Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[Lastwaltz]

Thanks for the nonsmoking encouragement, Kitty and Disney! So far so good, but every minute is a challenge, lol.  More to come after I watch today's episode : )

[BlackMamba]

Quote

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill for the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Maya Angelou

1

I can't believe what the fuck I'm watching!   A whole hour dedicated to this foolishness.  Trapped in a cage talking to a dead birdy.  This episode is getting trashed on Twitter and on the official facebook days page and I can't blame people who are doggin it.  Aiden basically is saying he was compliant to killing Hope!  So why in god's green soap earth would Hope remotely want him back!  Hell, if she takes him back she's no better than Sami, Kate or Nicole who would do similar.  Plus if she can take his ass back why didn't stay with dudes like Larry Welch, Franco, or Patrick Lockhart!  And talk about disrespectful to Bo Brady!  Bo killed the wrong guy.   

 

 

There you have it people.  A hot damn mess.

[callmebetty]

Hot Damn! How many doppelgangersociopaths do the Dimeras have on retainer?  Rafe should be sympathizing with Aiden.

Maybe the Ben that Abby keeps seeing is real and just another Doppelgangersociopath this time hired by Sami and not dead EJ, to drive her crazy. 

[Revlonred]

The bird!!!  Why did it not decompose???  I can't even believe I am seriously asking this question.  Today was hilarious!  

[LeftPhalange]

This Aiden stuff is a prime example of how this show is a fucking mess. You unnecessarily trash Aiden and then kill him off. Then six months later you create some convoluted bullshit backstory so you can undead him. You attempt to redeem him and even that's half assed garbage. Why not say Aiden backed out of killing Hope and was kidnapped weeks before the wedding and replaced with a doppelganger? Or at least say Aiden had been drugged or brainwashed or something and that's why he continued to go along with Adnre's plan. As it stands, Aidan STILL plotted for weeks to kill Hope and only stopped himself at the very last minute. 

This stunt has pretty much ruined Aiden beyond repair and I won't be surprised if he's quickly written out once the idiots in charge realize their plan backfired. 

[BlackMamba]

Well he's back on contract from what Jason47 says.   I assume he will be on for a few months til Aiden does something that will get dumb Hope to see straight that this guy isn't all sunshine and roses. 

[BlackMamba]

47 minutes ago, Revlonred said:

The bird!!!  Why did it not decompose???  I can't even believe I am seriously asking this question.  Today was hilarious!  

I think Days is going in GH's dirty tricks.   Finn and his Lizard and Aiden with dead birdy! 

[DanaMB]

Thoughts during today's show.

I literally laughed out loud when it was revealed he had a twin.

So kind of his kidnappers to allow Aiden to keep his watch and provide him with journals and a pen.

That's some magic bird that doesn't decompose after months.

Total spec not spoiler since I haven't read them: Is he going to end up with some disease from the smoke just to die "again"?

[BlackMamba]

4 minutes ago, DanaMB said:

Total spec not spoiler since I haven't read them: Is he going to end up with some disease from the smoke just to die "again"?

Don't make my mouth water

[salvame]

Geeze guys - don'tcha know, the gas kept the bird preserved. Duh!

I much prefer Chuck Noland's "Wilson" imaginary friend to Aiden's dead bird, thank you.

Today's show was beyond awful.  Total retcon of Jennings, who I couldn't stand the first time around.  It's like they dropped this guy into the show, couldn't figure out what to do with him, so just threw things at the story board until something stuck. This was a total waste of time, and it wasn't even plausible with what already had gone on.  I wish the writer's would give us a little credit, rather than treating us like idiots because we continue to watch a show we loved and watched since we were teens jump the shark.

*le sigh

[buffynut]

I'm tiptoeing in here to say I didn't hate the episode today.  I agree it made no sense, when you compare it to what we watched in the fall. But it was different enough from a regular show that I was entertained.  And it was much better than just watching Aiden tell Hope what he'd been through.  Course we'll likely get to see that another day. 

[BlackMamba]

They should had just gave me the Annie Wilkes moment with Hope and Aiden ?

