Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[Apprentice79]

5 minutes ago, JBC344 said:

I totally get that Belle and Brady are closer than Belle/Eric, but it was jarring to see Eric barely acknowledge Belle.  They may not be incredibly close but they are siblings.  To see him just touch her hand while she was hugging Brady just came off incredibly cold. 

It may have just been the blocking of the scene, but it was definitely something that stood out to me.

I agree with you. it was odd.  Eric should have been more effusive in greeting Belle.  It was like he saw his fifth cousin once removed at a family reunion..lol

[Vince1178]

I agree with most everyone else that the woman playing Susan is doing a terrific job. I was really concerned about the recast, but so far I have no complaints.

I’m also really digging the wedding stuff. It all feels so classically Days. Characters are coming together for a big event. Folks are flying in from out of town. There are possible villains lurking around every corner. Mysterious gifts are arriving. There’s some screwball humor with the black eye. Susan adds a much-needed element of good-natured craziness. Even the mention of Celeste and the tarot reading made me smile. It really does feel like the old days.

And the show is really leaning into its history and legacy. Abe eagerly anticipating an interruption to the dream wedding was great; it’s fun when the show acknowledges the insanity that so often happens in Salem. Marlena’s anxiety also plays to that point as well, but on a more serious note. And it works really well. Anyone getting married in Salem should be waiting for a crisis to strike.

I doubt the good will I’m feeling for the show will last, but for now I am happy to ride the wave. On to the nuptials!

[msrachelj]

2 hours ago, JBC344 said:

One thing that botheted me the other day was when Brady and Eric came at the end of the bachelorette party. They both see Belle and Brady enthusiastically runs to greet his sister while Eric barely touches her hand.

It was like the writers and actors forgot that Eric is also Belle's brother. The stark contrast of Brady's realistic greeting and Eric's bare acknowledgement really took me out of the scene. 

also bothered me a bit that shaun was , rightly of course, all upset about his daughter living with a serial killer but he never mentioned he was worried about his sister. i guess it's just like real life where sometimes once you marry it's like you are not as connected to your immediate family anymore.  and it's funny when you think about it because full brothers and sisters are pretty much as closely related as you can get.

as for today, i wasn't interested in marlenas 50th wedding or will and his 2 loves. i ff'd most of it and just watched the susan parts (new actress is great) and the end with sammie. i do miss her. i wish she would stay on full time. 

[Apprentice79]

Today's show was divine. Thank you Ron..

I loved Jarlena's vows. Deidre is such a good crier and she is still beautiful when she does it. I always cry when Deidre cries.

Will was sublime when he read that excerpt from Shakespeare and his off the cuff remarks just showed his awesome bond with Marlena. I have always fanwanked that the reason that Marlena loved Will so much and doted on him was because she was unable to do so with Sami for many reasons.

The Wilson flashbacks were very good.  I loved what Roman had to say to Sonny. I did think that Sonny was a bit too pathetic at times. Chandler Massey showed us why he won three Emmys. He is a fantastic crier like Deidre.  

Horita was cute and they looked so handsome in their tux. 

Susan is really Kristen. 

Queen Sami's dramatic arrival made me smile. She has been missed. We all know that Sami and drama at a wedding goes hand in hand.. 

Tomorrow's show is going to be lit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited August 23, 2018 by Apprentice79

[DisneyBoy]

4 hours ago, enchantingmonkey said:

Stop fighting your love for all things Susan.  Just ease into it like a warm bath.

LOL!

Things in my real life are so bad right now that I really feel like I need a dose of Susan and this show, even if I known both are screwing with me completely by not letting Eileen Davidson play the roles that she's entitled to play (and no I'm never going to stop complaining about that.)

 

...that being said...

 

I watched parts of Tuesday's show and today's show and agree that I don't think Staci is butchering Susan. Here's the thing though: Susan is a caricature. Yes, she's a real person in the world of the show but I think pretty much any one of us could put some fake teeth and glasses on and imitate what Eileen set-up with a certain amount of believability. Where I think things are going to get really difficult is once Kristen shows up. As much credit as I want to give Eileen for being a good actress, I don't know that Kristen is so much a role as much as her. So many of Kristen's ticks, like her way of speaking and her way of walking are specific to who Eileen is. I wouldn't know how to begin to play Kristen.

