Past Plots Discussion: Whatever Happened To...

[Apprentice79]

It will only get better between Steve and Kayla..Plus the cast integration was phenomenal...I hope you are there for the long haul...They are a great couple...

[Happytobehere]

The latest in the Steve/Kayla viewing:

 

So they get back from their weekend (?) on the run and Drake!Roman is extremely yelly about everything. Marlena being missing has something to do with that, I guess.

 

But it something I've noticed throughout all of this. The guys really like shoving and yelling at each other... possibly with a collar grab for good measure. Interestingly enough, when Roman roughs up Steve (and when Bo does it later) he doesn't really fight back. Is he not much of a fighter when it comes down to it? Or is it more about the fact that Roman is a cop and Bo is... whatever the hell Bo is?

 

Anyway, Kayla is working really really really hard to get prickly Steve to trust in her especially in regards to cleaning up the mess Britta made. Lots of longing looks and brief soft moments before Steve mucks it up by being... Steve, I guess.

 

Roman finally believes Steve didn't kill Britta or the other guys and just needs his help regarding the whole mess when an assistant DA shows up to demand he be arrested. Roman is pissed (this seems to be the usual for him), Kayla is shocked! Steve is resigned... so much so that he looks almost relieved that what he totally expected to happen has happened. But it does give us some Steve and Kayla jail scenes!

 

Hey, jail scenes are hot. This T&B fan knows that all too well. Also, Steve is forced to wear sleeves that aren't attached to a jacket. What? It's crazy!

 

Bo leans on Victor a bit and Steve is released. Yay! But he's still ticked off at Kayla for being all innocent and naive when it comes to The System. Enter Maxwell.

 

Max gets a citizenship award for being the one to go get Steve when Kayla was being threatened by the junkie. Little kids bring estranged not-quite-lovers together.

 

All the stuff with the tattoos starts to go down. Three knives and Roman looking for Marlena and Stockholm. Steve finally dumps Britta's pictures in the river (and doesn't jump in himself for a change) while Kayla's all understanding and kind. He still doesn't know what to make of her. Victor shows up to reveal that Steve's been on his payroll the whole time which gets Kayla well and pissed. Shoe's on the other foot now, eh, Steve? He admits that he was tailing her on Victor's say-so but that he gave Victor bogus info. Since I never really saw Steve rat out anything specific to Victor I'll go ahead and believe this. It always seemed to me that Steve took the job just to have an excuse to get in Kayla's space anyway.

 

But now we're in a major push-pull area of the love story. "I want to be near you but you've been on Victor's payroll!" "You're way too good for me but I can't help myself." "Neither of us can say what we're feeling here because we're not entirely sure and we're also scared to death." ROMANTIC ANGST! And then Steve flies off to Stockholm with Roman and Hope.

 

Bo tells Kayla that Steve is bad news. Kayla tells Bo to stuff it. Bo tries this whole 'Hey, Britta loved him and look what happened to her!' Uh... I don't think Britta got killed because she loved Steve, Bo. Unless you're going to tell me that Gregory and the other guy loved him, too. I think they got killed for reasons that have little to do with feelings for Steve and more to do with shady shenanigans in Sweden. Of course, Hope totally digs Steve and is onto Kayla getting the hot and heavies for him. She approves of this which is nice. Kayla needs some encouragement when it comes to recognizing the softy that her grungy hood actually is.

 

Ooo! Steve got shot! He got shot in the shoulder which is the SEXIEST place to get shot on a soap! The Shoulder Soap Injury results in a lot of blood but no organ damage (we're going to ignore real life shoulder wounds, they're not sexy at all) and very often results in a feverish state for the victim and that means lots of sweating and moaning for The One They Love. (Come on, Todd and Blair in the cabin? Helloooo!) So while Hope is mopping off Steve, he's moaning Kayla's name over and over and telling her not to stop (delirious Steve is hella sexy -- he's got a great whisper-moan) which makes Hope go 'Yes, I will call the nurse so she can tell me what to do! Yay!'

 

Kayla, of course, gets off the phone and flies to Stockholm... like you do.

 

In she comes, Miss Kayla Brady with her halo of golden curls and her fuzzy sweater. How angelic is this creature? Is she too good for this world? Steve is equal parts 'my Sweetness is here to rub all over me and take care of my manly wounds' and 'Baby, it's too dangerous for the likes of you, listen to my streetwise nobility, will ya?'

 

Another reason why soap shoulder wounds are the sexiest? It's shirtless time! With a strategic bandage so you know Shit Went Down.

 

This is all so magical.

 

Steve wakes up and Kayla's not there so he automatically thinks she ditched him. She shows up with a bag of groceries? It's hard to tell because there is neither a baguette or a clump of carrot tops sticking out of the top. It's very confusing. But then she starts taking stuff out of the bag... is that soup? Is that some sort of vinaigrette bottle? What is even happening? Kayla's just unpacking random shit so she has something to look at while Steve manages to tell her he appreciates her flying across the Atlantic to nurse his wounds.

 

And he follows it all up with DANGEROUS! GO HOME! DANGEROUS SOME MORE! and storms off... so of course she follows him to the tattoo parlor where another dead body has been found(this was before which is why Steve got shot and Roman is in Swedish jail.) Hey, is that a light or a hidden camera? Well, Steve is too injured to look so Kayla climbs on up, confirms it's a camera and then falls on Steve.... close quarters time! Steve drops some innuendo as he so often does and then... rut roh! Swedish cops show up and Steve and Kayla hide... one comes into the room they're hiding all 'Stop or I'll Shoot!' What? In Sweden?

 

Is it strange that the most unbelievable part of this whole story is the idea that Swedish cops have guns and are so trigger happy?

 

So where I left off... Steve and Kayla are hiding together in a convenient box large enough to hold the two of them, stuffed with shredded paper and with an easily openable hinged lid. Hey, all in the name of sexual tension and forcing your not-yet-lovebirds to get all wrapped around each other.

 

I tell you, the bad boy who constantly gets beat up or shot and the good girl nurse... these two are hurt/comfort all over the damn place. Well, it's a trope for a reason.

 

More as I watch it...

I love your take on what's happening, but believe me, at the time, the absurdity made perfect sense. In fact, it still makes perfect sense to me whenever I rewatch.

I also love your inclusion of Scooby Doo's "Rut Roh."

Get ready for some more Drake as Roman yelling over "THAT JOHNSON THUG AND HIS BABY SISTER,"

As for the Steve not fighting back, that was more about rehabilitating the character, because as you'll see in later S/L, Steve is quite capable of holding his own. At the time, the lack of fight with Roman was part Roman's a cop, part he's Kayla's brother and Steve is trying to get Kayla to be on his side because he is in love and she is a perfect angel, part as the person who brought The Pawn aka RomaJohn to town, he knows first hand how much Roman loves Marlena and the ole softy in him feels bad. At some point coming up soon, Steve gets tired of being manhandled and puts Roman in a full Nelson to get him to calm down. Steve never fought back against Bo once he got over being angry at him (if you notice, Bo is always angry at Steve, not the other way around, although we would see Bo do things out of anyone's view that let us know that he still had love for his bestie even when publicly proclaiming his hate). Steve always considered Bo his best friend and brother from another mother. So that was part that and part he's Kayla's baby brother and the sibling she was always closet to, so he couldn't fight back without angering Kayla whom he had fallen for, and Hope, one of the few people who genuinely liked him at the time.

[GodsBeloved]

I'm watching the Stephanie Kidnapped story now.

 

DANDESUN, are you watching a playlist? What should I search on to get the list of vids you are watching?

[Happytobehere]

I'm watching the Stephanie Kidnapped story now.

DANDESUN, are you watching a playlist? What should I search on to get the list of vids you are watching?

If you search Steve and Kayla dool, you'll get a series of videos under early days and 1986 and 1987. Several people have posted, but I'm partial, to the videos from BradyClanFan, has the most complete body of videos. I usually click on a link that has multiple videos listed in it so they story just naturally continues till you stop it. Some of the links have close to 200 videos to view.

Edited September 3, 2015 by Happytobehere

[GodsBeloved]

If you search Steve and Kayla dool, you'll get a series of videos under early days and 1986 and 1987. Several people have posted, but I'm partial, to the videos from BradyClanFan, has the most complete body of videos. I usually click on a link that has multiple videos listed in it so they story just naturally continues till you stop it. Some of the links have close to 200 videos to view.

Thank you!!

[Dandesun]

I'm watching the Stephanie Kidnapped story now.