[Lastwaltz]

Huh. At first I was pissed at the show for what they were trying to pull off today, but then Cosgrove kind of pulled me in and I wound up sort of liking the episode, too. Or not hating it as buffynut said : ). I kept wondering if would have been better if they had take 6 or so weeks and woven it in to the regular storylines, but then they've been hacking away at what was filmed, so who knows what the original intent was. I was all ready to resent the show and I still do, sort of --- Bo didn't have as good a captive/escape story as Aiden had -- but  I Iike that they're trying to do something cool now and then. Anyway, bravo to Cosgrove -- he dove in and made a little one-man play out of one of the weirdest plot twists.

[boes]

1 hour ago, buffynut said:

I'm tiptoeing in here to say I didn't hate the episode today.  I agree it made no sense, when you compare it to what we watched in the fall. But it was different enough from a regular show that I was entertained.  And it was much better than just watching Aiden tell Hope what he'd been through.  Course we'll likely get to see that another day. 

I didn't mind today's episode, either.  As for that bird....well, at least he wasn't talking to a basketball like Tom Hanks did in that stupid movie.  But he TOOK IT WITH HIM?

I don't get too worked up about the implausible when it comes to Days.  Implausible scenarios are a soap staple, although in the early years, before the 80's, anyway, they were few and far between and IMO packed a lot more punch.  Now situations like this happen all the time.  And on Days?  Days has made a living out of implausible over the years.  Trouble is, now the writing is so uneven, there is no long term story planning, so the holes in this storyline are evident to us all.

So as much as I sorta enjoyed watching Aiden all scruffy and bearded with his pet dead bird, there's also very little buy-in to this storyline for me.  As many of you have said, doppleganger or not, he did plan to kill her right up to when he was kidnapped, but even more than that - I could get past that - (oh how my standards have fallen) - there's no way to get past what Chase did to Ciara.  No way.  And it would be supremely offensive if Show were to even try.

So I'll enjoy Daniel Cosgrove's return for what it's worth.  But even worse than anything connected to this unworkable storyline, I'm positive this means the return of Pouty Rafe.  Tight-lipped, pissy, Rafe.  Butt-clenched, always morose, always in a bad mood, Rafe.

Oh joy.

[Happytobehere]

I don't even have words for that mess that was on my screen today.  Of all the days my DVR chooses to remember Days is on the schedule, it picks this one.

[TVForever]

5 hours ago, callmebetty said:

Hot Damn! How many doppelgangersociopaths do the Dimeras have on retainer?  Rafe should be sympathizing with Aiden.

Maybe the Ben that Abby keeps seeing is real and just another Doppelgangersociopath this time hired by Sami and not dead EJ, to drive her crazy. 

Wait. Burning Bed Ben wasn't really Ben? 

[tawny411]

Well as a Aiden/Haiden fan I loved this episode. I'll be keeping it on my DVR. I thought Daniel Cosgrove did a great job. I've seen so much craziness on this show, that this today doesn't even make the top 20. I hope Hope and Aiden get back together and have a long marriage. They are still married.

The dead bird is a better actor than Galen Gering. Anything that kills the godawful Rafe and Hope pairing is good.

[buffynut]

11 minutes ago, tawny411 said:

The dead bird is a better actor than Galen Gering.

Quote

Anything that kills the godawful Rafe and Hope pairing is good.

 I agree.  I hate Rafe and Hope as a romantic couple. I prefer them as friends / work partners. 

[Revlonred]

1 hour ago, tawny411 said:

The dead bird is a better actor than Galen Gering.

THIS made my night!  For the win!

[Frozendiva]

Maybe there is another Newsalem - new doubles for everyone!

The bird should have been gross and disgusting and smelled bad. Must have been the gas that kept it as it is.

Perhaps there is a point. This seems dumb.

[Bwill3133]

Well I didn't want Aiden thrown under the bus like he was but this retcon is just silly. The real Aiden might not have been the one who tried to kill Hope but he was still planning on it until the very last moment. Still pretty bad. 

[Petunia13]

Yes he was CONSIDERING it and planning it! Almost and "but I didn't after all" don't count! 

Not only that but I think there's something fishy with him. 

[annabel]

Yeah, this is all pretty stupid and I don't want Hope to have anything to do with him.

t don't think they really care about how anything matches up 

[bannana]

So many plot inconsistencies to what we actually saw, as you all have pointed out.  But strangely, I enjoyed it.  At one point I realized it had to be an homage or rip off of the movie Oldboy.  The Josh Brolin version.  There were quite a few similarities.

