..He is on fire..I just wished that he was not with Abigail..Unfortunately for me, the show is pushing them as the next supercouple...I am loving the cast integration...I love seeing different people interact with one another..I was so happy to see Abe in a scene with Justin and Chad. Chad and Eric were in a scene together. We would never see that under the old writers. I am loving the new writers..I know that things will soon get hectic and I am here for the long haul....My only gripe  is fucking Dena, I just  hope that Josh can keep her in check....If not, we will be wishing that Tomsell was still writing the show...Perish the thought!

Edited September 3, 2015 by Apprentice79

[kitmerlot1213]

BF's Chad has amazing chemistry with all of his scene partners--except KM's Abby.  He gets weirdly mired down when he has to interact with her.  And what the heck was Ben's smug, "Chad hired a lawyer, he must be guilty" crap?  Ben does know how the American justice system works, seeing as how he was a part of it when he was arrested.  Now I can see why he and Abby get along so well--they are both unpleasant idiots.  

 

I appreciated that both Julie and Maggie apologized to Caroline for getting all giddy about Hope's marriage to Aiden--she is Bo's mother and she doesn't need to have Hope's new relationship rubbed in her face.  I know she loves Hope but of course Caroline is going to want her son and daughter in law back together.

Edited September 3, 2015 by kitmerlot1213

[buffynut]

I'm also totally loving the show these days.  Can't believe how different it is after just a couple weeks.   It can't be just the writers. There has to be new directors too, because it's like a completely different show!

 

Also loving seeing the different interactions between the characters. Especially the mixed generations with Caroline, Maggie, Julie, Hope & Kayla.  Anytime we had women together during the past year that I've been back watching, it was bickering and fighting.

 

Really starting to enjoy Chad too, for the first time.  His acting is great.  And on a superficial note, he looked good with his wet hair hanging down over his forehead. :)

[Apprentice79]

I'm also totally loving the show these days.  Can't believe how different it is after just a couple weeks.   It can't be just the writers. There has to be new directors too, because it's like a completely different show!

 

Also loving seeing the different interactions between the characters. Especially the mixed generations with Caroline, Maggie, Julie, Hope & Kayla.  Anytime we had women together during the past year that I've been back watching, it was bickering and fighting.

 

Really starting to enjoy Chad too, for the first time.  His acting is great.  And on a superficial note, he looked good with his wet hair hanging down over his forehead. :)

NBC seems to be shelling alot of money for the show...They have a new director that is hands on and gives the actors direction and notes about their performances...The actors are able to do numerous takes now, instead of doing everything in one take...Josh Griffith the head writer is on set and watches the actors as the story unfolds..We are supposed to be getting old sets back like Hope's house...We are even going to have location shoots...

[DisneyBoy]

NBC seems to be shelling alot of money for the show...They have a new director that is hands on and gives the actors direction and notes about their performances...The actors are able to do numerous takes now, instead of doing everything in one take...Josh Griffith the head writer is on set and watches the actors as the story unfolds..We are supposed to be getting old sets back like Hope's house...We are even going to have location shoots...

 

Where did you hear all this? I have to say, I'm not surprised by the notion that the previous directors weren't giving their actors many notes - you could see them phoning their performances in, or just getting lost in all the circular repetitive dialogue. I'm stunned that any director would just skip, you know, directing his cast!

 

Anytime we had women together during the past year that I've been back watching, it was bickering and fighting.

 

Yup. Very irritating.

[Apprentice79]

I read that on another site that  I frequent and I read that the show seems to be investing in the show or their anniversary....The actors usually got no direction and were basically left on their own...Actors were not given time to rehearse and prepare, their scenes..Chandler Massey said that he felt that he was not given his best performances, because everything was so rushed....

[Happytobehere]

I'm also totally loving the show these days.  Can't believe how different it is after just a couple weeks.   It can't be just the writers. There has to be new directors too, because it's like a completely different show!

 

Also loving seeing the different interactions between the characters. Especially the mixed generations with Caroline, Maggie, Julie, Hope & Kayla.  Anytime we had women together during the past year that I've been back watching, it was bickering and fighting.

