Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[TenaciousWarrior]

With Chanel snarking that Lani was the “perfect” daughter while she was a “screw up”, it made me think of the original Sami/Carrie dynamic. I wonder if Chanel’s jealousy will be an ongoing thing.

[Peanut6711]

I realize this whole storyline is retcon, but shouldn't Abe and Lani also be pissed/mad/betrayed by Tamara too when it all comes out? Why did she ever say Abe was Lani's father? If she was going to go along with it to protect Lani from a abusive biological father, she could have just said it was a ONS and she didn't know what happened to the dude or he was someone who had passed away. Are we supposed to believe that Paulina forced her to say it was Abe? 

Edited November 18, 2021 by Peanut6711

[Frozendiva]

Mardevil was sure happy to give Chanel all the ammo she needs. Manipulating a lost young girl. Under the guise of oh, keep this quiet. She knew that Chanel is jealous and insecure and bam, this will cause a lot of damage. How fun to be in a church - why not the park or a nice hotel venue - and talking about 'God' and such.

Nice to see Marla Gibbs again.

Paulina's dress would have been better if it was more of a chic solid and not lace. The hair should have been done. Lani's dress seemed weird with the print, Chanel's was the nice pink, and Paulina's the young lace look.

Of course no one has heard from John. Why do people keep bringing up Hattie? Go back a few years, Kayla. Granted you weren't in Salem for the possession story.

Will Abe keep that cane as a souvenir once he heals from the surgery? Or will he now have to regularly use it?

Chanel was a bit grumpy - from having the chat with Mardevil, to baking and lugging a 3 layer cake to the reception and having too much to do.

Kate's suit was nice. But why do only a handful of folks attend Salem weddings these days (besides Covid)?

[Pearson80]

14 minutes ago, Peanut6711 said:

I realize this whole storyline is retcon, but shouldn't Abe and Lani also be pissed/mad/betrayed by Tamara too when it all comes out? Why did she ever say Abe was Lani's father? If she was going to go along with it to protect Lani from a abusive biological father, she could have just said it was a ONS and she didn't know what happened to the dude or he was someone who had passed away. Are we supposed to believe that Paulina forced her to say it was Abe? 

What annoys me  the most about this story other than throwing Tamara under the bus, is why is this retcon being done for a stupid character like Lani.   

[Frozendiva]

35 minutes ago, Peanut6711 said:

I realize this whole storyline is retcon, but shouldn't Abe and Lani also be pissed/mad/betrayed by Tamara too when it all comes out? Why did she ever say Abe was Lani's father? If she was going to go along with it to protect Lani from a abusive biological father, she could have just said it was a ONS and she didn't know what happened to the dude or he was someone who had passed away. Are we supposed to believe that Paulina forced her to say it was Abe? 

I'd feel conned and used and disrespected. Admit the one night stand and not just plunk any dude happening by as the daddy. Abe really should have had a paternity test done for everyone's sake. If Abe wanted to be a father figure or stepfather, fine.

[boes]

Rhetorical question, I know, but what Catholic church allows itself to be used for a wedding that's officiated by anyone other than an ordained priest or a deacon?

That's all I got from today's show.

[Frozendiva]

Churches that have hit hard financial times? It should be an actual Catholic priest marrying Abe. Maybe he gets a break because he is Mayor, is a widower, makes huge donations, etc.  They could get married at Paulina’s apartment, rent an Airbnb location, or other Salem home.

[TenaciousWarrior]

I love Kate and Roman together.

[boes]

1 hour ago, TenaciousWarrior said:

I love Kate and Roman together.

I agree.  Those two were the best part of Show today.

[nilyank]

6 hours ago, Peanut6711 said:

I realize this whole storyline is retcon, but shouldn't Abe and Lani also be pissed/mad/betrayed by Tamara too when it all comes out? Why did she ever say Abe was Lani's father? If she was going to go along with it to protect Lani from a abusive biological father, she could have just said it was a ONS and she didn't know what happened to the dude or he was someone who had passed away. Are we supposed to believe that Paulina forced her to say it was Abe? 

Did Tamara say that Abe was Lani's father. I thought that Lani went investigating to see who her mother was dating around the time that Tamara would have gotten pregnant and Lani came looking for Abe.

