Khan

Exactly. That's what I meant.

At the very least, having Marlena fall for the more villainous John, and having John struggle to reform himself in order to make himself worthy of her love, would have re-emphasized many of DAYS' core themes. Oh, Gawd. Just forget I ever brought the damn idea up.

Frankly, I don't even care for the minor revamp that Robert Calhoun performed on "As the World Turns On and On" when he took over the show in '84. The original, more space-age-y version is much more provocative. No, I wasn't talking about using "As the World Falls Down" as the show's final theme song. What I meant was, in the show's final episode, in its' very last moments on the air, before it faded to black for the last time, they could've had a montage of many of the show's best-ever moments, or maybe just a montage of showing all the current characters going on with their lives, with that particular song running underneath.

IMO, John and Kristen will always be fascinated with each other, because John is really more like Kristen than he is Marlena. Whenever he's with Marlena, he's still just playing the part of Roman Brady, as he was programmed to be. But, again, that's JMO.

*shrug* Oh, well.

Amen. Say what you will about Martha Williamson and her syrupy show, "Touched by an Angel," but whenever they DID talk about the devil -- and like Bill Cosby's angel character said, in one episode, "We don't like to talk about him much, because he isn't worth talking about" -- the show treated the battles between good and evil very, very seriously. They strove to entertain, yes, but they were also very careful not to glorify the devil or make him look like just another fairy-tale villain. This isn't "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer," and the devil is not just another Big Bad.

It really appalls me that Ron Carlivati treats something serious like demonic possession as just more soapy goodness. This isn't some reality show on Bravo, Mr. Carlivati. You are literally playing with fire. You need to balance this darkness with light, not lightheartedness.

Again, it doesn't have to end with Roman and Marlena reunited. I mean, OLTL reunited Clint and Viki at the end, but miracles like that don't happen everyday, lol. I'm fine with John and Marlena as endgame, but, as @Vee posted upthread, it'd be nice to put a button on what is largely unfinished business for Roman. It'd also be a great way to restore some luster to Roman and give John/Marlena an organic conflict that keeps fans on the edge of their seats as to when they will reunite. (Again, when it comes to serialized drama, it's never a question of IF something will happen, but WHEN; and the longer you can delay the gratification, the better.) And if/when John and Marlena fight about her and Roman spending so much time together, Marlena could remind him of that, too. (Drake and Dee aren't the worst actors. They can rise to the occasion when given halfway decent scripts.)

As head writers, the Cullitons' track record has been very hit-or-mess, but as script writers, they've truly been among the best.

But, you see, you've just provided John with the necessary motivation: his hardcore devotion to Doc. John has endured a ton over the years for Marlena. Why, he's even literally fought the devil for her! Twice! And, let's not forget, when John was still just The Pawn, it was Marlena who willed him into recovering his memories. (Well, they weren't HIS memories, but you get the point). Ergo, when it looks as if feelings have resurfaced between Roman, the man John USED to be, and Marlena, the only person in this world who's ever truly known him, John feels he can't just step aside and let Roman win back Marlena, not after everything he (John) and Marlena have been through. The question is, how far would John be willing to go to hold onto Marlena? Will he like the man he becomes in the process? And how will Kristen -- who's never fully gotten over John, IMO, no matter what anyone says -- exploit the growing divide between John and Marlena (provided, we could get Eileen Davidson to commit to more than cameo appearances)? And what happens when John reaches what everyone feels is the point of no return? Maybe Roman and Marlena decide they're better off remaining as they are, but could Marlena forgive John for his actions throughout the crisis? Are redemption and a reunion with Doc even possible for John? (Of course, the answer to that last question is yes, but I would want the road to be a long and arduous one.) In a way, it's kind of like what happened years ago on ATWT, when Andy Dixon was battling the bottle, and his long-divorced parents, Dr. John Dixon and Kim Hughes, were thrown back together to help him through it. Kim's husband, beloved Dr. Bob Hughes, felt left out of John and Kim's growing closeness, which, in turn, left him vulnerable to a ONS with Kim's longtime rival, Dr. Susan Stewart. Now, Bob and Kim didn't split for good, but the affair did rock their union; and the story itself played on so much history between John and Kim (their marriage was pure hell), between Kim and Susan (they fought over Dan) and between John and Bob (John always resented Bob, because Bob was chief of staff and had the better bedside manner, even though John felt he himself was the more skilled physician). Not a single character in that unfortunate saga was under 30 or had a bangin' bod, but it was riveting just the same.

Well, I could see a scenario where Marlena's sanity is called into question after the medical board hears she is writing a book or giving an interview about her ordeal, thereby forcing Doc, her legal rep and her family to prove the unprovable -- I mean, the devil IS real, but how do you prove it in a sanity hearing? -- but I wouldn't have the board automatically revoke her medical license just because she fell in again with the wrongest of wrong crowds, lol. Bo and Hope, Shane and Kimberly, Patch and Kayla, even Jack and Jennifer -- just about all of DAYS' other, legacy couples got a shot at romantic redemption, but thanks to that horrid Jim Reilly and his "storytelling genius," Roman and Marlena will never, ever get that opportunity. I'll never forgive him for that. Ever.

