DAYS- What if Drake and Deidre left?

[KLN]

I disagree.

If Bo were to die, I'd love to see Hope join the police force and become a kickass take-no-[!@#$%^&*] officer.

Anyway, I think that Hope has more of a place in viewers hearts than Marlena. Viewers have seen Hope go from a squeaky-voiced teenage girl to grandmother.

[DrewH]

Hey, it's your opinion, but I can't even try agreeing with your view. The thought of Hope Brady being more important to the show than Marlena Evans is hilarious. It's really funny to think of. You have Hope, who, while she may have been a huge hit in the mid-80s, but has been nothing but a "filler" couple for the past 13 years. And then you have Marlena, who's been front and center for the past 15 years. I'm going to believe that Marlena's more important than Hope anyday. When you think of DAYS, you think of Deidre Hall and Marlena. She's the Erica Kane of Salem. Those core character categories include Erica (AMC), Stephanie (B&, Marlena (DAYS), Luke (GH), Reva (GL), Viki (OLTL) and Victor (Y&R). Kristian Alfonso could never muster up to Dee, ever.

[MikeGoldy]

I agree with you Kenny, and I often do. I may not post a lot, but I read yours, and agree Anyway, although Deidre's Marlena is more well known possibly than

Kristian's Hope to the outside of soaps viewership, I think it has more to do with the posession story. now, I was entertained by it, but to a lot of people, it forever made a joke of the Marlena character, and Deidre. Kristian meanwhile has grown up before our eyes, and keeps the Horton family alive, because she is such a main character. I believe that

Kristian's exit would have a major impact on DAYS, more so than Deidre.

[King]

Dee is more of an icon than Alfonso, but that means nothing in terms of the characters. But if we're talking about which character is more core.....eeeeeeee.......Gosh, that's a toss up.

[jcar03]

I'm hoping that the 4th hour of the Today Show is a bomb because it seems like they gave DAYS the three year obligation as some sort of back-up plan. Does anyone have an hour by hour break down of the Today Show ratings.

For you Drake fans he did just sign a four year deal so the only way he is going if it is the show cutting him.

[PhoenixRising05]

Not going to happen. Both said they would not leave until the show ends. They would take a cut before that.

The months last summer when they were off the show was missing something. It was good but there was a void that was filled when they returned. I think the show would suffer a ratings setback of some sort. Maybe not huge but they would not see the kind of increases they sometimes do. There would be some loss IMO.

As for who is more vital, Hope is someone long-time fans like me have seen grow up. Same goes for Jennifer, Carrie, etc. They tend to have more of a connection to the audience. When Hope was "killed" in 1990, I cried. I hardly ever cry but when you watch a character like Hope grow before your eyes you invest in her and it hits hard. Hope, Jennifer, Carrie, and sami are characters I have major investment in because we saw them grow. Bo, Steve, and Kayla were a little older but you still feel like you watched them grow in a sense because they looked so young and they had to grow as people and characters intially. John and Marlena both came on the scene as full adults and were already pretty established. Marlena had a career and was who she was. John had the secret past and the indentity stuff but he was what he was. Bo, Hope, Steve, Kayla, Carrie, Sami, Jennifer and, hell Lucas and Jack all had to grow and mature into what they are now. That kind of thing is huge for fans in terms of investment and bond with a character. Julie is another character as fans watched her grow and mature too.

It's a shame we don't see that kind of thing anymore because of SORASing. Soaps no longer let us watch characters grow and mature with time. They just speed up the aging and that makes it hard to build investment.

Bottom line is John and Marlena are vital to story but, as far as the show and how core they are, they rank further down IMO. I love them but the characters we saw grow up and mature in front of us rank higher. The investment is there much more. Of course, it's there with J&M but it all had to be manufactured by way of the story and writing. While that is important, sometimes watching the actor grow and mature too is just as important as fans take to the actor much like the character.

It's hard to say who is more important. They are all big. I do think the outcry for both KA and Deidre Hall would be huge but KA would hurt more because of her growing on the show and all.

As for the next matriarch, young fans will say Marlena but long-time Days fans and fans that are big on history and the families know it should be Maggie. They already seem to be grooming her now which makes me sad given how frail Francis looked. Maggie should be it though.

[DrewH]

I understand where people are coming from in thinking that Maggie should be the new matriarch, but what I'm seeing is that while she will be the matriarch of the Horton family, she's not the matriarch of the show. Maggie is in nowhere near a character like Marlena. Marlena is so important to just about every single character on canvas. She's the true matriarch after Alice.

