I like quite a few of these returning characters but am under no illusions about their utility. IMO, there are 4 past characters who have the firepower to "woo" back lapsed viewers: Stefano, Kristen, Jack & Jennifer. Granted, Missy Reeves is probably unavailable but that still leaves Corday one for three on the others. It seems he's sacrificed quality for quantity. Most of the returnees are either not familiar enough (Adrienne, Anna) or not popular enough (Lexie, Doug, Julie) to affect viewership and others (Bart, Rolf) are downright pointless. And this does not even consider whether TPTB have a clear vision for how to use them, which is doubtful.

Doug and Julie not popular enough?! surely you jest!///Lexie is popular too.If only hogan will write for a black character!....

Tony hates John because of Kristen. Stefano has always been infatuated with Marlena. That isn't a feud.

No feud?!

I agree that it will probably rewritten and lame, but I have a small twinle of hope that I'm wrong.

Tony being part of the DiMera side of feud has always been lame. But Stefano vs. Roman & Bo and Hope is historically what the feud has been, but for years there have been hints that it may have gone even before that, which I can buy. After all, something had to brign Stefano to Salem for a base of operations, and what better than revenge or a challenge of sorts? In that vein, Roman & Bo only added fuel to the fire and John's role became pivotal, because of Stefano's manipulations.

Do I have much faith it will be put to good use like this? No. But to say there's no feud is ridiculous, IMO.

Why do I think that all of these returns is Corday's way of saying SCREW YOU to NBC and if the show gets picked up by another network that all these cuts will come again????

Doug and Julie not popular enough?! surely you jest!

Doug & Julie are well liked but do you really think the average viewer will go "Wow, D&J are back! I better start watching again!!" (as many are reacting to Stefano's return). I love them but that's not realistic.

Edited May 8, 200718 yr by Ponz

I think people are letting their enjoyment of a character back in the day blind them to the uselessness of them on the show today. I mean, I liked Greta, but everyone she was involved with and connected to is long gone. Eric, Nicole, Austin, Gina, Jack, Jennifer... they're all gone. What would she do? You can't just have her on the screen for the sake of showing her pretty face. I suppose with creative writing and storytelling, they can make ANY character useful. But with the track record of this show and its returns lately, I'm kind of doubting it. Greta's return would end up being a big waste of time, IMO.

Well, we don´t know if Greta is really returning. She might, but I´m pretty sure only as a guest. There is no place for her, heck I´m surprised Corday even remembered she exists. I think maybe when Sheffer was looking up the background for this DiMera/Brady feud story, he found that Greta´s parenthood is still not answered and decided to use it as a part of the story. If it is even true.

As for other returneé. It´s not so bad. Basically, the only pointless returns are Tony/Anna. I don´t understand why we need them, when we have EJ and Stephano. But something tells me Thaoo was hired before Joe finally agreed to return and we have yet to see how long he will stay. He could very well end dead very soon.

Bart/Rolf are a comix relief. Always been, always will. If something, their return says we are back into the DiMeras = comix ubervillains with crazy investions and plans to control the world. No more character driven drama. Bart/Rolf are used whenever the plot asks DiMeras to get really ugly. It´s a big difference if Stefano is planning a mass murder himself, or if we see these too preparing a deadly potion in a big distillation pot looking more like a pair of witches. The situation is suddenly much less real.

I think that´s what Corday wants to do during summer. End with this DAYS is a very serious daytime drama attitude. Back to the DAYS is the crazy daytime comix so laughable and stupid you just have to tune in.

Mmhmm, but it seems like they've gotten to the point where they're just throwing everything (including the kitchen sink) into the equation. Time and time again it's been proven that unless a character has a complete purpose and clearly-defined story when they return, it'll be a huge flop -- it's happened dozens of times already. Knowing that makes all these impending returns all the more scary. If 3/4 of them turn into flops (as they likely will -- just look at Carrie/Austin/Frankie/etc.), it could be a disastrous blow to the show since they appear to be relying on them to get the ratings back up.

...and I still don't understand why they have this urgency to bring back completely USELESS, boring, unneeded characters while other players vital to the canvas aren't even asked. They're going to dilute the canvas.

I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic as we dive back to the 80s here, but...given the past returns, and the likelihood that these will suck, I'm kind of starting to believe that the ultimate goal is to systematically destroy the nostalgia; to take out every character people have lingering affection for. And once we're all broken away from the idea that the past was more entertaining we'll be, in theory, more open to new characters, however poorly-defined they are. It's not a screw-you to NBC. It's a screw-you to long-time viewers, punishing us for not letting go of the past.

That said, I'm all for bringing back Greta. It could be like Colin Murphy's brief return, only with an actress I enjoyed. And, added bonus, one fewer character to remember fondly. Then all they'll have left is Kristen. And Laura- why can't Laura come back?