Abe never asked for a dna test. He should have known that he was not Lani's father as he had never slept with Tamara. 

[DisneyBoy]

Wait....he never slept with Tamara?

They discussed Lani though at the wedding where she bailed on Eli.

(Obviously that was pre-Paulina and this dumb retcon)

[peachmangosteen]

11 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

But why do only a handful of folks attend Salem weddings these days (besides Covid)?

Money lol.

[Peanut6711]

9 hours ago, nilyank said:

Did Tamara say that Abe was Lani's father. I thought that Lani went investigating to see who her mother was dating around the time that Tamara would have gotten pregnant and Lani came looking for Abe.

Abe never asked for a dna test. He should have known that he was not Lani's father as he had never slept with Tamara. 

I took a break from the show about the time Lani showed up in town so I don't know how they explained/confirmed she was his daughter; however, I was watching during Marilyn McCoo's original run as Tamara in the mid '80s. She was seeing Abe plus had some guy from her past who showed up. Seem to recall he was someone either not on the up and up or intimidating based off the way Tammy behaved around him so not sure why he wouldn't have been a baby daddy contender in theory as far as Lani was concerned. Then again, given Lani's shitty investigative skills, I suppose we shouldn't be surprised she didn't uncover him.  

[peachmangosteen]

Team Paulina tbh. I think they're all making too big of a deal out of this. She had a child with a bad man that she was afraid of so her family decided to have her sister take the baby in as her's. And then her mother and sister are the ones who made sure she never told Lani the truth. And she doesn't appear to have had anything to do with Tamara's bizarre decision to claim Abe was Lani's dad. 

Theo was a dick to Chanel for no reason. So bizarre.

The John/Susan scenes were fun as hell. DH killed that.

[WendyCR72]

9 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Money lol.

Yep. The budget is nowhere near its 1980s zenith. More like local school play level now.

[CanaryFan98]

13 hours ago, nilyank said:

Did Tamara say that Abe was Lani's father. I thought that Lani went investigating to see who her mother was dating around the time that Tamara would have gotten pregnant and Lani came looking for Abe.

Abe never asked for a dna test. He should have known that he was not Lani's father as he had never slept with Tamara. 

Abe/Tamara used to be a couple so yes they slept together. 

He wouldn't have believed Lani otherwise..

35 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Team Paulina tbh. I think they're all making too big of a deal out of this. She had a child with a bad man that she was afraid of so her family decided to have her sister take the baby in as her's. And then her mother and sister are the ones who made sure she never told Lani the truth. And she doesn't appear to have had anything to do with Tamara's bizarre decision to claim Abe was Lani's dad. 

Theo was a dick to Chanel for no reason. So bizarre.

The John/Susan scenes were fun as hell. DH killed that.

I get why Paulina lied and it isn't her fault Abe was dragged into it that was Tamara.

Where she was wrong was that she kept this from Abe while still being involved with him. I think if she trusted him with this and Abe agreed to keep it a secret it could've been a nice twist and added more drama to this. 

Also I stopped by sympathetic when she accused Chanel of being a liar and I thought that was terrible of her. it made me wish for more exploration of the Chanel/Paulina dynamic as Paulina seems to think the worst of her. 

[Retired at last]

20 hours ago, Pearson80 said:

What annoys me  the most about this story other than throwing Tamara under the bus, is why is this retcon being done for a stupid character like Lani.   

I don't think they are retconning it for Lani. I think they are doing it for Jackee Harry/Paulina to beef up her role. Maybe they didn't know how long they would be stuck with her, I mean how long she would be staying?

[DanaMB]

2 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Theo was a dick to Chanel for no reason. So bizarre.

He really was. 

[TenaciousWarrior]

I’m sorry, but Sal Stowers is bad at showing emotion. Her acting was subpar during all these “Lani finds out” scenes.

[Artsda]

So Theo wanted Chanel to let the wedding happen. Continue to allow the lie. He was horrid to her when she was the only one telling the truth. 

Guess shouldn't be surprised considering he's the one who tried to marry an amnesiac asap who everyone knew would leave him if she got the memories back. 

