DAYS: Lucas & Sami have received the official "Kiss of Death!"

[KLN]

What is the kiss of death, exactly?

MARRIAGE.

They're living together in happy, domesticated bliss.

How many times can we hear them have the following exchange?

SAMI: I love you.

LUCAS: I love you more.

SAMI: No, I love YOU more!

LUCAS: No, I love YOU more! Wanna have sex?

SAMI: Okay! Where?

LUCAS: I love YOU more!

Gimme a freakin' break! LoL It's so sugary sweet, I want to vomit! Sami and Lucas are former partners in crime -- the scheme team! They were the ANTI-COUPLE. The fact that they're now more saccharine and sugary than Shawn and Belle tells me that there's something seriously wrong with their relationship dynamics.

Very few people can pull off "happily married" and still keep the passion alive in a soap opera relationship. Bo and Hope have done it, but that's a one-in-a-lifetime sort of chemistry.

In my personal opinion, Alison Sweeney and Bryan Dattillo are too much like brother/sister in their real life relationship for Sami and Lucas to come across as anything more than best friends. Everytime they kiss, it's like watching a brother and sister make out... so wrong, awkward and icky.

Sami and Lucas as a married couple have no possibilities, creatively, except for the same old push-and-pull rehash of the past, and that's grown stale. At least with EJ, are are possibilities and all sorts of avenues that they could take with the story -- all of which are fresh and new for both characters.. Plus, they're both bad guys, so their personalities won't have to be completely changed just to fit the coupling. As for those who say that EJ raped her and Sami could never forgive him... don't forget, Sami is a rapist, herself! If she knows that she, herself, could change and feel remorse for what she did, I'm sure that she could give the same benefit of the doubt to EJ.

Then finally, there's the whole factor of chemistry, which James Scott and Alison Sweeney seem to have in spades. I think they should go for it!

[Ponz]

I think LUMI will be awesome as a married couple provided Hogan writes them as a team. Ali suggested in her blog that they open a PI firm together. It would recapture the scheming dynamics they had in the mid-90's but they could use these as a force for good instead of evil. And for once, Sami would be in a stable relationship where she doesn't have to constantly obsess about a secret destroying it. That's not a stale rehash. The times I find LUMI boring are when Lucas is written as a prop who just reacts to stuff that Sami does. If HS is serious about modelling them on Nick/Nora, he needs to treat Lucas as an equal partner in the marriage. As for the brother/sister vibe you speak of, that's a matter of perception. IMO, Bryan & Ali still have tons of sexual chemistry.

I totally disagree that Sami's personality won't have to change to pair her with Elvis. Even at her worst, Sami has always been a loyal & faithful character who respects the value of family. To have her drop her loving & devoted husband to get with her rapist (a man who's also terrorised most of her family) would go against the very core of the character. I've been critical of Hogan for alot of things but he does get the characters pretty well and I'm fairly confident he wouldn't go there (it seems he's going for the Marlena/Stefano parallel). While I think it's possible that she could forgive Elvis at some point (based on her own history), they would have to remove Sami's brain for her to ever pursue an intimate relationship with him. It would be the ultimate rape of the character.

[psychofan]

I couldn't disagree more lol. I want EJ far away from Sami (and DAYS). Lumi all the way!!

[xDaysAddict]

I Hate Hogan's version of Lucas and Sami.she is a pathetic victim who does nothing but cry every episode,and Lucas is just ... there.they should do something diffrent with the character's ASAP and stop with this new,boring version of Sami.

[Jinxed Soul]

I'm so ready to see EJ and Smi grow closer together while attempting to save their child's life, all behind Lucas' back. In time, that will bring Sami to the point where she will eventually have to come to terms with her feelings for EJ.

[MikeGoldy]

I am so ready for the story to begin for Sami and EJ; I don't want it to happen overnight, but they truly have that "it," and have since day one. Sami has done

almost as many awful things that EJ has, so like you said, she, if anyone could be able to forgive him. The story potential is there, the chemistry is there, and they are both amazing actors. I have never been able to get into Lucas; people say that Bryan Datillo is this great actor, but I just don't see it. They need to develop the character of Lucas more; maybe when he discovers that Sami wants EJ, and not him, it will do it!

[DrewH]

You already know how I feel about EJ and Sami. They're destined, in my eyes.

