Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[Rick Kitchen]

Ken Corday said in an interview that, "As of September 1, if somebody dies, they're dead for good."  Uhhuh.

[LeftPhalange]

First in line should be Abifail.

[boes]

I promised to hold out until August for Freddie but I just can't. I'm waving my white flag DOOL, i quit watching this show

I promised to hold out until August for Freddie but I just can't. I'm waving my white flag DOOL, i quit watching this show

 

I'm really sorry to hear that.  I hope you'll still be stopping by.  I've really enjoyed your posts.  But I get, Oh yeah, I get it.

Dammit Sonny, I was hoping he would says he wants a divorce. Just tell Sneasel that you're opening his gerbil cage so he can run free and straight into a cat's mouth or Jar Jar's hoo haw, take your pick, they're both dreadful.

 

Brilliant, as always!   And so damn funny,too.  Especially this....Just tell Sneasel that you're opening his gerbil cage so he can run free and straight into a cat's mouth or Jar Jar's hoo haw, take your pick, they're both dreadful.....Not only are both dreadful, both have sharp little pointy teeth.....

[TigerLynx]

It would be so perfect if Sami returned to Salem, Stefano went insane (more so than he already is), tried to shoot Sami, and killed Slappy instead.  However, that would never happen because Jar Jar is one of Ken Corday's pets.

 

I like the idea of Will/Sonny being treated like the straight characters, and getting SLs like they do, IF they were good SLs.  These writers have given the same lousy SLs to almost everyone.  I really hate how Will and Sonny turned on Sami after everything she did to help them with Nick.

[Black Knight]

While I don't want to see Nicole saddled with Dan, I did laugh uproariously when Eric was going on about his feelings and she shut him down with "I love Daniel." After months and months and months of Nicole's Apology Tour while Eric gave her pissy faces, that was so satisfying. Two seconds ago he was in love with Serena and planning to leave town with her, so shut up, Eric. You can't just snap your fingers and get Nicole back.

 

I know this will all blow up when Dan finds out about Nicole kissing Eric, and then Eric will probably refuse to take Nicole back too because she picked Dan, and then we'll be back to Nicole's Apology Tour for who knows how long. So I plan to enjoy this brief respite while I can.

[2222222222222222]

I'm really sorry to hear that.  I hope you'll still be stopping by.  I've really enjoyed your posts.  But I get, Oh yeah, I get it.

 

Brilliant, as always!   And so damn funny,too.  Especially this....Just tell Sneasel that you're opening his gerbil cage so he can run free and straight into a cat's mouth or Jar Jar's hoo haw, take your pick, they're both dreadful.....Not only are both dreadful, both have sharp little pointy teeth.....

 

Aw thank you, I enjoy yours too! I'm still gonna come on the board because you all crack me up :)

[bobcat1946]

It would be so perfect if Sami returned to Salem, Stefano went insane (more so than he already is), tried to shoot Sami, and killed Slappy instead.  However, that would never happen because Jar Jar is one of Ken Corday's pets.

 

I like the idea of Will/Sonny being treated like the straight characters, and getting SLs like they do, IF they were good SLs.  These writers have given the same lousy SLs to almost everyone.  I really hate how Will and Sonny turned on Sami after everything she did to help them with Nick.

Karma for the judgmental self righteous hypocrites Will and Sonny.

While I don't want to see Nicole saddled with Dan, I did laugh uproariously when Eric was going on about his feelings and she shut him down with "I love Daniel." After months and months and months of Nicole's Apology Tour while Eric gave her pissy faces, that was so satisfying. Two seconds ago he was in love with Serena and planning to leave town with her, so shut up, Eric. You can't just snap your fingers and get Nicole back.

 

I know this will all blow up when Dan finds out about Nicole kissing Eric, and then Eric will probably refuse to take Nicole back too because she picked Dan, and then we'll be back to Nicole's Apology Tour for who knows how long. So I plan to enjoy this brief respite while I can.

To me this just coming across as Nicole being a rebound for Serena.

[Kitty Redstone]

Like TigerLynx, I'd like for Sami to return in order to teach these idiots how to commit a successful murder.  Nicole desperately needs help to get rid of Xander, since these writers have made her dumb and dependent. 

