Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[Aymery]

Add me to those who appreciated Tripp's shirtless scene. I've a soft spot for blonde actors who are pretty rare on soaps (unlike blonde actresses of which we have lots). He's very easy on the eyes, looks even better out of his clothes, and I found him to be a solid actor too. Wish they had not made him Ava's son, although I do see the story potential in it. He could have have been one of Justin and Adrienne's older sons? And we could have used the opportunity to get rid of Sonny. Not enjoying his personality transplant, Freddie Smith is bringing nothing to this return, and the show not allowing Sonny and Paul to be intimate on screen is harming their romance. I feel bad for Christopher Sean.

I also don't think lesser of Julie for screeching about Gabi. Yes, I feel sorry for my eardrums but Gabi more than deserves it. She murdered a man in cold blood - shot him not once but 3 times - after we the audience knew he had resolved to reform - and got away with a slap on the wrist. Nothing Nick did earned him capital punishment, and in any case she is not in any position to be judge, jury and executioner. She set into motion an explosion which killed two people (one of whom was Abigail and JJ's father). I am frankly amazed that the other Hortons are so blase about Gabi, who is now on her fourth Horton male, having already had Will, Nick, JJ and now Eli - while holding a torch for another Horton's husband!

And no, JJ did not cheat on Gabi. Being taken advantage of while black-out drunk is not cheating - it's rape. If the genders had been reversed, if Lani had woken up naked with no memory of the night before except knowing she'd been sexually intimate, we would be calling it for what it was: rape. 

[boes]

Gabi's no prize, but Julie is worse.  She's a female Foghorn Leghorn without the smarts.

And she married Doug, her mother's husband.  There is no expiration on that particular ICK factor.  

Isn't Eli an FBI agent?  Not too good of one if he's buying what Julie is selling.

[kitmerlot1213]

Re:  Julie and Nick's talk:  Nick didn't resolve to reform, he paused for a moment with a confused look on his face while Julie was talking and then turned around, continuing to be hateful.

On today's episode, I loved Doug's reaction to Gabi's walking into Julie's hospital room:  "Hi Gabi!"  Doug's seems fine with the man-eater :):)  I liked Gabi's calling Julie out on her manipulation and  if she keeps it up, she'll drive Eli away and hopefully Julie will be self-aware enough to realize that's exactly what she did to David.  I'm also deeply troubled by Julie's assumption that a man isn't responsible for his actions in regards to women, that it's Gabi being a spiderwoman and somehow controlling men and pulling them into her web.  That is such a bizarre mindset.

And God help me, but I like Abby and I'm cheering her on to get her life together. I completely believe that this version of Abby wants to be independent and is smart enough and capable enough to get a job without anyone's help.  I could see this Abby being able to take care of herself and her son without having to rely on her mom.

[Mama No Life]

Is anyone concerned that Abby is making all of these life changing decisions without the help of a mental health professional?  I mean, considering her previous residence......as a loved one I would be seeing red flags everywhere.

[Apprentice79]

1 hour ago, boes said:

And she married Doug, her mother's husband.  There is no expiration on that particular ICK factor.  

To be fair, Addie was the interloper in that Doug/Julie romance. 

 

1 hour ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

Re:  Julie and Nick's talk:  Nick didn't resolve to reform, he paused for a moment with a confused look on his face while Julie was talking and then turned around, continuing to be hateful.

Before Gabi shot him in cold blood. He called Marlena about her recommending him to some doctors to get some help. Marlena has a history with Nick;s father. The show should have brought him to the show, when Nick was at his worst.  The show failed to make the Nick vs Will over Arianna,  an umbrella story that featured the Bradys and the Hortons.  It should have affected all of  them. I still remember how sweet and understanding Alice was to Marlena, after her affair with John was revealed at Belle's Christening.  Everybody had a point of view about the affair and reacted.  The Bradys reviled John and Marlena.  Consequently, Marlena has never really been as close to the Brady's as she was once. She used to  call Shawn and Caroline, mom and dad. That is how the storyline with Nick and Will should have been.   Their story was too isolated. Not to mention that I found it hard to believe that Lucas, Sami and Kate would let Nick get away with his plans to steal Will's baby. I remember how they fought like cats and dogs over Will.  Kate put Sami on death row over Will. She and Lucas tried to kill Sami in Italy over Will.

