WEEK OF 2/26/07 EDITION

INSIDER SPOTLIGHT: PETER RECKELL (BO) AND JEREMY SUMPTER (WILL) DISH ON THEIR CONTROVERSIAL NEW STORIES AND WHY THEY FEEL IT IS PERFECT TIMING.

Interviewer (I): Hey guys.

Peter Reckell (PR) and Jeremy Sumpter (JS): Hey.

I: Thank you for joining me to talk about your hot new stories. Now, both of you are involved in a similar story only, Peter, in your case, your character was molested in the past and it is only being brought to light now, correct?

PR: Yes. None of this was known or even hinted at until after Bo's shooting in Sydney. In the aftermath of that, he began having flashes to a traumatic event from his childhood. He wasn't sure if he was having nightmares or memories. They kept going on for awhile and then went away, only to come back after the explosion that "killed" Victor. He then realized he had to find out what was happening because he was going into a trance and becoming violent. He needed to do it for himself and for his loved ones so he underwent hypnosis and remembered he was molested by the same person who traumatized his sister, Kimberly.

I: And, Jeremy, your character was just molested by the same man who raped your character's mother, Sami, correct?

JS: Yeah. Will finally learned that the man he knew of as "Ace" was none other then his mom's rapist. He had just learned of his mom's rape before he was born and it all hit him hard. Alan kidnapped him to shut him up because Will was becoming clued in to his plans. He then decided that molesting Will was a way to get his revenge on Sami and his enemies so he went ahead with it. I also think it was a way of hurting Will enough to make him remain silent. It was a scare tactic to convince him that he was serious. Now, Will knows what Alan can and will do and it keeps Will busy dealing with what has happened.

I: Jeremy, you aren't new to acting but you are new to Salem Lives. Will had been sparingly used in the past and in your first few months up until this point. Did they tell you that you were going to have this story and were you aware that your character would end up gay? Does any of this bother you or make you uncomfortable?

JS: No. I'm cool with it. It makes the role meaty. I was told about everything beforehand. Tim (Lowery, EP/HW) felt I should know because I am young and he wanted to make sure I was ok with it and that everyone involved was. I love the way the writers have handled it. There had been rumors I guess for years about Will ending up being gay and I think it was a matter of timing because it seemed like it was well thought out. I love the story. I absolutely loved the scenes right after what happened where Will is trying to sleep and can't. Then, he tries to keep his composure and can't. Later, he tries to shower and tries to wash his body but keeps scrubbing harder and harder remembering what Alan did to him. That is powerful stuff. Sure, some of the molestation scenes and the aftermath were hard to play. It's very difficult to get myself into the same mindset as someone who has been through that but I do my best. Same for playing a gay character. I want to make sure I do it right because this is serious stuff and we are trying to do a good story here with a nice message.

I: Peter, how do you feel about this twist in your story and are you uncomfortable with it?

PR: Love it. The writers had lots of wiggle room in Bo's backstory. I mean, we hear about how Bo grew up but the audience never saw it. There was room to create things since he only showed up in the early 80's. Tim Lowery told me about it in September. He said it was Co-EP/HW Patrick L. Ewing's idea to go ahead with this. I heard the story and loved it. It's powerful and very emotional. There is a great message to it. It is my challenge to do right by it and make it an accurate portrayal. The scenes where Bo remembers and the aftermath scenes were intense. Bringing Kim and Roman into it as the ones that knew and kept it hidden for years was a great touch. Good family drama and especially ironic considering Kim was also victimized by the same man as Bo. The setup and buildup was great. I couldn't ask for a better story. It's nice to get away from the mafia and cop stuff for a bit.

I: It seems both of you guys' stories will parallel each other. Tim Lowery mentioned that last week. Does this mean Will and Bo will be interacting alot?

PR: Yes. That was actually mentioned as an integral part of the story. Tim, Patrick, and TPTB want to start interacting other family members. It is vital to Salem Lives to do that. However, they don't just want to put people in scenes without purpose and Will and Bo will have scenes filled with meaning and emotion. They will forge a deep bond from all this. They are vulnerable and need someone for support and fate brings them together. I am pleased that they have Bo interacting with that part of his family.

