Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[LeftPhalange]

I don't really care what Gabi's motivations are for dumping JJ, he's become blah to me and I wish he would leave and take Lani with him. 

[Bwill3133]

Well if I'm supposed to think Abby's getting better the scene at the end doesn't help. Yeah Chad loves you crazy, he still needs time. Grandma Laura needs to up those therapy sessions quick. She's clearly feeling insecure and trying to rush her reunion with Chad.  She's a tiny bit unhinged. 

Gabi even with having feelings for Chad is still going to be pissed at JJ. I'd have a hard time believing he couldn't remember it was Lani. Also Lani's reaction makes sense if we remember how she was with Shawn. Cutting Belle (and Claire's?) picture out when she she saw it in his wallet.  Moving to Miami didn't tame the crazy. I wish myself that JJ and Gabi could try to work it out but it seems Ike they are full steam ahead with the Abby/Chad/Gabi triangle. 

I'll never be excited to see Rafe and Hope. Especially Rafe. 

I'm not particularly upset about Jade and Joey losing the baby but right at Christmas? They could have waited a couple more days  

[LeftPhalange]

I see Gabi's behavior with JJ not so much as lying/being judgmental/hypocritical/looking for an escape route, and more about her not being fully aware of and/or wanting to admit that she had feelings for Chad. She was in a committed relationship with JJ so she intentionally or not ignored her developing feelings for him. Then she finds out JJ cheated and she starts to feel less bad about emotionally connecting with another man. Chad admits he has feelings for her as well, as since she's now single, they stop fighting it and decide to see where things go, only for Failure to pop back up. When she decided to give JJ another chance I don't think she was settling, I think she assumed Chad would go back to his wife so she figured why not see if she and JJ can fix things since she still has feelings for him. Almost getting involved with Chad was a mistake, but maybe her relationship with JJ can be salvaged. Then, not only does she find out JJ is keeping secrets from her again, she finds out he screwed a coworker - his partner no less. So at this point JJ has: cheated on another woman, behaved so irresponsibly that he ends up having drunken sex with a woman and can't even remember who she is, and lied about all of it while keeping ANOTHER secret. Gabi can't trust him, JJ has issues,  and she has feelings for another man. There's zero reasons why she should continue this relationship right now. 

The problem with this story is it's sloppy written and rushed (as usual) so numerous important beats are missed, and JJ cheating offscreen was just a quick way to cause problems with him and Gabi so they could do a Gabi/Chad/Failure triangle. As a result, it looks like Gabi is flip flopping between men since her budding relationship with Chad hasn't been given enough time to develop on its own. I think Chad/Gabi/JJ (more so the latter two) are being thrown under the bus thanks to the writing. 

Regarding Lani, why would she have sex with a heavily drunk man who she knows is in a relationship? Was she sober? If so, why is she having sex with a man who is so drunk he can't even remember having sex with her? JJ is responsible for his actions, but Lani comes off as shady, desperate, and a bit cuckoo. 

Edited January 4, 2017 by LeftPhalange

[Apprentice79]

10 hours ago, Michel said:

Your history's a fair bit off.  Gabi did play some part in Chad and Melanie going kaput, but Chad played his own part in it, for sure, by a.) beating Nick to a near-pulp over something he didn't do and b.) lying to Melanie about what Gabi had done to meddle in their relationship.  And all Chad did was ruin Nick and Gabi's wedding.  Everything else that ended their relationship was all Nick.

Gabi did hire that Psycho Andrew, to stalk her , in order to get Chad's attention and it got Melanie kidnapped that started the end of Chad/Melanie and it also led to that explosion that killed Jack and Madison. The same goes for Chad ruining her wedding to Nick. That too led to everybody finding out that Will was the father of her baby.  It pushed Will, to finally accept his role, as a father, that led to Nick's descent into madness.  Both Chad and Gabi, interfered in each others' lives, for selfish reasons, that had unintended consequences, for everybody around them.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Apprentice79

[lilly6]

Yay, some Paulson tongue-bathing!  Woot! 

[LeftPhalange]

Nicole and Deimos are sickening.

How nice of Sparkle to tell Will's grandmother that he kissed Sonny. And how nice of Marlena to tell Sparkle he and Sonny are probably meant to be. Gag me. 

I wonder if Sparkle was inserted into this Stefano story to take John's place. 

Are we never going to get a break from Rafe and Hope?

