Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[Apprentice79]

I beg to differ on Abigail being a typical soap opera heroine, she is manipulative and devious. I have hated her  since she gaslighted Austin and played games with Carrie and Austin. I never hated Sami at her worst when she did the same thing to Austin and Carrie because Sami was reviled for years for her evil actions.  Abigail is propped to the heavens for hers..I also hate her for pimping Dannifer before Jack was cold in his grave..Kate Mansi plays her more like a vixen than a heroine. Abigail as played by Ashley Benson was a heroine, not Kate Mansi's Abigail.The bitch Abigail has never been held accountable for her actions. Kayla, Kimberly, Hope, Jennifer before her Daniel worship were your typical heroines, you rooted for them, even when they failed or did something wrong. You were happy when they triumphed over adversity..Abigail is vile and it pains me to say that because I love Jack...There  is nothing worthwhile about her..I hated the fact that the show is making her the IT girl of her generation...I also hate the fact that she was able to best Samantha Gene Brady and everybody got on Sami's case because Sami was upset because that vermin slept with her husband. Everybody blamed EJ and absolved Abigail of her part in the affair.I hate Abifail....Chad is being wasted on her, I think he would be great with Theresa, Stefanie and Chelsea..

Edited September 4, 2015 by Apprentice79

[Artsda]

Loved Steve today, I love his bromance with Bo and the bond they have together. Victor should have been thanking Steve for caring and the help instead of the 3rd degree and he figured out the letters were fake in 2 seconds.

[Originalroux]

I know that John and Marlene (Marlena?) are a signature Days couple but watching them today made me go "EWWW!" John was so manipulative in canceling Marlenea's early appointments so they could spend more time in bed? Maybe it's DH but I'm just not feeling the romantic/sexual vibe. I appreciated Marlena getting angry at his presumptiveness and I liked her saying she didn't feel the need to get married again; living in sin was fine with her. I did think the provisional marriage was an interesting idea and one I hope John messes up royally in the coming month.

To somewhat restate something that was said above, why is it that the ISA guys are such Neanderthals? John today, Steve when reappearing in Salem, and Bo (we think, we've only seen him face down recently). Is this the 80s? Or, even worse, the 60s and Mad Men rules? It's just seemed pretty the obvious these last few days...

[lilly6]

I've been watching this show as long as I can remember, since I was a very little girl in the early 70s and my grandma and mom watched, but I'm having some trouble regaining my investment in characters that have been off the grid for years.  To be honest I'm not even really watching, just have it on in the background as I'm working.  Everything just seems blah blah blah blah blah to me. 

[buffynut]

I know that John and Marlene (Marlena?) are a signature Days couple but watching them today made me go "EWWW!"

 

And here in my living room I was going "awwwwww".  I loved all their scenes.  Laughed when Marlena said she was ok with "living in sin".  Laughed when John said he'd done his best, then clarified by saying he meant with the memories.  Almost got weepy myself when Marlena wiped the tear away.  And was amazed to see expressions on John's face that weren't his "smell the fart" thoughtful look. :)

 

Maybe I was seeing past the characters and seeing the actors so happy and enjoying the show again, made me happy, but I loved it all.

[Kitty Redstone]

Jen Lilley is so very good and this new writing has done wonders for her character.  In just two scenes, Theresa is finally starting to make sense.  She's rebelling not just against an overbearing mother with significant baggage, but against a do-gooding mother who doesn't realize how her crusading for other women has hurt her own child!  And even better, Theresa is making Maggie tolerable!  Self-awareness is much better on her than smug superiority.

 

I only ever like Brady when he's with Nicole.  She has the same effect on Rafe, though he can be entertaining on his own when he's allowed to be a smartass. 

 

Hopefully the Basic Black story won't go off the rails.  I haven't anticipated a soap story this much this Sami and Kate teamed up and that was too short-lived. 

 

Love, love, love Steve and Victor together and Steve instinctively knowing something wasn't right about the Bo situation. 

 

Kayla and Joey's conversation was also well done.  It's natural for the kid left behind to be angry and blame the other parent, and she's taking the right approach with him.  Her hurt over his words was still apparent, though. 

 

I also thought Marlena and John were very sweet, except for him taking it upon himself to cancel her appointments.  At least she didn't let him completely off the hook.

 

And you know, they reminded me of one of the things I most appreciate about Days -- the longer scenes.  Everything on GH is so choppy and it hurts the show more than they realize.

[General Days]

I beg to differ on Abigail being a typical soap opera heroine, she is manipulative and devious.

 

I didn't refer to her as a heroine for a reason. I called her a typical soap female or something similar.

[QuelleC]

I agree, the scenes are definitely longer.  I agree the scenes with Joey were very well done.  To their credit, they haven't given him a lot to do until today.  He is completely believable as a sullen teen.  He hit his timing perfectly.  We actually got an explanation about why Kayla sprung this on him, so he wouldn't make a scene in the pub. The very best thing is he's not the Mela-me or Failure kind of character who has to mug for the camera.  He seems more introspective like JJ was when he started. 

 

Wow, I just remembered drug dealer got killed.  Lots going on.  So he isn't the one who kills Paige. If you know, don't tell me. I don't even mind seeing her again next week.  I like how she and JJ are almost friends again on an adventure, not too different from what Steve and Kayla and Bo and Hope used to do. 

 

Speaking of long scenes I was almost into Jarlena, especially when the head coming up off the pillow wasn't Abifail's.  Bad enough he planned her day but to pull that high school stunt - I've got you here and now I'm leaving.  Mar was doing so well for herself then just laughed it off.  UGH. I think I've been awfully patient with this since they forgave each other when he came back and nothing was said that I can remember, of him living elsewhere. 

 

This is the Theresa we deserve!  At least Naggie listened but the faces she makes!  I've been saying for a while that I would never want Kimber as a mother and she proved it when she tried to run her life after Tater Tot.  How nice to hear the background from her as far as her motivation.  It makes perfect sense.  Kimber's always seemed very, let's say, anxious to me.

 

Oh let's hope for Jeannie T and Nicole to run into each other in the square and quickly figure out each is a half to a great company.  Nicole has half the funding, JT seems more than able to get the rest, so as half owner of course she would be able to be a designer with no real experience.  How fun is that.  I hope Kate kicks in and not Naggie though.  Then JT should hire Dumbass and make him work once in a while.

 

Steve is exceeding my expectations and I expected a lot!  I'll never agree Failure even deserves to be on this show, ever.  All I do is wait for her mouth to hang open.  I feel a tiny big sorry for Ben Doll hanging all over her constantly.  I'd slug someone for doing that and get creeped out over the pawing then I remember she can't possibly get enough attention. At least he doesn't seem convinced it's his kid.

