j swift

I feel like the character of Chloe has been ill-defined as an adult. A goth girl who finds self-confidence through the expression of singing talents and her first romance with Brady & Philip is interesting and unique. But then upon each subsequent return, the character maintains none of that original conflict. This Chloe who couldn't find a job and lived in a 2-bedroom flat while flirting with a kidnapper was a miserable facsimile of the spunky teen we once knew (and that's a lot, considering her foray into prostitution and drug abuse). Where was the mental fragility? Why did she barely talk to Belle and Shawn? And most importantly, what motivated her decisions? Certainly not making a better life for her son. And it makes the breakup of Gwen and Xander make even less sense, because those two had chemistry and story potential. The whole show feels like it is going through immediate reset - following the reset from last fall - preceding the reset we'll get from a new producer, and culminating in the reset inevitably brought on by the scab writers shows that we'll see this winter. As I've said, I really enjoyed this week for the amount of exciting reveals. But, I could sue for whiplash from the twists and turns that came suddenly after weeks of treading water.

It seems like a missed opportunity that once they returned to Salem, Kate never spoke to Dimitri again. We also never learned the circumstances of his birth. There are a lot of loose threads there that could've been covered if he didn't spend weeks going on a honeymoon to Iceland.

What do you think? Is there a non-stop flight between Salem and Alamania, or do you need to change planes on that island that Orpheus held Marlena? 😉 🛫🛬

Not to go too far afield on this (although it is the weekend), but I wonder how it worked when Kristen was pretending to be Nicole? Practically, the actress didn't need to be in more scenes, and I don't think she ever had to play two characters in one scene (like with a green screen). Given Ron's proclivity for masks, I'm going to assume that it doesn't cost any more money for a character to pretend to be someone else (because she was still playing Nicole, it was just Kristen as Nicole). So, bonus pay is only required if an actor needs to assume two different roles at the same time.

OK, I watched it and at the risk of once again going against the grain, I thought it was hysterical and a bit thrilling. The Gwen/Theresa switch seems much more like a production stunt than a writer's idea. But, come on, the wig, the turn to camera, the fact we barely heard Theresa speak, the meta use of Gwen's goodbye mirroring the fan response, the classic DAYS use of characters talking to themselves aloud in public while none of the extras look at them like they're nuts; this is classic Salem behavior. I dare any soap fan to watch that and not get a tingle. It wasn't well written. The monologue was clumsy and not in character (I mean, why does Gwen suddenly have insight?). It is a totally undeserved Scarlett-O'Hara-tomorrow-is-another-day moment for a character who was never in the love-to-hate category. But, that airport scene will carry me through the weekend on a high note.

I wonder if it is a contractual issue? IIRC at one point if an actor was playing multiple roles then they got compensated twice. So, maybe they got rid of Gwen in order to only pay EOB once? If so, that is even more nefarious toward Jen Lilley. Obviously, this is just speculation and I have no idea how DAYS contracts work. But, it was the first idea that came to mind.

It made as much sense that EJ's hitman was like, "oh well, as long as I'm still getting paid, then I'll just leave...", as it does that there are multiple hitmen on call in Salem 24/7. Is there a DoorDash for hitman that EJ uses? I mean, wouldn't Xander want to capture him before calling Rafe? Also, I've totally forgotten why Xander kidnapped Susan in the first place? Did someone hire him?

I believe what I'm saying is that the repercussion fits the offense. And given how rare it is that there is justice in our random and chaotic universe, it is comforting to watch from afar. If you say that you can produce your show without writers during the strike, then try to do that after the strike is done. Of course, others will take the job. But, that just proves why a union is necessary. Because of the scarcity of opportunity, people would be willing to be exploited if they didn't negotiate together.

Cheers @Vee It doesn't matter who made the decision, Drew chose to go front facing and basically say that her show could carry on without writers in two different videos. No other talent in a similar situation did that. Even Bill Maher only released a statement, he didn't try to glean sympathy from his audience. On a purely human level, what self-respecting writer would go back to work with her?

Similarly, @AbcNbc247 why do the Dimeras never lock their front door? In one week Vivian, Dimitri, Ava, Harris, and Susan sauntered into one of the ritziest mansions in Salem. I mean, even Nurse Whitley locked the door to her apartment. Salem is a town filled with serial killers, satanic apparitions, and the least useful police force east of Los Angeles. Those folks should at least invest in a Ring camera. 😉

Today was exciting, with a magical "poof" the Ava and Harris situation is resolved. It was one of those episodes where it feels like eight million things are happening in order to suddenly move a story that they realized has been languishing for too long. As if someone from production suddenly figured out that Chloe's contract is ending. So, they told the writers that they have two scenes in order to justify her leaving Salem. And they just decided to avoid logic, or prior storytelling, and make it work (i.e. - Is Leo the only one still working at The Spectator?) BUT Why has EJ gone from the unwitting victim in the Nicole/EJ/Eric/Sloan quad to this suddenly evil guy overnight, except to justify how Nicole will seek comfort from Eric? It seems completely out of character. The block taping schedule was never more obvious this week, given that Vivian shot Dimitri in the same living room on Monday as EJ had his scenes today, but he seems totally unaware that anything occurred. Also, I know it has been years, but I don't buy the maternal bond between Tripp and Ava. Somehow, Allison Sweeney was able to pull off seeming like a mom to Will, who looked about five years younger than her (hyperbole). But, Ava doesn't look or act like Tripp's mother most of the time.

