Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[Kitty Redstone]

I liked the headline, "Abe Carver Appointed Mayor, Again."  

 

Hopefully Aiden will come completely clean with Hope.  I don't want her to feel like a fool.  He really does seem to love her, and if its played otherwise it will be so disappointing.

 

Bo needs to escape or be rescued soon.  The torture scenes are so uncomfortable to watch.

 

Eduardo has some nerve.  He skips out on his kid but now wants to horn in on her funeral arrangements?  Eve should have kicked him right in the junk.  And then kneed him in the face.

 

I'm looking forward to Andre taking over as head Dimera.  Thaao Penghlis is so good at nuance.  As believable as he is as an evil menace, he can turn on a dime and play a caring son/brother/whatever.

Edited September 25, 2015 by Kitty Redstone

[worleybird]

I guess Lucas misses Adrienne more than he thought he would. That sprained wrist from "playing basketball" (wink, wink) should've flattered her. Now that she's out of his bed he's using his right hand more than ever!

[copshop]

"Wow, I am so surprised that Chad is a killer," said no one ever.

[bobcat1946]

The killer has to be Ben in order to attempt to whitewash abifail.

[General Days]

Peanut6711, you shouldn't have to justify your opinions.  If you feel like Abigail is a wannabe mob mistress, name call away!

 

 

 

That's not true.  All of the posters here who dislike Abigail (or despise her, or are apathetic to her) have expressed over and over again exactly what their problems are with the character and the actor.  If some have taken to "name calling" as short-hand for that, so be it.  It's not right to denigrate their opinions because you disagree with them or are tired of them. 

 

I'm sorry that I came across as denigrating opinions. I didn't mean to, but I can see how I did. I also didn't mean to make anyone feel obligated to justify anything. I'm sorry.

My larger point was cut off in your quote. My point was in response to someone's comment that said:

 

I'm sure she has some strange fan base somewhere but it's pretty clear most of the folks here despise her and back during the "I want to be a mob mistress" storyline I used to pop on Days FB page from time to time. Whenever she was pictured, the top comments usually included things like "What a tramp" and "Get rid of this ho." Those comments were garnering anywhere from 500-1,000 likes, far more than any other comments. So I would think the showrunners would have to be clueless to not be aware.

 

 

Let me explain myself, differently. I don't necessarily think that because a character is unpopular on this Facebook group or that one, or here, or elsewhere online means that, overall, the character is not working, as far as the powers that be are concerned.

 

I only drew a faint dotted line between that and my comments about the nickname-shorthand for the character. Let me draw it more boldly. When a message board or a Facebook group is loudly positive or negative about a character (either way), I think it's possible the less vocal people who disagree don't bother to speak up that much. And in my own case, it's very much because, first of all, it's not my job to change anyone's mind. Secondly, while I understand (usually) who people mean by nicknames, when they start using those nicknames as shorthand for the things the character is currently doing that displease them, the shorthand makes that displeasure less accessible for engagement. 

You can call her Poopy Pants McBitchy Mouth for all I care. I'm not offended by it. I'm just saying that when "Poopy Pants McBitchy Mouth," starts filling in for real commentary, I suspect (at least from my own experience) that people who think she's actually Flower Of The Musical World (I don't) aren't going to bother engaging. If/since I know plenty of people who enjoy the character just fine, I'm not inclined to think that the opinion here is the only opinion out there. And if I think that, I think it's possible that the PTB aren't saying, "Oh no, Abigail was called a ho on FB today, and it got a thousand likes. When can we fire Kate Manzi?"

Signed,

Never Counted Myself Part of Some Strange Fanbase

Edited September 25, 2015 by General Days

[LeftPhalange]

Yes. The new character, Lani, is speculated to be Abe's daughter.

 

Of course she is. Every new character has to be connected to someone already on canvas, apparently. 

[Rick Kitchen]

How did Stefano know it was Andre and not Tony? It's weird that they just jumped into "Stefano and Andre know he's Stefano's son" without any explanation as to how they found out.

 

Somebody needs to tell Justin that the police don't work for the DA.

 

I knew Aiden wasn't going to get away with stealing that check.

[Marigold]

Can I just say Eve looks fabulous as a grieving mother in her plain black shirt and minimal make up.  She was overdressed many times with the bright colors and slinky dresses. 

It's nice to see her actually acting her age and doing some tough material. I like Eve so much more now. 

[kristabell]

So, am I the only one who's okay with Ben being the killer? Not just okay, but I think it's a fairly consistent development. They've been setting him up as unstable for a while, and, yeah, there was that weird throwaway thing months ago about Paige and Eve knowing him from Florida. It makes sense to be him, he has plenty of motive in trying to frame Chad and there's enough wiggle room with his whereabouts at the time of the murders. Other characters as the killer may be more shocking, but don't have as much in the way of motive. I don't care about being shocked, so maybe that's why I'm good with this? 

I'm more annoyed when I think about how they're going to explain his scenes yesterday if he's not the killer. That, to me, is the kind of thing that kills the flow of a story.

I don't need to be shocked. But I would like for the story to have some long-lasting consequences and some resonance on canvas. For me, Ben being the killer doesn't do that. Unless the killer or one of the victims is a character integral to the canvas, which they haven't been so far, then this is just like any other six-month story arc. Maybe I just expected too much from the writers at Days.

[Sidney]

Signed,

Never Counted Myself Part of Some Strange Fanbase

 

LMAO!!

[Peanut6711]

Bo needs to escape or be rescued soon.  The torture scenes are so uncomfortable to watch.

 

Agree, it's getting old. I can't wait till Steve gets there and rescues him so we can move this along.

