Days of Our Lives - rants, spoilers, laughs

[cwoody222]

New Behind the Scenes at Days weekly TiVoCast! :)

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=364324

[cwoody222]

Will someone please buy the Days writers a thesaurus? I've never heard the word "vendetta" so much in my life!

So, the new producer has been onboard for awhile. He promised all aspects of the show - writing, sets, acting, lighting, etc. would improve and we'd see a vastly improved DOOL. I don't notice much difference at all. :(

[JYoung]

Will someone please buy the Days writers a thesaurus? I've never heard the word "vendetta" so much in my life!

So, the new producer has been onboard for awhile. He promised all aspects of the show - writing, sets, acting, lighting, etc. would improve and we'd see a vastly improved DOOL. I don't notice much difference at all. :(


Well, the writing has been better under Sheffer than Reiley.

I'm a bit surprised they killed off John but Belle jumping into bed with Phillip is pushing me towards deleting the SP.

[Peter000]

Days has been turned upside-down. Belle is a bad girl, while Sammy is the martyr?

And I think it's a rule, once three people have publicly proclaimed (in one episode no less) they'd kill a character given the chance, that said character has to be murdered (or appear to be murdered) within no less than 4 episodes.

[SnakeEyes]

Yesterday's "Queen of the night" line made me cheer. Just had to say it. At some point Marlena is going to realize where she belongs.

[nirisahn]

Yesterday's "Queen of the night" line made me cheer. Just had to say it. At some point Marlena is going to realize where she belongs.
Are you saying Marlena belongs with Stefano?! It would get Sammi off the hook, though. Then she could go back to Lucas and they could have a custody fight with EJ over Johnny.

I still can't believe they killed off John Black. Although, with John dead, maybe Marlena can go back to Roman. But then Sammi's not off the hook.

Phillip needs to get over himself. I thought he'd learned his lesson after Chloe. At least he said he did.

Don't you love soap operas!

[DancnDude]

I haven't watched in quite awhile, but this bump had me thinking: what effect does the writer's strike have on soaps like DOOL? It seems like they would have a bunch of scripts written, but since there are never reruns and they show 5 a week that they would be running out fairly soon.

[cwoody222]

Yes, soap will run out soon. During the last strike, producers of some shows wrote the scripts themselves. Supposedly some of them were horrible. (worse than usual ;) )

[DancnDude]

Yes, soap will run out soon. During the last strike, producers of some shows wrote the scripts themselves. Supposedly some of them were horrible. (worse than usual ;) )

Interesting! I bet the writers really loved having to write around all the holes the producers put them in after the strike was over :eek:

[cwoody222]

Can someone fill me in on what's going on with Stephanie?

She's having all these memories / flashbacks to being raped?! When did that supposedly happen? Do we know her attacker?

Did she tell her mom? If not, what was all that deal about her taking a pregnancy test and STD test?

I must not be paying attention during those scenes and I'm lost...

[SoBelle0]

Ford raped Stephanie one night... I don't recall exactly when. So, of course, that's the build up of the story - she's going to have to come forward at some point. It really ticked me off at first - how she was trying to push another person to speak up, stand up against this, etc... and yet she's off hiding in a corner with the same story to tell. But, whatever. I don't think she's told anyone at all. Her Mom knows that she may have been pregnant, but I don't think she knows anything more.

[nirisahn]

I think it was about the same time the Max first went out with the girl that won him in auction (can't remember her name), or maybe a little later when they kept hanging out together after that first date. Stephanie was jealous of the sorority sister going out with Max, so she went out with Ford. (This was before we find out that Ford raped Cordy.) Afterwards, she went to her Mom and wanted to know if her mother would hate her for having gone too far with someone on a casual date. They're shown together and there was no indication at that point that it was rape and not consensual.

[JYoung]

I got the impression that Stephanie was having problems remembering the whole thing, either due to the drugs or memory suppression.

[cwoody222]

I think it was about the same time the Max first went out with the girl that won him in auction (can't remember her name), or maybe a little later when they kept hanging out together after that first date. Stephanie was jealous of the sorority sister going out with Max, so she went out with Ford. (This was before we find out that Ford raped Cordy.) Afterwards, she went to her Mom and wanted to know if her mother would hate her for having gone too far with someone on a casual date. They're shown together and there was no indication at that point that it was rape and not consensual.

Ah... so it's revisionist history on behalf of the writers?

Naturally.

'Least I didn't miss anything. I was thinking "why don't I remember these flashbacks?!"

Do we (does Stefanie remember for sure) know that it was Ford for sure?

[katbug]

She's been seeing more and more of Ford in the "memories", which could be due to the other stuff going on (his raping other girls) or could be real memories. It will be interesting to see how they play it. Would be more interesting as a power-of-suggestion thing, but I don't think they'll go that way with it since Ford has mentioned "their night together". I can't remember when it happened, but I want to say it was around the time of the Halloween party, before Cordy admitted to being raped by him...but I'm sure it had to be before that 'cuz wasn't that the night they found out about the rape? Anyway, Steph did tell Kayla when it happened (just as a "went too far with a one-night-stand" kinda confession though).

As far as Marlena goes, I'd personally love to see her with Stephano. I'm sure I'm alone in this, but I've never liked the character and her holier-than-though demeanor, so having her married to Stephano would be a hoot. ;0) Just my (very lonely) opinion though, lol.

[cwoody222]

Did they replace the Asian sorority sister with another Asian actress?

Anyone else noticing more flashbacks than normal? I think they're stretching what scripts they have (due to the writer's strike).

Where's Victor? Was the actor fired?

And my official prediction is that John will return (either in spirit or real form) on Christmas Day.

[nirisahn]

I think Cordy was replaced a few weeks ago, but I can't be sure.

Days has always used a lot of flashbacks. They seem to go through phases where they do this. I wouldn't be surprised if the strike did prompt one of those phases.

Victor has been taking care of business in Europe for several months now. I don't know if the actor is on vacation or has been fired.

I wouldn't be surprised if John does return from the dead (again). Everytime they fire him, the ratings drop. If the ratings get low enough, they'll find a way to bring him back.

[JYoung]

John Anniston did a recent episode of Journeyman playing a "Victor" type.

And I figure that the "project" that Rolf is working on is either John or Bart.

[nirisahn]

Oh, please let it be Bart. He's the funniest person on that show! And it always amazed me that the DiMera's would keep around someone so bizarre and incompetent.

[cwoody222]

I think it's John. Brainwashed to be Stefano's Pawn again. And he'll have to go up against that woman who's Stefano's enemy who obviously is John's mom.

[JYoung]

Of course, not until Marlena hops in the sack with Roman again.

[cwoody222]

Of course, not until Marlena hops in the sack with Roman again.

Good point. And so true.

[topazgrll]

*Did they replace the Asian sorority sister with another Asian actress?*

Yes they did. I caught the episode where they announced the change and name of the new Cordy. I swore that the original was the girl from Real World. I realized it one night when my mom and I were watching DOOL. I had always thought she looked familiar and it just popped in my head. The original girl that played Cordy's name is Jamie Chung from Real World: San Diego.

For a slight change of subject. I really hope that Stephanie quits being crappy to Max and just tells him the truth. I mean I know that rape is really serious and can totally mess up your emotions but jeez! This guy [Max] helped bury Ford, (had to put on his clothes) and pretend to be him and leave the house, that way the sorority could have an alibi when people realize Ford is missing!! Isn't that good enough, he saved her [Stephanie] ass so she owes it to him to be nicer, or even better; tell him what is going on. Max likes Steph so much and I know he would help her through everything.
(Sorry but I get so worked up!!) lol :eek:

[cwoody222]

Not that this should come as any surprise to anyone...

go here: http://www.soapoperadigest.com/sod_currentcoverlg.jpg

[nirisahn]

cwoody222 - that should be spoilerized, please.

[cwoody222]

Really?

I mean, I did. And sorry and all. But really.... that's the most obvious Spoiler EVER!

PS Stefano's gonna come back from the dead too.. sometime in the future....

[losclrk]

Is anybody else already sick and tired of the EJ and Sami story. I liked EJ in the past when he was more mysterious. Now it's getting old.

[topazgrll]

Is anybody else already sick and tired of the EJ and Sami story. I liked EJ in the past when he was more mysterious. Now it's getting old.

I'm Tired of it too!! lol... and I just recently started watching Days. Anyway, I think EJ is hott (hehe :D) and he should find himself someone else. Sami is too whiny and she always goes hot and cold between EJ and Lucas. It's very annoying.

[topazgrll]

Omg that was so cute how Max watched over Steph so she could sleep, and then he cried a little... AW!! He is hott... lol. I have been waiting for this to happen. Maybe they will be Day's new super couple???... hmm

[cwoody222]

Max and Steph are gross together!