Edited September 4, 2015 by QuelleC

[Rick Kitchen]

John, you're an idiot. Ew, did they have to give us the idea of Marlena and John having sex?  Now I'm going to have to wash my brain out with bleach.

 

"This is my patient face.  Look at it carefully."

 

I thought Joey was mad at Steve, but now I see he's just petulant.

 

I'm loving that they are actually giving Theresa something to do.  I hope it continues.

 

Brady and Nicole together was awesome.

[Peanut6711]

I couldn’t help but notice the irony that Steve’s been gone for year, as aptly pointed out by Victor, yet he’s the only one that seems to notice all the things that are off in Salem. By the show’s time frame he’s probably only back two days and yet he’s already suspicious of Bo’s mysterious disappearance as well senses that all with Aiden is not on the up and up.  If I was ever going to back a retconn it would be Steve uncovering some mind-altering chemical leak in town that explains the character assassination of so many of the town’s residents courtesy of the last few writing teams. At least it would explain Justin’s out of the blue power hungry behavior, Kayla’s new personality, and the over the top Horton worship/aka Abigail propping.

 

Speaking of Abby…TGIF! She was not on my screen today! Hurray!!! Totally made my weekend not having to look at that pampered little I-look-lousy-whether-my-hair-is-black-or-white princess.

 

Meanwhile, it was good to hear Joey speak today. And he so acted like his dad in the scene with the school administrator. Definitely something Steve would have done.  But when did Kayla become such a snob?  Kayla comes from a blue collar family and she once ran an ER clinic in the worst section of town, but now public school isn’t good enough for her kid. The writers still need to go back and rewatch the old Kayla stuff. Maybe if they spend the weekend with the youtube clips Dandesun is watching they’ll learn something.

Edited September 4, 2015 by Peanut6711

[Kitty Redstone]

Wow, I just remembered drug dealer got killed. 

 

...

 

I'll never agree Failure even deserves to be on this show, ever.  All I do is wait for her mouth to hang open. 

 

I'm not convinced Kyle is really dead.  No body and all that.

 

Totally agree about KM.  She's a terrible actor and Abigail as a character is unlikable and boring.

[Sandman]

TomSell hated doing backstory to enhance characterization. They wanted to write characters without explaining behavior.

...

TomSell hated the idea of independent women, and had women single and miserable, or with men that treated them poorly

...

TomSell hated worrying about chemistry between actors, and just threw people into relationships

TomSell didn't believe in having a plan or vision. They had no recipe for this show, just lame plots thrown together ...

 

I agree with a lot of what was quoted in this post; if we can take any of the stated values as true, that makes for bad, or, rather, simply unqualified, writers. In particular the idea of writing without a plan, or without reference to a character's history, strikes me as a fatal flaw for any writer. I find just throwing characters together, "without explaining behaviour," particularly alarming: that just isn't what a writer does.

 

The idea that these two writers disliked writing women as independent and self-reliant seems especially borne out by what we've seen onscreen over the last number of years.

 

The only scenes in a very long time that I've liked Mansi in have been with Flynn. He (usually) makes her respond to what's happening in the scene (or something). I've never thought she had much chemistry with other actors -- especially James Scott. (That whole affair just me struck as a bizarrely formulaic exercise -- this is a pair who are so blindingly attracted to one another they can't help themselves? Really?) I agree she had more of a spark with Deidrick, but not much with Schuyler Yancey (Cameron 1.0) and none at all with Nathan Owens (although that may not be a fair test, since Nathan Owens has all the dramatic gift of a bolt of upholstery fabric).

 

Kayla and Joey's conversation was also well done.  It's natural for the kid left behind to be angry and blame the other parent, and she's taking the right approach with him.  Her hurt over his words was still apparent, though. 

 

I'm still not sure about the kid playing Joe(y); petulance will only get the character so far. But it's hard not to be moved by Kayla's pain and ambivalence. Mary Beth Evans is still a believable performer, with charisma to burn.

Edited September 5, 2015 by Sandman

[tribeca]

Catching up with all the wonderful posts in here.  Worked a double today so have not watched Friday's show yet.  Few comments about the last couple days.  Maybe I just love mysteries or something but I kept looking for clues to who the murderer was.  Rafe says "it could not be Chad it was a crime of passion"  next scene Rafe is questioning Eric.  Whoa! It's Eric! that was a clue.  Nope LOL  I always liked Eric but man is he weird.

  Chad looks all guiltily which means he isn't.  Ben keeps protesting a little too much that Chad is guiltily.   It's Ben!! No it's his dad setting up Chad.

Why do I keep checking out everyone's neckties now?

[boes]

I don't ever remember any show doing such a turnaround so quickly.  I never said it, but the show had such a tired look.  The sets looked dusty and old, the lighting seemed dim, and in a matter of a week, that's changed.  Even if the storytelling hadn't so dramatically improved, I'd be paying more attention just because of the novelty of the better lighting and the refreshed look of the sets.

Those sort of things, while nice, wouldn't keep me watching, but what we're seeing onscreen sure as hell does.  

 

I also can't remember any of the current shows I watch or are familiar with - Days, Y&R and GH - having a scene like we saw on Thursday, with Maggie, Julie, Hope, Kayla and Caroline sitting around a table and talking.  None of the other shows even HAVE enough women of this age in the cast, even recurring, to pull it off.  And none of them certainly have any interest in women over the age of 30, and I generally feel there is a contempt in the writers room for older women, and women in general.  Days hasn't fallen into that groove - we had the book club where JJ got them all zoned out on pot donuts - but Thursday's scene with those women was an absolute delight.  

I watched AMC toss away intergenerational family relationships in their last decade, and I saw all shows either shove out the door or to the side most women over 40, but Days didn't do that.  Now, under this new regime, they actually matter.  How great is that?  And then, on Thursday, we got to see an extended scene of Hope and Kayla being friends, talking like friends - I can't even remember the last time we saw that.  And today, we got to see Brady and Nicole, talking as friends.  Actual friendships - something else that most of the remaining shows got tossed away.  

 

All in all, I'm amazed and so pleased.  And from HIGLEY???  Has she learned a thing or two?  Whatever, I'm loving it!

 

I agree, the scenes are definitely longer.  I agree the scenes with Joey were very well done.  To their credit, they haven't given him a lot to do until today.  He is completely believable as a sullen teen.  He hit his timing perfectly.  We actually got an explanation about why Kayla sprung this on him, so he wouldn't make a scene in the pub. The very best thing is he's not the Mela-me or Failure kind of character who has to mug for the camera.  He seems more introspective like JJ was when he started. 

 

This is the Theresa we deserve!  At least Naggie listened but the faces she makes!  I've been saying for a while that I would never want Kimber as a mother and she proved it when she tried to run her life after Tater Tot.  How nice to hear the background from her as far as her motivation.  It makes perfect sense.  Kimber's always seemed very, let's say, anxious to me.