[Pearson80]

4 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Team Paulina tbh. I think they're all making too big of a deal out of this. She had a child with a bad man that she was afraid of so her family decided to have her sister take the baby in as her's. And then her mother and sister are the ones who made sure she never told Lani the truth. And she doesn't appear to have had anything to do with Tamara's bizarre decision to claim Abe was Lani's dad. 

Theo was a dick to Chanel for no reason. So bizarre.

The John/Susan scenes were fun as hell. DH killed that.

Same here, Tamera was the one who created this mess by telling Lani that Abe was her dad.  Tamera in character would not have done this.  Ron loves to write characters out of character to push his agenda or his pet. His pet is Paulina so he had to trash Tamera's character.

[boes]

That's too bad about Marilyn McCoo's Tamara character getting trashed this way.  This would have been the perfect wedding for to appear and sing her "Wedding Bell Blues" hit.

Seems like a win-win for Abe, though.  In one day he gets rid of Paulina, Lani and the blanket babies.

If MarDevil really wants to punish John, forget about Kristen and make him fall for Susan.

We had a day with no Ciara or Ben, no Gwen or Jack, no Ava or Rafe.  That alone puts this episode in the Win category.

[Frozendiva]

Paulina should have told Abe the truth *before* she married him. Granted, there wouldn't be the usual Salem wedding drama. No need for Chanel, who just heard the information herself, to share it at that moment. Mama Paulina sure has Doc's number. I do admire the older black women who go back to the days of supersitition. They can sense what is up.

Lani, I understand your anger and devastation that you have been lied to for your entire life. However, there are a lot of kids who grow up with having one parent and have never met or known their dad. Divorced, the father refused to acknowledge them, spending their lives in the military and are away from home, etc. Yeah, it hurt you a lot to not have a dad, but the actress just wasn't really selling it. Eli will get to experience things with his daughter.

Theo, you had no business calling out Chanel like that. Show a little empathy for her. She now has a sister that she knew nothing about and her whole family is in pieces. You were all set to marry Ciara, who had lost her memory, and fast, before she got it back.

Maybe Paulina and Abe will still get married. She can save the dress.

John was funny when he told Susan to shut up and that her hollering could wake the dead. Too bad that the hairpin trick didn't work on the lock and that Mardevil couldn't get out of the church fast enough. Poor John must really need to use the bathroom right now or must smell pretty bad. I didn't realize that CatSusan peed on him.

Roman, why give your date clam chowder when she is wearing a nice outfit. Let her change first.

[DisneyBoy]

1 hour ago, Frozendiva said:

Maybe Paulina and Abe will still get married. She can save the dress.

No offense to Jackee, but the poor woman can't fit in it. She doesn't look like she can fit into any of her wardrobe options without three sets of spanx to corset her in there. She always looks uncomfortable and compressed. So she doesn't do yoga - who cares? Can't they find her something comfortable to wear?

I gave up after five minutes today. It's all so stupid. The devil wants to break up Abe and his fiancee? What's next...leaving Allie and Chanel a bad Yelp review?

Just the sight of Mar in another freaking blazer with the collar turned up performing a wedding while possessed by Satan in supposedly the same church she once desecrated? Huh!?!

[MsTree]

2 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

Can't they find her something comfortable to wear?

No, because how do you make a muu-muu sexy?🤷‍♀️

[buffynut]

15 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

The John/Susan scenes were fun as hell. DH killed that.

I think that's the best acting DH has done in a long time.   Really good job. I LOL'd a lot.

9 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

I didn't realize that CatSusan peed on him.

I didn't realize that either.  Ewwwww  

[brisbydog]

I have never hated this Theo before because I did not care about him coming between Cin, but the way he went off on Chanel yesterday had me seething. Did he really want his dad marrying somebody who was LYING to him about something this big? What is that part of the wedding ceremony for if not for somebody to bring up relevant information that one of the marrying parties should know prior to making a commitment?

 

[Peanut6711]

Agree Theo acted like a dick.  

Also I don't understand why Big Mama or Paulina didn't finish explaining the story at the church. Instead of leaving it as a "family decision" how about telling everyone why they did it and who Lani's real father was. And on that note, why in the world wouldn't Lani have asked!?

