Current Plots Discussion: Actually Today's Episode

[TenaciousWarrior]

I’m liking the recast Claire. She’s less immature and spastic than the old Claire. 

[RunningMarket]

37 minutes ago, TenaciousWarrior said:

I’m liking the recast Claire. She’s less immature and spastic than the old Claire. 

Agreed, but Claire is supposed to be a bit like that is she not? I mean, mature, calm people generally don't try to set their cousins on fire.

[Prairiemakeup]

New Claire looks like the old, New Cari, with the blonde hair and heavy, darker eyebrows. Sorry, I don’t remember that actress’ name. 

[peachmangosteen]

I already hate New Claire. She is giving me smug and I can't take any more smug! Plus, she looks so much older than Allie. Like it was jarring.

[Katy M]

21 minutes ago, Prairiemakeup said:

New Claire looks like the old, New Cari, with the blonde hair and heavy, darker eyebrows. Sorry, I don’t remember that actress’ name. 

Tracy Middendorf?  That's a long time ago, but I don't know what you mean by old new Cari.

[kitmerlot1213]

9 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

I already hate New Claire. She is giving me smug and I can't take any more smug! Plus, she looks so much older than Allie. Like it was jarring.

Yeah, not really feeling the Claire recast, and I especially don’t like how much older she looks then ORK.  I guess Claire’s new maturity isn’t just emotional, it’s apparently literal as well.  Allie also continues to suck and I hope she leaves for a good long while.

I did like the brief Kate and Sami scenes, the actresses play wonderfully off of each other, it’s a pleasure to watch.

The Will and Sonny scenes were interesting in that we got confirmation that Ari really only wanted a puppy 🙂

 

 

 

[A.J.]

39 minutes ago, RunningMarket said:

Agreed, but Claire is supposed to be a bit like that is she not? I mean, mature, calm people generally don't try to set their cousins on fire.

True.  That's what made Claire fun and exciting to watch.  I hate we didn't get to see her square off against Sami today (sort of).  And I hate that we won't get to see what Claire does down the line.  I am still NOT convinced of her seemingly "good deeds".  

[lb60]

Not feelin' NuClaire's eyebrows.

Way to stay mad, Sonny. Maybe pick a feeling and stick with it for more than a nano second.

I did enjoy Abe and Kate.

I worry for poor no name baby boy stuck in the hospital nursery. Has he gotten any cute little newborn outfits? Is he getting cuddles? Hell, is he being fed? Allie should only be allowed near him to clean up his blowout diapers. Selfish, wench.

[Prairiemakeup]

38 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Tracy Middendorf?  That's a long time ago, but I don't know what you mean by old new Cari.

YES! Thank you, now I can sleep tonight, lol. Didn’t she play Carrie at one point? The heavy, flat eyebrows are the same. 

[WendyCR72]

9 hours ago, Sandman said:

Heh. And more importantly, can we make him teach other people in town to take responsibility for their choices? And also make him get a decent haircut? (I don't even mind the scrubby starter beard, but Will looks more like an inmate now than he did when he was actually in prison.)

Hee. Still, to be fair, perhaps COVID is wreaking havoc with haircuts and such. (I was fortunate enough that my long-time stylist donned a mask (as did I!) and came to my house! Bless her.)

[boes]

What a great episode, huh?  I tell you, there's nothing I was looking forward to more than yet ANOTHER discussion by or about Allie and how she just loves Nicole and just hates Sami, because, reasons.......  What an extra added bonus that now the entire town is drawn into the drama of WHO WILL GET ALLIE'S BABY?   Run faster, Allie, get a plane, a train, steal a car, fly away with the wings of love, just LEAVE.

I'm voting for Animal Care and Control.

It's bad enough that Nicole is parading around like Bernadette of Lourdes but we've also got Eric in his dimwitted, dumbshit mode.  You know, the slightly uncomprehending look, the furrowed brow, the vaguely disapproving glance.  You can always tell when Eric is ready to burst out in full judgemental asshole bouquet.  It looks like in his case, the Cala lilies are in bloom.

No way Allie wrote that missive.  I don't believe she could manage to print her name, much less write out something that coherent.  Judging by her conversation, her full sentences comprise of "My Mom tries to control my life!", "My Mom will never get my child!", My Mom ruins everything!".  

I remember when Sonny came to town, and how charmed I was by him.  The guy could act, for one thing.  Now he seems like a reject from the Lollipop Guild.

By all means, Sonny, go get a puppy.  With any luck, the Pound will also have Allie's baby available for adoption.

ETA - I like the recast, I think the actor showed some skill in her scenes.  I don't buy her as Claire, and I'll really miss ORK, but I like the new person.

Edited August 13, 2020 by boes

[nilyank]

I am at the point that I want Sami to leave with the baby when AS leaves after her visit on Days. Just because it is the last thing that Allie wants. They should have never burdened the character with an unwanted baby and this gives the show an excuse about why Sami isn't in town. She is raising her grandson away from all the dummies in Salem.

For once, I wish people would have a normal reaction. When people find out Allie's latest choice to dump her baby on, I want people to look perplexed and say WHY? If they later get convinced that Allie was thinking about her son and not to stick it to her mom in a spiteful way and choose to support her, fine.