 

Oh let's hope for Jeannie T and Nicole to run into each other in the square and quickly figure out each is a half to a great company.  Nicole has half the funding, JT seems more than able to get the rest, so as half owner of course she would be able to be a designer with no real experience.  How fun is that.  I hope Kate kicks in and not Naggie though.  Then JT should hire Dumbass and make him work once in a while.

 

Jen Lilley is so very good and this new writing has done wonders for her character.  In just two scenes, Theresa is finally starting to make sense.  She's rebelling not just against an overbearing mother with significant baggage, but against a do-gooding mother who doesn't realize how her crusading for other women has hurt her own child!  And even better, Theresa is making Maggie tolerable!  Self-awareness is much better on her than smug superiority.

 

Kayla and Joey's conversation was also well done.  It's natural for the kid left behind to be angry and blame the other parent, and she's taking the right approach with him.  Her hurt over his words was still apparent, though.

 

An extended scene with Theresa and Maggie, and I didn't want to strangle Maggie ONCE.  Not even a little.  If this is the start of making coherent use of Theresa and Jen Lilley's talent, I couldn't be happier.  We finally got a backstory that made some sense, that gave us a reason for why Theresa is the way she is.  Kim being judgemental, being oblivious about her daughter's desires, that all makes sense, and it doesn't make Kim into a horrible person.  It makes her into a person who couldn't see what was right in front of her face, and the reaction that aroused in Theresa, who felt marginalized and judged.  All good.  

A storyline with Theresa and Nicole and Kate, even with an occasional interference from Maggie sound eminently watchable to me.  

 

It sure was a gift to have an Abby free day, at least for me.  While I'm mildly shocked to have liked Maggie today, I'd go to Urgent Care stat if I liked Abigail.  The character has more to make up for than anyone else IMO, and the actress herself......well, we've now got other storylines going on, good ones, with great actors, so she won't be eating the show and ruining my appetite.

 

I'm still not sure about the kid playing Joe(y); petulance will only get the character so far. But it's hard not to be moved by Kayla's pain and ambivalence. Mary Beth Evans is still a believable performer, with charisma to burn.

 

 

"This is my patient face.  Look at it carefully."

 

I thought Joey was mad at Steve, but now I see he's just petulant.

 

It was a plethora of riches today.   Brady was in his mellow bonehead mode today, so when he was talking to Nicole and said to her, "Okay, Hit me.", I didn't immediately fantasize about her decking him.   And Show even let Nicole poke him back when he told her she'd messed up a lot lately.  Ah, pot, meet kettle.  Brady at least remembered that he had a shiny red nose that was brighter than Rudolph's, for quite some time.

 

Steve and Victor were gold.  Just gold.  Two seasoned pros, two important, vital veteran characters, verbally fencing with each other, pointing out truths, and at no point did Show feel the need to send in Dr. Dan to lecture either one.  (I would LOVE to see Dr. Dan try and give Steve shit - and live to tell about it).  Victor called Steve out on his lack of impulse control, on how easily he could mess up any reconciliation with Kayla before it even got started.  Great scenes.

 

The scenes with Kayla and Joey were very touching for me, very heartfelt.  If for no other reason I enjoyed them because we got to see Kayla in a storyline all her own, interacting with her own family, getting to see a pro at work, an actress with such skill.  How cool is that??

I don't know how Joey is ultimately going to play out but so far he's doing fine, communicating his unhappiness and his isolation.  He hasn't captured my attention the way JJ did when he first came on the scene, but so far so good.

Edited September 5, 2015 by boes

[Apprentice79]

Jen Lilley is so very good and this new writing has done wonders for her character.  In just two scenes, Theresa is finally starting to make sense.  She's rebelling not just against an overbearing mother with significant baggage, but against a do-gooding mother who doesn't realize how her crusading for other women has hurt her own child!  And even better, Theresa is making Maggie tolerable!  Self-awareness is much better on her than smug superiority.

 

I only ever like Brady when he's with Nicole.  She has the same effect on Rafe, though he can be entertaining on his own when he's allowed to be a smartass. 

 

Hopefully the Basic Black story won't go off the rails.  I haven't anticipated a soap story this much this Sami and Kate teamed up and that was too short-lived. 

 

Love, love, love Steve and Victor together and Steve instinctively knowing something wasn't right about the Bo situation. 

 

Kayla and Joey's conversation was also well done.  It's natural for the kid left behind to be angry and blame the other parent, and she's taking the right approach with him.  Her hurt over his words was still apparent, though. 

 

I also thought Marlena and John were very sweet, except for him taking it upon himself to cancel her appointments.  At least she didn't let him completely off the hook.

 

 

I am all for the show to redeem Theresa, but not at the expense of Kim and Shane...I fear that the show will throw them under the bus to make Theresa sympathetic. Jack was slowly redeem without demonizing his victims..I can't get behind Theresa's interest in fashion and being an up-and-coming designer and even worse, cannot take the bashing of Kim (and Shane) on how she turned out and even more bashing to try to get sympathy from Maggie and propping up her sob story.The only thing that will accomplish is to make me hate Theresa more than I already do. Theresa's sob story doesn't remotely sound like Kim to me.I'm fine with Theresa bringing up Kimberly's issues and Shane's being gone while growing up. Those are things that help define the woman Theresa became. What I am having a hard time accepting is Theresa's version of Kimberly belittling Theresa's talent. Even if Kimberly wanted Theresa to have a more secure job than fashion, I don't think she'd shoot down these ideas like Theresa is making it seem. That's not Kimberly's style.

Edited September 5, 2015 by Apprentice79

[annabel]

I agree with everyone who has commented about the extremely fast turnaround. It makes me wonder if GH could do the same, and I think not, because they have had vets wandering in and out for several years and have been unable to give any of them anything worthwhile to do.

And for anyone who wants to relive mid-80s Patch and Kayla without actually watching clips, be sure to check out Dandesun's summaries as she watches for the first time over on the Previous Plots thread.

[Apprentice79]

I am all for the show to redeem Theresa, but not at the expense of Kim and Shane...I fear that the show will throw them under the bus to make Theresa sympathetic. Jack was slowly redeem without demonizing his victims..I can't get behind Theresa's interest in fashion and being an up-and-coming designer and even worse, cannot take the bashing of Kim (and Shane) on how she turned out and even more bashing to try to get sympathy from Maggie and propping up her sob story.The only thing that will accomplish is to make me hate Theresa more than I already do. Theresa's sob story doesn't remotely sound like Kim to me.I'm fine with Theresa bringing up Kimberly's issues and Shane's being gone while growing up. Those are things that help define the woman Theresa became. What I am having a hard time accepting is Theresa's version of Kimberly belittling Theresa's talent. Even if Kimberly wanted Theresa to have a more secure job than fashion, I don't think she'd shoot down these ideas like Theresa is making it seem. That's not Kimberly's style.