[JBC344]

As much as I find Julie annoying,  I have never had a problem with her not liking Gabi.  As bad as Nick was I don't think Gabi was "justified" in killing him in cold blood.  I don't care one way or the other but realistically there should be some tension with Gabi and the Horton's as a whole that there has never been.  I don't think every Horton should "hate" Gabi, but I do think that they dropped the ball with getting the nuance of what she did. 

They were able to do it with Hope killing Stefano in regard to Chad and Theo's conflicting feelings of missing their father/grandfather and recognizing how bad he was, and lets face it Nick was getting out of control but he didn't hold a candle to Stefano.

Also in regard to Gabi there was a point where she very much went along with Nick's plans and was a willing participant, until she wasn't.  I just think it is actually ok and far more realistic for Julie to hate Gabi, I just wish she was a lot more "structured" in her hatred rather than screaming every time Gabi came into the room.

[Apprentice79]

5 minutes ago, JBC344 said:

As much as I find Julie annoying,  I have never had a problem with her not liking Gabi.  As bad as Nick was I don't think Gabi was "justified" in killing him in cold blood.  I don't care one way or the other but realistically there should be some tension with Gabi and the Horton's as a whole that there has never been.  I don't think every Horton should "hate" Gabi, but I do think that they dropped the ball with getting the nuance of what she did. 

They were able to do it with Hope killing Stefano in regard to Chad and Theo's conflicting feelings of missing their father/grandfather and recognizing how bad he was, and lets face it Nick was getting out of control but he didn't hold a candle to Stefano.

Also in regard to Gabi there was a point where she very much went along with Nick's plans and was a willing participant, until she wasn't.  I just think it is actually ok and far more realistic for Julie to hate Gabi, I just wish she was a lot more "structured" in her hatred rather than screaming every time Gabi came into the room.

I also think that the Hortons not liking Gabi could have been an obstacle for her and JJ to overcome in their journey as a couple.  Not to mention that her selfishness and obsession led to Jack's death.  We all saw how Jack's death affected JJ deeply.  JJ struggling to get pass that could have been a good way, for him  to reconcile Jack's dark history and Gaby's as well. Since Dena does not do that type of in depth character analysis. JJ and Gaby were never developed.

[Silver Raven]

Jeez, Eli, way to be an asshole.

I love that Doug isn't buying Julie's bullshit.

Why does Abigail not want her mother to help her find a job, when she had no problem with getting her aunt Kayla to get her job back after Sami got her fired from the hospital?

OK, Kate, I see what you're doing there with Dario.

That was a weird way to end a Friday episode.

[Vyk]

9 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

In Julie Vs Gaby, I am team Julie.  I am in the minority and that is okay. I despise Gaby.

Gabi herself independent of Nick did some really terrible things younger Chad, getting involved with Andrew,

I have never held that against Gabi.  That was just the writers' stupid way of throwing someone else under the bus and sacrificing them at Melanie's altar at the time.  They'd done it to Nick, they'd done to Max, they'd done it to Stephanie, they'd done it to Nathan, and they'd started to do it to Abigail.  Gabi was just their latest victim.  So the Andrew stuff?  Not even gonna bat an eye at it.

Edited April 22, 2017 by Vyk

[boes]

Hot Dougity Doug!  He was great with ol' Foghorn today, really good.  Poor guy.  First he had Addie, sharp, funny, perceptive, then he ended up with Julie......  No wonder he plays the ukulele - most men would have taken to drink instead, long ago.

Doug shouldn't worry about Julie getting enough to eat.  She can always chew the scenery, that's never gotten old for her.  Or, we can always wait and see if she'd like to eat crow......nah that'll never happen.

I haven't watched a full episode in so long, before Nicole went on the run, but I enjoyed what I saw today.  The new Abby is good - I liked Abigail for the first time in forever, and also, for the first time, liked Jenn with her as well.

And Greg Vaughn is looking good!

Edited April 22, 2017 by boes

[Vyk]

I liked that Eli's anger at Gabi abated as soon as Sonny explained her side of the Nick situation.  At least he's going to keep an open mind now and realize that Julie is just too biased.