 

Let me explain myself, differently. I don't necessarily think that because a character is unpopular on this Facebook group or that one, or here, or elsewhere online means that, overall, the character is not working, as far as the powers that be are concerned.

 

I only drew a faint dotted line between that and my comments about the nickname-shorthand for the character. Let me draw it more boldly. When a message board or a Facebook group is loudly positive or negative about a character (either way), I think it's possible the less vocal people who disagree don't bother to speak up that much. And in my own case, it's very much because, first of all, it's not my job to change anyone's mind. Secondly, while I understand (usually) who people mean by nicknames, when they start using those nicknames as shorthand for the things the character is currently doing that displease them, the shorthand makes that displeasure less accessible for engagement. 

You can call her Poopy Pants McBitchy Mouth for all I care. I'm not offended by it. I'm just saying that when "Poopy Pants McBitchy Mouth," starts filling in for real commentary, I suspect (at least from my own experience) that people who think she's actually Flower Of The Musical World (I don't) aren't going to bother engaging. If/since I know plenty of people who enjoy the character just fine, I'm not inclined to think that the opinion here is the only opinion out there. And if I think that, I think it's possible that the PTB aren't saying, "Oh no, Abigail was called a ho on FB today, and it got a thousand likes. When can we fire Kate Manzi?"

Signed,

Never Counted Myself Part of Some Strange Fanbase

If their intention is for her to be portrayed as a ho, then no, viewer feedback shouldn’t have an effect on their future writing.  It’s like if Stefano is behind Bo’s captivity and fans start calling him an evil bastard, well that’s the intent. But with Abby, it’s like a complete contradiction. She’s propped by most of the cast as some goodie two shoes yet her actions are far from it.  You can’t be a saint and screw mob brothers back to back….or wreck your professor’s marriage…or lie to your fiancé.  I can’t even call her a gray character because the way she’s presented is so bizarre.  So if viewer reaction isn’t what they intend, then it’s safe to say that character is not working.  There’s far too many people that say the same thing about the character and the actress for it to be a misinterpretation of a small minority.

Again, going back to ratings (of which Days is often on the bottom), the goal should be to put your strongest characters and storylines front burner if you want to stay afloat on a network that prefers 4 hours of the Today show over more than one daytime soap.  But honestly, I don’t think that’s happened in quite awhile. There are have been many decisions in recent years on the show that would point otherwise, and frankly, it might explain the low ratings.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all that there’s not something more going on behind the scenes when it comes to casting and favoritism to which KM is benefiting. Afterall, TP just mentioned in a recent interview how he got on the wrong side of a previous showrunner (not by anything that he really did) and thus was let go everytime James E. Reiley (known on previous boards as JERk) was writing. Tony/Andre might have been a fan favorite but clearly the casting decision was personal.

 

How did Stefano know it was Andre and not Tony? It's weird that they just jumped into "Stefano and Andre know he's Stefano's son" without any explanation as to how they found out.

I wondered that too.  I'm not sure I can tell them apart.

[boes]

###message from the heartland###

Hey fellow poster buds, checking in from Indiana. One handed kindle typing, so will be short, but I was with a cousin today, who works from home now and has recently started tuning in to Days again after 20 years, and unprompted by me, said how much she and another cousin despise dear Abigail, snotty, fake, liar, manipulative, all the things we say.

We are not alone!!

Persevere, my pets, stay strong!!

[Kitty Redstone]

Again, going back to ratings (of which Days is often on the bottom), the goal should be to put your strongest characters and storylines front burner if you want to stay afloat on a network that prefers 4 hours of the Today show over more than one daytime soap.  But honestly, I don’t think that’s happened in quite awhile. There are have been many decisions in recent years on the show that would point otherwise, and frankly, it might explain the low ratings.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all that there’s not something more going on behind the scenes when it comes to casting and favoritism to which KM is benefiting.

 

Yes, this.  It's mind boggling that TIIC at Days haven't equated the ridiculously low ratings over the past three years with the most propped actors getting one front burner story after another.  It doesn't take a brain scientist (tm Casey from Top Chef) to do so.  So what else is going on?  It doesn't strike me as the same thing that's going on at ABC with General Hospital, which is just a severe case of executives saying they don't give a fuck, but not much else besides producer's or writer's pet explains the ascendance of some of these characters.

 

I'm disappointed that the ratings for Days are still so low.  It's much better than it was just a short month ago.  Hopefully there's something big planned to try to get some eyeballs back on this show.  I'd be so sad if Days were cancelled.

 

We are not alone!!

Persevere, my pets, stay strong!!

 

Woot!

[DisneyBoy]

The ratings will improve for the anniversary.

So they didn't even bother to explain how Andre is still alive, much less Stefano's son?

[MsTree]

So, am I the only one who's okay with Ben being the killer?

 

Totally okay with Ben being the killer. It's the only thing that makes sense right now...motive, opportunity, and all that stuff.

[annabel]

I'm fine with Ben being the killer, it just seems boring. Also, why? What were his reasons for murdering Serena and Paige and attempting Marlena. I maintain that if it was to set up Chad that Ben is neither that smart or that devious. I would rather it be Clyde, that makes more sense, that he was doing it to set up Chad to get him out of Ben's way. Bonus that it gets rid of Clyde. The character has overstayed his welcome by a veryveryvery long time.

[buffynut]

But with Abby, it’s like a complete contradiction. She’s propped by most of the cast as some goodie two shoes yet her actions are far from it.  You can’t be a saint and screw mob brothers back to back….or wreck your professor’s marriage…or lie to your fiancé.  I can’t even call her a gray character because the way she’s presented is so bizarre.  So if viewer reaction isn’t what they intend, then it’s safe to say that character is not working.  There’s far too many people that say the same thing about the character and the actress for it to be a misinterpretation of a small minority.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all that there’s not something more going on behind the scenes when it comes to casting and favoritism to which KM is benefiting.