[bobcat1946]

Glad to see JOey is sticking it to Kayla.  What will abifail do without all the Kayla worship?

[Jewlmc]

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

I'm glad they DID recon that stupid "walk-about" crap. Because after what I watched for years, it was insulting. And I don't think characters like Bo, Steve, and Jack EVER need to earn their place back on the canvas. Rather, new characters need to earn their way on to it.

Instead, they are often shoved in our face at the expense of long time characters.

See Jonas, Daniel.

[Happytobehere]

The show's attempt to redeem Theresa will not work with me because little miss woe is me set-up an innocent man for sexual assault and is continuing with her lie. I can't see her as being worthy of anything good while she is falsely accusing someone and belittling the real life trauma victims of sexual assault and near sexual assault have to endure. As far as I'm concerned, she is just a sociopath on to her latest scheme. So big thanks writers, you successfully wrote Xander out, but in so doing, you have made me be opposed to whatever plans you have for Theresa. Too bad, since I think JL is a good actress.

I like the idea of something being in the Salem water (Damn Andre, Damn DiMeras) because that is the best explanation for what has been done to people's perception of Bo. The fact that people seem to actively like and support Abby as opposed to reviling and actively and repeatedly plotting to kill her.

I liked the Brady and Nicole scenes, first time he hasn't seemed like a complete moron and an awful person.

I liked the John and Marlena scenes, my only issue is will this month-long trial period be done in Salem time or real time because if it is in Salem time, this matter might not be revisited before January.

I liked the scenes with Joey and Kayla. We need to see who Joey is other than a petulant teen who's mad at the world simply because it's Tuesday. Being pissed not just because him mother won't let him run his own life despite his lack of life experience, status as a minor, and gainful employment; but because you miss having an intact family makes sense. Most importantly, we need Kayla have her own storyline, one that doesn't having her spend her days and nights propping IT.

I liked the scenes with Steve and Victor. I especially liked Victor calling Steve out about his motivation for his I have to save Bo campaign. I also like Steve acknowledging that aside from his legitimate concern for Bo, he has thought about how that act could help soften Kayla and hopefully Joey toward him. I like that one of the things pointing to phony letter should have been obvious to all, neglecting to mention Ciara's birthday, but the other was something that only Steve would know, Tahiti and the Merchant Marines. It serves to somewhat lessen the really people aspect. It shows the writers are thinking about how they can undo some of the damage that has been done to the people closest to Bo for believing the trashing of his character.

My only continuity issue of the episode was that Victor and Steve picked up where we left off yesterday with Victor making a dirty martini. Maggie left the room to make tea, yet we see her discussing designs and life and Basic Black with Theresa. Did Maggie need to go out to get the tea she was going to make? Did she run into Theresa and get sidelined? Did she use the tea story as an excuse to leave the room? A throw-away line would have helped here.

[annabel]

I had forgotten about Maggie going to make tea, but wondered why Victor was having a cocktail when Marlena was just waking up and everyone else seemed to be in morning mode.

Edited September 5, 2015 by annabel

[Kitty Redstone]

I am all for the show to redeem Theresa, but not at the expense of Kim and Shane...I fear that the show will throw them under the bus to make Theresa sympathetic. Jack was slowly redeem without demonizing his victims..I can't get behind Theresa's interest in fashion and being an up-and-coming designer and even worse, cannot take the bashing of Kim (and Shane) on how she turned out and even more bashing to try to get sympathy from Maggie and propping up her sob story.The only thing that will accomplish is to make me hate Theresa more than I already do. Theresa's sob story doesn't remotely sound like Kim to me.I'm fine with Theresa bringing up Kimberly's issues and Shane's being gone while growing up. Those are things that help define the woman Theresa became. What I am having a hard time accepting is Theresa's version of Kimberly belittling Theresa's talent. Even if Kimberly wanted Theresa to have a more secure job than fashion, I don't think she'd shoot down these ideas like Theresa is making it seem. That's not Kimberly's style.

 

I totally understand what you're saying, but don't think they're throwing Kim and Shane under the bus at all.  Kim wasn't intentionally belittling Theresa's interest in fashion, she was just trying to get her to see that in her (Kim's) grand scheme of things, fashion may be nice but it does nothing to save women who are in bad situations.  That's her lens.  If it doesn't help the cause, it's not as important.

 

What Kim is failing to see - and what nearly every committed advocate I've ever met fails to see - is that there is more than one way to contribute to the world, and for Theresa that contribution is fashion.  For Theresa it is no less important than Kim's work.  It's just two different perspectives is all.  Perhaps if Kim understood that her helping other women was also a form of self expression, then she would see that Theresa's desire to make women feel beautiful through clothing wasn't so frivolous after all.

 

I can see myself in both Kim and Theresa, truthfully.  What I make will never be studied for its mastery or looked upon in awe by people passing through a museum, and it's not saving refugees or the rain forest or stopping global warming, but the drive to create is nonetheless there, and I do make (or intend to make) one person at a time happy.  Hopefully that matters.

 

It would be great if we could see that sort of tension play out between Theresa and Kim.  It'd be an awesome story.

Edited September 5, 2015 by Kitty Redstone

[Lastwaltz]

Steve and Victor were gold.  Just gold.  Two seasoned pros, two important, vital veteran characters, verbally fencing with each other, pointing out truths, and at no point did Show feel the need to send in Dr. Dan to lecture either one.  (I would LOVE to see Dr. Dan try and give Steve shit - and live to tell about it).  

 

 

Now I cannot wait for a Patch/Dr. Dan scene! Patch will wipe the floor with him. Please show, please show, PULEEASE show, give us that scene. We deserve it. 

 

ETA: Now that I've read to the end, I have to say that not only is the show better these days, it elicits awesome posts by all of you. Just goes to show what thought-provoking writing, good characters/good actors, and some respect for the show's history will do for us. I like it. 

Edited September 5, 2015 by Lastwaltz

[Apprentice79]

I totally understand what you're saying, but don't think they're throwing Kim and Shane under the bus at all.  Kim wasn't intentionally belittling Theresa's interest in fashion, she was just trying to get her to see that in her (Kim's) grand scheme of things, fashion may be nice but it does nothing to save women who are in bad situations.  That's her lens.  If it doesn't help the cause, it's not as important.

 

What Kim is failing to see - and what nearly every committed advocate I've ever met fails to see - is that there is more than one way to contribute to the world, and for Theresa that contribution is fashion.  For Theresa it is no less important than Kim's work.  It's just two different perspectives is all.  Perhaps if Kim understood that her helping other women was also a form of self expression, then she would see that Theresa's desire to make women feel beautiful through clothing wasn't so frivolous after all.