 

DANDESUN, are you watching a playlist? What should I search on to get the list of vids you are watching?

 

The playlist I'm currently watching is The Lady and The Tramp.

[GodsBeloved]

The playlist I'm currently watching is The Lady and The Tramp.

Thank you!!

Edited September 3, 2015 by GodsBeloved

[Happytobehere]

The playlist I'm currently watching is The Lady and The Tramp.

Ah, I remember watching these videos. Steve and Kayla before Steve got trashed , Bo and Hope before Bo got trashed (they were at odds but there is more to this than meets the eye), a portrayal of Roman that was not an abomination, interconnected characters and stories. I might have to do a mini rewatch to hold me over as we see Steve and his Sweetness work their way toward each other again and Hope try to grasp the reality of Bo and whatever his reaction is going to be. Nothing can be done about the casting disaster that is JT as Roman, but two out of three ain't bad.

[Dandesun]

It will only get better between Steve and Kayla..Plus the cast integration was phenomenal...I hope you are there for the long haul...They are a great couple...

 

I am well and truly hooked. Although since I'm watching my niece and nephew this weekend that may curtail some of my viewing pleasure. It's just like when Daredevil hit Netflix and I couldn't watch the first day because my niece was staying with me. They are too young to appreciate it and probably too young to watch any of it anyway even though knowing my youngest nephew he'd probably start calling people 'Baby' and 'Sweetness' just because he picks up on that sort of thing.

 

He's five. So no. It will be cartoons while they're here for sure.

 

I love your take on what's happening, but believe me, at the time, the absurdity made perfect sense. In fact, it still makes perfect sense to me whenever I rewatch.

I also love your inclusion of Scooby Doo's "Rut Roh."

Get ready for some more Drake as Roman yelling over "THAT JOHNSON THUG AND HIS BABY SISTER,"

As for the Steve not fighting back, that was more about rehabilitating the character, because as you'll see in later S/L, Steve is quite capable of holding his own. At the time, the lack of fight with Roman was part Roman's a cop, part he's Kayla's brother and Steve is trying to get Kayla to be on his side because he is in love and she is a perfect angel, part as the person who brought The Pawn aka RomaJohn to town, he knows first hand how much Roman loves Marlena and the ole softy in him feels bad. At some point coming up soon, Steve gets tired of being manhandled and puts Roman in a full Nelson to get him to calm down. Steve never fought back against Bo once he got over being angry at him (if you notice, Bo is always angry at Steve, not the other way around, although we would see Bo do things out of anyone's view that let us know that he still had love for his bestie even when publicly proclaiming his hate). Steve always considered Bo his best friend and brother from another mother. So that was part that and part he's Kayla's baby brother and the sibling she was always closet to, so he couldn't fight back without angering Kayla whom he had fallen for, and Hope, one of the few people who genuinely liked him at the time.

 

I'm no stranger to 80s soap absurdities. Of course, a lot of my commentary comes from love and a certain sarcasm that comes from the post-80s era. I will poke fun at a lot of things in these recaps but I still think they're magnificent. It's done out of pure enchantment with all of it... there is a very big difference for me in making fun of something out of love and making fun out of disgust. No disgust anywhere. Believe me when I say that it's all magical. It totally is.

 

I am looking forward to Drake!Roman disapproving of that Johnson thug and his baby sister.

 

So the Brady kids, in order, are Roman, Kim, Kayla and Bo? Is that correct? (Also of note, Andrew is still missing. This story goes on for a bit, doesn't it?)

 

I had a feeling that Steve was holding back with Roman because of the cop issue more than anything. Right now in the viewing, Steve's anti-establishment streak is wider than the Mississippi and he's been very clear that cops are not his friends and he doesn't trust them so I've taken all that to mean that Steve lets Roman push him around because fighting back only gets him time in the cooler, so to speak.

 

And as for Bo... yeah, the whole besties thing... Bo seems angry at a lot of people right now and most of that ire seems to rest on Steve and Roman. Steve, at the beginning, was definitely pushing his buttons about the Vic Jr stuff but he also came through and rescued Bo from the runaway forklift. He's also come through for Hope a lot in whatever shit Bo's up to regarding Kariakas and such.

 

But if Steve finally gets tired of getting pushed around I look forward to that. I only hope it's half as fun as his constant man-handling Frankie to get him to calm down... as he bellows at him to calm down.

 

Seriously, this stuff is golden.

[Happytobehere]

 

1) I'm no stranger to 80s soap absurdities. Of course, a lot of my commentary comes from love and a certain sarcasm that comes from the post-80s era. I will poke fun at a lot of things in these recaps but I still think they're magnificent. It's done out of pure enchantment with all of it... there is a very big difference for me in making fun of something out of love and making fun out of disgust. No disgust anywhere. Believe me when I say that it's all magical. It totally is.

 

 

2) So the Brady kids, in order, are Roman, Kim, Kayla and Bo? Is that correct?

 

3) Seriously, this stuff is golden.

1) Sorry if it didn't come across. I totally got what you were doing. Perhaps if the emojis I included in my post had appeared, you would have known that I was sharing in the loving jokes with you, because I know when a person I don't care anything for is shot, I drop everything in my life and run to their side. LOL in place of emoji :)

2) Yes, that is the order of the Brady kids, later to be followed by Frankie and Max. Although based on some writing discrepancies (like the dropping of how Bo was a kid when he ran away and joined the Merchant Marines and met the older Steve, people who weren't watching at the time thought that the shared MM past made Bo and Steve pretty much on par age-wise; thereby making Kayla younger, and the way she was treated didn't help that perception (Bo was always so bossy/possessive and protective of Kayla, she would have to remind him at times that she is the older sibling), so viewers mistakeningly believed that Bo is older than Kayla.

3) Golden is exactly what these scenes are. Wait till you get to the actual coupling of Steve and Kayla. Donna Summer's The Woman in Me will always be classic. Followed by the if I could reach through the screen and slap Steve upside his head storyline I would (even now in the rewatches, I usually skip a good portion but that's something we can discuss when you get to it) to their coming back together through Deaf S/L through the unbelievable Marina mess (which I never rewatch till we start getting to the S/K I love again, all the way through Steve's "death which I cried for days over and still cry through when I force myself to rewatch. There is a reason that Steve and Kayla are my favorite Days couple. MBE and SN are magic together. Whatever casting gods gave us these two should be praised to infinity. They were a natural pairing as opposed to the forced stuff we currently see. They are the perfect examples of chemistry driving the pairing versus the writers deciding they want to see a couple together, viewers be damned.

[Apprentice79]

Kayla's devastation when Steve died still brings me to tears....Kayla loved Steve and when he died, she died as well...She had  to go on for Stefanie..

[Dandesun]

There is a reason that Steve and Kayla are my favorite Days couple. MBE and SN are magic together. Whatever casting gods gave us these two should be praised to infinity. They were a natural pairing as opposed to the forced stuff we currently see. They are the perfect examples of chemistry driving the pairing versus the writers deciding they want to see a couple together, viewers be damned.

 

Todd and Blair on OLTL are my couple. They have that same kind of unbelievable chemistry... so natural and real and compelling that you just don't really buy anything else. They don't love anyone else the way they love each other. Unfortunately, with Todd and Blair, they never had the full support of any writing team and somehow were able to be compelling all the same.

 

It's so rare when you get that kind of chemistry it shocks me that show-runners don't do better with it. Apparently they did at one point but once the 90s hit...

 

*sigh*

 

And people wonder why we always go back and watch the old stuff.

[Happytobehere]

Kayla's devastation when Steve died still brings me to tears....Kayla loved Steve and when he died, she died as well...She had to go on for Stefanie..

I remember Steve saying something along those lines to Marcus. He was explaining that he and Kayla were so connected, they could sense when something was wrong with the other even when they were net together and Steve told Marcus that if Kayla died, he'd die.

Todd and Blair on OLTL are my couple. They have that same kind of unbelievable chemistry... so natural and real and compelling that you just don't really buy anything else. They don't love anyone else the way they love each other. Unfortunately, with Todd and Blair, they never had the full support of any writing team and somehow were able to be compelling all the same.

 

It's so rare when you get that kind of chemistry it shocks me that show-runners don't do better with it. Apparently they did at one point but once the 90s hit...

 

*sigh*

 

And people wonder why we always go back and watch the old stuff.