[Apprentice79]

What happened to Freddie Smith, he is terrible. He was no Robert Deniro, but, he made Sonny,  a likable and sympathetic character. He brought a normalcy to the Sonny character, that you don't usually find in a soap. 

I am not surprised that Marlena  approves of Paulson, since, she loves everything that has to do with John, and that includes his retcon son, Sparkle. 

Rope is awful and I hate that they are undoing Stefano's murder, so, that Hope can be free. I want Hope to stay in jail. I need a break from her. She has been on the front burner for far too long.

[Sandman]

20 hours ago, boes said:

Side note - she looks a lot like Guy Wilson in a Veronica Lake wig.

Aiiiiiee! Now how am I supposed to chisel that image out of my brain?

[Silver Raven]

Hey, Brady, when you talk about your ex mother-in-law, be specific, okay?  It took me a while to figure out you meant Nancy.

"I'm sending Steve and Rafe to Prague".  Er, Rafe is a Salem cop, not an ISA agent.  Shane can just order local cops around?

The prison lets people carry their cell phones with them in the prison?

[JBC344]

49 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Hey, Brady, when you talk about your ex mother-in-law, be specific, okay?  It took me a while to figure out you meant Nancy.

"I'm sending Steve and Rafe to Prague".  Er, Rafe is a Salem cop, not an ISA agent.  Shane can just order local cops around?

The prison lets people carry their cell phones with them in the prison?

Wait!!  Am I forgetting something but isn't Nancy, Brady's only ex-mother in law?  Who else has Brady been married to besides Chloe?

I've mentioned this before but I really wouldn't mind Brady and Chloe getting back together.  They were so young when they married the first time and such completely different characters than they are now.  It would be like a whole new relationship.  I do have to say that as much as Brady usually annoys me I do appreciate that he does have strong friendships with his exes Nicole and Chloe. 

[Apprentice79]

8 minutes ago, JBC344 said:

,Wait!!  Am I forgetting something but isn't Nancy, Brady's only ex-mother in law?  Who else has Brady been married to besides Chloe?

I've mentioned this before but I really wouldn't mind Brady and Chloe getting back together.  They were so young when they married the first time and such completely different characters than they are now.  It would be like a whole new relationship.  I do have to say that as much as Brady usually annoys me I do appreciate that he does have strong friendships with his exes Nicole and Chloe. 

I love Phloe, but, I would not mind Broe. I thought that they had great chemistry, when Brady came back to town...Broe would make sense now...If Jay were to ever come back, to the show as Philip, then, I would want Philip to reunite with Chloe.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Apprentice79

[salvame]

I would rather see Brady and Nicole, raising Tate and Holly together. They obviously still care for each other, and since they screwed over Brady with the Theresa SL, I think they owe us.  I don't like Nicole and Deimos at all (nor anyone and Deimos, for that matter.  Just want him gone), and since I have been a Nicole fan for years, I just want her to have a positive SL for more than 2 'Days' days.

[JBC344]

22 minutes ago, salvame said:

I would rather see Brady and Nicole, raising Tate and Holly together. They obviously still care for each other, and since they screwed over Brady with the Theresa SL, I think they owe us.  I don't like Nicole and Deimos at all (nor anyone and Deimos, for that matter.  Just want him gone), and since I have been a Nicole fan for years, I just want her to have a positive SL for more than 2 'Days' days.

As much as I like the idea of Brady and Chloe back together I wouldn't mind Brady and Nicole giving it another shot either.

[LeftPhalange]

I'd like to see Nicole stay single for awhile instead of hopping from relationship to relationship with only a few months in between. She was in love with Deimos in 2016, Dan in 2015, Eric in 2014, Dan in 2013. Somewhere in 2013 or 2012 she was also in love EJ and falling for Rafe. 

[penguinnj]

I meant to mention this last week but I LOVE that Adrienne is using cold caps during her chemo treatments.  I used them myself 3 years ago when I had cancer and hardly anyone had heard of them- so very glad to see them getting exposure as an option.  When this show does something right I want to sing it from the mountaintops.

[Apprentice79]

2 hours ago, JBC344 said:

As much as I like the idea of Brady and Chloe back together I wouldn't mind Brady and Nicole giving it another shot either.

I actually feel that Brady and Nicole should have worked their way back, to each other, after the Sydney debacle.  Brady knew that EJ was bad news. Once they got back together, enters Eric, wanting another chance, with Nicole.  An Eric/Nicole/Brady triangle would have been really good..

