Spoilers And Shockers

[Kitty Redstone]

Thanks for posting those fan event videos.  I bet everyone there had so much fun!

 

Poor James Scott.  He clearly feels like the writers (and producers?) of Days screwed him personally through the direction they took EJ, and I'd agree with him.  Abby was/ is an anchor for several reasons.

[TigerLynx]

Brady was smart once to.  That was years ago.

 

I really like Jen Lilley, and I wish they would do more with her character.

 

I was watching some clips from years ago, and I was reminded again of why I hated Sami and Kate getting paired up with EJ and Stefano.  These women did not need to be rescued by anyone.  No matter what happened they were survivors.  It annoys me to no end that I'm supposed to believe Sami and Kate working together would worry about what EJ or Stefano would do to them.  If Kate and Sami poisoned and shot Stefano, EJ, and Kristen, tossed their bodies in the river, then set them on fire when they turned up alive, NO ONE in Salem would care.  When Sami shot EJ in the head, Rafe, Bo, Roman, Hope, and Abe were doing everything possible to cover for her.

[bantering]

If JS could be that blunt at a fan event, I imagine he would have been waaaaaay more blunt behind the scenes. Therefore, I don't get why the writers kept thinking he might stay on the show, and put a lot of bets on the Ejabby storyline working out long-term. (I'm not saying he was criticizing the Ejabby storyline directly -- what I mean to say is that if he had made it that clear that he really was going, I don't know why they wrote both the Ejabby and Ejami storylines as in such a way as to not have a proper conclusion for either of the coupling. The Ejabby thing still seems up in the air as Abigail has weird PTSD about supply closet sex, making it seem as though that coupling could still go on. ) When he's using the F-word, he doesn't sound like he's bluffing about what his thoughts might be.

 

I wonder if they'd ask him back now though.

Edited August 31, 2014 by bantering

[TigerLynx]

If they wanted JS to stay, they should have given him not just a better SL, but a new direction for the character.  JS likes EJ dark, and the writers could have easily had Sami leave EJ over Eric/Kristen.  Instead of EJ actually knowing what Kristen did, EJ could have found out when the video was played at the Brady/Kristen non-wedding.  Sami not believe EJ didn't know before, leave EJ, and take the children with her when she left Salem.  That would have sent EJ off the deep end, and I think JS would have done really great with the material.

[Sidney]

Good riddance.

[shesajar]

If they wanted JS to stay, they should have given him not just a better SL, but a new direction for the character.  JS likes EJ dark, and the writers could have easily had Sami leave EJ over Eric/Kristen.  Instead of EJ actually knowing what Kristen did, EJ could have found out when the video was played at the Brady/Kristen non-wedding.  Sami not believe EJ didn't know before, leave EJ, and take the children with her when she left Salem.  That would have sent EJ off the deep end, and I think JS would have done really great with the material.

Acting is a job, though. An actor shouldn't deliver only when he likes the story or the direction of the character. I doubt that AZ liked playing a school marm in the making while Nicole pined away for Eric, but she didn't let it affect the quality of her performance. LK can't possibly like Kate chasing after Rafe, hiding under Jordan's bed, etc, but she didn't let it show onscreen. JS shouldn't have, either, and that's why I'm glad he's leaving.

[bantering]

I can't really tell what JS  (or any other actor for matter) is thinking when he acts. I might guess sometimes, but overall I don't think I actually know when they hate something (for example, I have no idea what AS thinks of her storylines and characterization).  When Marlena can't move her face, I assume that's because of her botox, not because she hates her storyline. In the end,  I think JS acts out what he's supposed to accordingly. After the fact, we learned that he hated the Taylor storyline, but during the actual execution of it I didn't know what his actual thoughts about it were, and even when I watch clips now I can't really tell that he had an opposition to the pairing. It's pretty much the writers who confuse me, which is why no matter how charismatic LK might be, I don't really understand her Rafe storyline. But I put the blame on the writers for thinking that putting Kate under her ex-lover's girlfriend's bed somehow makes sense. Don't even get me started on the characterization of Stephano. I can tell JM can act, but it's not like anything Stephano ever does really makes sense to me. And, uh, then there's Brady. From that video it seems EM is a funny fellow, but I don't think even Paul Newman could make Brady look smart.