 

It occurs to me that at this point in her history, Kristen has screwed with and badly hurt virtually everyone in the cast. She never really used to have beef with Sami, but once everything comes out about what's happening at the wedding, that won't be the case anymore. Eric was raped by her, Brady was seduced, manipulated and nearly killed by her...the list goes on and on. This return of the character happens at a really interesting time when there's tons of stuff that can be explored story-wise. I hate that this return has been given to someone else. When Eileen returned in 2012 the show focused all its energy on developing the Brady Kristen John Marlena situation, and occasionally had Kristen interacting with Sami and EJ for variety. This time around, it really sounds like Ron is determined to have her work her way through the entire cast and have scenes with everybody. That makes me bonkers. This isn't the real Kristen. What a waste. Staci will get the final wrap-up moments on sovmany subplots, I suspect....

 

To sum it up, I can accept Staci filling in as Susan, but she'll just never be Kristen in any of the ways that count. I won't thrill at watching Marlena slap her in the face, or watch John be torn by his lingering sexual feelings towards her hidden behind a mask of disgust, I won't believe that Brady is drawn to her or ever had a history with her, or that she belongs in the DiMera living room talking to Stefano's portrait.

....will Billy and Eileen ever get scenes together now?

 

....

Back to the episode. I think anybody who's been doubting Chandler Massey's abilities had to eat their words today. The look on his face was pretty much brilliant. The guy delivered. I felt Will remembering his love for Sonny and the intensity of it shaking him to his core. Well done sir.

 

I hate the way Ron writes Sami as Hurricane Sami, constantly running into the show in some manic state. I know there'll be an explanation for what happened today, but I much prefer Sami holding it together outwardly, while secretly harboring resentments and being crafty. The Sami who runs around yelling at people and throwing punches gets old fast (not to overthink what basically amounted to a 10-second cameo at the end of the episode, mind you).

John and Marlena's wedding vows were pretty good but I also felt they dragged on way too long. At this point they really have nothing left to say to one another, and I found myself actually irritated by the way Marlena seemed to be improvising her vows. Abe said they wrote their vows, meaning this isn't some organic conversation as much as something they pre-planned. Why is Deidre delivering the lines like Marlena's thinking them up on the spot? It kind of felt like writing on autopilot. You're "supposed to" have someone say that the bride and groom wrote their own vows, so the line of dialogue gets written without thinking about how that actually means the bride and groom have pre-written and memorized vows. It should sound a little stilted and rehearsed or delivered.

 

Maybe it's just that the show did a huge episode back before the 50th where John walked Marlena through Belle's nightclub / law practice, taking her table to table and making mountains out of molehills about every little piece of their past. Obviously, at the time he was trying to make up for being a massive douchebag and divorcing her in the aftermath of nearly boinking Kristen, so I can understand why the grand gesture was warranted...but comparing that with what we saw today kind of made this feel small fry? Did all the rest of you guys love the vows? I just find it weird that anything about love surprises Doc. I like them getting remarried, don't get me wrong, but I kind of needed the vows and the wedding to reflect the fact that these are two people of retirement age who have done this 6 times. This whooplah all sounded a little self-indulgent and false, beautifully acted, mind you. Deidre really came to life during her scenes and I was moved by her performance. She also seemed much more feminine than usual. The Marlena of old used to touch her chest and tilt her head and do all sorts of small gestures. It seems like lately Marlena only walks into the room and sits down and speaks and occasionally stutters. I kind of wonder if Deidre has deliberately let go of the idea that Marlena is a bit of a girly girl. At least she used to be. I saw a bit of that today and it was nice.

 

So exactly how much money does it cost to rent out a Town Square? How much does it cost to block businesses and force them to put your decorations in their windows?

 

I'm secretly wishing that some Memorial to Daniel Jonas is getting stomped on by all of the guests.

 

I haven't been watching much the last month so did Eric and Brady really have a detente? I found it weird that they were patting each other on the back and being all buddy-buddy. Was it addressed in detail or kind of glossed over?

 

And for those praising Staci for her more grown-up take on Susan, I think that may simply be because it's Kristen trying to play Susan. Also, her outfit does not show any growth at all. If anything she's regressed. The Susan we saw visiting with EJ before his death and the Susan we saw last fall dressed noticeably better than this. Hell, even the Susan in the 90s had a better fashion sense than this. Remember when she dressed up because Elvis was going to visit? She looked amazing!

[Sidney]

The Will and Sonny scenes were everything! Chandler was amazing. Had me tearing up.

[Vince1178]

19 minutes ago, DisneyBoy said:

I haven't been watching much the last month so did Eric and Brady really have a detente? I found it weird that they were patting each other on the back and being all buddy-buddy. Was it addressed in detail or kind of glossed over?