[Frozendiva]

Maybe Shane felt he could use Rafe's former FBI credentials. He probably would need a special order from the ISA to get Rafe's assistance. But it is the Salem PD.

Joey, you will see that you dodged a bullet. You're a young kid with little education, no job, and not hugely employable at this point to be able to afford to raise a child. Your parents would need to support you. You now have a golden opportunity to think with the brain between your ears.

Nancy, you really shouldn't go snooping through people's pockets because they seem 'jumpy'. Maybe Brady was a bit uncomfortable about seeing you in your bathrobe.

Deimos, do the right thing but also step away from Nicole for a while.

[Michel]

5 hours ago, JBC344 said:

Wait!!  Am I forgetting something but isn't Nancy, Brady's only ex-mother in law?  Who else has Brady been married to besides Chloe? 

Theresa, though only briefly.  They got married when they were stone drunk.

[Sandman]

Madison and Brady never married, right?

[Michel]

3 minutes ago, Sandman said:

Madison and Brady never married, right?

She died while they were still engaged.

[Sandman]

Thanks; I thought I remembered that they were talking about getting married, or had got engaged.

[plurie]

Even if Stefano is alive, Hope shot SOMEONE. If it was Stefano, it's attempted murder. If it was the unidentified man in the grave, it's still murder.

[Silver Raven]

9 hours ago, plurie said:

Even if Stefano is alive, Hope shot SOMEONE. If it was Stefano, it's attempted murder. If it was the unidentified man in the grave, it's still murder.

Not if Stefano was wearing a bullet proof vest and he killed the unknown guy.  And I wouldn't be surprised if we never find out who the guy in the grave really is.

Can't Deimos and Nicole ring for the servants to provide them sustenance instead of getting out of bed and going down to get it themselves?

Geez, Theo, no need to be bitchy. And yeah, sorry, Theo, but that is Valerie's son she's talking to.

Jebus, Deimos, your timing always sucks.

What was Eduardo's guy doing in that office?

[Michel]

Valerie's tone when she spoke over the bug said it all.  She's getting to the point where she's more than over Theo coming after her for what is, again, essentially no reason at all.

One thing to ask.  Theo and Claire bugging Valerie is illegal, isn't it?  As in, punishable-by-a-fine-or-prison-time illegal?  Part of me really wants to see them suffer for that, but given that Kyler and Olivia are both on contract, that likely won't happen.

2 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Geez, Theo, no need to be bitchy. And yeah, sorry, Theo, but that is Valerie's son she's talking to.

He and Claire are going to look so stupid when they find that out, assuming it really is her son.  I do think it is, too, though.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Michel

[boes]

4 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Geez, Theo, no need to be bitchy. And yeah, sorry, Theo, but that is Valerie's son she's talking to.

Jebus, Deimos, your timing always sucks.

I get it that Deimos is an ass, and I get it that Chloe has no use for him, for very good reason.  But what the hell does Nancy think he's gonna do, chow down on the kid?  The baby is Nicole's, end of story.  Or does Chloe only give gifts with conditions?

Theo needs to be challenged on his behavior.  As sweet as he usually is, I got the feeling today that he's been emotionally pampered, to his detriment.

2 hours ago, Michel said:

Valerie's tone when she spoke over the bug said it all.  She's getting to the point where she's more than over Theo coming after her for what is, again, essentially no reason at all.

I hope Valerie doesn't pull any punches with Theo.  He's violated her privacy in a very big, and as you say, illegal way.  Someone needs to get across to him that his behavior is not acceptable on any level.

And once Julie finds out......why the hell would Valerie want to stay in this town?

[Frozendiva]

It's not up to Chloe to decide Nicole's life and her choices. Today she hates Deimos, six months from now she will hate someone else or think that person isn't good enough for St. Daniel's offspring. Genetically, the baby is Nicole's and she is free to have whomever in her life without a vote from others. Her lessons to learn and her choices. Nancy, be honest and tell Nicole that the baby is hers - and that her daughter volunteered to be a surrogate. It probably wasn't the best idea to secretly try for a second baby via surrogate and not inform Nicole. She may not want a dead dude's kid.

Valerie should have a nice chat with Theo and then if necessary, take the bug to his dad. It is not cool to stick a bug in to someone's bag. If and when Valerie wants you to know something, she will let you know.

I would think that the dead guy's (who 'replaced' Stefano) family would like to know that their loved one is deceased.