 

Also, whatever these writers are doing to Sonny is just mind-boggling and gross.

 

It would be a interesting change for soap characters to be really dead and not mostly dead, but it would be even nicer if TIIC would just stop killing people off for cheap ratings ploys and let them leave town instead.  Jordan had one of the best exits I've seen in awhile.

[boes]

Shawn Christian is just the worst.  He's never met a two syllable word he can't stretch out into four.  "You MEAN there's NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTHIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG they can do"?  "I. MEAN. EVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETHHHINNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG"!  "NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLE".  And at first when he said "My little man", I just cringed, because Dan is just the kind of guy who would name his penis.  Of course, I call the whole him Dickhead, so maybe it's only fair.

 

But Good Lord that man has never read a scene he can't overact to the point of unintended humor.  And yet, I don't laugh......

 

Somebody needs to beat Eric senseless with a huge dildo.  So he and Nicole shared a kiss before (almost) dying, and Drama Queen Extraordinaire is now getting a spiritual (the other kind would make him faint away) boner, and, it seems, the hell with Nicole, they just MUST tell Daniel.  Because, he says, it's the honorable thing to do.  Go to hell, you mope.  Eric wants to do it because nothing makes his sexually repressed ass happier than a little misery, and the more the merrier.  Show may want us to see this guy as some sort of straight arrow, but all I see is an emotionally stunted manchild uncomfortable with his own body and alternately horrified and creepily obsessed with everyone else's, who is selfish enough to insist on getting his own way and to hell with anyone else.  

The guy is a nutjob.  I'd hate to know what he does when he's alone with all his statues..... and I don't mean the elephant ones.  Show may want us to see him as this honorable guy - I see someone one or two steps away from a trenchcoat-waering park flasher. 

Great job, Roman and Marlena.

 

My unpopular opinion is that Sonny is right.  Not that it's his fault, not at all,  But he is right that marrying Will was the wrong thing for both of them.  I know it doesn't fit the traditional love story, but nobody made me run the other way faster than guys who just came out of the closet.  The only ones more needy were previously closeted married guys - those made me run the two minute mile.  Getting involved with somebody newly out, for me, meant being smothered by need and immaturity, and it ALWAYS led to infidelity.  Nope, I preferred my men to have been around the block more times than I could count.  

I was shallow as hell and loved every minute of it when I was young.  BTW, Sparkle falls into the Sneasel category in this regard as well.  Sonny let his savior complex take over with Will and he's paying the price, being attached right now to a guy who is in desperate need of growing up.  

My only problem with Sonny today is that he's not more angry about it, and placing too much of the blame on himself than where it belongs, on Will.  Just because Will is the immature one doesn't mean he isn't still primarily responsible for the choices he made to cheat.  If I were Sonny I'd kick his ass to the curb and promise myself to NEVER give in to the attraction of "saving" anyone every again.  It always bites you in the butt and not in a good way.

[annabel]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Daniel and Nicole were together before all this. Whatever happened or didn't while they were roasting to death really has nothing to do with Daniel at all. Except OF COURSE IT DOES. Because EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS MUST INVOLVE DANIEL SOMEHOW. Yuck. I hate the character, the actor, and everything to do with him. I even hate Parker by association, and children should not be hated. Unless you are Spencer Cassadine. Then all the hate is allowed.

[ShadowSixx]

One problem I had though is that when Sonny is trying to talk to his little gerbil, Sneasel kept bringing up Sparkles. When Sonny said he's been in other relationshps, Sneasel goes right to bringing up Sparkles. Sneasel wants to talk about Sonny & Sparkles so much, but he's just too beyond obsessed with Sparkles, it's so ridiculous. Sonny admitted he wanted to find Sparkles and sleep with him but he didn't which shows how much self control he has, other characters just react on impulse and will sleep with the next person walking just to exact some revenge.

