The Mean Mean Mean! Kristen Blake DiMera Thread

[DisneyBoy]

Obviously, I need to stop bringing her up in all the other threads, so here is a thread devoted purely to her and Eileen's many terrific performances.

I managed to find some YT playlists that show the first few years of her tenure on the show, beginning with her attempted mugging in the park. Anyone interested in a rewatch (or in my case, first-time watch)?

[methodwriter85]

The Susan storyline was what got me hooked on this show back in 1997.

 

Remember the long-standing fan rumor that Ilene was a transgender woman? Probably not helped when she did Susan's brother.

[DisneyBoy]

There was a long-standing rmor that Eileen was a transgender woman??!

Never heard that one, but I can kind of see it with the shoulders, a bit...sort of?

Mind blown.

[methodwriter85]

There was a long-standing rmor that Eileen was a transgender woman??!

Never heard that one, but I can kind of see it with the shoulders, a bit...sort of?

Mind blown.

 

Here's an internet thread from 1998 about the rumor. 

 

The rumor came from an appearance that a young transgender person made on Donahue who apparently looked like Eileen.

 

Honestly, it's pretty hilarious in retrospect given that she did indeed give birth. Though they're working on it, a transgender woman can't give birth.

[QuelleC]

.

Edited December 8, 2015 by QuelleC

[DisneyBoy]

Crazy...and awesome! I rather love that Eileen has that kind of mystique, that she could have these kinds of rumors swirling around her and still continue on her merry way.

So, since I appear to be one of the few on this board who genuinely enjoy this character, I'd welcome hearing why you fine people really can't stand her. Is it the plot lines that she got saddled with the last two times she appeared? Is it her general style of acting, which I find much more lively than what we seem to get from the other actors? Was it the fact that she swallowed the show back in the 90s?

[LeftPhalange]

The stories she got the last two times were ridiculous and made her look pathetic. Plus, raping a priest was just vile and I still don't know why she did it.

 

I was under the impression that Kristen wasn't completely batshit when she was on before and was a bit more low key with her crazy. 

[boes]

I like Eileen Davidson quite a bit - on Y+R, she's consistently good, even in the midst of bad, bad writing.

Here, I blame the writing, both for her terrible storylines and over the top persona.

They managed to make her a cartoon, and to waste an actress with that sort of talent....

[jsm1125]

Since her appearance in 2012, Eileen Davidson seemed to portray Kristen as a caricature of a deranged person. I though that she did a great job at portraying somebody who was in the midst of going off the rails back in the 90's.

[Apprentice79]

The stories she got the last two times were ridiculous and made her look pathetic. Plus, raping a priest was just vile and I still don't know why she did it.

 

I was under the impression that Kristen wasn't completely batshit when she was on before and was a bit more low key with her crazy. 

Her descent into madness was a great storyline...Kristen was a good girl and a protegee of Alice Horton....

[JBC344]

Her descent into madness was a great storyline...Kristen was a good girl and a protegee of Alice Horton....

Exactly they took her to far the last two appearances.  She did border on caricature a little too much for me. 

 

Now back in the 90's I adored Kristen.  She was the goody two shoes of the Dimera family before Lexie.  It is what made you root for her even against John and Marlena because they really did screw her over.  She was the consummate "good" character who really did suffer a mental breakdown and it was a pleasure to see her really lose grip of reality.  Outside of Andre I would say that Kristen was the closest to emulate Stefano. 

 

I'm not crazy the direction that they took her character the last two stints but I do love Eileen and the talent and energy she commits to bringing to the character of Kristen.  She really "owns" the Kristen character if that makes sense.

[DisneyBoy]

I fully agree - the writing let her down big-time. This show has a way of running characters into the ground with bad writing, and then writing/killing them off.

In rewatching more of the episodes from 2012 when Kristen first returned, I'm noticing that the writers really did put effort into suggesting that Kristen was in fact relatively sane and was just enjoying playing with Marlena and John. I kind of wish that after she realized she was in love with Brady, she just stayed in that vein and didn't flip out because the writers clearly didn't know how to make her flip out in an entertaining and believable fashion.