Alternatively- it's good to bring back all these characters so there can be cannon fodder as the Dimera-Brady feud (however not accurate it may have been at one time, there's so a feud at this point) climaxes and wraps up. Tony, Anna, Greta, Bart, Rolf, Lexie, Doug, Julie- all fairly important characters, historically, all could have a decent impact if killed off. It's like what they do on "Lost" where they create a bunch of new characters, waste our time, then kill them. It gives the show a feeling that Important Things happen, and that there's uncertainty and real danger, while insulating the truly important people. I wouldn't mind so much if some or all of the returning people wound up dead. Permanently.

As for the Ireland/New Orleans thing being contrary to what Corday said- didn't he also say there'd be returns but they weren't going back 15 years (hi, Anna!)? His comments are totally irrelevant. I wonder if he even knows what the writers have planned. I don't care where they set the action, but if they're leaving Salem they ought to create some cool sets, imho.

Awww, I like Greta. I'd like to see someone else writing her besides Morrona or Langan.

Corday's 15 year comment was obviously false because Anna's coming back. He just goes on and on about good things for the show and how they are going to save it, yet he forgets half the stuff he says just a week later.

Hmm, New Orleans would kind of be a nod to history based on when Bope went there in '84.

But I don't really want anyone to go to Ireland, because I agree with what Keith was saying. There was never a feud between Shawn Sr. and Stefano, the feud was with Roman and Bope. Roman because of investigation him, and Bope because he thinks Hope killed Megan. He's had issues with Kayla but never really a "feud" with her.

John is just Stefano's toy, and John hates him because of Stefano erasing his memory. I feel Kristen could also be part of the reason he hates John because of how he broke her heart, and also his obsession with Marlena.

Kim, Kayla, Shawn Sr., and Caroline never had a thing to do with Stefano until all the rewrites occured!

Bart/Rolf are a comix relief. Always been, always will. If something, their return says we are back into the DiMeras = comix ubervillains with crazy investions and plans to control the world. No more character driven drama.

And that's exactly why I'm apprehensive. The ubervillain thing is the aspect of the Dimeras that I don't like, and I unfortunately don't have faith that they'll be written differently since they're bringing Bart and Rolf on. But I'm willing to wait and see I guess (I mean what else can you do?).

Edited May 8, 200718 yr by billyjill

I liked Greta, and I'd enjoy a short-term return, especially if they reveal who Greta's father is (it's either going to be John or Stefano, obviously).

I felt her exit was sloppy and stupid, given that it came off the end of that dumb "Jack is gay" storyline (which IMO is far worse than anything JER ever wrote for Jack). Another return with a better exit would be nice. JER brought back Brandon, Chloe, Craig, and Nancy and gave them all more interesting send-offs than the ones they initially received.

It would be interesting if Tony was Greta's father. I'd accept that, even though it messes with continuity. On her death bed, Princess Gina told Greta that her father was in Salem, but she could've been delusional..she was dying, after all. Victor and Roman I don't think could be Greta's father, because surely they'd remember sleeping with a woman who looked exactly like Hope.

Now IIRC, didn't Greta eventually find out who her father was, but left Salem not wanting to disclose that information to anyone?

In the SOD interview, Corday made specific mention that they were going to "bring everything/everyone back to Salem." In other words, not having the characters in all parts of the world -- tell the stories in Salem. Now suddenly half the cast is going to New Orleans and Ireland? I'm not really unhappy about that, but it does show that Corday lied and didn't know what he was talking about... AGAIN.

Kenny that was that my first thought as well. Of course he already broke part of the cardinal rules he was talking about they needed to do to get the show back on track. He said more familar faces coming back, but no more from 15 years ago, and 3 weeks later they announce that Leann Hunley is coming back!! Oh wait, forgive me, she wasn't gone a staggaring 15 years, she has been gone only a mere 21 Years !

Kenny also said a few months back, when speaking of Matt returning, that Steve would need his brother. We haven't heard of anything moving on that front either and that was said way back in February.

The rumor's true. Lucas and Sami go to Maison Blanche!

Here are a few clips from the original Maison Blanche story in 1994. Enjoy!

CLIP 1: Poison Soup. Stefano forces John to eat poisoned soup to save Marlena's life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fxHGtXQWIs

CLIP 2: Stefano welcomes a horrified Marlena to Maison Blanche while John remains locked in the dungeon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9b09-fnbnw

CLIP 3: Montage of the original "Maison Blanche" storyline.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1gl7ekufAU

CLIP 4: At Maison Blanche, Marlena does a striptease for a drugged Stefano.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pguNTJg7UXg

Kenny that was that my first thought as well. Of course he already broke part of the cardinal rules he was talking about they needed to do to get the show back on track. He said more familar faces coming back, but no more from 15 years ago, and 3 weeks later they announce that Leann Hunley is coming back!! Oh wait, forgive me, she wasn't gone a staggaring 15 years, she has been gone only a mere 21 Years !

Kenny also said a few months back, when speaking of Matt returning, that Steve would need his brother. We haven't heard of anything moving on that front either and that was said way back in February.

Mmhmm. He's a liar. If I were his wife, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him.

I love that Sheffer's ripping off a popular JER story.