I was recently over at YouTube, looking at several different DOOL videos. I came across a few clips from the possession storyline. One of the clips I saw was the first sign of Marlena's possession, the scene where the bed was shaking and then she started to levitate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4G2qtNYN-0

My question is, for viewers that watched during this storyline, what was your reaction to seeing this episode. I'll bet any money that it was a Friday cliffhanger. The internet wasn't like it was today so fans didn't know about the storyline much in advance. Did Soap Opera Digest & Weekley cover the storyline. Even so, many people don't buy those magazines. People had to have been really shocked by this, never seeing it coming.

I know, had I been spoiler-free and watchind DAYS at the time of this storyline and saw the end of teh episode, Marlena floating in air, I would just be like, WTF?

Vieweres that did watch (Kenny, etc.), what was your initial reaction to this scene?

well i watched it and thought it was good, but then it went on for years...(seemed like) Marlena walking into Kate and Victor's wedding Naked was a hoot.

Well, I wasn't watching back then, but I just have to comment with your question, that I wish daytime was like this today...I truely think it could be if we didn't have so many spoilers.

I didn't understand it at first. I was like 11 and had never watched the Exorcist. I remember watching with my mom & grandma. As soon as the bed starting shaking they both started to complain. My grandma was like "This is so stupid". I asked them what was happening but they said nothing I didn't realize she was possessed until her eyes turned color.

My jaw dropped and I thought, "What the hell is going on??"

I was 13 and didn't know what Marlena levitating meant. LOL

Yeah, I'm wondering too if Marlena being possessed was spoiled in the magazines. Does anyone remember?

My jaw dropped and I thought, "What the hell is going on??"

I was 13 and didn't know what Marlena levitating meant. LOL

Yeah, I'm wondering too if Marlena being possessed was spoiled in the magazines. Does anyone remember?

I read the magazines faithfully at the time, and I don't remember anything in them. I was just as surprised as everyone else.

Actually it was a Monday cliffhanger. December 27th, I believe +/-. It was after Marlena was revealed as the desecrator. But up until them a non-spoiler person like myself

It wasn't spoiled at all. The first spoiler even alluding to Marlena being posessed was in mid January in SOD and it was tagline on the top that read, "Satan comes to Salem." That was the first major coverage I could remember. Otherwise, the mags only gave vague previews about the Desecrator. I wish soaps could be like that today because nobody knew what was going to happen. I had no idea who the Desecrator was or what was going on with Marlena. I remember her acting weird and we had the whole Stefano walks out of a closet bit but I really had no idea until the bed was shaking and she was floating.

I just loved this story. That episode, which was a Monday, was so good. I think we had everyone singing "Silent Night" (Maybe it was Lisa Rinna's Billie leading the chorus but I can't remember) and we had that scene turn into the Marlena scene. Creepy and one of the best moments I can remember.

Yeah, nowadays we're spoiled months ahead. Off-liners and people who don't read the mags enjoy the soaps more.

The episode was a Friday cliffhanger.....before Christmas.

http://www.bethsdayspage.com/days/archive/1994/12.19.94.html

Airdate: Friday, December 23, 1994

Cast: Alice, Mickey, Maggie, Jennifer, John, Caroline, Shawn, Marlena/Desecrator, Abe, Carrie, Austin, Sami, Lexie, Jamie, Jonah, Stefano, Kristen, Tony, Peter, Laura, Mike, Celeste, Jack, Julie, Doug, Shawn-Douglas, Wendy, Father Jansen, Charles, Abigail, Benjamin, Nurse Susan, Coffee Bartender Gary, Carolers.

Sets: Horton House, Salem Place, St. Luke's Church/Exterior, Marlena's Penthouse-Bedroom, Hospital Lobby.

Scene-By-Scene:

T-A:

Synopsis: Celeste fears with Stefano interfering in Marlena's dreams has caused something evil to enter Salem. John fights the person in black but they are too strong and rush out as Ave and Kristen arrive at the church. John has grease paint on his hands. The person in black had covered their face commando style. Then we see gloved hands removing grease paint from their face. They remove their cap to show blonde hair and then we see the persons face. It's MARLENA!!!!!!! Everyone pitches in to help clean the church for midnight mass. John finds the hammer Marlena dropped. The hammer has initials SB on it, and John recalls that it belongs to Shawn Brady. They figure the person doing all the damage is someone close to the Brady's. Mike tells the Christmas story at the hospital. John and Kristen go over to see Marlena to get her psychological profile. She was asleep and is shocked to learn of the desecrations. John and Kristen are worried about Marlena, she looks terrible and nearly faints. They get a doctor to look at her. They leave a sleeping Marlena. She is jolted awake as her bed starts jumping up and down. The Hortons start their Christmas ritual of putting the ornaments on the tree. John gives Midnight Mass. Marlena screams for John as her bed stops. Once she has fallen asleep again, she levitates above her bed.