I don't think I ever once felt embarrassed for Eileen back when she was playing triplets, one of whom was a man, but seeing her have to throw glass after glass of booze across the room in these really weak temper tantrums was just unbearable. Her trashing the park using a trash can after overhearing Theresa say she was pregnant just made me shake my head. It was clear the writers were phoning things in and the director was out to lunch.

In a way, I'm almost grateful Kristen fell out that window because it was an over the top climax to several over the top months with the character. I hope she is still alive and I hope whenever she returns to the show there are writers in place who can give us a more nuanced and sympathetic character in spite of all the damage that has been done.

Edited December 9, 2015 by DisneyBoy

[DisneyBoy]

Is anyone interested in doing a rewatch of the Kristen DiMera storylines? Nope? Just me? Okay then…well I’d still invite those of you who remember to chime in with your recollections of things.

 

I’m beginning this with the playlist here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQxANKNKlnE&index=1&list=PL9BFB3F6E94A72ABF

 

I’ve made it as far as Part 31, and here’s what’s happened so far: Kristen Blake is mugged at knifepoint in the park and saved by John Black (were these Eileen’s first scenes?) He learns that she works - and sometimes showers - at the Youth Centre, which is underfunded and under attack by various gangs. A fire breaks out and Kristen takes her sweet time saving John, who is somehow locked inside. This is rather suspicious, considering we were shown Kristen speaking to some man over the phone (not Stefano) and indicating that she’d “take care” of John Black being back in town. However, after getting checked out at the hospital and telling Alice about how John accused her of starting the fire, an off-camera Abe reports that a young kid was caught and charged with arson, letting Kristen off the hook. Kristen gets an earful from the eternally condescending Dr. Marlena Evans, who sings John’s praises in reaction to Kristen’s vague comments about his past misdeeds (when did Kristen and Marlena first meet? It isn’t included in these vids…) John shifts his focus to trying to donate 25 grand to help fund the Centre, but Kristen doesn’t want his charity. His girlfriend Rebecca points out that Kristen’s application for a grant to the Toscano organization was riddled with inaccuracies, suggesting she’s trying to lie about her past. In private, Kristen promises a man in a chair that she’ll always hate John based on what he told her about him (ahhh Stefano!) and then Kristen and John bicker and bond while teaching street kids to play baseball. Alice and Tom agree to turn their home into the new Youth Centre, John and Marlena fret that she’s secretly carrying his child while married to Roman, and Tom suggests Kristen take some time for herself at his family’s private island cabin. Playing matchmaker (?), Alice overhears and suggests John mull over his issues at the cabin as well. Kristen nearly runs into a nekkid John up at the cabin, and the two bicker over having to be trapped together but eventually swap stories about France (how he remembers living in France isn’t clear) and being emotionally scarred. John speaks of Isabella playing with Brady before her death and spots Kristen’s “KD” anklet. She lies that it was her mother’s and also avoids discussing her nightmares about being shot. In the end, they leave on decent terms, even though she tells Alice she knows she was being interrogated. John tries to force Marlena to admit her baby could be his. She weeps and admits it’s possible, but puts off having a test done…for the sake of drama? Oh Mar.

 

This shouldn’t surprise me, but back before John became Jawn, he was Mister Swagger, and apparently – according to Alice – the Stud of Salem. *eyeroll* I never had anything against DH when I first came across DAYS back in the day, but to watch him now as he banters with Kristen shirtless really drives home just how insufferable he was as a leading man even then. I’ve seen worse, of course, but it’s all those tics of his – throwing open his arms, sneering/fart smelling (though it was a bit more subtle back then) and shifting his weight…it’s hard to imagine what the concept was. I guess since he was introduced as NuRoman, he had to imitate the original actor? I’m not sure what is informing Drake’s performance but these physical mannerisms coupled with the dialogue and line readings “Look lady…!” (etc, etc) make him seem like the last thing anyone would want to be around. Why was this considered “hot”? Is this what suburban housewives were really craving in the early 90s? There’s so much strained machismo on display that I find myself picturing how much more natural and likeable Drake would seem if he didn’t have to play “tough”. In interviews, he seems like a rather normal guy, so why was John always such a strutting bore? Again, we’ve seen worse…and I seem to recall him being less cavemany once Susan and the Secret Room came along (I guess he softened somewhat), but in these scenes I’m finding myself confused as to why any woman would want to be with him, unless they were some barmaid looking for a cheap thrill.