But come on. The first reaction shouldn't be Nicole is going to be a great mom and no I don't remember that she stole Sami's daughter for a year.

 

Edited August 13, 2020 by nilyank

[DisneyBoy]

I think of Kate as being like Joan Rivers - someone who has to work to stay alive. I think she's got plenty of money and has just been taking jobs to keep occupied lately. Working at the pub could hardly pay anyone's mortgage, and yet she did that for months. Working for Abe probably only pays moderately okay...

The child abandonment is especially egregious. I like the actress playing Allie and the energy she's brought to the show and she definitely has some skill, but I feel like the character has been written to be more like Theresa when she first showed up in town - a party girl who does things without thinking and has a lot of attitude. This actress just can't convey that, not that I'm complaining. I think her gentle nature has smoothed out the character's rough edges as much as possible. It is like she's working against the script. I felt the same way with Marci Miller's portrayal of Abigail. She completely lacked Kate Manci's crazy, which was a refreshing change. Unfortunately the script still made Abigail as smug, condescending and nuts as ever so poor Marci could only do so much to make her likeable using her own natural charm.

You guys have already mentioned several different ways we could have gotten to this exact same point without Allie seeming like terrible person. It's a shame they didn't go one of those other routes, because right now no amount of insecurity coming out of her lips justifies the completely cruel way she's treating her child. He's going to grow up as the kid who got passed all around Salem before finally finding a home. And all for nothing.

I really would have appreciated it if NuClaire had looked at Allie today, taken a pause and told her with a sad expression "...I just don't understand why you're doing this..." NuClaire gave Allie all the reasons why this could possibly work out well if she, you know, acted like a regular human being. I guess we should be glad Allie didn't just put the baby in a dumpster and wait for the trash pickup guy to be charmed by him.

Whatever the explanation for all of this stupidity is, it had better be good. I'm officially hoping for Allie to be scared out of her mind, even if it's a retcon, over how her baby daddy and his family will treat the kid if they knew he existed. That's pretty much the only way to go at this point to salvage this, even if it doesn't excuse the weird over-eagerness of all of these couples to take this baby they know Sami doesn't want them to have.

I also have to continue to call BS on Marlena acting suddenly as if she never thought Claire was causing problems again. You fully believed she was causing problems! You spent like a week giving her the stink eye, and her parents had a long conversation about how she obviously wasn't better. Stop being hypocrites.

[DaphneCat]

19 minutes ago, DisneyBoy said:

I also have to continue to call BS on Marlena acting suddenly as if she never thought Claire was causing problems again. You fully believed she was causing problems! You spent like a week giving her the stink eye, and her parents had a long conversation about how she obviously wasn't better. Stop being hypocrites.

Yes.  When Belle today said something like "I knew she was innocent all along" my eyes rolled so far back in my head I say my hippocampus.  They ALL suspected her.  But because she was responsible for the return of  Wonderful Ben, they're all scrambling to say they believed in her all along.

[CanaryFan98]

1 hour ago, nilyank said:

I am at the point that I want Sami to leave with the baby when AS leaves after her visit on Days. Just because it is the last thing that Allie wants. They should have never burdened the character with an unwanted baby and this gives the show an excuse about why Sami isn't in town. She is raising her grandson away from all the dummies in Salem.

For once, I wish people would have a normal reaction. When people find out Allie's latest choice to dump her baby on, I want people to look perplexed and say WHY? If they later get convinced that Allie was thinking about her son and not to stick it to her mom in a spiteful way and choose to support her, fine.

But come on. The first reaction shouldn't be Nicole is going to be a great mom and no I don't remember that she stole Sami's daughter for a year.

 

I hope Sami does take the kid with her because this show doesn't need another pointless child.

[ByaNose]

Isn’t the off camera voice saying, “The role of so & so is now being played by.....” a rite of passage? nuClaire was robbed. 

[Frozendiva]

So Allie wrote a chapter of War and Peace detailing her wanting Nicole and Eric to look after her kid? Not like they showed an interest or wanted to adopt the baby. I can believe Allie doing an Instagram thing, but not a long essay.

Can Sami do anything besides shriek and go all over town blaming everyone for the baby? If I was Allie, I would hide too.

Claire seemed much older and more mature today and not the happy go lucky flaky girl we have had. As Allie's peer, she could maybe talk to her in that way and not as an overbearing, controlling parent type. She would understand not wanting to be tied down to a kid at her age, when she doesn't know who she is. She was lucky that Sami didn't go all she-Hulk through Uncle Eric's apartment.

Will's beard sure grew within a day or two. I like the idea of a dog, but he, Sonny, Arianna, and probably Gabi actually have to go to the shelter to meet the dog - see if the dog likes them and gets along with them. And fill out a long questionnaire of how they plan to care for the animal - can they afford food, can they offer attention and training, can they pay vet bills, does the dog have a yard, will they exercise the dog, etc. They seem to be treating the puppy like Allie's baby - a carton of ice cream from the store.

I liked Kate's outfit.

Still wondering what Will and Sonny see in each other.