Yeah, I don't see how Aiden is viable for Hope unless he never tells her that he was planning to kill her.

The only  bright side now for Hope is if Aiden tells her it was all Stefano and Andre, maybe she won't feel so guilty for killing Stefano.

I don't know how they deal with the Chase situation either.   I think we are stuck with Rope.

[MsTree]

Quote

Bo didn't have as good a captive/escape story as Aiden had

For all the Bo fans out there (and I'm one of them!), you really gotta let this go. It was Peter who didn't want a long run. I'm sure if Peter wanted to take the time to film a lengthy & prolonged torture and escape, TPTB would have gladly given him all the time in the world. But he didn't and he's gone...and as sad as we all are, we have to live with that.

[Apprentice79]

The episode was weird, and a bit pretentious. However, it did showcase to me what a dynamite actor Daniel Cosgrove is...Aiden did not need to be destroyed for Bope to be viable...I do think that it is too little too late for Aiden and Haiden..There is no way that Hope can get back together with Aiden without destroying her daughter Ciara..I won't even rant about what was done to Chase/Ciara..I think the problem with these writers is that they focus too much on shocking twists that go nowhere and not enough character development and history...It is why we only have 4 soaps left..I remember being a kid in the 80's and there were soaps that ran from 12:30pm till 5pm on three networks....Each soap had it's own distinct personality and feel...It is really sad what has become of such a unique genre..It will be interesting to see which soap will be the last one standing and why.....

Edited May 10, 2016 by Apprentice79

[testardo]

19 hours ago, buffynut said:

I'm tiptoeing in here to say I didn't hate the episode today.  I agree it made no sense, when you compare it to what we watched in the fall. But it was different enough from a regular show that I was entertained.  And it was much better than just watching Aiden tell Hope what he'd been through.  Course we'll likely get to see that another day. 

 

 

I also liked it. D.C can act. He did a great job trying to tell us what happened. He doesn't know what went on he has been in a prison. Sammy married her rapist,  Jennifer also married Kayla's rapist. Rafe had a doppelganger  supplied by the same people I think. No tiptoeing for me. I like Daniel Cosgrove and I liked him with Kristin A. I don't like her with Rafe.  Now Hope can stop beating herself up about Stephano, and get Andre. They were responsible for all her problems.  Destroying and brainwashing the boy to hurt Ciara. trying to have her killed Yadda ,yadda ,yadda.

[shesajar]

My bar is obviously much lower than most of yours are. I'm totally willing to drop inconsistent, or outright horrible, character choices if made by a character I like.  I'm okay with Aiden agreeing to and then backing out of killing Hope. Even at the time, he played it as a desperate move, and one that he was horribly conflicted by.  People attempt murder without a thought all the time on this show; I suppose I appreciated that Aiden at least felt like he had no other choice (as ridiculous as that is!). I have a tougher time getting past Chase's rape of Ciara in terms of any Hope/Aiden reunion. I really wish they'd have made Chase stop himself. There would still be a dramatic impact, because attempted rape is still traumatic and wrong, but it's so much easier to come back from. 

[Revlonred]

Finn is a creeper.

When Claire asked Ciara if her "mom" was okay with her moving out, it reminded me that Hope is her grandmother.  What is wrong with these writers?  It didn't sound right.  Wouldn't it have been natural to say..."Grandma is okay with it?"

Edited May 10, 2016 by Revlonred

[swtrgrl]

Today's show is all over the place. Pacing is weird...too many things going on in one episode. Better than an entire episode of one couple but still...too much.

[shesajar]

37 minutes ago, Revlonred said:

Finn is a creeper.

When Claire asked Ciara if her "mom" was okay with her moving out, it reminded me that Hope is her grandmother.  What is wrong with these writers?  It didn't sound right.  Wouldn't it have been natural to say..."Grandma is okay with it?"

I don't do that, I think I generally refer to that person the way the person I'm talking to would refer to them.  OK, since that makes no sense, as an example: if I'm talking to my cousin about his mother, I don't say Aunt Carol, I say "your mom". I call my inlaws by their name, but I say "your parents" when I'm talking about them to my husband.