 

…of course, it all makes Caveman Brady of the last few years feel even more appropriate. It was probably accidental, but Brady is definitely his father’s son in the Walking Around Shirtless and Giving Dames Attitude department.

 

Alice is so interesting as an actress. She has an air about her, and I don’t think it jives well with the work of the other performers, even that of Eileen. Alice just pauses in such a way that you almost feel like you’re watching something far classier than you are. The actress would have been interesting opposite the Late, Great Charles Keating, who classed up Another World something fierce.

 

Tom seems to be from the Crotchety Old Man/Doctor Knows Best school. I don’t dislike him, but he isn’t especially warm, is he? It’s true to life though. I suspect many male Doctors around his age and from his era just wanted to be left in peace and weren’t anywhere as warm as their wives…

 

…which brings me to the idea of the Youth Centre being in their house. What the heck are they thinking? They’re in their 70s at least! And yet, here they are opening their home up to various street kids and turning their den into a lounge? Don’t they know what 90s kids are like? They’ll be all up in there with their skateboards and backwards baseball caps and Fruit By the Foot! I don’t see how on earth this could ever possibly work. I’m betting the show never actually shows the place overrun with kids and just refers to it happening off-screen. Or forgets the plot altogether once Kristen and John start snogging.

 

I had to laugh at John pointing out the strange use of slang in the scene where the boy asks Kristen for money to cover their lunches at the hospital. I don’t even think that was real slang. Why were those kids even there? I guess some scenes were missing from this playlist because I couldn’t figure why Kristen would be there either, unless to follow-up on her condition in the aftermath of the fire.

 

Is it just me or was the Horton house set laid out just a little bit differently back in the day, compared to now? Now, we can see the full staircase from the living room, but in these clips it looks like the entrance to the living room isn’t as big…

 

Alice explaining John’s personal history was a total riot. She sounded like a sweet old grandma describing the bizarre choices the producers made. I’m surprised they even allowed Kristen to ask about whether John was just pretending to be Roman and then gave up the act. It sounds like the birth of John Black was one big messy retcon…did everyone is town who saw him look at him and go “Oh Roman!” the first time he appeared, even though he looks nothing like the original actor?

 

Eileen is beautiful and really effective as the annoyed and well-meaning Kristen. I see shades of the Kristen to come here…one who isn’t impressed with John and gets very flustered about the problems she comes up against. Some of her stares while John was talking about Isabella at the cabin were even downright creepy. I’m so glad the producers eventually took the leap and made her more dastardly.

 

Deidre really was in her prime around this time – she looks stunning. But I’m noticing I’m not liking her tics either. And I’m having a hard time placing Marlena’s age here. She’s already had some kids and a long history with Roman…is she supposed to be mid-thirties or older?

 

I had no idea the Horton cabin was such a place of significance for Kristen and John. Was it introduced here for the first time, in order to bring them together? If so, it makes a lot more sense that they bothered to bring the set back in 2012, when Kristen made her big return and was trying to convince John she’d changed.

 

Rebecca seems to be waaay out of John’s league. I have no clue what this reasonable, self-respecting, educated woman is even doing with him. How did they meet? Opposites attract, I guess, but she seems infinitely smarter and more self assured than he is, and I’m not looking forward to seeing her realize he’s been emotionally three-timing her with Kristen and pregnant Marlena. Hopefully she gets a decent send-off…

 

Don’t quite know when I’ll get to part 32 and the rest, but I’ll enjoy discussing it all with you!

Edited December 24, 2015 by DisneyBoy

[BlackMamba]

Because it's Christmas

[DisneyBoy]

Oh that's perfect! :)

[DisneyBoy]

I'm back to update the thread that no one has any interest in! S'okay. I still like me some mean mean mean Kristen!

 

I've since plowed my way through the entire first playlist of videos, covering everything from the introduction of Peter, the reveal of Kristen's heritage and John falling madly in love with our unlikely heroine and perjuring himself in court to cover for Stefano's kidnapping (unknowingly, of course). By halfway through the JK2 playlist, though, things have gotten a little tiresome, with Kristen insisting she can't be with John and John doing everything possible to argue with her and kiss her. A few thoughts...