 

I can see myself in both Kim and Theresa, truthfully.  What I make will never be studied for its mastery or looked upon in awe by people passing through a museum, and it's not saving refugees or the rain forest or stopping global warming, but the drive to create is nonetheless there, and I do make (or intend to make) one person at a time happy.  Hopefully that matters.

 

It would be great if we could see that sort of tension play out between Theresa and Kim.  It'd be an awesome story.

I understand what you are saying..Kim needs to be on canvas to counter whatever it is that Theresa is saying..We saw Sami's life onscreen and her perspective on her childhood was totally different from Carrie's and Eric's..Marlena even told her that at some point...The other children never complained or whined about their childhood...I understand that the show wants to repair Theresa, but they continued with her sociopathic tendencies..Look at how she set up Xander for rape, a crime that was perpetuated on her mother by a beloved family member..I could understand Theresa, if the show had given her a backstory where she was sexually abused by her stepfather Philip..I could understand her resentment of Shane and kimberly...It would be ironic that Kim who was a victim herself and an advocate for abused women and children failed to see that her own daughter was being violated by her husband...Kim never resented her parents for her abuse or blame them for not protecting her from uncle Eric...

 

I just find the characterization of Theresa to be very disturbing and I don't want Kim and shane to be destroyed at her expense...I remember when Kim and Shane came back for Theresa, I got the impression that she has always been problematic..I wish the show had brought in Andrew, so that we can hear about his take on their childhood..Even Eve was scornful of Theresa when she came back to town. She must have been a terror.Theresa is not the innocent little victim that she purports herself to be...I will never believe that Kim and Shane were not good parents to both Andrew and Theresa..I remember how Kim was protective of young Eve and took her under her wing. I cannot see this same Kim being so insensitive to her own child's needs..It does not compute for me...

Edited September 5, 2015 by Apprentice79

[caprice]

I had forgotten about Maggie going to make tea, but wondered why Victor was having a cocktail when Marlena was just waking up and everyone else seemed to be in morning mode.

I think Maggie forgot about making tea. Where were she and Theresa having their conversation? It looked more like a restaurant than the Kiriakis mansion. Then again, since it was such a great conversation, I don't mind the lack of tea for the guys.

 

While I loved the Brady/Nicole talk, what really struck me (as a sometime-actress) was the natural movement. C'mon, we had a lot of them talking with their backs to the camera! When does that happen on this show? It happens in RL everyday, but the blocking on this show previously had been on par with high school dramatics. I'm hoping for more of this natural approach.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed longer scenes. I thought it was a figment of my imagination.

 

So far, so good, Show. Thank you. :)

[kitmerlot1213]

I like that the show is giving Theresa an actual storyline where she can have character growth and become a rootable human being, but I don't think Kim's being thrown under a bus.  Kim was consumed with helping abused women because of the horrible life she had and to her, that was of paramount importance and her dismissing Theresa's artwork was not done maliciously but thoughtlessly and Theresa knows that.  Not once did Theresa imply that Kim was being deliberately cruel.

 

I think Theresa has won over Maggie and I think Brady's starting to see a glimmer of how serious Theresa is about this--I hope he encourages Nicole and Theresa to work together to improve Basic Black.  The two actresses will be fabulous together and we can see the start of a new friendship.

[General Days]

I'm glad they DID recon that stupid "walk-about" crap. Because after what I watched for years, it was insulting. And I don't think characters like Bo, Steve, and Jack EVER need to earn their place back on the canvas. Rather, new characters need to earn their way on to it.

Instead, they are often shoved in our face at the expense of long time characters.

See Jonas, Daniel.

 

I have been a fan of Jack, since Matt Ashford took over the role. That said, Jack was always a bit of a flake and worse. Over the years he raped Kayla, married Eve, feigned he was gay (as he used Greta to make Jennifer jealous) learned he had a supposedly fatal illness and so set up Jen with Frankie and then faked his own death. 

His walk-about was the final straw for me as a Jack fan. I agree with you that it was insulting, but then I had to watch it for a year, so I want it cleaned up. The writers retconned it, but the retcon didn't take away my year or so of being done with Jack. I thought the Afghanistan story was preposterous. It made no sense that he wouldn't tell Jennifer he was going on assignment and instead would let her think he left her. He wasn't a secret agent. He was a reporter, covering the drug trade, married to someone who had also been a reporter and who would have kept his secret.

That twaddle ruined the character of Jack, for me. I was never able to invest in his PTSD story and was actually glad to see him die in the elevator. If, instead, he had come back, copped to his flakiness, gone on with his life and tried to win back Jennifer, I would have welcomed him. I know that I'm arguing a hypothetical, but when I heard Ashford was coming back in 2011 or whatever year it was, I was thrilled. Then I saw his storyline. It had nothing to do with the crap that I, as a fan, had lived through for a year or so, and it had nothing to do with what Jennifer, as a character, had lived through for a year or so. 

Actors like Reckell, Nichols and Ashford have already earned their presence on the canvas by nature of their performances. I agree with you there. The show is already better, just because Nichols is on my screen. But when we're told the characters are doing whatever offscreen, and we watched their loved ones suffer in their absence, then I'd prefer it if their return stories addressed what those loved ones (Jen, Hope, Kayla, etc.) were going through, while they were gone, instead of making the men heroes for abandoning their wives and kids for the greater good. I'm actively rooting for Steve, right now, because he's copping to the fact that he was wrong to leave Kayla and Joey. I'm already dreading Bo's return, because it looks , from the previews, to be a reboot of Jack being tortured in Afghanistan. 

 

The show's attempt to redeem Theresa will not work with me because little miss woe is me set-up an innocent man for sexual assault and is continuing with her lie. I can't see her as being worthy of anything good while she is falsely accusing someone and belittling the real life trauma victims of sexual assault and near sexual assault have to endure. As far as I'm concerned, she is just a sociopath on to her latest scheme. So big thanks writers, you successfully wrote Xander out, but in so doing, you have made me be opposed to whatever plans you have for Theresa. Too bad, since I think JL is a good actress.

I like the idea of something being in the Salem water (Damn Andre, Damn DiMeras) because that is the best explanation for what has been done to people's perception of Bo. The fact that people seem to actively like and support Abby as opposed to reviling and actively and repeatedly plotting to kill her.

I liked the Brady and Nicole scenes, first time he hasn't seemed like a complete moron and an awful person.

I liked the John and Marlena scenes, my only issue is will this month-long trial period be done in Salem time or real time because if it is in Salem time, this matter might not be revisited before January.

