j swift

Yeah, I guess what easily comes to mind are guests who have taken advantage of a situation to reveal a secret (e.g. the mistress stopping a wedding to say that they're pregnant), or a host who planned an event to reveal things (like John Dixon's plan to humiliate Lisa at their engagement party on ATWT). But, that's a whole other level, where you can manipulate someone to throw a party in order to ruin it.

The timeline on Days of Our Lives is verging on absurd. I get that we're not supposed to think that we are seeing them every day. Except when they wake up the next morning, continuing a scene from the night before, I expect it to be the next day. Tate yelled that Johnny has been stringing him along for “months,” which is technically true—after all, they first discussed the adoption in March, and now it’s May. However, within the show's internal timeline, EJ was shot just three days ago (even though IRL it happened 4/3), meaning Amy met with EJ, Paulina, Johnny, and Chanel at most five days ago. So when Tate starts swinging at people for backing out of parenthood, it really depends on which universe we’re inhabiting. That said, I appreciate how cleverly the EJ mystery is unfolding. They neatly closed the glaring loophole everyone spotted yesterday: the SIM card wouldn’t capture the shooting, because EJ pocketed it beforehand. I like the momentum in how suspects are being methodically eliminated. (Cough cough, like the little girl upstairs whose mother refuses to send her to therapy.) Meanwhile, setting aside the online component, I thought only men were being auctioned off. Now Cat was on the block too? And Chad somehow didn’t keep up with bidding on his phone? We understand the intent, but it would have been far cleaner for Cat to simply run into EJ while picking up a blouse she left behind at the mansion. On the other hand, I hope they don't pursue a drug dependency storyline for EJ. He’s only misused medication once, and even after previous shootings, he was never depicted as reliant on painkillers. His past crimes were never fueled by addiction, and tying sobriety into his character now feels misplaced. This isn't so much a criticism as a reflection on my experience watching the episode. As Marlena maintained a stoic front with her self-absorbed children—each eager to discuss only themselves—I found myself anticipating a quiet scene of her breaking down alone in her office. It wasn’t meant to be; I can’t fault the writers for not filming the scene I envisioned nine months after the fact. Yet, Marlena’s solitude stayed with me. She stands surrounded by family and friends, but as the pillar of strength they all lean on, she is left with no one to support her now that John is gone. It seems so much lonelier than Julie or Maggie's widowhood, because those women had a different relationship with their family and kids.

Moving on to bigger projects (ex-Rachel Black, DOOL) https://deadline.com/2025/05/little-house-on-the-prairie-laura-ingalls-cast-alice-halsey-1236383465/

I was reading the NYT article on Roku's purchase of FrndlyTV. As anyone who has read my posting knows, I think re-airing old soaps is an imprudent idea. However, I will admit that if large media companies are looking for more streaming content. And, if advances in AI continue to make the digitization process faster and cheaper. Those of you who want the owners of the IP to release anything in their vaults may have reason to be hopeful. Because the makers of TV's want to get into streaming in order to encourage young people to get back in the habit of updating their TV devices every few years. And, Roku's plan is market exclusive content, that you have to buy a Roku device to view. And you-know-who has a ton of content to sell.

I missed the reference at the time, but those DAYS writers really like jokey character names.

@Soapsuds Here's how I remember the chain of events — let me know if I'm missing anything: Rafe used the tunnels to sneak into the house and plant the surveillance device. EJ figured out Belle was wearing a wire. Presumably, off-camera, this must have tipped him off to search for other bugs. He found the camera and yanked out the SIM card. EJ was shot shortly after. Meanwhile, Rafe reused the tunnels to retrieve the camera — but, like a total dummy, he didn't bother connecting it to his laptop for two days. When he finally did, he realized the SIM card was missing. Later, EJ came back home and checked the SIM card (which would only show footage from before he found it — which was before he was shot). Thus, much like Rafe himself, the camera is useless because it would not have recorded the actual event.

