j swift

A recent discussion in the Loving/City forum inspired me to revisit the history of Devon Shepherd. According to contemporary sources to the plot, Devon never actually kissed Dr. Lynn Carson, PhD. I'd be eager to know if anyone recalls it differently. My visual memory of Lynn was that she was always dressed in office-realness drag of the 1980s. And, that Donna Peskow never toned down her New York accent. Meanwhile, has there ever been a more boring offspring than Devon? On paper, she had it all. Teen pregnancy, alcoholism, brief foray into bisexuality, adultery, Devon was always down to clown. But, she was an eternal meekly mouse, with those tiny braids and that namby-pamby vocal tone. Mr. Shepard must have been a huge nerd, because Devon inherited none of her mother's charm or elegance. And, don't get me started on her terrible choices for romantic partners. One can hardly blame Ellen for forgetting about Devon and pretending Julie was her daughter.😉 Side note: Devon fell for Cliff Warner after he performed the Heimlich Maneuver on her daughter Bonnie and saved her from choking in 1984. I don't know why this caused me to go on a side quest, but, the Heimlich Maneuver is a relatively recent innovation. Up until 1986 the government still trained food workers to slap a person on the back in order to dislodge food. Heimlich's treatment was superior, and in an effort to make it policy, ABC and the other networks agreed to air pro-Heimlich content starting in 1984, according to TV Guide. So, Cliff was responsible for training mothers at home how to stop their kids from choking.

Is Kevin supposed to be gay and roommate is a euphemism? I really appreciate that DOOL is showing the result of Xander's violence. It would've been absurd if Philip was just walking around with a makeup-dept-special black eye. That beating was graphic, and a great example of what Daytime can do without guns. I also like that at least for today they believe in the rule of law and are going to investigate Xander, rather than arresting him right away. Where's the follow-up on the hospital bids? Suddenly the members of the board are all off doing other stuff. Jada saw Shawn called in fake-sick and there were no consequences?

It is funny that Stephanie and Philip still hide/blush/get embarrassed at the sight of each other. Meanwhile, Kate's pouring coffee for Rafe at the pub as if they're only casual acquaintances. Although, if Kate blushed every time she saw one of her former lovers, she'd be permanently red.

Agreed that they had a home in the present tense of the first set of episodes. But I was wondering if they lived in the mansion in the past when Sophia disappeared, and moved out when Santana got pregnant? Or even when Danny was born.

I always wondered if the Andrades lived at the Capwell Mansion? Certainly they could've had a living room in their space or wherever they went on days off. But, I felt like it was never clear whether Santana visited Rosa when Kelly and Eden were young, or if she actually lived in the servant's quarters (one hopes modern developers have found a euphemism for that space). I always imagined that Rosa, Santana, and Reuben lived with CC up until Channing was murdered, and then they found their own place because the kids were mostly over 18 (and Santana was pregnant). I like the idea of Rueban and CC being close until Santana got pregnant. And then Reuben would've hated the adoption of Brandon. Which would have meant he hated CC, and would've only continued to work for him to try to get info on whatever happened to his grandson. With regard Ava Lazar, having recently rewatched the pilot for the millionth time, I find her captivating to watch, but her line delivery is so dull. She looks amazing, and I just want her to be more quick witted.

It's kismet – I was just thinking about Azure C the other day and revisited some of the press from that era. Reading it now, it’s undeniably cringeworthy how often the articles emphasized that the actress was a cisgender woman. It wasn’t framed as a critique of The City for not casting a trans actress—it felt more like a reassurance to viewers that, yes, the storyline involved transgender themes, but they weren’t actually going to show anything. ABC ran an ad in TV Guide that teased that Azure would confess her past – that she “was once a he” – to her love interest Bernardo (similar to the onscreen headline in their tabloid). Rather than focusing on thoughtful representation, the press framed the twist as a dramatic surprise for audiences, to capitalize on shock value. It was clearly not treated like other social issues had been on ABC Daytime. They were usually more respectful, and pedantic toward the audience, where this was just about revealing a secret. Of course, the irony is that the only actual protests came from GLAAD over ABC's ignorance, rather than anyone from the right, as they had feared.

