KLN

Paging Billy Miller. ... I'll stop. 😄😄

Yep. I shotgunned that campaign to get her tossed in 2010 or so. I can't remember the year. We got rid of her once and she popped back up like the Babadook after terrorizing other shows. Was she Corday's side piece or something? I still can't fathom it. Pretty mean to flood phones to get somebody fired but damn. Her disordered thinking shouldn't be allowed to write ketchup packet instructions.

I'm not surprised. You can see it in everything he writes. That's why I say imaginative as hell but no taste. He's too un-self-aware to know when he's taken it past the edge. Too stuck in his ego to recognize his frailties. He needs a co-HW who shares his vision with better taste. Quan? I dunno. I agree minus the devil story. Ron has crafted a fun version of Salem with a solid foundation that's come together nicely. There's a lot of potential and I never thought I'd say that when I gave the show up years ago but a co-HW is a MUST. He needs guidance and an ego check.

It's mind bendingly stupid. I can deal with camp (preferably less) but this story is a comedy skit to Ron. Start to finish. He didn't even pretend to take it seriously. Bump of coke, funky strain and this is what he came up with.

😆😆😆 Granted, ATWT wasn't the show I grew up on but I don't remember Passanante coming anywhere close to the reek of Possession 2.0. This will go down in history as one of the worst... things, this show ever did. Give me Austin and Greta in fig leaves to this.

I can see that. 😄 It's probably for naught. At the end of the day it's a matter of personal taste and Carlivati has proven no matter how skilled one thinks he is or isn't as a writer, he 100% lacks taste. But I still prefer this to Dena.

😄😄 Valid! I was talking more about Leo. I know he's a "type" but the way they wrote him in Beyond Salem was counter-productive. It's not helpful to reinforce negative stereotypes of gay people just as society is evolving. Just my opinion though. Then again, this is a soap, so... I just think Ron needs taste guidance. ADHD Ron only cares about the bullet points.

I think all art is valid because it showcases different perspectives of an existence where everyone has different ideas about the world around them so the broader it is the more it allows for natural gravitation towards one energy or another. That said, you're right. Look how Ron conflates rape with seduction. Seems valid in his mind but wholly unhealthy and not something society should ever be confused about. Same with putting straight characters in situations where they're constantly held up as pieces of meat for lustful gay characters. How is that helpful to society or entertaining at all? Sure, sexuality is broad and the world is more open but a character like Leo is counter-productive in my opinion. On soaps, there's a range of behavior most societies would deem unacceptable but when you start confusing wrong action with societally acceptable it's a slippery slope. In the end it comes down to taste, which Ron lacks. There's a tactful way to tell similar stories. Personally, I think it would be fun from an entertainment perspective to have the devil jump into random characters once a decade or so. I know it's (arguably) not the right medium but it's baked in history and personally, I think it's fun to see different actors give different takes of the same "character." That said, they could also never do this again and I'd be fine with it. This was so botched I think anything that might come after would be marred by negative thought association for this current "retelling." Ron should be embarrassed.

If they decided to go this route they could make Stacy Penelope, the dead Banks sister who 'drowned' in the pool in place of Kristen in '98. It would explain how she can disguise herself. She impersonated Kristen years ago because they were 'lookalikes.' She thought she could do it again when her own life ran out. I'd say she changed her name though. Say Penelope was her middle name or something. Christine would tie her connection to Kristen in a clever way that's still different sounding enough.

Kayla and/or Abby. I just don't want to see 'Gabby' again. Imagine the mess 'Kayla' could make running the hospital, advising her loved ones amongst other things. MBE could handle it, she's a strong actress. I'd want new contacts though.

I don't think the show not cutting Stacy means she hasn't worked, I think it means she's a success and they want the best of both worlds, which I get. I also don't think places like Twitter, etc. accurately reflect the general audience. They do to a degree, but a lot of what I see on Twitter is older fans seeking confirmation bias tied up in nostalgia. They're the same ones cheering for this dumb possession story. That's what I thought too. That would've been great.

That's valid but I don't think Eric being raped is the most effective way to highlight his struggle with being a priest and a man of the flesh. It's a valid piece of history. Kristen was in revenge mode and it affected the trajectory of story with ED leaving and Eric in the place he was. But now? It's not where any of the characters are and it seems even more cheap than it was before by correlating rape with temptation, twice now with ED's Kristen in barely a month. I enjoy the nostalgia though I guess.

100%. Kristen has evolved for me. She's not just J&M's foil anymore. Stacy has committed everything to the show and the character and still got tossed for Peacock and Carlivati's ego. If they insist on using Eileen at least do 'A Tale of Two Kristen's.' Say this Kristen is an imposter who, for whatever reason, took over Kristen's life because she was desperate for her own love and got wrapped up in everything. Made herself believe she was Kristen and suppressed her old identity. They can say everyone assumed reconstructive surgery after Kristen crashed through the window, it's easy. Keep Stacy as her own character, call her Christene and let Eileen do the popping in and out she likes to do. It would also cross her with Abby in interesting ways, though I never need to see Abby's DID again. I'd rather keep Stacy as Kristen though. She's a force. They should do something with her and ED on Peacock.

