Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[tribeca]

The only time I had some doubt that Claire was maybe the one behind everything was when she got upset with her dad being at the wedding.

i do enjoy Belle, Shaun and Claire.  The parents really care and worry about their daughter. 
shaun was pretty cute opening the giant cookie.   

[superdeluxe]

2 hours ago, howmanywords said:

I don't know if its the way Chandler is choosing to play it and I realize we are supposed to see this as guys who have bonded but yeah - why does Will look at Ben with heart eyes?! It bugs especially since he's married.

Because Will is obviously in love with his killer.  Everyone has to love the serial killer.

[wurdalak]

50 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

Ben doesn't act normal all the time especially

Very few characters do in Salem...

56 minutes ago, DisneyBoy said:

My problem is when the show fails to name what that illness is and show the character working through it. Ben has just "been sick" and taking his nonspecific meds for a while.

This is not a medical show, one that would delve into the specifics of a diagnosis and discuss the medicines involved; it would bore most viewers and go over their heads.

50 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

It didn't happen at Eli and Lani's wedding. She said she's hyphenating her last name.

I missed that; no wonder since they are such a boring couple, the only part of their nuptials I really paid attention to being Vivian popping up. Too bad she has to be the only woman character who seems independent enough to retain one small portion of autonomous identity.

50 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

Just because you believe in something in real life doesn't mean it has to apply to television.

Nor does it mean it should not apply in a fiction that has as its base a foundation of realism, based on how our real world is constituted and works, and then builds upon it and even departs from it (for example with demonic possession or resurrection serum).

  

19 minutes ago, superdeluxe said:

Because Will is obviously in love with his killer.  Everyone has to love the serial killer.

Or perhaps he truly has grown very close to him as a friend, with no romantic implications.

Edited July 23, 2020 by wurdalak

[Irlandesa]

39 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

Ben doesn't act normal all the time especially when he gets angry and starts threatening people that he's going to choke them. He doesn't mind using the past he claims to regret to his advantage then.

This.  That's not normal.  Or cool. 

When I think of bad guys who probably went beyond the point of no return, I think of Nick Fallon.  From what I remember of that character, whether good or bad, Blake Berris brought something to that role:  humor, emotion and threaten.  He was fun to watch. 

Ben might be okay to look at but he's not much fun to watch.  He's very one note.  He's not really funny nor does he emote in the way you can't help empathize with him.

I enjoyed Gabi and Stefan and I'm liking Gabi and Jake.  The look Jake gave Gabi when she was crying at the vows made me wish, more than ever, they had been around during the heyday of spending the time to develop couples with push/pull and angst.  I LOVE their chemistry and I love what they do with it, especially Barash lately. 

[wurdalak]

2 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I enjoyed Gabi and Stefan and I'm liking Gabi and Jake.

My fear is that Jake was brought in only to prop up Julie Jr., I mean Gabi, a crime against humanity worse than any supposed Ben worship.

Edited July 23, 2020 by wurdalak

[Irlandesa]

6 minutes ago, wurdalak said:

My fear is that Jake was brought in only to prop up Julie Jr., I mean Gabi, a crime against humanity worse than any supposed Ben worship.

I doubt it.  Gabi is usually playing that role of making people work/more interesting.

[Frozendiva]

Ciara's dress could have used a little more fabric to cover up the front. They are in a Catholic church and all. Hope's red shoes did not really work with the chartreuse dress. Maybe an orange shoe or a neutral metallic - like a bronze or pewter. Of course, Lani made the day about herself and saying her dress didn't fit. Really? She gained an ounce? Ugh.

Don't know how Julie could use the term 'holy matrimony'. Last I heard, she hadn't become a priest. 

I liked Belle spending time with Claire. She did catch her in the lie that she knew about the wedding before she was actually told. Yeah, she is obsessed with Ciara. Another odd phrase she used was something along the lines of her relationship with Ciara 'blew up'. Cue the boom-boom.

Ben's heartfelt vow to Ciara was nice. That she made him heal and be a better person - he was the feral cat that no one liked or wanted around. Like the princess pulling the thorn from the lion's paw. Maybe he has changed. Maybe not. I would prefer that he wasn't obsessed and fixated on Ciara being his saviour. He needs more people around him and not 100% Ciara. That is still a red flag for me. The big fortune cookie was cute and some of the other odd couples like Xander and Sarah being kinda similar to Ciara and Ben. Both are still a little young to marry and commit themselves to each other, but it is a soap and things change. I haven't invested much in Ben and Ciara because they really haven't worked a lot for their love.