Marlena wanted both Eric and Brady to walk her down the aisle and asked that they put aside their differences. So they did ... for the most part. Eric did a lot of grovelling about stealing Nicole, and Brady accepted his apology. But Eric still does not know what Brady did to get Nicole out of town. Jennifer now knows (thanks to Eve), but is keeping quiet so as not to lose Eric.

[howmanywords]

22 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

She is impressive. I know that the Eileen fans would excoriate us on tweeter, if we were to say that on there..lol

Nah I'm a big Eileen fan who up until this week was prepared to not accept a recast but I gotta say Stacy has been really great as Susan. Now I'm willing to be openminded about her Kristen.

[BuckeyeLou]

54 minutes ago, Apprentice79 said:

Today's show was divine. Thank you Ron..

I loved Jarlena's vows. Deidre is such a good crier and she is still beautiful when she does it. I always cry when Deidre cries.

Will was sublime when he read that excerpt from Shakespeare and his off the cuff remarks just showed his awesome bond with Marlena. I have always fanwanked that the reason that Marlena loved Will so much and doted on him was because she was unable to do so with Sami for many reasons.

The Wilson flashbacks were very good.  I loved what Roman had to say to Sonny. I did think that Sonny was a bit too pathetic at times. Chandler Massey showed us why he won three Emmys. He is a fantastic crier like Deidre.  

Horita was cute and they looked so handsome in their tux. 

Susan is really Kristen. 

Queen Sami's dramatic arrival made me smile. She has been missed. We all know that Sami and drama at a wedding goes hand in hand.. 

Tomorrow's show is going to be lit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I too enjoyed today's show....but I am such a sap I always enjoy the wedding episodes.  Deidre & Drake work so well together,  I enjoy their scenes together, I have enjoyed them thru the years, and it brought back memories & just made me feel good inside.  Chandler Massey was wonderful in his emotional scenes.  What was Susan looking for in her purse?  It was nice to have Belle&Shawn there, but it would have been nice to have Doug&Julie there too to represent the "old timers".  Belle's singing was better than in the past.  Jennifer's hair looked pretty.  Val saved the day again by providing transportation! LOL...the driver gets a flat tire, one more "oopsie".   This episode just gave me a good feeling.  And of course, Sami's dramatic entrance at the end!

[Silver Raven]

I laughed when they did the flashback to WilSon's wedding and they had to reshoot it to put Chandler in instead of Guy Wilson. Does anybody remember if that was the dress Marlena was wearing when she performed their wedding?

Er.  "Behind the plate" is a catcher, not a batter.  A major league baseball player would have known that.

Will's memories were coming back to him like a punch in the gut.

"What was I thinking?"  Uh, what did you plan on doing, Sonny, hold Will hostage till her got his memories back?

Sami always knows how to make an entrance.

I still think that's Kristen.

[DisneyBoy]

Considering how big the town square is supposed to be, someone would have noticed Sami stumbling around and making her way towards the ceremony. I get that all eyes were on John and Marlena, but the whole thing felt a little corny to me. (Obviously the Horton Town Square is a rather small set so Alison Sweeney just took two steps towards it and found herself at the Isle, but still).

Quote

Does anybody remember if that was the dress Marlena was wearing when she performed their wedding?

If it isn't the exact same dress, it's very close. Marlena wore navy blue and it was sparkly.

I kind of wish they had just taken the footage from the original wedding, upped the brightness and filmed Chandler separately so as to insert him into the old footage. It was obvious that both Sonny and Marlena were their current aged selves and not as they were back in 2012. Of course, it still kind of works because this is Will's memory of the wedding and Sonny's memory of the wedding and memories are affected by present-day realities.

This will sound really rude, but I kind of wish they had found some way to tape Freddie's neck so that he looked a bit younger and thinner, as he did back in 2012. Chandler has put on a few pounds too, but manages not to look too different.

I am really disappointed that Victor is not at the wedding. He's such a big part of Brady's life and of John's past that it would have been nice to see him there. Also, where's Hope? And why did they have a random extras filling the seats? There was a girl sitting at the far right of the first row who is prominently featured in the shot and I had no clue who she was. As if random strangers would bother showing up to this wedding. I would find it more believable that they were going grocery shopping and realized the store was closed and then just sat down in frustration.