 

I still wish they had kept Paige.  She fit the description of "good girl".  She was smart and wanted to be a doctor.  She fell in love with another student.  They could have had her do grey things but still the viewer would know she was a good person at heart. 

 

With Abigail, it  seems the Show wants us to see her as a good person, but her current storyline, and her past ones from what I've read, do not show her as a good person at all.   She isn't even a kind person who makes bad choices, as she is written to think only about herself. They didn't even have a scene where she comforts her baby brother over the murder of the girl he loved.  Instead they show her running after the man she cheated on her fiance with, who is also the suspected murderer. I assume the show writes her storylines this way to create conflict, but all it is doing is making her look bad.

 

Who was the professor, btw?

 

And not sure if it is true, but I've read that KM is/was dating one of the writers.

[Peanut6711]

With Abigail, it  seems the Show wants us to see her as a good person, but her current storyline, and her past ones from what I've read, do not show her as a good person at all.   She isn't even a kind person who makes bad choices, as she is written to think only about herself. They didn't even have a scene where she comforts her baby brother over the murder of the girl he loved.  Instead they show her running after the man she cheated on her fiance with, who is also the suspected murderer. I assume the show writes her storylines this way to create conflict, but all it is doing is making her look bad.

Yes, this is very much the problem with her character and viewer reception. 

 

Who was the professor, btw?

Austin, Lucas's half brother/Sami's brother-in-law, was teaching at Salem U. She stripped off her clothes in his office when he was passed out drunk and left him believe they had sex because she was obsessed with him.

 

And not sure if it is true, but I've read that KM is/was dating one of the writers.

 

This would explain A LOT!

[LeftPhalange]

When everyone finds out that Ben is a killer that will completely overshadow Abifail's trashy behavior and she will once again get a pass. Once again Jen will coddle her brat instead of insisting she get therapy for her sociopath tendencies. 

[Apprentice79]

When everyone finds out that Ben is a killer that will completely overshadow Abifail's trashy behavior and she will once again get a pass. Once again Jen will coddle her brat instead of insisting she get therapy for her sociopath tendencies. 

Amen! did you guys take a look at the ratings for the show? it is really bad..If they go through with their macabre plans for Will, it will only get worst....I am loving the show, but it is a bit dark now and it will only get worst...

[bobcat1946]

It will be ok now for the entitled princess to cheat on her bf since he is a killer.  Entitled princess and her cheating on him made him a killer.  But they will have him doing the same in Miami so it will not be blamed on entitled.  imo

Edited September 26, 2015 by bobcat1946

[rose67]

Long time lurker, first time poster.  Count me in on a viewer who does not like Abigail.  I had a long hiatus from DOOL, but I kept up with it from soap magazine (tells you how long ago) and then different websites. I recently starting watching again with all the people returning for the anniversary.  I think I fell in love with Billy Flynn the first time I watched an episode, but I just don't understand all the Kate Mansi/Abigail propping.  Seeing KM in scenes with anyone is painful, but especially with stronger actors (such as MBE). Watching her attempt to cry is hilarious.  I keep hoping that maybe Abigail will be killed off and this is one of the casting secrets that has not made it's way out to the public yet.  Of course she's still appearing in Instagram pics, so I don't think I'll get my wish. 

[bobcat1946]

Do not see Abigail going anywhere since she is a Horton as well as the shows pet.

[Kitty Redstone]

Who was the professor, btw?

 

In addition to gaslighting him, Abigail cultivated a friendship with Carrie while trying to force Austin into a relationship with her.  (This is exactly what she did to Sami and EJ, except with them she also insinuated herself into the lives of Sami and EJ's children, all while trying to get back onto EJ.)  She also stalked Austin and Carrie when they went away on a ski trip.  She roped Melanie into going, but of course left out that she was stalking a married man.  The look on Melanie's face when she realized what was going on was priceless.

 

 

Watching her attempt to cry is hilarious. 

 

It really is.  I'm also hoping she'll get killed off.  It would get rid of her and give Missy Reeves and Casey Moss a nice, meaty story.

[Artsda]

So, am I the only one who's okay with Ben being the killer?

 

 

No you're not, him being the killer makes sense. It's logical, especially with his history with Paige, everything we don't know from Florida, his FBI case etc... I just wonder where he suddenly became so smart from. Because the flowers from the Dimera Garden, was pretty smart of him for frame up of Chad. I guess him being secretly smart to pull of a con like that could go back to all that we don't know about him from Florida. 

 

 

They didn't even have a scene where she comforts her baby brother over the murder of the girl he loved.  Instead they show her running after the man she cheated on her fiance with, who is also the suspected murderer. I assume the show writes her storylines this way to create conflict, but all it is doing is making her look bad.

 

They're hardly making her look bad, she's trying to save Chad, being on his side while people like Justin want him jailed and thrown in jail. That's her main plot with this, even though they haven't shown a scene with JJ she's still talked about him. He's also talked about her to Jennifer, we don't need to see her hold JJ's hand to have to prove she cares. The story isn't about JJ's grief, it's about the murders and it's about JJ's secret knowing about Clyde's secret.

[Sidney]

No you're not, him being the killer makes sense. It's logical, especially with his history with Paige, everything we don't know from Florida, his FBI case etc... I just wonder where he suddenly became so smart from. Because the flowers from the Dimera Garden, was pretty smart of him for frame up of Chad. I guess him being secretly smart to pull of a con like that could go back to all that we don't know about him from Florida. 

