Bright Eyes

I actually really enjoyed today's episode. Perfect everyday soap opera. I'm all for Cat being an ISA agent because, if today is any indication, the material is much more in AnnaLynne McCord's wheelhouse, instead of her looking a demented idiot when trying to be romantic and cutesy. It was good to see Tony again, finally! He should have been seen somewhere amidst John's death/memorial episodes. I was pleasantly surprised with the Stefan mention. I wouldn't have blinked if he wasn't, but it's smart to keep that plate turning in the distance, especially with Shane implying EJ had help in buying the hospital. Gabi/Chad were a refreshing interaction. I hope he stands his ground and doesn't go to work for DiMera. He feels much more rootable, and like a Horton living with Julie, working at The Spectator, being a family man. I don't want him corrupted. There were two things I hated during their scenes though, and both were said by Gabi. 1) When she said her date with Alex was boring, because I thought they worked well together and felt like they had the makings for a solid friendship. 2) When she said Chad didn't grow up with money, when he definitely did. He was a spoiled, privileged brat. Jennifer has always been a worrier, and it makes sense to me that after Abby was brutally murdered that her worries would be dialed up to 11 and she'd be a lot more concerned about who is let in to her family's lives. However, I've been enjoying JJ/Gabi and have been hoping to get back to them, so I hope this is just a good obstacle, and we can build a solid longing between them and not them being done for good.

Jeff Hardy and Edge were so hot back then, too.

Me too. One of the best television performances I've ever seen.

It could mean nothing, but if he's being phased out I can't say he'll be a huge loss. Though Josh Kelly is a likable enough presence, Cody has been a mess of a character since day one. Of course, there are a ton of people I'd have chosen to write out before him.

Thank you for confirming. I wasn't sure if it was just me.

My only complaint is that we didn't get Bo reuniting with Philip on-screen and Bo meeting Xander as his brother. Very much missed opportunities. And yes, that montage song (was it the same awful one used for John and Marlena?) was horrendous. Sad to think because of the horrible budget we'll never get a decent montage ever again. I do also wish there was a vixen on canvas that wanted to use Xander's current predicaments to her advantage and get closer to him. In fact, we literally have no such character anywhere on the canvas and that's a crying shame. Kristen does not count, she's far too long in the tooth and tired.

https://globalnews.ca/news/11233871/juliette-powell-muchmuch-vj-electric-circus-dead/ There probably aren't a lot of people here who knows who she was, but as a Canadian of a certain age (35), I grew up watching her on MuchMusic in the 90s/early 00's. Because of her, Electric Circus looked like the best party to be at, and by all accounts, it absolutely was. Being at such an impressionable age, Juliette Powell and most of the classic MuchMusic VJs always seemed like the coolest people on the planet. Her, Rachel Perry, Rick the Temp, Sook Yin, Master T, George Strombo ... I'll always look back so fondly on those days and as is customary to say these days ... "These people raised me!" To think one of them has passed is devastating. I do remember them doing a special episode of EC at Canada's Wonderland, where my family happened to be at the same time, and that memory of being on one of the roller coasters at night was always cool on its own, but to have the Electric Circus crew there made it absolutely magical. All the love to Juliette Powell and the evoking of a bunch of great childhood memories.

Yeah, like others have said, Paul took it home for me today. We'd be so lucky to have him back for good.

Teach me to post cocky about all these rampant relations! As for the cut, it just made Leo Howard look more stunningly handsome. There are guys I think are hotter, but he's got the prettiest face hands down.

The show did a good job of having today feel like a funeral atmospherically. I'm happy they're making sure to state that Tate and Arianna consider each other family as the last thing we need is another Alex situation. However, it's very strange she has yet to have a scene with Will. Today is just part one, of course, so hopefully that on-screen reunion is yet to come. I also really want to see Carrie/Will/Arianna with Kate as well and hope Kate gets a little moment of her own regarding John. I forget if I mentioned this before, but real life affecting reel life when it comes to Maggie not being involved is just a crying shame. I'll never get over it. I wasn't bothered by the little hint of intrigue with Cat and Shane. Being spoiler free, I had no idea that little moment was going to happen or what that could be about. Was Shane the one calling her before? (Hypothetically asking, don't spoil me). I hope Steve shutting down BlackPatch sticks. I can't imagine what they will do with him though. Alice Halsey again proving why Rachel was recast. She's just effortless. Bring on seeing Tony again! He had the cut last week, too. Did he hit his head in the scene where he first got sick with the flu or was it a real life instance that they haven't talked about. Glad I'm not crazy thinking I missed something.

Cat herself will be a stumbling block all her own as she vowed to Chad to stay away from him, thus redeeming her of her crime morally. Classic DAYS would have them gazing longingly at each other at Doug's Place or Blondie's, while Liz is serenading the room with a song aptly chosen to represent their feelings of emotional turmoil.

I feel the same way about Melissa Reeves' Jennifer. She just makes the show feel like home by her presence alone. I am perfectly okay with them coming in every once and awhile, which probably fits Reeves' schedule better anyway. Their connections to Salem are still there: JJ, the grandkids, Jack still owning half of The Spectator ... they're perfect recurring characters. All this talk of Jennifer being in the wrong regarding Cat is absurd. Jennifer is not being villainized in any way, shape, or form, she's just being allowed to actually be human, which adds odds to the obstacle of Chad and Cat eventually getting together. All inner conflict. Keep it coming!