[Apprentice79]

15 minutes ago, DisneyBoy said:

I am really disappointed that Victor is not at the wedding. He's such a big part of Brady's life and of John's past that it would have been nice to see him there. Also, where's Hope? And why did they have a random extras filling the seats? There was a girl sitting at the far right of the first row who is prominently featured in the shot and I had no clue who she was. As if random strangers would bother showing up to this wedding. I would find it more believable that they were going grocery shopping and realized the store was closed and then just sat down in frustration.

Hope is not speaking to Marlena over Ben.  Plus, she and Rafe are conveniently out of town. 

[Apprentice79]

1 hour ago, Silver Raven said:

I still think that's Kristen.

I think at some point Kristen went into Doug's place and took Susan's place.  There was a different vibe in the air when "Susan" interacted with Will. 

Edited August 23, 2018 by Apprentice79

[kitmerlot1213]

There were so many great moments on today's show:

I liked Claire's asking for the wedding guests' phones and when she walked up to Will and Susan and asked for their phones, she did this little nod to Will  "Grandma's orders."  Why yes show, congratulations on remembering that Will and Claire both have Marlena as a grandmother :):)  And I was dying at Will's reaching into Susan's purse to get her phone, saying "Gimme"--too cute :)

I also liked Roman and Sonny talking about how crappy it is to be cheated on by the person you love because as epic as the John and Marlena romance was, Roman and Marlena's love story was just as awesome and Roman was deeply hurt when Marlena cheated on him.  Sonny's remembering his and Will's wedding was lovely and his regretting not giving their marriage a second chance was as gut-wrenching as Will's fully realizing just how much he loves Sonny.  I think both actors did massively well in their emotional scenes and I especially liked Sonny's look of concern at seeing just how upset Will was--DAMN!!

And now Sami showed up and collapsed in a heap--DAMN again :)

Edited August 24, 2018 by kitmerlot1213

[buffynut]

I haven't been watching much all summer, but did see yesterday and today's shows.  I, also, think the new actress is doing a good job playing Susan.  But it will be interesting to see how she does with Kristen.  

My only complaint about the wedding, was that John and Marlena's only child was barely on screen.  We got shots of Brady and Eve, or rather Eve with Brady. But hardly any of Belle.  As their daughter, she not only should have been part of the wedding party, she should have been gushing and glowing over her parents getting married, again.  Kinda like Steve and Kayla's daughter was at their most recent wedding.

[JAYJAY1979]

I'd love to see how Stacy plays Kristen... and can we have her play Sister Mary as well? :)

[boes]

What a GOOD show today's episode was!  There were people I wished were there who weren't - so what's new? - and I liked some bits more than others.  And I'd thought Marlena and John getting married again in a big ceremony was more than a bit much, but damn was I wrong.  And even if that had held true, Chandler Massey's performance STILL would have made today's show a knock-out!  

I've always been so-so about him, liking him at times, bored a bit at others.  But today all that felt like a distant memory.  As he recovered his memories, Chandler managed to convey so much with virtually no dialogue, just his expressions and he was superb.

DH was really good today as well as was Dierdre.  Christopher Sean's reading was just excellent.

And Sami's back, making a traditional Salem wedding entrance!  

Let the games BEGIN!!

Edited August 24, 2018 by boes

[Happytobehere]

10 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

I agree with you. it was odd.  Eric should have been more effusive in greeting Belle.  It was like he saw his fifth cousin once removed at a family reunion..lol

Well, under this regime, Eric apparently doesn’t know the grandfather who raised himfor most of his life either, so, there’s that.

I hated the Sami entrance. Your a forty-something with a grown, divorced son. Can you not act like a toddler throwing a tantrum at all times.  It get real old, real fast.

Edited August 24, 2018 by Happytobehere

[Frozendiva]

Not much for me to add to everyone's thoughts. I agree and like all of them!

I do share a similar quibble that Marlena and John's written vows went on a little too long. I amazed that they can think up all this stuff organically - most folks would be too nervous to think about anything and would write their vows or at least a guide to them and what they want to say.

The return of Hurricane Sami - Susan did look a little different - maybe Kristen did take her place. Wondered what she was pulling out of her bag.

[TigerLynx]

Is there any chance Sami will be here long enough to team up with Kate and Gabi?

[Kitty Redstone]

I really enjoyed today, too!  John and Marlena are sweet together and I love the continuity of the two of them and their long history with the show.  They are entirely believable as a couple who are still head over heels for each other. 

Chandler Massey was amazing.  As unbelievable as Will's story is, CM was completely believable as someone who recovered a long-lost, deeply felt memory.  I wish Freddie Smith was half as good of an actor.  He's a nice looking guy and all but most of the time he's so .... flat.  Sonny has often said that Will was/is the love of his life, but he's never said it in a way that has hit me as emotionally true.  Maybe he'd be more tolerable if I didn't think that Will and Paul were smoking hot, heh.

