Salem International: Casting Notes: Arrivals & Departures

[FnkyChkn34]

12 hours ago, CanaryFan98 said:

Soap Opera News on Twitter: "#SalStowers and #LamonArchey exit #DaysofOurLives #Days https://t.co/3lEDPU2of3" / Twitter

I won't miss Lani, that's for sure.  Hopefully Lamon Archey will still be on the next season of All American and I can watch him there.

[CanaryFan98]

17 minutes ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

I won't miss Lani, that's for sure.  Hopefully Lamon Archey will still be on the next season of All American and I can watch him there.

I think he will still be there don’t watch the show but I heard it’s why he would not commit full time to the show. 

[FnkyChkn34]

23 minutes ago, CanaryFan98 said:

I think he will still be there don’t watch the show but I heard it’s why he would not commit full time to the show. 

I don't want to spoil it for anyone who does watch it and is behind, but it's hit or miss if his character comes back next season.  I hope you're right and he does!

[DisneyBoy]

I mean, I'm super bummed to lose Eli....but Lani can HIT THE BRICKS!

[Retired at last]

I am glad that they are getting rid of Lani. But, since he has another job to go to, I wonder if they will end up bringing her back at some point. I hope they don't kill his character and then have her come back with the twins. But, she adds nothing to the show.

[CanaryFan98]

Considering how its speculated for Eli/Lani to end I would think the opposite would happen.

[carrier76]

I will not miss her and the way she mispronounces every word that ends in -ing as -ink. 
 

I will miss Lamon.

[Pearson80]

3 hours ago, carrier76 said:

I will not miss her and the way she mispronounces every word that ends in -ing as -ink. 
 

I will miss Lamon.

Same here. I am so happy for him and I hope this new role will open up more doors for him. 

[Pearson80]

On 6/24/2022 at 12:11 PM, Retired at last said:

I am glad that they are getting rid of Lani. But, since he has another job to go to, I wonder if they will end up bringing her back at some point. I hope they don't kill his character and then have her come back with the twins. But, she adds nothing to the show.

I think that Lani had potential but the show made her into a good girl with no personality.  Sal was wonderful on All My Children when it  came back briefly online.

I think with better writing, better directing she could have been good as Lani.  The actors taping schedules is ridiculous, the actors no longer get to rehearse and they tape everything in one take.  

Edited June 27, 2022 by Pearson80

[DisneyBoy]

She wasn't a good girl though. She fixated on three coworkers (Rafe, JJ, Shawn), sorta raped one when he was grief-stricken (JJ), slept with Eli even though he was with Gabi, did NOTHING to make anyone aware that Julie's life was hanging by a thread or arrest Gabi, pretended to be a nun, pretended not to be in love with Kristen, whom she BROKE OUT OF JAIL and defended and fought with her husband about...

That's hardly good girl stuff.

And then they undid her plausible origin as Abe's daughter for....kicks?

Whatever. Sal stank. Let's hope they recast. Or just abandon her, I honestly don't care. 

[Pearson80]

6 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

She wasn't a good girl though. She fixated on three coworkers (Rafe, JJ, Shawn), sorta raped one when he was grief-stricken (JJ), slept with Eli even though he was with Gabi, did NOTHING to make anyone aware that Julie's life was hanging by a thread or arrest Gabi, pretended to be a nun, pretended not to be in love with Kristen, whom she BROKE OUT OF JAIL and defended and fought with her husband about...

That's hardly good girl stuff.

And then they undid her plausible origin as Abe's daughter for....kicks?

Whatever. Sal stank. Let's hope they recast. Or just abandon her, I honestly don't care. 

Everything you said was correct.  What I meant to say she is the soap's modern version of a "good girl".  A serial killer who stalked brutalized  tortured and killed women is now a  celebrated beloved hero that everybody must bow down to or else you will be demonized like Eve who had the audacity to want to avenge her only daughter's brutal death at his hands.

Edited June 27, 2022 by Pearson80

[DisneyBoy]

Preach!

Sadly the only "good" characters these days are Tripp/JJ/Lucas, who are nice but dull to the point of being invisible...until the writers make them do something OTT and stupid (attempting to murder Kayla/shoot Kristen/kidnap Sami).

Lani wasn't the worst ever, but she was never a whole person. They had no take on her or follow-through.

[Retired at last]

Lucas - a good guy??? He kidnapped Sami and framed someone else. He kept her away from her family so no one would tell her and he continues to lie to her. I am not a fan of Sami's, but they have ruined Lucas and he is not a good guy anymore. And then to have him start drinking again? Nope. He is ruined for me. He WAS good but boring, but not now.