[LeftPhalange]

I don't know what to make of Kate. She actually seemed hesitant and sad about taking those microchips. I expected her to scream about Ed betraying her, even though if she were in his shoes she would do the exact same thing and chalk it up to "just business." Hell, she stabbed her own son in the back just to get his job. Between this and her helping Adrienne, maybe they are finally trying to soften her a little. 

I totally get what you all are saying about Chloe and Nancy having no right to keep Nicole away from her child, and normally I'd agree...but then Deimos appears. I legit think he could pose a threat to Nicole and that baby if Nicole ever gets on his bad side, which seems to be pretty easy to do. I'm even more convinced of this after

reading the spoiler about him having Gabi and Cuckoo Abs kidnapped.

This man is a deranged animal. Also, of course Deimos drove Eve away by treating her like a servant. Piece of shit. 

I wish they would stop writing Nicole like this, she comes off as obsessed and creepy over a baby that she thinks belongs to her comatose friend. 

I don't like what they're doing with Theo and Claire at all. They are some of the few characters that don't bore me to death, sicken me, or piss me off. 

Edited January 6, 2017 by LeftPhalange

[TigerLynx]

I'm so tired of the baby stealings on soaps.  I guess I'm supposed to feel sympathy for Nicole, however, she has been a baby stealer herself so whatever.  If they are going to continue to pair Kate and Nicole up with monsters, could the writers try to remember that neither Kate or Nicole are helpless wimps.

Thank you Sami/AS for escaping Andre and stealing the Dimera money.  Now can you please return, kill Andre (not be sorry about it at all), and reveal to Lucas that Will is alive.

[Sandman]

On 2017-01-04 at 4:57 PM, Silver Raven said:

"I'm sending Steve and Rafe to Prague".  Er, Rafe is a Salem cop, not an ISA agent.  Shane can just order local cops around?

I'm tempted to say "Of course! He's Shane GD Donovan!" I'm also tempted to say, "Well, he never actually said that he wanted Shut Up! Rafe to come back again..."

[LeftPhalange]

The Brady & Friends PD ignores laws and regulations that inconvenience them. I guess the ISA does the same, though I question why a spy organization would want the help of anyone working at that incompetent police department. 

[TigerLynx]

It's sad to remember that at one time, years actually decades ago, Roman, Abe, Bo, Steve, John, Shane, etc., were actually competent at their jobs.

[DisneyBoy]

Have we even seen Eve since she returned before Xmas to help with Tate? I haven't been watching but it seems like she made appearances in two episodes and that's it. Now she's gone again? Were there more scenes with her?

Edited January 6, 2017 by DisneyBoy

[Silver Raven]

7 minutes ago, DisneyBoy said:

Have we even seen Eve since she returned before Xmas to help with Tate? I haven't been watching but it seems like she made appearances in two episodes and that's it. Now she's gone again? Were there more scenes with her?

That might have something to do with her illness.  They may have expected to have her around longer.

[LeftPhalange]

Isn't Eve supposed to be coming back? Isn't KS filming again?

[DisneyBoy]

8 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

That might have something to do with her illness.  They may have expected to have her around longer.

No, I know about Kassie's illness, I'm just wondering if she appeared at all after coming back for those two episodes.

[rcc]

What happened in the last 15 minutes? Lester Holt and NBC News cut in at 1:45 to report the Florida airport shooting.

[Silver Raven]

Well, I guess we won't be getting the show today...

[buffynut]

2 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

No, I know about Kassie's illness, I'm just wondering if she appeared at all after coming back for those two episodes.

I read over on the other forum something about them "cutting Eve scenes", so I took that to mean Kassie did tape more, but it got cut after she got sick and they had to change her storyline. Also think she was on contract when she returned and that when she's well, Eve will be back.

[Frozendiva]

Not much happened in the last 15 minutes.

Theo was happy that Valerie didn't turn him and Claire in regarding the bug.

Chad was kinda letting Gabi go - and she was staring at the Abs statue in the park. Thought she was going to knock it over. Strangely, it has no bird crap on it yet.

Lani and JJ were toasting his promotion and behaving like adults (at least for now) in remaining friends.

Claire doesn't like Ciara and Theo together and is looking for a way to get them apart.

[LeftPhalange]

Is it just my wishful thinking that Chad seemed like he didn't really want to *dump* Gabi or did anyone else get that impression? Like, he's decided to try and make it work with Failure because he's married to her and she's Thomas' mother, but he would rather see where things go with Gabi?