[PhoenixRising05]

It's not about the character.

It's about the history and the core families. The Horton's are the core family and the first family.

It should be Maggie based on all that.

I know what you are saying about Marlena but she isn't even a member of a core family right now. Sure, you may as well call her a Brady but the Brady's never came until the 80's. It should be a Horton and it should be Maggie.

[DrewH]

Marlena's not a member of the core family, but she is certainly the core character of the show. I'm sure if we sat down, every single character can be linked to Marlena in a direct way. You can't say that about Maggie.

What kind of relationship does Maggie have with Abe, Lexie, Celeste, Steve, Kayla, John, Philip, Victor, Kate, Caroline, Billie, EJ or Roman? Marlena, on the other hand, can be directly related to each person.

Maggie is the matriarch of the core family, but a matriarch of the show? I don't think so!

[PhoenixRising05]

Well then, you could say the same about Alice but that would be wrong too.

The Horton's are the pillar of Salem and the show. The matriarch of the show comes from the core family. The core family and Salem's first family is the Horton's. Period. Everyone in Salem holds them as the gold standard. They made University Hospital what it is so that gives them a connection. Mickey was everyone's attorney so there is a connection. Maggie owns a popular restaurant and dishes advice. That is a connection. You don't have to be in story with other characters or be directly connected to them. It's what you represent and Maggie a Horton. They are Days of our Lives. Alice is a symbol of the show's success and history and Maggie should inherit that title.

We will have to agree to disagree Drew but I think a fairly strong majority will side with Maggie on this.

[DrewH]

I'm fine with agreeing to disagree

Marlena is also a pillar in the community. Comparing Alice to Maggie is not even possible. First of all, when Frances Reid was healthy, Alice was included in several storylines back in the 60s-90s. You can't say that about Maggie. Maggie's last major storyline was Sarah's paternity back in the late-80s. I don't count the SSK because that wasn't a Maggie storyline. Maggie has been used as nothing but proping since then. She's like a Caroline Brady-type. Just as Caroline is the matriarch of the Brady family and gives advice, Maggie does the same for the Hortons.

But Marlena, she's the matriarch of the show, just like I would consider Reva the matriarch of GL. Katherine is the matriarch of Y&R, Viki of Llanview.

Maggie just doesn't compare to Marlena as a central character, in order to be the matriarch of the show. Family, yes, but the show? Not at all!

[daysfan]

Maggie deserves and should be the matriach of the show. Now I love Marlena, but Maggie should be the next matriach. She's part of the Horton family and is a very big character.

I'm siding with Maggie on this, I still adore Marlena, but it needs to be Maggie.

[Dr. Chip]

I don't think it's necessary to choose. They're two great characters who have shared a great friendship over decades (although their friendship doesn't appear onscreen much anymore). The two actresses also appear to be good friends, as Suzanne appeared in Dee's movie several years ago.

However, the character of Maggie has always been more of a supporting role. Except for her introduction to the show and the Bill/Laura/Mickey/Maggie story, all that teen gang garbage with Pete and Melissa, and her romance with Don as Mickey was returning from the dead . . . she's always been on the sidelines.

But, then again, Suzanne has the Emmy and Dee doesn't.

One note of correction: Deidre Hall was never fired from "Days" during the Strangler story. The show was written ahead of what was airing, and taping had already been done, so the quick return of Marlena was planned in advance. But fans didn't know that in the days when there were no spoilers. She was already in the building and had to go outside and explain to the picketers. These episodes are now on youtube -- the murder of Sam, Sam is dead, the return of Marlena, etc. These have just gone up in the last week or so, and they're awesome. Just by watching these, you can see the foreshadowing that Marlena's disappearance from the guard at the airport on the way to Mazatlan was a little suspicious.

Speaking of these scenes, I love the music and the long scenes and the moments of quiet and the deep performances from Jed Allan and Wayne Northrop. When Don is at the gatehouse and Marlena arrives and they keep missing each other and he finally sees her, there isn't a lot of flashy JER-era music. There isn't a big cliffhanger ending. The focus is not the shocking plot twist, but the focus is entirely on Don's reaction and his relationship to Marlena . . . how he's realized the depth of his feelings for her while thinking she was dead. There will never, ever be another era for DAYS like the 1980s.

[DrewH]

If you haven't noticed, the Hortons are dead. It's all about the Bradys now

[MikeGoldy]

Lets just agree that Marlena should dump John and marry a Horton man, and she and Maggie can be co matriarchs!