So much yes to this. Steve and Kayla will always be my all-time favorites but Tood and Blair are my number two. The show always did them wrong, even when they got RH back to undo the mess that was Podd. I am still mad that GH only used Kassie to launch Todd with someone else. I loved Todd and Blair and as is the case with some Steve and Kayla story lines, I choose to ignore the things they had my favs do that I know never would have happened. As far as I'm concerned, Todd and Blair's on-screen story stopped when she realized RH's Todd not Podd was the man she loved. They remain in Llanview scheming and driving Dorian and everybody else crazy.

Edited September 3, 2015 by Happytobehere

[Dandesun]

So much yes to this. Steve and Kayla will always be my all-time favorites but Tood and Blair are my number two. The show always did them wrong, even when they got RH back to undo the mess that was Podd. I am still mad that GH only used Kassie to launch Todd with someone else. I loved Todd and Blair and as is the case with some Steve and Kayla story lines, I choose to ignore the things they had my favs do that I know never would have happened. As far as I'm concerned, Todd and Blair's on-screen story stopped when she realized RH's Todd not Podd was the man she loved. They remain in Llanview scheming and driving Dorian and everybody else crazy.

 

Todd and Blair got screwed so often... well, I write fan-fic and fan-fic is wish fulfillment in a lot of ways. So, yeah...

[Rick Kitchen]

NBC just posted this video throwback to Caroline and Shawn and Tom and Alice's love stories:

 

http://www.nbc.com/days-of-our-lives/video/the-hortons-and-the-bradys/2898153

[buffynut]

Not viewable in my region. :(

[Rick Kitchen]

Try this, buffynut:

 

[Peanut6711]

It's so rare when you get that kind of chemistry it shocks me that show-runners don't do better with it. Apparently they did at one point but once the 90s hit...

 

This is so true about Steve and Kayla. I bailed around the beginning of the '90's and never even watched Steve's death because I wanted to remember their good stuff--the scenes you are watching now.  The Stockholm Storyline was one of the best the way it highlighted Steve and Kayla's romance and brought together so many key characters for that mystery. You should soon be getting scenes with Orpheus--oh what a hottie villain. Can't wait to read you're retelling of that. 

[boes]

Oh man, I AM tired, folks, I posted this in the wrong thread.  I'll move it to Current Plot discussion.  Sorry!

Edited September 4, 2015 by boes

[buffynut]

Try this, buffynut:

 

Thanks Rick Kitchen!  I'd forgotten all about Norm De Plume!  Great seeing Calliope too.

[Dandesun]

From Stockholm to Stockholm again...

 

I left off with Steve and Kayla in a box. An uneventful night passes and they climb out and go back to the hotel where Roman is freaking out about what Steve is possibly doing to Kayla. Don't worry Roman, at this rate, it will be another two years before they even have sex. So far, all that Riverside Steve has managed is a neck rub and some close quarters... okay maybe a little handcuff bondage but he didn't come up with that one so give him a break.

 

Roman, Hope, Steve and Kayla hunker down in a closet with a book and lots of chemicals to develop the photos from the hidden camera. I love how extremely non-modern this is. Develop photos? What? Do people still do that? Is it a lost art? (Personal info: I took a photography class in high school so I totally did all of that. Couldn't remember any of it now if I tried. Alas. A lost art indeed.) What do the photos reveal?

 

Orpheus.

 

Oooh! See, I thought Orpheus was a group and that Victor was involved rather than an actual guy. (Fun fact: Dande's familiarity with Orpheus comes from mythology, opera and role playing games where the Orpheus Group was a bunch of people who had gone through near death experiences and were therefore able project their spirits into the spirit realm. White Wolf, yo. Old time World of Darkness was the shit. But I digress.)

 

So, right, picture of Orpheus and everyone goes back to Salem upon which Steve immediately gets jumped and stumbles into the EC with his face looking like someone drew a tic-tac-toe board on it. Kayla nurses him. This is becoming rote. Steve's face carving earns him a thin butterfly strip and then he goes home to find Max looking in the mirror wearing an eye-patch. Steve flips out not wanting Max to want to be anything like him.

 

Aw. Steve doesn't love himself. Tale as old as time.

 

Kayla comes in and gets upset that Steve's yelling at Max though why she's surprised by this is anyone's guess. Steve yells at everybody for any reason. That might be why his voice is so deep and delightful... it's a wee bit raw from all the YELLING! Anyway, Steve's Riverfront wisdom results in Max talking. 'Stop! Don't go!' Followed up with an 'I love you, Steve.' Yep. Troubled kids dig Steve. That means he's a total diamond in the rough. I was not born yesterday, Show.

 

Kayla totally gets starry-eyed over all of this and asks Steve to dinner. My my, how progressive! Nice switch up there from Steve hitting on her from day one and Kayla being the one to make a serious invite. Steve's gob-smacked and agrees.  His deer in headlights look is endearing.

 

Date night arrives (or does it? I trust nothing and no one.) Kayla goes to get flowers and so does Steve and she gets all gooshy when she hears him say she's special and buys her a whole bouquet of yellow roses. Kayla fusses over her boiling pots and goes to iron her yellow shirt dress (I totally had a pink one of those) and then decides to put on a little black sparkly dress. Ooo gurl! You on the prowl big time! Steve meanwhile is dressing...

 

Oh... Odin's Ravens... it's a bolo tie. *sigh* And a leather blazer. *again sigh* Yep. Steve is most definitely of the street. (Fun fact: Dande lives in a section of California that is both wine and cattle country. When it comes to dressing up the winemakers all wear Hawaiian shirts and the ranchers all wear bolo ties and cowboy hats.) This is killing me. What's more, I get the feeling that this will never change. Steve's idea of 'respectable dress wear' will always include a bolo tie. Deep hurting. He's so lucky he's charming.

 

Of course, Steve is also struggling with the 'I'm not good enough' syndrome that plagues all bad boys when it comes to their angelic love interests. He's very somber and hesitant. This does not bode well. (Again, I trust nothing and no one.)

 

The power goes out on this rainy Salem night and Kayla lights... a lantern? Why's there a fucking lantern there?! Should I have a lantern on hand just in case? Is this merely good emergency planning or something else? Why is she lighting it and going clear across the loft to the windows where she's not actually doing anything like cooking or futzing with the table settings?

 

Never mind, it's fantasy time. SOFT FOCUS! Kayla fantasizes about Steve wearing his ridiculous bolo tie, leather jacket combo which I question but whatever... she's now fantasizing about him kissing her neck so it's all good. Fantasy make out time! Get you some, Fantasy!Kayla! I have to give credit where it's due... Fantasy!Kayla gets way more action than Actual!Kayla. Catch up, girl! Get that bolo tie off as fast as you possible can!

 

The door knocks and... it's Bo.

 

*snarl*

 

Everyone looks disappointed in this. Bo keeps looking at the window... the camera focused on said lantern... that's a signal, isn't it.

 

Bo gives Kayla a lecture about Steve. Kayla tells him to stuff it. He leaves and runs into Steve and becomes Guy #2 to tell Steve that the best thing to do for Kayla is to run far and fast and leave her alone. First Chris-Later-to-be-Roman (I will never be okay with this) and now Bo.

 

Steve's already freaked out enough by his own 'you're not good enough' demons. He buys into this, drops the flowers on the doorstep and goes to a... honky tonk?

 

A lady of the night who might very well daylight as a used car salesman gives him the fast talking deal of the day. She rattles off her lines so fast it's like she's being paid for how quickly she gets them out. Steve's already feeling shitty enough, he agrees. Kayla finds the roses on her doorstep and goes running off into the rain to find her beloved hood.

 

Yeah, kissing the prostitute. Kayla clomps up behind them in her heels then clomps away and Steve and prostitute don't notice. Does that mean that Steve clomping around in his boots all the time is actually stealthy as a ninja? That explains a lot. A mystery has been solved.

 

Steve puts a stop to things and shoves some money in her hands when she gets all indignant about him backing out. Hey, prostitute, you're on thin ice as it is. Don't push it. Oh, now she's fainting. If Steve carries her ass into the EC for Kayla to take care of I give Kayla permission to rip his dick off. He's not using it anyway.

 

Okay, that doesn't happen. Good. But he does mention Kayla being a 'nice nurse' and then wanders into his crummy apartment to brood. He's probably feeling so shitty about himself and the entire night in general that there is nothing to do but fitfully sleep. It sucks to be Steve.