Max was adopted by Caroline and Shawn way back when (along with Frankie). So, by adoption, Max is Stephanie's (who's mother is Kayla, Shawn and Caroline's biological daughter) Uncle.

[nirisahn]

Max and Steph are gross together!

Max was adopted by Caroline and Shawn way back when (along with Frankie). So, by adoption, Max is Stephanie's (who's mother is Kayla, Shawn and Caroline's biological daughter) Uncle.

But they're not biologically related, so what's the big deal?

[cwoody222]

I don't know... why don't you sleep with your adopted Uncle (or Aunt) and let us know?

[nirisahn]

I have a guess as to who CB Dimera is

Coleen Brady. Between the initials and the Celtic warrior woman medallion, I can't imagine who else it could be.

[cwoody222]

TV Guide has some pretty big spoilers today:



First, Shirley Jones - yes, from the Partridge Family - has signed on for 6 episodes to play Colleen Brady.

Second, Shawn, Belle, Philip and Chloe travel to Ireland to rescue Belle & Shawn's daughter. There's a "huge reveal" that will "tie up over 20 years of story" about the Bradys and the Dimeras. We'll also learn the true identity of John Black. Then there's a quote from the actress who plays Belle saying that John will be revealed to be a Dimera but I'm unsure if that was tongue-in-cheek or not.

[JYoung]

TV Guide has some pretty big spoilers today:



First, Shirley Jones - yes, from the Partridge Family - has signed on for 6 episodes to play Colleen Brady.

Second, Shawn, Belle, Philip and Chloe travel to Ireland to rescue Belle & Shawn's daughter. There's a "huge reveal" that will "tie up over 20 years of story" about the Bradys and the Dimeras. We'll also learn the true identity of John Black. Then there's a quote from the actress who plays Belle saying that John will be revealed to be a Dimera but I'm unsure if that was tongue-in-cheek or not.




Well except,

Wasn't it just a year or two ago that they declared that John was actually the son of Daphne Dimera and therefore Tony's half brother?

[cwoody222]

Well, sure.

Except that John used to be Lawrence's brother before they made him Tony's half-brother and Lawrence's cousin.

They can rewrite history ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Black_%28fiction%29

[Martha]

How are soap operas continuing to put out new shows with the writer's strike going on?

[cwoody222]

They had some in the can. Most likely the Producers have taken up the writing duties.

Days has also been making frequent use of flashbacks which cuts back on original content needed per episode.

[Martha]

Thanks. I wonder how long they will be able to keep it up. 5 shows a week is a lot of material to write, even if the stories do move at a snail's pace.

[cwoody222]

This page indicates that scripts were completed thru January.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_the_2007_Writers_Guild_of_America_strike_on_televi sion

I assume that means that if we assume producers will take over the scripts that theirs haven't aired yet.

[JYoung]

BTW, who was the Bobby Bateman they had a "In Rememberence" card to at the end of Friday's episode?

edit
Apparently, Google is your friend.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080125120512AAgiwDS

[cwoody222]

Does anyone else subscribe to the Days TiVoCast? They're pretty bad. The latest one wasn't awful; I forget the subject matter though.

2 episodes ago they interviewed a security guard outside of the studio. On one hand I guess I could say it could have been an interesting and unique look behind-the-scenes of the show. Instead, it was an interview with a security guard. Hardly riveting stuff.

[nirisahn]

The TiVocasts have been pathetic. Then again, lately Days has been pathetic. Surprise, surprise, John's not dead. And Colleen's not dead. And John is Colleen's son. Not Tony's half brother, and not Lawrence Alamain's cousin or brother or whatever, and not Roman Brady back from the dead. What else has he been?

Why would the people working for CB DiMera think that Belle and Claire are safer with them? And if that's true, why are they acting like thugs and not just telling them what's going on and offering to put them in hiding?

I think this show has been on the air too long. They just don't know what to do with it anymore. But it's like a watching a trainwreck - you can't look away, you just keep watching!

[JYoung]

So how many plane crashes have they had on the show with the main characters involved?

[betativoII]

Apparently not enough...

I started watching DOOL in junior high school and stuck with it until I was just out of college. Other than watching just one day of it every once in a while, I just recently started watching it again on a regular basis and have some questions...

1) When and how did Lucas Roberts become Lucas Horton. I could almost undertand if he changed his name to Brady, but Horton?

2) How long have Tony and Anna been back in Salem? I knew that Pehnglis (sp) was back at one time, but just saw Anna for the first time the other day

3) What happened to Jack and Jennifer? I knew they were back for some time, but now they are gone again.

4) How did Chelsea come into the picture? I know Bo and Billie were married, but don't remember them having a daughter.

Some things (and people) I'd forgotten over the years...

Max and Frankie
Lexie being Stefano's daughter
Bo being Victor's son (yeah, I know...but like I said, it's been awhile)

And I always get a kick out of how quickly the kids grow up....Shawn Douglas, Max, Belle...they were all kids the last time I watched it on a regular basis.

[cwoody222]

Apparently not enough...

I started watching DOOL in junior high school and stuck with it until I was just out of college. Other than watching just one day of it every once in a while, I just recently started watching it again on a regular basis and have some questions...

1) When and how did Lucas Roberts become Lucas Horton. I could almost undertand if he changed his name to Brady, but Horton?



Kate had an affair with Bill Horton who is Lucas' father. Due to his estrangement to his mother (due to her inability to quit scheming against Sami), he goes by Horton.



2) How long have Tony and Anna been back in Salem? I knew that Pehnglis (sp) was back at one time, but just saw Anna for the first time the other day

That gets complicated. Pehngalis has been back for awhile but it was revealed that for years he was Andre pretending to be Tony. Since the 80's when Tony was "good", the real Tony was held on an island. They discovered this and rescued him over the summer. Phengalis then resumed playing "good Tony" and Andre died. At that time it was revealed that Anna had been living in Salem all this time and now she's back. She's barely a minor character; she has basically no story. Days loves to completely waste their classic star power.


3) What happened to Jack and Jennifer? I knew they were back for some time, but now they are gone again.


They're running the London (or someplace in Europe, I forget where) branch of the Spectator. I can't remember where Abby is... they aged her to be a part of the young teen stories (w/ Chelsea) but they wrote her out. She's either away at college or in Europe or somewhere.


4) How did Chelsea come into the picture? I know Bo and Billie were married, but don't remember them having a daughter.


In the storyline when Hope returned as Swamp Girl (in Aremid), Billie miscarried her daughter. Well, Stefano actually kidnapped the child who was not dead. After some time in Europe or somewhere she ended up with a foster family in Salem, naturally. It was Chelsea. Bo & Billie found this out. Chelsea, by accident, ran over and killed Bo & Hope's toddler Zack (the one switched at birth with Abe & Lexie's) but now all is forgiven.

[JYoung]

In the storyline when Hope returned as Swamp Girl (in Aremid), Billie miscarried her daughter. Well, Stefano actually kidnapped the child who was not dead. After some time in Europe or somewhere she ended up with a foster family in Salem, naturally. It was Chelsea.

Actually, it was Greta Von Amberg who was Swamp Girl, not Hope.
Hope was busy avoiding Franco Kelly.

[betativoII]

Thanks!

The wierd thing is that I vaguely remember bits and pieces of some of what you've just told me....like the whole swamp thing (in Louisiana, right?).

And I still can't stand John. Never have been able to. His facial expressions and sneers are horrible. I've been "listening" to the show more than watching it. While I'm at work I use my sports radio, which gets TV stations. I can tolerate listening to the John storyline, but when I'm at home watching it, I have to fast forward through his parts.

[trainman]

And I still can't stand John. Never have been able to. His facial expressions and sneers are horrible.

Gasp! You don't like...the eyebrow?

(I haven't seen "DOOL" in almost three years now, since I stopped closed-captioning it, but I still keep up with this thread just to see if anything ridiculous is happening.)

[cwoody222]

TV Guide has some spoilers about some others exiting the show, in addition to Grandpa Shawn who didn't make it in the place crash recently.


They're reporting that Belle, Shawn, Adrienne and Billie are all being written off.

[Peter000]

TV Guide has some spoilers about some others exiting the show, in addition to Grandpa Shawn who didn't make it in the place crash recently.


Adrienne and Billie are all being written off.


Didn't those two depart very recently?

I know Billie got that job with Victor's security firm in London. And I thought that Adrienne went back to be with Justin in Kuwait or somewhere like that.

[cwoody222]

Oh yea, I think you're right about Adrienne. I forgot about that scene.