Liked Jennifer and Abigail's scenes, and Eric and Abigail's scenes, too.

Doug called Julie out as nicely as he could, but at least he suspected that Julie exaggerated how bad it was.

38 minutes ago, boes said:

First he had Addie, sharp, funny, perceptive, then he ended up with Julie.

I was born well after Addie died.  Exactly how was her character?  Mother of Vyk basically said she was a drip.  I take it that wasn't true?

[boes]

57 minutes ago, Vyk said:

I was born well after Addie died.  Exactly how was her character?  Mother of Vyk basically said she was a drip.  I take it that wasn't true?

It's such a long time ago, but I liked Addie, as much because of Patricia Barry, who played her as anything else.  I'm being a little snarky - no surprise - at Julie's expense, because Addie really took Doug away from Julie.  Oh, maybe it was more complicated than that but she wanted him even though she knew Julie was interested as well.  As I remember, she and Doug had a pretty decent marriage, though it didn't last long.

I remember Addie as smart, no push over, and IMO, not a drip.  But I also remember friends of mine who thought as your mother did.

One thing - she wasn't a loudmouth busybody like Julie.

[Frozendiva]

I too wonder why we don't see Abigail in any therapy/counselling sessions. Talking to her psychiatrist about her relationships with men, her previous boyfriend bed burning, whether she should simply remain in her marriage. And maybe work with Chad to 'take a break' to focus on regaining her health and stability. A couple months' worth of pills is not going to magically remove her problems - her addiction to 'bad boys' (EJ, Ben, etc.), where her violent tendencies come from, how she can stop repeating her pattern. Guess it's too much story. Not like Salem likes independent people - most folks seem to go to Nepotism 101 and get a job from the family.

Julie, shut up. Yes, your husband was right to put you in your place and let you know that your grandson was a grown man who has some life experience and can take care of himself. Your harping to your grandson about the big bad Gabi may simply turn him off you and he will seek out the real 'facts' and not your Juliefacts. Sonny telling Eli the facts about Nick and Gabi was good - some objectivity for a change.

Eric was right about Abs - Jenn, let her make her own life choices.

Nice of Kate to make some 'suggestions' to Dario about Abs.

Chad, you can supply some mimosas to me anytime.

[Vyk]

37 minutes ago, Frozendiva said:

Sonny telling Eli the facts about Nick and Gabi was good - some objectivity for a change.

That was good, but I don't know if it qualifies as objectivity.  He was one of Nick's victims, too.

[Frozendiva]

1 hour ago, Vyk said:

That was good, but I don't know if it qualifies as objectivity.  He was one of Nick's victims, too.

At least he wasn't referring to Nick as an amazing person. Julie seems to overlook that Nick had serious mental health issues.

[Bwill3133]

That was the nicest way to call anyone out I've seen Doug. Your wife faked a heart attack to keep her adult grandson away from a woman. She might be a little off her rocker. Her hating Gabi is fine with me even though I like Gabi because one Horton does have to be angry. It makes more sense for it to be Julie. But screeching every time Gabi breathes in the same direction as you or a male family member is a little much. 

Eli is quick to get angry and be self righteous. He really is a Horton! At least he apologized. I liked that Sonny told him the other version of Nick. No one that ever talks about him is going to be free of bias so the stories have a lot of sides. 

Abigail does seem to want her independence. I think she could do that still married to Chad but she's going to do it her way. MM is really good it makes me forget how much I couldn't stand Abby before. Good for her. 

[Silver Raven]

Wasn't Abigail legally declared dead?  That should mean that she and Chad are not legally married any more.

[mj2000]

3 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Wasn't Abigail legally declared dead?  That should mean that she and Chad are not legally married any more.

I have been wondering this myself.

[DisneyBoy]

...and isn't faking your death seen as a crime?

[Frozendiva]

11 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

...and isn't faking your death seen as a crime?

Probably quite low on the Salemites' criminal behaviour and getting away with almost everything!

[Vyk]

On ‎4‎/‎22‎/‎2017 at 4:26 PM, Silver Raven said:

Wasn't Abigail legally declared dead?  That should mean that she and Chad are not legally married any more.

That can be reversed if the person in question turns up alive, but from what I understand, it takes quite a lot of legal work to do that.

