carolineg

I think the Lombard story is really well crafted. It takes a little long to get there, but it's worth it. Roman and Marlena's fight right before she gets thrown in that pit is amazing and perfectly sums up where the characters and their relationship is at. If you decide not to watch the entire story I would recommend those scenes alone. The John/Marlena stuff when they think they are going to die is great too and sets up the affair and how their feelings never died and were just buried. Man, I have almost convinced myself to re-watch it now 🤣

I find most of 1992 to be pretty boring outside of Izzy's death. I think you know I am not a Carly fan, so that has a lot to do with. As far as the Pit/Affair story-it isn't bad writing. I love it. One of my favorite stories ever that has long lasting consequences throughout the canvas. You just start to see where Roman gets slightly thrown under the bus and becomes the heavy. It's still a well crafted story that begins in 1991 and John's closeness with the entire family keeps weaving it's way through until he finally re-connects with Marlena. It's 3 good people trying to deal with love and feelings in an insane situation. It's just clear John/Marlena are the 'root' for couple here and that's always been SA and JER's writing and Roman gets pushed aside.

I personally don't think Roman gets to be peak jerk until 1992-94. There are several scenes where Roman is a jerk to John though and very pushy with Marlena during this 1991 period. It's all kind of understandable in this story though. We know RoJohn isn't a bad guy, but Roman just knows this man stole his life for 7 years. I actually think RoJohn/John treats Marlena pretty badly during this (leaving her in a motel when she first arrives, sleeping with Isabella in Mexico) and you can tell she is hurt by these things. Roman starts to change for me when he gets really controlling and judge-y with Carrie, extremely jealous of John's relationships with anyone close to Roman, starts butting in with his opinions on Marlena's career, and basically always thinks he's right about everything. Meanwhile, he goes on undercover cases and does whatever he wants for his job. There is a clear shift in writing by that point (and it might be BTS stuff) and John is the understanding, helpful one and Roman is the stubborn, out of touch one.

That's what I was talking about John completely steps away from Roman/Marlena and ostensibly the kids and gets lost in the Danielle/Romulus story then the Alamain stuff, and, of course, Isabella's illness/death. So while theoretically John still could have seen the twins-it just wasn't showed. Marlena/Roman were also slightly backburnered back then, so it's possible all these things happened off screen. Agreed re: Anna/Carrie. I don't think we ever had enough information about Anna/Roman to really gauge. When Roman told Marlena about their relationship it seemed like there were legitimate feelings there, but Anna was telling several lies at the time so it's hard to tell what was the truth on her end.

Yeah, even as one of the biggest supporters on John/Marlena on this entire board this conversation is not making a lot of sense. I am just going to tip toe out of it and agree to disagree.

After the Roman reveal. Not before. We saw RoJohn with Carrie and the twins in the 80's. But John really stepped back from Roman/Marlena and the twins and Carrie wasn't in town while he was with Isabella. John wasn't really back into that part of the canvas until the affair started to ramp up. It all comes back to the SORAS'ing. If they were in town did John have a relationship with them offscreen? Early Sami and Carrie seemed to have a fondness to him so I assume so-we just didn't see a lot of it in the 1991-1993 time period. Hope that makes more sense. @EdibleFlowers I know when John raised those children on screen, but Sami was born in 84. In 1993 she's 15. There are some years unaccounted for. Sami and Eric did not grow up in real time. @j swiftRoman absolutely has/had a savior complex. I don't think I know enough about Anna/Roman to really judge. I don't know if there was any real love there on Anna's part. I think Roman was probably sincere.

I think Wayne's Roman was supposed to be more blue collar and simple for lack of a better word. Marlena was supposed to be more sophisticated. I don't think he was a cad or disrespectful in creation-just more old fashioned and rough around the edges? By the book, family oriented, a little chauvinistic and out of his league with Marlena. There are also several very touching and lovely scenes throughout Marlena/Roman's initial courtship. They also had quite a bit of humor. Something I don't think John/Marlena and their constant angst quite achieved. I never doubted Roman loved Marlena even if a lot of his words and actions don't age great. It was a product of the time. In the 90's I will say Roman was a jerk though.