Billie's gone? I must have FF'ed thru last.

[SoBelle0]

Any chance one of you could provide a quick recap/summary of what's gone on? I've not seen the show in a few weeks, and am so curious... plane crash? folks are leaving? What's up?!?!

Thanks!

[nirisahn]

With Grandpa Shawn gone, you just know that Caroline and Victor are going to wind up together.

I'm not surprised that Belle and Shawn are being written off. IMHO, they haven't known what to do with those characters for a while. Ever since they changed actors, the parts haven't worked, at least for me. I couldn't feel any chemistry between them, and they just weren't believable in the parts.

[JYoung]

And I still can't stand John. Never have been able to. His facial expressions and sneers are horrible. I've been "listening" to the show more than watching it. While I'm at work I use my sports radio, which gets TV stations. I can tolerate listening to the John storyline, but when I'm at home watching it, I have to fast forward through his parts.

[John Black]
(raises eyebrow)
I'm not going anywhere.
And that's a fact!
[/John Black]

[cwoody222]

Who's the mysterious woman that Steve is seeing?

When did we first see her and do we know who she is, if Steve knows who she is? Do we know why Steve is upset about her presence?

[JYoung]

Who's the mysterious woman that Steve is seeing?

When did we first see her and do we know who she is, if Steve knows who she is? Do we know why Steve is upset about her presence?

I'm not sure but could she be the woman Steve was involved with as "Nick Stockton" just before Kayla restored his memory?

[nirisahn]

I'm not sure but could she be the woman Steve was involved with as "Nick Stockton" just before Kayla restored his memory?
If she is, it's a different actress than the one who played her before. Then again, he was Nick Stockton for a long time, so he could have been involved with many women during that time, not just the one they showed when they first brought the character back.

[cwoody222]

So can someone explain to me why John suddenly has full access to Stefano's house and business records?

Poor writing? Or did I miss a throw-away line about him legally obtaining this access?

[nirisahn]

Poor writing. He decided he wanted to live in the mansion and just went there. He must have found the papers in the house. Then again, I'm two episodes behind, so he might have gotten hold of the lawyers at some point that I haven't seen yet.

[JYoung]

Nope, he just raised his eyebrow and walked in.

[betativoII]

I liked seeing the flashbacks of Bo and Kayla yesterday, but WOW....Kimberly? Talk about overdoing the cosmetic surgery!! I recognized her voice before I recognized her face. And I see she's as overdramatic as always....

[nirisahn]

I can't believe they brought back Nicole! Just how desparate are they for storylines? Yuck. And I was just starting to enjoy the show again.

Not sure I like the new Mickey Horton. I'm so used to the old one after so many years, it's hard to think of anyone else in the role.

I like Dr. Daniel. It'll be fun to see where his role leads.

And everyone's going to move in with John. Won't that be fun!

[cwoody222]

I LOVE Nicole! I thought she was great yesterday! Keep her around!


But I agree on Mickey. The new one was creepy!

[betativoII]

I missed new Mickey. He must have been in the episode I deleted the other day. It was boring, so I didn't finish it.

I missed the whole Nicole/Victor storyline. I recall turning it on once or twice during that time period, so I knew who she was. But I didn't watch enough to know what she was up to.

Liking Dr. Daniel, I must say.... ;)

[cwoody222]

Nicole was hired by Kate to marry Lucas. In order to keep Sami away. Lucas loved Nicole and hated Kate for doing it, once he found out. They got divorced.

Nicole, being a gold-digger, went after Victor. They got married. But she was fooling around all the time.

She's a huge drunk and a slut. She's a fun character!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Walker


I liked how they mentioned Philip's face-transplant! :)

[cwoody222]

Good stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xn57ozM99M

[betativoII]

Joe Penny as Martino Vitale....pretty good.

And I have to say...I love, love, LOVE Dr. Jonas!! Yummy! :)

It was fun seeing the old clips of Sammy yesterday. I fastforwarded through all of her dialog with John, though.

[Peter000]

Yeah, I watched about 5 minutes of yesterday's episode.

I'm feeling a slight "ew" pertaining to Dr. Daniel hooking up with Chelsea. Seems too much like robbing the cradle to me. And taking advantage of the Dr. Hero worship that Chelsea has. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye, I think.

[betativoII]

I'm feeling a slight "ew" pertaining to Dr. Daniel hooking up with Chelsea. Seems too much like robbing the cradle to me.

Agree 100%. However, he is the perfect age....for me!! :)

[cwoody222]

Yeah, I watched about 5 minutes of yesterday's episode.

I'm feeling a slight "ew" pertaining to Dr. Daniel hooking up with Chelsea. Seems too much like robbing the cradle to me. And taking advantage of the Dr. Hero worship that Chelsea has. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye, I think.

Agreed on both... robbing the craddle and more than meets the eye!

[JYoung]

Agreed on both... robbing the craddle and more than meets the eye!

Dr. Jonas comes across as a dirty old man to me.

[JYoung]

Please tell me that they aren't setting up Lexie for another affair.

[katbug]

Please tell me that they aren't setting up Lexie for another affair.

My thoughts exactly! Enough already, though I suppose they have to do something to keep her somewhat interesting. Maybe they should just split her and Abe up permanently before getting her involved again though.

I find myself skipping through much of the show again. Anyone else have this problem? I'm just bored with Steve/Kayla, Bo/Hope, John/Marlena, etc. The only storyline that really interests me is Sami and EJ and I'll tolerate a few others once in a while.

Oh and the vote for the most annoying storyline goes to: "Going Green". :down: Ugh, enough! I'm tired of it being shoved down my throat! I'm all for getting a message out subtly on occasion, but it's become more about environmental awareness than about the characters. Bleh!

[Peter000]

Oh and the vote for the most annoying storyline goes to: "Going Green". :down: Ugh, enough! I'm tired of it being shoved down my throat! I'm all for getting a message out subtly on occasion, but it's become more about environmental awareness than about the characters. Bleh!

Yeah, good lord that's irritating. And it's painfully obvious the actors are uncomfortable delivering those lines.

At least they're making a bit of a storyline out of it, with Nick's grant thing. Speaking of, I wish they'd let us in on what's going on with Max, instead of stringing the whole thing along. Dragging WAY too much with that plotline.

[nirisahn]

My thoughts exactly! Enough already, though I suppose they have to do something to keep her somewhat interesting. Maybe they should just split her and Abe up permanently before getting her involved again though.

I find myself skipping through much of the show again. Anyone else have this problem? I'm just bored with Steve/Kayla, Bo/Hope, John/Marlena, etc. The only storyline that really interests me is Sami and EJ and I'll tolerate a few others once in a while.

Oh and the vote for the most annoying storyline goes to: "Going Green". :down: Ugh, enough! I'm tired of it being shoved down my throat! I'm all for getting a message out subtly on occasion, but it's become more about environmental awareness than about the characters. Bleh!

Yeah, good lord that's irritating. And it's painfully obvious the actors are uncomfortable delivering those lines.

At least they're making a bit of a storyline out of it, with Nick's grant thing. Speaking of, I wish they'd let us in on what's going on with Max, instead of stringing the whole thing along. Dragging WAY too much with that plotline.
+1 on both comments. I'm all for going green, but I'm watching a soap, not DIY. Enough already! And the whole thing with Max and Nick is getting really old, really fast.

[betativoII]

I was wondering, is it possible that the dean is Max and Frankie's dad? I remember years ago when they appeared, but don't remember their background. Max sure seems fixated on that man, moreso than anything else.

[katbug]

Interesting thought, I hadn't even noticed the reaction to the dean, just thought it was to Nick's project, which still didn't make sense for Max to suddenly start freaking out as badly as he is. I hope they do something about it quickly though because it really is starting to be irritating instead of intriguing. I actually feel sorry for Steph...seems like she can't be in a good relationship without the guy turning into a jerk (which I hope they resolve very quickly with Max).

It's starting to feel like the writers get an idea and jump on it before having a clue where the storyline should go, then have to find a way around it...maybe a holdover issue from the writer's strike (though that's been a while)?

[betativoII]

I noticed it at Chez Rouge, when the dean showed up to give Nick his check. Max was just glaring at the guy. And suddenly, he is a (in his own words) "Rainman" with numbers?

I would love to know if any of you remember any history about Max and Frankie!

[katbug]

From http://www.soapoperafan.com/days/characters/index.html (wow, a neat guide to the characters!)
Max Brady came to Salem in 1987 with Frankie, he was running from his father Trent who beat him badly. Max and Frankie stayed with Caroline and Shawn, who later adopted them.
and
Frankie Brady came to Salem in 1986, with his little brother Max. Max wasn't actually related to Frankie, they were on the run from Max's father Trent. The Brady's gave Max and Frankie shelter, and eventually adopted them.