[howmanywords]

58 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I enjoyed Gabi and Stefan and I'm liking Gabi and Jake.  The look Jake gave Gabi when she was crying at the vows made me wish, more than ever, they had been around during the heyday of spending the time to develop couples with push/pull and angst.  I LOVE their chemistry and I love what they do with it, especially Barash lately. 

I loved those two so much the first time around. Then today I saw for the first time since BB is back that little spark again especially the scene when he handed Gabi the tissue. But the best was freaking Lani with the "crashing another wedding"? jab and Jake stepping in saying "she's with me". Yes Jake! Shut her up!

[FilmTVGeek80]

1 hour ago, wurdalak said:

Very few characters do in Salem...

True, but that wasn't my point. You were making it seem like Ben was normal most of the time versus Claire which I don't agree with. 

 

1 hour ago, wurdalak said:

This is not a medical show, one that would delve into the specifics of a diagnosis and discuss the medicines involved; it would bore most viewers and go over their heads.

Given the level of discourse on this and other soap boards I visit, I give soap viewers a lot more credit. It doesn't have to be a medical show to give someone a proper diagnosis and name for the disease. When characters are given cancer they don't just call it "the illness" just because it's not a medical show. Plus, I don't think anyone is advocating they delve into the minutia of Ben's various medications but you can't - IMO - hang a soap character's redemption on them being mentally ill and just not name the illness. It's not that hard - and doesn't have to go over the viewer's head - to just name the illness even if it's some made up soap opera illness. But trying to pretend Ben is cured from general crazy doesn't fly with a lot of people.

 

1 hour ago, wurdalak said:

Nor does it mean it should not apply in a fiction that has as its base a foundation of realism, based on how our real world is constituted and works, and then builds upon it and even departs from it (for example with demonic possession or resurrection serum).

That's up to the individual viewer. They don't have to apply real world morals and rules if they don't want to. I don't have to buy Ben's redemption even if I believe people can recover from an actual mental illness in real life. If they bothered to properly write it - and again not shove Ben's redemption down our throats - maybe I could, but that isn't happening.

 

1 hour ago, wurdalak said:

I mean Gabi, a crime against humanity worse than any supposed Ben worship.

Well, we don't agree on Ben, but I do agree Gabi sucks. I think they suck equally for some of the same reasons.

[boes]

Exactly what church was this that rents itself out to the highest bidder?

Does the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster have a diocese in Salem?

Thank the soap Gods that we had that extended scene with Lani telling the wedding party ALL about her dress, with an aside to insult Gabi, not to mention the kissing spree she went on when she and Eli finally made into the church.  Because, I, for one, just can't imagine anything of importance happening without PLENTY of input from Lani, can you?

I didn't listen to the vows or much of anything else Ollie and Ciara had to say, but did he promise to love, honor and not strangle her, or did Ollie leave himself an out on that one?

I wonder if their online wedding registry requested "No Sharp Objects or Neckties" in the instructions?

Were they planning on going on a honeymoon alone, or was Marlena going with them?

So many questions left unanswered......

[Frozendiva]

@boes, a lot of churches are struggling. Unless one has connections and gives a lot of money to said church, you just can't hold a 'holy' marriage ceremony/service there. Ben and Ciara would need to take marriage classes at the church before they could be married. Julie could have held the ceremony at the pub or her restaurant. Heck, even Jake's garage.

Have no idea why Eli and Lani were invited. Unless Ciara and Ben gave them some sort of gift, and they have to now reciprocate. Lani needs to shut up. No one would care if she wore a two year old dress that fit her.

Maybe the honeymoon would be at the Horton cabin or the Hideout Hotel.

[DisneyBoy]

1 hour ago, wurdalak said:

This is not a medical show, one that would delve into the specifics of a diagnosis and discuss the medicines involved; it would bore most viewers and go over their heads.

Um...I politely disagree. Soaps can absolutely name illnesses and explore them. If they spent months talking about the ins and outs of Abigail's DID and how her alters work - which has been debunked here in the real world as not a real thing - surely they could spend half as much time dealing with actual illnesses.

And many shows have been credited with doing so. Post-partum depression storylines, bipolar storylines, PTSD storylines...all have been done on daytime, and done well, and been entertaining and even award-winning.

There's a reason so many of us watch this dreck - we remember how genuinely good and poignant it used to be.