It's still silly that I've only heard Claire say "Grandma Hope" once so far, though.

[LeftPhalange]

Rafe, Hope, and Roman being this reluctant to believe Aiden is really Aiden is ridiculous. How many people in Salem have had doppelgangers or died and came back to life.  

[Rick Kitchen]

All Claire thinks about is boys and love and stuff?  Except for her brief flirtation with Chase, what boy has she shown any interest in?

Good for Theo calling out Abe for being afraid of Mark's father.

Jeez, do they need to show whole scenes in flashbacks?  Just give us the important parts, okay?

Damn, Kyler who plays Theo is so good.

"It's 'a virus'.  I've never seen this strain before."  You don't get strains of a virus.  You get strains of the flu virus, etc.

When Theo showed up at Ciara's door, the music sounded like the opening of the MASH theme song.

[Petunia13]

4 hours ago, Revlonred said:

Finn is a creeper.

When Claire asked Ciara if her "mom" was okay with her moving out, it reminded me that Hope is her grandmother.  What is wrong with these writers?  It didn't sound right.  Wouldn't it have been natural to say..."Grandma is okay with it?"

It is especially jarring since in that family they often call each other by their family relationship for example Hope and Jenn call each other Cuz. And hope calls her father daddy I think.

Im from a family that does that too. My cousins and I call each other Cousin _ and our parents mommy or daddy and siblings Sis or Sissy or Bro. They shouldn't ignore Claire's relationship with Hope, she is her Gramma. 

[blanchowens]

I love that Aiden is back, a character I actually enjoy these days.  Hopefully he'll be around for the long haul.  He has way more chemistry with Hope than Rafe.  Hope they can rehab the character they ruined.  Happy camper here.

[TigerLynx]

Another doppelganger SL?  Seriously show?  It was bad enough they erased all the great villains, made Stefano responsible for everything, and then turned him into a cartoon character.  Now everyone else in Salem looks like idiots if they don't believe the Dimeras did it.  If the writers didn't keep digging the characters into holes they have no hope of climbing out of, they wouldn't have to come up with even dumber SLs to get them out of the corner they keep writing themselves into.

[Happytobehere]

So the show actually remembered that Caroline and Kayla are mother and daughter and gave them scenes together.  I really liked their all too brief scenes. So the show is going the Fynn likes Kayla, everyone under the sun notices his attraction to her, but Kayla doesn't see it route.   

In typical Magical Salem time, the test results are back for the people brought in what an hour or three ago.  I hope this story turns out to be something other than a bust, but given the caliber of talent we have running the show, I won't hold my breath.  

I love Hope, but at this point, I want to see less of her because 1) Stupid Dimera storyline, 2) Rafe romance storyline, 3) Aiden back from the dead and it was really a double storyline, and 4) All of these storylines have given me more  Fauxman.  Seeing less Hope means less of these stories and I'm here for that.

[Frozendiva]

Wouldn't the talented docs at Salem U consider giving anti-virals to the patients (if the condition was bad enough)? Most folks who get a virus just stay home with a cold or whatever bug they get. Drink plenty of liquids, rest, and take cold meds. Gabi still looked pretty good for being in the hospital.

Steve, teens are teens and won't tell 'dad' where the kid ran away to.

Of course it is a good idea for Hope to talk to 'Aiden' alone. Maybe there is a point to this storyline but it seems dumb. Unless it is to write out both Aiden and Chase.

[Rick Kitchen]

2 hours ago, TigerLynx said:

Another doppelganger SL?  Seriously show?  It was bad enough they erased all the great villains, made Stefano responsible for everything, and then turned him into a cartoon character.  Now everyone else in Salem looks like idiots if they don't believe the Dimeras did it.  If the writers didn't keep digging the characters into holes they have no hope of climbing out of, they wouldn't have to come up with even dumber SLs to get them out of the corner they keep writing themselves into.

 

Well, Rafe and Hope have both had doppelgangers, it's modus operandi.

[boes]

If Show is going to default to doppelganger, how about we get some doppelgangers in the writers room?  Imposters would only be a step up.