I just had thought of how to save the Perkins family. (Inspired by Rituals) -- What if Marisa Perkins was Augusta Lockridge's sister? Fictionally, they could've both been local girls, one married rich and one married poor. Originally, I was going to suggest that Marisa be Sophia's sister, but then I realized Joe and Kelly would've been first cousins. Of course, it would've truly inspired Sophia was if Rosa Andrade sister, with Rosa and Santana moving in to help CC raise the kids once Sophia disappeared. While this could've avoided both gross CC and Santana affairs, the times were not right for a story about intersectional inequity.

Poor eyesight + long dark hair + a cute upturned nose = mistaken for Ciara on first viewing And, to be fair, Ciara has made questionable choices in the past.😉

Ha ha, I thought that was Ceara with Doug3. Also, nothing new about DOOL introducing a bad girl who sleeps with a dude within the first week. See Joy, Sloan, Talia, Chanel, and any number of others. It is very cliché.

Yeah, but... It always seems hypocritical when actors complain after the fact about a role that they clearly took for the fame and the paycheck. Kin Shriner, left General Hospital at its peak for NBC’s Texas, chasing bigger money and visibility. The writing was not comparable between the two shows, but let’s not pretend that was the draw. Off-screen, he was young, rich, and living it up in disco-era Manhattan. If the craft really mattered, he wouldn’t have bolted the moment the money got better.

To their credit, the new writers are clever enough to stick to current events from the time they were writing, versus trying to predict current events at the time the episode airs. Case in point, Susan and questionable choice to hop on a cruise two days after her son was shot, and the case remains unsolved, so her remains at risk... Although cruises around the world are not uncommon for Salem citizens like Julie, it seemed like the type of reference DOOL continues to like dropping into scripts for humor. Also, help me understand the Marlena and EJ interaction. Didn't they come to a mutual détente earlier in the week? I felt gaslighted, but I could've just as easily misunderstood Marlena's earlier talk to Belle, and then EJ. And is Bo in Boston (near Ceara) or Greece (where he was transferred after he was shot)? I bet it is expensive to fly a coma patient transatlantically!

It is a shame that more characters didn't go the ATWT-Barbara route and make the ingénue into an antagonist. Sort of like they did with Liza/Hogan/Sunny, less successfully. It is a credit to ATWT's creativity that breathed life in that character for years after she was fighting off bulls in Spain. But, a character like Liza can only have so many true loves and high jinks on the high seas. They need another reason to be in the story. Liza's wealth, as well as her acumen to see through fraud, was fertile ground for tons of stories. But, I feel like the business stories for Liza were always about her being easily overwhelmed, rather than exploring things like her leadership and managerial skills.

To be fair, they were only recently step-siblings. Their parents married within the past few years. And, Draper's father Ansel was not coy about the fact that he married Raven's mother, Nadine, for the money. And, Raven's sort of sticking it to April that not only can she have a baby (April has a heart condition that makes it difficult for her to carry a child to term), she could also have April's man, if she wanted him.

@chrisml Isn't remarkable that, on a soap whose brand is built on twists and mysteries, that Raven's last straw was as simple as Logan saying that she was incapable of loving Jamey. In the episode when Raven exit's and leaves Jamey with April, I can remember feeling the subtext that Raven is also trying to talk herself into leaving him behind. There's so much in that little scene. She's trying to stick it to Logan for saying she was a bad mother. She's both granting April's wish, and damning her with the old adage of being careful what she wished for. And, she's hinting to Draper that she's going to boff his father. It remains my favorite scene, and it still blows my mind that was not the end of that episode.

My only recollection of Ms Felder in Tom Lissanti's book is that she was not well liked backstage, and nobody was aware of rumors that she was fired because of her looks, including the network executive interviewed for the book.

Ya see..., that's why I can't watch this show on my own! 😉 I'm ripping it for being dumb, meanwhile half the episode goes over my head. Hello pot, I'm kettle.