 

I'm really loving the '80s music. Kristen's "theme" has gotten a little overplayed, but others are really interesting.

 

Apparently Tony was in Salem before he was introduced as Kristen's betrothed? Interesting. Carrie seems especially taken with him, strangely enough. How is it he became friends with Caroline and the Bradys while being the son of their sworn enemy?

 

John has called what I assume is baby Belle "Bella" several times now. Was this just John's nickname for her, or Drake messing up his line, or is this not actually baby Belle after all? Confused there.

 

How crazy is it that Kristen was there for Belle's birth? Nutty. And John managed to deliver the baby without a drop of blood visible anywhere in the cottage? Ahh, the magic of television.

 

While the writers did a good job of tying up most of the plot points they introduced - the parking lot shooting, for instance - I've realized they haven't done anything with Kristen's ankle bracelet. I'm guessing that might just have been there to tease the audience that this was in fact Kristen DiMera.

 

It's insane how many conversations Kristen has found herself in where people Just! Won't! Explain! what Stefano has done to them. Honestly people - how hard is it to say "He tied me up and did ____ to me!" or "When I was in _____, he blew up _____ and nearly killed ____ back in 198_!" ??? Everyone from Marlena to John to Alice seems to get tongue-tied when Kristen asks them to detail why her father is awful. Girl shouldn't have to go to microfiche to read up on his dastardly deeds when there's a town full of his victims.

 

Apparently the Horton Centre is still a thing, though at this point I'm at a loss as to how long poor Tom and Alice have been allowing rugrats to run wild around their house. Which month/year did Kristen and John meet, and by what point was she telling him to produce evidence of Stefano's misdeeds to halt her marriage to Tony? I can't even guess as to how many months of story I've processed.

 

Drake does an impressive stunt of carrying Eileen up a ravine after Kristen somehow falls on the island where Horton Cabin is located. There was never a cliff portion there before, of course, but still...it's impressive to see him carry her all the way up without stunt people being involved.

 

Equally impressive is the Fair Grounds location shoot, with John and Kristen getting stuck up on the Ferris Wheel. Any idea where they would have filmed that?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mZ1FD-cqO0&list=PL6B5C6E48928161A2&index=23

 

 

Tony seems like a sweet guy and it's a head trip seeing TP on the show now playing Andre. At what point was Andre introduced? Too bad Tony has no chemistry with Kristen...they're so doomed. DOOMED!

 

Also, I had never known Kristen was shot at during her first wedding to Tony. Heck, I never knew she ever tried to marry Tony before coming to Salem. Thank goodness for these clips - it's great to be able to watch well-written episodes of this soap and get to spend some more time with a character as entertaining as Kristen.

Edited January 15, 2016 by DisneyBoy

[Apprentice79]

DisneyBoy, Belle was named Isabella by Roman and Marlena to honor John's late wife Isabella. At the time she was believed to be Roman's daughter due to Sami's manipulations. This is not Tony, but Andre. The writers wrote Tony into a corner and they later retcon it years later by saying that Stefano had imprisoned Tony on an island and that Andre took his place as Tony. So this is not Tony, but Tandre..lol Tandre got together with Kristen and not Tony as previously believed..

[JBC344]

DisneyBoy, Carrie was actually Tony's step-daughter when she was younger. The love of Tony's life is Anna Dimera, Carrie's mother. When Carrie was young she had Tony, Anna, Roman (John), and Marlena as her parents. The foursome actually co-parented pretty peacefully for Carrie's sake. When she got a little older Carrie was primarily raised by John.

Not that you would know this in the later years, but Carrie was very much a part of the Dimera family when she was young. Actually Stefano would use Carrie as a way to try and keep Tony and Anna in line because he knew how much Tony adored her.

He even kidnapped Carrie and Benjy when they were younger to hurt Roman, Kayla, Tony, and Anna.

[DisneyBoy]

DisneyBoy, Belle was named Isabella by Roman and Marlena to honor John's late wife Isabella. At the time she was believed to be Roman's daughter due to Sami's manipulations.

Hun. I guess this is because Sami saw Mar doing John on the conference room table at Titan, right? Too bad these videos don't include even a little of Ali Sweeney. I would have liked to see that subplot a bit.