[kitmerlot1213]

17 hours ago, TenaciousWarrior said:

I’m sorry, but Sal Stowers is bad at showing emotion. Her acting was subpar during all these “Lani finds out” scenes.

The show keeps giving SS these emotional storylines and she has been utterly lacking in each and everyone,  Lani looked slightly annoyed in today's scenes but I have a feeling she was supposed to be emotionally devastated.

 

[RunningMarket]

I've been working in the office most of this week, so missed the big reveal of Paulina's secret. However, I think I'm leaning #TeamPaulina here. She was forced into this decision for the safety of her child. She was told repeatedly by her sister and mother not to tell anyone. But the fault lies entirely with Paulina (as judged by Salemites?) 

Why does this show insist on biology being the only way you can be connected to someone on a family level?

[RedElf]

Lani's a cop.  Arrest her for assault. It might even qualify as elder abuse.

Aw, Chanel, It's time you learned that all weddings in Salem are disasters.

When this devil crap is all over, John needs to have a sit down with Abe about loving kids who aren't yours,

 

[Peanut6711]

I wonder if Hallmark makes a card for a grown women who finds out that her father who she's only known for six years isn't her dad?  Something that says, "I'm sorry you're shocked, but no childhood daddy is better than being raised by an abusive control freak. Oh and btw, your real mama was in Miami when this faux daddy story came about so bitch slap your fake-mama/real aunt next time."

The real sympathy card should go to Abe. He's lived in the same town, of which he's the mayor, for 40 years and only 2 friends show up at his wedding! Plus after all these years in Salem and he foolishly believed the ceremony would go off w/out a hitch. 

Eventually Abe and Paulina owe Chanel a thank you card. It might have been a hassle to get a Satan officiated wedding annulled. 

Did someone send satanic Kristin 1.0 a "if at first you don't succeed, try...try again" card? Pretty sure that seduction scene felt like a rerun from a few days ago.

Edited November 19, 2021 by Peanut6711

[CanaryFan98]

8 hours ago, brisbydog said:

I have never hated this Theo before because I did not care about him coming between Cin, but the way he went off on Chanel yesterday had me seething. Did he really want his dad marrying somebody who was LYING to him about something this big? What is that part of the wedding ceremony for if not for somebody to bring up relevant information that one of the marrying parties should know prior to making a commitment?

 

That made no sense to me but that's par for the course on this show. If anything based on what we've seen of these characters Chanel would've lied easily and Theo would've wanted the truth. I could see Theo's POV if this whole thing reminded him of his failed wedding to Ciara.

[FilmTVGeek80]

Not Team Paulina. All this, but her mom and Tamara made her lie. No. She's a grown woman and can make her own choices. I get why she initially made the decision and agreed to Tamara's demands, but once Lani got older, she should have told her the truth and she certainly shouldn't have gotten involved with Abe knowing the secret she had. Especially since she already lied to both of them about something huge and they both forgave her with the caveat that she not lie to them again. Yet, she still went on doing it.

I don't think Theo was an ass for yelling at Chanel. I don't think he wanted his father lied to for the rest of his life, but having something like that come out publicly just makes the situation worse. Yeah, I know they have that line in the wedding vows - which is galactically stupid - about "speak now" but it's still not a great time to announce something so private. The audience knows that she was compelled to do it because devil!Marlena, but Theo didn't. Plus, Theo has his own history with Chanel that probably informed his reaction.

[peachmangosteen]

I skipped all the scenes involving Eli, Lani, and Abe because they’re all boring as hell and I don’t like Theo, Paulina, or Roman enough to suffer through the dullness of them lol.

I also skipped the John/Kristen scenes because I don’t really give a shit and also it’s kind of embarrassing.

The Chanel/Johnny scenes were good. I like both of them separately and I think they’re good together.

[boes]

I don't understand why Lani is angry with Paulina. After all, Paulina has the perfect defense, one that Lani has stood up for time after time after time when excusing Kristen's crimes.

Paulina is a MOTHER.  What more defense than that should she need for Lani?

ETA - I like Roman, but his hand gestures are becoming even more manic.  When he was talsking to Abe today, I felt like, any minute, he was going to pull a rabbit out of a hat or pull a quarter from behind Abe's ear.

