j swift

WAIT, isn't Russ older than Pat?

Are the scabs plagiarizing from The Wizard of Oz? Paulina's going to get a new heart, Abe will get a brain (or at least his memory), and Wendy will get some courage.

Pat was always my favorite because she came across as the most liberated woman in Bay City. She was also the middle child, so it made sense that Mary was not involved in her life as she was with Russ and Alice. But, even as a kid, I loved Pat's time at Brava. I liked her sparring with Cecile. And, I liked her relationship with Marianne. In defense of Lemay, he may not have liked traditional maternal role models, but he established Pat as a contemporary woman. She wasn't inhibited by her husband's failings. She went out on her own and helped establish a brand for Mac. She was an executive, not an assistant. And she was upwardly mobile without being driven by the need for acquisition or acceptance, like Rachel or Cecile.

Today was super-good. A little foreshadowing, that Chanel cried to Lani about bad people surviving while good people die. And I have to stop myself from asking why Lani and Chanel are so suddenly close, because it felt like that could've been a Chanel and Johnny scene, but it was fine. It was one of those days when the acting talents don't seem to matter as much as the impact of the production. So, yeah, Clyde and Paulina aren't the greatest at line delivery. But, his smug, smarmy, grossness got under my skin. And her sorrow when looking at kid's art, or her anxiety at the bright light, were totally engaging. I'm on the record that I hate when characters like Ava are portrayed as cool as they're holding a gun because I think it is socially irresponsible. And, I'll never understand why writers make it so easy to overpower someone that has a weapon. But, for the sake of Steve and John's aging frailty, I am glad they are not on scene. Although, how are they going to get away with helping a convicted felon escape from prison?

I'm surprised after all that John put Pat through, but I guess it fits with the character that Pat was never one to complain to her mother about her marital problems. And, it fits with the times that John's alcoholism was viewed more as a character deficit than a disease.

I had the same question regarding all the in-laws. I know Mary did not approve of Rachel for Russ. But, I don't recall her interactions with either Steve or John Randolph.

Apologies in advance for the retread, but I need help with this photo L to R Aunt Liz, Russ, Steve, Jim, Alice, Robert, Lenore, Iris, and then who are the couple on the right? Also, is this the debut of Steve and Alice's house that Robert designed?

This is the best, thank you so much. I just realized that I must have conflated Millie Marbury with Therese Lamonte (probably because one was associated with a balcony, and one with a terrace). I mean, if you could get him to post that would be miraculous I adore the idea of viewer hypotheses being spread pre-internet, it is so fun to think how much of that energy has always been a part of the fandom Although wasn't she a nurse's assistant (I don't recall if she graduated) and then a magazine editor, and there weren't that many stables in Bay City for Catlin to do his work, so his expectations were kind of accurate.

Also, how much did Leo pack to go babysit for a few hours? And, Eric's kind of a dick to Sloan. I don't think Sloan considered the long term consequences of raising a kid with a guy whose values differ so much from her own. Why would he agree to let Nicole host the christening without consulting his wife? I mean, he always makes Sloan look like the "bad guy", when it is perfectly reasonable not to want your husband's ex-lover and the kidnapper of your child to host your event. Next, is he going to ask Chanel to cater the reception? Speaking of which, what is the current status of Chanel and Sloan's relationship? I was surprised that Sloan stopped into the bakery when Nicole kidnapped Jude. Have they had any interactions since her brother tried to throw Chanel and her mother off of the roof?

Was Iris ever actually shown on camera when referenced as being in the South of France, particularly after her divorce from Brian? Or was it just portrayed through Dennis's one-sided phone calls? For example, did they build a whole set, or was it just Iris in a floppy hat holding a receiver? I came across a synopsis last night detailing a story about Iris's hostess being upset over her boyfriend flirting with Iris. Subsequently, Iris was upset about Brian selling the house. It all seemed to unfold in the lead-up to Texas. Hence, I'm curious if these events occurred off-screen. It appears that Beverly McKinsey enjoyed significant time off every year in the late 70s, that necessitated scripting Iris's absence into the storyline. Which also made me question if it was wise to choose her as the linchpin of Texas, given that she might require lengthy periods of time for vacation.

Sally and Peter probably gave the same vibes, in terms of story, as Sally and Dennis. Especially because Iris wasn't on the canvas while Sally was a young adult. It is ironic that they played up the class differences between Sally and Peter (or at least, Donna and Catlin mentioned it), because given Sally connections to Steve and Mac, she had access to more wealth than the Love family. I mean, I know Steve didn't die as the “richest man in Bay City”, like that infamous promo once stated, but Sally wasn't eating Hamburger Helper either.

I was thinking today about Leo and Sloan. I'm not as big of a Leo detractor as some, but I hope he will get some retribution when the baby switch information comes to light. Arguably, Sloan has some plausible deniability because she did not plan to steal Nicole's baby. Jude was thrust upon her due to forces beyond her control. And she couldn't reject him without seeming culpable. On the other hand, Leo has been keeping the information secret in order to profit off of Sloan. Nicole has done nothing to harm Leo, but he has been responsible for her suffering. He had nothing to lose by exposing the scam when he first realized what occurred. And he has prolonged this scheme, despite having access to Eric, EJ, and Nicole in order to confess. So, today when they portrayed him a loving caregiver, it felt empty, because he is doing nothing right in this situation. Finally, gotta love Salem, where the only three possible locations for a baby's christening are his parent's one-room condo, the local pub, or the biggest mansion in town.