This is not Tony, but Andre. The writers wrote Tony into a corner and they later retcon it years later by saying that Stefano had imprisoned Tony on an island and that Andre took his place as Tony.

Whaaaa...!?! Oh DAYS. You can't ever leave well enough alone. Okay, so...if this is supposed to be Andre impersonating Tony, why would Stefano have trapped Tony on an island at this time? Was he angry with him for some reason?

And did viewers have any idea when Tony first left the show (prior to his reappearance here) that he was getting married? I'm not clear on who it was that shot Kristen at the wedding ceremony either...

I'm just going to pretend this *IS* Tony because clearly, that's the way they filmed it back in the day, and I'm not planning on watching any of the Andre storyline unless it intersects with Kristen's, and from what I recall, it doesn't.

I'm majorly bummed the "Pillow Baby" and "Secret Room" playlists were pulled off YT. They used to all be up there. Now, once I've finished the "JK2" Playlist, I'm out. I have some random clips of the Susan/John wedding and DemonMar saved, but not the full storylines...I also don't have all of Aremid either. What's the order of events in the Kristen storylines? Is it:

-John and Kristen meet (the first playlist at the top of this thread)

-John and Kristen 2 (second playlist, where John knows who she is and begins fighting for her)

-Aremid (where, I assume, Kristen attempts to marry Tony, who is "killed" and John is charged)

-Pre-Paris (a playlist I found, though sadly one focusing mostly on John/Mar, which sets up the reveal of the Woman in White being Rachel Blake)

-Paris (aka Lady in a Cage)

-Pillow Baby (where Kristen tries to get pregnant by John again using the Hypno Mirror, and then meets up with Susan)

-Secret Room (where Susan falls for John, locks Mar and Kristen in the room and tries to marry him)

-The Killing Pool (where Kristen essentially fakes her death, Susan meets Edmund and then things resolve)

Dangit YT - I have a hard time rewatching Eileen's awesome tenure on the show now that you've pulled so much!

Edited January 15, 2016 by DisneyBoy

[Apprentice79]

In some ways, Thaoo helped the writers with the retcon of Tony really being Andre years later..Once he saw how evil Tony had gotten during the Maison Blanche storyline. He infused "Tony" with some of Andre's mannerism without the producers and writers knowing about it because he felt that Tony was acting out of character. I guess it was his way of dealing with the awful writing of Tony..Tony's obsession with Kristen never made any sense to me.. Anna was the love of his life..In my mind Tony and Anna are together causing mischief somewhere away from Stefano and his evilness..

Edited January 15, 2016 by Apprentice79

[DisneyBoy]

Interesting! What a clever actor. So...at what point then did Andre debut?

[Apprentice79]

Andre was originally Stefano's nephew who resembled Tony, but he had plastic surgery to become Tony's double. He came to town to help Stefano get revenge on Roman. He was a serial killer who killed people with a Roman mask on..His first victim was Renee Dimera who was Stefano's daughter and Tony's love..Tony was revealed to not be Stefano's biological son to facilitate the Tony/Renee romance. Renee threw a party where she cursed out everybody there. It was that same night, where Andre kidnapped Tony and took his place. Renee figured out that Tony was really Andre and he killed her to keep her quiet. I think Andre as Tony slept with Renee and I think Tony watched on camera as Andre took over his life at the mansion. Someone can correct or add to my post...

[Happytobehere]

Andre was originally Stefano's nephew who resembled Tony, but he had plastic surgery to become Tony's double. He came to town to help Stefano get revenge on Roman. He was a serial killer who killed people with a Roman mask on..His first victim was Renee Dimera who was Stefano's daughter and Tony's love..Tony was revealed to not be Stefano's biological son to facilitate the Tony/Renee romance. Renee threw a party where she cursed out everybody there. It was that same night, where Andre kidnapped Tony and took his place. Renee figured out that Tony was really Andre and he killed her to keep her quiet. I think Andre as Tony slept with Renee and I think Tony watched on camera as Andre took over his life at the mansion. Someone can correct or add to my post...

Tony slept with Renee. The switch happened after that.

[DisneyBoy]

Some folks never saw these scenes so here they are again....

 

John tempts Kristen in the formerly Secret Room:

[minirth]

OMG DisneyBoy!  I love you!!!!!