 

It continues to suck when he goes to the EC to apologize and Kayla gives him the coldest of shoulders. Well, he earned it. I am all for Kayla being an ice queen... but then he gets in a snit (dude, you stood her up and then made out with a hooker, have a thousand seats) and storms off and said hooker arrives and quickly complains about the guy that wouldn't shut up about his girl the night before until he gave her money for nothing and sent her on her way. Kayla's sky is blue again! She goes running after Steve to apologize for not letting him explain his cowardice of the night before. He's not particularly amenable to this but when she gets fed up with his shit he won't let her leave because it's all rainy out.

 

She's all wet (Salem is particularly rainy these days) and Steve's in a white undershirt and there is sex flying through the air between them like lightning bolts. He's still in a snit, she gives it right back to him... I miss these kinds of good girls, the ones who were most definitely GOOD but who didn't take any shit and stood up for themselves and their feelings. She's telling him he's worth something, he disagrees. He tells her he's doing her a huge favor by getting out of her life, she tells him he should let HER decide that. He tells her to take a good look at him because he's no knight in shining armor. Kayla screams at him that it's not how he looks, it's how he is (this is so good... the tension is palpable... you can smell it through the screen). He scoffs at this, she tells him he's scared of feeling things and says that he loves Maxwell. Steve says Maxwell is just a kid and Kayla gives it to him again with a 'so a little kid can't hurt you?'

 

Oo! It's heating up! He's all with his Riverfront nobility again and how he's no good and she doesn't know what she's doing and she RIPS into him with a 'I have a mind of my own and a heart of my own and I will GIVE my heart to whoever I want!'

 

I may very well be typing from the grave soon. This is killing me softly, people.

 

Steve is all gob-smacked again. He's just staring at her and Kayla adorably turns her back to him realizing she just said a mighty mouthful and can't very well take it back. He reaches up and puts a hand on her shoulder (*squee*) and says "Kayla, if you're trying to say something, baby, please just say it."

 

I'm dead. And pregnant.

 

There is thunder in the background and it is NOTHING compared to the electricity between these two.

 

She says "Don't you know what I'm trying to say?"

 

He SWEEPS her into his arms and ---

 

OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE BO!!!!

 

I am back from the dead and seeking vengeance now. Bo Brady is TOAST!

 

Steve and Kayla are not best pleased as Bo is on some sort of kick and he doesn't spit out what he's worried about for FOREVER. Hope and Frankie are somewhere a tornado hit and... okay, I guess that's legit. I'm still not happy about this. Steve is going to have blue balls for days.

 

On the upside, Kayla overhears Bo and Steve arguing about Bo running him off the night before. Steve is all kinds of smug saying 'Hey, I tried but she's got a mind of her own.' It's obvious as hell that he quite digs Kayla being so independent in her way. So everyone's okay and Kayla goes to help at the hospital so Steve can gaze wonderingly at her for awhile.

 

And the Orpheus stuff starts up again. Steve disappears and Roman finally finds him on the docks and wants him to team up to trap Orpheus. Steve is not even remotely interested in this. Roman is consistently wigging out and I cannot blame Steve one bit for not having a lot of faith in this guy. "Gee, you seem totally prepared for a well-timed sting operation." Drake!Roman breathes so loud elves could shoot him in the dark.

 

Does Orpheus have elves on his side? This might be trouble.

 

The sting is a COMPLETE FAILURE. Roman wigs out again and Steve finally puts him in a full shoulder lock to get him to calm the fuck down. Roman weeps a bit before Steve lets him go. Okay, so Orpheus has Marlena and that's why Drake!Roman's freaking. I get that. Still, take a breath, dude. Focus. Zen. Calm.

 

Orpheus grabs Kayla instead. She went to Steve's to apologize to him again for trying to get him to work with Roman. If I were her, this would cure me of apologizing to anyone ever again... especially over something as mundane as this. Oh well... we get separation anxiety romantic angst and Steve frets over Orpheus having Kayla.

 

The Big O describes Kayla as 'looking delicious.' Take it easy there, Hannibal. (Fun fact: In the 80s a reference to Hannibal either meant the Carthaginian general who took elephants over the Alps or George Peppard's character from The A-Team.) Orpheus is creepy but he's apparently a gentleman so he just locks Kayla up on his boat and wanders off. Steve has no interest in Roman's plans. To be fair, Roman's plans have, thus far, been a bust. So they both decide to do there own thing. Roman puts on a patch and goes to meet Orpheus' henchman. Steve goes for a swim.

 

Roman gets shot. Steve gets Kayla. Steve 1; Roman 0. Roman floats around in the water while Steve breaks into the safe Kayla pointed out and grabs some useful intel. Steve 2; Roman 0. Kayla decides to have a meltdown and doesn't want to leave the boat as long as she doesn't know where Roman is. Kayla, you've built up a lot of goodwill with me. Don't fuck it up now. Steve wrestles her into the water and then has to contend with her sodden shoulderpads and her complete inability to be a good rescue. Come on, Kayla. Buck up. Show us your spunk.

 

Shane saves Roman and they all go back to Shane's place to recoup. Steve and Kayla get snazzy robes. Some English chick with enormous hair is working with Shane. I suspect she is Orpheus' inside informant because I don't know who she is and Steve's right about Orpheus being one step ahead of everyone. Steve withholds information and gets Kayla to go along with it. This really tweaks Kayla's goodness but I have to agree with Steve on this one. The closer to the vest the better... but he finally spills and Roman starts remembering things.

 

So Roman doesn't even know why Orpheus is after him? I'm going to take a wild stab here...  his name is Orpheus and Marlena is Roman's wife. The most famous story about Orpheus is how his beloved wife died and how he sang the saddest emo songs ever so that everything in the world mourned with him so Zeus was all 'this has to stop, I can't sneak into anyone's bed with everyone weeping all the time!' and got Hades to agree to let her go. Hades was all 'sure, but don't look at her until you get out from the underworld.' And Orpheus couldn't follow one simple request and lost her all over again. (Then he got torn to shreds by a bunch of crazed drunk chicks and his lyre and head continued to sing mournful songs... I'm guessing that part doesn't enter into it.) Anyway, Orpheus... Roman's wife... revenge.

 

Roman obviously had something to do with something bad going down with Orpheus' wife. But he can't remember. How these Stockholm bonds fit in I have no idea.

 

Roman and Steve jet off to Stockholm again and Hope finds out that Orpheus is in Stockholm (I blame big-haired English lady working with Shane) and so she and Kayla get on the same flight.

 

Steve is not best pleased. Oh, here comes the 'Danger, baby. DANGER!' talk again.

 

So now everyone's back in Stockholm.

 

Oh, and in the midst of this, Steve is being followed by a bracelet wearing wrist holding a picture that says 'Stevie Aged 5' So that's a thing that's happening too.

 

This is exhausting. How did people deal with this amount of unresolved sexual tension back in the day?!

Edited September 4, 2015 by Dandesun

[annabel]

Dande, I am having such fun reading your summaries of the old days, please keep it up!! Do you know what year you are in at the moment?

[NumberCruncher]

Yes!  Keep going, Dandesun.  Reading your reaction to S&K's arc as a first-time viewer is a delight.  Even re-watching them now, I'm amazed at how well-executed those classic 80s storylines were.  You would never see anything like them nowadays in the age of instant gratification, unfortunately.

[Dandesun]

Dande, I am having such fun reading your summaries of the old days, please keep it up!! Do you know what year you are in at the moment?

 

I believe it is 1986 that I'm watching. I was a freshman in high school when this was going down (which is why I can say with all certainty that I was not wearing Dalmatian sweaters at that time.)

[Rick Kitchen]

Glamour Magazine did a walk down Days's memory lane:

 

http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/blogs/obsessed/2015/09/days-of-our-lives-anniversary

[Peanut6711]

Amazing recap, Dandesun. Yes the sexual tension and mystery back then was off the charts. You sure don’t get htat today.

 

An uneventful night passes and they climb out and go back to the hotel where Roman is freaking out about what Steve is possibly doing to Kayla. Don't worry Roman, at this rate, it will be another two years before they even have sex.

You’re not totally off the mark with that estimated time of arrival for intercourse. It sure seemed like it.

 

OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE BO!!!!

LOL  I felt the same way when I watched that nearly 30 years ago!   Bo is so lucky that Steve is the only  person in Salem these days that gives a rat’s ass about his whereabouts seeing as all the cold showers he probably drove Steve to take back then.  Maybe that cold swim wasn't such torture for Steve that night afterall.

 

Some English chick with enormous hair is working with Shane. I suspect she is Orpheus' inside informant because I don't know who she is and Steve's right about Orpheus being one step ahead of everyone.

That’s Shane’s ISA partner Gillian Forester, and there’s a lot more to come with her. Stay tuned.