[betativoII]

Interesting. I didn't realize they were really related.

[nirisahn]

Frankie is actually Francois VonLeuschner. I don't remember how he and Max hooked up. I remember something about them living in a box when the Brady's took them in.

Days likes to keep reusing things. Frankie and Max lived in a box, Mimi lived in a box.
Almost half the characters on the show have had amnesia at some point in time. People keep getting kidnapped. And I'm soooo tired of "who's the daddy".

[katbug]

Ooh, that's right! He was Carly (Katerina VonLeuschner)'s brother! I'd forgotten all about that. Maybe they should start running the show from the beginning on SoapNet...give us a review! There were some great storylines that would be fun to revisit. Well, I probably wouldn't watch it all though, too many years to catch up on, but maybe a show that gives a weekly or monthly synopsis in one episode. That might be fun!

[JYoung]

So what's the over/under on Dr. (dirty old man) Jonas having slept with Kate?

[betativoII]

Days wasn't on here today (due to golf), so I have it set to record tonight on the Soap network. But I have wondered about that...

[cwoody222]

I was wondering, is it possible that the dean is Max and Frankie's dad?

Good call!

[nirisahn]

Good call!Well, Max's dad, anyway. Frankie's not related to them, he just took Max under his wing at some point.

[betativoII]

Well, Max's dad, anyway. Frankie's not related to them, he just took Max under his wing at some point.

Yep. It was only half of a good call.

[nirisahn]

Days gets interrupted here so often that I've started double recording it. I have season passes for both NBC (in HD) and Soapnet (just in case the HD showing gets interrupted). Most of the interruptions are weather alerts. We get lots and lots of weather alerts this time of year because of afternoon thunderstorms or hail storms. Or there might be tornados brewing out on the eastern plains. Yep, lots and lots of weather alerts.

[betativoII]

How about that 5 minute commercial for Midol? I was shocked, and don't think I've seen this done on Days before.

[nirisahn]

That must be from today's episode, which I haven't watched yet. NBC did something similar a few years ago with 'Passions' where they kept pushing that Avon line of cosmetics. It seemed that's all the characters talked about for months. They were also pretty heavy handed about the eco stuff. If they're going to get heavy handed with the product placement, I may just finally stop watching the show after 30 (:eek:) years. I watch to be entertained, not preached to, be it a cause or a product.

As I haven't seen today's episode, this may already be answered. I'm wondering what the hold is that Trent has over Nicole. Everyone pretty much knows about her past and what her father made her do, so I can't figure out what he could have done to her that she's so afraid of and won't just get some kind of help for. With her past, she can't be that ashamed.

[nirisahn]

Ok. I want to know who's writing 'Days' nowadays. Lucas and Chloe getting it on in the elevator?! Give me a break. It's completely out of character for both of them. Good fiction works best when the world that's created and the characters are consistent within the context of the created world.

Every time 'Days' does something like this, the show goes downhill for a really long time until they get the characters back on track. What they're doing with John Black has already brought the show down. This is just making it worse. And I wish they'd get off the eco-trip already. I'm very eco-conscious, and it's still getting on my nerves.

[katbug]

I missed the Midol episode...must have been while on vacation (canceled the recordings since I knew that nothing would change in 2 weeks). That is too funny that they'd do something like that, although I'll admit, Midol is awesome stuff for headaches (even for guys!).

Yeah, I am not liking what they've done to John. I've never liked him and Marlena together (wanted to see him and Hope together a while back to mix things up, but they didn't go that route), but I really don't like this blank-look detached John at all.

The Dr. Jonas thing...it's gotta come out that not only did Kate sleep with him, but he's related somehow to Chelsea (maybe grandpa?). I wish they'd give us an idea of his age.

Yep, strange writing lately...hope it gets back on track soon.

[nirisahn]

How about that 5 minute commercial for Midol? I was shocked, and don't think I've seen this done on Days before.

I'm wondering if that was something local? I still don't think I've seen it in an episode. Was this an actual commercial or something in an episode?

[betativoII]

I'm wondering if that was something local? I still don't think I've seen it in an episode. Was this an actual commercial or something in an episode?

No, it was in an episode last month. The girls (Chelsea, Stephanie, and Morgan) were about to go into the Brady Pub, and one of them (Morgan, I think) mentioned that she had cramps. Stephanie said, "Here, try this," or something to that effect, and whipped a box of Midol out of her purse. They showed the box, even called it by name, and Chelsea was reading the information on the box out loud.

I haven't seen anything like it since, so I'm not sure what the deal was. To be honest, if it's done every once in awhile, it doesn't bother me. Soaps (well, all shows, really) were invented to support sponsors' products, not the other way around.

[katbug]

Recycled storylines again...first Chelsea's mom sleeps with her boyfriend (Nick), now she gets to find out that her grandma slept with another of her boyfriends? This is just yucky. I think if I were Chelsea, I'd make sure to move far, far away from my family before getting involved with anyone else.

[JYoung]

Someone just shoot Melanie.
Now.
Please.

[nirisahn]

I can't believe they brought back Stefano. Again! Argh. Can't the writers think of anything new? How long before someone is kidnapped? Bets, anybody?

[cwoody222]

Why the hell are they wasting an entire week (so far) on nothing but dream sequences?!

[betativoII]

I'm wondering if we are just now getting to what they taped during the strike. If so, we're in for a loooong, boooring couple of months!

[cwoody222]

They tape only a few weeks (less than a month) ahead of time. The strike was a LONG time ago.

My thought was that it was being pre-empted on the West Coast or something?

[JYoung]

No preemption on the West Coast.

Maybe they figure that people are on vacation.

[Peter000]

Why the hell are they wasting an entire week (so far) on nothing but dream sequences?!
When I saw the previews Friday, I groaned, because I usually HATE those kind of things. But I really enjoyed the change. It was pretty obvious the actors really liked doing it and were having a good time with the cliches. Sammy in the fantasy sequence was especially hilarious.

I thought Nicole's final statement about the whole thing was particularly funny... "I can't even keep him in my fantasy!" (Or words to that effect).

And though I hated the contrivance of locking everyone up and pumping hallucinogenic gas in, I liked some of the effects it had on the characters. I especially enjoyed John's conversations with himself and Santos. Usually I buzz right over that stuff, but I actually watched it real time.

In general I love the new John Black. Much more entertaining than the old. Drake Hogestyn is doing an outstanding job with that.

[nirisahn]

I'm still a few days behind, but I did see all of the fantasy sequence. Not bad. And I called it (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=6575633#post6575633)- Stefano's back, and someone's kidnapped. Boring.

[betativoII]

Was that Jan Brady as Dora, Marlena's patient, today?

[nirisahn]

I haven't seen today's episode yet, but I did read that the woman who played Jan Brady (can't remember her name) is supposed to be on 'Days' in some role, so you're probably right.

[cwoody222]

Eve Plumb?!

[JYoung]

I thought she looked familiar.

[betativoII]

Eve Plumb?!


Yep. I remembered her name after I posted.

[JYoung]

My predication.
Someone will kill Trent Robbins and it will be a "mystery" as to who did it.
John, Marlena, Max, Stephanie, Melanie (maybe), and Nicole will all be suspects.

[cwoody222]

I'd agree with that prediction!

And ugh, what the heck were they doing earlier this week bring BACK the horrible B&W film noir storyline?!

Last time it said "The end" when it was over!

[nirisahn]

My predication.
Someone will kill Trent Robbins and it will be a "mystery" as to who did it.
John, Marlena, Max, Stephanie, Melanie (maybe), and Nicole will all be suspects.One can only hope. There's nothing redeeming about the character. You can't even enjoy disliking him. He's no fun to hate, like Victor was when he was evil, or Stefano used to be (now I'm just tired of him). There really aren't any good villians on 'Days' anymore.

[JYoung]

Add Nick, Victor, and Caroline to the suspect list.

[nirisahn]

Why Victor? He couldn't care less that Nicole is married to Trent. In fact, it means he gets his money back.

[JYoung]

Why Victor? He couldn't care less that Nicole is married to Trent. In fact, it means he gets his money back.

Did you miss the scene where he told Bo that Trent is a despicable person for abusing Nicole and then was calling Nico about "a job" outside the Pub?

[nirisahn]

Yes. I haven't finished watching yesterday's episode yet.

[JYoung]

I guess that EJ has super viable sperm in addition to his other super powers.

[nirisahn]

I can (almost) understand Nicole not using protection because she thought she couldn't get pregnant, but Sammy? She's had enough kids by now to know what causes it.