[boes]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Daniel and Nicole were together before all this. Whatever happened or didn't while they were roasting to death really has nothing to do with Daniel at all. Except OF COURSE IT DOES. Because EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS MUST INVOLVE DANIEL SOMEHOW. Yuck. I hate the character, the actor, and everything to do with him. I even hate Parker by association, and children should not be hated. Unless you are Spencer Cassadine. Then all the hate is allowed.

 

Yes and AMEN to that!

[Black Knight]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Daniel and Nicole were together before all this. Whatever happened or didn't while they were roasting to death really has nothing to do with Daniel at all.

Yeah, they were in an off period, although they did seem to be one of those annoying couples who are so constantly on and off that they are essentially together even when they're officially not and so feel perfectly free to yell at each other for any involvement with other people. But I think what Eric really wants is to tell Daniel that he and Nicole are still in love with each other and want to be together. It's not really about the making out but their feelings, which is why Nicole's statement that she loves Daniel, she's more in love with Daniel than ever (ew) pretty much shut Eric down.

 

I did understand what Sonny was saying about he and Will rushing to get married. Where he loses me is in not filing for divorce, because they shouldn't be married. He found out Will cheated twice. Twice!

[Sandman]

"The things Sonny did to Will"? WTF?

[LeftPhalange]

I don't believe Eric's motives for wanting to tell Dan about the kiss are selfish/nefarious, not necessarily, but whatever they are, he's right. Nicole is going to spend months keeping it a secret, flashing obviously guilty looks across her face, and maybe even shred a few documents. Dan will find out and dump her and she'll go on another apology tour. She's really making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. Just tell him the truth and be done with it.

[ShadowSixx]

I don't believe Eric's motives for wanting to tell Dan about the kiss are selfish/nefarious, not necessarily, but whatever they are, he's right. Nicole is going to spend months keeping it a secret, flashing obviously guilty looks across her face, and maybe even shred a few documents. Dan will find out and dump her and she'll go on another apology tour. She's really making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. Just tell him the truth and be done with it.

 

Let's not forget the ever so tired flashbacks of them kissing in that room. It's gonna be so annoying.

[TigerLynx]

Sonny needs to divorce Will, and not get with Paul.

 

Nicole needs to dump Dan, and not get with Eric.

 

Theresa needs to take Tate, leave Victor's house, and listen to her friend Anne.

 

Sami needs to return to Salem, and gloat at all these incompetent cheating idiots who ruined their own lives.

Edited July 4, 2015 by TigerLynx

[bantering]

Ken Corday said in an interview that, "As of September 1, if somebody dies, they're dead for good."  Uhhuh.

 

Sonny?

If it weren't for message boards, I wonder if anybody would continue watching. 

[lilly6]

What fun is that, people staying dead? That's always been part of the fun; nobody in Salem is ever really dead. I've always enjoyed the campy element to this show:  Marlena possessed by the devil, people coming back from the dead 3 or 4 times, princesses living in swamps, people being buried alive, Melaswen.  Sounds like Corday is suddenly wanting to take it all too seriously.

[QuelleC]

It's so funny how much everyone loves and remembers Melaswen seeing as how it was a cover up for the fuckup Days did on firing everybody.  But before that were all the great murders so no wonder it was fun.  I could watch that entire SL again.

 

No, Daniel and Nicole weren't together unless you count slamming doors in her face several times including when Jen was in the house, refusing several times to go out on a first date or any other or arguing in the middle of it, being too busy with Melly and interfering in JJ's life, accusing her of interfering with anyone and everyone, not believing her feelings, getting angry because she had to work....then once or twice saying he cared about her and they had a relationship.  They haven't had one in months. 

 

The reason I buy the Ericole angst is that those two um, gave each other a hand.  It was way more than kissing.  If it was full blown intercourse they would have shown that, of course.  Yet I have no idea why Ericole should feel they have to explain it to Dirty Dan at all because there was no relationship with Dan. Not sure if the real life stuff is playing into trying to keep them together because there's nothing onscreen between the two.

 

My unpopular opinion is I'm glad this is probably the last we'll see of this Theo.

Edited July 4, 2015 by QuelleC

[LeftPhalange]

It's so funny how much everyone loves and remembers Melaswen seeing as how it was a cover up for the fuckup Days did on firing everybody.  But before that were all the great murders so no wonder it was fun.  I could watch that entire SL again.