[nilyank]

Quote

That can be reversed if the person in question turns up alive, but from what I understand, it takes quite a lot of legal work to do that.

They should have use that as the reason that they were actually getting married rather than renew their vows. Everything else that happened with Chad and Abby could have still happened with Abby stopping the ceremony. That way they wouldn't be legally married now. Increase the sakes when they finally do get back together.

[BoldDays]

Agreed that having the marriage over may have helped. At the moment the drama in this story is based on what? Abigail walking out due to a decade-old yearbook note?!? It's nonsensical. Plus, as much as I like the Chad/Gabi chemistry, I'm starting to see more interesting story with Gabi/Eli. So at this point the Chad/Abigail/Gabi triangle feels forced and a little dull. 

Edited April 24, 2017 by BoldDays

[swtrgrl]

It's all so dull. All of it. Meh. 

[worleybird]

Billy Flynn really needs to cut back on all the stammering. He's sounding more and more like Ellen DeGeneres. If the directors are telling him to stammer they need to be fired.

[FnkyChkn34]

On 4/20/2017 at 7:55 PM, WendyCR72 said:

Julie is annoying to the nth degree. Still, I despise Gabi (and, no, this is not because of Abby; this version is just there. KM's was awful...), so even if it is a shrill hypocritical harpy like Julie making Gabi miserable, I'll still gladly take it.

UO? Maybe, but I'm happy at my table of one!  :-)

I'm happy to join you there, if you want company.  I can't stand Gabi, and never have.  The rat in the salad and fake stalker story did her in and I've never been able to change my mind.

On 4/20/2017 at 8:16 PM, Mama No Life said:

I didn't know people didn't like Billy Flynn!   I missed several years and only returned when the old couples did, but I had forgotten there was another Chad.  I LOVE BF....I think he's way too good for this show.

I don't dislike Billy Flynn and he's a good actor, but Casey Deidrick really made Chad his own, in my opinion.  Tall, hot, and able to go toe to toe with James Scott's EJ.  BF just doesn't fit in for me.

[SanLynn]

What was the point of the semi-ominous music over the last shots of Chad, Abby and Gabi? That was just so cheesy I actually laughed out loud.

Are we supposed to see that as the ending of the triangle and beginning of Chad/Abby working their way back to each other or was it signaling there's another hostage situation in the offing?

Edited April 24, 2017 by SanLynn

[swtrgrl]

32 minutes ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

I don't dislike Billy Flynn and he's a good actor, but Casey Deidrick really made Chad his own, in my opinion.  Tall, hot, and able to go toe to toe with James Scott's EJ.  BF just doesn't fit in for me.

I'm the opposite. I never bought Casey's Chad as anything other than some hot teenager. He could never have done any of this heavy stuff that Billy has had to do, IMO.

The ending today was stupid. 

[FnkyChkn34]

10 minutes ago, swtrgrl said:

I'm the opposite. I never bought Casey's Chad as anything other than some hot teenager. He could never have done any of this heavy stuff that Billy has had to do, IMO.

We'll never know; he wasn't given the chance.  Casey's gone on to do other projects, and although I haven't seen him in any of them, I always got the impression that he was a much better actor than the writing was allowing him to be.

[WendyCR72]

59 minutes ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

I'm happy to join you there, if you want company.  I can't stand Gabi, and never have.  The rat in the salad and fake stalker story did her in and I've never been able to change my mind.

Join me! Always can use the company!

[Apprentice79]

59 minutes ago, WendyCR72 said:

Join me! Always can use the company!

Cool, save me a seat at your table.

[DisneyBoy]

Quote

I'm the opposite. I never bought Casey's Chad as anything other than some hot teenager. He could never have done any of this heavy stuff that Billy has had to do, IMO.

I agree. I miss the laid-back anti-corporate vibe Casey had, but Billy delivered some big scenes I can't imagine Casey doing better with (convincing Stefano not to kill Marlena, watching Abby lose her mind, etc).

Edited April 24, 2017 by DisneyBoy

[Silver Raven]

Is VI wearing a cast on his hand for the show, or did he hurt himself IRL?

I guess there's only one gorgeous blonde in all the world, and therefore she would stick out in Canada.