 

 

They're hardly making her look bad, she's trying to save Chad, being on his side while people like Justin want him jailed and thrown in jail. That's her main plot with this, even though they haven't shown a scene with JJ she's still talked about him. He's also talked about her to Jennifer, we don't need to see her hold JJ's hand to have to prove she cares. The story isn't about JJ's grief, it's about the murders and it's about JJ's secret knowing about Clyde's secret.

 

I wonder whatever Aiden found out about Ben will come into play. Hopefully that's not going to be dropped.

[testardo]

Yes, this is very much the problem with her character and viewer reception. 

 

Austin, Lucas's half brother/Sami's brother-in-law, was teaching at Salem U. She stripped off her clothes in his office when he was passed out drunk and left him believe they had sex because she was obsessed with him.

 

This would explain A LOT!

I haven't been back watching long but sounds just like Sammi. And she did it to her sisters love. I right now like Abbi. While I haven't watched any of her shenanigans, Ben is a controlling pig. he has to be the murderer. He has to know where Abigail is 24-7. Someone like that is usually the bad guy. His father makes me see where he gets it. I returned watching to see Bo and I am also sick of watching him .was that Britta's sister. I remember that story line. I also like Aiden, actor and anyone who takes down a Dimera can't be all bad. I liked Tony Dimera wasn't Andre a killer ? I am getting old I forget a lot. All I have to say is after the anniversary show is over . I hope the writers can keep me wanting to watch.

Edited September 26, 2015 by testardo

[Happytobehere]

Thank you NBC-- The Pope in the US did not warrant coverage, but John B. retiring warrants 20 minutes of show time.

My thoughts based on what I was able to see:

1) New black cop is so Abe's never knew about daughter. See show, when your casting and storylines reflect your belief that it is still 1950, the new black character, obsessing over the basically sole black character (who is really just used as a plot device much like Maxine), Abe doesn't make us wonder or speculate. We know what this story is and will be and the only question left is how long will it be until new girl is written off, or relegated to the seldom seen best friend of (insert white character, most likely to be Pennywise, here).

2) TP is back and I love it. I don't care if he is Andre or Tony, I just love this guy. So he is now Stefano's son, not nephew? Naturally, his conversation with Stefano upon entering the room was among what was cut.

3) I loved Stefano busting Aiden. Aiden really must be stupid if he thought he could BS or threaten Stefano (play your position blondie). JM was so much like the Stefano of old, especially when he told Andre that for now, Aiden was more useful alive than dead in response to Andre offering to drop Aiden off the face of the earth.

4) We need not ever see that faux Britta actress again. Not only was her acting Pennywise levels of bad, she wasn't exactly easy on the eyes. At least the original, chemistry with no one, story drag , that was the real Britta was blandly pretty as she served no purpose (although I guess her purpose was to help integrate Steve into Salem until Kayla came along).

5) Adrienne seems more interested in Lucas than Justin, and I'm okay with that. If Justin and Adrienne are show end-game, he should have to work for forgiveness. You shouldn't get to cheat without consequence, Yes, I know this is a soap, and I sound ridiculous for saying that. Besides, Lucas deserves someone who actually wants to be with him. BD should not be stuck in the role of cast-off, or I'll settle for him guy.

6) I don't like the fact that they have Kayla softening towards Steve so soon. Make him earn his place in her life. Is the show having this softening because right now, so many of the men on the show are crappy and begging for forgiveness and another chance, soon to be increased by one with Bo's return that they figure it is easier to just have one of the multitude of Salem women just cave? Now I realize that Kayla isn't going to run into Steve's arms and remarry him the day he gets back, but I'm bothered by her seeming Team Steve approach. Although Kayla never managed to stay angry with Steve for more than five minutes, so I guess her stance is true to who she is.

7) I would have loved to see Kayla's conversation with Hope. I got the gist of it, but I hate being cheated out of connectivity scenes, now that we are getting them again. This is why I liked the scene with Adrienne reaching out to Kayla and the hugs. Kayla and Adrienne were close. Kayla was her first real friend and help her and Jo through the whole Duke mess; these two should be connected even with the split from Steve. I also liked knowing that Adrienne is aware of Steve being in Salem and she has been in contact with him.

8) No longer have a reason to be invested in Eve and Justin scenes. Too bad, as watching Adrienne drawn to Lucas and Justin drawn to Eve (as they try to work it out for their grown, nowhere in Salem sons) might have been an interesting story.

9) No Pennywise and Boob and no Taniel. Let the church say Amen because we know it will be all Pennywise and Boob for multiple days a week with the Boob is the killer story.

Edited because auto correct truly is the devil's minion.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Happytobehere

[tribeca]

Although Abigail is not my favorite character I don't hate her.  I did however find her cold when she found out about Paige.  Really felt her first concern would/should be for her brother not Chad.  Before I could not see why she was staying with Ben.  Right now I don't even see any love for Chad. JMHO this is a terrible love triangle.

   The only time I have really truly liked Abby is her scenes with Will and/or Teresa.

[LeftPhalange]

So what's Abifail's plan, to marry a man she doesn't want or love - because she thinks it's the 50s so she has to be married to the baby's father or else her stellar reputation will be ruined - while fucking Chad and other men on the side? Because if she marries Ben there's absolutely zero chance that she won't cheat on him throughout the entire marriage. She plans to spend the rest of her life lying to Ben by letting him think she's really in love with him and excited to be married and have a family with him. This is who the damn heroine of the show is supposed to be? The character who is getting insane amounts of screen time and is being propped to outrageous levels? Really? What a hateful piece of shit she is. Not that Ben doesn't deserve it for being a dumb delusional sack of shit himself (and now apparently a murderer), but still. Meanwhile, Chad is probably one step away from offering to be Abifail's side piece and begging her for sex in a supply closet. This triangle is almost as bad as the Sami/EJ/Abifail trash we got last year and even worse than the Chad/Cameron/Abifail one. Why do they keep putting this unappealing, unrootable, freak in triangles? And how many more times is Chad going to degrade himself by competing with other men for Abifail's diseased *love*? 

