j swift

Is this common across all soaps, or am I misremembering how cliffhangers work? I recall that in the good old days, when an episode ended on a cliffhanger, the next episode would start right where the action left off, or at least show the cliffhanger from another perspective. But on DAYS, we often get 3-4 scenes before they resolve the cliffhanger. For example, today we saw scenes with Holly & EJ, Tate, Alex & Aaron, and Stefan & Gabi before they finally returned to Nicole and Eric. The same thing happened on Monday: multiple scenes before returning to Gabi at the press conference in the square. I know the viewer needs to watch a certain proportion of the episode for it to be counted in the viewing numbers, so I assume that is the reason they do it. But, I just want to get to the action without all this dilly-dallying.

Sweet Bits hasn't been leased yet, and it has a kitchen. I mean, yes, it is caddy corner to the Pub, but nobody has ever been seen entering the building, so it provides ample coverage.🤨

I think yesterday's episode confirms that Li is dead-dead. But, may be around for a while phantom form

I thought of you today because Derick Yates just posted that he borrowed Carson Boatman's dressing room on his first day on set. They sure make them peripatetic in that studio.

@Jdee43 I wonder if the change in course was due to the burgeoning romance with Eden. Cruz being the head detective on the Channing Murder case would be an obvious source of conflict once the couple was established. I would further speculate that more story was planned for the oil rig where Maggie's husband was injured. For example, maybe they would've explored more about the reason for the explosion, or some sabotage. But, perhaps that was sidelined due to the lack of popularity of Maggie and Warren, as well as multiple CC recasts. I suspect that CC was going to be more of an antagonist, then the sort of sly rogue he became when Jed Allen assumed the role. And maybe with Cruz as a spy, he could've investigated CC's culpability.

We discussed this earlier when I asked if Sylvie was intentionally coded as Jewish. But, I just realized that there is an interesting issue based on the intent of anti-Semitism. Because, it seems a bit unfair to pin the rejection of Sylvie on Iris, rather than Mac. If we are to believe the retcon, Mac slept with Sylvie and then he and Mrs. Cory adopted Iris, who was the product of the affair. But, given his own confession that he didn't love his wife, couldn't we also infer that Mac rejected Sylvie based on her religion and ethnicity? Iris gets all the blame, when her father is the one that determined he could not have a future with a woman who came from a different background. It's a big push, but I wonder if that is part of the reason that they decided to leave Sylvie as coded, rather than identifying her as a Jewish woman. Does that make sense with the story? Because I could understand why they wouldn't want to deal with the implications of Mac being a racist. Although, I'll never know why a story like that makes it through the pitch phase, and then the production gets cold feet after it has begun to air. They had to anticipate some controversy when it was first presented. That is always frustrating for the creatives and the audience.

I don't know if this exactly answers your question, but I referenced it being a cash grab because they are being paid through I Heart Media. That doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the podcast, it is just meant to provide context.

I have a few reactions to the reactions at the press conference. Who was it for in the first place? The Spectator is the only newspaper in town. I don't think that radio station where Marlena did her advice show is still in business. Titan TV must have suffered ad revenue losses after Bella shuttered. And whatever station streams Body&Soul isn't going to care about a live press event. I get the lackadaisical response. If a stranger told me that some loser photographer fathered a child, I don't know that I would be moved to great emotion. On the other hand, it is crazy how they refuse to acknowledge cellphones and social media. I mean, nobody had their phone out to post Nicole's freakout on TikTok? Gabi didn't take one selfie in front of the lectern? These images would've gone viral in our universe.

That is some remarkable detective work! If you ever need a letter of reference to work at Black-Patch, you should submit this post.

I'm trying to figure out whose name got covered over in this pic (BTW, a little Goo-Gone would go far at DAYS studios)

I'm on the fence about these re-watch podcasts. I think that I prefer a fan perspective, as the actors sometimes provide a skewed analysis. There's rarely much BTS gossip that hasn't already been revealed elsewhere, or not revealed because it wasn't very interesting. And it always smacks of a cash grab.

