Week of 3/5/07 Edition

INSIDER FEATURE: SPRING PREVIEW!!!

The NCAA basketball tournament isn't the only thing causing madness this March as an amazing Spring begins on Salem Lives with several huge twists and turns. It really is one shocker after another as SALEM LIVES VENDETTA begins. "It's our biggest event yet," says EP/HW Tim Lowery. "It's huge in that it's not something that lasts for a few weeks. This MCF mystery has been going on since Fall and now we are getting to what he or she wants to accomplish. That is what VENDETTA is about." VENDETTA begins on March 1 and will continue into the Summer. "It will reach it's dramatic climax in the summer," says Lowery. But, before we get to summer, we need to get through March and Spring so here is a sneak peek at what lies ahead for the people of Salem.

VENDETTA: "VENDETTA began with a bang as James found his family savagely murdered, Stefano was shot, and it was revealed that the MCF is holding Tony and Anna hostage. Fans will see just how evil and diabolical the MCF is. He or she is pulling so many strings. It has already been revealed that Alan, James, and Marlena are working with the MCF and you can expect more Salemites to fall into he or she's web as they become allies of the MCF. The MCF offers them what they want and they all bite, not realizing the danger and risk they are taking. This MCF mystery builds to May sweeps and the summer. It's really full of shockers and big twists. You can't miss a day because this story is a classic umbrella story that focuses on everyone. The fans won't believe what is coming."

Roman/Marlena: "Now that it has been revealed that Marlena has multiple personalities, we will start to go inside her mind a little bit. Fans will learn about each of her personalities in depth and all will be explained. Fans will see what caused all this and what each personality draws from. Roman and Marlena's family and friends will fight to reach the Marlena they know and love. The MCF sets Marlena up for a fall and she ends up in a virtual hell that only increases her inner rage. The real story here is about Marlena and her history and how we got to this point. That will be explored and her and Roman's love story will be pivotal to this plot."

Sami/Lucas/Will: "Sami and Lucas try to get to the bottom of what is going on with Will. She gets interesting info from Shane and starts to think Alan did something to Will. The closer Sami and Lucas get to the truth, the more dangerous Alan becomes. The Will crisis brings Sami and Lucas closer together and gets them to a place where we see the solidifying of their family. Will is falling apart and look for him to forge a deep bond with Bo as they go through their pain and suffering together."

Nicole/Eric/Carrie/Austin/Alan: "The bitch is back!!! Nicole revisits her old ways and strikes up some unlikely alliances to get what she wants...Carrie's baby. Nicole will do some things that will shock you and will come back haunt her. She begins to see that life with Eric isn't what she thought it would be and he becomes nothing but a nuisance to her. Meanwhile, Austin takes steps to have a future with Carrie as they finally put things in the past with Sami and Lucas. Carrie decides to tell Austin the truth, which will spark the unraveling of the mystery surrounding Carrie's baby. It sets the stage for a dramatic showdown as Alan will fight to keep things from falling apart and more and more people will be on his tail as the truth about Carrie's baby slowly filters out."

Bo/Hope: "Bo deals with the discovery that he was molested. This is a huge issue for the Brady family. Hope tries to get the truth from Caroline and Kim but gets nothing. Bo goes MIA and we will see him go through a journey of self-discovery. He has alot ot work through and Will will be important to him in terms of his accepting what happened and coming to grips with it. Hope will have to deal with a family crisis and that will detract her attention for a bit. She isn't giving up on Bo that's for sure."

Steve/Kayla: "Steve suffers a major setback. We begin to see that there is more going on with Steve then meet's the eye. Kayla will learn about what happened to Bo and how Roman and Kim hid the truth so she will deal with that. Steve is still her main focus. Meanwhile, Steve is dragged into something unwillingly and it becomes clear that there is a huge secret from his missing years that is among his lost memories. Expect that secret to be revealed towards the end of May and it will definitely have far reaching effects for many Salemites."

Maggie/Victor/Caroline/Doug/Julie/Alice: "Victor has a plan but it spins out of control, setting up a tragic series of events. Maggie goes over the edge, endangering many lives and leaving a beloved character's life hanging by a thread. Julie digs a deeper hole for herself when she does something that only the old Julie would do. Alice will play a role in this story as well, along with Caroline who, along with her family issues stemming from what happened to Bo, will try to reach an understanding with Victor. Caroline and Victor will bury the hatchet in a way and that will give a ray of hope for a future between them. Expect Lucas to be a much bigger player in Maggie's story as we go along."