 

 

I'm surprised the Melaswen story was actually green lit. They were really planning on killing off most of the vets but then backed down once fans started complaining. Why did anyone at this show think they could get away with killing off half the cast without facing backlash?

[Originalroux]

Ken Corday said in an interview that, "As of September 1, if somebody dies, they're dead for good."  Uhhuh.

Does this also mean no evil twins suddenly appearing in town? No lookalike cousins? No more Dimeras?

Of course Corday can always use that TG/Luke farewell tour device - "You only THOUGHT I was dead!"

[Apprentice79]

Ken Corday likes to double speak...I would not trust anything that he says....He is the reason that the show is so awful..He approved Tomsell's horrible storylines and now he is trying to shift the blame onto them. I wish somebody would have a no holds-barred interview with Tomsell, I am sure it would be very enlightening in how Ken Corday operates behind the scenes....

Edited July 4, 2015 by Apprentice79

[QuelleC]

OK, I finally figured out that Tomsell is a smashup of writers' names? 

 

BTW for all of you who get butthurt your questions don't get answered mine don't ever and I don't get butthurt.  I asked a long time ago what a Tomsell was for instance.

Edited July 4, 2015 by QuelleC

[Apprentice79]

I am sorry, I must have missed it....I would have answered it....It is Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell....

[ByaNose]

Apparently, Corday didn't recognize what he saw on air. Um, isn't he the executive producer who approves all of this? Maybe, if he wasn't so awful at his job and having a ridiculous 6 months in advance taping schedule this show wouldn't be in the shape it's in. Sure, throw the former writers under the bus and then act like you didn't see the (bad) material on air till a year later. Also, wasn't the last reboot done when Horton Square was unveiled? Didn't they bring everyone back for that, too? Didn't they have that awful storyline of Carrie & Austin & Abby? Didn't Corday say all this crap last time, too? Wake me up when it's September. Good grief!

[bobcat1946]

Why is Adrienne so hurt and unhappy with Justin having a side piece.  After all she was ok with her niece being a side piece with a family man with small children.

[Black Knight]

I find questions are likelier to be answered if that's the gist of the entire post, rather than thrown in the middle of a long post about various things, and also if they're not posted during a particularly active time (like when everyone is chewing over the episode that just finished airing). Also, we do have a Questions thread here devoted solely to answering questions and I think people are really good about replying there - the only time questions don't get answered there is if nobody knows the answer.

 

Back on topic, um...I agree that Daniel and Nicole's making out is not a big deal in itself. It's their feelings for each other that are the big deal. As satisfying as it was for me to see Nicole reject Eric on the grounds that she loves Daniel, I totally think she's still in love with Eric. Daniel has suspected before that Nicole is not over Eric and made it clear he doesn't want to be with her if that's the case. She eventually convinced him she's moved on. I do think Nicole is trying to minimize this as being just about the making out because she knows that if she tells Daniel about it, she'll have to answer questions about whether she's still in love with Eric, and that's the real sticking point. Of course her lying will blow up in her face and it'll be time for an apology tour, but I guess my point is that she's not keeping a secret about something trivial. What she should really do is take a break from both men and figure out what she really wants - which should be neither of them but someone new who treats her a lot better.

[Donny Ketchum]

I did understand what Sonny was saying about he and Will rushing to get married. Where he loses me is in not filing for divorce, because they shouldn't be married. He found out Will cheated twice. Twice!

Oh, rapture.  Oh, the humanity!  Will cheated twice!  The marriage should be over!

 

. . . @Black Knight, many real-life and fictional marriages have lasted despite multiple infidelities from one or both parties.  Two infidelities from Will shouldn't have to kill this marriage.