 

Nonetheless, there are certain actors who I think are pretty bad no matter what, like GG, but after seeing him in that video, I'm now wondering how terrible he'd actually be on another show. It did seem like he has an awareness of Rafe's stupidity where the cheating was concerned.

 

Edited to add:

 

I think actors do have to make certain concessions during their storylines (since Days is the bottom of the barrel obviously), but when the contract is up, I do think the writers/producers  have to take into consideration how they might actually keep the actors they want around, because past the expiry date of their contracts none of these actors have an obligation to stay. And if all of them are walking out the door and others don't want to come back (for example, Peter Reckell?) I'd try as a writer to make the writing way less stupid than this show offers. If JS was complaining about the writing of certain movie scripts that Leonardo Dicaprio has chosen to take on,  yeah, I'd think he was expecting too much. But since this is Days, I don't see how anyone could really find fault with what he's saying. The writing for the characters on this show IS dumb and finding Oscar quality acting on this show would be impossible to find as a result. The only reason most of us watch it is because of sentimental/emotional attachment. I'd be shocked to find out that there is actually a viewer out there who watches Days for quality drama. Who knows, maybe Julia Roberts does.

Edited September 1, 2014 by bantering

[TigerLynx]

JS almost didn't renew his contract in 2011 because he didn't like the writing.  There have been times where I thought JS was phoning it in, not as bad as CM did at the end of his time, but then there are times, I wonder if the actors/actresses aren't sure which direction the SL is going.

 

AS did not like the SL of Sami shooting EJ in the head, she didn't like that Sami/Lucas were married so briefly and divorced after the years of build up, and she did not like the grief sex SL.  However, she did her job anyway.

 

I can understand the actors/actresses being confused when characteristics they have had for years are suddenly tossed out the door.  Sami did a lot of horrible things, but she wasn't a cheater.  EJ's motivation for years was his obsession with Sami, and then he just casually throws it away to cheat with the babysitter.

 

I know LK has tweeted how much she enjoys working with AS, and she loves their current SL, however, she hasn't said a lot about the Rafe/Jordan stuff.

[bantering]

Even though Days is a soap opera, I don't think the writing really HAS to be THAT bad.  The show could at least make the episodes move from point A to point B to point C and keep a certain amount of continuity. When the actors have to play certain scenes ambiguously because the writers have no idea where they want to take a storyline despite the fact that they've mapped out the story for 6 months, that's rather weird to me.

 

Maybe the writers assume we don't watch every single scene (and some of the times I don't), and therefore we won't notice when episodes go from Point A to Point G without any explanation of how the points moved. (However now Youtube exists! I can go back when I think I've missed something).  Because of AS's exit, I suppose I've paid more attention to the Ejabby storyline and it's connection to the Ejami stuff than I would have normally, but it was really weird to watch how that storyline went all over the place with no real explanation for why the storyline was going one place, and then suddenly another. What's even more frustrating now is that the stuff that jumpstarted the storyline and could have played a role now in bringing some drama (i.e EJ sleeping with Abigail to cover up the Nick problem) now seems to have been largely forgotten.

Edited September 2, 2014 by bantering

[QuelleC]

 

What's even more frustrating now is that the stuff that jumpstarted the storyline and could have played a role now in bringing some drama (i.e EJ sleeping with Abigail to cover up the Nick problem) now seems to have been largely forgotten.

It's strange that hasn't been brought up.  Cheeses they pay writers who don't know the show?

[bantering]

If someone could let Abigail know what EJ's initial motivation for sleeping with her was, maybe she'd stop the delusion that she and EJ bonded over art and literature. Although even then I'm not sure if she'd get it....

Still, I was hoping for a public scene where the reason comes out and everyone, including Abigail, looks shocked, because I thought shocked faces were supposed to happen on soap operas.

[Petunia13]

With them casting Maggie's daughter of course that means more screen time for that horrible Maggie (atrocious character, mediocre and 80's looking actress) and the awful Dan. Damn!!!!

I'm all for a new youngish female lead since Abby is absolute shit. And I'm sick of always seeing this freak fuck up Salem with her stupidity and selfish ass ways. Couldn't they have brought back Chelsea or Stephanie instead? Booooooo!