[nilyank]

I mean we knew that Clyde was physically and emotionally abusive to him and had raped his sister. Then both he and Jordan were on the run for years hiding from him. That is a lot of trauma. He could have suffered from PTSD or dissociative disorder whereby he had a break from reality when he started killing people. But they gave those mental disorders to Abby, so Ben gets nameless disease.

[KBrownie]

3 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

I don't have time for those types of people, especially when they're eating up screen time on a show that's in its final death throws.

I think this is what bothers me the most about the show right now.  It can be gone at any second and these are the people who they are choosing to waste valuable time on?!  Newer characters with weak or no ties to the history of the show who really don't add anything and who no one would miss if they left tomorrow.  They obviously aren't bringing in any ratings, so why continue with them consuming so much of the whatever time they have left? 

In addition to Ben and Lani, I'd add a few other characters as well.  Even some that are considered legacies because of their parents or because they are somehow related to the Brady/Horton/Kiriakis families.  These characters aren't interesting enough to be driving stories as they all are so uncharismatic and boring.  None have that "it" factor to drive and lead stories.  Others have done it so much better.  They need to be strictly in a supporting role.  Exhibit A:  Claire.  The Claire character is shining right now in the supporting role, but would be obnoxious at the center.  Yeah, Eli, Sarah, Ciara, etc. are from the show's core families, but really what purpose do they serve? What do they do?  There are a lot of members of those same families that happily exist off screen.  

If the show wasn't on its last legs, then fine.  Have at it with the Lanis and Bens of the world, but it would be such a shame for the show to end, given its rich history of characters, a lot of which are still around, with this current crop of leads still taking up so much time.

[DisneyBoy]

1 hour ago, nilyank said:

I mean we knew that Clyde was physically and emotionally abusive to him and had raped his sister. Then both he and Jordan were on the run for years hiding from him. That is a lot of trauma. He could have suffered from PTSD or dissociative disorder whereby he had a break from reality when he started killing people. But they gave those mental disorders to Abby, so Ben gets nameless disease.

I would agree with those ideas in theory...but during his killing spree, we saw him methodically go about framing Chad and targeting his victims with a clear mind. He wasn't hallucinating, passing out, hearing voices or being reactionary. He knew what he was doing, and was doing it in cold blood. He seemed to not like killing Will, his friend who just happened to figure it out, but he strangled him anyway, went on to murder the completely innocent wetnurse at the cabin, and then gleefully take a newborn baby away from his parents, who were chained to a burning bed.

So....I don't know what one mental illness covers all that. I would say it's a collection of them. And yes, he probably needed a ton of counselling, but you can still get that in prison. His crimes were cut and dry, and the way it was filmed, there's no room now to claim he was "ill". They chose to go totally in on him as a crazed killer...

...and now, as I just read on YouTube, he's "the show's hero!"

This pisses me off so much because it's like the show's producers are telling us "as long as the guy on camera looks 'hot', he don't need no acting skills, no likeable characterization, and no personality...you bozos will cheer for him anyway! Hawhaw!"

I hate writing that talks down to viewers...and this? This goes beyond that.

I feel like here in the real world, we're having to take a hard look at ourselves and those we support and hold people accountable. It's not enough to have a lot of money or be good looking, to be white, straight and have abs...as if that should entitle you to having carte blanche to do whatever you want with no consequences. Ben is the embodiment of that dangerous and harmful idea. He is the wrong person to position as the hero of this show, at the wrong time in history and it leaves an extremely sour taste in my mouth.

If the show wanted to please CIN fans, fine, give them the small intimate wedding they stuck Ericole with. That would have actually made sense! If the only people willing to show their faces at a CIN wedding were Jake and Gwen, and maybe Shawn and Hope (out of a desire to support Ciara and remind Ben he is being watched closely) I would have bought that.

Marlena was attacked by Ben in her office. She should not be there, and neither should her husband.

Will was Murdered by Ben! He should not be there, and neither should his grandparents!

Claire obviously needed to stay away from CIN altogether.

Julie, judgemental type that she is, should have wanted nothing to do with Ben, let alone perform a marriage ceremony for him.

Gabi's half sister was murdered by Ben! She should not be there.

.....aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggghhh!

 

I'm going to stop now.

I skimmed the episode and it was, in spite of all the money they threw at it, a pretty dumb affair. Ciara was over-accessorized, the fortune cookie callback was lame and it overall felt like a pot donut-enduced fantasy sequence worthy of one of Ron's Halloween episodes. The cheering! The laughing! The winks from Marlena to Ben! The explosion..if that's what that was supposed to be...