[hummingbird_206]

OMG, what is up with John's hair? Did he stick his finger in a light socket???

[JYoung]

OMG, what is up with John's hair? Did he stick his finger in a light socket???

No, Rolf stuck it in there for him.

[cwoody222]

Hey - it's Nicholas Turturro from NYPD Blue as Sami's police guard!

[Peter000]

I hate this new alcoholic, pill popping, creepy stalkery Nick.

[nirisahn]

I hate this new alcoholic, pill popping, creepy stalkery Nick.
+1000 I hate when 'Days' does this. They take an established character that we've all come to know and love (or love to hate) and suddenly do a 180 with him/her with no real setup to the turnaround. There's nothing that's happened to Nick that would explain anything about the way he's acting. Did he get hooked on the pain pills from when he got shot? If he did, they didn't show that happening. There's been no logical buildup to explain the change, and it's annoying.

[Peter000]

Okay. So the pill-popping alcoholic stalkery obsessed Nick turned out to be the murderer. :down:

Are they writing him off the show? Or is he going to get off because he was mentally impaired or something and get sent to rehab? I suppose you could argue that he was "defending" Melanie.

Anyway, I'm glad to see this over. I'd be happy to never seen Melanie again.

[Malcontent]

FYI, they fired the actors who play John Black and Marlana. Their last episodes will be in early 2009. Budget reasons. The show itself was just renewed with a 18 month contract instead of the usual 5 year commitment.

[nirisahn]

I won't miss them. I never liked John Black. I didn't like his old personality and like the new one even less. I will miss Marlena, but this show has too many characters and there are too many different storylines. Maybe getting rid of a few will help tighten up the show.

I'm not surprised about what they did with Nick. They've never really known what to do with him, and if putting him in prison gets rid of the character, that will only be good for the show. Then Max can take over perfecting Nick's invention and he can get rich and take care of Ma Brady. Of course, the show probably won't develop that way, but that's what I'd like to see happen.

[JYoung]

Doesn't Nicole realize that Stefano invented the "fake a pregnancy, switch the child scam"?
(With one Elvis J. Dimera no less!)

As for Melanie, why is she still here?
Maybe Victor can arrange an "accident" for her.

[cwoody222]

Whoa, Days went all 24 on us on Tuesday with split screens! High tech!

LOL

[nirisahn]

It's even older than that. IIRC, Vivian switched embryos with Kate when they were both trying to have petri dish babies. Vivian is actually the one who carried and gave birth do Phillip.

[DancnDude]

Everybody in Salem should just get a manditory maternity/paternity test for every baby born to save them all a lot of headaches later! Of course that wouldn't discover the people whose test results have been doctored. ;)

[Peter000]

I'm totally apathetic about every damn storyline on Days right now. No desire to even watch the show.

[unicorngoddess]

I'm totally apathetic about every damn storyline on Days right now. No desire to even watch the show.

I don't think I've seen an episode in over a year. My mom keeps me up to date every so often. What they're doing with Nicole and Sami made my head spin.

[JYoung]

Shades of J.T and Zack.

I'm about 4 days behind but I can't believe they killed off Tony again.
Well, yes I can.

The writers seem to be stuck in a (very large) rut.

[Peter000]

Basically they want to create a DiMera/Kirakis war, and using Tony's death as an excuse. I don't really care.

They've been portraying Brady Black as a Kirakis all this time too, but he's also as much a DiMera (His dad John being Stefano's brother).

That could be very interesting in the future.

[nirisahn]

...

That could be very interesting in the future.

It could be if they had any decent writers left or writers that actually gave a crap about the show.

And the girl that plays Mia has a 3 year contract, but NBC only renewed 'Days' contract for 18 months. So how does the show give anyone a 3 year contract when the show's contract is only for 18 months?

[cwoody222]

Anyone still here?

Justin Kiriakis is back!

And Joe Isuzu is the new DA!

And I just read new spoilers that said that Carly and Vivian (VIVIAN!) are 100% back in Sept and Lawrence isn't far behind.


... gee, Carly? No wonder they've been putting Bo and Hope on a bit of the skids (did the writers forget about his premonitions?).

[JYoung]

Carly?
Justin?


What's the over/under on Arianna being an undercover agent?

[Peter000]

Arianna definitely is some sort of undercover narc. I really like the actress who's playing her now, but they're replacing her soon (http://blog.soapoperafan.com/2009/07/lindsay-hartley-joins-the-cast-of-days-of-our-lives/).

I had to laugh at the 60 MILLION dollar bond that Victor posted for Daniel. And of course Daniel risks it all by immediately going to the hospital to administer the same poison (as a cure) he's accused of giving Chloe before. Geez. Daniel has the emotional IQ of a 10 year old.

But I am enjoying that storyline for some reason. It's brought back Wally Kurth and the new DA Joe Izuzu, who's awesome. :D

[nirisahn]

Joe Isuzu! Thank you. Trying to figure out where I'd seen that guy before was driving me crazy!

I wonder how many more Passions actors they're going to reunite. And they're using the actress the same way. Galen Gehring was her brother and the guy playing Brady was her love interest on Passions.

[Peter000]

Joe Isuzu! Thank you. Trying to figure out where I'd seen that guy before was driving me crazy!

It was driving me crazy too. Wikipedia was my friend, once I found out the name of the actor. :)

[nirisahn]

His voice gets on my nerves. And he's playing a real creep. He can go away and I won't miss him, especially if the writers keep writing such bad dialogue for him.

[StacieH]

They are looking for any excuse these days to grease Brady up and have him run around shirtless.

Cool to see Justin back. I read someone else was coming back, but can't remember who. At the risk of smeeking, does anyone know who it is?

[cwoody222]

They are looking for any excuse these days to grease Brady up and have him run around shirtless.

Cool to see Justin back. I read someone else was coming back, but can't remember who. At the risk of smeeking, does anyone know who it is?

Six posts up ;)

[hummingbird_206]

So they can bring all these people back, but they had to get rid of Marlena:confused:

[Malcontent]

So they can bring all these people back, but they had to get rid of Marlena:confused:

I think it was an issue of money on why they got rid of Marlena. They had to pay the actress more money because of how long see played the part. Using another actress would be difficult but not impossible.

[JYoung]

So was I right about Arianna?

Also is Arianne Zucker pregnant?

[nirisahn]

Is Arianne Zucker Nicole? If so, I've been thinking the same thing for a while.

[JYoung]

Yes.
Her IMDB message board says that she is but I have to those with a grain of salt.

That said, I'm guessing they won't write her pregnancy into the show.

[nettcav]

Yes, Ari is pregnant in real life according to Soap Opera Digest. It will not be written into the show.

[nirisahn]

Why do they keep bringing back old characters that have been gone for years? They're not adding anything to the storyline. Justin is being completely wasted, and now they've brought back Carly. Of course, the writers are out of ideas, so let's send Hope off in a snit for the millionth time and bring back Carly to pair up with Bo. Ho hum. The only good thing they've done in ages is letting the cat out of the back about Sidney. The drama between EJ and Nicole was really good.

[cwoody222]

I'm excited for Carly and Lawrence, especially since Vivian is next on tap. I love her!

[nirisahn]

I wonder if they're going to put Vivian back together with Victor and if she's going to try to play mommy to Philip now that Kate is married to Stefano?

[StacieH]

Why do they keep bringing back old characters that have been gone for years? They're not adding anything to the storyline. Justin is being completely wasted, and now they've brought back Carly. Of course, the writers are out of ideas, so let's send Hope off in a snit for the millionth time and bring back Carly to pair up with Bo. Ho hum. The only good thing they've done in ages is letting the cat out of the back about Sidney. The drama between EJ and Nicole was really good.

I like seeing the old characters. Holy crap....I almost didn't recognize Lawrence! Time has not treated him well! I didn't know Vivian was coming back as well.

I'm excited to see how the EJ/Nichole story pans out....I wonder how long before Sammy finds out.

[StacieH]

Huh...according to IMDB, Alemain (Michael Sabitino) and Carly (Crystal Chappell) are married in real life:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0754592/bio

[JYoung]

Lawrence Alemain was the guy Carly stabbed?

(And who is Carly to Bo?)

[RhenCalara]

Thanks for this thread.

[StacieH]

Lawrence Alemain was the guy Carly stabbed?

(And who is Carly to Bo?)

It sure was. I couldn’t tell right away, although I did think he looked familiar. But once they started showing the flashbacks, I knew it was him.

I can’t remember the Carly/Bo storyline. I believe they were an item for some time. I’ll have to look that up.