Somebody get than man a puppet!

 

Edited November 20, 2021 by boes

[DisneyBoy]

51 minutes ago, boes said:

I don't understand why Lani is angry with Paulina. After all, Paulina has the perfect defense, one that Lani has stood up for time after time after time when excusing Kristen's crimes.

Paulina is a MOTHER.  What more defense than that should she need for Lani?

Ha! Lani only uses that one where Kristen is  concerned.

Jackee was so lame today that Sal's wet-faced attempt at emoting seemed Oscar-worthy by comparison. Get this woman off the show please. Both of them, actually.

Eileen mopped the floor them. Jackee couldn't figure out what to do with her lines. Eileen easily milks them for all they're worth without overselling. She's fabulous.

John's arms are definitely dead by now.

[Frozendiva]

Couldn't devil Kristen wear a more seductive dress? Like the red number she had in the digital series? It was nice to see the flashbacks. They looked so young back then.

Poor Susan. Back to being a cat again. Too bad Johnny didn't get down the stairs fast enough.

Marlena has zero cell service and then poof! A phone call! From.... Sami! Marlena is a bit, er, tied up at the moment.

I do kind of get Paulina and her mother, and even Tamara, to a point. She may have been in a better place to offer a home and life for little Lani. Black women still had very few opportunities 30 or more years ago. Paulina had the opportunity to make a life for herself and get out from the abusive relationship. However, when Lani turned 18, she should have maybe told her. Jackee didn't play the part with the heaviness that it was due.

Johnny, Chanel is hurt and angry. You may want to think twice about getting physical and stand back a bit. Maybe hold off for a little bit longer. She is very vulnerable right now and can be easily used.

[DisneyBoy]

46 minutes ago, Frozendiva said:

Jackee didn't play the part with the heaviness that it was due.

Yes, exactly.

But also....*bites tongue*

😁 Your wording there. Don't bait me like that!

 

48 minutes ago, Frozendiva said:

Johnny, Chanel is hurt and angry. You may want to think twice about getting physical and stand back a bit. Maybe hold off for a little bit longer. She is very vulnerable right now and can be easily used.

Yeah, not a fan of "I'm super upset so here's my virginity" as a rule.

[enchantingmonkey]

1 hour ago, DisneyBoy said:

John's arms are definitely dead by now

If he was on Survivor, he definitely won the Immunity Necklace and would be safe at the next Tribal Council.  

 

2 hours ago, boes said:

ETA - I like Roman, but his hand gestures are becoming even more manic.  When he was talsking to Abe today, I felt like, any minute, he was going to pull a rabbit out of a hat or pull a quarter from behind Abe's ear.

It reminds me of Justin Deas on Guiding Light with the arms flailing all over the place, although I liked JD more than I like JT.  

Did Chanel consummate her relationship with Johnnie?  I was really hoping she wouldn’t.  I FFd through parts of every scene but it looked like she was inviting him to sexy times with her.  

Wait, did EJ and Nicole have sex?  I’m happy that Sami is finally back but I was hoping EJ and Nicole would get far enough to make things more complicated.  

[Frozendiva]

1 hour ago, DisneyBoy said:

Yes, exactly.

But also....*bites tongue*

😁 Your wording there. Don't bait me like that!

 

Yeah, not a fan of "I'm super upset so here's my virginity" as a rule.

My comment was subject to baiting. I never sensed Paulina’s pain and agony of giving up her child to her sister to raise and to say nothing. This would be more expected in the 1950s to maybe the early 1980s. Maybe she did the right thing at the time.

I thought Chanel was a bit more worldly and had been with a few men and/or women already. The mature thing for Johnny to do would be to say no. Let her deal with this, give her time and space, and maybe wait a short time. Allie may be very right about her brother.

[buffynut]

I know they ended up writing a storyline that would work with ED as Kristen, but the whole idea that John "cheating" on Marlena with Kristen would destroy Jarlena's love is ridiculous. For starters it's not even Kristen.  Plus a possessed Marlena is the reason John is chained up in the crypt in the first place.  And to top it off, since Marlena is currently chained to the wall in another room in the crypt, that means it's really a possessed Susan who is tempting John, so if it's successful, will be yet another sick twisted rape.  