Jack/Billie: "They will still deal with their children's problems but they will be pivotal to the VENDETTA plot. They, along with Frankie and Greta, are the under the radar investigators. The cops can catch the MCF and Jack and Billie feel obligated to get to the bottom of this because of what happened to JJ and Angel. As they try to piece together this mystery, their feelings for each other grow stronger. However, it's always one step forward and two steps back for them. Jack's fears of moving on and Billie's fear of committment and being hurt are big obstacles for them."

Max/Abby/Cassie/Chelsea: "There is hope for Max and Abby yet but Max's lack of faith in Abby becomes a sore spot. Cassie gets one upped by a shocking person and it only increases her drive for revenge. It becomes more about revenge them about getting Max. She will seek out help from her family. Meanwhile, Chelsea can't seem to break off from Cassie's web and discovers that Cassie isn't the only one who knows her secrets. Look for something shocking to happen to Abby and Chelsea in April that really ups the ante for Jack, Billie, Max, Cassie, and others."

Frankie/Greta: "They help Jack and Billie with the investigation of the MCF. We aren't really building them as a couple. We are putting them together in story and seeing what develops. It's more about developing them as characters with Greta's drive to make a difference and her job at The Spectator and Frankie gaining more of an edge and not being such a pushover."

James: "He has his sights set in finding out who killed his family and getting revenge. He is manipulated big time by the MCF, who uses his rage to his or her's advantage. We start to see James lose his way a bit but, underneath it all, he is still a good guy. Just like he always was. The pain and agony of losing his family is driving him and that means he could be capable of anything."

Kate: "Kate's meddling becomes a sore spot with her children, especially Philip. She begins to evaluate her parenting and her actions. She will come across a stunning secret and then get herself dragged into something bigger, forcing her to make a huge decision that will, ultimately, have tragic consequences, She will have to live with for the rest of her life."

Belle/Philip: Now that we know what went down in San Francisco, Philip continues to force Belle to cooperate with him. He wants them to be this stand up family, for his sake and for the Kiriakis name. He seems very driven to impress his father. He wants more power and influence. He was hurt too many times and won't be anymore and that is what is pushing him the desire he has to do more. He thinks his father is holding him back and it becomes apparent how far Philip will go to have what he wants. he will take action against Belle and against his own father. One decision, in particular, that he makes will make it apparent how strong his obsessions with power and prestige are and how much Philip really has changed.

Shane/Kim: "They help each other through the backlash they are getting from keeping the big secrets they kept. We see the bond still there and it becomes quite apparent that they may be on their way to something. Shane tries to piece together the MCF mystery with the SPD and will also worry about losing his job as a result of helping Carrie. Kim will be right by his side and we will get them to a point where they must evaluate if there is enough between them to give it another whirl."

Cal/Katherine: "Cal has finally found happiness and is set to start this new life. The past is nothing but an afterthought. There is some great romance for them coming up and it all leads to them taking a big leap of faith. However, there is the matter of the MCF having that file on Cal's past. What will Cal do when the opportunity to learn about his past and, possibly, remember it, presents itself? That is the big question."

Abe/Lexie/Stefano/Celeste: "Stefano is out of commission for awhile so Lexie takes over things. She thinks that Tony is who the MCF was talking about when he spoke with Stefano so she leads a search team to find him. Celeste and Abe get involved as they worry about Lexie being in danger from the MCF and they somehow think that finding Tony and interrogating him could help them bring down Stefano and end the Dimera influence on Lexie. Celeste begins to have strange visions that give her reason for concern about the future. Look for Stefano to take major action against the MCF once he is on his feet again."

PENGHLIS AND HUNLEY RETURN!!!! MCCLUER FAMILY OUT!!!