[nirisahn]

Carly and Bo were together when Hope was 'dead'. That storyline has to be from 10-15 years ago. At one point, Vivian had buried Carly alive. Of course, Bo saved her. Can't remember why Vivian buried her alive. Carly was a doctor last time around. I wonder if she'll go back to work at the hospital.

Vivian had a manservant last time she was on. I wonder if that actor is coming back, too. I can't remember either the character's name or the actor's real name. I can clearly picture his face and hear his voice in my head.

Salem will certainly be interesting with Vivian back.

[cwoody222]

Carly and Bo were together when Hope was 'dead'. That storyline has to be from 10-15 years ago. At one point, Vivian had buried Carly alive. Of course, Bo saved her. Can't remember why Vivian buried her alive. Carly was a doctor last time around. I wonder if she'll go back to work at the hospital.

Vivian had a manservant last time she was on. I wonder if that actor is coming back, too. I can't remember either the character's name or the actor's real name. I can clearly picture his face and hear his voice in my head.

Salem will certainly be interesting with Vivian back.

I haven't heard anything about Ivan (Vivian's manservant) coming back but I hope so. Real name: Ivan G'vera. He's recently had small roles in Casino Royale and Wolverine.

Vivian won't be the same without him.

Bo & Carly are known for their famous wedding on top of an Aztec temple in Mexico (they were searching for John Black's past).

Shorthand of Carly's past...

Came to Salem and got together with Bo since Hope had died. Thought her child that she had with boyfriend in France had died. Turned out that boyfriend was Lawrence (no one in Salem knew Carly ran with a rich crowd in Europe) and the child hadn't died... Vivian, Lawrence's Aunt, had taken the boy and raised him as her own, without Carly or Lawrence knowing.

Vivian buried Carly alive to keep her for taking the son back. Carly and Lawrence eventually took their son, Nicky, back to France to raise him. Carly ended up leaving Bo and going back to her boyfriend, Lawrence.

Vivian's character was GREAT and had some WILD stories. If they can re-create half of that; great!

[nirisahn]

I think Vivian and Ivan have to be just about my all time favorite characters on Days. The only other ones I miss near that much are Eugene (John DeLancie) and Calliope (Arleen Sorkin).

[JYoung]

Thanks for the recap.

I started watching right after Carly left, I believe.
Hope had just come back and was working as a model for Kate.
Bo and Billie were together and Franco Kelly was drooling after Hope.

I hope that they do something with Vivian and I hope that Ivan is there.

[StacieH]

No Ivan yet that I've seen. She has herself a young flunkie now.

I've only been watching the Sami/Nicole/EJ storyline over the past week or so, and fast forwarding through the rest.

[JYoung]

I haven't watched Thursday's episode but I can barely recognize Hope when she's being this irrational.

[DancnDude]

I haven't seen this show in ages. But I was home from work for the snowstorm Tue and Wed when I watched. It's funny seeing things again.

I didn't recognize Nicole at all with the dark hair. I thought it was a new character until somebody called her Nicole and I really looked at her face and had that "ah ha!" moment that I have seen her before. (She looked way better as a blonde)

Apparently Sami and EJ had a baby. And Nicole switched it at birth with hers, and then Sami's (switched) baby died, and now they found this all out and Sami's real baby is alive. And of course the baby is now kidnapped. Such a soap-opera plot! :D But pretty entertaining :D

I love how you can be gone for years and pop in to see what people are up to these days. And even though a lot has changed, much of it is exactly the same sort of stuff.

[SnakeEyes]

I haven't watched since DiMera/Brady backstory plot after Stefano returned. Sami with baby issues? shocking.

[JYoung]

Am I the only one who finds Hope being completely irrational and basically unwatchable?

[StacieH]

Am I the only one who finds Hope being completely irrational and basically unwatchable?

Nope. I've been fast forwarding through her and Bo's scenes. This back and forth with them about who is to blame for what is getting old.

And Victor has been particularly vicious for the past several months...even moreso than usual. And that injury? From what I've read online, Aniston took a fall IRL, but no one has mentioned exactly what happened.

[JYoung]

And Victor has been particularly vicious for the past several months...even moreso than usual. And that injury? From what I've read online, Aniston took a fall IRL, but no one has mentioned exactly what happened.

There was a throwaway line about how Victor fell while ice skating with Ciera.

[JYoung]

Not surprised they bumped off Mickey but I am surprised they did it before bumping off Alice.

[cwoody222]

Nope. I've been fast forwarding through her and Bo's scenes. This back and forth with them about who is to blame for what is getting old.

And Victor has been particularly vicious for the past several months...even moreso than usual. And that injury? From what I've read online, Aniston took a fall IRL, but no one has mentioned exactly what happened.

Aniston said this:

What really happened? "I honestly don't know!" says Aniston. "A dog, some Milkbones, a pair of flip flops & some stairs ...THAT's what happened!"

[StacieH]

Sounds like Johnny needs to give up the flip flops. Maybe some Crocs? :)

[nirisahn]

Whoever is writing this lately really doesn't know what to do with Hope or Carly, and they're both getting on my nerves. And Vivian isn't nearly as much fun this time around. That whole storyline with Hope, Bo, Carly, Justin, and Vivian feels very contrived, and everyone seems out of character except Bo. I wonder how much longer they're going to drag this crap out.

Killing off Mickey really caught me by surprise. And I agree with the comment about it being really surprising to kill him off before Alice. The actress is in her 90's and hasn't appeared onscreen in ages.

And since 'Alice' is still alive, it would have made way more sense for Hope to go to her house instead of Victor's. But then she wouldn't have had the proximity to Justin or been able to investigate Vivian. But it all just feels wrong based on the character history.

EJ having Sidney hidden away is about the only storyline that still makes sense. My guess is he wants to find her and be the big hero to Sammi so he can win her back.
Philip and Melanie - eh.
Nathan and Stephanie - ok.
Mia - PITA. I'm glad Will dumped her.
Brady and Ari - still reserving judgement on that story line. I'm so used to seeing those two together from Passions that it feels right. I think the undercover drug thing is being dragged out too long. Too many people are in on it for her cover not to have been blown by now.

[StacieH]

Okay, so now MELANIE is Carly's daughter? WTH is going on? I missed one day this week, and have fast forwarded through a lot of what I have watched, so I obviously missed something! How did that realization come about?

[cwoody222]

Whoever is writing this lately really doesn't know what to do with Hope or Carly, and they're both getting on my nerves. And Vivian isn't nearly as much fun this time around. That whole storyline with Hope, Bo, Carly, Justin, and Vivian feels very contrived, and everyone seems out of character except Bo. I wonder how much longer they're going to drag this crap out.

Philip and Melanie - eh.
Nathan and Stephanie - ok.
Mia - PITA. I'm glad Will dumped her.
Brady and Ari - still reserving judgement on that story line. I'm so used to seeing those two together from Passions that it feels right. I think the undercover drug thing is being dragged out too long. Too many people are in on it for her cover not to have been blown by now.

The Bo/Hope/Carly story seems contrived? Gee, I can't see why... seeing that the reason Bo & Hope broke up was because Bo mysteriously gained psychic powers but then didn't use them to save his kidnapped daughter. :rolleyes:

(I'm paraphrasing but that's basically it. The writers gave him psychic abilities seemingly for no reason other than to give them a "story" to break the two up. It was just plain lazy writing.)

As for Mia, Melissa, Nathan, etc. I can't even keep them straight. Any character under 30 just seems completely interchangeable. None of them have any personality or actual character motivation. They're wastes of space.

[cwoody222]

Okay, so now MELANIE is Carly's daughter? WTH is going on? I missed one day this week, and have fast forwarded through a lot of what I have watched, so I obviously missed something! How did that realization come about?

I just watched Friday episode and I'm wondering the same thing!

WTF?

[JYoung]

I just watched Friday episode and I'm wondering the same thing!

WTF?

It's not quite out of thin air.

We were told pretty much right after Carly got to Salem (and was cleared in Lawrence's death) that she had a daughter in Salem.
It was initially hinted that it was Mia but I realized that there were clues that it could be Melanie when Carly tried to rent a room from Maggie.

Speaking of Mia, I'm not liking this manipulative turn she's taken.
I guess TPTB decided that Will needed to be with a girl more like his mother.

[nirisahn]

Carly's said all along her reason for coming back to Salem was to find her daughter. It was finally revealed that it's Melanie. For a while they tried to make it look like it was Mia, but since Mia knows her parents, the misdirection was completely lame. Unless at some point Mia has said that she was adopted, but I don't think so.

What is it with Salemites losing their children and rediscovering them years later?

[Malcontent]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/04/frances.reid.passing/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn

(CNN) -- Frances Reid, best known for her decades-long portrayal of Alice Horton on the soap opera "Days of our Lives," died Wednesday at the age of 95.