Sami stumbling in at the end was a great cliff-hanger!

 

5 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

I kind of wish they had just taken the footage from the original wedding, upped the brightness and filmed Chandler separately so as to insert him into the old footage. It was obvious that both Sonny and Marlena were their current aged selves and not as they were back in 2012.

Has it really been that long?  Man, time flies.

Also, I hope things brighten for you soon, Disneyboy.

[annabel]

when he puts his mind to it, Ron can really write excellent soap. remember the Day of the Hat on OLTL? some parts of that week had me in a puddle on the couch and I was not even super-invested in alot of the characters. Also the premiere of the David Vickers movie, that was also excellent.

anyway, I totally loved today and did not know that Sami was going to show up (thanks everyone who did not feel the need to spoil that here [and grrr to hearing that Kristen is going to show up, shouldn't that be a spoiler and not mentioned in this thread?]) so that was awesome!! why doesn't she want Marlena to marry John? 

[annabel]

I do wish I could remember anything about Stacy Haiduk on AMC though. I have read the summary on wikipedia and was watching during that time and some of it sounds vaguely familiar, but maybe it was one of those storylines I was just FFing through

[Apprentice79]

7 hours ago, annabel said:

when he puts his mind to it, Ron can really write excellent soap. remember the Day of the Hat on OLTL? some parts of that week had me in a puddle on the couch and I was not even super-invested in alot of the characters. Also the premiere of the David Vickers movie, that was also excellent.

anyway, I totally loved today and did not know that Sami was going to show up (thanks everyone who did not feel the need to spoil that here [and grrr to hearing that Kristen is going to show up, shouldn't that be a spoiler and not mentioned in this thread?]) so that was awesome!! why doesn't she want Marlena to marry John? 

We speculated about Kristen. We never said it was for certain.  I think we are allowed to speculate about stories in this forum. 

[howmanywords]

Rewatched yesterdays episode because of how good it was. I have to echo what others have said. Since Chandler's return yesterday was the first time in ages I appreciated him and remembered why he has multiple Emmy's. That last moment after the memory with Sonny hit he conveyed more emotion without saying a word than some actors do with horrible overacting.

[Silver Raven]

I read on another forum that Ken Corday was one of the people in the pews at the wedding.

[DaphneCat]

Finally some soapy goodness!  I thought the wedding was nice but the vows dragged on too long.  I appreciated the fact that not every single person in Salem felt it necessary to be there - people do have lives that don't come to a halt simply because someone is getting married.

Today was what a soap should be.  Dramatic announcements, heartfelt emotion (really glad that Will remembered that even though his mother did crazy things, she always loved him and he loved her), potential cheating?, and a gunshot fade out.  

[Kitty Redstone]

Great show today!

Kristen's not wrong about Brady.  He is weak and self-serving, and those aren't even his worst qualities.

So where have Sami's children been during the weeks she was held captive?  Are they hostages, too?

Oh man I'd looooove it if James Scott returned to this show.  He's one of the sexiest people I've seen on television, on any show, at any time, ever.  Not holding out hope, though, as I remember him being pretty bitter when he left.

Edited August 24, 2018 by Kitty Redstone
poor grammar

[DaphneCat]

30 minutes ago, Kitty Redstone said:

So where have Sami's children been during the weeks she was held captive?  Are they hostages, too?

You are not supposed to think about practical things - just like cells and secret rooms never have bathrooms!

[msrachelj]

1 hour ago, DaphneCat said:

Finally some soapy goodness!  I thought the wedding was nice but the vows dragged on too long.  I appreciated the fact that not every single person in Salem felt it necessary to be there - people do have lives that don't come to a halt simply because someone is getting married.

Today was what a soap should be.  Dramatic announcements, heartfelt emotion (really glad that Will remembered that even though his mother did crazy things, she always loved him and he loved her), potential cheating?, and a gunshot fade out.  

i agree. fun old time soapiness. i loved it. even the teeth flying into marlenas bouquet and her "yuk" .  i can't wait till monday! i hardly ever  say that....

[Silver Raven]

Was it Kristen all along, or did she stash Susan away somewhere?

Chandler is killing it. So is Stacy.

Loved the false teeth flying through the air and landing in Marlena's bouquet.

"You love his birthmark or what?"

I don't like Will kissing Sonny without talking to Paul first.