[Happytobehere]

I don't despise Abi and I like Kate Manzi when they write her something worth watching. My real life friends and family who watch, mostly feel the same way. I just get tired of arguing against the anti-Abi sentiment here, because it's usually expressed in name calling like "tramp," "Pennywise," or "Mob mistress,"or worse, rather than what she's doing right now. There's not really any way to engage in conversation with name calling, so to me, there's no point. Seemingly prevailing online sentiment doesn't convince me I don't enjoy the character or that I dislike the actress, so perhaps it's the same for the Days execs. I mean, I hate Sonny Corinthos (on GH)  with a passion, but I'm not going to go on the Sonny-loving Facebook pages and troll his fans, but I'm also not swayed by them.  

I have to say, at least here, when I do feel like disagreeing, I don't fear dying in flame war.

I own the referencing of Abigail as Pennywise. Sorry, but not only am I a big Stephen King fan, I recently finished my pretty much yearly rewatch of IT and not the non-human aspect, but the people in the town can't seem to see the truth of what is really there thing, reminds me of Abigail. I haven't actively watched some of her horrid acts, but hearing and seeing how established characters have been destroyed, corrupted and dumbed down to make this character the heroine/star of the show when I she just seems awful on every level is beyond me (look at her reaction to Paige's murder, no concern for the dead girl or her brother, it was all about her. Chad isn't guilty because he stood up for her). Now if she was the villainess of the show, I could get behind that. Do your dirt, scheme and be unabashed about it and I might feel you (I like Sami, Kate, Nicole, Stefano, Victor, Andr, Vivian, and the list goes on, not just on Days, but on other shows). But when you tell me that such an awful person is so AMAZING that Will, Kayla, Eric, etc turn against their family and compromise the law and their morals in support of her without seeing and being horrified by her wrong (hell, Kayla even blasted Stephanie for the ish she did, but she sides, with, supports above others and breaks the law in support of Abby, the daughter of her rapist), I've got a problem with the character, and the writing. IMHO, the situation isn't helped by KM's limits as an actress, but some characters I love are portrayed by actors who are not the next Bette Davis or Lawrence Olivier, but they earnestly work at portraying their character in ways that I find interesting.

My point being, I like your posts and respect your opinion. Feel free to scream you love Abby from the mountaintop and I will support you. If you can't tell by my posts, Kayla is one of my all time favorites. There are people here who can't stand her and actively wish ill to her, but I can support and thumbs up their posts, I just ignore the Kayla hate, which I understand based on what the writers have done. I just hope they will forgive and come to love her as I do. Who knows, I might one day grow to like her. I used to hate Kate like nobody's business but time heals.

[rustyspigot]

 

I did however find her cold when she found out about Paige

 

And she had a line about Chad not killing "those women". Cold indeed.

 

This mansion set better be amazing looking because I am sick of hearing about it.

[Apprentice79]

Thank you NBC-- The Pope in the US did not warrant coverage, but John B. retiring warrant 20 minutes of show time.

My thoughts based on what I was able to see:

1) New black cop is so Abe's never knew about daughter. See show, when you casting and storylines reflect your belief that it is still 1950, the new black character, obsessing over the basically sole black character (who is really just used as a plot device much like Maxine), Abe doesn't make us wonder or speculate. We know what this story is and will be and the only question left is how long will it be until new girl is written off, or relegated to the seldom seen best friend of (insert white character, most likely to be Pennywise, here).

2) TP is back and I love it. I don't care if he is Andre or Tony, I just love this guy. So he is now Stefano's son, not nephew? Naturally, his conversation with Stefano upon entering the room was among what was cut.

3) I loved Stefano busting Aiden. Aiden really must be stupid if he thought he could BS or threaten Stefano (play your position blondie). JM was so much like the Stefano of old, especially when he told Andre that for now, Aiden was more useful alive than dead in response to Andre offering to drop Aiden off the face of the earth.

4) We need not ever see that faux Britta actress again. Not only was her acting Pennywise levels of bad, she wasn't exactly easy on the eyes. At least the original, chemistry with no one, story drag , that was the real Britta was blandly pretty as she served no purpose (although I guess her purpose was to help integrate Steve into Salem until Kayla came along).

5) Adrienne seems more interested in Lucas than Justin, and I'm okay with that. If Justin and Adrienne are show end-game, he should have to work for forgiveness. You shouldn't get to cheat without consequence, Yes, I know this is a soap, and I sound ridiculous for saying that. Besides, Lucas deserves someone who actually wants to be with him. BD should not be stuck in the role of cast-off, or I'll settle for him guy.

6) I don't like the fact that they have Kayla softening towards Steve so soon. Make him earn his place in her life. Is the show having this softening because right now, so many of the men on the show are crappy and begging for forgiveness and another chance, soon to be increased by one with Bo's return that they figure it is easier to just have one of the multitude of Salem women just cave? Now I realize that Kayla isn't going to run into Steve's arms and remarry him the day he gets back, but I'm bothered by her seeming Team Steve approach. Although Kayla never managed to stay angry with Steve for more than five minutes, so I guess her stance is true to who she is.