[DisneyBoy]

I just rewatched a scene of Kristen, post-Paris explosion and loss of her baby, trying to get John to impregnate her again by using a hypno-mirror (LOL). Super campy idea...but then she manages to do it and trance John calls her "Doc" as he climbs on top of her. Eileen's face is twisted in grief. She says "yes, John".

Well break my heart, why don't you!

Kristen has to go through with the sex to make sure she gets pregnant again with John's baby, but at the same time she knows he doesn't want her anymore and she just lost her baby...

How awful is that?

[JBC344]

6 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

I just rewatched a scene of Kristen, post-Paris explosion and loss of her baby, trying to get John to impregnate her again by using a hypno-mirror (LOL). Super campy idea...but then she manages to do it and trance John calls her "Doc" as he climbs on top of her. Eileen's face is twisted in grief. She says "yes, John".

Well break my heart, why don't you!

Kristen has to go through with the sex to make sure she gets pregnant again with John's baby, but at the same time she knows he doesn't want her anymore and she just lost her baby...

How awful is that?

The beginning of Kristen's mental breakdown

[DisneyBoy]

Who do you think Kristen would have had a good romance with? It's interesting that over the years the only two characters she's really been invested in are John and Brady.

I'm so glad that her weird roll in the hay with Daniel was aborted. I kind of wondered why they even brought that idea in. Did they already know, because of the lead time with taping, but they were going to bring back Melanie and have her figure out that Kristen had stolen Theresa's baby? The only pay off to that weird not-quite-sex scene at Daniel's place was that a few months later Kristen was able to use it as an explanation for where the baby came from. She lied to Brady that Daniel had impregnated her before she had to admit it was really Theresa's kid. Other than that? I don't see the reason why the writers pushed those two characters together.

Ugh... I just remembered that Kristen tried to cut him open with a box cutter while they were locked in the back of that van driving back to Salem. I think that and the rape of Eric are my two least favourite Kristen moments. At least pre-Stacy of course...

Was there ever a time when Kristen and Tony (actually Andre) seemed like a match? Did people root for them back in the day?

I would have thought Kristen and Xander might have made an interesting couple, but obviously that ain't happening.

[JBC344]

I don't know if people necessarily "rooted" for Kristen and Tony back in the day but I think they didn't mind them.  Ironically the idea of Kristen and John was sort of looming over their marriage.  They were a decent couple.

[Irlandesa]

FWIW, I rooted for them.  I love a good marriage of convenience/friendship story which Tony/Kristen kind of were.  And both actors were appealing to me.

So I'm a 'people' who rooted for them but I might have been a 'people' of one. I love the trope but I don't think DOOL was ever trying to take them seriously. 

[DisneyBoy]

Some interesting bits and pieces from the interview:

-She found the original Kristen Blake boring and said she wasn't working all that often...until Kristen went bad. By the end, she was running screaming from the studio...but appreciates that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to play 5 characters at once.

-ED didn't realize what she was in for when she came back in 2012, though the writing was very strong and she was given alot of freedom to rediscover the character. She said she was very interested in the character's vulnerabilities, and found her kind of spontaneously during the scenes and less because of prep work in advance. She saw Kristen as a broken woman who had lost everything and felt that come out during the course of the storyline.

-Apparently she returned without knowing any of the details of the plot. She'd assumed she would be playing Susan, only to get her scripts and realize she was playing Kristen. She didn't even know that Kristen would be going after Brady to get revenge on John until they were working on the scenes and filming it.

-She said Joe Mascolo cared deeply about the fans and respected their opinions. He wanted to make sure they were happy with his character. She also enjoyed getting scenes with him in 2013 where they were both scheming together.

-Susan was originally going to be played by an actress who looked like Eileen, but Eileen asked to play Susan for the challenge of it. She said it took more time to get ready as Kristen than it would as Susan, and that the wig, contacts, teeth and wardrobe quickly helped her find the character.

-She was raised Catholic and had older siblings who were taught by nuns, so when Sister Mary Moira was created, Eileen made a point of asking for a ruler since her siblings had been hit with rulers wielded by nuns while growing up.