JS: Yeah. It's great to work with Peter and it is going to be happening alot. The interaction makes the story that much better and is great for long time fans. They love Bo and it may help them get use to me as Will and get better invested in my character.

I: Can you guys offer up any previews of what is to come?

PR: Ummm... (Laughs)everything is very close to the vest right now. All I can say is Bo and Will will interact quite a bit and they are both pivotal to story and the upcoming VENDETTA event. I can also tell you that Bo's issues will have a huge impact on Hope. He will push his loved ones away again, including her. It's a very difficult time for all involved but it's worth it. There is great reward and payoff for the fans if they stick with us on this emotional journey.

JS: I will echo what Peter said. Also, look for Will to be pivotal to the Alan story. Sami and Lucas will try to reach Will and get to the truth of what is going on with him. I think we are seeing the journey to Will and his parents coming together, understanding each other, and coming full circle as a family.

I: Sounds great. Thanks guys for talking about this.

PR: No problem. We hope the fans love what is coming.

JS: Yep. We hope they are happy with what will happen. Bye!

Previews and Peeks for Wk of 2/26/07

-Murder sends shockwaves through Salem.

-The truth about Belle and Philip is revealed.

-Lexie has a not so happy reunion with Abe and Celeste.

-Philip has an interesting reaction to Victor's return.

-Julie lies to Doug.

-Eric and Nicole have hope.

-Roman makes his decision.

-Victor seeks out an old flame for help.

-Lexie vows revenge.

-The truth about Marlena is revealed.

-Salem learns of Victor and Stefano's returns.

-Nicole reverts to old ways.

-Maggie believes she has a chance with Victor.

-VENDETTA begins with several huge twists.

RED LETTER DAYS!!!

Monday February 26: Murder rocks Salem!!! Also, the truth about Belle and Philip is revealed.

Wednesday February 28: The truth about Marlena is revealed. Meanwhile, Stefano is involved in a shocking face off.

Thursday March 1: VENDETTA begins with HUGE twists.

Next Week: Victor's plan backfires. Maggie goes over the edge. There is hope for Max and Abby. Bo spirals out of control. Will falls apart and makes a disturbing discovery. Sami, Lucas, Carrie, and Austin bury the hatchet. Steve has a setback.

SALEM LIVES VENDETTA BEGINS THURSDAY!!!

On Thursday March 1, Salem Lives will unveil it's biggest event to date: SALEM LIVES: VENDETTA. This interactive fan event will pull readers into Salem's biggest mystery yet. A category titled "VENDETTA" has been created on the right side of the blog. Entries will begin to be posted in that category in the weeks leading to VENDETTA to keep readers and fans well-informed of what is to come. There will also be a short post made on the main page of the Salem Lives blog to inform readers of there being a new entry in the VENDETTA area of the blog so they can go check it out.

As far as the story purposes behind VENDETTA, check out the VENDETTA page of the blog for info on that when it comes available. I can tell you that the story has been happening for quite sometime as the Mysterious Cloaked Figure (MCF) has been lurking around Salem since early Fall. Only now we are building to the real story, which is finding out this person's plan and what the residents of Salem will be up against. In the weeks to come, fans will be seeing the buildup to all this. Jack, Billie, Frankie, and Greta are at the heart of the action as the four of them team up to piece together this mystery as the police and ISA are having a hard time figuring out what this cloaked figure is all about. The readers will be taken on a journey with these four characters and the police and they will help investigate the mystery on their own.

How will the fans be a part of this? Well, it's up to them. Readers will be given the opportunity to get involved in the story in a way never done before. Readers will be given the chance to play the VENDETTA GAME. When the official VENDETTA event begins on March 1, a post will be made recapping all the MCF's appearances thus far and citing the actual episode dates so readers can go back and look at them for clues. At that time, readers can then PM me (Phoenix) or comment in the blog whether or not they want to participate in the official VENDETTA GAME. The deadline to inform me of the your participation will be March 11. The game will being Tuesday March 20.