 

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

So Allie wrote a chapter of War and Peace detailing her wanting Nicole and Eric to look after her kid? Not like they showed an interest or wanted to adopt the baby. I can believe Allie doing an Instagram thing, but not a long essay.

Can Sami do anything besides shriek and go all over town blaming everyone for the baby? If I was Allie, I would hide too.

Claire seemed much older and more mature today and not the happy go lucky flaky girl we have had. As Allie's peer, she could maybe talk to her in that way and not as an overbearing, controlling parent type. She would understand not wanting to be tied down to a kid at her age, when she doesn't know who she is. She was lucky that Sami didn't go all she-Hulk through Uncle Eric's apartment.

Will's beard sure grew within a day or two. I like the idea of a dog, but he, Sonny, Arianna, and probably Gabi actually have to go to the shelter to meet the dog - see if the dog likes them and gets along with them. And fill out a long questionnaire of how they plan to care for the animal - can they afford food, can they offer attention and training, can they pay vet bills, does the dog have a yard, will they exercise the dog, etc. They seem to be treating the puppy like Allie's baby - a carton of ice cream from the store.

I liked Kate's outfit.

Still wondering what Will and Sonny see in each other.

 

Will always seemed too young for Sonny. I think it has to do with how they are dressed. Sonny is always in a suit jacket and Will is strictly casual. Also, it seems like Sonny is the lead in the relationship and what he says goes. 

[DisneyBoy]

There always seemed to be a power imbalance in their dynamics. Sonny is literally the first guy Will ever dated or slept with and he came out because of Sonny's influence. For him to marry the first guy he's serious with, especially on a soap, seems unwise. And while I can't say Sonny groomed him, he was...well, leading the way. Didn't he even kiss Will first?

They seem, sadly, after only maybe five years of marriage - half of which Will was dead for - like an old married couple with no spark. They look mismatched. I blame Freddie, who has lost all sincerity and always "performs". I don't even enjoy his web videos because it's like he thinks we don't see the wheels in his head turning...but we do. He just feels fake. He speaks as if he's on a children's program.

Will has always sparked with various guys - Paul, EJ, TallChad - and Sonny doesn't.

I'm all for the show's first gay couple being a soulmate Super Couple....but this isn't working. 

[bannana]

2 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

So Allie wrote a chapter of War and Peace detailing her wanting Nicole and Eric to look after her kid? Not like they showed an interest or wanted to adopt the baby. I can believe Allie doing an Instagram thing, but not a long essay.

Yup. And she gave it a lot of thought. According to Eric. 🙄  But she only had five minutes.

I actually loved that Allie heard what Sami said to Claire. Because crazy Sami was mostly correct. Allie was offended when she heard her mother describe her as sneaky. WTAF? You are hiding and waiting to flee the country and your baby. Definition of sneaky.

And it is so clear that Allie is "gifting" her child to Aunt Nicole to get back at Sami. She didn't say she wanted her uncle Eric to raise her child. She wanted Nicole.

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, DisneyBoy said:

Will has always sparked with various guys - Paul, EJ, TallChad - and Sonny doesn't.

I feel like soaps often do this with their signature gay couples.  They create their signature gay couple, seemingly in response to the viewers who'd like to see more same sex pairings on soaps, but the more sexless they are, the better. 

It makes no sense why the show hasn't brought on a third party (or at least I don't think they have) to make a serious run at Will.  Most super couples get tested with serious alternative love interests. (And I know they had Christian for Sonny but he was short term, Sonny isn't the darling to the show Will is as Sami's son and he doesn't bring nearly what Chandler does in his scenes with other people.)

And EJ.  Goodness, I forgot about EJ.  They did spark didn't they? I remember being here for that.  I was never a huge EJ or James Scott fan but I think I loved the choices he made during that Will/EJ story.  IIRC, he really played into it, didn't he? (Not that they were going there but I do think he was intentionally seductive---or am I crazy?)

Edited August 13, 2020 by Irlandesa

[boes]

24 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I feel like soaps often do this with their signature gay couples.  They create their signature gay couple, seemingly in response to the viewers who'd like to see more same sex pairings on soaps, but the more sexless they are, the better. 

It makes no sense why the show hasn't brought on a third party (or at least I don't think they have) to make a serious run at Will.  Most super couples get tested with serious alternative love interests. (And I know they had Christian for Sonny but he was short term, Sonny isn't the darling to the show Will is as Sami's son and he doesn't bring nearly what Chandler does in his scenes with other people.)

And EJ.  Goodness, I forgot about EJ.  They did spark didn't they? I remember being here for that.  I was never a huge EJ or James Scott fan but I think I loved the choices he made during that Will/EJ story.  IIRC, he really played into it, didn't he? (Not that they were going there but I do think he was intentionally seductive---or am I crazy?Not

Not crazy at all, JS really went there.  It was very intriguing.

[SueB]

**Brought over from the Spoiler thread (where I misposted yesterday)**

 

Allie has gone from immature to ‘child abandonment’.  Seriously, she left the hospital without officially giving custody to anyone.  your letter has no witnesses.  
 