 

Really starting to enjoy Chad too, for the first time.  His acting is great.  And on a superficial note, he looked good with his wet hair hanging down over his forehead. :)

I also think we are seeing the difference in the actors' view of the show. They actually seem excited and invested in their roles again as opposed to the "look I need a paycheck like everybody else, so I am stuck with this crap, but I want to let you the viewer know that I hate what is happening just as much as you do," performances I was seeing upon my return to the show two months ago.

[LeftPhalange]

Sigh. So Justin has already become an incompetent member of soap opera law enforcement that's bent on getting a conviction at all costs.

 

Stefano is a great father.

 

Too bad Abifail didn't choke and die on those crackers. 

 

Since when does hiring a lawyer automatically make someone guilty? STFU you dumb plastic mannequin.

[Apprentice79]

Exactly Happytobehere, don't forget that the cast was very unhappy and morale was low, according to Ken Corday...Ken Corday was thinking about firing Tomsell a year ago....Think about the crap we could have been spared, had he made that decision a year ago...Wilson and Will could have been spared their poison pens..

Edited September 3, 2015 by Apprentice79

[Happytobehere]

I loved Sonny and Will. They were one of the things I missed when the trashing of Steve and the disrespectful neglect of Kayla drove me away once more.

Was never too thrilled with the Sami and Lucas and EJ and Nicole splits so that Sami could fall in love with and have more babies with her rapist, because you know how women are secretly in love with and want to marry their rapists. I have never liked or supported such insulting pairings (Luke and Laura anyone). IMO, these stories play into some people's belief women ask to be raped and that even when a woman says no, she really means yes. They encourage women to see abuse as love and in this day and age, it is especially despicable.

I think this is why despite their past as rapists, I was able to forgive and ultimately come to accept the characters of Jack on Days and Todd on OLTL. We saw their actions for what they were, acts of violence, control and possession. They weren't sugar-coated. We saw these men come to terms with and try to make ammends for what they had done. We saw their internal self-loathing and sense of unworthiness. We saw what it took for them to get to the point where they felt that they could love Jennifer and Blair. We were also never asked to forget what they had done and how it impacted the women they violated.

[Apprentice79]

I love your post happytobehere and I want to marry it....I have always hated Luke and Laura as a couple because of the rape..Some people may accuse me of being a hypocrite because of my endless love of Jack, but it was completely different and it was shown to be an act of violence against Kayla....His redemption was a slow and organic process, with Jennifer by his side...Loving him,  fighting for him and with him, letting him know that he was worthy of love, to love and to be loved in return...Jack was filled with self-hatred and remorse over the rape of Kayla and he never forgot it...It was so horrible how the show had to bring this sordid history of Jack to further sully him to make the orange doctor palatable..it was shameful how they used Kayla as a vehicle to blurt out the truth to JJ...She would never have done something like that...Kayla's rape has always prevented Jack and Steve from truly being brothers...

Edited September 3, 2015 by Apprentice79

[Rick Kitchen]

Is Chad still living at Chez DiMera, or did Stefano just get somebody to unlock the door to Chad's hotel room?  Although knowing Stefano, he probably has a skeleton key.

 

When was Serena a photographer?

 

Why do medical practitioners in soaps always assume that the man with the expectant mother is the father?  In this case, Andrea was right, but still ...

 

I'm glad that Joey isn't giving Kayla all the blame for the Steve and Kayla breakup.

 

When will we see a scene between Steve and Adrienne?

 

Julie and Maggie are so pushy. And they really can't read a room.  Hah, Hope said "Haiden".

 

Caroline's jacket was really pretty. Aw, her passcode is Bo's birthday.  Why is it Victor's passcode, too, though?  He has other kids.

 

With all of these new sets, why didn't Aiden meet with Chad in his office?

 

Hey, Show, don't turn Justin into a jerkass.

 

"I think I'm going to have a dirty martini before the tea gets here."

Edited September 3, 2015 by Rick Kitchen

[buffynut]

NBC seems to be shelling alot of money for the show...They have a new director that is hands on and gives the actors direction and notes about their performances...The actors are able to do numerous takes now, instead of doing everything in one take...Josh Griffith the head writer is on set and watches the actors as the story unfolds..We are supposed to be getting old sets back like Hope's house...We are even going to have location shoots...

 

Well they are doing a great job!  Hope it's not just for the 50th, but indefinitely.

 

I have always hated Luke and Laura as a couple because of the rape.