Once this is over it'd be cool if the devil became a recurring character who occasionally jumps in to wreak havoc and promote... evil? But next time it needs to be someone other than Marlena and it needs to be taken semi-seriously. I understand why they went with Marlena because it was a callback to the original story and they wanted some of the original buzz but Deidre's more nambi-pambi than she used to be and she doesn't sell villain at all. It always comes across as Hattie. I do like the serious tone it's taken in recent weeks (see Ron?) but I agree this part of the story has gone too quickly. Not enough drama or emotional investment after the whole thing was played as a MADtv skit for 4 months.

It's frustrating because I actually enjoy Ron's Days. I think he hits the bullseye on a lot of things. I watch the show almost daily and like what I've seen since coming back to it. The possession story though? I'm not even offended by it, it's just dumb. His tastes are skewed. He needs a co-HW with better sensibilities.

Exactly. 😄😄 With Ron you don't need a reason.

This. Ron doesn't have taste. He thinks, "I get to do possession?! I'll put in morphs and laser eyes and a cameo from Donna Summer!" Possession 2.0 has been a source of secondhand embarrassment for everyone involved, mostly Drake and Deidre. It's not even slightly watchable. Indulgent, stupid, a mess. A co-HW at the very least. I can barely watch Possession 2.0. It's bad.

KevC! He's still around. Watching Days and loving it. I reconnected with him on Twitter, seems like he's doing good. SON has always been like home to me. I remember bonding with one of the original staffers who lived in New York on 9/11. We'd gotten in an argument the night before on another board and said some mean things to each other. The next day we bonded in our grief like the fight never happened. I always think of that when I think of SON because it was born less than a month later. As I recall we were trying to escape the tyranny of another board. 😄😄 I also remember the staff chats with Toups, Errol, etc. Good times! I take your point about MM/Belle. I think the reason I loved her years ago was because I was so done with Kirsten. Now I can take or leave her, no huge complaints though. The Valley Girl vocal inflection can go though.

I appreciate that Ron! I'm happy to be posting here again. SON has always been a second home to me. Long time @Manny! You been alright? It's been ages! What's Carlivati's name here? I like MM too. I liked her better years ago but I think she makes a believable daughter for Marlena. She could definutely use a bit more warmth though. Beemer is boring but I like his Shawn. Basic good guy, not a lot of complexity but they could always write him better. I think they should do a Shawn/Chloe affair.

That'd be a whole new show. Which, you know, wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. But that's cancelling Days and putting on a new show with the same name. 😄😄 I think they need to modernize what's already there, take advantage of the built in connections, re-brand some of the characters and pretend Salem fell through a time portal and the stuff from the past that doesn't fit 'today' was from a different timeline or something. Or they could toss it all out with the bathwater. 😄😄 Damn I forgot about Ava and RoboJohn. Those weren't good days.

Thanks! I've enjoyed being back. Let's not talk about "that" Kenny. I was awful to everyone. One foot in front of the other I try to be better every day. I've enjoyed getting back into Days. I gave it up around 2014 and only watched a few times a week for years prior to that, even when ED was there. I just didn't care anymore. I needed to work on myself and my tastes changed. I've gotten back into it and it's been fun. It's totally a comfort thing with my grandma dying but I'm not married to any of it anymore. I'm watching with fresh eyes and it's kind of cool after hate watching and wishing every writer doom for 10+ years. I see my Billy Miller idea wasn't popular though. 😄

100% valid. It's all about perspective. Mine is different but I also understand yours. I think the show is, or should be, capable of writing nuanced, complex villains and I think the audience is ready for it, but I think fan opinion is influenced by social media from people who have sentimental attachment to "their" Days or "their" characters. Most general viewers aren't Twitter diehards seeking confirmation bias but I totally accept there are varied opinions. I wouldn't lose sleep if they killed Kristen so long as they replaced her with an archetype equally as compelling. I wouldn't lose sleep regardless. I'd think it was a shame but it wouldn't be the first mistake the show made. Kristen has the history and motivation to drive chaos and story for years. Others feel different and that's cool. From my view the elements are there. She has broad appeal and I don't think Stacy is as hated as Twitter makes it seem. But they should definitely rotate her in and out. Just my two cents. I see I stand alone again. 😄😄 I also think Billy Miller would make a good Phillip for what it's worth.

Probably for the best. 😄😄

I agree Kristen should come and go. She's too much of both extremes she doesn't work as a more... stable character. She should always reach for happiness, get a taste and fall short. Come back, wreck things, disappear, attempt self-awareness, baby steps to redemption, maybe another taste of happiness, here's the next threat... boom. She's off the rails again. She can wreck Rachel when she's grown too. The character could generate a decade of story. She's a tragic character of both extremes who mirrors the world today but she should never be a "regular" character like John, Marlena, etc. But she has broad appeal and I think Stacy is KILLING her, personally. I'm not the same Kenny that posted here years ago. I mostly used the show as distraction from personal trauma and I kind of went on a personal journey. I'm not even close to the same person I used to be, I've grown up and I'm a much kinder version of the sarcastic prick I used to be. Try to be anyway. My tastes have changed but my sensibilities have stayed the same. I don't feel the same attachment to Days that I used to but I jumped back in after my grandma died this year, mostly for the nostalgia, and I know what appeals to me with fresh eyes without the attachment of needing it to be exactly like it was in the past.