When Eric picked up the note, it was a single piece of paper — they read at least 3 pages. 
 

New!Claire seems like an older adult, not the Claire that was in a leather skirt at Julie’s a couple of weeks ago.  They double SORAS’d her.  And she definitely feels older than Allie.  
 

Granny Warbucks!  It’s not clear how much money Kate has.  She’s pushing for a raise and yet has enough money to let Allie have a credit card (pre-Salem arrival). 
 

WHY was only Sonny breaking the news to Ari!? Will was right there.  I totally believes Sonny has been the most reliable of the three parents.  But that was just weird. 

[SueB]

I wish they had sent Claire off to Hong Kong for a bit with her family and then a few months later bring in the recast Claire -- more mature after living a normal life post therapy.  

Of course Hong Kong is not actually 'normal' life.  It's pretty high up there on the adventure scale for most Americans.  What Claire needs is to go to college and study music for a bit or get a non-waitress stable job that paid bills.  Start getting paying music gigs on nights and weekends. She's very musically talented but probably not emotionally ready for a high profile career. And social media is a low-probability bet for a financially stable future. It happens but not that often.

 

[superdeluxe]

7 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

Will has always sparked with various guys - Paul, EJ, TallChad - and Sonny doesn't

Uh-huh.  I think some of you need to go back and look at some Sonny/Paul or some Sonny/Brian.  Hell, even Sonny/Leo or Sonny/Current Chad.

It makes no sense why the show hasn't brought on a third party (or at least I don't think they have) to make a serious run at Will.

Uhh...wasn't that Paul?  Ron really, really wanted to go there.

Edited August 13, 2020 by superdeluxe

[Pearson80]

1 hour ago, superdeluxe said:

Uh-huh.  I think some of you need to go back and look at some Sonny/Paul or some Sonny/Brian.  Hell, even Sonny/Leo or Sonny/Current Chad.

Uhh...wasn't that Paul?  Ron really, really wanted to go there.

Sonny and Paul did not really spark in my opinion. Sonny and Brian were so hot and I wish the show had explored that more but the show has never really invested in Sonny, everything always goes back to Will.  I love Will but we saw him grow up on the show and I have always wanted to know more about Sonny.  Sonny is still undefined as a character and the show  should have brought back Alexander and the twins over the years to explore Sonny's background and dynamic with his older brothers.. 

Will should have come back as an amnesiac deeply in love with another guy, preferably Orpheus grandson... We could have had a quadrangle with Paulson.. The show could have tied Will's missing years with Marlena's captivity by Orpheus all of those years ago.. 

6 hours ago, boes said:

Not crazy at all, JS really went there.  It was very intriguing.

Yup he did and Chandler was all in for it, the producers were not happy about their interplay and put a stop to it.  This really frustrated JS who felt stifled as an artist.  

9 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

There always seemed to be a power imbalance in their dynamics. Sonny is literally the first guy Will ever dated or slept with and he came out because of Sonny's influence. For him to marry the first guy he's serious with, especially on a soap, seems unwise. And while I can't say Sonny groomed him, he was...well, leading the way. Didn't he even kiss Will first?

 

I always felt the Sonny/Will dynamics should have been an internal obstacle for them to overcome.  Will's inexperience and Sonny's paternalism could have driven stories for them add in their families and interlopers. A skillfull writer could have used all of that to give them awesome material, but Wilson have never really had writers who were given the freedom to write for them.. Sonny was supposed to cheat with Paul but Ken Corday interfered with the writing and threw the writers original story out the window. It is why Will cheating made no sense and made him so unlikable. Not to mention making Will into Sami jr, he was never like his mother just like Sami was never like Marlena..

[kitmerlot1213]

I actually enjoyed the new Claire today--her scenes with Marlena and then Ben and CIara felt very natural and family like and good for Ben for not only hugging Claire but for also offering such a heartfelt apology--his "I'm sorry" seemed very genuine.  But now Claire has run into Eve and our girl recognized her even with Eve's newly short dyed black hair--what will happen next?

I'm really interested in the Gwen/Chad vs. Jake/Gabi that's being set up and I'm especially enjoying that Jake really wants to learn about the corporate world and he wants Gabi to teach him.--this also feels very genuine to me and I like that it's Jake who is coming to Gabi as opposed to Gabi chasing after him.  I admit I'm also enjoying that Chad's underestimating both Gabi and Jake and I hope it leaves to his downfall and I also hope it leads to Gwen realizing that she's not half as awesome as she clearly thinks she is.

Edited August 13, 2020 by kitmerlot1213

[Sandman]

10 hours ago, boes said:

Not crazy at all, JS really went there.  It was very intriguing.

Like so many, many things about Elvis, it was gross. (Talk about power imbalances!)

JS "stifled as an artist"? Oh, brother! Chemistry is not skill, JS, you twerp. (Sorry, but Scott's self-adoration always raised my hackles. He always struck me as lazy, and nowhere near as brilliant as seems to think he is.)

Edited August 13, 2020 by Sandman
To roll my eyes

[lb60]

2 hours ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

I also hope it leads to Gwen realizing that she's not half as awesome as she clearly thinks she is.