I liked the scenes with Joey and Kayla. We need to see who Joey is other than a petulant teen who's mad at the world simply because it's Tuesday. Being pissed not just because him mother won't let him run his own life despite his lack of life experience, status as a minor, and gainful employment; but because you miss having an intact family makes sense. Most importantly, we need Kayla have her own storyline, one that doesn't having her spend her days and nights propping IT.

I liked the scenes with Steve and Victor. I especially liked Victor calling Steve out about his motivation for his I have to save Bo campaign. I also like Steve acknowledging that aside from his legitimate concern for Bo, he has thought about how that act could help soften Kayla and hopefully Joey toward him. I like that one of the things pointing to phony letter should have been obvious to all, neglecting to mention Ciara's birthday, but the other was something that only Steve would know, Tahiti and the Merchant Marines. It serves to somewhat lessen the really people aspect. It shows the writers are thinking about how they can undo some of the damage that has been done to the people closest to Bo for believing the trashing of his character.

My only continuity issue of the episode was that Victor and Steve picked up where we left off yesterday with Victor making a dirty martini. Maggie left the room to make tea, yet we see her discussing designs and life and Basic Black with Theresa. Did Maggie need to go out to get the tea she was going to make? Did she run into Theresa and get sidelined? Did she use the tea story as an excuse to leave the room? A throw-away line would have helped here.

Tell me, did you/do you like Jack? Because while I know Abigail is in the wrong in several storylines (Austin, EJ, and cheating with Chad and duping Ben), she isn't raping anyone. If I recall correctly, everyone loved and supported John and Marlena, even though Marlena cheated with John on Roman, years ago. I don't see how Abigail is different than any random, sometimes unfaithful soap character -- certainly not to any level where she should be called IT. 

[Apprentice79]

If the show wanted to give us a believable backstory for Theresa, then the show should built on the dynamic that the show created between Theresa and her parents during her intervention.. When Shane and Kim were in town, Theresa obviously had a huge problem with Kim, flat out told Shane she was dating really old guys because she had daddy issues, then had a heart to heart with Kim where she mentioned Kim was a wonderful mother (she actually used the word supportive) until she started dating, then Kim clamped down, didn't trust her and treated her like crap. Kim acknowledged this, and basically said she'd do it again in a heartbeat. It sounded to me like Kim and Theresa had the typical problems that parents have with their children during the teenage years. The show is now trying to make Kim seem like a neglectful mother. I will never buy that...Theresa is a sociopath that tried to kill John twice..Perhaps she was channeling her Uncle Andrew, who was her dad's twin and a bad seed himself...

 

Now it's not even 2 years later, and the show is telling us that she  had some Oliver Twist childhood and her mom stomped on a dream that she apparently has so much talent for that even MAGGIE sees it? And dating the wrong men and all the drug use stemmed from that. But if they were going to write anything with this "dream," they should have stuck to what was out there. She felt her mom was controlling, felt abandoned by her dad, made bad choices in guys, got into drugs and lost her dream along the way. It's legitimate for how she's been written since she's been on, it explains her only giving a shit about herself attitude, and it gives her a chance to grow. They could have even said that she felt that Andrew got all of the attention, since he was a good kid and did everything that was expected of him. While she was the troubled one that got involved with the wrong crowd and did a lot of bad stuff that soured her relationship with Kim over the years...This bears repeating, but Andrew needs to be in town. It makes no sense to me that he has never been brought back to town as an adult..The same goes for Sonny's brothers...

Edited September 5, 2015 by Apprentice79

[Happytobehere]

Tell me, did you/do you like Jack? Because while I know Abigail is in the wrong in several storylines (Austin, EJ, and cheating with Chad and duping Ben), she isn't raping anyone. If I recall correctly, everyone loved and supported John and Marlena, even though Marlena cheated with John on Roman, years ago. I don't see how Abigail is different than any random, sometimes unfaithful soap character -- certainly not to any level where she should be called IT.

Yes. I do indeed like Matthew Ashford's Jack. I also like John and Marlena. The difference between these characters that you likened Abigail to and Abigail herself is that all these characters have been held accountable for their actions. No one excused Jack raping Kayla or any of his other schemes. All of Jack's evil deeds came to light and he suffered the consequences. No one ever said to John and Marlena that they were little innocent lambs and Roman was the problem. Let's not even get into how characters like Lexie, Sami, Nicole and countless others were ostracized and made to do penance for their wrongs against others, and rightly so. However when it comes to Saint Abigail, all of her despicable, morally bankrupt, self-serving behavior is swept under the rug and anyone who dares challenge her and her viewpoint is automatically in the wrong. And until such time as the writers choose to correct this, I will view Abigail as some sort of malevolent IT like creature, ala Stephen King, who possesses the power to make people see what IT wants them to see, rather than what is there. If actual redemption was attempted and culpability was assigned along with the penance we have seen others undergo go, I would be more than willing to change my mind. Until such time however...

[Apprentice79]

I love your post Happytobehere, you have succinctly explained my contempt for Abigail Devereaux.  Sami was lambasted by her own family for IT..I love your name for her...

[Sandman]

Tell me, did you/do you like Jack? Because while I know Abigail is in the wrong in several storylines (Austin, EJ, and cheating with Chad and duping Ben), she isn't raping anyone. If I recall correctly, everyone loved and supported John and Marlena, even though Marlena cheated with John on Roman, years ago. I don't see how Abigail is different than any random, sometimes unfaithful soap character -- certainly not to any level where she should be called IT. 

 

I don't think that Abigail deserves to be called a thing, but I do think she deserves mockery; I've added to it. She may not have raped anyone, but I've never seen her truly take responsibility for her mistakes. Her situation isn't really equivalent to Jack's, but Jack was never held up as a paragon of goodness, either. Jack paid for his mistakes, and his later life was shown as being different because he worked over a long period at becoming a different sort of man. That's the difference between them, in my view. Abigail is praised to the skies by family, friends, and people who don't even know her very well. No one ever tried to convince Kayla, once the truth came out, that she was overreacting to Jack's crime. Others' reactions to Abigail's behaviour are quite often minimized or dismissed by her family as overreactions, even if it appears to be out of character for the family member to do so. The show made a very brief attempt to show Abigail feeling some stirrings of remorse for her affair with Elvis, but her family seemed determined to stamp out any sign of that. Abigail seems to be one of those characters whose goodness we're constantly told of, even if we don't see much evidence of it onscreen. Her actual behaviour is frequently selfish and thoughtless -- but almost completely without consequence for her. Her accusation against Austin was, realistically, career-ending for him. False accusations of rape or sexual impropriety are enormously destructive, including the harm to the interests of other women in future, who might be discouraged from reporting attacks for fear of not being believed. I think the show did a truly terrible job with that storyline -- there was nothing honest about it, and Abigail never really dealt with what she did in any real way.