7) I would have loved to see Kayla's conversation with Hope. I got the gist of it, but I hate being cheated out of connectivity scenes, now that we are getting them again. This is why I liked the scene with Adrienne reaching out to Kayla and the hugs. Kayla and Adrienne were close. Kayla was her first real friend and help her and Jo either the whole Duke mess; they two should be connected even with the split from Steve. I also liked knowing that Adrienne is aware of Steve being in Salem and she has been in contact with him.

8) No longer have a reason to be invested in Eve and Justin scenes. Too bad, as watching Adrienne drawn to Lucas and Justin drawn to Eve (as they try to work it out for their grown, nowhere in Salem sons)might have been an interesting story.

9) No Pennywise and Boob and no Taniel. Let the church say Amen because we know it will be all Pennywise and Boob for multiple days a week with the Boob is the killer story.

You rock as always..I love your post..I had some high hopes for the new regime, I am already tired of seeing Rafe all over the place. Days of our rafe is here to stay, since he is Dena's pet..Fucking Dena. that insipid woman does not inspire confidence and good storytelling..I hate the dark future for Wilson...Free Chad from Jar Jar and long live Cheresa..Why can't Chad get some scenes with Theresa....I remember in the past that the show would test different people to see who would spark with each other. I think that Chad and Theresa would be so good together..I hate Theresa with Brady and I hate Chad with Jar Jar..

Edited September 26, 2015 by Apprentice79

[bobcat1946]

You would think Dina would pair her pets, abigail and rafe.

[howmanywords]

Just because an actor isnt popular on particular message boards doesnt mean the fanbase they do have is strange. Maybe the fans of the actors who get hit with so much hate are afraid to post where their opinion thinking they may be laughed at.  Message board posts are a TINY fraction of overall opinions especially the ones that dont generate a ton of traffic among fans. Has anyone here ever gone to a Days fan event?  I attended 2 years in a row the big fan event at Universal CityWalk and it was glaring to see who's actually quite popular outside of message boards. For example  I use to be a regular at Daytime Royalty and just based on being there you would think Shawn Christian is hated by all Days fans..cut to reality - he had by far one of the longest lines for autographs. When I posted a recap of my experience of the event people thought I was joking about SC having such a huge line. What you see on message boards is not always the same outside of them. I'm pretty sure Kate has her share of fans too especially now with the Chad/Abby pairing becoming very popular

[Kitty Redstone]

The opinions on message boards surely are a fraction of actual opinion.  I'd venture to guess that the number of fans willing and able to attend fan events is even smaller.  After all, anyone with an internet connection can post here or any other message board.  A fan event requires proximity, money, time, and well, a slightly higher level of fanaticism.  But in any case, I really don't care about the prevailing opinions on message boards, facebook, twitter, etc., or even how nice an actor may be outside the studio (I read somewhere that SC is very nice to fans IRL).  What I care about is what I see on my screen, and I don't want to watch shitty actors like Kate Mansi.  And I especially don't want to watch shitty characters played by shitty actors like Kate Mansi get propped at the expense of interesting characters portrayed by superior actors.

[Apprentice79]

I like Will and I like Guy Wilson and he is hated on here and it does not bother me...I also frequent a Wilson board and they love Guy Wilson and will not tolerate any criticism of Will or Guy's acting....I have expressed my affinity for Will even though he is a douchebag and I have never felt attacked or belittled by anybody on here...I have expressed my dislike for Abigail and the orange doctor primarily because I feel that they have been propped to the heavens to the detriment of others....I think we are a fair bunch on here and we are open minded enough to realize that there are people who like Abigail and Daniel....We should be able to express for or against any character on the show without fear of ridicule..

Edited September 27, 2015 by Apprentice79

[howmanywords]

The fan event I'm talking about draws thousands of fans, I mean massive crowds.  There are the smaller events that will draw maybe a hundred people or so but CityWalk is HUGE. So I'd venture a guess that the major appearances like CityWalk may actually have a  bigger sampling than some message boards.  I actually think Days does look at feedback/opinions on the more larger scale of social media like Twitter/Facebook . Even as far as whether thinking someone is a crappy actor..IMO you arent going to please everyone. I think Guy Wilson is horrible yet I know Wilson fans who thinks hes amazing.

[Peanut6711]

But the fact remains that it appears that TPTB often care very little what the fans think nowadays, and that is very likely reflected in the ratings. So I'm doubting they rarely do take into account social media or fan event feedback.  Actors have said to have been let go because they didn't appeal to a specific group of writers or showrunners. Some actors seem to have been driven away because of storylines.  Right now Days is on the air for another year; it will make it's big 50th, but what happens after that?  When will the network or Corday finally throw in the towel?  If you're not putting your strongest actors front and center and you're not giving them the best material, then viewers are going to continue to come and go, just like the actors. Lately it's been a revolving door.  I'm sure there are many factors that contribute to that, but one of the big ones is characterization--largely a select few characters being propped and forced down viewers throats and other characters that are written differently than their previous characterization.   

 

And as far as KM goes, it certainly stands out that despite the low ratings and the various writing regimes that have changed, she remains front and center and continues to be propped. Why? Something just seems a bit fishy there. 

[buffynut]

Quote

   

 

Quote

    Who was the professor, btw?

 

 

Austin, Lucas's half brother/Sami's brother-in-law, was teaching at Salem U. She stripped off her clothes in his office when he was passed out drunk and left him believe they had sex because she was obsessed with him.

 

I loved Patrick Muldoon, but I can't picture Austin as a professor, as he wasn't always the brightest person in a room.  He was one of the best looking, though. LOL.