[Dandesun]

Items of note from the last recap:

 

Bo arriving at the loft with champagne while Kayla was expecting Steve was actually pretty funny. He realized Hope wasn't there and then was all 'Happy Birthday!' to Kayla, trying to give her the bottle of champagne. Kayla's all 'It's not my birthday' and Bo's all 'Are you sure?' Nice cover, Bo, until you had to ruin it with your Steve sucks speeches to both Kayla and Steve.

 

The stuff with Roman getting shot in the dinghy on the way to Orpheus' yacht while Steve is swimming his way there is really good stuff. Shane and Big Hair are on the docks when they hear the shot so they react to it, Steve's trying to get Kayla to get off the boat before Orpheus catches them (he does not succeed) -- it's all very tense and engaging. Lots of stuff going on.

 

Steve's wardrobe has now shifted to actual sweaters over actual long sleeved collared shirts. He has clearly been moved into 'Respectable Enough to Woo Kayla' territory. I miss his inability to button shirts already. And his sleeve allergy. And his tendency to just throw a jacket or a vest on over nothing at all. On the upside, he still has a tendency to strip down at home and also is more than happy to shirtlessly invade Kayla's personal space while she's having nightmares at Shane's.

 

To be fair, it's autumn in Salem and they remark about the cold on a regular basis so Steve deigning to button up and wear sleeves makes some sense.

 

Also while they were at Shane's, Kayla came wandering out to play with Steve's hair and gaze at him as he slept. Normally, this is creepy behavior but this is something they've been taking turns doing to each other since very early on so I'm okay with it.

Edited September 4, 2015 by Dandesun

[Happytobehere]

Dandesun your stroll down new lane for you and memory lane for most of us is phenomenal. I love every word.

1. The clomping thing always killed me. Steve paced back and forth whenever he was anxious or nervous and there were times he was supposed to be keeping a low profile, or outright hiding and he'd be clomping around and the people in the next room acted as if they couldn't hear him. I'd always be like, " I live in freakin' New York and I could turn the volume off and still hear him.

2. Keep Kayla's "it's not the way you look, it's who you are" in your memory bank. ,it will come into play later.

3. I never wanted to reach through the screen and punch Bo in the face more than I did during those moments.

4. Orpheus is so very attractive. There were times when I was like, "Murderer, kidnapper of our beloved Marlena, but look at the pretty he brings to the screen."

Glamour Magazine did a walk down Days's memory lane:

 

http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/blogs/obsessed/2015/09/days-of-our-lives-anniversary

Thanks for posting this. I love it.

[Peanut6711]

The plane ride to Stockholm: This was always a great scene--the actors and their banter is hilarious. You just don't get that these days. But it also makes Steve & Kaya's current divorce so silly seeing as how they got along with each other when they were in love.  Gotta love how Steve yanks her out of her seat, shakes her, sets her back down, and mocks her. Add in their whole, "Don't tell me what to do/I'm gonna tell you what to do" argument. Aside from Sami & EJ, no other couple in recent times have had this this mix of passion and animosity. I hope MBE & SN can capture it again on this go round. 

https://youtu.be/Uas806ffNkk

 

On a technology note, Kayla and Hope's trip would make no sense today in the world of cell phones although I was still wondering why Hope couldn't have delivered the Orpheus news over the phone by calling their hotel. LOL

 

4. Orpheus is so very attractive. There were times when I was like, "Murderer, kidnapper of our beloved Marlena, but look at the pretty he brings to the screen."

He was! He was the most suave, articulate criminal I've ever seen. Wouldn't it be great if he came back and kidnapped the great Doc today. 

[tribeca]

Watching the video of Tom/Alice its amazing how much Jennifer reminds me of Alice.

[Dandesun]

Okay, we're still in Stockholm.

 

Kayla finds Steve at a cafe. Bracelet has already tracked him there and is apparently about to confront him when Kayla walks in and Bracelet has a seat... or disappears or whatever it is Bracelet does. Kayla sits down opposite Steve and asks where he was the night before.

 

Presumptuous much, Kayla? I mean, I get that they're falling for each other and all of that but this relationship is still so dubious at this stage that it just seems a little... demanding.

 

Kayla paints a rather gruesome picture of where her mind went regarding Steve's mysterious whereabouts before he relents a bit and confides in her that he found out that Victor is in town to meet Orpheus. (Aha! I knew Victor had to be neck deep in all of this somehow!) Kayla immediately suggests that they tell Roman of this development.

 

Steve isn't even remotely interested in doing so and goes into very specific detail about how each time Steve has done what Kayla wanted -- or had Kayla point the finger at him for being a bad guy -- things have not gone very well for him particularly with Roman.

 

I have to admit, he makes some very valid points here.

 

So off he goes into the Stockholm fog... and there's Kayla following him with her phrasebook and she's so completely clueless in this situation that it's endearing despite the fact that she almost gets stabbed by some sort of Swedish dock mole.

 

Steve, of course, rescues her and is less than impressed with her bumbling. He tells her to go back to the hotel.

 

"Stop telling me what to do!"
"I'll stop telling you what to do when  you stop doing the wrong thing!"

 

I hope they have this exact same conversation in bed.

 

He shoos her off and she hides behind a corner because obviously they have to get into some sort of life threatening peril together. It seems ripe for another almost kiss or an almost declaration of love.

 

Steve clomps stealthily through the Swedish fog and interrupts BO waiting to meet with Orpheus. Orpheus had been following Steve around (apparently he's the only one that can hear Steve clomping like a ninja) but he slips away when Steve jumps Bo like the supervillain he is. Meanwhile, Steve and Bo are engaged in fisticuffs each wondering what the other is doing there in the first place.

 

Bo gets out a hurtful "You're the same as you always were! You just need an excuse to be the same as you always were!" right before they crash into a pile of boxes.

 

Kayla surprises me by not rushing out to stop this melee but, in fact, walks into the hotel room she presumably shares with Hope. Of course, it's mere seconds before Steve -- a mass of bruises -- stumbles in. It makes me wonder just where the hell she was. Steve informs them all that Bo is in Stockholm and Kayla starts nursing him because that's what she does.

 

They start arguing about Bo. Steve suggests that Bo knows where Marlena is and Kayla gets PISSED. She refuses to even entertain the thought that Bo would throw over his family for Victor -- father or no -- and Steve shouts back that he knows what it's like to lose a brother so he gets her disinclination to think the worst of Bo and they come to a sort of detente. She still says he should tell Roman about all of this and he tells her to leave it alone.

 

The next thing we see is Roman bursting into Steve's room to rough him up for holding out on him.

 

Oh Kayla... Kayla, Kayla, Kayla...

 

Steve snarls at her that this isn't her fault... it's his for trusting her.

 

Ouch.

 

He, again, tells Roman that he's not interested in teaming up (Really, really can't blame him. He's not been remotely wrong about all of their team-ups thus far going badly.) He tosses off another shot at Kayla "I was fool enough to think I could trust anybody." and off he goes.

 

Kayla starts in on Roman for being a douche-nozzle and reminds him that Steve's life is on the line, too. She gives him some shit about knocking it off with the crazy before they get killed.

 

She then finds Steve on the streets of Stockholm and they engage in a very loud argument that passing Swedes pay no attention to at all. "Ignore the shouty Americans. Just ignore them."

 

Steve's Spidey-sense goes into overdrive and he grabs Kayla and rushes them both into an alcove to tell her they're being followed.

 

Seems he finally caught onto Bracelet tailing him.

 

He pulls Kayla with him to 'casually' traipse all over Stockholm, I guess to lose the tail or something, but then he discovers that he's wandered to a place he didn't want to be and is trying to hurry Kayla out of there but someone comes out and recognizes him.

 

It's a very Swedish lady who is delighted to see Steve. She also knows Bo so she recognizes Kayla's last name. Steve is super charming to her and finally says her name. Helga.

 

I suppose Olga, or Ingrid, or Sigyn were too obvious.

 

Helga tells stories of Steve from the old days, cooking, singing, selling his harmonica to pay for his stay. Steve's awkward and embarrassed through all of this. Then Helga brings up Britta and things get super awkward before switching over to a soft focus flashback that Bo is having of him, Steve and Britta being drunk and singing 'Blinded By the Light.'

 

Britta's still boring as all get out.

 

Bo's hair is short in the flashback but he's got his long, luscious waves in the here and now.

 

I'm so confused.