 

So, yes, I think Abigail is radically different from any other random unfaithful soap character. (Mind you, this show has been peppering its stories with rapes and sexual abuse for years, and few if any of the stories have been an honest or as searching -- or as far-reaching in effect -- as Jack Deveraux's.)

Edited September 8, 2015 by Sandman

[bobcat1946]

Yes in Salem people were called out for their sins until he came to the princess side piece. Who could do not wrong.  Never has and never will.

[Apprentice79]

 I know that Paige is not a popular character around here, but I really wish they hadn't killed Paige. Shane is one of my favorite soap characters ever, and the idea that Eve's daughter and his granddaughter will be murdered is so sad.. It is really unnecessary and foolhardy..I  know that Kassie will rise to the occasion and blow us all away. Kassie does heartbreak incredibly well. She is the best at this. I will be a blubbering mess.I remember that she did that on One life to live, when Blair lost her almost full term baby boy after getting run over by her cousin Kelly. When OLTL did a live week of shows, Kassie had to break down in a scene with Todd and nailed it. No fake tears, just real emotion.She is the best at this.  Kassie has also said that these upcoming scenes, were the best ever in her career in daytime. However, what purpose will Paige's death will have serve in the long run..It is gratuitous...I don't like the killing of legacy children...I never got over Zack's death, it was so cruel for Bo and Hope to lose him twice in one lifetime....

Edited September 5, 2015 by Apprentice79

[Artsda]

 

I don't think that Abigail deserves to be called a thing, but I do think she deserves mockery; I've added to it. She may not have raped anyone, but I've never seen her truly take responsibility for her mistakes.

Everyone who tried to blame the EJ affair on just EJ, she took her own responsibility and said it wasn't just him. Kayla, Adrienne, her mother. ANYONE who tried to excuse her she told them otherwise. So yes she took responsibility for her mistakes. 

[Lastwaltz]

Yes, I dread the Paige Death scenes. I always liked her and rooted for JJ/Paige and I'm worried about how this will affect JJ (like they're real people, smh). Hopefully the actress is already on her way to good/better things -- I think she grew into the role nicely. 

[bobcat1946]

Not with Sami.  Had she taken responsible there she would never have invaded Sami's home and slapped her when she abifail was the one at fault as well as EJ. Imo that is not the action of someone who feels guilty.  I guess she thought she could say she was sorry and that would be all that would be required of her.

Edited September 5, 2015 by bobcat1946

[Apprentice79]

Don't forget that she smugly told Sami that she could destroy her and Sami just stood there a blubbering mess..Fuck you Ken Corday for propping your pet Abifail...Sami who once castrated her rapist was reduced to a sniveling cry baby in front of that twit...I still get pissed when I think about it...Theresa and Eve have both done heinous things, but I will take them over Abigail, because the show tells me that I am suppose to love Abigail and hate them...Don't forget that she likes to slap people like Eve, Chloe, Sami, e.t.c....

 

On another note, how come the police are not looking at Eric as a potential suspect in Serena's murder.. He and Serena split up acrimoniously. They should be questioning him about her.. I find it very weird that nobody suspected Eric and we're not supposed to suspect Eric - when he's had so many rage problems since the horrible business with Kristen. Eric is a volcano waiting to erupt...

Edited September 5, 2015 by Apprentice79

[Artsda]

 

Not with Sami.  Had she taken responsible there she would never have invaded Sami's home and slapped her when she abifail was the one at fault as well as EJ.

She did take responsibility, the first things out of her mouth was "I'm so sorry" when she and Sami had the first confrontation. The confrontation that had Sami grabbing onto her until Jennifer physically had to pull Sami back. 

 

But Sami went after her over and over again. Abby instead should have just lay down and beg at Sami's feet and let Sami do anything she wants to her? They made Abigail the victim with Sami's need for revenge and constant going after her. By going after EJ, by going after Chad. By not caring about her own children when she put their father in jail and everything to Will. All that isn't on Abby. Sami's responsible for her own decision making and choices in how she behaved. 

[TigerLynx]

There is no way Sami would have backed down from Slappy.  Sami didn't back down from psycho Andre Dimera.  Sami would have destroyed the boring twit, waltzed out of Salem in control of CW, and celebrated when EJ, Kristen, and Stefano dropped dead.

 

The SL with Theresa/Xander was so unnecessary.  The writers have a chance to do something with Theresa, Nicole, and Kate, and they are going to ruin it.

 

Steve/Patch was wrong for abandoning Kayla and Joey, but that is something Steve would not have done.  Ken Corday and the writers suck, and Ken Corday is the one who has the characters trashed when the actors/actresses choose to leave the show or not return.

[Apprentice79]

Abifail is a horrible heroine..She is nothing like Jennifer, Alice, Caroline, Hope, Kimberly and Kayla in their heyday..The bitch is vile and is constantly being propped to the heavens by the people of Salem..They even had Kate and Victor singing her praises....I hate her with the heat of a thousand sun...I hate the fact that she is getting a baby before Nicole..

Edited September 5, 2015 by Apprentice79

[QuelleC]

The Austin drugging-stalking-fake raping-lying was disgusting and not entertaining.  At least she got her face slapped in front of her so called mother.  If some people still want her to go happy go lucky with Chad after dozens of well thought out explanations here, so be it. The Austin storyline was attempted rape and sociopathic. The reason I'll always like Mela-me a little is because she called her out after being tricked to go to the ski lodge as a cover to stalk some more.

 

So was stalking EJ.  She is mentally ill yet Jenn harps on JJ daily.  JJ's good character will keep him living with mom especially since Failure moved out, but he should move out.  Failure only cloys on him when she wants support or information.  Otherwise, it;s pretty clear JJ doesn't depend on her yet wants to take care of his family. Wouldn't it be great if Christie Clark visited Sami on the 50th and they collectively spat on her?

Edited September 5, 2015 by QuelleC

[Artsda]

When did she drug Austin? He was out of his mind drunk in his office at work before she got there because of Carrie cheating with Rafe. Abby also confessed the truth to Austin that she had lied about them sleeping together herself because she knew she was wrong.  If Abbi's a sociopath for that what does that make all the others on this show that aren't attacked on a visceral level daily when she's not even on the episode? She's done so little wrong things are now made up out of thin air that she's done, like now she's drugged Austin?  Just last week Theresa faked rape and an innocent man is in jail. Nicole's kidnapped babies, Rafe, Victor, Clyde, Hope, John all have done really bad things. Look at the things Sami's done to her own sister Carrie all over Austin. It's a soap opera, nobody is going to be perfect it's for drama.

 

Yet the detest for Abigail for even breathing is ridiculous.

