carolineg

Sonny has a kid with Alexis and got her daughter Sam preggers Brooke on B&B has kids with Ridge and Eric Mimi on Days has a kid with Phillip and Rex I am sure there are many others those are just off the top of my head.

As someone who was pretty young in 1995 the Possession was cool and made me a John/Marlena fan, but Kristen/John/Marlena and Carrie/Austin/Sami kept me. I was never a huge fan of Bo/Hope though. That all being said, the Possession is not something I re-watch and even cringe at now. But all my friends watched/taped it after school, so it had to be geared to younger viewers. I think Days was often #1 in 18-49, but I could be wrong. It also was a refreshing change of pace to my other soap GH, which was pretty depressing, albeit awesome, in 1995.

There were a lot of rumors Deidre didn't like the amount of airtime CC was getting, and for awhile it truly was the Carly show and that CC didn't understand why DH got "preferable" treatment. It culminated in alleged screaming match on set. There were also rumors that Deidre wasn't a fan of the CC/MS relationship since it began when both were married to other people and they were carrying on at the studio. There have been so many rumors about it over the years that it was probably true to some degree. I think it ended with the producers stepping in and saying if they had to chose they would chose Deidre/Marlena. I believe CC just chose not to renew after MS was fired, but I am not sure where Carly would have gone. Bo (RKK's version) and Billie were already gaining a big fan base when CC left.

You're right. I don't know why I thought it was Marlena. I think Sami mentioned it? After talking to Marlena off screen. I swear it came up but I would have to re-watch for the exact details. My memory is not as good as I thought lol.

Thanks! I remember Marlena talking about it when the Sydney baby switch happened and Grace died. Has Marlena mentioned her rape anytime in the recent past? I know it was a fairly big part of early Roman/Marlena. Was it mentioned when Sami was raped? I think it was, but it's been so long I forget.

Yeah Jed Allan was probably too old and too grounded in reality as a character for Reilly's vision of Days. And also he was working on 90210. But they pick and choose how they want to mine Marlena's history on this show. Even today she could have mentioned her losing DJ to Sarah, but did not. I mean, does John even know Marlena was raped? Has that fact even been mentioned since 1983?

I think John and Marlena 2.0 could have still heated up with Don. I guess it might have made Marlena look bad having feelings for someone else again, but John was 100% committed to Kristen at that point. I always was annoyed that Marlena had to sit on the sidelines for so long without a love interest and John just got to have Kristen lol. Don coming back was always just less messy than Roman and all that baggage, but they had a strong enough history to make it believable. And Don's story was always so unfinished and as a lawyer he could have fit in a lot of places. He could have helped John's case in Aremid. Or Jack's case against Peter's murder. He could've even helped Sami/Austin/Carrie with that Paris weird custody issue lol. There were always a lot of possibilities for him.

I always thought early Roman/Marlena still made it seem like Don/Marlena were endgame. Obviously things change but I definitely think they could have brought Don back in the 90's post-Roman/pre-John reunion. It's a little silly Marlena just pined away for John for 3 years...I guess the possession/ kidnappings were enough to keep her busy but I always feel like the whole Don thing was slightly unresolved never to be mentioned again.

Did Tracey leave or was she fired? Donna was an interesting character and gave Don a kid at least. Poor Don. Left to mail a package and has no legacy outside being Marlena's never mentioned 1st husband.

Yes. Ej did. The basic gist of the story with me probably getting some details wrong: when Jarlena first returned in 2011 EJ set it up to make it seem Basic Black was laundering money from investors or some sort of embezzlement thing. John went to jail and then was exonerated and used his own money to pay the investors back. Jarlena had scenes about making a budget and everything. They never mentioned getting the money back, but I assume they did. Whether it be from EJ or a come up from one of John's other identities or Basic Black being successful since then.

Yeah poor John. He was really an idiot from 1995-1997. Marlena was dumb about John's feelings but at least she actually figured Kristen's schemes out eventually. John slept with Susan and couldn't tell the difference. Lol Nvm Marlena couldn't tell John was not Roman so they truly are meant to be. On another note I am always confused about the Brady custody situation. He appears to live with Marlena some of the time. Did Jarlena ever explain this or were the kids just lumped together because why not? I mean it's totally not important now, but did John just expect Marlena to raise Brady if he died in Aremid with no formal custody agreement? I know there is a scene where he tells her she gets all the money for the kids, but that's kinda of a big ask to have your ex raise your kid with someone else lol.