[lilly6]

Wilson. Be still my heart.  

[peachmangosteen]

51 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Was it Kristen all along, or did she stash Susan away somewhere?

Kristen said that Susan was there, so I guess she stashed her somewhere.

[kitmerlot1213]

1 hour ago, lilly6 said:

Wilson. Be still my heart.  

CM and FS were outstanding in their scenes today, and I especially loved seeing Will looking so joyful at remembering his life and the awesome call out to Grandma Caroline's speech.  And I got tears in my eyes when he started talking about Ari and then he said "our daughter" to Sonny--sheer emotional gorgeousness.

SH's Kristin was fabulous and I loved her taunting all the people she hurt and I know this is strange but I really enjoyed Brady's pointing out that Kristin stole Tate from Theresa--her baby was stolen out of her very womb.  Thar's hardcore evilness right there,

[Giuseppe]

I did love the "reverse" flying teeth reveal of Susan actually being Kristen vs Kristen really being Susan back at the '97 Elvis wedding, but I think it would've been a lot more fun had it been Eileen Davidson in today's role. Full circle, and all that. Plus, I started watching DAYS right after the aftermath of the Elvis wedding, and I was completely drawn in by Kristen/Susan and ED's portrayal, so I guess I just feel loyal to her for getting me hooked, lol. I will need a minute to warm up to Stacy.

[bobcat1946]

I hated all the smirking that Sonny had going on today.

[Happytobehere]

3 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Was it Kristen all along, or did she stash Susan away somewhere?

Chandler is killing it. So is Stacy.

Loved the false teeth flying through the air and landing in Marlena's bouquet.

"You love his birthmark or what?"

I don't like Will kissing Sonny without talking to Paul first.

CM is the reason why no matter what, I’m team Will regardless of who his character winds up with. What we have gotten from him these last few weeks is why Guy Wilson was doomed from the moment he was cast. In order to differentiate his Will from CM, the show did a lot of damage to Will as a character and they still dumped GW after the mess was already created.  I always thought Will should have been written out when CM was leaving and then brought back to give the new actor a fair shot at catching on, but it is what it is.  Now that Will remembers, I hope they bring back Lucas so he can have a moment with his son.

For the first time, I’m actually interested in the Kristen/Susan story. I never cared for ED (in any role on any show, I find her off-putting) and hated when she became the monster who ate the show. In fact her ascent was one of the first times I went through an I’m not watching this show anymore phase. I just hope the show sticks with Stacy, who is doing a terrific job because I’m sure they are getting pressure to bring Eileen back.

Random thought: Every so often, I see actors/characters in scenes and always find myself thinking, “Why is this person there?” Today was another one of those moments with KDP as Eve. I love KDP back from her OLTL days, but as great as she is, nothing changes the fact that she is woefully miscast as Eve. It doesn’t help that this incarnation of Brady is a charismatic-less, moronic, a-hole.

[Apprentice79]

Today was outstanding.

Wilson was awesome, even though Sonny was a bit pushy as well.  Poor Paul, I really feel bad about the inevitable. I think that he will be the Roman in this situation.  

Stacy was wonderful, but, I could not help to wonder how Eileen would have played it. 

Kristen is the new Stefano, in my opinion. She is irredeemable.  

I loved how John believed Sami, despite her incoherent ramblings. He has always loved Sami, even when she did not deserve it. I also loved how Eric was with Sami. He shielded his twin with his body. I also loved how Sami also used her body to shield her mom..  Marlena and John placed their loving hands on Sami.  These gestures were  good and reaffirmed their familial bond.

Lucas should have been at the wedding.  

I cannot praise Chandler Massey enough. He just kept blowing me away.. He will get a fourth Emmy.

Edited August 25, 2018 by Apprentice79

[JAYJAY1979]

Eileen who?  Stacy was more understated and not so over the top.  Her humor is different than Eileen's, but I'd welcome Stacy playing the characters again.

[TigerLynx]

Okay, who wrote this.  Because I loved the show today.  Sami, Will, John, Marlena, Eric hit all the right notes.  Now I just need a scene with Lucas, Sami, Will and Kate.  As for Sami's other children, I'm going with Johnny and Allie arguing about how to handle things with Sydney being to voice of reason.  They are Sami's kids.  They are resourceful and know how to handle things.  It can't hurt that they have Kate, Lucas, Marlena and Roman's DNA.