 

Me too.  I liked Laura and Scotty.

[Happytobehere]

Well, what a show turn around. Out of four episodes this week, three remain on my DVR.

Julie has always been a bit of an obtuse big mouth, but for the most part (at least during my viewing years), there was very little maliciousness or ill intent in her. I don't know when Maggie became a harpie, but she seems harmless as well. I like the fact that the lunch with the five ladies included conversation about Steve and Joey with excitement to see Joey again. It helps to remind the audience that these ladies have been friends and families for decades. These little get-together scenes are part of what always made Days great. I loved Hope having already spoken to Kayla and we saw it, not just heard about it. They were always more like sisters than sisters-in-law and the conversation and handholding at the restaurant conveyed this.

I hate Justin being made the villain because Higley won't let her pet Rafe be the bad guy in this story. Justin seemed unbalanced today. I mean him accusing Abe of being Team DiMera! If anything, a lot of the issues he had with Lexie stemmed from Stefano, Tony/Andre and EJ's hatred of Abe. Speaking of Lexie, how I wish Renee Jones was still playing Lexie so that she could open up a can of DiMera whup-ass on Justin on her little brother's behalf. Please show have EJ, Stefano or Tony/Andre have somehow cryogenically frozen her, for her to reappear in the nick of time. I mean you're the show that had Marlena and Celeste possessed by the devil.

I liked the scene with Joey and Steve. It put pieces into place about his character and Kayla's upset. Joey didn't want gifts from exotic places, he wanted his dad. I can only imagine how Kayla felt seeing her son throw Steve's gifts away because all he wanted was his daddy. She was part-heartbroken for her son and part furious with Steve for the hurt he was causing the boy. Kayla always was the queen of empathy. The fact that Joey showed up to see Steve means that he really does want to connect, because if it was just about getting an ally so he didn't have to go back to boarding school, he already got that. So angry or not, he is looking for a reason to trust and believe in his dad.

When did Eric suddenly develop this all consuming love for Serena filled with fond remembrances? From the time I came back, it was all he could do to be civil to her.

IT and Boob naturally had to ruin yet another perfectly good episode.

I loved Steve and Victor and can't wait for tomorrow.

Edited September 3, 2015 by Happytobehere

[TigerLynx]

I don't believe for a moment Ken Corday realized the writers were doing a lousy job, and needed to be replaced.  He was on board with TomSell's SLs, and at one time was claiming a lot of the SLs were his idea.  I think the network forced a change.  Ken Corday and the writers had advance notice from all the actors/actresses who decided to leave the show, not only did they do a lousy job with the exit SLs, but they seemed to engage in some petty vindictive behavior by trashing the characters to get back at the actors/actresses for leaving.  So immature and childish.  That's the reason Days ended up such a disaster.

 

I like Justin.  I don't want him to be yet another DA who lets his personal perspective get in the way of doing his job right.  There was a time when Roman, Abe, Bo, Steve, and Hope were competent police officers, and the DA's office did their job correctly.  It would be nice to have that back.

 

Eric is like so many other characters on this show, it depends on the day of the week, the writers, and which plot point they are on that determines who he is in love with.

Edited September 3, 2015 by TigerLynx

[Prairiemakeup]

This week has been so good that I'm dreading Will et al showing up on my screen again. At this point, with all the other story lines taking hold, I couldn't care less about Will and his angst.

[Peanut6711]

I thought last Friday and this Monday's episodes were really good but after that I've been underwhelmed and losing interest as the week goes on. What the heck is up with Justin? Maggie and Julie remain harpy annoying gossips, and I still can't stomach Abigail on my screen even when she's not out to ruin Sami and EJ's marriage. That girl just grates my nerves. I don't think I will ever get past seeing her as a sanctimonious little tramp. Here's hoping tomorrow's Friday episode picks up. 

Edited September 3, 2015 by Peanut6711

[annabel]

Justin, I need for you to stop this RIGHT NOW, or all the good feelings I have about seeing Wally back on a regular basis are going to go away FAST. Please writers, don't ruin him.

[boes]

I accidentally posted this in the wrong thread a while ago so I'm bringing it to the right one.