And I'm sure she'll be nibbling on her fingers as she ponders this.

I really can't stand her. lol

#TeamGabi  

[Silver Raven]

Damn, Kassie looks good in that black wig.

So Rafe issues an APB but doesn't tell the dispatcher what she's to be charged with?

 

[DisneyBoy]

8 hours ago, superdeluxe said:

Uh-huh.  I think some of you need to go back and look at some Sonny/Paul or some Sonny/Brian.  Hell, even Sonny/Leo or Sonny/Current Chad.

Brian did most of the heavy lifting there, and that all happened back when Freddie could act, too. He's been fake since around the time Guy Wilson showed up....which is why he seemed so weird with Paul too. I never understood Paul's interest in him.

Leo was a cartoon almost from the outset. Greg was just going broad with it...he and Freddie didn't have chemistry.

[DisneyBoy]

1 hour ago, lb60 said:

And I'm sure she'll be nibbling on her fingers as she ponders this.

I really can't stand her. lol

I'll say it again...

Edited August 13, 2020 by DisneyBoy

[howmanywords]

1 hour ago, Silver Raven said:

So Rafe issues an APB but doesn't tell the dispatcher what she's to be charged with?

Between that and Rafe telling Hope she's a top rate detective..Never change Rafe, never change.

Can we keep Vincent? 

Well now! Ben offering a sincere apology to Claire. That was nice to see. I did chuckle at Ciara and Marlena having these tie accessories around their neck while Ben is quietly losing it.

I liked NuClaire today more than yesterday. I think she'll grow into the role well. 

2 hours ago, lb60 said:

And I'm sure she'll be nibbling on her fingers as she ponders this.

My mother now just calls her Nibbles.

[RunningMarket]

The hair salon in Salem must have been busy "overnight" with both Gabi and Ciara running in for cuts!

NuClaire was better today. Although I feel like OriginalRecipeClaire would have done a better (read: high strung) version of "everything is fine, no problems at Eric's, nothing to see here..." And why did she whiplash so fast from that to admitting that Allie ran away (assuming Marlena didn't know).

Also, "Dr. Marlena"? Really Ciara.

[superdeluxe]

8 hours ago, Pearson80 said:

Sonny and Paul did not really spark in my opinion. Sonny and Brian were so hot and I wish the show had explored that more but the show has never really invested in Sonny, everything always goes back to Will.  I love Will but we saw him grow up on the show and I have always wanted to know more about Sonny.  Sonny is still undefined as a character and the show  should have brought back Alexander and the twins over the years to explore Sonny's background and dynamic with his older brothers.. 

Will should have come back as an amnesiac deeply in love with another guy, preferably Orpheus grandson... We could have had a quadrangle with Paulson.. The show could have tied Will's missing years with Marlena's captivity by Orpheus all of those years ago.. 

Yup he did and Chandler was all in for it, the producers were not happy about their interplay and put a stop to it.  This really frustrated JS who felt stifled as an artist.  

I always felt the Sonny/Will dynamics should have been an internal obstacle for them to overcome.  Will's inexperience and Sonny's paternalism could have driven stories for them add in their families and interlopers. A skillfull writer could have used all of that to give them awesome material, but Wilson have never really had writers who were given the freedom to write for them.. Sonny was supposed to cheat with Paul but Ken Corday interfered with the writing and threw the writers original story out the window. It is why Will cheating made no sense and made him so unlikable. Not to mention making Will into Sami jr, he was never like his mother just like Sami was never like Marlena..

Sonny and Paul had a little something, but Sonny and Brian were...yeah.  He should've ended up with Brian.  Just to keep the Brian actor around and to give me something to look at.  But he's off doing Hallmark movies now.  I will never watch those.

I always wanted a story about Sonny and his brothers and the dynamic between them.  Like how do they feel about Sonny being gay?  Have they liked any of his boyfriends?  Do they like Will?  Everybody knows that Sonny was Adrienne's favorite.  How do they feel about that?  There's a lot of story potential there.  But hey, like you said, this show never really cared about Sonny.

I was looking forward to that Sonny cheating story.  Then, they made Will the cheater out of nowhere and let me tell you, I haven't liked Will ever since.  Actually, I haven't liked Will since he fell into bed with Gabi and made that baby.

1 hour ago, DisneyBoy said:

Brian did most of the heavy lifting there, and that all happened back when Freddie could act, too. He's been fake since around the time Guy Wilson showed up....which is why he seemed so weird with Paul too. I never understood Paul's interest in him.

Leo was a cartoon almost from the outset. Greg was just going broad with it...he and Freddie didn't have chemistry.

Wow.  I don't know how to properly respond to this post so I'm just going to be like, okay, whatever.  Your opinion.

[wurdalak]

NuClaire's introduction was rather sudden; in the dark it looked like a complete stranger was grasping for a baseball bat in Eric's flat. At least she ditched the slutty French soubrette outfit she was wearing at Marlena's and in NYC.

On 8/12/2020 at 2:06 PM, brisbydog said:

Eric 'non judgemental'. Best laugh I had all week thanks Allie

The medication the Salem Hospital gives women in labor must be pretty strong and long-lasting for Allie to believe that. Perhaps it was strong enough that she wrote that long-winded note while in a trance, in an outburst of automatic writing.