That said, I have been enjoying Lucas and Sami a lot lately. I seriously haven't been able to say that in about 4 years. Lucas is becoming a character of his own, rather than being Sami's prop. He is sticking up to Kate more than he ever has. He is sticking up to EJ and the DiMeras. And most importantly, he is standing by Sami through all of this baby mess. I wish we would get to see some of the old Lucas, the schemer, pop his head out sometimes, but I'm hoping that is in the future.

Would I prefer Sami and Lucas over EJ and Sami? It's hard to answer. Both have qualities that I love, but I'm going to have to say that I'd rather watch EJ and Sami, just because of the chemistry James Scott and Alison Sweeney share. Sweeney and Bryan Dattilo share chemsitry too, but Sami and Lucas are familiar. Sami and EJ are fresh and new.

I'm going with EJAMI all the way!

[PSPCindy]

I don't know if I want Sami with EJ but I think Lumi is a huge bore. Snoresville. And I hate their kissing scenes so much that I have to turn off the volume to endure them.

I much preferred Lucas and Sami as parents sometimes arguing, sometimes together trying to raise the unexpected son. They were much more enjoyable as enemies with a past. The sniping and oneupsmanship was a hoot. Too much has happened between the two for me to ever really enjoy the pairing but even that I could get over if they weren't such a snoozefest.

It does worry me that the show has not introduced a woman for EJ. So what is the plan? Look around...who is there for him?

Also, I have to agree about Bo and Hope. They continue to please me as a couple, even after all these years. They have had problems but the love was always there. I feel rather the same about Marlena and John. I like them as a couple and like how one or the other always works so hard in times of strife to keep things going.

But Lumi is a huge disappointment to me. I had hoped that if Lumi was successful, EJ would be in store for a wonderful woman at some point. Sigh...

[dawn9476]

I don't agree with that all. Lucas and Sami belong together. EJ and Sami are boring as hell and are disgusting.

[IMissAremid]

ICAM with you on this Kenny.

I thought it was telling there was not a single married couple consumating their marriage IN BED scene after the wedding. I mean they barely even showed Lucas and Sami kissing with all their cuts to the old pictures of Lucas and Sami together. Were they trying to get the message across that Lucas and Sami are history? Since then we get lots of kissing between Sami and Lucas, but never without them mentioning EJ's name, and the gigantic baby bump she came back from New Orleans with ensures that Sami won't be getting any romantic, passionate scenes from her husband for a good long while... not that they have given anyone on the show much romance lately.

I just don't see anywhere for Lucas and Sami to go from here happily married that wouldn't involve one or both of them being backburnered and I can't stand for that to happen to Sami so I hope E.J. mixes things up.

IMO Lucas and Sami just don't have that same Bo and Hope happily married chemistry that keeps fans tuning in year after year. They have too much negative history that some longtime fans are wary of, plus they were rushed together and got married with a cloud over their heads. And if TPTB were setting up Lucas and Sami to be the next Bo and Hope type supercouple I'd think they would have actually had Sami be engaged to EJ first and then have Lucas come to the rescue and expose him as a Dimera and all that and stop her from being with him so he could be the hero. But since they rushed them back together without Lucas having to do anything to really win her over and they tried to cement the pairing with an action of another character repulsing Sami so much she ran into the arms of Lucas, I can never get behind the couple.

And I just don't think it would work if they tried to do the private investigator thing either. First of all, if they are trying to do the whole investigative duo dynamic I'd rather they bring back Jack and Jennifer for that because why not just go with the real thing if that's what you want. But there's also the fact that they have written Lucas really clueless and uncurious about things. Still working at Mythic when his boss was clearly after his girl, not wanting to know Sami's secret when she is ready to tell all before the wedding, neither of them picking up on the giant tombs reading DIMERA that were 20 ft away from them when they were at Maison Blanche and Lucas not wanting her to read the letter they found in the wall. I mean the only time they showed Lucas caring enough about what was going on to be suspicious was when he was hiding in the bushes when Sami and EJ were talking. I guess he was enterprising in going over the financial reports, but at first he kept them a secret so he could try to use them as a bargaining chip and when that didn't work he turned them over to the SEC without much considering the consequences for how that could put him out of a job and have the Dimeras go after him.

Now as I said I had problems with how they rushed Sami and Lucas back together and that soured me on that pairing because it so unrealistic, so even though I totally love Sami and EJ together I hope they drag the EJ trying to get Sami's forgiveness stuff out as long as possible so their isn't some overnight redemption and restoration of trust between them.