She's coming back as Sarah Webber, just watch. (I'm kidding, kind of)

Leo felt like a real person in the scene, for once. I also don't have the same animosity regarding Gwen and am excited to see how she'll fit in and be written with the new writers, even if her return was a part of RC's plans.

I was relieved to get a respite from the heavy John/Bo material today. Like previously mentioned, it really let us come up for air and breathe a bit, and good beats regarding John were still in play to keep that thoroughline going. Peter Reckell was fantastic on yesterday's episode. I was worried Bo would be told about Victor and Doug off-screen, so though my heart was fully breaking for him, I'm really happy we got to see him react to their passings. How strange that both his fathers died in a plane crash, I'm surprised they didn't have a line about it, but maybe it would have been to clunky to include. Cat/Tate were a fresh interaction. Why would she "feel" like she knows Sami. It reminded me of when Carrie "felt" like she knew EJ when he first came to town as EJ Wells, where he should have turned out to be a long lost Tony/Anna kid, but then all the mess we got happened instead. With that and her mysterious call, colour me intrigued. I am going to confess something I am almost ashamed to admit ... I like the Jack/Leo scene! However, in my defense, it got very genuine between them and those historical references used about Diana, Duke, and Leo's past with John were all very strong beats to play for me, and most importantly it Leo's responses were kept to a minimum. But by God, those pants he was wearing made him look deranged. Also, shout out to Melissa Reeves, who came back effortlessly yet again. I can't wait to see her confront Chad about letting Cat into his life. And SSH shouting "SKYDIVING" was hilarious.

Jason Cook still looks so good. I miss him.

The counts seem small even for B&B. Thanks for posting!

Always thankful for the stats!

I haven't said much about last week and today because I'm just enjoying it that much and soaking it all in. Building up the characters hopes before they pull the rug out from under them doesn't bother me. I think it helps to balance out the wave of devastation of this huge loss they'll be experiencing. I also want to give kudos to how well they are pacing every individual character's turn to have their moment and shine a light on their relationship with John. Never once has it felt forced or oversaturated. Carrie was a sight for sore eyes. How I wish things turned out differently and she was a permanent Salem resident. Even if the whole episode was just her meeting everyone, I would have been glued to the screen. I've never been the biggest fan of Brady, but his reminiscing with John surprisingly choked me up more than I thought it would or even could. Maybe because through the years John also kept the memory of Isabella alive for me, too? Still, so many strong moments, another being Abe hoping to be there standing proudly with John if Theo and Claire ever got married. I pictured it so vividly. That strong a point of view from Abe is so rare, too. Like someone mentioned above, Roman should absolutely get that moment of thanking John for loving his children, but I bet they're saving that for the funeral. Same with Hope, who has shared such strong ties to him throughout the years. Would it be insensitive if Kate got a moment, too? I could sense a moment like in All My Children when Dixie died and Brooke went to Jamie and acknowledged that she recognized that he was hurting and loved Dixie, too. Sami missing saying goodbye to John, while all his other children got a moment with him, is actually perfect for her character. How she reacts to that fact, if she's returning, will be a real testament to whether she's truly changed and evolved for the better. Always happy to see Eric/Greg Vaughan, the constantly beautiful man he is. It was so interesting how they positioned Johnny with the rest of the group. It made him so relatable to me, because looking outside in at all of them together who have spent so much more time with each other, with John, and especially with the audience, it absolutely would be intimidating and would just add to him feeling like he didn't belong. All these strong character choices are much welcome. Even the small part of Eric needing to pray helps see the characters as individuals. Having only kept a surface level attention on the show during the RC years, seeing Will and Eric connecting with Johnny was new to me. I even forgot Will and Johnny were brothers for a moment. Eric sounded like such an uncle when he told Johnny he didn't give him a chance to say a proper hello. With that scene and the hint of trouble in paradise, I can't help but wonder if Eric could be back in Salem more regularly? (No spoilers please). My only real negative is that Chandler Massey is so limiting. I care about Paul the way I should care about Will because of how much stronger the actor is. If ever Will was returning permanently, which I don't think is necessary at this point, I would have to recast. Anyway, except for that horrible and too on the nose cheap song choice at the end, another wonderfully done episode today. All the Bo material has been just as strong. We have been absolutely spoiled with all these flashbacks with both men. Even if it's been done before, the Bo in purgatory scenes have been a treat just to see Bo again properly and not just lying in bed. I wonder if Drake Hogestyn could have filmed, if they would have crossed paths in their dream states? I was surprised they didn't just have Scott Shilstone back as Zack, but this new guy was solid, but in no way looked like Bo and Hope's child. When Zack mentioned he was surrounded by loved ones, I was hoping for a line about him meeting Isabella. I did think it was funny that in today's hospital scenes with Bo, Hope and Ciara were dressed much more appropriately. As for Chelsea, much as I like Rachel Melvin, I understand the choice to have Chelsea there, but not on-screen. I wonder if they even asked her to return or was this always the plan? Still, Bo is finally alive again after all! I was holding out for a hero, it's just so sad we had to lose the ultimate one in the process!

It's an equal mix of feeling tortured and superior being a day ahead. Ya'll are getting a pretty good one tomorrow. It puts some things into perspective.

Thanks for posting. Is any of her soap stuff, especially from OLTL, available?

I knew it wasn't going to be a name or else we would have heard about the casting in advance from at least the soap press.

Judging by the fact that I was able to watch two episodes today, looks like Canada being a day ahead might be permanent.

I would say just start initially with as late as Friday/Monday. Neither episode was inundated with the kids you're referencing and both were just superb.