 

I have expressed my dislike for Abigail and the orange doctor primarily because I feel that they have been propped to the heavens to the detriment of others....I think we are a fair bunch on here and we are open minded enough to realize that there are people who like Abigail and Daniel....We should be able to express for or against any character on the show without fear of ridicule..

 

I agree that propping a character too much will turn me off them, especially if I'm on the fence about them to begin with. Several years ago, back when I only watched DOOL on holidays or if I was home sick, I saw Daniel and Jennifer at the Horton cabin when she had the appendix attack.  He was nervous about operating because of a twitch in his hand.   It was my first time seeing him and I liked him.  Flash foward to 2014/15 and he was in EVERY storyline giving his unwanted advice and treating Nicole, in particular, like a piece of dirt. The more I saw him, and it was almost everyday, the more I hated him.

 

Now Rafe, who I've liked whenever I've watched, is getting pushed into every storyline.  He's the lead investigator on the serial murder case even though he was just re-instated into the Salem PD, his sister is suddenly released from prison, his long-lost father shows up, and he is pursuing Hope as a love interest.  I fear before long I'm going to get sick of Rafe. Hopefully the actor has enough charm to ensure that doesn't happen.  Incidentally, I know almost nothing about Rafe's past, (he was involved with Sami, I think), so I'm watching as a new-ish viewer.

 

I also agree we should be able to express our likes and dislikes for a character without being ridiculed.  I liked Melanie, who almost everyone here hated.  And I liked Paige & JJ as a couple.  And I like Eric.  And Brady.

 

If the Abigail fans dare to poke their heads out from hiding, I would love to know what you like about the character.  Are you a fan of KM?  Or have you liked the character since she was a child?  Is there anything you wish the writers would have had her character do differently?  I would love to hear your side.

[LeftPhalange]

Even if KM were a competent actress and Abifail weren't rancid that still wouldn't justify the amount of screen time she gets and the level of propping that other characters have to do in her honor. Funny thing is, despite all of the screen time she gets she doesn't really do much. This isn't a character that drives stories. Her claim to fame is busting up two couples involving far more popular characters than her while those four actors did all of the heavy lifting. KM was just there doing whatever it is she does. Besides those two stories what else of importance has Abifail been involved in? She's currently in yet another lame triangle and offering minimal assistance to Chad. There are far more interesting characters that deserve to get more shine but Abifail is hogging most of it.

[teacake]

If the Abigail fans dare to poke their heads out from hiding, I would love to know what you like about the character.  Are you a fan of KM?  Or have you liked the character since she was a child?  Is there anything you wish the writers would have had her character do differently?  I would love to hear your side.

 

Sure... I used to post occasionally at TWoP and have been lurking here a little since S&K came back.

 

I actually wasn't a fan of Abby before Kate Mansi was in the role.  When I picked up the show again, Ashley Benson had started to phone it in, and that irritated me.  Over the last few years, I've warmed to KM's Abby because she is a conflicted person.  She has a strong conservative streak, with the virginity club and wanting to be married to the father of her baby, but is often drawn to act in ways that go against that.  The tension of that is interesting to me.  I also like that her sexuality doesn't fall into that "good girls don't (except for their one true love)" trap.  I don't think she's perfect, or meant to be seen that way.  And, I like KM's energy in her portrayal of her.  She's not a virtuoso actress, but I think she has very good chemistry with a lot of the cast, and that she usually managed to make something out of the tepid material before the writing change.

 

I do think she's been featured a little too heavily in the last few weeks, but I'm hopeful the show will work out some of these pacing kinks soon.

[oceanblue]

Those are great points, but it makes me realize that I don't see that tension.  To me I see hypocrisy, which is annoying, instead of inner conflict, which is interesting.  But I will try to look at it through your lens because it will make it more interesting.

[Apprentice79]

I could like Abigail if she were to pay for her misdeeds. If the show were to write her as an anti-heroine, she would be a better character...She is Duke Johnson's granddaughter, I don't expect her to be a saint. Jack was not a saint, but you guys know how much I love him. His flaws made him so interesting and intriguing..Jennifer dealing with a female version of her great love Jack would have been so much better...Abigail is not a heroine in my book, her mother Jennifer is a classic heroine...

 

The show should have let Sami destroy her and then slowly built  her up again..She would have been more sympathetic and self aware..I heard that Kate Mansi wanted the writers to write a story about Abigail's psyche to explain her misbehavior in the past concerning Austin and EJ and the writers told her No....Abigail has a history of mental illness in her  family on her mother's side and the horrible Johnson family legacy on her father's side..Imaginative writers could have come up with a character-driven story for Abigail, to not only redeem her, but also make her more rootable as a character...Don't tell us how wonderful Abigail is Ken Corday, show us via your writers...

Edited September 27, 2015 by Apprentice79

[shesajar]

I keep seeing that KM is dating a writer, but when I've tried to look it up, I get nothing. Is there any truth to this, or did someone just pull this out of the air n an attempt to justify all the airtime and it gained traction?

Years of having show favorites played by less than stellar actors shoved in my face have conditioned me in regards to Abby. Been there, done that, I guess. And in terms of soap sins, Abby's are relatively mild and she's shown at least snippets of self awareness (she's come clean about things she's done a few times, it's not her fault that other people don't hold her accountable or that she comes from a family that supports her unconditionally (or coddles, depending on your POV)), She'll never be one of my favorite characters, but I can't muster up the hate that some have. Even Nicole, who can walk on water as far as I'm concerned, is a raging hypocrite (see her conversation with Kate last week). I just assume that "hypocrite" is the default setting in Salem; it's just an acceptable thing to be there, so I don't hold it against anyone in particular.