 

Wowza wow, another great day in Salem!  I'm too tired to post much tonight, but how wonderful, how absolutely wonderful to see Abe FINALLY given something to say, something to do that doesn't marginize him to the point of insult.  I really can't remember Abe being anything but an extra, and not a glorified one, even, since Lexie died.  Even then, he was sidelined.
But today when he lit into Justin, it was fireworks on the 4th of July considering how long it had been to see him show his stuff.
I loved it.

So what the hell is Justin's problem?  When did Chad step on HIS dress?

 

Just dropping back in to note that Eric is still the same nut job he was under the old regime.  He's now walking around Salem in his blue undertaker's suit, seems to consider himself the Widow Serena, and is now accusing Chad of murder.  

What a moron, and what a sad head case he is.

[Sandman]

Julie and Maggie are pretty much the definition of "can't read a room." Especially Julie.

[Ruby Red]

Am I the only one here who misses Paul and Will? It is sad how they have fallen into a hole ever since Sonny left, it is not suprising though. Maybe they will make an appearance today.

[buffynut]

This week has been so good that I'm dreading Will et al showing up on my screen again. At this point, with all the other story lines taking hold, I couldn't care less about Will and his angst.

 

I agree.  In fact, I was just thinking yesterday how it had been a while since he and Paul had been on screen, and I hadn't missed them all all.

 

Am I the only one here who misses Paul and Will? It is sad how they have fallen into a hole ever since Sonny left, it is not suprising though. Maybe they will make an appearance today.

 

I'm sure others miss them, but not me.  From when I started to watch again (last summer), Will was very unlikeable, so I never had a chance to develop a fondness for him, just more and more dislike as the months went on.

[Lastwaltz]

Ha, I just realized I don't miss Will or Paul whatsoever, and it was great having only one day of Dan and even (tho I love her) Nicole. 

 

Patch and Kayla are so great together -- I'm impressed how easily Stephen Nicols (sp?) slipped back into that iconic role, with all of its uniquities. Over in the Past Plots thread there's a great trip down memory lane about their past, colorfully posted by Dandesun. I'm not feeling anything but bland teenage angst from Joey, but then again that was JJ at first and I started to love him pretty quickly. The actor sure looks like their child, so that's a good omen. 

 

I don't know what to say about power-hungry Justin. Hoping this gets resolved soon, but I have a feeling it'll be a strong thread leading to Chabby, which means it may go on for weeks and weeks.

 

One thing is for sure -- the show and the new writers have me actually thinking about all of this off and on as I go about my day. 

[Peanut6711]

I'm not feeling anything but bland teenage angst from Joey, but then again that was JJ at first and I started to love him pretty quickly. The actor sure looks like their child, so that's a good omen.

 

I agree. The silent pouty treatment thing might have been realistic for a teen but it didn't play out well on screen from an acting perspective.  

[Apprentice79]

Am I the only one here who misses Paul and Will? It is sad how they have fallen into a hole ever since Sonny left, it is not suprising though. Maybe they will make an appearance today.

I miss Wilson in all of their glory..I loved their wedding. However, I don't miss the Samification of Will, Sonny's passiveness and indecisiveness and Paul's sainthood and his sense of entitlement...I hope the new writers start fixing Wilson, when Sonny comes back in the fall for a visit..

Edited September 4, 2015 by Apprentice79

[General Days]

The endings for Bo/Hope and Steve/Kayla were so ridiculous that I would accept a retcon that revealed they were being held captive this whole time. I guess they're going to do that with Bo but that still leaves Steve. 

 

I'd rather not retcon it, because that cheapens what we sat through and watched, for years. I hated that Jack's blogged, Australian walk-about turned into torture in Afghanistan. Bo and Steve both screwed up. New writers should have to abide by what old writers gave us and earn Bo and Steve's places back on the canvas.

 

BF's Chad has amazing chemistry with all of his scene partners--except KM's Abby.  He gets weirdly mired down when he has to interact with her.  And what the heck was Ben's smug, "Chad hired a lawyer, he must be guilty" crap?  Ben does know how the American justice system works, seeing as how he was a part of it when he was arrested.  Now I can see why he and Abby get along so well--they are both unpleasant idiots.  

 

I completely disagree about BF's Chad and KM's Abby. I think they have great chemistry. He's the first actor she's had chemistry with (other than James Scott, that is) since CD's Chad.  That said, I completely agree with you about Ben's lawyer comment. I might have yelled at the screen, "Oh, you mean he hired the lawyer who was, until last week, your lawyer?"