That document would not be binding on a family court judge since they usually look at the whole picture and have the best interest of the child at heart, no matter the wishes of the biological parent(s). But of course this would be decided in the wonky Salem judicial system... I bet Nicole and Eric get to bring the baby home without CPS even getting involved.

And the hospital security system still sucks since anyone can just burst into a doctor's office (Vincent and Ben today), which is never locked.

23 hours ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

The Will and Sonny scenes were interesting in that we got confirmation that Ari really only wanted a puppy 🙂

 This is the same Ari who at one point was giving her mother the silent treatment and emotionally blackmailing her because she could not give her a sibling. And now a simple puppy will satisfy her needs? How do her parents react to those capricious outbursts: Gabi bribes her daughter as Ari reported, while Sonny and Will indulge her every whim and apparently never heard the word "discipline". Not very good parenting. She is a sociopath in the making, something there is of course a real dearth of in Salem.

1 hour ago, Silver Raven said:

So Rafe issues an APB but doesn't tell the dispatcher what she's to be charged with?

Yes no details, no specifics, just a name. Unless they have a file that is kept permanently open on all workstations regarding Eve. No wonder Claire was able to beat Salem's finest to the punch and be the first one to locate Eve. How big is Salem anyway that Eve managed to be there just at the right moment when Ben and Ciara were coming out of the hotel, and then Claire physically bumps into one person that day, perhaps even that week, and it just happens to be Eve? 

On 8/11/2020 at 11:06 PM, Frozendiva said:

And no, you don't normally ask for a 10% raise after 3 months, and especially in this economy.

Especially since Kate has not done such a good job. Her most spectacular idea (the keys to the city ceremony) sort of fizzled and she was more worried that a failure would make her look bad more than her boss. But Abe is a putz when dealing with female employees (remember Sheila?) so of course he agreed to it.

Jake's DiMera genes seem to be waking up, but he still comes across as a moron, especially for allying himself with self-righteous Gabi. One could conclude that all the intelligence was sucked up by his twin while in the womb, but Stefan could also be also quite the idiot for a supposed genius of international finance (like him insisting Gabby was a real person).

[enchantingmonkey]

The funny thing about Gwen is that she seemed to have more self-confidence when she was in the hospital with Claire.  I think her boasting is a mask for her deep well of insecurities, and I'm almost starting to appreciate her rivalry with Gabi.  I don't know if it's intentional on the part of the actress but she's good at portraying Gwen as someone who's trying to fit in somewhere she feels like she doesn't.

nuClaire can go back to Hong Kong.  This new actress isn't bringing any of the bounce, quirk and neuroticism that ORK delivered on a daily basis.  

Did Eve put that wig on using her feet?  I was so mesmerized by the ill-fitting nature of that hair piece that I couldn't even hear what she was saying.  

I like that Dr Rolf has a protege, and Vincent is adequately creepy, but I'd love it if we had William Utay around to help Eve with this questionable scheme.  On the bright side, I fell down a rabbit hole watching videos about brainwashing on YouTube.  

Edited August 13, 2020 by enchantingmonkey

[peachmangosteen]

3 minutes ago, enchantingmonkey said:

I think [Gwen's] boasting is a mask for her well of insecurities, and I'm almost starting to appreciate her rivalry with Gabi.  I don't if it's intentional on the part of the actress but she's good at portraying Gwen as someone who's trying to fit in somewhere she feels like she doesn't.

I agree that Gwen is definitely hiding her insecurities under her OTTness. I actually think a lot of her mannerisms, particularly the finger biting, actually are intentional on the actress' part.

Quote

Did Eve put that wig on using her feet?  I was so mesmerized by the ill-fitting nature of that hair piece that I couldn't even hear what she was saying.  

Right! I was wondering if they made KDP put the wig on herself minutes before she had to start shooting. It was really bad lol.

[enchantingmonkey]

4 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

I agree that Gwen is definitely hiding her insecurities under her OTTness. I actually think a lot of her mannerisms, particularly the finger biting, actually are intentional on the actress' part.

There are times when she's hard to watch, so I do understand the many complaints about her but I appreciate that the actress is doing something different with the character.  

 

9 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Right! I was wondering if they made KDP put the wig on herself minutes before she had to start shooting. It was really bad lol.

It was another fine of example of how I wonder if the show intentionally makes the characters look awful just to give the audience something to fuss about.  Like almost all of Ciara's wardrobe.  And nuClaire wearing that big, dopey sweater in the middle of August.  

[peachmangosteen]

2 minutes ago, enchantingmonkey said:

There are times when she's hard to watch, so I do understand the many complaints about her but I appreciate that the actress is doing something different with the character.  

Same. She brings such a chaotic energy that's very different and interesting imo. She actually reminds me a lot of the character Lila and the actress that played her on Umbrella Academy.

[Silver Raven]

39 minutes ago, wurdalak said:

How big is Salem anyway that Eve managed to be there just at the right moment when Ben and Ciara were coming out of the hotel

She did know they were in the hotel, because Vincent was stalking them.