[boes]

3 hours ago, Retired at last said:

Lucas - a good guy??? He kidnapped Sami and framed someone else. He kept her away from her family so no one would tell her and he continues to lie to her. I am not a fan of Sami's, but they have ruined Lucas and he is not a good guy anymore. And then to have him start drinking again? Nope. He is ruined for me. He WAS good but boring, but not now.

But, even through all that, good or bad, he's still boring.

[JBC344]

If we are using past as a criteria,  neither Lucas,JJ, or Tripp is a "good" person. I think the general "disposition " of these characters is that they are "good". 

[peachmangosteen]

Exactly. Even the good characters make mistakes, obviously. Tripp tried to kill Kayla lol. JJ made a bad decision as a cop and nearly killed Theo. He might have done other stuff, too. 

I don't expect the good characters to never do anything morally bad. It's a soap. 

And Lucas kidnapping Sami just isn't that big of a deal for me personally. I really don't see how it could be even for Sami. EJ is the supposed love of her life and he raped her. Her standards aren't that high lol.

[DisneyBoy]

I just see it as the show is terribly written right now (sorry Emmys!) so 95% of the characters get a pass. No one is acting like themselves.

...in my head, I can even imagine a tolerable version of Paulina. She's got personally, but doesn't make me want to jump out a window. If only.

[RedElf]

A new character is joining the cast, played by Elia Cantu.  Rumor is that she is the daughter of Marcus Hunter, a former friend of Kayla and Steve.

[Pearson80]

9 hours ago, RedElf said:

A new character is joining the cast, played by Elia Cantu.  Rumor is that she is the daughter of Marcus Hunter, a former friend of Kayla and Steve.

Marcus was Steve's foster brother and they grew up together in the same orphanage.  I remember the show had a story where they delved into Marcus past and we found out that his parents were murdered by members of a white supremacist group in South Carolina.. It was a very dark story. 

Edited July 3, 2022 by Pearson80

[peachmangosteen]

11 hours ago, Pearson80 said:

I remember the show had a story where they delved into Marcus past and we found out that his parents were murdered by members of a white supremacist group in South Carolina.. It was a very dark story. 

Oh shit lol. That seems like something Ron might wanna delve into so he can tell himself he's honoring the history of Days and also being current and provocative or something.

[CanaryFan98]

ThoseWereTheDAYS on Twitter: "Well that's that mystery solved! #Days https://t.co/5fdIsrCRhx" / Twitter

[Jaded]

[CanaryFan98]

@Jaded How did you post that tweet? It doesn't show up for me. 

Casey Moss(JJ) apparently has already left(I'm guessing Monday was his last episode). 

So it sounds like Matt/Cady also left too since they don't appear in upcoming spoilers. 

[peachmangosteen]

9 minutes ago, CanaryFan98 said:

@Jaded How did you post that tweet? It doesn't show up for me. 

If you click the little arrow thing on the bottom right of a tweet, then ‘copy link,’ and then just paste it into the post, it should show up.

[Retired at last]

Is Jan done for now, since she won't be found in the water? She will most likely be on the run and come back at some unfortunate time. So, in the meantime, will Shelle get back together and raise the baby? I guess just until it is time for Orpheus/Evan to drop the big news.

ETA - since this baby doesn't have anything to do with Shawn or Belle, why are we supposed to care? I wonder if the stupid writers have a plan for what Orpheus plans to do?

Edited July 8, 2022 by Retired at last

[SouthernChick]

Ali Sweeney’s last air date is July 15. That was a short visit!

[Artsda]

Why are they catering to her coming & going, but all the others they won't?

[JBC344]

8 minutes ago, Artsda said:

Why are they catering to her coming & going, but all the others they won't?

She is/was the star of the show for many years. Her frequent visits boost ratings. I think with Allison, she misses Days but would be just fine if she left it permanently. She has accomplished/ carved out exactly what she wants to do with her partnership w/ Hallmark. 

I think their arrangement works because they basically call her up once or twice a year to come in at various times and she says yes or no depending on her schedule. 

With other actors I think both Days and said actors would need more of a commitment.  Ironically it is probably easier to accommodate Allison then say a Victoria or Lamon. While Victoria and Lamon may have other projects they would still "need" Days to be a significant job for them in the midst of other things. Therefore making it hard for the writers to both keep them employed enough but also fit their absences into the overall show.  