[willgracefan]

Quote

20 minutes ago, Happytobehere said:

What we have gotten from him these last few weeks is why Guy Wilson was doomed from the moment he was cast. In order to differentiate his Will from CM, the show did a lot of damage to Will as a character and they still dumped GW after the mess was already created.  I always thought Will should have been written out when CM was leaving and then brought back to give the new actor a fair shot at catching on, but it is what it is.

 

Exactly. I feel so badly that people crapped all over Guy Wilson’s portrayal of Will. The writers are to blame for ruining Will and Wilson. I mean both Will and Sonny would never had done the things they did. Will leaving Sonny and not keeping in touch. Sonny, taking his money woes out on Will, Will cheating on with Paul.  I think maybe viewers at the time saw a longtime loved character being ruined and blamed the actor. Man, Guy and Christoper had super hot chemistry.  I can watch their scenes over and over again 

[Chick2Chic]

36 minutes ago, TigerLynx said:

Now I just need a scene with Lucas, Sami, Will and Kate.  As for Sami's other children, I'm going with Johnny and Allie arguing about how to handle things with Sydney being to voice of reason.  They are Sami's kids.  They are resourceful and know how to handle things.  It can't hurt that they have Kate, Lucas, Marlena and Roman's DNA.

Johnny and Sydney aren't related to Kate or Lucas by blood. 

 

44 minutes ago, Apprentice79 said:

Lucas should have been at the wedding

Nah. He is Sami's ex husband. The daughter of the bride, who herself wasn't going to attend initially for reasons we now know were cause she was captive, is the family that matters to John & Marlena. Lucas shouldn't be an appendage that Sami has to carry through life just like Marlena shouldn't have to nor does carry Roman just because they were once married. IMO It is silly to invite the ex significant other of children to the wedding (Lucas, Theresa, Chloe, Nicole, Rafe, Mike, Phillip, Melanie, and I am sure I've forgotten a few exes of the kids). None of those people needed to be at the wedding. I mean, Kristen is Brady's ex (and John's ex!) so that right there says all it needs to on exes. I could only see Lucas being there if Kate attended as Jarlena's guest and Kate brought Lucas as her plus 1. Sami isn't thinking about Lucas as we all saw from her behavior in today's ep. 

I thought today's ep was really good though I admit to FFing over the Wilson scenes cause that pairing does nothing for me. The Jarlena wedding interruption scenes were highly entertaining. Stacey Haiduk has done good work as Kristen and Susan. AS did a good job conveying Sami's desperation to believe Kristen was telling the truth about EJ. Also, Eric rushing Sami for the gun caused it to go off though I bet money the other guests won't see it that. 

[Kitty Redstone]

2 hours ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

SH's Kristin was fabulous and I loved her taunting all the people she hurt and I know this is strange but I really enjoyed Brady's pointing out that Kristin stole Tate from Theresa--her baby was stolen out of her very womb.  Thar's hardcore evilness right there,

You know, I was doing something else when he said that and it didn't really register, because I completely forgot it happened.  And then it took me awhile to remember the circumstances of Kristen's defenestration.  Did it happen when Brady and Melanie went to get the baby at that cliffside mansion? 

[bobcat1946]

1 hour ago, Chick2Chic said:

Johnny and Sydney aren't related to Kate or Lucas by blood. 

 

Nah. He is Sami's ex husband. The daughter of the bride, who herself wasn't going to attend initially for reasons we now know were cause she was captive, is the family that matters to John & Marlena. Lucas shouldn't be an appendage that Sami has to carry through life just like Marlena shouldn't have to nor does carry Roman just because they were once married. IMO It is silly to invite the ex significant other of children to the wedding (Lucas, Theresa, Chloe, Nicole, Rafe, Mike, Phillip, Melanie, and I am sure I've forgotten a few exes of the kids). None of those people needed to be at the wedding. I mean, Kristen is Brady's ex (and John's ex!) so that right there says all it needs to on exes. I could only see Lucas being there if Kate attended as Jarlena's guest and Kate brought Lucas as her plus 1. Sami isn't thinking about Lucas as we all saw from her behavior in today's ep. 

I thought today's ep was really good though I admit to FFing over the Wilson scenes cause that pairing does nothing for me. The Jarlena wedding interruption scenes were highly entertaining. Stacey Haiduk has done good work as Kristen and Susan. AS did a good job conveying Sami's desperation to believe Kristen was telling the truth about EJ. Also, Eric rushing Sami for the gun caused it to go off though I bet money the other guests won't see it that. 

They will scream Sami is the blame and St. Eric did not have a part in it.