Edited July 23, 2020 by DisneyBoy

[MsTree]

Quote

 

Why should they? All of the evidence points at her; it may be happenstance or it may have been orchestrated by the real culprit to frame her, but if I were faced with the same set of facts, I would come to the same conclusion as Ciara, Ben and others did.

 I am afraid I have to dissent from that alleged unanimity of views. I do not see any reason to systematically wish Ben ill because of past actions done when he was mentally ill. If one believes in the possibilty of being cured and rehabilitated in the real word, one cannot exclude it in DOOL-land.

The main difference I see between Ben and Claire is that in his case, it is visible that the therapy has produced tangible results. He acts like a normal person and one can conclude that he is indeed successfully managing his condition with his meds. Claire still acts like the unstable kook who tried to kill Ciara twice.

 

 

wurdalak, where have you been all my life (on these boards)?  👍

Edited July 23, 2020 by MsTree
it helps to insert the quote

[MsTree]

4 hours ago, wurdalak said:

Very few characters do in Salem...

This is not a medical show, one that would delve into the specifics of a diagnosis and discuss the medicines involved; it would bore most viewers and go over their heads.

I missed that; no wonder since they are such a boring couple, the only part of their nuptials I really paid attention to being Vivian popping up. Too bad she has to be the only woman character who seems independent enough to retain one small portion of autonomous identity.

Nor does it mean it should not apply in a fiction that has as its base a foundation of realism, based on how our real world is constituted and works, and then builds upon it and even departs from it (for example with demonic possession or resurrection serum).

  

Or perhaps he truly has grown very close to him as a friend, with no romantic implications.

Thank you for articulating what some of us (albeit very few) are feeling.

[MsTree]

Unless I'm misremembering, I thought Ben was dx'd with bi-polar disorder. At least that's the impression I've gotten since I've heard him/Marlena say that his meds "stabilize" him.

[Rafael]

. Looks like Ben is Marlena's new son . A freaking serial killer. Wonder if this woman still keeps in touch with Kevin Cates .... afterall, she did promise his dying father that shed look out for him. Wonder if she has ever kept her promise ..... or if she dumped Kevin for the Serial killer since reforming a serial killer is a much more exciting project. 

Edited July 23, 2020 by Rafael

[Rafael]

2 hours ago, nilyank said:

I mean we knew that Clyde was physically and emotionally abusive to him and had raped his sister. Then both he and Jordan were on the run for years hiding from him. That is a lot of trauma. He could have suffered from PTSD or dissociative disorder whereby he had a break from reality when he started killing people. But they gave those mental disorders to Abby, so Ben gets nameless disease.

Nonsense. He killed those women to frame Chad so he can eliminate Chad as a suitor for Abby.  He knew exactly what he was doing. The way he carried out those murders suggest that he must have been serial killing in florida as well . He was a pro . 

Edited July 23, 2020 by Rafael

[howmanywords]

I remembered why when watching those scenes with Marlena and Ben that I sort of blame Diedre for RSW being propped up so high. He gave an interview a while back gushing over her and said she went to bat for him and that she rallied for the show to bring him back permanently. After he was gone for a while and they brought Ben back for just a couple of episodes Diedre filmed scenes with him and said after all their scenes she would say "get this kid a contract" and proceeded to thank her for the big plans the show had in store for him 🙄

[SueB]

Breaking this up into topics - Jump to the bold header or skim for the TL;DR

Ben's Mental State:
- It's Bipolar I (most severe).  In his manic state he has hallucinations and develop Byzantine schemes to accomplish goals.  In Ben's case, the Neck-Tie Killer to eliminate his romantic rival (Chad)
- Jordan as his vision fits IMO.  She was not only his sister but another abused child of Clyde's who slipped back into her condition and tried to kill people again. Wedding dress is what Ben wanted for Jordan (happily ever after) - what she got was murdered.
- It's NOT CURABLE.  It's controllable with meds and therapy.  Ben clinging to Ciara, his overreaction to threats, etc... all actually kind of fit with a person who is NOT an 'average Joe'. They should make a bigger point of not curable.

Ciara:
- It's her wedding day.  Girl had to drop Claire for her own sanity.  
- WHY WHY WHY does the dress have the 'waif long-sleeve-over-the thumb' look.  
- She was at the hospital for fluids.
- She WAS probably poisoned but it wasn't Claire.