 

[wurdalak]

2 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

She did know they were in the hotel, because Vincent was stalking them.

You are correct, but to arrive at just that precise moment, at that very entrance (unless the Salem Inn only has that one single door, unto the Square with no direct car access)? Then, as I mentioned, for Claire to actually run smack into her. It's as if there is only one street and two walking paths that run through Salem, so everyone eventually has to run into everybody else in the one park and one square in the whole city.

Edited August 14, 2020 by wurdalak

[TenaciousWarrior]

I liked Ben FINALLY apologizing to Claire and admitting he was wrong to accuse her of trying to sabotage the wedding. There was a sweet Claire/Ciara hug that I liked as well. Isabel Durant is doing a great job as Claire.

[DisneyBoy]

2 hours ago, superdeluxe said:

Wow.  I don't know how to properly respond to this post so I'm just going to be like, okay, whatever.  Your opinion.

I welcome your different opinion 🙂 You felt there was spark between Sonny and Leo...?

I think the big issue is that we don't see what Sonny likes about Will in particular or what Will likes about Paul in particular (or whoever). Couples just sort of fall together now seemingly based on their level of physical attractiveness only, not because of any personality traits or common interests. If there is a common interest, they establish that one thing and then bludgeon us over the head, repeating it over and over.

That is why I liked Hope with Aiden so much. Not only did they look good together and it was believable that they would be attracted to one another, but they were both single parents with kids around the same age and they were both working within the confines of the law...but he was different from Bo. It made sense for them to be together. As much as I like Xander and Sarah, I don't understand why a doctor as educated as Sarah, who just got out of a very bad relationship in which she was cheated on repeatedly, would get starry-eyed over a criminal who lies and cheats people for living as Xander often does. Especially since one would assume she is very wary of her mother being with Victor considering what he has done for decades to so many people. Sure, she and Xander can have sex, I get that, but intellectually how the hell do you make that relationship work? He shoots people and you perform life-saving surgery on them. You've two very different standards for valuing human life. Why are you together?

I also don't remember Sonny and Leo having anything in common. I guess you could say Sonny was.... um...attracted to his sense of humor, maybe? From what I recall, and I've forgotten most of the story, but wasn't the whole thing that Leo was trying to make it look like Sonny had an affair with him, when in fact he never did and wasn't even that interested in him?

I totally believed Will and Paul were hot for each other, because not only did the actors look good together, but it was established that Paul came on to Will very strongly and showed him a night of passion unlike he'd ever known during their One Night Stand. So I totally believed amnesiac Will feeling some residual attraction there, and Paul, who had just been passed over by Sonny, kind of perhaps enjoying the karmic revenge of getting back together with Will, who was throwing himself at him.

But Sonny and Paul? I didn't see any heat between them. It felt like Paul was motivated by regret and nostalgia more than anything, having been in the closet and lost him all those years prior.

[boes]

2 hours ago, enchantingmonkey said:

Did Eve put that wig on using her feet?  I was so mesmerized by the ill-fitting nature of that hair piece that I couldn't even hear what she was saying.  

I know!  I couldn't stop looking at her head.  I love me some KDP but today she looked like she was ready to be reunited with her real family.

[sas616]

Not sure about nu-Claire yet.  To me she looks a bit like Ciara with blonde hair and sounds like Allie when she speaks.

[Frozendiva]

Gabi really likes those stretchy, revealing almost Herve Leger type dresses. She has a blue one to go with the black one.  Didn't take her and Jake long to put the two Salem brain cells together to figure out Gwen is the spy who reports to Chad.

New Claire just looks like a blonde Ciara. She seemed a bit freaked out when Ben hugged her and apologized. She wasn't expecting that.

Not too fond of the black wig for Eve. It just didn't seem right. And she is too involved in finding out that Ciara Brady was murdered overnight. Like that would be revealed that fast. It would take a day or so for it to hit the papers, depending when the body was found. Vincent must have a good number of ways to get to central Salem to what looks like the Hideout Hotel. I am surprised that the Salem Inn seems to only have one door, no underground parking, or anything like a real hotel.

Gwen's finger nibbling may be her insecurity. Yeah, glamorous Gabi will steal her identical twin husband's brother. Gwen seems better off with Chad.

Marlena has no idea what kind of appointments she has for the day. Wondered why she is wearing a tie and Ciara also has some sort of tie around her neck. Didn't think the 70s were back.

Rafe offering Hope a job? And putting out an APB on Eve without any reason for it?

[DisneyBoy]

On 8/12/2020 at 8:52 PM, DaphneCat said:

Yes.  When Belle today said something like "I knew she was innocent all along" my eyes rolled so far back in my head I say my hippocampus.  They ALL suspected her.  But because she was responsible for the return of  Wonderful Ben, they're all scrambling to say they believed in her all along.