Aw, there's the bitchy Abigail we all know and loathe.  Chad trying to show his love by spending his money makes him look like Stefano?  Really?

Why would Eli ask Gabi out for lunch then tell her she doesn't need to be there?  Then don't ask her out. And I don't think you need to tell Gabi about the excellent gelato at the place that her father owns.

What is it with this Show and muffins?

Are there mountains in Manitoba?

Jeez, now they have Holly hyperventilating as badly as Thomas does.  I'm not a baby expert, but I can't imagine that babies sound like that.

Damn, so Wyatt's a dick, huh?

Heh.  Interesting ending.

[FnkyChkn34]

6 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Are there mountains in Manitoba?

Jeez, now they have Holly hyperventilating as badly as Thomas does.  I'm not a baby expert, but I can't imagine that babies sound like that.

All of the babies sound like they are either asthmatic or have pneumonia.  Bothers me so much!  We don't need to hear the kid breathing to pretend that doll in the crib is real.  We get it; we'll imagine on our own.

[Sidney]

2 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

Join me! Always can use the company!

It doesn't help that she's never been a strong actress.

[Frozendiva]

The mountains in Manitoba would be pimples compared to the Rockies near where I live (well, a 4-5 hour drive west). There are some, with Mt. Baldy being the most famous.

Perhaps the show recycled Hilary's muffins for Maggie's basket.

Canada is home to many beautiful blondes. Unless Nicole was glammed up, she wouldn't stick out. Maybe it's the writers' unfamiliarity with Canada.

Shades of the old Abs are starting to surface. Why would she want to work at the police station? Her shrink should be maybe encouraging her to do something part-time. And if she is not receiving regular sessions with a shrink, she should be!

Gabi, just wait around for a bit.

Theo is feeing Wyatt info to be Ciara's ideal boyfriend?

[bannana]

Yeah, no mountains in Manitoba, certainly not anything even hilly where the fugitives are located.  You would have to drive many hours west of the Winnipeg area to reach actual mountains.    Like 14 hours.  I've done it.  Why are they so stupid, when this is simple stuff?  And I love the concept that Deimos thinks Nicole is the only beautiful blonde in Canada!!!!

[annabel]

I totally do not get the Theo/Wyatt thing.

[DanaMB]

3 hours ago, annabel said:

I totally do not get the Theo/Wyatt thing.

It feels like the writers changed their minds mid-storyline and decided on this lame way to go instead of something more sinister.

[Bwill3133]

The Abigail I loathed finally made an appearance. I knew she was underneath this new "mature" Abby. Trying to buy your love and comparing Chad to Stefano and EJ? Nice. Also thank you Chad for pointing out that renewing your vows was HER idea. I thought so but I couldn't remember. So after she reads a decade old yearbook entry she breaks things off at the alter. Abigail's reasons are valid but her timing was terrible. I see Chad and Gabi's chemistry and wouldn't mind them together right now but I'm actually starting to become interested in her and Eli. 

This Theo reveal as Wyatt's help seems like a quick rewrite just like Kate was responsible for Tate's kidnapping. As if they switched to Theo at the last minute. 

With Deimos looking for them Nicole and Brady's happiness isn't going to last too long. Random thought I had during their scene is after a while aren't Kim and Shane going to wonder where their grandson is? 

[swtrgrl]

Casey and Chandler were brought on to be the teen scene; nothing beyond the teen dramas with girls and parents, etc... really. They didn't even know Chad was a Dimera at that point. They were just supposed to be Chad and Will...then they did the Dimera stuff for Chad (too heavy for Casey, imo) and the coming out for Will (handled wonderfully by Chandler).  - responding to previous page.

WRT: Theo/Wyatt

What the hell, writers? Seriously? 

Edited April 25, 2017 by swtrgrl

[Silver Raven]

Why did they rerun the scene from yesterday of Nicole and Brady getting hot and heavy before escaping into the bedroom?

Is Deimos planning on holding Nicole hostage until she falls in love with him?

Where's the scar from Brady's heart surgery?

Oh, God, is Abigail going to get harassed by Raines?

Is the Martin House B&B renting out rooms full time, or is Paul planning on running it?

Sonny has really become a dick.

It skeeves me out that Sal Stowers did a human trafficking storyline in the AMC reboot.  Are they stereotyping her?