Edited July 4, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[Black Knight]

When the couple shouldn't have gotten married to begin with and there have been multiple infidelities as a symptom of the fact that it was a mistake for them to get married in the first place, then yes, I do think it's a lot likelier to kill the marriage. Will is fundamentally dissatisfied, and that means he is very likely to cheat again. How many more times does Sonny need to accept infidelities until Will is no longer inexperienced? To say nothing of the fact that because they got married when Will in particular was definitely still very much in development, the Will who eventually results may well bear little resemblance to the Will Sonny fell in love with (heck, he already does). That's the big problem with getting married when so young - yes, it can work, but the odds are very against it because people in their late teens and early twenties are often very different than who they become in their late twenties on. The younger a couple is, the riskier the proposition; the divorce rates bear that out. And Sonny and Will seem like a very typical example of the type of young couple that eventually divorce for reasons related to the fact they married too young.

[TigerLynx]

Sonny and Will do have other problems besides Will's cheating, including Will's refusal to address their problems like an adult.  It doesn't help that the writers did a complete hatchet job on Will's character, and he already bares no resemblance to the guy Sonny fell in love with and married.

 

Nicole and Dan were never really a couple.  The entire time they were on again/off again dating, Dan was telling her how horrible she was, how everything was her fault, how he was through with her, and how it was OVER.  However, I have no doubt that Nicole will be vilified for cheating on Dan by kissing Eric while the good characters still get a free pass for their cheating.

 

Adrienne is upset about getting cheated on because it's about HER.  Adrienne didn't care if Sami and her children were hurt because to Adrienne, Sami doesn't matter.  This is another reason the supposed good characters on the show aren't good at all.  Someone who actually has compassion and empathy for other people will have at least a little compassion and empathy for people they don't like.

 

Almost everyone on this show is selfish and only cares about what they want.  Those traits are acknowledged when it comes to Sami, Theresa, Nicole, Kate, etc.  Those traits are swept under the run when it comes to Ken Corday's and the writers favorites.

 

Ken Corday is a spineless coward for trying to blame everything on the writers, and a liar.  In previous interviews, Ken Corday has talked about how certain SLs were his idea, how bringing back certain characters were his idea, etc.

[amish40]

Yeah, at this point, I wish Theresa would just take Tate, move to Los Angeles, and take Chad with her (and away from Abigail). Chad and Theresa could be such a fun pairing.

[annabel]

I like Theresa (though I would prefer if her name did not have the unnecessary h) and do not like Chad, so I am fine with them not interacting.

[bobcat1946]

Yeah, at this point, I wish Theresa would just take Tate, move to Los Angeles, and take Chad with her (and away from Abigail). Chad and Theresa could be such a fun pairing.

That is why tptb will not allow them to meet.

As for Adrienne she deserved to be cheated on since she did not care that her son's mother in law got cheated on.

Karma for her son to be cheated on also.

Edited July 4, 2015 by bobcat1946

[boes]

Oh, rapture.  Oh, the humanity!  Will cheated twice!  The marriage should be over!

 

. . . @Black Knight, many real-life and fictional marriages have lasted despite multiple infidelities from one or both parties.  Two infidelities from Will shouldn't have to kill this marriage.

Cheated twice within the FIRST YEAR. That alone says the relationship is doomed.  If Sonny puts up with that then he's messed up too.

Plus Sneasel is an emotionally immature, completely hysterical duplicitious manchild.  Not only should the marriage be over, Ari shouldn't be in the full time hands of such an irresponsible child.   

Sonny gave in to his worst, co-dependent instincts in marrying Will to begin with.  At this point I'm not sure if he has a healthy grip on what being in a relationship means, either.  His first serious relationship was with a completely closeted celebrity manchild, his next with an emotionally immature one.  Those were HIS bad choices.   He needs to take a look at why he gets off on being the Savior and find a way to stop doing it.

Edited July 4, 2015 by boes

[Donny Ketchum]

Cheated twice within the FIRST YEAR. That alone says the relationship is doomed.  If Sonny puts up with that then he's messed up too.

I don't care.  I don't think the cheating is what's killing their marriage, anyway.  I think Will's actions in the wake of the cheating are what is killing it.

[Black Knight]

The point is that the cheating is symptomatic of problems within their marriage that make it very unlikely for the marriage to survive. Will's actions following the cheating aren't helping, I agree, but the real killer is what led to his cheating in the first place. Will is not ready to be married at this point in his life.