[Frozendiva]

I haven't had a good laugh in a while and the flying teeth sailing across the room and in to Marlena's bouquet and the resulting 'ewwwww' was hilarious.

Also like that Sami looked like crap. More realistic that perfectly groomed. No matter what, John has always loved her unconditionally and treated her as his own. Eric hit the right notes, protecting his twin.

Stacy is not the over-the-top portrayal. A woman seeking revenge for her perceived wrongs. Cold and methodical.  The comment made to Jenn about Eric's birthmark was well done, and her cutting Brady down to size was also good. She just doesn't have the je ne sais quoi venom of ED. Although it is too soon.

Not hugely keen on Will and Sonny, but CM's performance was quite good as a young man who was getting his memories back. Way too soon for him to go back to Sonny though and revisit the codependence and issues that drove them apart.

I do wonder what Paul was doing in the mess.

Don't know if I like the whole EJ may be alive revelation and that Sami will be told of his whereabouts if she shoots John or Marlena. All they need is Dr. Rolf nearby to give them the injection and all will get their answers.

[annabel]

4 hours ago, Happytobehere said:

For the first time, I’m actually interested in the Kristen/Susan story. I never cared for ED (in any role on any show, I find her off-putting) and hated when she became the monster who ate the show. In fact her ascent was one of the first times I went through an I’m not watching this show anymore phase. I just hope the show sticks with Stacy, who is doing a terrific job because I’m sure they are getting pressure to bring Eileen back.

Random thought: Every so often, I see actors/characters in scenes and always find myself thinking, “Why is this person there?” Today was another one of those moments with KDP as Eve. I love KDP back from her OLTL days, but as great as she is, nothing changes the fact that she is woefully miscast as Eve. It doesn’t help that this incarnation of Brady is a charismatic-less, moronic, a-hole.

I was not watching back when she ate the show, but I feel the same way about ED, I don't think I would have enjoyed today's scenes so much if she were playing them. also you and I are on the same KdP page, she is marvelous, but she should have been a new character

[TigerLynx]

I like seeing Sami, but I don't think there is any point to the is EJ alive or not SL.  Alison Sweeney isn't staying, and I am so very tired of the idiot Dimeras not remaining dead.

[ByaNose]

Stacy Haiduk did a great job. She might be a Top 10 best recast. It was great seeing the whole cast that together. I’m sure they had blast in between scenes. Susan made valid points. Granted, she was holding a gun but valid points were made.  Stacy Haiduk used a lot of Eileen Davidson mannerisms but added some of her own, too. Overall, she’s on the right track. The only complaint I have I wish Stacy would whiten her teeth. I use Crest White Strips everyday and there’re  so cheap. Granted, I’m in constant pain but my teeth look beautiful. LOL!!!

[kitmerlot1213]

13 hours ago, Kitty Redstone said:

You know, I was doing something else when he said that and it didn't really register, because I completely forgot it happened.  And then it took me awhile to remember the circumstances of Kristen's defenestration.  Did it happen when Brady and Melanie went to get the baby at that cliffside mansion? 

Theresa had just found out that she was pregnant when Kristen had Theresa knocked unconscious and operated on and then months later, Melanie and Brady figured out that the baby Kristen was trying to pass off as hers and Brady's was really Brady and Theresa's. 

 

14 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

I loved how John believed Sami, despite her incoherent ramblings. He has always loved Sami, even when she did not deserve it. I also loved how Eric was with Sami. He shielded his twin with his body. I also loved how Sami also used her body to shield her mom..  Marlena and John placed their loving hands on Sami.  These gestures were  good and reaffirmed their familial bond.

I also loved Sami's standing in front of Marlena and then Eric and Brady's standing in front of her--t was cool seeing them all united to protect their parents.

[TigerLynx]

15 hours ago, Chick2Chic said:

Johnny and Sydney aren't related to Kate or Lucas by blood. 

Allie is, and Johnny and Sydney consider Kate to be their grandmother.

13 hours ago, bobcat1946 said:

They will scream Sami is the blame and St. Eric did not have a part in it.

I like when Sami visits, but it's kind of sad how much the show needs Sami to show up, cause chaos and get blamed for everything.

1 hour ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

I also loved Sami's standing in front of Marlena and then Eric and Brady's standing in front of her--t was cool seeing them all united to protect their parents.

That was nice.  The part that had me LOL though was all the guys trying to take down Kristen, and she ends up tossing the gun to Sami.  Of course Sami is the best shot in Salem, and can actually hit what she is aiming at unlike the Salem PD.