[Vyk]

Was that Coleman from GH with whom Lani was meeting?

[DanaMB]

46 minutes ago, Vyk said:

Was that Coleman from GH with whom Lani was meeting?

Looked like it to me.

[annabel]

Coleman! I knew I knew him from GH, but could not think of his name. But why did Lani drink champagne from a bottle that was already open when she walked into the room, especially since he didn't. That is like the most unsafe thing to do ever.

[Frozendiva]

Brady had a good plastic surgeon - so no scar. LOL. He should have a giant reddish scar on his chest or on his back - depending on how the transplant occurred. He must also have gone to a grocery store or flower shop to get the petals for the bed.

Winter does end in Canada!

Why would Abigail want to work in a stress-filled environment that is the police station? If she is still on meds and such, she can work but to work maybe part-time to ease in to a full-time schedule. Seems like none of her actions towards EJ or Ben or whomever have stuck - a couple months of the right pills, little to no counselling and delving in to what made her want to burn her ex-boyfriend alive along with her other self-destructive behaviour is just.... gone. Doesn't work that way. Why would Raines want to hire yet another Deveraux? To see if he can use Abs to get the deets on Chad and the DiMeras?

Did Lani actually drink any of the spiked champagne or just pretend to not feel good to trick her new prospective pimp?

[boes]

8 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Is the Martin House B&B renting out rooms full time, or is Paul planning on running it?

I thought Kate bought the Martin place from Doug and Foghorn, kicked out all the guests immediately and then turned it into her private residence.  Where, if I remember correctly, Clyde tried to kill her....

Speaking of the Martin residence, has Julie told Eli yet that his real grandfather was David Martin, not Scott Bannon? 

Edited April 26, 2017 by boes

[swtrgrl]

Oh good grief that is all so convoluted. I can NOT wait for the writing changes to show up. I'm holding out hope he can start to fix this stuff. 

[BlackMamba]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 

SERIOUSLY HIGLEY. 

THIS BETTER NOT BE ANOTHER FUCKING RAPE. 

IF SO, I DEFINITELY SEE WHY HIGLEY WAS ULTIMATELY FIRED NOW.  IT WASN'T BECAUSE SHE'S TELLING BORING ASS SOAP. 

THIS BITCH AND HER RAPE STORIES. 

THIS WILL BE NUMBER 3 IN OVER A YEAR

?STEVE AND AVA

?CIARA AND CHASE

? LANI AND SNAKE

UGH UGH UGH. 

[DisneyBoy]

I'm sorry but did anybody else listen to Lani's description of someone having sex with her without her expressed consent and think "....karma!"

I know we're not supposed to think of her and JJ's romp as rape, but if he wasn't able to tell what he was doing and couldn't remember any of it afterwards and she knew this the whole time...doesn't it basically constitute rape as well?

(I'm not hoping that Lani was raped mind you. In all honesty I ignored her scenes in today's episode.)

What really galls me is that I just heard Chad say "okay - stealing!" Really? Really Dena?! Chad is now going to become a criminal? Just because Kate told him so? And why the hell does Kate want Chad to steal anyways? She never did this in her other businesses as far as I can tell...and what kind of business is this?? Stealing artifacts from foreign countries and selling them for profit? Wasn't the whole point of this plotline to expose Deimos' criminal activities and have him sent back to jail legitimately rather than exacting revenge? Why didn't they just do that?!? Why didn't they just go to the police with evidence that Deimos was stealing artifacts and selling them?

It is totally laughable that Abigail is being presented by Kate as Chad's conscience. Abigail is a twit and a self-serving one at that. The show can never make me forget that, no matter how politely Marci Miller plays this character.

I just can't believe Higley would want to take down Chad. I guess it's one thing to corrupt Sonny a little bit since Victor is still alive and overseeing the enterprise but Chad was supposed to be the only good DiMera left.

In the hands of a better writer one might think that this was a fake-out designed to thrill us audience members into thinking that Chad was going to the dark side when he really isn't. Here, I just assume Dena doesn't give a crap and will happily trash Chad's almost 10-year character history in order to pull off some cheap shocking twist. She doesn't understand character growth at all.

Edited April 26, 2017 by DisneyBoy