[bantering]

I wonder why the writers don't just divide the time up equally between the young "leads" to see who catches on, and then adjust to the audience's likes rather than trying to insist we like someone because, uh, there are no other choices.

 

When Carrie and Sami were on, I don't really remember one actress dominating over the other. It seemed like a yin and yang thing between them where both got equal air-time while at the same time allowing one character's goodness to react to the other character's badness, and vice versa. That seemed to happen in the other female interactions as well -- Hope and Billie or Marlena and Kristen, for instance. Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I don't really remember feeling that one lady was on so much  that I'd wonder why she was on my tv screen everyday. (Maybe ED was on a lot, but she was playing four different versions of two characters, I think, so it didn't really seem like an overload of Kristen).  Then again, it also seemed like the characters were actually doing things in between slaps rather than just lounging around, whining about failing to find job references. I suppose I do remember feeling annoyed by John, but that was only because his acting seemed to get worse over time rather than anything else. Despite the baaaaad acting, his character never really seemed unlikable.

Edited September 3, 2014 by bantering

[TigerLynx]

I'm a Sami fan.  There were times I liked her with Brandon, Lucas, and Rafe, and there were times I didn't.  The writers could have done something different this time around with Sami/EJ, but they didn't.  EJ says he loves Sami, and she is his priority, but his actions never follow those words.  AS/Sami has been on the show for over 22 years, and she deserved a better send off than being stuck having the same repetitive scenes with EJ and the boring twit, and being blamed for what they did.

 

AS did say she didn't like Sami cheating, shooting EJ in the head, or waffling back and forth between Rafe, Lucas, and EJ.  She also tweeted that there were several questions Sami should have asked EJ (one of them being about the unprotected sex), but that didn't happen.

 

A lot of the Ejamis didn't like this SL either, and they stopped watching.

 

I wouldn't want Sami with Brandon, Lucas, Rafe, or any other guy that blamed her for their cheating.

Edited September 3, 2014 by TigerLynx

[Guest]

I wonder why the writers don't just divide the time up equally between the young "leads" to see who catches on, and then adjust to the audience's likes rather than trying to insist we like someone because, uh, there are no other choices.

 

This is the problem when a show is six months ahead.  Unless the people behind the scenes can figure out something isn't working on their own, they can't adjust.  They are making a huge bet that they know who will catch on.

 

JS stopped filming the first of May and we're still wondering if the writing it that bad or if they haven't reached the point when they accepted JS was leaving yet.

 

I think this is also why time crawls and the story meanders and drops a lot of the interesting story beats.  I bet as budgets got trimmed, a lot of continuity checks and adjustment were made based on social media feedback or even just what was in soap magazines reminding them of six weeks ago.  Now they are six months removed and need something more structured to keep track of where they are and what has happened but don't have the money or people for it and can't even fall back on social media for reminders.  They compensate by a day lasting for weeks but even that isn't enough.

[QuelleC]

I thought they knew when they made the pregnancy fail and the wedding was postponed.  JMHO as a viewer but there seemed to be a big break in the story then. That's why I thought JS gave them his final decision in about Nov.

Edited September 4, 2014 by QuelleC

[TigerLynx]

I think Corday and the writers thought they might get JS, AS, or both to change their minds so they moved forward with this SL (even though it was very unpopular) right up to the very last minute.  Now if anything gets resolved, it will be rushed, and won’t make any sense at all.

[Rick Kitchen]

New!Chad is coming back next Friday.

[QuelleC]

I just heard Susan will make an appearance and I hope she embarrasses Eej. 

[LeftPhalange]

 

New!Chad is coming back next Friday.

 

I thought the actor was just hired a few weeks ago?

[TigerLynx]

There is an interview in SOD with AS.  It looks like Sami may consider reconciling with EJ.  Why did the writers even bother with this SL if they are going to simply put Sami back with her abuser?  That explains AS' tweet about there being a lot of questions Sami should have confronted EJ with, but they didn't happen.

[LeftPhalange]

:(

[Rick Kitchen]

I thought the actor was just hired a few weeks ago?

 

He was hired quite a while ago, there was an auction several months ago where the winning prize was a script page signed by all of the cast members and his signature was on the page.

[DisneyBoy]

SUSAN COMING BACK!!!!