The game has similarities to Passions' online VENDETTA event from last year. Every Tuesday and Thursday a short scene will be posted. The scene will have to do with the MCF or Jack, Billie, Greta, Frankie, or the Salem Police or ISA investigating the MCF. It will be like cutting a small piece off a full episode and posting it separate from a full episode. These short scenes are very much like the clips from the Passions online events and will show the characters working through the mystery and this will help readers gain clues and hints to the MCF mystery. Some of these scenes may also contain the MCF committing certain acts. The first scene in conjunction with the game will be posted Tuesday March 20, the first day of the game. However, when the VENDETTA event officially gets underway on March 1, there will be a special short scene posted to officially begin VENDETTA.

The idea is to look back at the appearances, read the short scenes, and keep up with reading the normal episodes to collect clues. The reason doing all that is important is where the main part of the game comes in. Those readers who choose to participate in the game will have to answer 3-5 trivia questions every week. The questions will be based on the Salem Lives episodes from the week that just ended and will be posted every Saturday night in the SL INSIDER. The answers will be due every Tuesday as that is the day the first short scene of the week is posted. The game players will be judged on correct answers and how fast they PM me the answers. The game player with the most correct answers and who submitted in the quickest time will be given a level one clue by PM. The 2nd and 3rd place trivia winners for the week will be given Level 2 and 3 clues. There are 3 levels of clues in the game.

Level 1= Major clue (as in short clip scene, MCF letter written to a character, etc).

Level 2= Big clue (as in picture of a character, past episode clip, etc)

Level 3= Minor Clue (as in a riddle, something vague)

The goal is to get to first place every week as it gives you the best clue or, at least get in the top 3 each week to get a clue. Clues will be PMed to the top 3 trivia winners every Tuesday. The game will work by this system until June 3. On that date, the game will take a one week break and will return for the second half of the game on June 12. The game will reach a new level as some game players with low total trivia scores will be eliminated and the 5 finalists decided. Trivia scores will be posted in the SL Insider every Saturday. The second part of the game will focus on the buildup to the grand finale of the MCF mystery. More info on that as this point in the game grows near.

Now why would anyone want to be a part of this? Well, on June 3, the top 5 trivia players in terms of score will be written into the blog as minor characters during a big event. The portrayers of the characters will be decided by Roman and I but the 5 finalists will be asked for input. The higher your score, the bigger your character's involvement in the event. You will be given the chance to name your character as well. Then, when the game reaches it's end in summer, the overall winner will be revealed in the final Trivia Challenge which will ask the game finalists to reveal their guess for who the MCF is. The overall winner in terms of score will then be able to decide who the character created in their honor will interact with, some of what the character does, and will see their character play a part in a story that will be featured in the aftermath of the VENDETTA event. The winner will also be given a big surprise that will be revealed at the end of the game.

Game rules and details will be posted in the VENDETTA area of the blog in the weeks to come. REMEMBER, THE VENDETTA EVENT BEGINS MARCH 1 AND THE GAME BEGINS MARCH 20. YOU MUST LET ME KNOW VIA PM OR COMMENTING IN THIS BLOG IF YOU WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE VENDETTA GAME AND TRIVIA CHALLENGE BY MARCH 11. DO NOT START LETTING ME KNOW UNTIL BEGINNING ON MARCH 1.

Also, be on the lookout for more VENDETTA info and story info pertaining to VENDETTA in the VENDETTA blog category. Again, I will post on the main page of the Salem Lives blog and in the SONBC discussion thread whenever new info is on the VENDETTA area so you all can go into the blog and into the category to read it. If you have any questions, please comment in the blog or PM me and I will get back to you as soon as I can. I know some may sound complicated here but I think this is fun and a great way to get readers involved in the action. Oh, and a note to readers of Salem Lives who end up not playing the game, YOU CAN STILL BE INVOLVED BY READING THE VENDETTA INFO AND SHORT SCENES IN THE VENDETTA AREA OF THE BLOG. REMEMBER, THE SHORT SCENES ARE BASICALLY SCENES TO FILL IN THE BLANKS LEFT DURING THE NORMAL DAILY EPISODES AND TO HELP THE MYSTERY ALONG FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST GAME PLAYERS. JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT SO THOSE THAT DON'T PLAY DON'T GET LEFT OUT.

So, be there when VENDETTA officially begins March 1 and look out for more info on this as we approach the launch date.