I guess neither Stephanie or Leo are ever going to investigate the gaping plot holes in the Bob-ette storyline. Other random Thoughts for Thu If Sophia was going to leave Tate alone after he was faint and had a fever, thank goodness she's not planning on raising a baby! Finally, Xander expressed that this situation with Philip was not Victor's desire. Victor clearly wrote his desires in his will right before he died, and those plans did not include Philip at Titan. I can't with the laws of Salem. Adults with nut allergies can sue for negligence when they eat a bakery known for using pistachio in their scones, but people discuss insider trading and kidnapping like it is no big deal. It is so simple to research why they have no standing to sue to Sweet Bits (regardless of what the server said). I ignored Brady and Kate being on the board, because that was plausible. But, Abe is on the board of directors? That's a stretch. I'm staying mum on Versavix for today, I've had my say....

I completely agree @Soaplovers with your excellent comment. And the bold, confident Stephanie we saw in her previous incarnations would be a much better match for Alex than the one trying to play house too soon. Let’s not forget: Alex came on the scene as a walking red flag with a gym membership—dodging commitment in love and work. And now he’s out here giving career advice? From a man whose last job was playing a soap star no one in Salem has even heard of? Sir. What I’d love is for Stephanie to be a genuine challenge for him—not someone who bends to his charm, but someone who knows she’s the prize. She’s a free agent in Salem: no ex-husband drama, no kid in tow, no awkward family entanglements. Let her be more like Kayla now—centered, respected, and not here for games—than Kayla was when she was falling off motorcycles with Steve. The next great Salem love story shouldn't be about chemistry alone. It should be earned—like Patch and Kayla, Shane and Kim, or even Bo and Hope on their best days. Give us slow burn, mutual respect, and a Stephanie who makes him level up.

I see Lily finally completed the Jill Foster Abbott - How to Dress for Success class. Jill always approved of a cocktail dress for the office.

Imagine the possibilities if Mary was the politically correct moral center of the Loves and clashed with Donna over her snobby socialite tendencies (once the re-recast was done).

The casting of Reginald seemed to have been part of the reason for a lack of exploration of vulnerability in the character. I know Mary talked about not liking the change in Reg, but her disappointment was rarely explored once she left him. For example, did she ever question if Reg was conning her in Paraguay, or was the Bay City version of Reg real? Imagine running a philanthropic center in Paraguay, and then becoming a social worker in Bay City? It must have been so frustrating to once be able to provide anything that anyone needed, and now having to rely on government funded programs. And lastly, she went from a house full of servants, to living over a restaurant. We were supposed to believe that she was so blinded by her love for Vince and the kids, that she never longed for her life when someone else washed her lingerie?

Setting aside a general distaste for the story -- I was sitting here wondering how long Erica's doppelgänger Jane story lasted? Also, how did it begin? What was the setup for Erica to have a double?

Given that we've each commented that Rachel's nonverbal “tells” were definitely meant to be foreboding today. I'd say there's still an evil streak in Rachel. Also, her Johnny reference seemed oddly knowing... So, I enjoy that this one is a bit smarter, and less weirdo Wednesday Adams with a stuffed snake.

It is also so much easier if it was the other way around… If EJ owned a pharmaceutical company. And the only way he would donate a huge training grant to the hospital is if they would do a trial of his company's new Sepsis drug. And Bo happens to have Sepsis. Then, it writes itself so much simpler. Also, has Kayla forgotten that she gave a magical walking drug to Sarah a few months ago? I'd bet you could make much more money from a paralysis cure than a sepsis treatment. And she synthesized the treatment from Dr. Rolf, so it is really Kayla's drug. Why isn't she marketing that? Note: I'm a realist, it is not like I am asking them to sell the Lexi angel that cures people of cancer (and head injuries)😉.

What do you mean? Sarah told Xander about the drug as soon as she found out about it, and before eating the scone. She also told Xander not to buy the hospital in March because the impending lawsuits from the sabotaged set of Body & Soul would eventually lower the price of the hospital. (one assumes Bonnie and Justin's lawsuits have been forgotten) In fact, she called it a money pit at the time, and now she and her daughter stand to make a fortune. Just as, she knew that Philip's claim to the fortune were both fraudulent, and a good distraction to keep Xander from making a bid until the time was right... Even more proof that Dr. Sarah Horton-Kirakis is the true evil genius of Salem.