@Liberty City And it’s a shame that kids today — like Tate — can have a child, yet never know the simple pleasure of opening their first box of personalized che(ques), complete with a custom design if you were feeling especially fancy. Also — side note — it is rather amusing to imagine a Victor Kiriakis Charitable Trust. It would be like having a Pablo Escobar Charitable Trust. I always assumed they used the name Titan because Victor’s marketing team wisely advised him to avoid associating anything public-facing with the Kiriakis name, given its unpleasant connections to drugs and kidnapping schemes. Which is why I wouldn’t blame Maggie if she still preferred to be known as Maggie Horton.

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.r-gpaytc{position:absolute;visibility:hidden;top:0;width:50px;pointer-events:none} .r-gpaytc.loaded{visibility:visible;top:50vh;width:50px} Based on the analysis, it is clear that a bank in Salem would allow someone to write a check for one million dollars, provided they have sufficient funds in their account. There is no legal or regulatory barrier to doing so, and banks typically permit personal checks for any amount, aligning with national practices. However, for such a large transaction, banks are likely to recommend wire transfers or cashier's checks due to their speed, security, and reduced risk of fraud. They do not “make” someone use a wire transfer, as the choice remains with the account holder, though practical and recipient preferences may influence the decision. AKA - Would you hand a million dollar check to Sarah Horton or Kayla Brady? I wouldn't trust those doctors with my debit card.

@chrisml I got a chuckle out of her career trajectory from Polish dancer to Producer. Impressive!

That's somehow worse. Maggie was walking around with a check for one million dollars? 🤪🤑 But, also, didn't she say she was hanging out there until Philip packs up and moves out? Side note: Where's the staff to pack up Philip's belongings?

Tell me I’m not the only one who felt the heat in those Philip/Doug3 scenes? I’m not trying to imply anything untoward — or offend — but let’s be honest: JPL rarely exudes classic romantic leading man energy. And while I loathe the "bisexual con man" trope, Doug3 has far better chemistry with Philip than he ever did with Holly. I’m easily distracted by little things in scenes. Case in point: after Maggie threw Philip out of the house, she headed straight to visit Julie at the hospital. Who hangs out at a hospital (or their daughter’s workplace) just to chat? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to meet for coffee in the square? And when Maggie reminded Julie of her old shoplifting days, I couldn’t help but think: the old Julie would’ve snapped right back about glass houses and stones. After all, Maggie's seen her share of time behind bars (and I don't mean Chez Rouge). As for Sophia — I doubt the actress is very seasoned, but the writing certainly isn’t doing her any favors. A clever girl would never taunt Holly right in front of Tate. She’d wait until they were alone to twist the knife properly. This also feels like the perfect chance to reset Chanel. The actress is magnetic and at just the right age for a range of storylines, but the character is criminally underwritten. We get no real sense of the impact of her upbringing as a wealthy Black woman. Early Chanel was charmingly spoiled; now she seems defined only by her desire to be a mother. She could evolve — into someone manipulative, driven by anger, or nurturing to a fault — but she needs a few strong traits and motivations to make her truly compelling again.

I assume Digger had a "type" between Miss Ellie and Rebecca. But, I wonder what drew them to him? He was certainly more of a loser than his son Cliff.

Besides Johnny, are there any other SORASed kids in town that Bo hasn't met? Obviously, there are a lot of new people in Salem. But, I'm wondering if there are any new Brady's? I assume he doesn't know Ciara had kids, or Roman and Kate got married. I think he knows Kayla's a doctor. And, it kind of sucks that there's a magic cure for him, but Kim is still sick in LA. I'm really just focused on the Brady news that he'll need to catch up with (if he survives).

No, that's Aaron Greene Cat and Felicity's brother, who is living in Canada while their Mother and Brother serve jail time. And was name checked in today's episode.

I promise that I try to put reality aside, but the magic pill is a cure for Sepsis?1? You couldn't make a universal treatment for Sepsis because it affects every single person differently. And you couldn't do animal trials on a treatment for Sepsis. And, doctors don't own experimental treatments being cooked up in university lab centers (the school does, and they're very clear about that). It is such a dumb writer's choice. Somebody get these people an internet connection so that they can google. On a side note: we were discussing similar names last week -- how about Claire, Ciara, and Chelsea? They're all around the same age story-wise, and they're all connected to Brady's. But, hard to tell apart by name only. And it feels like there should be a foreshadowing sound effect every time someone mentions Ding!