At this point, the need to re-write the resolve to Li's murder feels unnecessary. Especially without Wendy in town to react. Usually I don't like to hypothesize on the motives of the writing team. But, this smacks of not liking the direction of the scab team, and then not being able to let it go. Because, the Connie reveal is doing nothing to further the story. I agree that it would make more sense to tie Li's murder to Abby's disappearance/murder. But, it maybe it will, and there's another twist yet to come in Connie's story. It also really waters down the Ava/Stefan affair. We can all see that the secret is going to be revealed in retaliation for the Jude incident. But, if Gil wasn't a murderer that they were being forced to protect, it kind of undermines their motive for sleeping together. As I recall, they were both stressed out and drunk. But, making Connie responsible suggests that they were silly to try to decipher the phone book, go to Montana, and capture Clyde. All that being said, the EJ/Nicole confrontation scenes were great! I adored the physicality of her yelling at him and him flinching backward. I liked the very character driven choice of him trying to manipulate her with tears, and then letting his true anger out when he was alone. They were just great. And, once again kudos to nu-Gabi, there's real chemistry with her and Stefan, and she felt instantly connected to Rafe.

Clearly just a bump in the road until Leo and Mark get together. But, I gird my loins for the frenzy that reverberates anytime Leo is on-screen.

The other surprise that I felt when reading the 1969-1972 synopsis (I wanted to read through to the recasting(s) of Rachel) was how quickly Missy returned to Bay City after leaving for California. This period pre-dates my consciousness, but when I've read the novelizations and the anniversary book, I had always assumed that Missy was gone for a few years, rather than just a few months. Yes, but the build up was quite fun. I was highly entertained by all the business about planning the engagement. And the multiple tales that were interwoven into that one event.

I forgot that Kate referred to him as Fraaanco (like Francis), rather than Franco (rhymes with tango). She's so continental considering that she's lived in the Mid-West for so long.

According to thebump(dot)com Channing is a gender-neutral name of English and Irish origin. It’s derived from a 17th-century Irish last name, Ó Canain, which comes from cann, meaning “wolf cub.” Wolves are known to be loyal and intelligent, which bodes well for baby as they find their path and pack in life. So, there's some literary symbolism in the name, as he was the favorite son of CC (a wolf of wall street). FYI, obviously wolf of wall street came out years after SB, but you get my point...

I kind of wish that the source of Tate & Holly's conflict was Tate's hatred of EJ for locking him up. He could be encouraging Brady to fight with EJ. He could've been part of the plot to expose Eric as Jude's father. And, plant stories with Leo to undermine EJ in order to keep him from publishing gossip about their clandestine kisses. Meanwhile, Holly would feel some allegiance to EJ because he makes her mother happy, and provides a stable home for her, so that could more naturally cause conflict. The Theresa hatred of Holly feels like punching down. It's giving less protective mother, and more jealous nincompoop. Especially given that they rarely shared enough screen time for Theresa to express her feelings toward Holly. The thing that I am most interested in is how they are going to find an excuse for Holly to stay in Salem, if Nicole leaves with Jude. Because saying that she should spend her senior year at Salem HS makes no sense if Holly spent 2/3s of her junior year in a coma.

I think the brother reference is a joke, because IRL BC has a sister, and Derek Yates's tumblr mentions that his brother sadly passed away

To me, still one of the most gorgeous dresses in daytime history (headpiece not withstanding). Poor Sloan, betrayed by her mother and her father. That's good soap when a vixen is given context and motivation for their actions. And, it always amazes me that you can hardly tell how horrible the weather was on the day of filming; that's some Hollywood magic.

@DRW50 If you'd told me in 1985 that Christopher Rich would go on to be the most successful of the three, while Laura Malone has no IMDB credits for the past forty years, I wouldn't have believed it. She had star quality, and I enjoyed the idea of how Blaine and Rachel were a role reversal of the Iris/Rachel relationship. An eventual rapprochement between the two against someone like Paulina could've been fire.