--to be continued.. 

[enchantingmonkey]

Such a beautiful lurve story!  That's why I only watched the Claire scenes and the explosion at the end.  

I liked how the room/area Ben was in turned a fiery red and the door closed as if the Hounds of Hell had come back to reclaim him.  

[Harmony233]

10 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

Um...I politely disagree. Soaps can absolutely name illnesses and explore them. If they spent months talking about the ins and outs of Abigail's DID and how her alters work - which has been debunked here in the real world as not a real thing - surely they could spend half as much time dealing with actual illnesses.

And many shows have been credited with doing so. Post-partum depression storylines, bipolar storylines, PTSD storylines...all have been done on daytime, and done well, and been entertaining and even award-winning.

There's a reason so many of us watch this dreck - we remember how genuinely good and poignant it used to be.

I agree I watch hollyoaks and there very serious about there mental health issues for example a character killed himself a few weeks ago because of depression and they had to spoil it weeks ahead of time because it might trigger someone in the audience and if there doing a self harm story etc they have to warn the audience at the beginning of the show and they also have a hotline to call for help after the show of anybody is experiencing these issues.

I remember when soaps used to do very serious stories that we could learn from these days the social issues they try to do is so bad.

[boes]

8 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

I would agree with those ideas in theory...but during his killing spree, we saw him methodically go about framing Chad and targeting his victims with a clear mind. He wasn't hallucinating, passing out, hearing voices or being reactionary. He knew what he was doing, and was doing it in cold blood. He seemed to not like killing Will, his friend who just happened to figure it out, but he strangled him anyway, went on to murder the completely innocent wetnurse at the cabin, and then gleefully take a newborn baby away from his parents, who were chained to a burning bed.

So....I don't know what one mental illness covers all that. I would say it's a collection of them. And yes, he probably needed a ton of counselling, but you can still get that in prison. His crimes were cut and dry, and the way it was filmed, there's no room now to claim he was "ill". They chose to go totally in on him as a crazed killer...

...and now, as I just read on YouTube, he's "the show's hero!"

This pisses me off so much because it's like the show's producers are telling us "as long as the guy on camera looks 'hot', he don't need no acting skills, no likeable characterization, and no personality...you bozos will cheer for him anyway! Hawhaw!"

I hate writing that talks down to viewers...and this? This goes beyond that.

I feel like here in the real world, we're having to take a hard look at ourselves and those we support and hold people accountable. It's not enough to have a lot of money or be good looking, to be white, straight and have abs...as if that should entitle you to having carte blanche to do whatever you want with no consequences. Ben is the embodiment of that dangerous and harmful idea. He is the wrong person to position as the hero of this show, at the wrong time in history and it leaves an extremely sour taste in my mouth.

If the show wanted to please CIN fans, fine, give them the small intimate wedding they stuck Ericole with. That would have actually made sense! If the only people willing to show their faces at a CIN wedding were Jake and Gwen, and maybe Shawn and Hope (out of a desire to support Ciara and remind Ben he is being watched closely) I would have bought that.

Marlena was attacked by Ben in her office. She should not be there, and neither should her husband.

Will was Murdered by Ben! He should not be there, and neither should his grandparents!

Claire obviously needed to stay away from CIN altogether.

Julie, judgemental type that she is, should have wanted nothing to do with Ben, let alone perform a marriage ceremony for him.

Gabi's half sister was murdered by Ben! She should not be there.

.....aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggghhh!

 

I'm going to stop now.

I skimmed the episode and it was, in spite of all the money they threw at it, a pretty dumb affair. Ciara was over-accessorized, the fortune cookie callback was lame and it overall felt like a pot donut-enduced fantasy sequence worthy of one of Ron's Halloween episodes. The cheering! The laughing! The winks from Marlena to Ben! The explosion..if that's what that was supposed to be...

Very Very Very well said, DisneyBoy.

[peachmangosteen]

 

15 hours ago, CanaryFan98 said:

It would be a nice twist if Ben was suffering a psychotic break after all and he was the one drugging Ciara and setting Claire up(much like Chabby a few years earlier) because Ben was fearing Ciara was pulling away from him by being friendly with Claire again. However that's too interesting for the show to write.

I would love this. It would actually make sense and be interesting.