Fans were told the debut of VENDETTA would be a huge shock and it clearly didn't disappoint. On Thursday March 1, fans were shocked when it was revealed that the MCF was holding long missing Tony Dimera (Thaoo Penghlis) and Anna Fredericks (LeAnn Hunley) captive in an unknown location. "We kept both returns under wraps and thought it would be the perfect way to kick off VENDETTA," says EP/HW Tim Lowery. "We needed a huge twist and we thought it was best to use this reveal because it shows how far the MCF will go and also shows that the scope of this revenge plan the MCF has going reaches outside of Salem. We had talked to Thaoo before he finished playing Andre last summer and we told him he would be back in Spring. We talked to LeAnn in the Fall to get things in line and here we are. It was planned all along." As for how long both will stick around, Lowery is taking a wait and see approach. "They are pivotal to VENDETTA and their part of the story will be slow initially but will build over the Spring and into the summer. I think fans want to see some Anna and Carrie interaction and I also think they would like to see Tony with his daughter, Cassie, and to see him interact with Stefano and Lexie would be fun. We'll see." When asked if VENDETTA will bring more former favorites or new cast members to the canvas, Lowery is tight-lipped. "I am not going to comment because VENDETTA is such a huge event for us. All I can say is there are surprises everyday and I only hope the fans enjoy this ride," he says.

In other news, all February fans heard that murder would strike Salem. Little did they know that it would be mass murder. On February 26, fans learned that Renee McCluer (Sharon Wyatt) and her three children James Jr aka JJ (Michael Trucco), Jonathan (Zachary Knighton), and Angelica aka Angel (Hayden Panettiere) were savagely killed. It is not yet clear who murdered the family in cold blood but the aftermath of the murder sent major shockwaves through Salem. "It was huge because everything the MCF did was child play compared to this," says Lowery. "Sure, we don't know if the MCF did it or Marlena or whomever but the MCF was still involved somehow. It ups the ante of the story and tells the fans how serious this story and it's situations are. It also adds to the character of James and helps to show the complexity and layers of his character. I can assure the fans that James isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He has great stuff coming up." Roscoe Born (James McCluer Sr) reveals that it was hard to play these scenes. "It was difficult but it was certainly meaty material," Born says. "I like what is coming and it really allows me to dig deep. I couldn't have asked for better onscreen children or a better onscreen wife. They were great and I only wish I had worked with them more." Lowery adds that the fact that these roles were always meant to be short term had a major impact on casting. "Alot of actors we wanted shied away because they knew it was like a 13-18 episode arc,"admits Lowery. "In Hayden's case, she could only take the role if it was short-term. Same goes for Sharon, who has to take care of her mother. I am grateful we had who we had because they did great. I only wished we could've kept them and used them more. They were wonderful keeping the details of the story private."

There are rumors of major cast cuts yet to come for Salem Lives and that VENDETTA and it's climax will facilitate many exits. "I can't comment on all that," Lowery says. "It's too early and we are trying to limit spoilers and info on what is ahead with this story. It's too big of a story and too dramatic to just come right out and say that we are building to some mass exodus. I just want the fans to sit back and enjoy what is happening. It's going to be a huge spring and summer. That you can take to the bank."

COMINGS AND GOINGS!!!

COMING

Thaoo Penghlis and LeAnn Hunley (Tony Dimera and Anna Fredericks): Both actors made surprise returns on March 1. The length of their stay is unknown but it's expected to be quite lengthy.

GOING

Sharon Wyatt, Michael Trucco, Zachary Knighton, and Hayden Panettiere (Renee, James Jr aka JJ, Jonathan, and Angelica aka Angel McClure): All four actors last appeared on February 26 when they were found brutally murdered.

Previews and Peeks into Wk of 3/5/07

-Nicole and Victor make a deal.

-It's one step forward, two steps back for Jack and Billie.

-Lexie makes a promise to her father.

-Celeste and Abe decide to trail Lexie.

-Eric's story has Austin's interest piqued.

-Sami, Lucas, Carrie, and Austin bury the hatchet.

-There is hope for Max and Abby.

-Cassie's latest request stuns Chelsea.

-Steve has a setback.

-Victor's plan backfires.

-Maggie goes over the edge, putting the lives of some beloved characters in danger.

-Bo spirals out of control.

-Will falls apart and makes a disturbing discovery.

-The MCF sets up Marlena for fall.

RED LETTER DAYS!!!

Tuesday March 6: Maggie gets a shock.

Wednesday March 7: Victor's plan backfires as Maggie goes over the edge.

Thursday March 8 and Friday March 9: The lives of some beloved Salemites are in danger!! Plus, the MCF sets up Marlena and Will makes a disturbing discovery.

Next Week: Marlena learns she has been betrayed. Maggie comes clean. Nicole rethinks her marriage to Eric. Steve's condition confuses Kayla. Lexie decides to go to Europe. Cassie is one-upped.