[Michel]

On ‎1‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 7:40 PM, boes said:

I hope Valerie doesn't pull any punches with Theo.  He's violated her privacy in a very big, and as you say, illegal way.  Someone needs to get across to him that his behavior is not acceptable on any level.

It's your lucky day.  She definitely let him have it, though in the calm, mature way I've come to expect from her by now.  No yelling.  No screaming.  Just calmly telling him why he was wrong, and she definitely let him know that what he and Claire did was illegal and that she couldn't ignore it.

She didn't tell Abe about it, though, which was interesting.  I didn't think she'd turn him over to the cops, but I at least expected her to tell Abe, because I think he really did deserve to know what his son did.  And I think someone should tell Shawn about Claire's part in it, since he did warn her to leave Valerie alone, too, a month or so back.

Of course, in the end, Ciara finally encouraged him to realize that Valerie's secret is her business and not his and drop the whole thing, and Theo finally, finally agreed to.  So . . . progress, at least.

On other fronts, Abigail and Ciara reunited, but something about it rang false.  I think it's the fact that while Abigail was presumed dead, Ciara made a play for Chad herself.  I'm actually surprised that Chad didn't tell Abigail about that, too, the moment Ciara left.

When they first got together, I actually thought that Claire was an improvement for Theo given how Ciara was behaving at the time.  Now I think she's fast becoming a bad influence on him and would almost prefer he be with Ciara, after all.

The fact that J.J. and Gabi remain in each other's orbits makes me think that the writers do plan on having them reconcile down the road.  I'm sure of it.

Edited January 7, 2017 by Michel

[Frozendiva]

20 hours ago, LeftPhalange said:

Is it just my wishful thinking that Chad seemed like he didn't really want to *dump* Gabi or did anyone else get that impression? Like, he's decided to try and make it work with Failure because he's married to her and she's Thomas' mother, but he would rather see where things go with Gabi?

Guilt and obligation are powerful motivation factors. It's not good form to dump a wife who has faked her death for months and then showed up unexpectedly to resume her place in your life. At this point, he really doesn't have much of a choice unless he wants to be painted as a jerk.

[Silver Raven]

Jennifer and Julie would make his life a living hell if he tried that.

[LeftPhalange]

9 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

Guilt and obligation are powerful motivation factors. It's not good form to dump a wife who has faked her death for months and then showed up unexpectedly to resume her place in your life. At this point, he really doesn't have much of a choice unless he wants to be painted as a jerk.

 

8 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Jennifer and Julie would make his life a living hell if he tried that.

Of course the Hortons would make Chad out to be a villain if he left Failure while conveniently ignoring the fact that he has legit reasons to distrust her. 

You'd think Failure would be a bit more concerned about Chad's feelings for Gabi. He was devoted to her and put up with a lot of crap from her and her psycho fiance so the fact that she walked in on him kissing another woman is a big deal. Gabi stepping aside doesn't change the fact that those feelings weren't one sided. 

[Sandman]

On 2017-01-08 at 0:15 AM, Frozendiva said:

It's not good form to dump a wife who has faked her death for months and then showed up unexpectedly to resume her place in your life.

Salem residents really do have etiquette problems that other people don't. What is the accepted mourning period for presumed deaths? Faked deaths? Are those intervals shorter or longer than for real deaths that are later reversed or undone somehow? Are there sympathy cards for when loved ones find out their true paternity for the first, second or third time? How many sets of glassware should one have on hand to allow for attrition with all the glasses that get thrown into the fireplace? Is it permissible to use a juice glass from the kitchen, or does it have to be stemware or high-end bar glasses?

Edited January 9, 2017 by Sandman

[Frozendiva]

I remember 'Another World' where Iris Carrington would have her martini. No televisions or anything back in that time.

I would love to throw plates and crystal. Unfortunately, I don't have anyone to clean up after me.

[Sandman]

I'm pretty sure one of the under-parlourmaid positions at Casa Dimera / Castle Dracula consists entirely of regular cleanup of smashed glassware.

[LeftPhalange]

What is the purpose of this prison story? Do the writers think she'll magically be redeemed if she takes down the evil doers?

Was I supposed to laugh during the scenes of the Scooby Gang in Fake Prague? I did. 

[rustyspigot]

So Paul can't read. That's all I got from this episode. Even random Anna with a gun was kind of boring.

[DisneyBoy]

What did Prague look like? Was it a recycled HTS?