For me, they could have really got me with Ben. I am super here for bad boy redemptions because I love a cliche. I loved Ben and Ben/Ciara at first. But they did virtually nothing to redeem Ben and are now propping him to the high heavens, which always has the absolute opposite effect on me. Ben should not be whining about people not forgiving him, threatening people when he gets mad, making jokes about killing Will, being controlling with Ciara, treating Claire like shit, etc. if they intend for me to see him as so reformed that he is actually now the town hero that everyone has to love. That's just such bad writing that never works. I don't understand why the writers don't get it. I mean I do, they're willfully obtuse, but still!

[Katy M]

9 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

This pisses me off so much because it's like the show's producers are telling us "as long as the guy on camera looks 'hot', he don't need no acting skills, no likeable characterization, and no personality...you bozos will cheer for him anyway! Hawhaw!"

I hate writing that talks down to viewers...and this? This goes beyond that.

I feel like here in the real world, we're having to take a hard look at ourselves and those we support and hold people accountable. It's not enough to have a lot of money or be good looking, to be white, straight and have abs...as if that should entitle you to having carte blanche to do whatever you want with no consequences. Ben is the embodiment of that dangerous and harmful idea. He is the wrong person to position as the hero of this show, at the wrong time in history and it leaves an extremely sour taste in my mouth.

It seems like for whatever reason, soaps are afraid to permanently write off characters any more.  In the old days a serial killer just would have been packed off to jail (or maybe a mental hospital) never to be seen or heard from again.  Unless years later he escaped and came back for revenge.  Soaps have always had more of their fair share of "back from the dead" stories, but it's gotten to the point of pure ridiculousness that they don't even try to come up with plausible excuses any more.

[kitmerlot1213]

Credit my friends where it is due--That was some wonderfully dramatic camera work at the beginning of today's episode! The smoke and flames added an element of peril that made every scene more interesting, but I was taken out of a few good moments having to listen to Ciara's shouting "Ben, Ben, BENNNN!!!!" at the top of her lungs.

And of course there can't be a minute where Julie doesn't act hatefully towards Gabi--Julie, if you are allegedly soooo worried about your family, how about concentrating your energies on them instead of snarking meanly at Gabi ?

I did love the Jake/Gabi scenes and I appreciate that he gives as good as he gets in their bantering moments.  The best part?  When he picked her up because she couldn't walk on her ankle--a very swoon worthy moment indeed--and I liked how she apologized to him and admitted that she was lashing out because she missed her husband--a very realistic scene.  And good for Gabi for telling Jake about the Dimeras and all of the children Stefano had because Jake needs to know what he is getting into.

Edited July 23, 2020 by kitmerlot1213

[SueB]

...continuing (have not seen Thursday)

Claire's non-guilt:
- I really liked the sadness that came through ORK's acting on Wednesday.  She was so disappointed that her dreams of "making up" for what she did were dashed.  In truth, it's a hard thing to forgive.  But she's clearly being framed IMO.  I think the half-smile she had was both 'rueful' as well as misdirection (so it works both ways).

Hope:
- What's up with the single earring?  I kept looking and I swear that's all she was wearing.  Isn't Salem in Illinois (or Indiana)?  That's a little to avant-garde IMO for the town.  Even with "high fashion" Gabi and Kate.

Marlena:
- Are you repossessed by the Devil again?  Because you propping up Ben and trashing Claire was very upsetting?

Will:
- You are too good.  I wish he had his own story.

 

[Damian]

11 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

This pisses me off so much because it's like the show's producers are telling us "as long as the guy on camera looks 'hot', he don't need no acting skills, no likeable characterization, and no personality...you bozos will cheer for him anyway! Hawhaw!"

Unfortunately, it's true.

Just look at Sami. She's a horrible person, but you'd think she was the ex-serial killer on canvas given character and fan reactions to her.

I guess at the end of the day is that I prefer to view and consume media critically, which only adds to my enjoyment of it. It's also the very reason these forums exist so I am so confused why there are posts telling us to just enjoy the show for what it is and to essentially, shut our mouths. I grew up with this show so it's hard for me to watch something I grew up turn into... this, but here we are.

Topic? Kate's not at the wedding. Kate knows these people are trash. "These assholes forgave me for putting a woman on death row, poisoning another, marrying a mob boss, and a bunch of other heinous shit. Idiots." *sips martini*

[lb60]

Ugh!

Lani lives.

Julie lives.

Why can't I have nice things?

Ben's missing? I'm shocked. I'm horrified. I didn't see that coming from a mile away.