Lol. I buy Austin not being able to pick up obvious social cues. Reilly had a weird fetish for flashbacks and fantasies and for characters talking to themselves lol. I can't say there was a lot to like about Reilly's 2nd stint. Did he have a single good story that stint? And, no, I absolutely will not count the Salem Serial Killer story. Agreed on the Aremid spinoff. It's not like any of the Aremid characters were particularly great or stand outs. I think the Manhattan Lives spinoff may have been okay because I think it included Carrie and possibly Jen? too. I don't remember the details anymore. And that would have really harmed Days, so it's probably just a pipe dream that helped Deidre Hall sign her contract in 1991. The Salem High spinoff would have been horrible. Days doesn't even feel the need for these characters now and I like Belle, Shawn D, and Brady mostly because of their parents not because they are the most awesome characters. I doubt Mark Valley would ever return, but if he did I wouldn't have a problem with him as a new character. Hope really does need a strong love interest and I don't think MV would be as jarring as say Tamara Braun as Taylor lol.

I think Passions sounds better on paper than an Aremid spinoff. Or Manhattan Lives the Deidre Hall spin off that was proposed in the early 90's. Although I don't know why you would take your main heroine off of your flagship show. Jason Brooks had chem with everyone. It's too bad. I actually love Mark Valley too. He had a certain swagger that was so charismatic. He just wasn't Jack. Steve Wilder and that shower scene was the worst. He wasn't good at all. Cameron was fine. She just wasn't Missy. She probably would have been fine in another role except for the fact she looked just like Jennifer lol.

The reason I feel for Kristen is the other villainesses at the time (Sami, Vivian, Billie) knew their beloved was in love with someone else. And John adamantly denied it and she believed it. She genuinely thought John loved only her, so the letter was a tough blow. And haha, John/Marlena just get a room already. Austin/Carrie/Sami/Lucas gets amazing. I LOVE LOVE Carrie but Sami was great as a villain. With Bo/Hope I hate the intro of Franco into the story. They make Hope a model. Which just seems weird. There was a whole plan to make the Aremid thing a spinoff before Passions. But Missy leaving screwed it all up and maybe it wasn't that great of an idea but IIRC it was going to be Jen, Jack, Peter and the Aremid crew. I also think Jude St. Clair would have been involved but there was some backstage issues..

Maison Blanche is great. And I always sorta forget Roman is still on the show at the time because it's so Jarlena focused. Stefano was so much more fun when he was a scary villain before Paris and The Secret Room when he was kinda ridiculous. Missy left halfway through Aremid. Stephanie Cameron is in the conclusion of it. I didn't hate her, but Mark Valley's Jack and her Jen were just 2 different characters. I am pretty sure MR leaving screwed up the spinoff they had been thinking about with all the Aremid characters like Sarah.

Of course. I don't mean to disparage the story at all. John and Marlena were just being silly with all their he/she doesn't feel the same stuff when they clearly were the closest exes in the history of ever lol. All those stories were great. I love Paris through the Secret Room. It was just very Reilly. They both were just oblivious to obvious social cues for approximately 2 years. But I ate it up. Kristen and Marlena in the Secret Room was everything. DH and ED played off each other so well.. It's so soapy, but I feel like John and Marlena both come off a little dumb and ridiculously self-sacrificing.

It's pretty dumb. John and Marlena both think the other has moved on and don't want to tell one another because it would be a burden or obligation even though they have a bunch of scenes where they clearly have sexual tension and also are inappropriately close with one another . There's a lot of hemming and hawing and dancing around telling each other. Then Kristen asks John for another chance and Marlena encourages John to go for it-which is silly, but whatever. Kristen also has a weird fertility issue where she only has a short period of time to conceive so John just agrees to knock her up immediately. Then Kristen finds the letter, schemes, and Marlena finds the letter and goes to tell John she loves him and Kristen announces she's pregnant before she can tell him. Then the whole Paris fiasco starts shortly after. Re-watching it now it just seems like John and Marlena are being lame and clearly ignoring the obvious-especially John, but Kristen becomes thoroughly enjoyable.

I go back and forth between Aremid or Maison Blanche being my favorite. Aremid is probably better overall but I loved all the Stefano/Marlena/John stuff and finding Gina/Hope in Maison Blanche. The Possession is not really one of my favorites, but it was fine at the time. I don't ever re-watch it though. I still think the Lady in White is the most annoying character ever. So much crying and wailing.