[nirisahn]

Wow. 95. That's a good long life. RIP Frances. You brought a lot of people a lot of joy.

I wonder how long before they can write it into the storyline? Especially since they just killed off Mickey, too.

[Peter000]

:(

[Peter000]

I wish they'd get this Sidney storyline over with. It has to be the longest active running "mother separated from child" storyline in daytime history.

[JYoung]

Oh noes, Hope is addicted to Ambien.

[Peter000]

Oh noes, Hope is addicted to Ambien.

That stuff contributed to my mom's recent hospitalization. She was getting that and Darvoset and it made her loopy.

She didn't get a split personality and go around mugging people though.

[JYoung]

She didn't get a split personality and go around mugging people though.

That's the part I'm finding eye rolling.
But maybe between that and her "Princess Gina" implants, the whole Ambien thing can explain away her totally irrational behavior for the past year.

BTW, not a fan of "Bitch Mia".

[StacieH]

Is that what's up with Hope? I've only seen a snippet here and there.

Great to see Calliope, but I think it's going to get old....quick. I'm guessing she'll end up back in Salem at some point?

[JYoung]

Is that what's up with Hope? I've only seen a snippet here and there.

Great to see Calliope, but I think it's going to get old....quick. I'm guessing she'll end up back in Salem at some point?

Missed Hope giving the beatdown to EJ and Brady?


And I see we got the Midol commercial this week.

[Peter000]

Daniel: "You know what's weird?"
Carly: "This is Salem. Everything's weird."

:D

[nirisahn]

Daniel: "You know what's weird?"
Carly: "This is Salem. Everything's weird."
:D

Best line ever, and I've been watching Days since 1978. :up:

[Peter000]

I had to laugh today when they showed a close-up of Bo and Hopes divorce papers:

"Beauregard Aurelius Brady." :D

Where the hell did Aurelius come from??

And I never knew Hope's middle name was "Alice."

[JYoung]

I had to laugh today when they showed a close-up of Bo and Hopes divorce papers:

"Beauregard Aurelius Brady." :D

Where the hell did Aurelius come from??

And I never knew Hope's middle name was "Alice."

I'm guessing from Shawn Brady.

So, will Alice's death send Hope over the edge?

[cwoody222]

Sadly I knew Aurelius and Alice were both their middle names.

Thank God they're finally killing off Alice... she hasn't been on the show since Dec 2007!

[JYoung]

I guess they really didn't want to kill off the character while Frances Reid was still alive.

[Peter000]

Days is now really missing that venerable Patriarch or Matriarch character. The closest thing I guess is Caroline Brady.

Maggie is kind of filling that role as well, with the younger characters at least... giving out the advice and such.

[StacieH]

I guess they really didn't want to kill off the character while Frances Reid was still alive.

I was expecting to address her death sooner, though. But I don't know how far in advance they have shows in the can. Maybe these were actually shot right after her death?

[cwoody222]

They shoot about two weeks in advance, if that.

[StacieH]

They shoot about two weeks in advance, if that.

Wow, I knew there wasn't much time between shooting and airing, but I didn't realize it was only 2 weeks.

Reid died in February.

[JYoung]

Wow, I knew there wasn't much time between shooting and airing, but I didn't realize it was only 2 weeks.

Reid died in February.

But how long does it take to do the scripts?

I suspect that wanted to get Hope's arc to a certain point plus they had to line up people like Melissa Reeves and the actress that plays Maureen.

[StacieH]

But how long does it take to do the scripts?

I suspect that wanted to get Hope's arc to a certain point plus they had to line up people like Melissa Reeves and the actress that plays Maureen.

There are scripts? ;)

That's true; guess I didn't think of that.

[nirisahn]

Plus, Frances Reid died so soon after they killed off Mickey that I think it would have been very difficult to write that into the show. This seems more natural (well, for a soap anyway). Plus they probably needed time to restructure some story arcs and to arrange for certain actors to be available. I think if they had Alice die so close to Mickey's death, it would have been too difficult to write. I think this also gave everyone a chance to grieve for Frances Reid before having to deal with portraying Alice's death and funeral onscreen.

[TravisKU]

I'm going to miss Mrs. H
I've been enjoying seeing the flashbacks.

It reminds me of when I was little and my grandmother would watch me in the summer. Everyday at 1pm we used to have to sit down and watch DOOL.

Travis

[JYoung]

Please don't tell me that for the next eight months, we'll have Chloe angsting on whether or not the baby is Phillip's or Daniel's?

[Peter000]

It has to be Phillip's. But this is Days. The baby has to be angsted about, have paternaty tests switched, kidnapped, found, kidnapped again, have a dangerous medical condition that only the parent can cure with a transfusion of some kind before the truth comes out.

On the other big story going on, I think they're doing a great job with Alice's passing. It's so cool seeing all the faces from yore showing up, and actually being worked into the present storylines rather than just hanging around the house.

[nirisahn]

It has to be Phillip's. But this is Days. The baby has to be angsted about, have paternaty tests switched, kidnapped, found, kidnapped again, have a dangerous medical condition that only the parent can cure with a transfusion of some kind before the truth comes out.
Absolutely right. They'll drag it out past the point of annoying before resolving it.
On the other big story going on, I think they're doing a great job with Alice's passing. It's so cool seeing all the faces from yore showing up, and actually being worked into the present storylines rather than just hanging around the house.And I agree again. You can tell how much Frances Reid was loved by how they're handling her death. I didn't know a soap was capable of handling anything with this kind of dignity and respect and obvious love for the actor. And bringing everyone back, even temporarily, and having them act the way a real family would under the circumstances is not the way these things are normally written. They're doing a wonderful job with this.

As annoying as this show can be sometimes, and as bizarre as the writing and storylines sometimes get, the one thing this show always has is heart. I think that's what keeps me coming back every day. I can't tell you how many times I've thought about giving up on 'Days', but it's like the relative you don't really love but can't seem to ignore. So I keep watching. And probably will until NBC finally decides to cancel it.

[JYoung]

I haven't seen today's episode yet but seriously, Nicole can break into the Dimera Mansion with just a screwdriver?

Geez, why doesn't Stefano just hang up a neon sign that says "Please Break in here".

[nirisahn]

Considering those same doors are how Nicole got Sidney out, you'd think they would have made those doors a lot harder to get through. For a place that's supposed to be as secure as Fort Knox, too many people who don't belong there go in and out way too easily.

[cwoody222]

So are they really going to give us a quadrangle with Caroline, Maggie, Vivian and Victor?

*sigh*

[JYoung]

So are they really going to give us a quadrangle with Caroline, Maggie, Vivian and Victor?

*sigh*

You'd prefer a Nicole-Brady-Arianna?

Speaking of, Lindsay Hartley was released (http://www.soapcentral.com/days/news/2010/0722-hartley.php). Not sure why.

[nirisahn]

I wish they would write Nicole out once and for all. I'm so sick of her. And Vivian is being wasted. The actress is capable of so much more. I miss the old Vivian - wicked, completely amoral, and absolutely brilliant. Whiny Vivian needs to go away.

[cwoody222]

Agreed that they are WASTING Vivian. And Carly. Just like they do with Billie every time.

[nirisahn]

I've never been a Carly fan. I didn't like her the first time around and I like her less this time. She can go away, too.

[JYoung]

Ok, Sami's gone off the deep end.

[Peter000]

Sorry, I'm not going to watch another "buried alive" storyline.

[JYoung]

Now you can own the soundtrack, all the Days of Our Lives (http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/13450/DAYS-OF-OUR-LIVES/).

[Peter000]

Now you can own the soundtrack, all the Days of Our Lives (http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/13450/DAYS-OF-OUR-LIVES/).
I was looking for the soundtrack on iTunes, just curious to hear some of the previews, and stumbled across the fact that they actually offer the show for sale. I did a double-take when I looked at the season cost...

http://hilleren.org/Skitch/iTunes-20100904-210146.png

You'd think they'd offer some sort of season pass discount.

[nirisahn]

Now you can own the soundtrack, all the Days of Our Lives (http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/13450/DAYS-OF-OUR-LIVES/).No 'Lady in Red'?

[JYoung]

Sorry, I'm not going to watch another "buried alive" storyline.

I dunno. I'm kind of liking seeing Brady's dark side.

[JYoung]

Seriously?
You expect me to believe that Caroline changed the paternity results?
Caroline?

[Peter000]

I just can't watch right now. It's just too stoopid.

[cwoody222]

Renewed for 2 more years!

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Days-of-Our-Lives-Renewed-1025204.aspx

[Bierboy]

I don't watch....my wife does....and it was in HD for the first time today!!! WOWZERS!!!