Edited September 5, 2015 by Artsda

[QuelleC]

I guess taking advantage of a drunk Austin doesn't count. Alcohol is a drug. Abifail defenders will always be Abifail defenders.  Her goal has simply been narcissism, not wanting a family and a baby like Nicole.  She doesn't even want love like Sami's lifelong motivation.  She just wants someone to pet her, compliment her and feed her animal crackers or anything she wants when she wants it.

 

I don't excuse Theresa but that was a stupid plot point for getting Xander off the screen during the rewrite, and I didn't feel badly because he should be in jail anyway. Carrie had feelings for Rafe, she didn't cheat, she thought Austin had because of Failure and her slap was magnificent.  We marvel when Failure isn't on an episode. I realize people are sucking into the cuteness of Chabby vs Ben Doll but what a waste of Chad.  Will's only use now is as an Abifail defender. 

 

I suspect Dr. Tan is off tanning somewhere and that's why we haven't seen him.  I would LOVE to see Steve smack him down after Dan realizes he is not the Most Important Dumbass Prince in the KiMansion anymore.

Edited September 5, 2015 by QuelleC

[Sidney]

Yet the detest for Abigail for even breathing is ridiculous.

 

That about sums it up. lol

I guess the writers, Chad, and her family and friends don't feel the same way.

[Sandman]

Everyone who tried to blame the EJ affair on just EJ, she took her own responsibility and said it wasn't just him. Kayla, Adrienne, her mother. ANYONE who tried to excuse her she told them otherwise. So yes she took responsibility for her mistakes. 

 

She told them each once; they all said some variation on "There, there, dear. We know it wasn't really your fault," and she immediately dropped the idea, and it was never mentioned again, as far I can remember. Her mother in particular made a point of blaming "that awful man." I still think the show let Abigail off too easily.

[bobcat1946]

Anyone else but the princess would have almost been ridden out of town on rail. In fact they would never have heard the last of it.

 

Imo they only thing the princess was sorry about was she lost access to EJ's dick.

Edited September 5, 2015 by bobcat1946

[Kitty Redstone]

I will never believe that Kim and Shane were not good parents to both Andrew and Theresa..I remember how Kim was protective of young Eve and took her under her wing. I cannot see this same Kim being so insensitive to her own child's needs..It does not compute for me...

 

I can see Kim being that insensitive, because in her mind it wasn't insensitivity.  Theresa was a child of privilege, and Kim was trying to get her to appreciate that fact and understand that there are many people out there in the world who will never have those perks.  She was unable to see how deeply Theresa felt about her drawings and fashion because in her mind, it would be a frivolous career.  I'd venture to guess that any career that didn't involve an element of altruism would be wasteful of one's gifts to Kim, and there's nothing wrong with that.  But she tried to impose that viewpoint on her daughter without considering her daughter's side of it, and that's something that many parents do.  It doesn't mean they are bad parents; it means they're human, bound by their own experiences, wants and needs and oftentimes unable or unwilling to take off those filters.  The more Kim pushed Theresa to "get serious," the more Theresa felt alienated.  It's not surprising that she turned to drugs. 

 

In some ways I can see my own relationship with my mother here.  She wasn't abused or anything and I didn't turn into a drug-fueled, fireplace poker wielder, but her style of parenting could be harsh.  She rarely gave compliments, because she didn't want us to get an inflated ego.  She never encouraged us to try new things or take risks, because she didn't want us to be disappointed if we failed.  She almost never wasted an opportunity to make us feel small, because she wanted us to learn from the mistake and not make it again.  Growing up I didn't see those qualifiers.  I just saw a mean ol' bitch who liked to make me feel like shit.  I've come to see that my mom was and is a good, loving mother, but her set of mothering tools didn't always give me what I needed.

 

That's what I see with Kim and Theresa, and I'd love to see them play that out and come to an understanding on screen.

[Peanut6711]

Steve/Patch was wrong for abandoning Kayla and Joey, but that is something Steve would not have done.  Ken Corday and the writers suck, and Ken Corday is the one who has the characters trashed when the actors/actresses choose to leave the show or not return.

I think you are definitely on to something here. If an actor leaves or wants to leave, then their character is trashed, even if it's completely out of character and a slap in the face to long time viewers and fans.  Not to mention, it does not make a convincing story. Like right now w/Steve--I should dislike a man who walked out on his family but since it's so clear it was simply bad writing, I'm actually rooting for Steve instead of Kayla on screen each day. Of course, Kayla's characterization has veered off track since MBE stuck around with the last round of clueless writers so sadly I don't find Kayla as likeable as I once did.  Her defense of Abigail and inability to properly do her job when Sami came to her with the violation of hospital policy being a big contributor to my reduction in fuzzy feelings for Kayla.  

 

Speaking of Abby....

Anyone else but the princess would have almost been ridden out of town on rail. In fact they would never have heard the last of it.

 

Imo they only thing the princess was sorry about was she lost access to EJ's dick.

EXACTLY!  Sami, Kate, Nicole, etc. have all done bad deeds but they earned a reputation from it in the process and their slate has never been wiped clean like the Horton princess.   Not to mention that as someone else pointed out, the others usually had a clear gain in sight for some of their actions as where Abigail's just come off like a girl unhinged.  She sees herself as such a do-gooder while being completely oblivious to how utterly abnormal it is to strip off your clothes and pretend you've had sex with your married professor; throw your naked self at the town's engaged mob boss son, and cheat on your current boyfriend with your ex-boyfriend, the brother of your previous affair, also part of the mob.  This all goes beyond a college girl gone wild on Spring break persona.  Her behaviors are not simply just slutty, they are deranged.  She presents an aura that she's so far above everyone else it apparently never crosses her mind that she could (and probably very well should) have been expelled from the university for her actions against Austin as well as be swimming with the fishes for her stint as a mob mistress. (Hell either EJ or Sami or Sami & EJ together could have killed her if we had better writers.) The very fact that Corday insists that half the cast prop her character points to some instability of his own mental state as well.   

[Lastwaltz]

Hmmm, I wonder what it says about me that I don't hate Abigail with a fiery pash : ) I mean, I don't dig everything she's done (Austin/Carrie, EJ/Sami, that weird viriginal storyline with Cameron, etc.)., but she doesn't make me want to hurl or anything. Dr. Dan makes me want to throw something, but not so much Abigail. 

 

I'm entertained watching the Chabby story play out more because I'm developing a mild obsession with Chad and want him to win and be happy in the end than I want the actress on the front burner, but I take what I can get. And there's already so much other stuff to sink my teeth into with Patch and Kayla, Bo and all of that. Meanwhile, I'm a satisfied customer -- except when it comes to Dan. Hopefully his infrequent appearances this week will be a strong trend. 

[bobcat1946]

To each his own imo.  After all while Dan is not my favorite I do not hate him.