Guess Sarah's the only doctor on duty, since she's taking care of everyone.

Julie, STFU. <-----will never get old

Gabi and Jake were kind of adorable today. Sarah and Xander, too.

[Pearson80]

17 minutes ago, Damian said:

I guess at the end of the day is that I prefer to view and consume media critically, which only adds to my enjoyment of it. It's also the very reason these forums exist so I am so confused why there are posts telling us to just enjoy the show for what it is and to essentially, shut our mouths. I grew up with this show so it's hard for me to watch something I grew up turn into... this, but here we are.

 

Exactly! We are free to post what we want as long as we don't violate rules about politics and spoilers on this board.  We have the right to have an opinion for and against a particular storyline or character.. So, I don't understand why that bothers some people and are scolded for talking about Days of our lives..

[Katy M]

27 minutes ago, SueB said:

Hope:
- What's up with the single earring?  I kept looking and I swear that's all she was wearing.  Isn't Salem in Illinois (or Indiana)?  That's a little to avant-garde IMO for the town.  Even with "high fashion" Gabi and Kate.

Maybe it's a clue.  She lost the other earring setting the bomb.  Everybody else in this town has gone kill crazy at least once.

[DaphneCat]

1 minute ago, Katy M said:

Maybe it's a clue.  She lost the other earring setting the bomb.  Everybody else in this town has gone kill crazy at least once.

THAT'S IT!!!!😆😆  Hope did it! 

[DanaMB]

Not to be repetitive, but Julie is such a heinous bitch. 

Edited July 23, 2020 by DanaMB

[boes]

50 minutes ago, lb60 said:

Ugh!

Lani lives.

Julie lives.

Why can't I have nice things?

Ben's missing? I'm shocked. I'm horrified. I didn't see that coming from a mile away.

Guess Sarah's the only doctor on duty, since she's taking care of everyone.

Julie, STFU. <-----will never get old

Gabi and Jake were kind of adorable today. Sarah and Xander, too.

With any luck, somebody else will need Stefan's heart and it will be ripped out of Julie in mid squawk.  The old bag's had it long enough.

Put a wig on a foghorn and Doug will never know the difference.

[boes]

1 hour ago, Damian said:

I guess at the end of the day is that I prefer to view and consume media critically, which only adds to my enjoyment of it. It's also the very reason these forums exist so I am so confused why there are posts telling us to just enjoy the show for what it is and to essentially, shut our mouths. I grew up with this show so it's hard for me to watch something I grew up turn into... this, but here we are.

I don't get it either.  But one thing is for sure, you're not alone.  I find the Ignore button has helped my mood immeasurably in this regard.

[RunningMarket]

Julie: I don't mean to make anyone upset!

... then please stop talking.

Also Julie: Your baby will be fine because your family loves you!

... such medical expertise!

Allie: No one tell my parents I survived a horrible explosion! What an awful thing to suggest!

[DaphneCat]

24 minutes ago, RunningMarket said:

Julie: I don't mean to make anyone upset!

... then please stop talking.

Also Julie: Your baby will be fine because your family loves you!

... such medical expertise!

Allie: No one tell my parents I survived a horrible explosion! What an awful thing to suggest!

Yes, Allie has now moved firmly into total brat position.  Her parents would probably expect her to be there and when they find out what happened would more than likely be frantic.  But, let's NOT reassure them because...reasons?  And Marlena, YOU ARE A COMPLETE MORON FOR GOING ALONG WITH THIS.  She's supposedly the intelligent one who has been educated on how to deal with people's feelings but doesn't think Allie's parents deserve to know she is safe.  

Ciara, you are lucky it was only Eli, Shawn, and Rafe there today because no rescue person in their right mind would allow someone to basically get in their way (the screeching was also particularly helpful) while trying to rescue someone.

And did Allie REALLY refer to Ben as the man of Ciara's dreams?  

[RunningMarket]

6 minutes ago, DaphneCat said:

Yes, Allie has now moved firmly into total brat position.  Her parents would probably expect her to be there and when they find out what happened would more than likely be frantic.  But, let's NOT reassure them because...reasons?  And Marlena, YOU ARE A COMPLETE MORON FOR GOING ALONG WITH THIS.  She's supposedly the intelligent one who has been educated on how to deal with people's feelings but doesn't think Allie's parents deserve to know she is safe.  

Ciara, you are lucky it was only Eli, Shawn, and Rafe there today because no rescue person in their right mind would allow someone to basically get in their way (the screeching was also particularly helpful) while trying to rescue someone.