[LeftPhalange]

The difference in characterization for Will in 2013 compared to now is shocking. Even 2014 Will is noticeably different. I feel for GW because he must be so lost and confused as to how to play this character.

[MsTree]

If anybody's gonna "die & stay dead" my guess would be Stefano. After all, the actor is getting up there in years...and just about everyone in Salem has been trying to do away with him for years now.

[TigerLynx]

I wonder if that's why Andre is being resurrected.  Andre turns out to not be really dead so he can take over from Stefano who will finally die for real.  If that happens, it will be hilarious.  For years EJ was supposed to be the one to take over from Stefano, even though he could never get anything accomplished without running to Daddy Stefano for help.  Now  Elvis/James Scott has left the building, and they have to come up with a new plan.

 

It's funny watching Ken Corday and the writers scramble, and fail, to come up with new rivals for Kate and Nicole to fight with now that Sami has left Salem.  They really need to stop trashing Will and Theresa in their efforts to have a new Sami.  No matter how many times they have had someone say, "You are just like Sami," it has not made it true.

[shesajar]

What's especially awful about  trying to come up with a replacement-Sami for Nicole and Kate is that it's completely unnecessary. Both are more than capable of handling their own stories and don't need a rival to drive them. They never did, and that's part of why I found Sami's story line dominance so frustrating. With Serena leaving, I hope they drop the idea that Nicole needs an adversary to function. I don't mind Kate gunning for Adrienne, because that seems less contrived than it did with her and Jordan, and it fits in with her history of hating on whoever Lucas is with (that wasn't Carrie).
I'd hoped that AS's leaving would have opened up more opportunities for other characters, especially Nicole, and it has, but I'd forgotten the old "be careful what you wish for" stuff!

[LeftPhalange]

Kate and Nicole are worse off now than they were before. Not saying AS leaving necessarily has anything to do with it, but there has been a noticeable change. Kate spends most of her time humping and defending a child abusing pedophile and all Nicole does is cry over burnt toast Dan.

[TigerLynx]

I blame Ken Corday and the writers.  There is no reason why Kate, Nicole, or other characters shouldn't get good SLs either when Alison Sweeney was on the show, or when she left.  Ken Corday and the writers refusal to let Stefano and EJ really lose to Kate and Sami ruined one of the best SLs the show has had in years.  I'm still disappointed the writers didn't come up with a way for Sami, Kate, and Nicole to work together against Stefano, EJ, and Kristen.  The snark between Sami and Kate when they threw Nick in the river, and when they were getting revenge against EJ and Stefano was priceless.

[Apprentice79]

The difference in characterization for Will in 2013 compared to now is shocking. Even 2014 Will is noticeably different. I feel for GW because he must be so lost and confused as to how to play this character.

He has been getting skewered on tweeter and other forums..Under Tomsell, the actors were not given direction about character motivations. They were pretty much left to their own devices. Since their departure, the actors are given notes now about what is going on with their characters.. Alot of the people who were part of Tomsell's team were also fired..I would not be surprised if the writing caused Freddie to leave the show..Rumor has it that Freddie is still on set on a recurring basis..It would not surprise me that Dena is fixing Wilson to have them go off to the sunset with Gabi and Ari. Gabi is back to wrap up her storyline...It would also explain why they have  put Paul on ice, trying to figure how to integrate him into their reboot.

 

Christopher is a find and he should be on the show, but Tomsell fucked him up be making him John son. He should have just been a standalone character. Steve was once a standalone character and he ushered in Adrienne and Jack..He also came in working for Victor and nursing a grudge against Bo..These people no longer know how to introduce new characters properly, they are shoved down our throats and we are told to love them and they are given an instant family without earning it..I am looking at you Doctor Daniel the magnificent Jonas.  Phillip has called and he wants his son Parker back..Lucas has called also and he wants his confidante Maggie back and his surrogate Dad Victor back...I loved the Victor/Lucas bond back in the day..Victor, Kate, Philip, Billie, Will and Lucas were a wonderful family living at the Kiriakis mansion...All of these relationships were thrown out the window to make Daniel the hero of the show.. Disgusting!