Yeah. I don't know if the twins grew while in Colorado or we are supposed to think the Roman/Marlena/Sami/Eric family was reunited and they grew most of that time with them. John was pretty much hands off after the initial reveal of him not being Roman. So are we to think John was just a fun uncle for all those years or that he had a more meaningful relationship with them? It's all very confusing and sometimes I think for audience clarity sake they go with biological ties. Carrie and Brady don't call Marlena mom and Sami/Eric/Carrie don't call John dad. We know they have parental/strong ties, but it's just the simplest way to explain it through the years.

Thanks! That's not....the best. Right? Lol. So stupid. The 80's were a wild time. I remember Patch manhandled Kayla quite a bit early on too.

I think it's also really hard to place how much time John spent with the twins. Not because we didn't see him fully raise the kids, but because Sami/Eric were shipped off to Colorado and aged. Once Sami returned it was really difficult for me to discern how much time RealRoman actually spent with them. Did he and Marlena raise them while they SORAS'ed? Are we supposed to consider the time they aged four or five years as Marlena/Roman parenting them as a family? That's how Sami made it seem. That's on unclear writing and the pitfalls of SORAS'ing. Brady doesn't call Marlena mom and she raised him. At least Eric/Brady refer to themselves as siblings.

I know exactly what scene @EdibleFlowers is talking about in the office and it is a pretty crappy thing to do. Before the sleeping bag stuff. It might actually be their first scene together. The slap I really can't place or recall. I think I might remember Roman handling Marlena a bit roughly because she was in denial and slightly delusional after Sam's death? It's been so long. I think Roman was a little joke-y about Marlena being a lady dr/shrink. When he says it in the beginning I can see it being obnoxious. I think it's very different than the way Drake/RoJohn/John calls her that because it comes from a place of more respect, but I don't think Wayne's Roman's intentions were bad.

I think if you search you tube you can find Wayne/Deidre's first scenes. I believe he scares her in her office to prove how unsafe and careless she is being. Unless @EdibleFlowers is referring to the sleeping bag scenes were he moves into her house on the floor and I think those are available as well. I think it would be December 1981 or early 1982. Wayne debuted in December 81 but I can't recall if his first scenes were with Deidre. I have never seen the slap scenes after Samantha's death. Or if I did I don't recall. I would assume it would be in the same month or week that Sam died though.

I think it's pretty clear EJ, Nicole, Eric, and Sloan are carrying the show right now. Even with Leo/Dmitri I am enjoying the story. The Lucas stuff was random. Just release him already. I don't know who Lucas would interact with besides his mother at this point, but his random pop ups don't do anything to move story.

I always love to chat in the Classic Days thread so I will see you there!

Ha! Ha! I am not trying to convince you. I don't think it matters much on weekends when the board and thread are entirely dead, but some of this stuff could easily move to the BTS Days thread. I just remember the days of pages and pages of personal insults and fighting that happened and as long as everyone is mostly respectful and talking about the show in some capacity-I personally don't care or just scroll on. There are a core few of us that are on this thread everyday and it's nice when others join.

Abe's story really did stall. Paulina and Abe have shared similar scenes over and over for months. After the Whitley story I think Abe should have gotten his memory back until the show could pivot to something else for Paulina/Abe which spoilers seem to indicate they are soon. Also, that wedding photo they keep using is just not a flattering picture of Jackee. Couldn't they find a better one? We really were robbed of EJ punching Leo! Ugh.. Some of the dialogue today was a bit clunky and I noticed it. Paulina/Melinda's entire unecessary scenes? Kate saying she rarely agrees with John/Steve to Abe? Since when? You almost married one of them. Sloan referring to Eric and Nicole's daughter Holly? I know she meant Eric and Holly separately not her as his daughter, but it would have been easier to say Eric and Holly, Nicole's daughter and less confusing for me lol. That could have been entirely on JS though. Also, I would say this thread each month has improved greatly from all the infighting and insults it used to have and pages of pics of shirtless men (not actually complaining about that🤣). It might drift a bit, but it's a much more peaceful place than it was 6 months ago.