 

Can't express how happy I am to hear that.  ED was clearly open to reprising the role so I'm annoyed at how long they took to write her in. Better late than never?

 

I just hope they invest in some decent special effects makeup.  Remember: Kristin's first words to EJ upon returning after 15 years were that Susan wouldn't look anywhere near as good as her.

Question - where did you hear this spoiler?  Is it legit?

[Rick Kitchen]

Well, the spoilers are saying "somebody from EJ's past".

[Petunia13]

There is an interview in SOD with AS. It looks like Sami may consider reconciling with EJ. Why did the writers even bother with this SL if they are going to simply put Sami back with her abuser? That explains AS' tweet about there being a lot of questions Sami should have confronted EJ with, but they didn't happen.

I was pretty angry about this when I read it. It just makes no sense to me. Anyhow they kiss and now she's on the fence about taking him back and says she still cares. What in Frankenfuck are they doing with this woman? He's a scumbag.

I thought the spoiler about someone from EJs past returning to Salem was either Susan or Chad. I know Chad was recently cast though so I'm confused.

Edited September 7, 2014 by Petunia13

[QuelleC]

I'm sorry, I read it on a FB page someone runs and they are pretty reliable so I'm going to double check the source.  I hope it's true.  I also heard Kristen is only going to be around a couple of months, is that right?

 

ETA I just saw screen shots of NuChad's arm around Abby so I guess they get together.  Also one of NuChat slapping Eej big time.  Wow, so a love triangle with Bollie?  They won't take KM off the screen anytime soon, will they.  I'm sorry if you already knew this, I don't look for spoilers but I don't freak out if I find one either.

Edited September 7, 2014 by QuelleC

[Rick Kitchen]

Word I read was that Kristen would be back for three months, total.

[Rick Kitchen]

Billy Flynn on Chad's return:

 

http://daytimeconfidential.com/2014/09/07/billy-flynn-chads-days-return-hes-spending-time-stefano/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

 

 

With Chad coming back, everything is a chess game, and everyone in Salem is a pawn. He’s going to use anybody he absolutely can. He’s come back in the picture and he’s ready to assert his place as a prominent member of the DiMera family.

 

Sounds like Chad will be taking EJ's place as the town bad guy.

[LeftPhalange]

Ugh. I just want EJ and The Mistress to be left in ruins or dead. Instead, it looks like EJ is going to get a HEA with his obsession and The Mistress is going to have Chad kissing her ass again. They're giving me fewer and fewer reasons to watch after Sami leaves.

[Rick Kitchen]

The spoilers look like Chad may be hooking up with Jordan.

[bantering]

That will certainly make Chad interesting to Abigail. 

[ShadowSixx]

Right, Abby doesn't pursue a man unless he's interested in someone else. We can only hope that Ben/Kevin/Ollie finds another woman to be interested in as well. How about Anne?

[LeftPhalange]

 

Her abuser, right?  Well, EJ will have to stand in line behind Lucas for that title.  But I forgot all of the crap he pulled is forgiven/forgotten and demoralizing and belittling ways he treats her don't count.

 

Lucas has never raped Sami, replaced her husband with an imposter and had raped her again (repeatedly) by proxy, tried to kidnap her kids and let her think they were dead, tried to get her to marry him under false pretenses, isn't a member of a family who has tried to ruin the lives of everyone in her family for decades, doesn't have extreme daddy issues, hasn't cheated on her with some worthless piece of trash and then practically blamed her for it, and hasn't lied and manipulated her every chance he gets. So yes, Lucas is a step up, along with Rafe, Brandon, and Austin.

[shesajar]

It's been years since Sami and Lucas did terrible things to one another and we got to see them resolve their differences. That makes a huge difference to me. Since then, outside of some bickering over Sami making dumb decisions that put her and their kids' lives in danger, they've managed to not plot against or try to kill one another. There's more mutual respect and affection present in their friendship than we've ever seen in EJ and Sami's so-called love affair.

If Sami and EJ reconcile after this, it will be a mere weeks after Sami discovered EJ's betrayal and she plotted to send him to prison and destroy him financially; both will deserve whatever they get in the future, and it ain't going to be an HEA. Not with those two.

Edited September 8, 2014 by shesajar

[LeftPhalange]

It's been years since EJ did bad stuff Sami, and they've talked it out, but we still hold that stuff over EJ's head.