 

Well, what a show turn around. Out of four episodes this week, three remain on my DVR.

Julie has always been a bit of an obtuse big mouth, but for the most part (at least during my viewing years), there was very little maliciousness or ill intent in her. I don't know when Maggie became a harpie, but she seems harmless as well. I like the fact that the lunch with the five ladies included conversation about Steve and Joey with excitement to see Joey again. It helps to remind the audience that these ladies have been friends and families for decades. These little get-together scenes are part of what always made Days great. I loved Hope having already spoken to Kayla and we saw it, not just heard about it. They were always more like sisters than sisters-in-law and the conversation and handholding at the restaurant conveyed this.

I hate Justin being made the villain because Higley won't let her pet Rafe be the bad guy in this story. Justin seemed unbalanced today. I mean him accusing Abe of being Team DiMera! If anything, a lot of the issues he had with Lexie stemmed from Stefano, Tony/Andre and EJ's hatred of Abe. Speaking of Lexie, how I wish Renee Jones was still playing Lexie so that she could open up a can of DiMera whup-ass on Justin on her little brother's behalf. Please show have EJ, Stefano or Tony/Andre have somehow cryogenically frozen her, for her to reappear in the nick of time. I mean you're the show that had Marlena and Celeste possessed by the devil.

I liked the scene with Joey and Steve. It put pieces into place about his character and Kayla's upset. Joey didn't want gifts from exotic places, he wanted his dad. I can only imagine how Kayla felt seeing her son throw Steve's gifts away because all he wanted was his daddy. She was part-heartbroken for her son and part furious with Steve for the hurt he was causing the boy. Kayla always was the queen of empathy. The fact that Joey showed up to see Steve means that he really does want to connect, because if it was just about getting an ally so he didn't have to go back to boarding school, he already got that. So angry or not, he is looking for a reason to trust and believe in his dad.

When did Eric suddenly develop this all consuming love for Serena filled with fond remembrances? From the time I came back, it was all he could do to be civil to her.

IT and Boob naturally had to ruin yet another perfectly good episode.

I loved Steve and Victor and can't wait for tomorrow.

The Justin stuff is pissing me off. If the writing is going to treat him like this, I'd rather have him back on General Hospital as Ned. Justin never hated Chad.

Who are IT and Boob?

Regarding Eric, I'm starting to wonder if he killed Serena. Maybe he's had some sort of psychological break.

 

Am I the only one here who misses Paul and Will? It is sad how they have fallen into a hole ever since Sonny left, it is not suprising though. Maybe they will make an appearance today.

I don't miss Will at all. I tried, for a long time, to convince myself I liked Guy Wilson in the role, but I just cannot take to him. I like Paul, but without Sonny, not much about his character matters to me, other than his relationship with John and Brady.

Edited September 5, 2015 by General Days

[Princess Consuela]

Really loved the scenes with Steve & Joey - loved Joey telling Steve that he threw away all the gifts - that he didn't want them - he just wanted his dad..   Looking forward to more scenes with them.

 

Also enjoyed the scenes with Victor & Steve - looking forward to more of that today - I do wonder how long it will be before Steve sees his sister or how soon he'll interact with Jennifer & JJ (don't care if he never sees Abifail)

 

The scenes with Hope, Kayla, Julie, Maggie & Caroline were sweet - we definitely don't get a lot of those so it's nice when we get them.

 

I like Justin but not sure why he's so intent of nailing Chad for Serena's murder - I am glad that Rafe is thinking twice about him being the killer (was sure he'd be all gung-ho about Chad being the murderer.    And loved Abe coming in between  Chad & Justin & defending Chad

 

And Ken Doll can shut up - he does realize that hiring a lawyer doesn't automatically mean Chad's guilty

[GodsBeloved]

Really loved the scenes with Steve & Joey - loved Joey telling Steve that he threw away all the gifts - that he didn't want them - he just wanted his dad..   Looking forward to more scenes with them.

Me too. I hope Joey was lying about the gifts though. I'm such a sap and would love it if Patch finds the gifts maybe unopened and Joey opens them with Steve there.