[WendyCR72]

21 minutes ago, JBC344 said:

She is/was the star of the show for many years. Her frequent visits boost ratings. I think with Allison, she misses Days but would be just fine if she left it permanently. She has accomplished/ carved out exactly what she wants to do with her partnership w/ Hallmark. 

I think their arrangement works because they basically call her up once or twice a year to come in at various times and she says yes or no depending on her schedule. 

With other actors I think both Days and said actors would need more of a commitment.  Ironically it is probably easier to accommodate Allison then say a Victoria or Lamon. While Victoria and Lamon may have other projects they would still "need" Days to be a significant job for them in the midst of other things. Therefore making it hard for the writers to both keep them employed enough but also fit their absences into the overall show.  

Well, I'm not sure I buy the ratings argument. They are in the toilet. Yes, the other three soaps aren't doing much better, but if the argument that some can be "chosen" and accommodated while others cannot, well...I call bullcrap.

Yes, Ali Sweeney has other irons in the fire, but if the writers can disrupt various events to shoehorn Sami in and out, there is absolutely no reason why other actors and characters cannot be written in kind, except for laziness on Ron's part.

[Pearson80]

5 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

Yes, Ali Sweeney has other irons in the fire, but if the writers can disrupt various events to shoehorn Sami in and out, there is absolutely no reason why other actors and characters cannot be written in kind, except for laziness on Ron's part.

Ron is also unimaginative and stale. He writes the same story over and over again.

I am so tired of the Sami show and her stupid antics. It was fine when she was a teenager but she is a mother of 4 and a grandmother of 2.  Can't Sami grow a bit just once? 

[peachmangosteen]

AS is a huge part of Days, the other 2 are just blips on the radar. They can't waste what little time and money they have on people who don't want to commit and whose characters just aren't that important lol. It makes sense to me.

[Irlandesa]

Plus, AS is probably giving them defined availability. For the past few years, she has developed and produced her own content for Hallmark.  She does DOOL when she's not doing that.

For LA, VK...etc., I suspect they would drop DOOL if they got offered a better gig.  I don't blame them after how DOOL has played fast and loose with contracts but they aren't going to be able to say "I'll be available in March, July, and October." 

At some point, though, they can't keep doing it and tie her tightly to a like EJ.  It's unfair to anything they'd like to build with him.  The actor is good enough and has chemistry with so many other performers--more than he has with AS--that to have her presence rock his life every time she shows up hamstrings building new stories that would be popular and consistently available.

[Peanut6711]

I think they should un-do EJ as EJ. As in they should do a John Black type story where NuEJ turns out to be an imposter sent by someone unknown to infiltrate the Dimera family/gain access.  Then not-EJ could pursue a story of trying to find out who he really is/who brainwashed him. It would allow him to be hooked up with other people without ruining Ejami as well as open the door for a background story/different family that's not connected to other Salem families.  It would also give Sami an excuse for future exits and returns as she goes searching for the real EJ. And it would provide a better Dimera storyline than the revolving door of CEOs.  They could be left wondering if it was one of them or someone from the outside.  

[Retired at last]

8 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

AS is a huge part of Days, the other 2 are just blips on the radar.

Actually, I think she WAS a big part. Now, her character is irrelevant and actually disruptive to any story. They cater to her when she is there and make her stories all the same with her over-the-top behavior (Sami's, not Allison's) and she really doesn't fit into any of the stories anymore. Her kids are either grown or never seen and the back and forth between Lucas and EJ was over (for me) a long time ago. 

The way they write for characters and storylines, it makes sense for the actors to find other work in the meantime since they are featured for a short time and then off for weeks, so if they could make it work to be on-and-off, then that's great. But, there are now so many who want that, and I totally understand how to would be impossible to schedule, especially with their ridiculous taping schedule. 

[CanaryFan98]

4 hours ago, Peanut6711 said:

I think they should un-do EJ as EJ. As in they should do a John Black type story where NuEJ turns out to be an imposter sent by someone unknown to infiltrate the Dimera family/gain access.  Then not-EJ could pursue a story of trying to find out who he really is/who brainwashed him. It would allow him to be hooked up with other people without ruining Ejami as well as open the door for a background story/different family that's not connected to other Salem families.  It would also give Sami an excuse for future exits and returns as she goes searching for the real EJ. And it would provide a better Dimera storyline than the revolving door of CEOs.  They could be left wondering if it was one of them or someone from the outside.  

This is way better which means we'll never see it. 

Sami's love life is the least interesting thing about her. Invite her for major family events like weddings/funerals sure or meddle in the lives of her children if I have to be subjected to her.  However let Lucas and EJ move on with their lives with other love interests especially if the woman they're fighting over is only available for part of the year.