And that's why this genre is in the toilet. Because no one at the top even cares anymore. Wait, what? You want to "punish" Marlena for being possessed by the devil again! I mean, it's not like it was her fault, lol! Like I keep saying, this SHOULD lead Doc to take a hard, serious, thorough look at her life, and what has led her to this point. Maybe she could realize she shouldn't be a psychiatrist anymore. Maybe God is calling her to a different profession, like an evangelist, or even a nun! (Boy, wouldn't THAT put a kink in her and John's marriage!). But, she shouldn't just shrug it off and carry on to the next insane episode. Demonic possession is nothing to be casual or cavalier about.

I'm not saying you need to reunite Roman and Marlena either (...although, a boy can still dream...). I'm just saying, give me what JER wouldn't: an honest-to-God triangle with Marlena, Roman and John, where the fix isn't in before the story even takes off. Give the audience back shades of what made Roman, and Roman and Marlena, such a big deal during the Reagan years and then see if John and Marlena are truly endgame. If they're actually NOT endgame, and Roman/Marlena actually win over the audience again, fantastic! Roman and Marlena are back together, and (much to Kristen and Sami's endless frustration) John gradually falls for a made-over Susan. But, if John and Marlena ARE endgame...? Well, then, Roman and Marlena's issues are resolved, John and Marlena can go back to cooing at each other, and Roman will be truly free to be in a new triangle between Kate and her long-lost sister, played by Lisa Hartman Black. Because, Ron Carlivati is an idiot.

That's what would be so brilliant and beautiful about bringing back Wayne as Roman. You could have another go-round with Roman/Marlena/John, which I would love (I STILL believe it could work if written right); or you could have Kate/Roman/Marlena/John, with even the possibility of John and Kate hooking up; or even Kate/Roman/Laura, which would yield its' own, tantalizing dividends. Wayne Northrop back as Roman would be just that good.

What if he's been possessed all along, and the movie idea was just a part of the plan? I'm not sorry Zach Tinker isn't on this mess of a show. He deserves better.

I get why Betty Corday wanted to keep DAYS "in the family," but she really goofed when she made her son take over.

Sony, which produces DAYS and Y&R, knows enough not to tamper TOO much with the shows' respective, iconic themes and openings. If only P&G had held the same reverence for their product during the Great Opening Revamp of 1981-82.

Exactly. God, forgive me for saying this, but if I were writing this story -- and THAT is the iffiest if that ever iffed, folks! -- then I would have had Eric, who just performed the most recent exorcism, be the next one to become possessed. For one thing, it could touch off a whole new quadrangle with him, Ava, Nicole and Rafe. But also, I would have BEGGED and PLEADED with Ken Corday and Sony to bring back Wayne as Roman in time for the next part of this arc to begin. Once they realize what has happened to their son, he (Wayne's Roman) and Marlena could team up to save Eric, just like they'd do in the old days, whenever they took on dastards like the Salem Strangler and Stefano DiMera. As they wrestle (with help from a new character, a friend of Eric's from the seminary, who has had his own crisis of faith, and who had to step away from the priesthood as a result) with the devil to win back Eric, old memories, feelings, temptations resurface, putting Roman and Kate's relationship in jeopardy, and causing the very angry and jealous John to lash out in surprising ways. And Marlena would suspect that the devil has also taken possession of her beloved John, but for once, the devil has absolutely nothing to do with it.

At least when JER had Marlena become possessed by the devil, he paved the way for it with stuff like her affair with John. Ron Carlivati having Johnny become possessed is just random as hell* with absolutely zero build-up. Like I always say, an audience will go wherever you want them to, you just have to take the time to get them there. (*no pun intended)

How exactly did Macy die the second time? Did it involve a chandelier?

I wish the power of Christ would compel those idiots at DAYS to end this story.

"Detached retina"? Is that what they're calling plastic surgery nowadays? I'm kidding...maybe.

So, is Giant Duke what happens when you get Little Duke wet and feed it after midnight?

As usual, I'm at a loss for words. Betty White has been such a presence in my TV viewing life, going all the way back to when I, as a young pup, would watch reruns of "The Carol Burnett Show" and "Mama's Family" with Mama Khan. I truly cannot fathom a world without her generosity and spirit, but I'm so grateful that I, and so many others, will get to cherish her always through reruns. RIP Ms. White, and say hello to everyone from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Golden Girls" for us. Sums up exactly how I, as a fan of this show since junior high, feel. There's got to be a morning after.

Somehow, I can't see Mr. Colt 45 as a vicious pimp. And it's LARRY Bryggman, not Ed.