I don't understand why Ron did this. It's like he wants the audience to dislike Claire by having all these other virtuous characters be completely suspicious of her, but he also wants them to be unfailingly loving towards her now, so they can't be accused of being bad people or bad family members. It just makes them all seem two-faced and insincere. You can't say Claire is innocent and reveal her to be innocent and have her whole family be patting her on the back if in reality they were all hating on her for weeks and the show was making it seem like Claire really was nuts again. If I was a new viewer, I would just assume Claire is completely nuts and that would be the end of it. If they really wanted her to seem innocent, it would have made everything leading up to the reveal that she was innocent more ambiguous, and her family actually support her better, or do a better job of apologizing and prostrating themselves now. It's just such weird writing. I hate how I constantly feel like Ron is about to pull the rug out with all of the characters. And it's not just Ron but this show in The Last 5 Years in particular. I couldn't root for hope for shooting stuff now and sending Andre to prison, I obviously couldn't root for Aiden or chase, now I feel badly rooting for Clare because the show has made her a pyromaniac who sings on hinged at all times, Marlena talks like a robot whether or not she has a chip in her brain...sigh.

Anyway, today's episode was pretty boring. I wanted to see Belle and Sami figuring out how to legally push Nicole out of the picture, and Eric worrying about the fallout of them bringing home the baby, knowing Sami is going to push back. I didn't, however, need 10 minutes of Gwen fussing about her sex life and everybody slowly piecing together that she called Chad. Who cares? None of this will matter a single Iota in 6 months, when presumably, Jake has weaseled his way into a corporate position he doesn't deserve. I usually like these kinds of slow build story details, but I'm sick of the corporate takeovers, and I don't like Gwen. It would be one thing if she was a dizzy friend of Theresa's, someone she had partied with at bars and who would be used for comedic purposes every now and again. But she doesn't belong in the DiMansion and I'd rather see Jake back at the auto shop, interacting with other characters and slowly developing some appeal. Right now it's all due to BB being likeable in general. I don't particularly care for Jake. He's better than Stefan, but that's not saying much.

I do however like Gabi's new haircut. I wish Camilla hadn't lost weight though. She's been seeming rather thin the last couple of months and these painted on outfits only highlight that. I feel like she had more of a bust and more arms before. As long as she's healthy I guess. It just bothered me when Kate Mansi seemed to disappear. She looked very thin and gangly the last few years and I feel like there is probably a lot of pressure on the show to maintain a certain look. Camilla had more curves and I liked that.

To just say directly what I had danced around in previous posts, there are rumors that Deidre Hall is privately a lesbian. I don't know if that's true, it doesn't bother me if she is, and yes, I read that she has had multiple marriages with men, but it does bother me that Marlena's wardrobe has turned more mannish in recent years when she was constantly wearing flattering, very feminine-looking sweaters and cardigans and blouses, and blazers only occasionally. Now she's like a one-woman blazer fashion show constantly. I'm not saying these rumors have any basis to them, and I realize it's impolite to stereotype women who wear blazers as being lesbians, but if the actors are bringing more of their own clothes to work (which we've heard is the case) or if the people running the costume department are just acquiescing to Deidre's preference to wear blazers, I still think it runs against the years we've watched Marlena wear a variety of clothing. If Kate were to suddenly start wearing overalls after all of her years of corporate blazers with fanciful prints and colours and accessories, I would be equally confused. It just seems like we're supposed to accept that this is how Marlena normally dresses...and it doesn't work for me. I know she's a woman of a certain age and maybe she doesn't want to have to wear shapewear or something, and that's completely fine, but putting Doc in some nice sweaters would probably help mix it up.

But then I don't get why Ciara is wearing scarves around her neck either. Tempting fate?

I think Vincent is great, A real find and I hope they don't ruin him so he can be a continued presence on the show. He seems completely deranged and I like that.

[MsTree]

5 hours ago, sas616 said:

Not sure about nu-Claire yet.  To me she looks a bit like Ciara with blonde hair and sounds like Allie when she speaks.

I like nuClaire. To me, depending upon her expression, I see Kelly Pickler.

[bannana]

4 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

o just say directly what I had danced around in previous posts, there are rumors that Deidre Hall is privately a lesbian. I don't know if that's true, it doesn't bother me if she is, and yes, I read that she has had multiple marriages with men, but it does bother me that Marlena's wardrobe has turned more mannish in recent years when she was constantly wearing flattering, very feminine-looking sweaters and cardigans and blouses, and blazers only occasionally. Now she's like a one-woman blazer fashion show constantly. I'm not saying these rumors have any basis to them, and I realize it's impolite to stereotype women who wear blazers as being lesbians, but if the actors are bringing more of their own clothes to work (which we've heard is the case) or if the people running the costume department are just acquiescing to Deidre's preference to wear blazers, I still think it runs against the years we've watched Marlena wear a variety of clothing. If Kate were to suddenly start wearing overalls after all of her years of corporate blazers with fanciful prints and colours and accessories, I would be equally confused. It just seems like we're supposed to accept that this is how Marlena normally dresses...and it doesn't work for me. I know she's a woman of a certain age and maybe she doesn't want to have to wear shapewear or something, and that's completely fine, but putting Doc in some nice sweaters would probably help mix it up.

I have been watching Days for about 15 years I think. And in all that time Marlena has worn blazers.

She did wear that (IMO) ugly blue dress to the CIN wedding.