[Rafael]

I am so over the moon !!!

Ben and Ciara are finally gone !!!

Good riddance !!!!

[SouthernChick]

Since Ali was only back for 8 days (!!) , they should have just let her marry Lucas and then leave town with him. That way both Lucas and Sami can come back when Ali returns. They should have never made Lucas the kidnapper.

[Irlandesa]

8 hours ago, Peanut6711 said:

 Then not-EJ could pursue a story of trying to find out who he really is/who brainwashed him. It would allow him to be hooked up with other people without ruining Ejami as well as open the door for a background story/different family that's not connected to other Salem families.

EJami started as a rape.  IMO, you can't "ruin" a story that started so rotten. 

There's no need to tie Sami so closely to EJ.  She is a character that doesn't need a THE ONE relationship.  And with the new actor, it's the opportunity to break that character free as well.

6 minutes ago, SouthernChick said:

Since Ali was only back for 8 days (!!) , they should have just let her marry Lucas and then leave town with him. That way both Lucas and Sami can come back when Ali returns. They should have never made Lucas the kidnapper.

Yes!  They very specifically DO connect Lucas to Sami.  Brian is only brought back to the show if Ali is around.  And it does feel like they do it every time she comes back.  Keeping their stories aligned would make more sense than trying to do something with EJ every time.

[tribeca]

Lucas should tell Sami about the kidnapping.  Sami should forgive Lucas and say screw EJ. 
 

ETA

Love the story suggestion of EJ not being EJ.  He does not seem like the EJ I remember.  He does not have the darkness about him. This is why IMO fans seem to think he is so innocent and forget what he has done to people in the past.  
   
 

Edited July 11, 2022 by tribeca

[Pearson80]

2 hours ago, tribeca said:

Lucas should tell Sami about the kidnapping.  Sami should forgive Lucas and say screw EJ. 

 I would love for Sami to laugh and say that she knew  all along and she just did not care because she is the last person to judge anyone on scheming and lying to get what she wants..

[methodwriter85]

20 hours ago, tribeca said:

Love the story suggestion of EJ not being EJ.  He does not seem like the EJ I remember.  He does not have the darkness about him. This is why IMO fans seem to think he is so innocent and forget what he has done to people in the past.  
   
 

*Starts banging the Dan F. should have been an Eric Brady recast drum again*

[Rafael]

Megan's return is hella late . Atleast a decade too late  . Its not like Carlivati will do anything new or innovative with her . Anything she does could easily be done by Ava Vitale or Freakin Kristen . I would have been content if Miranda played fake Megan as part of a ruse to play mind games on Hope by convincing her that Megan was still alive.

Would have been better if Steve and John's kidnapper was Peter DiMera-  Blake  with Jason Brooks reprising the role. 

Edited July 13, 2022 by Rafael

[methodwriter85]

God, I miss how hot men looked in the early/mid-90's. Such a great time for male beauty.

Edited July 13, 2022 by methodwriter85

[Frozendiva]

Dayscafe reports that Melanie will return. Same actress.

[nilyank]

11 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

Dayscafe reports that Melanie will return. Same actress.

Ah the first woman that Chad fell in love with and asked to marry him.

Edited July 14, 2022 by nilyank

[FilmTVGeek80]

On 7/11/2022 at 10:50 AM, Pearson80 said:

 I would love for Sami to laugh and say that she knew  all along and she just did not care because she is the last person to judge anyone on scheming and lying to get what she wants..

I would probably never complain (well maybe abstain for a couple of months) about Ron’s writing if he had done something like this, but of course that hack isn’t capable of writing character growth or actual originality. 

[CanaryFan98]

2 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

Dayscafe reports that Melanie will return. Same actress.

I hated Melanie but is this for good or just a visit? Makes me wonder if something happens to Victor I could see her returning to town to console Maggie. 

I admit her last visit wasn't completely awful but I don't want her to return full time either.

[DisneyBoy]

Philip had better return too. His exit was terrible. I would think his father's death would be a good reason to sneak back to Salem but I don't know how the actor feels about the show. He left somewhat suddenly.

I got really tired of Melanie's tics when she was with Brady. She's a decent actress though. A shame she reminds me of Daniel, who I'd rather forget entirely.

[Retired at last]

So, we'll have Baby Melanie and Baby Sarah both on the show????? That's too much.

[Artsda]

Oh no not Melanie. Gabi can try to blow her up again, I won't mind.