The guy that played Jesse wasn't very good. I really like Kirsten Storms and I think she plays Maxie well, but GH never really utilizes her right. And they dress her terribly.. I sorta wish she just stayed playing Belle on Days. I always thought her and Spinelli were popular? Maybe not. Spinelli was an annoying character always lol. I liked the Summer of Sleaze. It was ridiculous and made everyone look bad but it was literally the only time I liked Sam. I am not a Liz/Jason shipper or anything but they really got nothing overall. I mean, a kid, sure, but they never got a chance to be anything more. It was bizarre and I am sure behind the scenes stuff, but they deserved a shot. They have good chemistry to this day. GH has always puzzled me in the way they discard vets while shows like Days literally still use their 60 plus stars to lead stories lol.

I love this era. I loved everything about Aremid and it's ridiculousness. Unfortunately, when I re-watch I generally skip ahead to Paris shenanigans after Aremid ends. I feel like the show just treads water for those few months in between. I mean the damn letter is the star of May Sweeps 1996 lol. ED does so well with Kristen's descent into villainess/crazy lady. I hated her in 1996, but looking back it's actually understandable. John and Marlena practically swoon all over each other 24/7 but they just decide to not tell each other for really no reason at all lol. I won't spoil it for you because it gets so good, but I will say I hope Marlena still has that letter framed somewhere because it took a lot of time for her to get it and read it. Peter was a great villain. It's too bad there were personal reasons he couldn't come back because he's a villain that should have returned several different times. Heck, even now. It's a shame the story was really less effective due to recasts. I definitely think Sami/Austin/Carrie really gets good after this, but Bo/Hope get worse. You can tell Reilly didn't care to write for Bo/Hope the way he did for Austin/Carrie and John/Marlena. One thing I love about Reilly is that the entire cast is involved in these stories. All of Salem except Carrie/Austin/Sami were involved in Aremid. The entire town basically all goes and hangs in Paris during that storyline. It's a little silly but I like how so many people are connected during these stories.

Jesse was a cop. He was Lucky's partner and I believe died in the line of duty. It was the first of Maxie's dead partners but his death actually began the set up to Maxie/Lucky's weird affair.

I think WN was pretty sexy in the 80's but in the 90's no lol. RoJohn/John was definitely the sexier of the two, but I don't think either are classically handsome. I can see the appeal in both of them and WN was hot in Dynasty. By the time he returned to Days all the charm and most of his chemistry with DH was gone. Also count me in with those that hate Marlena's short 80's hairstyle. I like her so much better with longer hair always. I was devastated in 1997 when she cut off her awesome long Paris hair for that unattractive, shaggy short hair. It makes her look older and matronly.

Yes. She was hired to bridge the gap between Laura recasts. And to be Mickey's psychiatrist. So I would assume 46 would be a bit too old for the part regardless, but 29 and as beautiful as DH might have been a little different than the original character concept.

JM was amazing no doubt, but I think the writing really neutered Stefano. Everyone was deathly afraid of a man that ran an underground midget kingdom in Paris and was obsessed with the local shrink. It was always an odd choice.

It's Queen of the Night lol. I always thought that made it sound like Marlena was some sort of Madam in charge of a bunch of call girls. It just sounds kind of dirty lol. In the 80's I thought Stefano did have an obsession with Marlena/Roman especially when he kidnapped the twins right before Marlena shot him, BUT I didn't think it was a romantic/lust obsession. More of "I am obsessed with ruining your life" sorta thing. Anyway, I think Stefano's romantic infatuation with Marlena began in the 90's after Maison Blanche when she tried to seduce him to save John. I think that was actually the catalyst to the desire to have her, but it escalated quickly into him sneaking through her boudoir and making vulnerable to the devil. Gosh just typing that sounded ridiculous. So I don't think we are supposed to believe it was something that was always there but something that happened later on. Regardless, it never made much sense. Especially when he kidnapped her and locked her in a cage in Paris, but wanted her to love him and come to him on her own. While being HELD CAPTIVE away from her family in a Gold Cage. Stefano, that is an awful plan. This also when Stefano became a cartoon. He was always more OTT than Victor or other Days baddies, but he was scary in the 80's. From the 90's on he was just a caricature and it just veered into complete ridiculousness.