I'm not hating the virus storyline but it did strike me funny that this infection is hitting a modeling gig and all the people associated with the photo shoot.  It's like that old comedy, "Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?"  I want to see them go for broke and roll Tim Gunn and Nina Garcia in on stretchers, with a hackng Heidi Klum trailing behind.  Just save Zach Posen, PLEASE GOD!!

I really don't know why Roman, the man with two faces, or Rafe, who had his own pet doppelganger, or Hope aka Princess Gina are even batting an eyelash at Aiden's story.  Sounds like just a normal day in Salem to me.

But we had a Theo and a Momma Hernandez day and that makes everything all right to me!   Kyler Pettis terrific in every single scene, just terrific, as is Alma Delfina.  

[pearlite]

I loved Caroline's response when Kayla told her about the teens spraying the judge's car. She laughed. Enjoying her lately--they don't have her doing "dear little old lady."

However, I thought Caroline brought Kayla and Finn beef stew. Once the camera got close enough for us to see the spoons and bowls' contents, it was Brady chowder [or somebody's]. Tsk, tsk. Folks, when our attention is wandering onto the table and what characters are eating...

Beyond the above, Mama Hernandes who never makes a wrong move, and Theo, who is effortlessly adorable...not so much.

Was the dead bird a day player, or will we see him again?

[rcc]

Now that is chemistry and great acting. KA and DC are killing these scenes!

Much better than the farce that is Hope and Rafe.

[Revlonred]

Everyone looks a bit silly in their bio hazard gear.  Reminds me of this, "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex"

Why isn't Finn more concerned about Kayla's head?  Situation seems kind of stressful, no?  More than when Steve wanted to talk the other day, just a bit?

Edited May 11, 2016 by Revlonred

[Revlonred]

sorry

Edited May 11, 2016 by Revlonred
duplicate posts

[Lastwaltz]

Revlonred -- it was a good one though! Loved that movie way back when.

[BlackMamba]

Boy, I am so not here for Aiden aka Shaiden!

Yes he admitted he was brought in by Stefano and Andre to plot to romance Hope, ruin whatever was left of Bo/Hope and extort her for her money.  Yet he still trying to be like "it wasn't me, it was them!"  Aiden you took the job!  You knew exactly what you were doing.  Like this guy is a wussy and the fact that Hope is possibly going to fall for this jive is outer nonsense.  Where is the 100k Hope gave Aiden?  Hell, where is the 500k she lost during Ciara's kidnapping.  What I want to know is what producer/writers on the show decided let's get Aiden back?  Cosgrove is a good actor but this whole storyline is already starting to make my head spin.  And all this rewriting is a slap in the face still to those that loved Bo Brady and Bo/Hope, having Bo possibly kill the wrong guy, like smh.  I did enjoy my baby Kristian Alfonso raining in the tears.  For years, I've read and listen to podcasters clown her for not being able to cry, well she was crying today.  I was loving when Hope called Aiden "a lying piece of garbage."  Now that's Hope Williams Brady,  no bs.  But did anyone else go like "woah" when Aiden brought up Eric to Roman.   

This CDC story is ok but someone needs to drop dead soon that we supposedly care about.  Apparently some photographer drop dead.  I wonder is Adriana going to be working at the hospital since she's a nurse though.  I wouldn't mind.

[LeftPhalange]

LOL if Sparkle is the carrier for the virus.

So Aiden's entire relationship with Hope was a lie. This is the writer's idea of redeeming him?

[BlackMamba]

The thing is I kind of like that Aiden is still lying and trying to run circles around Hope.   That's the only way this buffoonery can work.   I like that Aiden is ShadyAiden now because I don't have to wonder "is he good" or "is he bad".   So I appreciate the writers for finally giving me more of a character development then TomSell could ever.   All that's missing now is Aiden possibly lying about Chase accidentally killing Meredith. 

[Happytobehere]

Would someone mind summarizing what happened on today's ep.  If you can, thanks in advance. We're finally getting Steve and Kayla moments after the cut scenes and my fricking piece of crap Verizon DVR chose today to once again decide that it would delete Days from my list of programs to record -- it does this and just randomly skipping a day for reasons known only to it quite frequently.  Naturally it recorded just fine during the non-stop nutty Abby episodes.  I just can't 

[lilly6]

Whew! For a minute there today I thought my beloved Sparkle might be a goner.