[Lastwaltz]

Argh, I forgot all about my outrage at Ben's dismissal of Chad based on his meeting with a - gasp - lawyer. My dislike for him is growing exponentially. 

[General Days]

Me too. I hope Joey was lying about the gifts though. I'm such a sap and would love it if Patch finds the gifts maybe unopened and Joey opens them with Steve there.

 

In the show in my head, Joey is not lying about the gifts, but each time he threw away a gift, Kayla picked it out of the trash and stored it in the attic, in case Joey one day regretted his choice.

[Sidney]

Argh, I forgot all about my outrage at Ben's dismissal of Chad based on his meeting with a - gasp - lawyer. My dislike for him is growing exponentially. 

 

The more he keeps trashing Chad, the more Abby is going to come to his defense. Yesterday's episode was a clear example. That had to be embarrassing for Ben. LOL. He should have kept his flap shut. Watch out Justin! Your niece is in protective mode when it comes to Chad. lol

[Apprentice79]

I found this on another site that I frequent, the person who wrote this, explained succinctly why Tomsell's version of Days of our lives was a complete failure..It boggles my mind why Ken Corday allowed this type of fuckery to continue for as long as it did. Oh wait, he is a dumbass too....

 

TomSell Hated "Days Of Our Lives". John and Marlena are a signature couple, and an iconic symbol of the values this show has inspired, so they took it out on them harshly.

TomSell hated the idea of a "destined" couple
TomSell hated the idea of redemptive love that could change the course of a character's life
TomSell hated the idea of male heroes that were honorable and courageous.
TomSell hated umbrella storylines that had anyone over the age of 50 at the center of them (unless you were Eileen Davidson)
TomSell hated doing backstory to enhance characterization. They wanted to write characters without explaining behavior.
TomSell hated core families and adults being involved with other adults
TomSell hated the idea of independent women, and had women single and miserable, or with men that treated them poorly
TomSell wanted every "supercouple" destroyed, even if they were off screen. Those couples annoyed them.
TomSell saw a character's history as a liability, so they'd ignore history or simply not write for vets
TomSell thought if a couple gained too much of a following, it was dangerous and boxed them in, so they'd destroy said couple
TomSell hated worrying about chemistry between actors, and just threw people into relationships
TomSell didn't believe in having a plan or vision. They had no recipe for this show, just lame plots thrown together
TomSell refused to consider a character's history before having said character active in a plot

John and Marlena suffered greatly, but it was because they stood for a soap they wanted to obliterate. They wanted success, don't get me wrong, but they wanted to change Days into a different animal. That meant taking couples and characters that reinforced the basic traditional ideals of this show, and destroying them. Bope was a victim as well. Jack and Jenn were instantly sacrificed for Daniel.

If a character stood for values that contradicted what this show has stood for, that character was front and center.

So many fans, and fan bases suffered because of those hacks, and I honestly think it boiled down to:

1) LAZINESS: TomSell didn't want to put in the effort required to write for characters with a rich background. They didn't want to know if the plot made a character look bizarre or out of touch. They came up with a half whited plan and forced the character into it. They would ram a square character in a round hole. It always felt wrong but they kept going and would ruin a character to achieve their goal. That's lazy.

2) LACK OF PLANNING: I am certain they didn't have an end goal in sight. They just knew they wanted a more generic show without the confines of the past weighing them down. They saw history as an obstacle, so they made plans without history in mind. However, I don't think they knew what they wanted the show to look like. I think they wanted a show more Like a cross between AMC and ATWT, without the family feel those shows had.

3) HATRED OF ROMANCE: Romance to them didn't look like the lushly romantic show Days has been for the better part of 50 years. Romance to them didn't include couples that were meant to find each other. Romance didn't mean a hero standing strong for the love of his life, or the woman standing up and fighting for her soul mate. Romance to them was about characters that shared common interest that would eventually sleep together until they got bored of each other.

That was TomSell, and that's why J&M, B&H, J&J, D&J, S&K and so on were ravaged by them. They didn't want to write for "Days Of Our Lives". They wanted to reinvent the wheel to fit their half ass vision. That is, if you can call it "Vision".

Edited September 4, 2015 by Apprentice79

[Happytobehere]

Who are IT and Boob?

IT is Abigail because she is such an awful creature. Boob is Ben because he comes across like a brainless Ken Doll.