-Eileen's reaction to learning that Kristen would rape Father Eric was along the lines of "Oy!" or "...Jesus...!" and that she struggled to get through the scenes. She was glad the plot wasn't dragged out longer because she wouldn't have been comfortable continuously playing it out. She notes she really had to work to justify some of the decisions the writers had made, but that it was her job and she eventually believed Kristen could rationalize anything.

-Her favorite scenes were the Secret Room Catfight and the "He was All! Over! Me!" showdown with Marlena.

-She hasn't watched Staci's stuff...but respects how hard it is to take over a role.

-She didn't quit DAYS or Y&R over a lack of pay raise. She just wanted to free up some time.

-With Staci in the role(s), she doesn't forsee a return....but never say never.

Edited September 19, 2019 by DisneyBoy

[CanaryFan98]

This sounds rather diplomatic in some parts(like I believe she hated the direction of Kristen but is nice about it...) I could see her make a cameo if Days were to end but return as Kristen? I don't think so.

[enchantingmonkey]

All of the gushing and adulation from the hosts was a little annoying but, otherwise, I enjoyed the interview.  

When she mentioned having a natural chemistry with Eric Martsolf, I had to think back and tried to remember if there was ever a time when I believed in them as a couple but I thought Kristin's relationship with John was more believable.  Kristin's relationship with Brady feels more plot driven to me.    

I was most interested in what she had to say about being on Housewives of Beverly Hills, as it's rare to hear anyone talk about what goes on behind the scenes with those shows.  

[DisneyBoy]

See, I found her and Brady's relationship plausible because I believed they were frisky for one another...very frisky...and Brady had just lost a fiancee and could "save" Kristen instead. And Eileen totally sold how Kristen gradually fell in love with the naive man boy buying her tacky jewellery and defending her honor all around town because well...she hadn't had anyone love her at all after her lies were revealed in the mid-90s. It had been a looooong dry period for Ms Blake. And here he was, Bonehead Brady, loving her and clinging to her and boinking her...

Yeah it worked for me.

The only part that felt plot-driven was how Brady ignored all the history there, and his own father's attraction to her and Marlena's fear of her. Like really man, any semi-reasonable person would have backed away. But he insisted on the relationship. It almost made John's plot-necessitated obliviousness in the 90s Kristen era look reasonable by comparison.

Edited September 20, 2019 by DisneyBoy

[CanaryFan98]

I agree I think Bristen worked to a point with EM/ED's version but its well past its expiration date now.

[Pearson80]

Bristen has always grossed me out, I can remember Brady asking John if Kristen was going to be his new mommy. 

[CanaryFan98]

I get it YMMV I find it much easier to accept with EM's Brady because he's much older looking so he and ED didn't look bad together(to me at least)

Had this been KL's version? No way.

[DisneyBoy]

Yikes...I never thought about that. Yeah, this pairing only sorta kinda works if EM is there.

And to refresh us as to why ED's Kristen totally rules and can never really be replaced, the following:

 

 

[methodwriter85]

On 9/21/2019 at 12:02 AM, CanaryFan98 said:

I get it YMMV I find it much easier to accept with EM's Brady because he's much older looking so he and ED didn't look bad together(to me at least)

Had this been KL's version? No way.

Well, Eric Martsolf is about a decade older than Kyle Lowder and looks it. I think there's only a five year difference with Stacey Haiduk. 

 

 

 

[Asp Burger]

I really don't know the best place to put this, and this seems as good a place as any. It's just a funny memory I had, and I want to see if others remember it.  

I did my most sustained watching of this soap in the 1990s, and I remember a mistake I couldn't believe made it to air. One of Eileen Davidson's characters, either Kristen or Susan, was having a fantasy about John. We saw them in some romantic setting out on a blanket, maybe at the beach (although clearly the studio floor dressed up), saying lover-type things to each other and cuddling. The dream was obviously supposed to fade seamlessly back to "reality," but they left it too long when cutting it. While still in the "fantasy," we heard a harsh bell-like sound and a man's voice yelling "Clear!" and saw Eileen and Drake Hogestyn breaking character, disengaging from each other very quickly and going their separate ways. 

It was hilarious. It was as if Days were about to become a movie about the making of a soap, like Soap Dish. At the board I followed, there was more commentary on that editing blunder than about any of the actual stories. The best thing about it was the speed and efficiency with which those two dropped their intimacy and separated. (Today, I'm sure it would be a meme within the hour.)  