So funny to see how editors title this type of clickbait No mention that he's an actor, just a Florida real estate agent. Also, according to the NY Post, this is the third time that Freddy's TikTok has gone "viral", which god only knows who they define that.

Suspension of disbelief aside, and with all due respect to the idea that they have to find a way to tell the audience about BobEtte's background. Please find a logical reason why the Salem PD would send their files to Marlena? First, BobEtte is not under investigation for a crime, so why is his ex-wife using government resources to do a background check on him? Second, given that he is a journalist and a victim of a crime, why wouldn't they just send the file straight to BobEtte? Third, if they know the names of his family, why hasn't anyone contacted them?

Also, if Jagger loved Karen so much, perhaps he shouldn't have cheated on her two seconds after they got married and moved to San Francisco.

The story was also presented in a salacious manner, opting not to share Lisa's perspective, but rather voyeuristically portraying her in her underwear through Dr. Glaser's lens. Rather than showcasing female empowerment, it presented Lisa solely as a damsel in distress. What's more, at various times either Lisa faced disbelief, or Jamie felt compelled to caution her because nobody trusted her ability to assess risks independently. I looked it up and this story pre-dates the Sharon Stone movie Sliver, but it is the same issue. Rather than telling a story about a woman being victimized, the movie was sold on the provocative images of the actress while she was being peeped by her neighbor.

How inopportune that “real” Sloan is going to miss the christening. One assumes that they won't need flashbacks to the event in order to tell future stories. I forget when “real” Eric got recast recently, but it seemed equally poorly timed in terms of the ability to flashback to events of those episodes. But, also nuts that Holly is already recovered enough to attend.

I had completely forgotten that Wallingford was initially introduced during the Royal Dunning saga as an informant for Cecile. The David Thatcher/Royal Dunning storyline feels like it's underappreciated to me. It's my favorite kind of soap mystery because the focus wasn't just on finding the solution, but on the romance and intrigue of those attempting to unravel the puzzle. The entire town got swept into it, and it propelled other storylines forward by unveiling secrets like Donna's hidden past of giving birth to twins. They really softened Wallingford's character, transitioning him from a mysterious figure to an endearing buddy. It's amusing how soap operas of that era often portrayed certain characters as asexual, even though they were clearly gay coded. I mean, Wallingford, essentially a window dresser who idolized Felicia, the town's most flamboyant drag queen, was never portrayed as seeking intimacy or bemoaning the absence of a partner. A final reflection for now: I don't have any specific gripes with Ms. Phelps's direction for the show. However, when Donna and Felicia started donning gray Armani suits, it seemed to mark the end of a distinct era. Generally speaking, I believe that when soap operas moved away from showcasing aspirational wealth and stories about class disparities, they also stripped away some of the fantasy elements of the show. By disregarding the realities of social mobility and allowing characters of all statuses to mix freely, we began to lose the larger-than-life divas and charming elites that made life in a soap town so captivating. I mean, once Cass Winthrop felt compelled to pursue a “real job” as an attorney, it was evident he'd never embody the delightful scoundrel he once was.

I believe every soap opera benefits from having a young, sincere, romantic duo like Tripp and Wendy, who possess a sense of rootedness and vulnerability. They parallel the dynamic of Kayla and Steve during their prime—seldom the main focus yet reliable for a midweek episode, offering mild drama. That being said, if Stephanie found herself in a similar predicament, the entire town would undoubtedly mobilize to locate her. Furthermore, I understand the limitations of budget constraints preventing extreme scenarios like drowning or electrifying the floor. Nonetheless, it strains credibility to suggest that characters would run out of oxygen in a spacious room equipped with doors and vents that were merely closed for an hour.

Just to clarify, this means that when DAYS releases their weekly promo, it should go within the DAYS monthly spoiler thread, rather than creating a new topic every week?

I feel like we glossed over key bits of information from Friday's cliffhanger to today. Feel free to correct, because I watch while making lunch, so sometimes I miss a detail while flipping a grilled cheese. But, Friday, Goldman took a coffee break while Stefan entered Harris's room to inject him. Then, Harris got the jump on Stefan, and they figured that Goldman is the dirty cop. Cut to today, Goldman knows that Harris is still alive, Harris told Rafe that Goldman's dirty, and Goldman went into hiding. But, where's Stefan? And when did Goldman find out that Harris is still alive?

I tried to do Abel and Leo, but there aren't enough thumbnails. Cass versus Rex would've been given away by the air dates. And, Justine versus Rachel is way too obvious.

not so fast, there's one incorrect answer

In order to inspire a new line of discussion, I thought we could play a little game. Match the Thumbnail to the Love Twin - Victoria or Marly? I've taken random thumbnails from Eddie Drueding's page and you must guess, Victoria (a) or Marly (b). #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 The person with most correct, in the fastest time, wins a night in the hidden basement room of the Love Mansion

I also think it doesn't help that Paulina's defining characteristic is that she is a wealthy woman who happens to dress, walk, and talk like Jackee Harry. There is very little to differentiate the character from the public persona of the actress. And, they've put no effort into making her unique from Sandra Clark or Lisa Landry (I had to look up her other character's names because they're all just Jackee in my mind). Arguably, Lily was more of a multidimensional character, and it was before Jackee settled into her 227isms. That being said, and despite the rushed timing from diagnosis to dying breath, I thought the idea of expressing the fears of a terminal patient was a laudable and creative effort, and it moved me.