[chediavolo]

Well they cut into the episode again on Friday😡. Today I tried  to find it on demand or on the Peacock app and neither one has Yesterdays episode do you usually have to wait for Monday to see Friday’s episode? 

[Pearson80]

11 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

My comment was subject to baiting. I never sensed Paulina’s pain and agony of giving up her child to her sister to raise and to say nothing. This would be more expected in the 1950s to maybe the early 1980s. Maybe she did the right thing at the time.

 

Perhaps Paulina was not mentally  and emotionally fit to raise Lani, a woman experiences a lot of emotions after giving birth to a baby. It is not always sunshine and rainbows for the new mother. Motherhood has its ups and downs.  Plus, she gave birth to her abuser's child, that adds another layer of complication.

So, I don't understand the outrage over her having given up Lani to her sister to raise. Lani had a good life with her mother Tamara who loved her above everything. Tamara is her mother, not Paulina. 

Edited November 20, 2021 by Pearson80

[CanaryFan98]

Tamera is the one people should be mad at because she dragged Abe into this. It would be one thing if he knew and agreed to it but that was not the case here.

I like Janel together but I felt them hooking up like this was too soon. However if Chanel gets knocked up it could provide some soapy drama. Which makes me wonder if that's what happens.

Edited November 20, 2021 by CanaryFan98

[Artsda]

They all made no sense dragging Abe and his family into their lie. But this story was never the plan, it came out of nowhere with Jackee and when she eventually goes Lani will have nothing but her in-laws to tie her to canvas. 

I loved EDs Kristen and the John story back then. Love seeing the flashbacks. 

[nilyank]

6 minutes ago, Artsda said:

They all made no sense dragging Abe and his family into their lie. But this story was never the plan, it came out of nowhere with Jackee and when she eventually goes Lani will have nothing but her in-laws to tie her to canvas

Which would make it so much easier to kill off Lani and have a widowed Eli raising the twins by himself. Like DH's Roman did in the 80s. 

[DaphneCat]

2 hours ago, chediavolo said:

Well they cut into the episode again on Friday😡. Today I tried  to find it on demand or on the Peacock app and neither one has Yesterdays episode do you usually have to wait for Monday to see Friday’s episode? 

They post the day's episode on Peacock at 8:00 PM - I watched it last night.

[FilmTVGeek80]

2 hours ago, Pearson80 said:

Perhaps Paulina was not mentally  and emotionally fit to raise Lani, a woman experiences a lot of emotions after giving birth to a baby. It is not always sunshine and rainbows for the new mother. Motherhood has its ups and downs.  Plus, she gave birth to her abuser's child, that adds another layer of complication.

So, I don't understand the outrage over her having given up Lani to her sister to raise. Lani had a good life with her mother Tamara who loved her above everything. Tamara is her mother, not Paulina. 

I don’t think the outrage - especially from Abe - is about her giving Lani to Tamara. I think they all could have understood that. It’s her lying to them. She’s had plenty of chances to tell them the truth now, especially when they asked her not to lie to them anymore. Paulina didn’t have to start dating Abe - then get engaged to him - with this lie hanging over them.

55 minutes ago, CanaryFan98 said:

Tamera is the one people should be mad at because she dragged Abe into this. It would be one thing if he knew and agreed to it but that was not the case here.

I like Janel together but I felt them hooking up like this was too soon. However if Chanel gets knocked up it could provide some soapy drama. Which makes me wonder if that's what happens.

I think Tamara and Paulina deserve equal blame. Tamara should have never let Abe and Lani think they were father/daughter. But Paulina knew/participated in the lie and said nothing.

I thought it was gross of Johnny to jump at the chance to sleep with her, knowing how vulnerable she was. I can’t even remember if he gave a token “are you sure” before taking her upstairs. I suppose in some ways that makes him a typical guy.

[RedElf]

2 hours ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I thought it was gross of Johnny to jump at the chance to sleep with her, knowing how vulnerable she was. I can’t even remember if he gave a token “are you sure” before taking her upstairs. I suppose in some ways that makes him a typical guy.

He did ask her, I was glad he did that.