As for the show....Guys! I am not fast forwarding! I mean, not at all. This has been going on for a good couple of weeks. It's nice, because that means I'm liking it, but it also kind of sucks because I used to allot about 20 minutes in the morning to watch the previous days episode, but now I can't squeeze it in until I actually have time to watch it through!

Edited September 27, 2015 by shesajar

[Peanut6711]

Those are great points, but it makes me realize that I don't see that tension.  To me I see hypocrisy, which is annoying, instead of inner conflict, which is interesting.  

Yes, me too. It's one of the biggest problems I have with her character--she comes off as a hypocrite. Not to mention whatever she does wrong, she's quickly absolved of and propped on a pedestal. It's bizarre when you consider that in most plots, her character would have played out a much different way. Typically, the mistress is the one that's shamed, not the fiance as in the case with Sami and EJ. And typically when your boyfriend is deranged and killing people as an outlet for your infidelity, you're the final victim, yet I seriously doubt the Necktie Killer plot will play out that way.   Abigail always comes out on top just like Daniel always plays the hero. It gets old fast.  Give me a villain that I love to hate or is so delicious that I root on their bad deeds over a prissy, self-righteous wannabe heroine any day.

[QuelleC]

Featuring the Abifail daily isn't a recent glitch, it's been going on for two freaking years for those of you who've happily just arrived.  Always glad for more viewers.

 

 

Besides those two stories what else of importance has Abifail been involved in? She's currently in yet another lame triangle and offering minimal assistance to Chad. There are far more interesting characters that deserve to get more shine but Abifail is hogging most of it.

 Yes, she's just a sheet stirrer whom nobody confides in.  I will never forget how she was supposed to be friends with Melanie and Stephanie way back when and it was about two years later she was let into the secret that Gabi hired the psychopath.  Nobody has ever trusted her with any information ever.

 

When I see mob mistress I know who we're talking about.  I have no idea what a pennywise is, I even googled it.  I'm responsible for Failure since we're fessing up.  If I use a nickname and it doesn't stick I stop. We might as well get over legacy child too since Jawn and now Abe seem to have some. 

 

I thought Andre or Tony was dead already?  It's the same actor, glad he's back. 

 

Still not buying Ben Doll as the killer, he's too stupid and Creepy has way too many reasons.  Those of you who frequent the spoilers are probably laughing so I try not to speculate so much here :)

 

Abifail.  So the killings were set up to fluff her?  So she can Stand With Chad for a whole week about it's us against the world?  And be justified in dropping the Ben Doll because he was the evil?  Terrible writing and there must be more to this....  Yet, we'll have a Jar Jar spawn to deal with.  As I said earlier, just get with the Chabby already.  The sooner it starts the sooner it ends.  Show has wanted a Horton/Dimera wedding for a long time yet I'm so sad every time Stefano shouts at Chad:  The Woman You Love!!!  

 

I think it was Will in a brief passing in the Horton Square who asked how she was and she babbled about herself and he said um, I was asking about the killings.  Cheeses.  It's like she never knew Paige. 

 

Abifail.  She's not only awesome she's sweet.  She's sooooo sweet.  Jenn even messed up a line by saying something like she's so sweet because she's sweet.  JFC

[Peanut6711]

Abifail.  So the killings were set up to fluff her?  So she can Stand With Chad for a whole week about it's us against the world?  And be justified in dropping the Ben Doll because he was the evil?  Terrible writing and there must be more to this....  Yet, we'll have a Jar Jar spawn to deal with.  As I said earlier, just get with the Chabby already.  The sooner it starts the sooner it ends.  

This! Exactly!.... is going to be my major problem with the Killer storyline. It all comes down to Miss Abifail. Bringing her center stage in another major storyline when there are so many more talented vets on the screen at the moment, plus giving her an absolution for her misdeeds once again when it comes out that Ben is crazy so it will be all okay that she was screwing Chad behind his back, not that she was the extra push to drive him over the edge.  

 

Agree too that the sooner she gets with Chad, the sooner it will be over because Abby's history points to a severe lack of commitment when the relationship isn't forbidden.  Now if the show would actually embrace this major psychosis of hers by bringing it to light and having others not brush it away, I might be interested to watch her for more than five minutes but as long as she exists to send the message that everything she does is okay because everyone else around her is evil, I have no interest in watching. 

[QuelleC]

 

Agree too that the sooner she gets with Chad, the sooner it will be over because Abby's history points to a severe lack of commitment when the relationship isn't forbidden.  Now if the show would actually embrace this major psychosis of hers by bringing it to light and having others not brush it away, I might be interested to watch her for more than five minutes but as long as she exists to send the message that everything she does is okay because everyone else around her is evil, I have no interest in watching.

Yes, and if Jenn had been shown to understand the psychosis with futile hope that a marriage (Jenn is known to be very conservative) would calm down Failure and tie her to someone who might curb said psychosis? And wanting it so badly she'd keep silent about Creepy?  Yet, Jenn has never had a serious discussion with Jar Jar other than to block her FB messages. 

 

ETA Oh yeah she gets the gift that is Chabby Baby in the end.  Cheeses, soap. With endless wealth and adoration.  Then she cheats on Chad with whom, Cameron?  Since Abe is getting a family again why not.

Edited September 27, 2015 by QuelleC

[LeftPhalange]

I'm so sad every time Stefano shouts at Chad:  The Woman You Love!!!  

 

Chad is in love with a bacteria infected wet dishrag.

 

ETA Oh yeah she gets the gift that is Chabby Baby in the end. 

 

That alien baby needs to be miscarried. I'm sorry, but the last thing Abifail needs is a baby and Chad doesn't deserve to be tied to her and the Hortons forever. Being a member of the Dimeria family is bad enough.