While we'll probably never know the truth, I wonder how much of that story was planted to humiliate Laura Malone. Christopher Rich, Nancy Frangione, and Ms. Malone had a falling out according to the reporting by Jon Michael Reed. And the Ryan's Hope Oral History gave a lot of insight into how actors manipulated the press to their advantage. So, much like the gossip about Sarah Felder on RH being fired for her looks (which was unsupported by the network execs in the book), I've begun to question the Laura Malone story. Just food for thought…

I would further add that when you look at soaps today, it was clear that they had trouble envisioning what an hour-long daytime drama would look like. Rather than using modern tricks like cutting up scenes to air across the episode, or employing more repetition. The production made it harder on themselves by trying to merge two half hours into one, rather than just expanding what was already present. We have to give them the grace that they were pioneers in establishing what an hour soap would look like, so they didn't have a blueprint. Although they created many lasting troupes like bookending an episode, and using the mid-episode mini-cliffhanger. I would also quibble with the assumption that giving Iris a spinoff was in response to the actress's implied burnout. If she was given less to do, then she might have stayed longer on Texas. But, if you re-watch the first few months, she is on almost every episode. I've often thought that Blaine should've been the one to be spun off. At that point in the story, she had firmly moved from antagonist to protagonist, she had just been through her trial, and it would be a perfect time to have a fresh start. She was also already associated with the Southwest, and imagine the possibilities if the rest of her family slowly started to show up in Houston. It would've made much more sense than having Caitlin go to Bay City, to work at the one house with a stable, and then have his sister move away. Also, a tangential thought from reading the 1969-1971 synopsis. It is a miracle that the Rachel-Steve-Alice triangle popped like it did, considering the production issues at the time. Jim was recast right before the big reveal at the engagement party. Rachel takes off for months at a time. The cast exodus of 1969 means that there wasn't a lot of engaging b-story going on (aka Emily, Susan's triangle, and Sam taking the bar exam). And finally, and perhaps the biggest hurdle, was recasting Rachel. (Note: I didn't like Susan's triangle, but I loved reading about her conflict with Liz, the use of that relationship as the jumping off for the Wayne saga, and I can see why people were disappointed in later iterations of Liz as Mac's receptionist). So, when I read about the Alice recast, I am reminded that the contemporary audience would have to view it in the context of how amazing the Rachel re-cast had gone, as well as the jarring effect of losing 2/3s of the triangle.

Just finished today 7/10 Wow! Big fan of nu-Gabi, she did very well with the reveal and she's got the right amount of spunk without seeming smug. The cliffhanger almost made my other quibbles seem worth it. Are we never going to the Dimera offices, or will they continue to meet in the square? Also, was the episode filmed on multiple days, because why did Kristen and Melinda move from the square to the living room? When did nu-Gabi go to Arizona? Because it's the same day for everyone else. Could Connie just wear a sign saying “I'm the killer”? Why is she suddenly making a spectacle of herself after nine months? Eric can move to Paris in a day? I guess he really left everything that Sloan bought when he moved to the pub.

Sure, but what was the joke? How do you interpret the intent on the humor? Is it about soap boards or producers? Or, is it just supposed to be funny that Abe is hooked on a soap?

Once again, why is Kayla more concerned about the cancellation of Body & Soul than the fact that her husband almost went to jail and her daughter is visiting a dangerously mentally ill man? And, what's your take on the meta-humor of the Body&Soul cancellation? Kayla said it was an issue between the producer and the network. Are we to infer that the writer (as he will henceforth be known) is taking a side in the backstage HR issues at DAYS? If so, is he sympathetic to the man who hired him? Because the suggestion that I got was that Body&Soul could not survive without its producer. But, why would the current producer allow an implication in the script that was unfavorable to her appointment?