The opposite side of the query is equally valid. Why would Talia confess to Marlena? They're not particularly close. She knows Dr. Evans is Belle's mother. And she could have confessed to either Kayla or Sloan if she needed to talk to someone other than her sister. Also, did I miss something? Why did Jada return from England before Rafe (who stupidly believes that he has any more jurisdiction than Tripp in a foreign country - the dude works for a small town police department, not Interpol)?

So, I'm not going to know what happened to Ava until next week? Sports are dumb...

The most shocking part of today's episode is that Shawn is still a cop. How have they not fired him, given that he's been drunk on the job twice? Also, Gabi is remarkably calm for a woman who has been threatened by a gun for the second time this year.

I would estimate that I caught myself thinking about what happened to Ava's butler at least five times this weekend. Did he defend her against Mason? Was he part of the conspiracy? I just can't wait to see what happens.

Your post inspired me to read about the infamous chair fight on Geraldo. For those too young to recall, In November 1998, Geraldo had a member of a racial hate group on stage with Roy Innis who was the leader of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and when the hate monger threatened and insulted Mr. Innis, he threw a chair at him. This made headlines, Geraldo was on the cover of Newsweek Magazine, and ratings increased. However, as the NY Times noted, Mr. Innis had similarly gotten into a fight the prior summer on another talk show. Thus, there is an inference that Geraldo, who was struggling in the ratings, pulled the stunt at the start of his second season, in order to get a boost in audience share. I thought it was insightful of @Franko to make the connection between the rise of trash talk TV with the demise of Ryan's Hope, which happened in January 1989, because that genre fought for affiliate time with the soaps. As we recall, neither Geraldo, Jerry Springer, nor Maury Povich started as trash talkers, but their shows evolved according to the ratings. They might not have been trying to appeal to the same audience as the soaps, but they surpassed the soaps in terms of ratings per dollar because they were so cheap to produce.

At the very least, one expects that a ranch would have a gate and long driveway, so guests should buzz the gate to announce their impending visit. Then, Nikki could say, "Oh, Victoria is dropping by..." It makes sense at the Abbot townhouse that guests can just walk up to the door because it seems more urban, but a ranch implies acres of land (also, a classic issue on Dallas, where people could show up on the Ewing Ranch without first checking in with a guard or at least an intercom).

My wish would've been to not re-cast Donna and just make Nicole the focus of the Reginald story. Correct me if I am wrong, but the twins weren't on canvas when Reg first re-appeared and Anna Stuart left. So, it could've been about a child that Nicole lost, and they could've used her history of addiction as part of the plot. She might have shared a history with John, and there could've been a John/Nicole/Cass triangle. I just feel overall that the character of Nicole became redundant with Victoria (both glamorous, but troubled women), and that whole plot with Reg made Donna into an uncharacteristic victim. So, I blame the writing more than Philece, who had proven that she could play a rich, snooty bi-atch on DAYS.

As a long time viewer that occasionally pops into Y&R and GH, the problem that I have with the changes to the legacy sets is that they are disorienting. For example, when the GH Quartermaines meet in the kitchen, is it still off of the main foyer? And where is that new white room in relation to the drawing room that we are used to seeing? And why are they in the kitchen? That was usually off limits to the family in the 1980s. I appreciate the lighter tones of the Y&R Newman Ranch, but is this supposed to be the same room, with dining room attached stage right? Because the fireplace is in the same place, but it seems to be missing that vestibule where people could conveniently overhear conversations. Over the years, everyone from Diane to Sabrina were supposed to oversee the redecoration, so I'm just pleased to see that the work is finished. It is like you lose the sense of the rest of the space

Maybe Dick Van Dyke moved into Rachel's room (beggers can't be chosers)?

The Spencer and Trina stuff was fun, but I'm on pins and needles about Ava's disappearance. Also, Michael has a "friend" at the SEC who can tell him who tipped them off, but that person was of no help in the prosecution of Drew? It feels a bit convenient for this source to have suddenly popped up, just as Sonny and Nina are planning to elope.

I feel out of touch, but are character fanbases still a thing? I recall the hoopla of GL's Otalia fans, and rabid forces arguing over GH's Jason love life, but it feels like those were the old days of social media, and that type of community has moved on to be fascinated by a handful of female pop stars.

Yeah, it's funny that when Eric moved in with Sloan he never mentioned that Dick Van Dyke took over his bedroom, leaving the impression that since Brady and Rachel had their own rooms, that's at least a four bedroom penthouse! It's a good thing that homes in Salem don't need bathrooms, (other than the occasional shower for sex).

Maybe I am misunderstanding your question, but it appears the Vivian shot Dimitri because he was going to shoot her son Stefan, which mimics her entry story of when she shot someone for holding a gun on her "dear nephew" Lawrence.

Does this officially seal Johnny and Allie as flops? Is Sydney the only hope for Sami's legacy to live on in Salem? BTW, I obviously don't think either actor was a flop, but their characters have failed to live up to their heritage in terms of romance, plot, or personality.