Because honestly I enjoy watching Ali Sweeney and James Scott fight just as much as I love watching them flirt, so whatever keeps them on my screen together I'm cool with and I think a long story of EJ trying to make things up to her while they take on Tony together would do that.

[darraholic]

Lucas & Sami are sweet but Sami has way more chemistry with EJ.

[ClayZebra]

Very well said, Ponz.

I won't argue chemistry or which couples can stay fresh after marriage, since that's all subjective. (I find Bo and Hope boring, but like John and Marlena and some other married couples.) Sami and Lucas haven't done ANY of the soap-standard married couple plots yet (cancer, kidnapping, sick child, long lost child, mystery/adventure, etc.), but obviously someone who thought Lumi was stale before their marriage isn't going to be into them as a married couple.

I won't even dwell on the issue of putting Sami with her rapist. Again, that's something that's going to matter to some and not to others. Yes, Sami herself is a rapist-- but she isn't married to her victim. The rapist/victim dynamic was one of the reasons I didn't like Sami/Austin as a couple. Similarly, I love Jack/Jennifer, but Jack should NEVER have his hands and lips on Kayla again. I don't care about actor chemistry-- there was great chemistry between Sami and her first rapist, Alan Harris, too, but that doesn't make it okay for them to get romantic.

But as far as character goes, Sami is not a fit with Elvis.

Ever since Sami was SORASed, she has been all about having a family more stable than the one she grew up with. Ever since she had Will, she hasn't made one major decision that didn't involve him. So why would she want to be involved with a man who was demanding that she choose him over Will after one date, and who has tortured her for her entire pregnancy without regard to the effect the stress would have on her baby?

With rare exception (Stan the Man, which I try to forget), Sami's nastiness and plots have come from insecurity and have been directed at a specific person for a specific reason. She didn't want Roman to know Marlena had cheated, so she kidnapped Belle. She was mad at Carrie for messing up on the witness stand at Alan's trial, so she went after Austin. Lucas was drinking around Will, so she tried to get him out of the picture. She had REASONS, no matter how tenuous and self-centered, to hurt people. What were Elvis' reasons for torturing Steve, having Kayla run off the road, playing with Shawn/Belle/Mimi/Philip's embreyos, raping Sami, shooting John, stealing John's kidney, manipulating Celeste, kidnapping/killing Lexie/Tek, putting a hit on Bo/Shawn, the Stephanie/Max racecar sabotage, etc.? The vast majority of these people did nothing to EJ; and he has done all of this in a year, whereas Sami's (shorter and less serious) list of bad deeds has been building since 1993.

Besides, Sami has grown up. She's forgiven John. She's reached out to mentor Chelsea. I love the character development and would hate to watch her step back just so Ali Sweeney can work with James Scott.

Lucas and Sami, the former mega-brat partners in crime, have plenty of things left to explore together, including their own struggles to be better for their children while still embracing the badness that drew them to each other way back when. I really hope I get to see that instead, of Sami opting to turn her back on everyone she ever loves because her rapist is easy on the eyes.

[Days4Life]

I have tried for a long time to get behind Lucas and Sami as a couple (during their teen, scheming years I loved them), but I just don't feel the magic any more. Even if EJ wasn't in the picture, I'd feel the same way. Sami is a lead actress capable of carrying this show into the future; Lucas is a supporting character who has never carried a major storyline. Even when a plot seems to be centering on Lucas (llike his alcoholism), someone else steals his scenes from him (Nicole, Kate, Sami) and he melts into the background. When EJ and Sami are together, the screen almost crackles with electricity. Their scenes Friday were fabulous! I found myself forgetting Sami is even married. IMO, the writers would be crazy not to explore some kind of relationship between these two. Sure, the rape is a stumbling block to a lot of people (and I hate that it happened), but Sami has committed rape, not to mention kidnapping and selling her own baby sister! She's done horrible things and has asked for and been granted forgiveness numerous times, so I believe if handled correctly, the rape can be forgiven and Sami and EJ can develop a relationship. Imagine the fireworks between these two! I don't think we could ever call a Sami/EJ pairing boring or brother/sister like. And with the Dimera/Brady feud heating up again, a Brady/Dimera pairing could go so many directions, involve so many characters, and be one of the most exciting storylines DAYS has had for a long time.

[DaysFanJean]

I so totally agree. Sami's being true to family is the only reason I will even watch her because basically I detest Sami. It's her strong will, devotion to family and strong desire to do right that redeems her for me. Alone, I find nothing remarkable about her.

[Actor87]

Who did Sami rape?!