[Chellfairy]

I have to say Eileen Davidson ruled as Kristen..her Susan was great too

i’d be all for Eileen coming back

[TenaciousWarrior]

On 6/17/2021 at 10:27 AM, Chellfairy said:

I have to say Eileen Davidson ruled as Kristen..her Susan was great too

i’d be all for Eileen coming back

Yes me too! Eileen was Kristen.

[DisneyBoy]

I love Eileen...and that's why I want her to stay away. She had a decent ending and I'd prefer to leave things there.

This character is a mess now, not because of the actress but the writing.

[Irlandesa]

I like Eileen but I think Kristen was over even before ED left the part.  I actually like Stacey.  She's not the reason I groan every time Kristen reappears. 

Edited June 19, 2021 by Irlandesa

[WendyCR72]

I don't care if Meryl Streep played Kristen. The character is played the hell out, be it by Streep, Eileen Davidson, or Stacy Haiduk. But, as is ALWAYS the case with Ron Carlivati, he NEVER knows when enough is enough and when to let go.

[methodwriter85]

On 6/18/2021 at 10:36 PM, WendyCR72 said:

I don't care if Meryl Streep played Kristen. The character is played the hell out, be it by Streep, Eileen Davidson, or Stacy Haiduk. But, as is ALWAYS the case with Ron Carlivati, he NEVER knows when enough is enough and when to let go.

Just be glad he didn't find out about Wan Chai Ferry. It probably would have been beaten to death like the BLT sandwhiches from Kelly's when he did General Hospital.

As for Eileen, they can't afford her. Straight up, they just can't afford her. Watching Y&R vs. Dool is kind of an experience because you can clearly see the difference in terms of the money that goes into the two shows.

Edited June 25, 2021 by methodwriter85

[RealHousewife]

I love Eileen as Kristen. Talented actress, beautiful lady. I grew up watching her, so I have a soft spot for her. She's such a fun villain. 

[DisneyBoy]

I've been watching the Jungle Cure For Roman storyline for the first time and it's interesting how Kristen's character shifts. The show gave Kristen all these different emotional beats to play during Lady in a Cage, The Pillow Baby and The Secret Room arcs, but after she is exposed by Marlena and rejected by John, the show does far less with her.

Susan becomes the more nuanced character - we meet her sister, she pals around with Celeste and the Salemites, she panics about Stefano being EJ's Daddy, she falls in love with Edmund - while Kristen is laser focused and obsessed with John in an almost boring way. She white knuckles every scene, waiting for chances to be with him and its like the writing shifts from wanting us to care about her plight to wanting us to see her as tiresome.

This still makes some sense - after losing John, she clearly suffers another mental break and is dangerously obsessed and depressed, probably knowing she's lost him forever - so it would stand to reason all she would want is some way to get him back and end her pain, but there are fewer variations on this theme.

I thought in the jungle storyline that Kristen would get a tender moment with John somewhere amidst all the helicopter scenes and poison darts, but it didn't happen. All she did was trail Stefano, frowning and complaining about whether or not he was helping her with John. It was like the Show wanted us to roll our eyes at her.

I know the public had squarely put her into the villainess category by that point and wanted John and Marlena to just get married already, but the writing during her descent storyline made her rootable. It was as if they abandoned that and were fine with the audience essentially hating her or viewing her as pathetic.

I know Eileen got burned out and left the Show (not necessarily in that order, or as a cause and effect, mind you) a few months later, but I wonder if part of it was watching the main character she built up over several years get reduced to a "bad guy" with fewer dimensions.

I will say this - Kristen desperately needed some counseling. She was All John, All The Time Obsessed.

Sad.

[CanaryFan98]

Then they shifted that from John to Brady although EM/ED had the chem to make me overlook how sick it was.

[Pearson80]

4 hours ago, CanaryFan98 said:

Then they shifted that from John to Brady although EM/ED had the chem to make me overlook how sick it was.

I have always said that she transferred her sick obsession with John onto Brady. If Brady had a brain he would see that and stay the hell away from Kristen but he is remedial and will continue to fall for Kristen over and over and over..