And did Allie REALLY refer to Ben as the man of Ciara's dreams?  

And Hope referred to Ciara as the love of Ben's life. But you know, HE'S CHANGED. (Apparently he now has invisibility powers!)

Edited July 23, 2020 by RunningMarket

[Silver Raven]

I hate it when Show runs five minutes of replay from the previous episode.

I realize that the scene of a bombing can be chaotic, but Show needs to tone it down so we can figure out what's going on.  Or they could take a clue from shows like Hollyoaks, which has major catastrophes on a regular basis and still make it entertaining to watch.

They mentioned Peter!

More HIPAA violations.  Sarah shouldn't have given Marlena Allie's test results.

Julie is more concerned with her granddaughter in law than with her own granddaughter (well, step, but the relationship between Julie and Hope is more like mother and daughter).

Why did they have to wait for the wedding and blow up the church in order just to kidnap Ben?  They could have done it at any time.

 

[DaphneCat]

7 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Why did they have to wait for the wedding and blow up the church in order just to kidnap Ben?  They could have done it at any time.

DRAMA!!!!!!!  Yes, if Ben had simply gone missing, at first everyone would look at Claire, and then maybe think Ben did a runner.  There might actually be some emotion involved, but this show can't have that now, can they?  Everything has to be over the top DRAMA!!!!!!!

[Irlandesa]

8 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

More HIPAA violations.  Sarah shouldn't have given Marlena Allie's test results.

Not necessarily.  Marlena is a medical professional who apparently has privileges (or even works in?) the hospital?  Since Allie is awake, I'm going to just assume she signed something allowing her information to be shared with certain people including her grandmother. 

I did appreciate the show's use of slow motion and reairing what they showed at the end of yesterday's episode.  Way to waste the first ten minutes.

[Silver Raven]

Just now, Irlandesa said:

Not necessarily.  Marlena is a medical professional who apparently has privileges (or even works in?) the hospital?  Since Allie is awake, I'm going to just assume she signed something allowing her information to be shared with certain people including her grandmother. 

Does every medical professional who has privileges in the hospital get the medical reports of every patient in the hospital?

 

[Irlandesa]

Just now, Silver Raven said:

Does every medical professional who has privileges in the hospital get the medical reports of every patient in the hospital?

 

No.  But like I said, since she's awake, I'm going to assume it's possible she approved Sarah sharing the results with her grandmother.  This isn't like people in a coma or not around having their medical information shared. 

[RunningMarket]

Sarah also shared the "good news" about Allie and Lani with Xander - who is most definitely not a doctor or hospital staff. I'm not sure if telling him after she's informed the patient is still a HIPPA violation, but at the very least she could be like, "It's best if you ask them."

[Irlandesa]

13 minutes ago, RunningMarket said:

Sarah also shared the "good news" about Allie and Lani with Xander - who is most definitely not a doctor or hospital staff. I'm not sure if telling him after she's informed the patient is still a HIPPA violation, but at the very least she could be like, "It's best if you ask them."

That would be.  And I missed that.  Again, unless both patients said she could tell anyone.  I could believe Allie saying that about Marlena/relatives. I couldn't imagine anyone saying that about Xander.

[Sandman]

On 7/21/2020 at 6:43 PM, Maelstrom said:

Also, Show, for the record Ben actually killed Will, he didn't just "try to." Will was in a fucking coffin and brought back to life. Therefore he actually fucking died. And on a related note, his having murdered Will is A) not funny B) not some little oopsie, and C) not funny.

At this point I'm ready for 99% of Salem's population to fall down a giant hole and never return.

I just feel like this cannot be emphasized enough. 

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

Credit my friends where it is due--That was some wonderfully dramatic camera work at the beginning of today's episode! The smoke and flames added an element of peril that made every scene more interesting ...

I agree. I really thought that was pretty fantastic. Good job for once, show!

Somebody telling Allie she can't leave her parents out of her life forever and her responding, "I would like to try," made me lol for real. That's just a funny line and the way she said it was super hilarious.

They're doing Jake/Gabi exactly the same way they did Stefan/Gabi. I get it, BB and CB are great with that kind of bantering dynamic, but like maybe try something different. Just a thought! 

[Artsda]

I laughed at Allie being mortified of Zander the hot guy carrying her to the hospital.

I liked the aftermath explosion scenes, they put some money into it.