[Sidney]

I'd rather not retcon it, because that cheapens what we sat through and watched, for years. I hated that Jack's blogged, Australian walk-about turned into torture in Afghanistan. Bo and Steve both screwed up. New writers should have to abide by what old writers gave us and earn Bo and Steve's places back on the canvas.

 

I completely disagree about BF's Chad and KM's Abby. I think they have great chemistry. He's the first actor she's had chemistry with (other than James Scott, that is) since CD's Chad.  That said, I completely agree with you about Ben's lawyer comment. I might have yelled at the screen, "Oh, you mean he hired the lawyer who was, until last week, your lawyer?"

 

The Justin stuff is pissing me off. If the writing is going to treat him like this, I'd rather have him back on General Hospital as Ned. Justin never hated Chad.

Who are IT and Boob?

Regarding Eric, I'm starting to wonder if he killed Serena. Maybe he's had some sort of psychological break.

 

I don't miss Will at all. I tried, for a long time, to convince myself to I liked Guy Wilson in the role, but I just cannot take to him. I like Paul, but without Sonny, not much about his character matters to me, other than his relationship with John and Brady.

 

Love this post. BF/KM have really given this story life. I thought the new writers would probably drop this story, but apparently they're pretty invested in it as well. They seem to be becoming pretty popular. Doesn't hurt that they have great chemistry either.

[Dandesun]

Dark Abyssal Lords of Soap have mercy on me... I'm actually getting into the whole concept of Chad and Abigail. I am digging on them and I don't... I can't... I have no excuse. Save me from myself! Ever since the new writers have taken over the Chad and Abby stuff has been working for me. Yesterday at the end when Chad tells Eric that he didn't kill 'Serena Mason' (love that she is a full name entity at this point and nothing else) and Abby in the background goes 'I believe him' -- gods above and below, I'm feeling something.

 

I blame the old timey playlist. I just do. At the very least, this is constructed in a somewhat believable manner. The only thing that's really missing for me is exactly WHY they love each other so it's not complete for me.

 

Shut up, Ben. "He got a lawyer! Dude! He's so guilty!" Shut the fuck up, dipshit. Oh, I cannot wait for him to find out that his daddy is the latest kingpin of drugs and crime and murder.

 

Clyde was very menacing and JJ managed to wiggle his way out of a tight spot indeed... for now... but I guess the hit on the head made him forget what happened to his phone. CLYDE TOOK IT, DOOFUS! YOU WERE THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED! Now JJ has clued Paige in and her days are even more numbered. KDP is going to kill it when that shit goes down. It's going to hurt. I'm really not looking forward to it at all.

 

But watching James Read as Clyde really does make me want to go watch North and South again... just so George Hazard can be good and decent if a little on the playboy side.

 

The luncheon... oh my... that was pretty hilarious. Julie and Maggie being all 'You can have your wedding during the Bicentennial! Because of course you would totes want to do that! Whee!' while Caroline, Hope and Kayla are giving them the icy freezy looks. And this wasn't too long after Maggie got told by Caroline that she and Victor agreed on not wanting Hope to marry Aiden. *sigh*

 

The playlists of old have Steve and Bo and Kayla and Hope all up in each others business so it's nice, for me, to see Hope and Kayla talking about Steve's return and all. And Steve getting a very big clue that he done fucked up for an extended period of time. Flowers and presents were not going to cut it. Joey telling him he threw all the presents away because he didn't care where Steve was, just that he wasn't with him was harsh but necessary. Petulant comes off as petulant on screen but I'll go with it for now because it makes sense. Joey should be petulant and angry. I'm cool with it.

 

(Also, Steve and Kayla arguing is so foreplay... eee!)

[General Days]

IT is Abigail because she is such an awful creature. Boob is Ben because he comes across like a brainless Ken Doll.

 

Oh, I don't hate Abby. She seems like a typical soap opera female character. I can't believe Ben #2 outlasted Chrishell Strause. I'm not sad Jordan is gone, like Serena and Madison before her, nobody bothered to bring her on in an interesting way. I will never understand why they bring on a new, original character with a "secret." Until I give a shit about a character, I'm not going to give a shit about his or her secret. Besides the secret really isn't the story. I think someone said this here or maybe in the GH forum the other day. The fall-out from the secret is where the story lives.