[cwoody222]

Wow, I didn't even know HD for them was in the works. Looks great!

[StacieH]

Wow, I didn't even know HD for them was in the works. Looks great!

Huh.

I'm off it again. Gave up after Sami tried to kill EJ. Funny, though....I've recently seen the actress who plays Chloe in episodes of Two and a half Men and NCIS.

Just looked her up on IMDB.com. There's a "web soap" called "Venice the Series." One of the creators is Crystal Chappell, and it looks like much of the cast of DOOL is on it, as well.

[nirisahn]

And more repeated storylines. Vivan buries someone alive. Baby being born in isolated area. Stefano has a kid he doesn't know about. Paternity test results swtched. Sammy being her own worst enemy. Ho hum. Are there no new ideas?

[cwoody222]

The Vivian / Buried Alive story bugs me so much.

If they're going to re-do a "buried alive" story why have Vivian plan it? Oh, OK, let's have Vivian be the victim... but what would have been great would be if Carly (her original victim) was torturing her... or even was AWARE that it was happening.

Why do a buried alive story using Vivian - that storyline is what her character is FAMOUS for - without ZERO acknowledgment of the original storyline?!

And then how long did it take for them to re-hash the story a THIRD time with Maggie? Oh, less than one episode.

So lazy.

[JYoung]

Thank God, Phillip finally got a decent haircut.

[JYoung]

Who did Mark Hapka piss off to get such an abrupt exit from the show?

And they really expect me to believe that Melanie is going to go gaga over Dario?

[nirisahn]

I knew he was leaving a while ago. There were several cast changes that I read about several weeks ago. If I remember correctly, there are at least 2 or 3 more people leaving. Didn't hear if any of them are being re-cast.

And I agree with you about Melanie and Dario. Bleh and totally ridiculous.

[Peter000]

Who did Mark Hapka piss off to get such an abrupt exit from the show?

And they really expect me to believe that Melanie is going to go gaga over Dario?

Glad he's leaving. He's totally transformed into scary stalker boyfriend wannabe. Though I hate when they force couples together like MelDar.

I'm actually enjoying the fake Rafe storyline. fRafe is much more interesting than the real thing.

[JYoung]

I knew he was leaving a while ago. There were several cast changes that I read about several weeks ago. If I remember correctly, there are at least 2 or 3 more people leaving. Didn't hear if any of them are being re-cast.

And I agree with you about Melanie and Dario. Bleh and totally ridiculous.

Yeah, apparently Jay Kenneth Johnson has exited and Shelly Henning (Stephanie) is leaving as well.

I was amused to see that they recast Taylor Walker yesterday with Tamara Braun (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0105860/).

I thought she looked familiar but only until I read her credits did I remember that she played Steve Johnson's psycho mafia princess girlfriend Ava.

On another note, I liked Eric Martsolf's (Brady Black) performance on last week's Smallville, playing "Booster Gold".

[Peter000]

I liked Eric Martsolf's (Brady Black) performance on last week's Smallville, playing "Booster Gold".
Yeah, one of my least favorite heroes, but he did a good job!

[nirisahn]

I can't believe they brought back Tamara Braun. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since this isn't the first time they've brought back an actor to play a different role. I didn't like her as Ava, and I don't know if I'll like her any better as Taylor.

Edit: Just finished watching today's episode.

One incident at the end brought Monty Python's Holy Grail to mind. 'Not dead yet.'

[JYoung]

And it's another Midol commercial!

My problem with Tamara Braun is that she looks older than Nicole.

[JYoung]

I don't get it.

Am I supposed to be rooting for Taylor and EJ?

[cwoody222]

I don't get it.

Am I supposed to be rooting for Taylor and EJ?

I hope not! I'm not!

[JYoung]

So am I supposed to be rooting for Taylor and Quinn?

[cwoody222]

What's everyone think about the re-boot so far? Pretty boring so far if you ask me.

A few old people show back up (time was NOT kind to Patrick Muldoon) and they get a new set. Whoopie.

They're gonna have to do a lot better to convince me things are a'changin'. And ditching Vivian was a bad start.

[JYoung]

Well, they needed the new set.
I was tired of everyone meeting down at the pier or in front of the Brady Pub.

I've never bought the Jennifer and Daniel thing either because although Jack has been shown as flighty in the past, I found it difficult to believe that he wouldn't show up when Jennifer was in the hospital.

And do they really have to make Will gay?
It would be far more interesting it T was.

[nirisahn]

...

And do they really have to make Will gay?
It would be far more interesting it T was.

Did you mean Sonny?

[JYoung]

Did you mean Sonny?

Nope, I like Sonny.

You've been missing out on the not so subtle hints that Will is in the closet.

[nirisahn]

Nope, I like Sonny.

You've been missing out on the not so subtle hints that Will is in the closet.I guess I have. He's had a girlfriend pretty steadily through high school. The only 'hint' I can think of is that he's taking things really slow with Gabby which doesn't seem out of character. More out of character is that Gabby has been so insecure and making mountains out of molehills for ages. If I were Will, I would definitely be put off by that. It all seems more like bad writing than clear hints.

[JYoung]

I guess I have. He's had a girlfriend pretty steadily through high school. The only 'hint' I can think of is that he's taking things really slow with Gabby which doesn't seem out of character. More out of character is that Gabby has been so insecure and making mountains out of molehills for ages. If I were Will, I would definitely be put off by that. It all seems more like bad writing than clear hints.

Off the top of my head, there's been a moment or two between him and Sonny (I recall one at the Cheating Heart) and in one episode this week, when Sonny is talking about how he feels sorry for people who are not out, the camera quick focuses to Will.
Not exactly subtle.

[nirisahn]

So now Austin has to move in with Sammie and Rafe because he has nowhere else to go? Why not stay with Roman? Of course, then there wouldn't be little accidents throwing him and Sammie together.

[JYoung]

So now Austin has to move in with Sammie and Rafe because he has nowhere else to go? Why not stay with Roman? Of course, then there wouldn't be little accidents throwing him and Sammie together.

Maybe they don't want people thinking Roman and Austin are Gay.

Although your point stands.
Certainly, Austin could find someone else to stay with.
It's not like he didn't grow up in Salem, after all.

(Nicole would be happy to take him in.)

[cwoody222]

The Sami/Austin, Carrie/Rafe thing is SO poorly plotted and contrived. It's so annoying.

But not as annoying as Austin suddenly becoming an accounting genius and Carrie a lawyer.

Who's Maggie's kid gonna turn out to be? Someone to keep her from - or push her closer to - Victor?

[nirisahn]

The Sami/Austin, Carrie/Rafe thing is SO poorly plotted and contrived. It's so annoying.

But not as annoying as Austin suddenly becoming an accounting genius and Carrie a lawyer.
Agreed.
Who's Maggie's kid gonna turn out to be? Someone to keep her from - or push her closer to - Victor?
We'll find out tomorrow. For the life of me, I can't remember anyone in Salem that was born from artificial insemination except Phillip, and it's obviously not him. In fact, I can't think of anyone who's birth is a mystery except maybe Daniel, and I think he's too old to be Maggie's son.

[cwoody222]

We'll find out tomorrow. For the life of me, I can't remember anyone in Salem that was born from artificial insemination except Phillip, and it's obviously not him. In fact, I can't think of anyone who's birth is a mystery except maybe Daniel, and I think he's too old to be Maggie's son.

Oh, of COURSE it'll be Daniel. Good call.

He's already Victor's God-son (that's probably who paid for the expensive procedure back in the day) and Daniel's daughter (I forget her name) is already close to Maggie too.

[JYoung]

Oh, of COURSE it'll be Daniel. Good call.

He's already Victor's God-son (that's probably who paid for the expensive procedure back in the day) and Daniel's daughter (I forget her name) is already close to Maggie too.

Which would mean he's been sleeping with his biological cousin.

Ewwwwwww.

[nirisahn]

Which would mean he's been sleeping with his biological cousin.

Ewwwwwww.
No he isn't. Maggie's a Horton by marriage, not by birth.

[JYoung]

No he isn't. Maggie's a Horton by marriage, not by birth.

Unless Mickey's the biological father.
(Hey, it could happen!)

Still kind of "ewwwww" though
(I was one who felt that Max dating Chelsea was kind of skeevy.)

I'm enjoying the Brady/Madison storyline though.

[nirisahn]

Daniel's been with Chelsea, too. She's also a Horton.

And yeah, I though Max & Chelsea qas kind of skeevy too even though Max was adopted.

I don't think Mickey's the father. They said frozen eggs, not embryos, so they weren't already fertilized. So the next question is, who's the daddy?