 

Back at Helga's Kayla is trying to engage Steve and he's having none of it. That man Helga spoke of, he says, is long gone and what he is now is what the flashback Steve turned into. He's working overtime to push her away but she's not buying it and leaves.

 

He follows her out, of course, onto the dangerous Swedish streets (really?) and walks her back to the hotel while an epic 80s love ballad plays in the background.

Gee, what on earth are they leading to? The production is so subtle I'm afraid I just don't follow! I'm onto you, Show. These two are Meant To Be but thanks for the clarification.

 

The next am, Steve is sacked out in his hotel room when he hears someone mucking about with his door.

 

It's Bracelet! But she skedaddles when Kayla comes around the corner to notice that Steve's door is slightly ajar so she hesitantly pushes it open. Steve grabs her and makes some innuendo about always wanting to wake up with her in his arms (oh, Steve... like you'd stay that long) but Kayla insists that when she came along the door was open.

 

Steve's weirded about by this and then says that since he saved her life now she's saved his and that makes them even.

Roman comes bursting in as subtlety is not his forte. He says he remembers where he buried the bonds so he and Steve go play dress up as road workers to get underground.

 

Kayla wants to know where Hope was the night before (Hope came in as Roman and Steve were heading out) but I'm far more interested in where Hope got that amazing blouse. It's ruby red with jeweled accents and it is tremendous.

 

Kayla and Hope catch each other up on various goings on regarding Roman's crap and run off to play interference because they're certain Orpheus is onto them.

 

And they're not wrong! Orpheus and his Rick Springfield hair and magnificent pullover calls the Swedish authorities on Roman and Steve to interrupt their dig. Hope and Kayla stage a distraction for said Swedish cop and Roman and Steve continue their excavation and down into the sewers they go.

 

Stockholm's sewers have nothing on Paris. Just saying.

 

Oops! There's Orpheus... down he goes, too.

 

Excellent 80's music is telling us this is a tense situation.

 

Kayla and Hope return just as... rut roh... it's Victor and Bo! Hope sends Kayla into the sewers and she goes to distract Victor and Bo. I love how all of these characters are involved with this stuff. It's such a tangled web!!

 

Orpheus lurks while Kayla wanders through the sewers like a noob.

 

Steve's all "What the fuck, Kayla?!" when she finds him but she explains the sitch up top and agrees they need to find Roman. Off they go...

 

...only Orpheus is right behind them but instead of shooting them he decides to have a little fun like any supervillain worth his salt.

 

He locks them in a room and starts filling it with water.

 

So exciting! It's like Han, Leia and Luke in the trash compactor! Not sure what plumbing or sanitary purpose this room provides for the people of Stockholm but... whatever... it's all very thrilling!

 

Steve and Kayla are rightfully freaking the fuck out. Kayla's sure they're going to die as Steve promises to take care of her because he always has before. Aww...

Things look dire indeed for our not-yet-lovebirds... Given how they're both still on the show, I'm guessing they pull through.

 

Until next time!

[Maelstrom]

Steve clomps stealthily through the Swedish fog

 

This made my day! I read an interview a few years back with Stephen and Mary Beth where they talked about how he came up with Steve's trademark clompy walk, but I can't find it again for the life of me. Loving your recaps, Dandesun!

[Peanut6711]

Your recaps certainly take me down memory lane and make me quite nostalgic. Plus I died laughing at the future "pillow talk" part.  

 

I hope you're not too disappointed about the "Bracelet" reveal when you finally get to it, I know I was. Not to mention the continuity errors I always felt it raised. 

[Dandesun]

The water is still rushing in and it’s looking grim for our lovers-in-waiting. Kayla is not handling this well at all. She seems to deal just fine when someone else is hurt but when she’s in danger not so much. Or maybe it’s the water… so far, I’ve seen her kind of lose it twice and both times water has been involved.

 

When Orpheus kidnapped her and Steve saved her she had a meltdown on a boat so that was before she hit the water… maybe it’s a proximity thing. I don’t know. All I’m saying is that Kayla reacts poorly to dangerous situations involving water.

 

Steve is stroking her face and bellowing with great emotion about how he never, ever wanted anything to happen to her. He has to yell, the rushing water is quite loud, but it’s still kind of funny that this emotional moment has to involve him screaming at the top of this lungs. Then he starts in with the Confession Before Death… he says that there’s something he has to say to her…

 

And then the water stopped.

 

Bracelet came along to save the day! Go Bracelet!

 

Steve seems thrilled to be alive but Kayla acts like she just witnessed an atrocity or something. She’s shell-shocked and Steve has to cajole her and physically help her walk through town to Helga’s place… apparently that’s closer to their location than the hotel. They walk through the streets of Stockholm and come to Helga’s. She is quite startled at them showing up in her house dripping and when she starts fussing over getting wet in November I can see her point.

 

Although I daresay the streets of Stockholm would be much darker in November when Steve and Kayla were trudging about.

 

So Steve wraps a blanket around Kayla encouraging her to change but she doesn’t move and gives him the biggest puppy dog eyes I’ve seen in a long, long time. It would take a man with precious little heart indeed to resist that imploring look. Steve’s tone switches to a mix of affection/worry/joking as he holds the blanket around her so she can disrobe. He makes a jibe about how he can only see half of her but sombers a bit under the weight of her big, sad eyes and promises that he’s not looking.

 

Helga comes out with more blankets and a change of clothes for Steve and then helps Kayla some more. Steve doesn’t take long but he returns looking like the hottest guy in the ski lodge… or the nefarious ski instructor who is the spoiler for the goody good couple on their winter break. It’s that kind of look.

 

Anyway, he goes off to check on Hope and Roman and tells Helga to look after Kayla. Helga, meanwhile, monologues for a bit about Steve’s awesomeness and how it’s totes obvious he really really digs Kayla.

 

Yeah, that was evident 140 videos ago. Have I mentioned we’re on vid 148 and still no real kiss yet? Good Lord, these writers had the patience of Job when it came to crafting a pairing.

 

Roman gets all accusatory when Steve finds them which Steve does not appreciate seeing as how he just almost died. Roman apparently got hit on the head. Hope wants to know where Kayla is (I love these two ladies and their friendship) and Steve assures her that she’s fine and really wants to know if Roman found the bonds.

 

So there’s a tangled little web. Roman found them but got knocked out by Orpheus and Roman is pretty certain that Orpheus has the bonds. I’d say that’s a pretty good bet. Hope heard Orpheus tell Victor that Roman had the bonds and the three of them stand there and go over this a for a few minutes as they puzzle over what Orpheus could possibly be up to. Roman and Steve snipe at each other while Hope looks more and more exasperated with the both of them but they go their separate ways.

 

In the meantime, Kayla has apparently warmed up and found the most glorious peasant dress ever. It’s this white flowy thing with billowy sleeves and she looks around self-consciously for a moment before pulling the shoulders down…

 

This girl is on the prowl and she’s got very specific prey in mind.

 

Also, she looks like she just jumped off the cover of a romance novel. White frills and billowing sleeves, creamy bared shoulders, golden curls in a loose chignon. She could not have served herself up as a more tasty dish if she tried.

 

Steve about trips over his tongue when he comes in and sees her. I mean, he just stares at the bared neck and shoulder for a good minute before wiping the drool off his chin and clearing his throat.

 

Kayla asks for an update on the sewer expedition and Steve is obviously having trouble remembering his own name much less the muddled details of angry, head-trauma’ed Roman so he doesn’t even try to explain.

 

It’s also fairly obvious that he’s not particularly used to this caliber of lady giving him the green light so blatantly so he covers it up by being rather flippant. Kayla has clearly put herself on a platter for him and isn’t crazy about him making jokes and then starts to pry about whatever confession he was going to make when they were moments away from drowning.

 

Steve refuses to play along and says he forgot. Kayla doesn’t buy it. There’s lots of romantic plinky music in the background but it all leads to naught as he takes her back to the hotel.

 

The next day, he’s wandering through the streets of Stockholm wailing on his harp. I’m getting the feeling this is his own version of sexual release and I suspect he’s been wandering out there blowing away all night long. He shows up outside of Helga’s and has a fantasy of Kayla the night before in her romance novel dress.

 

To be fair, Steve is now playing the part of Romance Novel Guy. He’s got this blue shirt… kind of a poet style shirt but without the ruffled cuffs. Still, he’s got the hair, the chest, the tight pants… the romantic plinky music is joined by romantic strings as he tells her how beautiful she looks and then they start with the Fantasy Makin’ Out! The camera shifts to the burning candle flames so you know Fantasy!Steve and Kayla were headed towards some Fantasy!Sex.

