DAYS: "Geezers, Step Aside!"

[ZaraB]

Why can't he add a villain in the 40 -50 range? I understand where he is coming from, but I'd think Steve/Kayla, Bo/Hope and John/Marlena would still have SOME story left, and who is going to be the one playing against them? I don't argue the need for new villains, and Phillip/EJ will be good playing against Sami, Lucas, Belle, Shawn, Mimi, etc.

[Mason]

Hogan is awesome! Just thought I'd throw that in for all the haters.

[bleu]

This news is ironic, because just last week I was watching John Aniston and wishing he was 20 years younger. LOL. Aging is part of the living process, but it makes me sad that it will force him to pass the torch. He's such an amazing actor.

With that being said, I understand that this is a necessity. You can't beat Mother Time! Like some others said, I hope too that Victor continues to be a mentor to Phillip. He might not be the front man, but he sure can provide some advice on the side. Same with Stefano. I'll never get tired of Joe Mascolo. Not ever. But they've scored big time with EJ and James Scott. He makes total sense to lead the new generation of Dimeras.

Since Hogan has taken the time to define the younger characters and give them separate personalities, they'll be much more tolerable now. They won't skip from gazebos to Dot.com to Salem High to some ghoul girl storyline. The interaction between all ages is so much better, and I don't see that one generation will be seen more predominantly than another. We just need a new generation of bad guys. Makes sense to me.

[KLN]

First, he didn't ruin EJ. The character of EJ is a villain -- we've known that for months. It's not as if he was some saintly hero who suddenly turned into a rapist. HE'S A BAD GUY. There's no ruination, IMO. Bad guys do bad things.

And the comment about JER not "drastically changing characters to suit a storyline," that's the biggest joke I've read on this board in the last fifteen minutes!

[LuvPatch]

EJ did change from a good guy instantly. It was totally unbelieveable.

I never saw any drastic character changes from Jer's time on Days. But I haven't watched Days as long as you may have.

But it was boring.

[KLN]

EJ didn't change from a good guy instantly. He was questionable right from the get-go. We don't know whether he was good or bad. Eventually, he revealed his true colors. You can't have a character acting out of character when they've just been introduced! I think the only reason most people are upset is because they wanted an "Ejami" pairing. Well, this story is bigger than some stupid hot-shot fling. EJ is a bigger plan and his presence is going to have a ripple effect across the entire canvas. You get more story out of that than some pairing with Sami Brady. I mean, just look at all her other boy-toys... Brandon, Franco and Austin. Two are gone, and the other's six feet under.

[CSW]

Yes, this title is harsh but the point is correct. A newer generation is needed to maintain the legacy of the big baddies and I think DAYS has struck gold with this concept.

They are honouring the vets and the history of the show by bring the DiMera legacy back to life in fine form. And Phillip can potentially become the best, complex character in the history of Days. The measure will be their complexity and the actor's performance... needless to say, we can't have any more cartoon villians ala Tony or Jan Spears. What Days is trying to do is layer its villians and making them part of the show's rich fabric is important.

Just look at what Hogan has done with EJ to situate him as Stephano's heir:

Sami, Marlena's daughter, is EJ"s Queen of the Night. Perfect.

EJ is concerned with family and legacy, just like Stephano.

EJ has situated himself with the entire Brady clan and with Stephano's ex-mistress, Kate.

These connections are rich with history and tradition.

As for the newer Phillip, his motivations are clear and reasonable. He was betrayed (in his mind) by his wife and parents and went to war in a huff. He's already a war hero and now he's been further victimized. Maybe he feels betrayed by his country, who knows. But all these betrayals are evidence that Phillip did not capitalize on all the entitlements he was given as a rich heir. Now he's back, he's pissed and he's a force. Victor is trying to buy his love back. The story is more about making amends with Phillip (from Victor's POV) and hurting Shawn and Belle then it is about loving Claire. But Phillip did raise Claire as his own and he feels he's entitled to his daughter. He's not going to let anyone walk all over him anymore. Hell hath no fury like a young, rich boy scorned.

Both EJ and Phillip are complex characters, not cartoon villians. With the right stories they can be developed, over time, into major players in Salem. They have reasonable roots and seemingly unlimited resources. I for one am excited to watch them develop.

And I agree with the poster who wants to see them eventually square off. Perhaps EJ will scorn Kate and Phillip will come to her side. Or perhaps Phillip will grow a crisis of family and come to his big brother's side when EJ comes after Bo. Who knows... but when it happens it will be just deserts, especially given that their two leading ladies are both Marlena's daughter.

[Mason]

E.J. wouldn't waste his time on Philip. He would crush him in a moment. Philip, no matter how bad they make him, will NEVER be in the same league as Victor, or even E.J. for that matter.

[KLN]

I'm really intrigued by this "new Phillip."

He's been betrayed by his wife, causing him to rush off into a war and lose his face. Now, he has a "new" face, and he's already lost a leg. Surely, he has alot of pent up anger and aggression inside. On the surface, he might appear to be some Leatherface-esque disfigured bastard villain -- but at the center of him is a heart and a reason. And none of it is contrived or fake... just all slowly developed and now we have years worth of rich story because of it.

Hogan has brought the show back SLOWLY and now it has rich possibilities... much moreso than what we would've gotten with a quick fix. He's gotten us to know the characters again, and gotten the characters to know each other again. Now that we care and are invested again, and the characters are all interwoven in multi-generational stories, it makes the dramatic impact so much more hard hitting.

[Bree]

ITA with you Kenny about Ejami being a big reason why some people aren't liking EJ being the new DiMera villian. Given the choice between yet another fly-by-night romance or a long-lasting vendetta story involving major players, the writers were correct in taking the DiMera/Brady feud to the next level.

[KLN]

Exactly, Bree.

[LuvPatch]

I hope it works, but now Phillip is being changed too.

I don't like it. I hope everyone else does.

And yes, EJ was changed overnight from complex to thug. (This is not about Ejami. I would love them to get together. But it wouldn't make me stop watching if they didn't. What made me stop is ruining EJ and other things such as Billie and Nick.)

[Mason]

E.J. is still complex, and he's not a thug.

Screw E.Jami. Making E.J. a DiMera was clearly the way to go.

[billyjill]

I agree, they were written a lot more maturely, that's something that needs to happen with the new youngsters to actually make something fruitful come out of their (the young actors') talents.

I agree with this also, yes Scott is charismatic and inspired a lot of instantaneous love but honestly anyone who thinks this was a case of character defamation is on something.

[KLN]

You're right. Phillip is being changed. And that's a good thing. He was nothing but a cardboard prop before he left. Thank God he started showing signs of characterization before he left the last time... and even then, he was a furious hothead. He ran off to war because he felt betrayed by his wife, lost his child and ended up losing his face. Is he supposed to come back all smiles or something?

It's called character evolution. As characters go through experiences, they change... they grow... they become more complex and layered. Phillip has gone through alot, and it's bound to make an impact on the person that he is.

Now, I'd love to see Chloe come back for just a few episodes and see what her former love has turned into. I think that might be an interesting dynamic to play. Phillip, a man who's furious and scorned and hellbent on destruction, re-connecting with his first love... and MURDERING her. Bwahahaha!