I remember being totally in the dark. I didn't understand why the Desecrator was doing these things -- stealing or burning Christmas presents, vandalizing the church, and burning the Christmas tree at Salem Place.

I think the first thing to happen was the Christmas tree going up in flames while the Hortons stood by in shock. I remember thinking, Huh? That's not how "Days" had ever handled Christmas before.

When Marlena was removing the grease from her face, I was even more confused.

Then, that last scene on that Friday episode of her levitating over the bed -- my mouth dropped open. It's still hard to believe this story was ever done on "Days." Weird.

It's been so long ago. I didn't read magazines or have the internet. I started watching during the "Carly Buried Alive" storyline, and watched sporadically from then on. Then came Christmas break from school... I tuned back in during my time off, and I was stunned/shocked/surprised/amazed/in love. The whole thing was amazing and surreal. They could've made it really campy and idiotic, but they told it with a dark, dramatic tone. God. I think I'm gonna have to whip out my Possession DVD's again tonight!

Back then, I was a spoiler free person, so I do not know if it was in the magazines or not, but when I saw that my jaw dropped completly and my first thought was "What in the world?!!!!!" and I sat there gobsmacked for who knows how long.

Oh, and I think it was a cliffhanger Friday.

I didn't see the first sign of possession. I had stopped watching Days in 90 or 91. But I do remember flipping through the channels one day and landing on Days and seeing Marlena tied to a bed, her eyes all weird, spitting invectives at somebody. I think maybe there was an exorcism going on? I just remember thinking "Thank god I got out when I did" and changing the channel.

The thing that ALWAYS creeped me out about this storyline was that CREEPY whistly music that always played...it was SO demonic and creepy.

I too was spoiler-free back then without the net and without magazines!!

Me and my family SAT THERE IN SHOCK as we watched Marlena levitate off her bed as the rest of Salem sang Silent Night..OMG..it was just so damn ironic with god/satan aspect. The fact that DAYS aired this episode the WEEKEND before Christmas was IN ITSELF shocking and insured that it would reach EVERYONE possible...GENIOUS!

This is when BOTH my parents (my mom who had nightmares for YEARS because of THE EXORCIST) stopped watching DAYS (they have since started watching again BTW full time).

I had been with DAYS for awhile before this and KNEW a new era was coming to this show...something that I had NEVER imagined for it!!

That storyline will go down in history as one of the most shocking and creepy storylines in daytime EVER!

Yeah I know Mitch. The music really added alot to the story and just the whole tone and feel of the show was so dark and gothic. The lighting was superb. This story had so many awesome moments:

-John battles the desecrator in the church (we see Marlena's face greased up shortly after).

-the Christams tree on fire

-Christmas Eve (levitation while singing "Silent Night" and bed shaking)

-Marlena gripping the scissors and the green eyes.

-Satan lurking.

-Marlena setting fire to St. Luke's during Tony and Kristen's wedding and raising her arms in triumph(one of the most shocking and gripping scenes ever as we realize the lengths of Marlena's evil)

-Marlena rigging the chandelier at Billie and Bo's wedding and then showing up naked at their reception on the second wedding attempt.

-Kristen naked with all the markings on her.

-all the supernatural occurences with the swarming bees (grandpa Shawn), drought, meteor shower (tying Kristen to the belcony), Marlena turning into Kristen to tempt John and later into a panther, and then the exorcism.

-Fr. Francis

-evil Curtis and Marlena's visions of Sami.

-Marlena cries for help and we then see the "Help Me" scratched on her stomach (creepy)

-Isabella returning.

-Stefano being tossed off the terrace.

-Marlena dies and then the big climax (plus the end scene in the rain)

What was so great was no one would've ever thought Stefano and his mind games and Marlena and Roman's divorce would lead to this. We had signs that Marlena was a little off and not feeling well or something and then we these crimes going on with the tree burning and all. You knew something big was happening but you had no idea what was to come. Brilliant. Days needs to release box sets of some of these stories to the public because they would sell no doubt.