 

Actual!Kayla walks up behind Steve in this vibrant blue blouse. It is a gorgeous color on her. She’s wondering what Steve’s daydreaming about but he doesn’t cop to anything and they go inside. Apparently, Kayla’s been hanging out with Helga getting all sorts of Steve Of the Past stories. Steve isn’t thrilled by any of this and Kayla looks a bit embarrassed to have been caught but that’s okay… it’s time for Roman to barge in and start making demands.

 

Kayla is meant to draw Bo out so Roman can talk to him.

 

She hates this. She hates this so much. Roman doesn’t care what morals anyone has to compromise if it gets him Marlena back but Kayla refuses to believe that Bo has anything to do with Marlena’s disappearance. She really digs her heels in and Steve backs her up although I suspect that’s as much about getting Roman’s goat as it is defending Kayla’s morality.

 

She gives in but she really really resents all of it.

 

It works. Bo comes to meet her. They talk briefly before Roman shows up to talk and Bo takes a swipe at Kayla for ‘playing her part’ and all that.

 

(Meanwhile, Hope is pregnant and Steve just figured it out. He’s also wondering how it’s going to work given how on the outs Hope and Bo are. Clearly they aren’t but they’re good at hiding that. Steve offers to step up for her if necessary. It’s all very cute.)

 

Kayla continues to feel shitty about her duplicitous role in the Roman/Bo meeting so Steve makes her an omelette to make her feel better. She’s duly impressed and you can tell she has visions of many breakfasts in beds to come once she finally lands this stubborn hood she’s fallen in love with but when she asks him where he learned it he clams up again.

 

The look on Kayla’s face practically screams ‘this guy better be a fucking titan in the sack for all the stubborn shit he’s pulling with me!’ He refuses to take a compliment gracefully and she’s getting tired of his bull but she does make a toast ‘to us’ and he does an awkward reach across the table to stroke her face… plinky romance music! We’re having a Moment!

 

And he promptly shits on it! He refuses to acknowledge that there can be anything real between them as they’re so so so different. Steve is very man-handle-y with Kayla… stuff that would not fly today, no question. He grabs and shakes her a lot and forcibly moves her around to look in the mirror at the both of them, holding onto her neck and face so she has to look.

 

These scenes are all unresolved sexual tension. Kayla is not giving up and challenges him, he gives it right back to her. He dares her to tell him how she feels but she doesn’t rise to the bait. He insists that she refuses to see who he is and she comes back describing him to a tee…

 

Oh, for fuck’s sake Bo…

 

Kayla is not having any of this from either of them and the library is officially opened. She reads them both for filth telling Bo he only sees her as a ten year old girl and then tells Steve he sees her as a china doll that will break if he touches her. She’s got news for them! She’s a grown woman and she is not fragile. She gives Steve this look that says ‘When you finally give in, we will fuck for a week straight, don’t even question that!’ and off she goes into the night. Or day. Or whatever time it is.

 

It’s Sweden in November. Let’s just trust it’s going to be dark out.

 

Bo wants to know what Steve said to make her so mad. Steve tells him to mind his own business.

 

Then we get a montage! Woo! It’s a Preparation Montage as everyone gathers to prepare to rescue Marlena! It’s amazing. Hope and a gun! Roman and a box of bullets! A legal pad and some Sharpies! Steve draws a map so they all know what they’re doing and where and when! Everyone goes to leave except for Kayla (she didn’t have a gun, ammo or Sharpies so what use is she?) and she and Steve give each other the Long Meaningful Stare before he leaves and she turns away with a look that’s all ‘He Will Be Mine!’

 

Kayla hangs out in the hotel room when there’s a knock at the door. It’s Shane! He looks somewhat frazzled. What’s the problem, Mr. Sheffield? He needs to see Roman right away but Kayla says they’re off to make the switch for Marlena. Kayla offers to take him to the pier since he doesn’t know where it is and he tells her that the ISA has Marlena.

 

“Since when?”
“Since the very beginning!”

 

WHAT? Shit just got CRAZY!!

 

More as it comes...

[Happytobehere]

I hope you're not too disappointed about the "Bracelet" reveal when you finally get to it, I know I was. Not to mention the continuity errors I always felt it raised.

This was always a classic case of putting the cart before the horse. The piece of the story was put in place before the overarching story was fully thought out, because you're right, it doesn't match what we know to happen later. But in a way, it reflects someone putting the breaks on the story path before it got too far and saying does this really make sense, will it work, or will a change give us something better? As we know, future stories would not have played out the way they did if bracelet lady had been left as introduced.

Edited September 9, 2015 by Happytobehere

[Peanut6711]

This was always a classic case of putting the cart before the horse.

 

Yes, it definitely felt that way. Almost as if one set of writers started it and another took over like we often see today although back then I don't think they went through writers like Kleenexes though. 

 

As we know, future stories would not have played out the way they did if bracelet lady had been left as introduced.

 

I might have been happier if they went a different route. I'm not a fan of the "revealed person." Trying real hard to keep this spoiler free for Danedson till she gets further along. When she does I'll reveal who I thought it was at the time. Of course, I was totally wrong. 

[oceanblue]

This gives me a fond remembrance not only for Real Romance, but for the days when the writers understood that Europe was made up of different countries with names.  Nowadays Sonny just goes to the airport and gets on a plane bound for Europe.

[Dandesun]

This gives me a fond remembrance not only for Real Romance, but for the days when the writers understood that Europe was made up of different countries with names.  Nowadays Sonny just goes to the airport and gets on a plane bound for Europe.

 

Or Africa. Lots of people in Salem just head off to Africa... despite it being fooking huge and filled with many different countries.

[TigerLynx]

And several of those countries are fighting wars, but everyone just hops on a plane to Europe or Africa to go wherever because it's so easy to do.  {face palm}

[Peanut6711]

Or Africa. Lots of people in Salem just head off to Africa... despite it being fooking huge and filled with many different countries.

And no one came back with Ebola ;-)

[Dandesun]

And several of those countries are fighting wars, but everyone just hops on a plane to Europe or Africa to go wherever because it's so easy to do.  {face palm}

 

Right? I'm still annoyed that I was supposed to believe that Eric and Serena had this magical love affair in the Congo.

[Rick Kitchen]

This gives me a fond remembrance not only for Real Romance, but for the days when the writers understood that Europe was made up of different countries with names.  Nowadays Sonny just goes to the airport and gets on a plane bound for Europe.

Sonny went to Paris.

[Apprentice79]

Even Paris to me was generic..How about Toulouse, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice or any other city in the south of France, where Victor would surely have some property or businesses for Sonny to manage...The writers are no longer creative..

Edited September 9, 2015 by Apprentice79

[Dandesun]

Still in Sweden...

 

It’s another foggy night in Stockholm. Is it actually this consistently foggy? I’d understand if this was London but the way things have been portrayed in Stockholm it can apparently give London Town a run for it’s money as the Fog Capital of the World.

 

They’re also on docks. Or a pier. Whatever. Stockholm is does have a lot of water around and through it. Maybe it is that foggy.

 

Anyway, it’s super tense. Oh, Bo sneaks up behind Hope and is all ‘You didn’t think I’d let you come down here alone, did you?’ Okay, so they’re still totally together and fooling everyone else.

 

Some dude comes up to make the switch with Roman: Marlena for the bonds. Roman bluffs and then Orpheus shows up to announce that he has the bonds so neener neener. He demands Marlena as his just reward for the bonds. Another dude or two (it’s hard to tell in the fog) show up flanking Marlena and Drake!Roman starts flipping out.

 

Chaos ensues.

 

Marlena wrenches free and somehow has a gun which she points at Orpheus but he kicks her hand and then goes to shoot her but that’s when Shane and Kayla arrive and Shane makes a diving save!!

 

Except that he gets shot instead.

 

Oh wait… that’s not Marlena at all! It’s Shane probably-traitorous partner! She gets grabbed by Orpheus because she’s either a traitor or useless and we wind up in something of a stand-off.

 

Kayla goes into Nurse Mode and starts administering unto Shane and Steve’s right there wanting to play back-up but Orpheus is all threatening. Steve sort of bounces on his toes while Kayla just starts being a nurse and goes to take off his jacket making it clear he just wants to make a bandage for the badly wounded Shane.

 

He looks at her and she looks at him and he takes the opportunity to whisper “I’m right here, I’m right here with you, baby” and I have to admit it’s pretty hot.