Edited July 5, 2015 by Apprentice79

[Black Knight]

Kate and Nicole are worse off now than they were before. Not saying AS leaving necessarily has anything to do with it, but there has been a noticeable change. Kate spends most of her time humping and defending a child abusing pedophile and all Nicole does is cry over burnt toast Dan.

Nicole had been spending her time crying over boring Eric for months before AS's departure. I'm as tired of Nicole's Apology Tour as anyone, but I don't think she's really materially better or worse off.

 

But Kate definitely is worse off, and that was something that was predicted before AS actually left. It was predictable because she had two stories going, the DiMera revenge with Sami and the romance with Clyde. With Sami gone, only the latter was left. I do think they could've written more for Kate with Chad, but on the other hand, there just really isn't anything comparable to the dynamic Kate had with Sami. That was built over many years and it's just not replaceable. It's weird to think, but the one character who absolutely needs Sami on the canvas is Kate. The Bradys all have other relatives to turn to, and Lucas and Rafe can be paired with other women. But there isn't anyone like Sami for Kate. You can't just plug anyone in as someone for Kate to alternately feud with and be frenemies with because of the decades of twisted, complicated history that went into Kami's relationship.

[shesajar]

With Sami gone, only the latter was left. I do think they could've written more for Kate with Chad, but on the other hand, there just really isn't anything comparable to the dynamic Kate had with Sami. That was built over many years and it's just not replaceable. It's weird to think, but the one character who absolutely needs Sami on the canvas is Kate. The Bradys all have other relatives to turn to, and Lucas and Rafe can be paired with other women. But there isn't anyone like Sami for Kate. You can't just plug anyone in as someone for Kate to alternately feud with and be frenemies with because of the decades of twisted, complicated history that went into Kami's relationship.

 

 

There doesn't have to be a Sami for Kate to be an interesting character, imo.  Granted, Sami was a huge part of Kate's stories for years, but she has a history and life outside of that. I'm always up for more Victor and Kate, no matter what the nature of their relationship. Clyde is still around, but at least they've given Kate a Lucas-related story, so there's that. Clyde has ruined her temporarily, much like EJ ruined Sami for me. Except, there's no fan base or chemistry that justifies keeping Kate in Clyde's orbit.

 

I think Nicole has benefited only in that she's been allowed to transition into a less outright evil character.  I really don't think they would have done that if Sami were still around, since the writers were so insistent on having the two go head to head all of the time and Nicole being the loser. I hate that she's pining over Daniel, but it's better than pining over a man *and* consistently being second best to Sami. God, the ways in which this show forces me to lower the bar!

 

I enjoy the show better when we're not forced to watch two women snipe at each other (though that's preferable to men shouting at women, I guess!), so I don't necessarily miss the frenemy thing Kate and Sami had going on or the whole Nicole-wants-what-Sami-has stuff. 

[TigerLynx]

I didn't think Nicole came in second to Sami.  I thought EJ treated both of them like crap.  Actions speak louder than words, and EJ's actions showed he didn't love or respect either Sami or Nicole.  Sami always came in second to Carrie, and it was really stupid of Ken Corday to try and resurrect that dynamic in 2011.  For years, Austin and Carrie hadn't even registered on Sami's radar, and then suddenly Carrie returns to Salem, starts cheating on Austin with Sami's husband, and somehow Sami is still the bad guy to Saint Carrie's can do no wrong good girl facade.  {face palm}

 

Kate and Nicole both have enough history with the show and other characters that they shouldn't need manufactured enemies like Jordan, Serena, Adrienne, etc.  The writers suck at doing their job.  That is the problem.

[Donny Ketchum]

I wonder if that's why Andre is being resurrected.  Andre turns out to not be really dead so he can take over from Stefano who will finally die for real.

Wait.  Andre's coming back?  Where'd you hear that?

[Rick Kitchen]

Wait.  Andre's coming back?  Where'd you hear that?

 

It's all over the soap press.

[SanDiegoInExile]

Wait.  Andre's coming back?  Where'd you hear that?

 

http://tvline.com/2015/05/14/days-of-our-lives-thaao-penghlis-returning-andre-dimera/