I agree Chanel and Gabi should be friends. Give up the baking, go become the fashion buyer for Pricemart, and interact with GabiChic.

She works at Sweet Bits, and I keep predicting that she's going to join Johnny and Chanel's family, once the Greene's all finally leave Salem. I totally agree, and their chemistry feels organic. It is as if someone noticed them together in a scene. I'm certain if we ever figured out Jada and Shawn-D's ages in our timeline, there might be an issue. But, I always appreciate a triangle with equal routing value. I don't want Maggie to work, she's better at shopping, and Julie feels too frail to walk people to their tables. Let's keep Amy, have her buy it, and rename it “Chili & Mango Tango” serving a fusion menu of Thai and Latin cuisines. With Javi tending bar, and Doug3 at the host stand.

It is no wonder why Tony Geary was rumored to be miserable. Gay or straight, it is a bad choice to make your career so important that you can't balance a private life. And, talk about being a big fish in a small pond, being the most popular soap actor is about as prestigious as being the best bagger at my local grocery; in the hierarchy of show business. Thus, being so devoted to a job that only resulted in limited success seems like a waste if you've been unable to supplant it with lovers, friends, and non-achievement based pursuits. But, can you imagine being his boyfriend and having to hear those lies on TV?

Speaking of which…. Stefan's in Allamania and Ava's in Singapore, what's going to happen to The Bistro? Is Doug3 just going to run it as a squatter? nu-Doug's Place?

I think, but I'm not sure, the threat is that Amy wouldn't support Sophia and the baby, after the pregnancy, if they don't follow her rules. I also think they have to keep the threat subtle in order to avoid offensive dialogue.

We should note: this Gabi has been given much lighter fare than her predecessor. This one's only trauma was her breakup with Stefan, and she moved on from that within a month. And then had a new guy by New Year's Eve. So, if she seems less serious, it may be because the character hasn't been tasked with any big events since being cleared of murder.

Far be it from me to correct @janea4old, but clearly you've already forgotten his penchant for latex masks over plastic surgery.🤭

Johnny’s decision to hold off on the adoption actually makes a lot of sense to me. It reflects a need to regain a sense of control and agency after a series of destabilizing events. In their timeline, EJ had just been shot, and Johnny had a major argument with him the day before. He’s only seen Chanel once since everything happened. It feels like a real, human reaction to a sudden pile-up of emotional stress ( and he's the suspect of the week 😉). On the other hand, I thought it was a little quick that, right after her father-in-law — who she'd lived with for a year — fell into a coma, Chanel met with Amy to say he was out of their lives for good. Timing-wise, it felt a bit rushed, and the optics were a little messy. Normally, I feel like switching genders to make a point is silly — but in this case on Days of Our Lives, if the parental roles were reversed, it would be clear why Chanel suddenly felt unready to raise a baby As for Belle and EJ, I have a few theories. That storyline started back when Sami was in town in 2022, so it makes sense to revisit it now. EJ offers danger, independence, and a relationship dynamic where Belle is desired for who she is — not for how well she fits a mold. Belle is responding to a sense of inferiority from her multiple divorces, seeking out someone like EJ who validates her worth and makes her feel empowered. Plus, after the latest baby switch fallout, most of Salem seemed ready to give EJ a pass — so, back when it started, there were fewer barriers to consider. Finally, I've proclaimed that portmanteaus were done in 2008, so I refuse to acknowledge it in this context.🙉

No, their home office/primary suite is on the other side of the foyer opposite the living room But, in the past, John and all three kids slept upstairs

Here's my take, she's such a great character, and there's been so many losses, just give it a throwaway line about how she avoided death, and move on to a new story. Also, her role on the other soap was just a pale imitation of this one.