 

I have to also take note that Kayla’s doing just fine in this crisis despite water being near. Hm. So, if shit happens to someone else, she’s entirely capable of coping, but if shit happens to her she goes into meltdown mode… especially if she’s in water. Got it.

 

Orpheus starts to slip away with Traitor Big Hair as his human shield but Bo manages to sneak up behind him and get the drop on him. We then get a hilarious fight scene with very exaggerated and choreographed moves before Orpheus realizes that Bo may very well win this one and jumps into the water. Full on belly flop, I might add! Given how much water is in and around Stockholm, he can pretty much get anywhere from there. Curses! The bad guy got away! Ooo! There goes Bo after him! Excitement!!

 

Oh, and while all that was going on… the various ISA agents were in a gigantic group hug with Roman while Traitor Big Hair just whined a lot.

 

I am really not impressed with the ISA so far.

 

Traitor Big Hair runs to Shane who she’s obviously in love with but Roman grabs her before she gets too far and demands to know what the hell is going on.

Next thing we know, Shane’s getting wheeled away and Hope is demanding to know how he is. Kayla doesn’t know which upsets Hope but Kayla’s not going to sugar coat anything. Shane got shot and lost a lot of blood. She promises nothing!

 

How did things go so wrong? HOW?!

 

At the hospital, Kayla is upset that she was so useless. Really, Kayla? Now? Where was this after the incident in the drowning room? Or the boat? Anyway, Steve’s right there to tell her she’s pretty fucking awesome and gives her a hand on the side of the face and some hair stroking.

 

The doctor comes out and gives them the most non-committal update ever.

“Well. He’s still alive.”
“Will he be okay?”
*shrug* “Don’t know.”
“Are you even a real doctor?!”
*shrug* “Maybe. You should probably call his next of kin though.”
“Is it that bad?”
*shrug* “Could be.”

 

Kayla calls Kim and she heads on over to be with her estranged beloved.

 

Traitor Big Hair apologizes to everyone gathered (Kayla, Steve and Hope) for how things went down. None of them are remotely impressed and Hope snipes at her that if Shane dies it really doesn’t matter how sorry she is. Ooo… BURN!

 

Traitor Big Hair just wails ‘Shane cahn’t die! He cahn’t! HE CAHN’T!’ It’s like she’s auditioning for the role of Eliza Doolittle for the Stockholm Little Theater.

 

Shane crashes and everyone is there cheering him to live and it’s hilarious. (Well, Steve is jeering the doctors as they work but I guess that’s just his way.) Oh hey, there’s a heartbeat! Yay!

 

Steve sums it all up by saying ‘That it?’ It’s brilliant.

 

Kayla and Steve have a brief conversation about Kim coming to Stockholm where Kayla has to educate Steve on the concept of ‘being apart doesn’t mean you stop loving someone you big big stupid-head.’ Oh Steve… so worldly and yet so unwise in the ways of true love. Don’t worry, you’ll catch up. I’ve seen clips of you signing ‘Courage’ wearing a tux with an ascot tie. I’m onto you.

 

They go back to the hotel to see Marlena (so she was rescued? how did I miss that? I blame the fog) except that she’s actually gone again and Roman has suddenly remembered everything. He and Orpheus were partners and best friends but during an op Roman shot and killed Orpheus’ wife.

 

Sure. Why not?

 

Steve drops some truth bombs on Kayla about the people you trust and care about being the ones to stab you in the back and hurt you. She wonders if he’s expecting her to do that to him and he kind of back-pedals and goes all Cat Stevens on her. “If you’re gonna leave, take good care, hope you got a lot of nice things to wear. Just remember there’s a lot of bad and beware… Ooo, baby, baby it’s a wild world.”

 

Kim comes back to say goodbye and cry a little with Kayla. They’re all still super worried about Shane and whether he’s going to be okay. Kim tells Steve to keep an eye on Kayla and then Steve looks at Kayla and is all ‘I know you’re scared, baby. I just want you to know I’m right there by your side.’

 

Make up your fucking mind, Steve!

 

“It’s a tough world out there, baby, you can’t trust anyone!”
“Hey, baby, I’m with you. I’m looking after you.”
“It’s the people you trust that will always let you down!”
“But listen, Sweetness, I’m here by your side.”

 

Jeezy Creezy, this guy. Mixed signals much?

 

So it seems there’s a New Plan to Get Orpheus and everyone goes down into the sewers again. Kayla and Steve get a little cuddle action going before The Plan goes into effect.

 

Apparently, Roman’s there with Orpheus who has Marlena. At some point, Roman yells NOW! or GO! and grabs Marlena and drops her into the sewer. She falls like a brick and it’s unbelievably excellent. Her scream as it happens equally so. Steve shuts the grate and latches it and now they’re all a-runnin’ through the sewers to escape the madman! Everyone splits up and it’s a little like a Scooby Doo chase scene. Cue Davy Jones!

 

“I know a place where I am going and the place where I am going’s just around the bend…
You know there’s a lot that I can show you and if you want to go there I can get you in…
Love is the secret word and if you’re happy it will see you through…
‘Cause I love you, you know I do… and I can make you happy if you love me, too!”

 

They trap Orpheus in the same room of dubious purpose that he trapped Steve and Kayla in. Oo! Caught in his own trap! How delightful! Orpheus just laughs as this development.

 

Awesome. That’s a real supervillain, people.

 

Everyone gathers to congratulate themselves and each other and celebrate. Steve says he may hang out in Stockholm for a few more days and Kayla decides to do so as well.

 

Steve is rather amenable to this and says so.

 

So, apparently, there is yet more Stockholm to come.

 

To be continued...

[Apprentice79]

Orpheus was a great villain..They should have brought  back  his kids to Salem to wreak havoc on the citizens of Salem...

[caprice]

I am really not impressed with the ISA so far.

Oh, but Dandesun, the ISA provided one of the best running gags ever on the show.

 

If anyone else remembers Kim and Shane's wedding, you'll know what I'm talking about. I mean, I wish I could credit my ISA training for my inability to find clips.... ;)

[Peanut6711]

BTW, In case anyone is wondering "Whatever Happened To...Roman and Marlena's house set circa 1986/1987,"  I think you can still find it today in the guise of Hope's home. Watch closely to the layout; of course Hope's place is decorated fabulously right now so the decor is differnt, but the "bones" are basically the same. Most be a popular architectural blueprint for Salem builders. 

[JBC344]

If I remember correctly this was Jack and Jennifer's house in the 90's, then when they left Salem it was introduced as Bo and Hope's new house when they got together in the late 90's. I completely forgot that this was the Roman/Marlena house from the 80's.

[Maelstrom]

Steve is very man-handle-y with Kayla… stuff that would not fly today, no question. He grabs and shakes her a lot and forcibly moves her around to look in the mirror at the both of them, holding onto her neck and face so she has to look.

I'd forgotten this! Don't get me wrong, I love Steve Johnson, Stephen Nichols, and Steve & Kayla, and they're the reason I became a Days fan… But having said that, I'm finding Steve's grabbiness very frustrating to watch this time around (I haven't seen these clips in probably eight or nine years, so they're not very fresh in my mind). I keep wanting her to haul off and smack him or something to make him knock it the hell off.

 

Apart from that, though, I'm absolutely loving rewatching Steve and Kayla's beginnings. It's becoming an obsession, just like nine years ago when I first discovered them. And I also enjoy reading your recaps, Dandesun. 80s soaps are a very different animal than today's soaps, aren't they?

Edited September 12, 2015 by Maelstrom

[NumberCruncher]

I'd forgotten this! Don't get me wrong, I love Steve Johnson, Stephen Nichols, and Steve & Kayla, and they're the reason I became a Days fan… But having said that, I'm finding Steve's grabbiness very frustrating to watch this time around (I haven't seen these clips in probably eight or nine years, so they're not very fresh in my mind). I keep wanting her to haul off and smack him or something to make him knock it the hell off.

 

Apart from that, though, I'm absolutely loving rewatching Steve and Kayla's beginnings. It's becoming an obsession, just like nine years ago when I first discovered them. And I also enjoy reading your recaps, Dandesun. 80s soaps are a very different animal than today's soaps, aren't they?

To be fair though, Kayla gave as good as she got. She always found a way to fight back when he got to handsy and let's not forget that whenever he came into the Emergency Center to get patched up (no pun intended) after someone pounded on him Kayla would rip the bandage off when he got fresh with her, thus inflicting as bit more pain than was necessary, heh.

A classic example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b9KbX7mwD0

Edited September 12, 2015 by NumberCruncher