Most of Anna's life and Anna/Carrie's relationship occurred off screen. Carrie has been mostly off screen for years. I think at some point you have to just take their relationship at face value. They seem to be close and without issue, so I don't think there is anything more there to analyze. Carrie also seems to be very close with Marlena/John and Roman. I don't think we really know the relationship with Sami/Carrie these days and that's probably the most interesting dynamic.

Seeing some of KS's recent issues at GH especially with wardrobe and styling I think she would be a liability to Days. They don't seem to control wardrobe at all. I agree she was the best Belle though.

Ha! Ha! I truly love Carrie more than both Sami and Belle and miss her all the time. I don't want a recast and it doesn't seem feasible for CC to return so it is what it is. In my mind Carrie should currently be leading the next generation on Days. I mean, she also doesn't act in anything else. She may not be exactly retired, but she's not actively working either lol.

Yeah, my bad. This convo is definitely for the BTS/Classic Days thread lol.

I am not really arguing Marlena and especially John were better parental figures to Carrie. The twins would have been orphans without John. It's not really Roman's fault though until the 90's when Roman went incommunicado. Anna made questionable decisions, but did take Carrie in and raised her for a bit when she was having issues with RoJohn. It's noticeable that Anna/Roman missed a bunch of Carrie/Austin weddings, but if you aren't on canvas-you aren't on canvas lol. Carrie is definitely missing on canvas and I miss her all the time, but CC has retired from acting. I loved Carrie/Marlena/John in the 90's. It was a very special bond. She seems to have a good relationship with all 4 of her parental figures, so I take it for what it's worth.

@Donna L. BridgesI think Wayne's Roman's descent into being jerk started after he immediately went on assignment after getting back to find Bo. Leaving Marlena and his kids alone again for months. Then his issues with Carrie and Carrie's relationship with John made him seem at the very least unbendable. I never got the sense he tried to reconnect with his family, wife, or children in the same way after being gone for 7 years-he just expected everyone to love him the exact same way as before. He also had a tendency to disregard and not respect Marlena's career. I think the writing was heavily skewed towards John and towards John/Marlena's affair. I don't think Roman is a bad guy or had unrealistic reactions to an unbelievable situation, but I also don't think he comes off great. Especially toward the end of his run where Marlena is doing everything to save the relationship. He had every right to leave her, but not to leave his (troubled) children for several years with no contact.

I am a huge Marlena fan too and I don't need it to be retconned. It's mostly forgotten at this point and she's legally married to John. To rehash it would remind everyone it happened in the first place. As far as Wayne's Roman (and this is more a post for the Classic Days thread)-I don't think some of his 80's stuff ages well, but I did find early Roman/Marlena mostly delightful. In the 90's I thought a lot of his actions were misogynistic and it was clearly slanted writing toward John-and I am 100% a John/Marlena fan. I guess I just think how it would feel to have your wife and family mistake you for another man while you were being captive-and liked him more!. I'd be kind of cranky and a butthead too.

I don't ever want to hear the name Alex North again and pretend it doesn't exist. Roman has had story. Impregnating a 60 year old Marlena while they were presumed dead was unfortunately a pretty big story. And I mean, Roman was married to Anna who is more like Kate than Marlena. It's not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Why Kate wants to be with him is more perplexing.

Well, Wayne was fired to begin with in the 90's and I suspect Wayne being unavailable when they finally decided to bring Roman back was on purpose. I think we all know JT and Ken Corday are tight. I would never want Alex North back though. I agree it's too bad there was no way to work things out with Wayne because so many stories that were told with Josh's Roman would have actually been good with Wayne.