 

EJ cheating on Sami and practically blaming her for why he humped that piece of garbage happened only a few months ago. EJ is a scumbag and Sami will never be able to completely trust him. I can only hope that we're being mislead and she won't really end up with that bastard.

Edited September 8, 2014 by LeftPhalange

[radishcake]

OK guys this is getting a little strident so make sure you remember that everyone is entitled to their opinion and Monday mornings are just hard all over!

Here's a bunny to cheer you!

[TigerLynx]

I want the bunny for my pet.

 

I wish Sami’s final scenes had been her laughing in EJ’s face at the jail, exposing the boring twit with a video where she begs to be EJ’s mistress at the Gala, and then Sami leaving Salem with her children after saying goodbye to everyone else.  That would have been a great send off for AS.

Edited September 8, 2014 by TigerLynx

[drtslim]

Right, Abby doesn't pursue a man unless he's interested in someone else. We can only hope that Ben/Kevin/Ollie finds another woman to be interested in as well. How about Anne?

 

If Chad hooks up with Jordan and Ben/Kevin/Ollie hooks up with _____________, Abby will have quite a chore trying to decide which one to pursue.  She'll probably pick the one that seems to be in the more committed relationship.

[TigerLynx]

JS last day is October 10th.

 

AS last day is October 31st.

 

I still have hope EJ dies, and Sami leaves Salem with her children.

[LeftPhalange]

Sami is leaving on Halloween. Interesting. 

[shesajar]

If they reconcile, and EJ dies, I don't think I can take 3 weeks of Sami as the grieving widow.

[Rick Kitchen]

There are spoilers that a death will be faked.  Speculation is that EJ will be presumed to have died, but Sami leaves town to be with him.

[Rick Kitchen]

Days is looking for an African-American actress for a contract role:

 

http://daytimeconfidential.com/2014/09/10/days-lives-places-casting-call/

[sunnyheart]

If they reconcile, and EJ dies, I don't think I can take 3 weeks of Sami as the grieving widow.

God, me neither. It will be endless. I'm just not up for it.  My secret wish is that he's dead for real and Sami and Kate are the ones who did it.

[TigerLynx]

I would love love love it if Sami and Kate were playing EJ so he will help them with Stefano, and then after Stefano and Kristen are in prison, Sami/Kate kill EJ, and get away with it.  However, that never happens on this show.  Instead, no matter what the Dimeras do, they always get a free pass.

[sunnyheart]

However, that never happens on this show.  Instead, no matter what the Dimeras do, they always get a free pass.

Because Stefano KNOWS ALL AND HAS FORESEEN THE OUTCOME! Too bad none of his kids have his abilities.

[boes]

I've read that NuChad comes back to Salem with vengence in his heart for Abigail.  SING IT, CHAD!  Finally, somebody who is ready to read that hypocrite the riot act.  And after what she put him through because he beat Cameron to the finish line and was first up at bat for her golden HooHaw.  What hell she put him and Cam through for the worst three minutes of his life.

 

So while I know it won't last, and I know we'll have to listen to Jenn and Maggie howl and screech because someone isn't praising Abigail, I'm going to love love love watching him torture that Cabbage Patch horror.  Finally, someone besides Sami.

[bantering]

I don't think I have an actual investment in whether EJ and Sami get back together since the writing has moved from A to Z, with all of the other letters missing in-between,  but if they do, I wouldn't mind someone rubbing Abigail's face in their re-unification. Maybe I'll leave this up to Ciara....Something good (i.e making that smirk drop off Abigail's face) needs to come out of this mess and horrible writing.

 

For some reason, I think Nu-Chad will soften towards Abigail. I don't know why I think this. But I assume she'll start stuttering and then he'll feel bad for her. She has this weird stutter (which I don't recall being there when she first started on this show) that seems to make people waste their time listening to her. Maybe the stutter makes it seem as if she's on the verge of saying something earth-shattering. Even Sami will waste her time listening to Abigail go on and on....

Edited September 15, 2014 by bantering

[sunnyheart]

The SOD/SID/promo and spoilers for next week pretty much make it clear that Sami and EJ get back together.

At this point, I'm just ready for them both to be gone. I honestly don't care how they go, only that they do.