DAYS: Thursday

[IMissAremid]

Thursday, August 9
DAYS OF OUR LIVES

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I miss Vivian.

DISCUSS.

[IMissAremid]

OK I may post more on the rest of the episode later, but I have to start off just on the EJ/Sami/Lucas portion... WTF?!?!

Obviously I found these scenes pretty obnoxious as an EJ fan who had wanted a lasting and real redemption for the character and to see the trust between Sami and EJ rebuilt, but more than that this episode annoyed me as a general "Days of our Lives" fan.

When did Days get campy again? Wasn't Hogan trying to move away from that? Because I'm sorry if I couldn't help giggling throughout the ridiculousness of this episode with EJ slowly popping up from behind the box, the slow-motion lurking around the meat slabs to find the hideous Kate doll, Lucas being so stupid he sticks the knife in the wire and electrocutes himself before the awkward sizzle as he falls to the floor (if he was so cold why didn't he borrow some clothes from the Kate doll?), the silly fantasy sequences and the close up on Lucas's hand at the end... OMG!!!! SO STUPID.

Yet while from an immediate chuckle standpoint these scenes provided me with a laugh at how bad they were, they also really brought forth a lot of longheld frustrations I've had with this show that I frankly just don't know if I'll ever see going away as long as Hogan Sheffer holds the pen at Days.

Quit jerking the viewers around already! If Lumi is your couple, don't show EJ and Sami in bed together in a much more romantic setting than Lucas and Sami got for their honeymoon and don't hint at EJ and Sami being fated together in the dialogue and don't create romances featuring lookalike ancestors of EJ and Sami. If EJami is your couple, then don't undermine all the redemption and goodwill EJ built up all the past few months to have him NOW OF ALL TIMES finally get around to putting Lucas on ice because I'm pretty sure you're all set in obstacles when it comes to this couple as far as the whole DiMera thing and her accusing him of rape goes. Just grow some balls and get some convictions and stick with it already because you've clearly demonstrated Sheffer you don't know how to write a real love triangle, only a love pingpong table. If you write a good enough story the viewers will keep watching and if you don't have enough confidence in your abilities to keep all of the viewers watching even when their favorites are backburnered or in situations they don't like, then you have no business writing this show.

Honestly, has there ever been a worse love triangle than EJami/Lumi on Days? I just don't get what Sheffer thinks he's going to accomplish with this crap. It doesn't make me dislike EJ or feel sorry for Lucas if that's what he's hoping to do with this episode because the plot is too ridiculous and disjointed to have any emotional impact, and if he thinks this is how I want to see EJ win over Sami's heart then he's sorely mistakened on that account. Once again we have EJ desperately scheming underhandedly to try to become a part of Sami's life and we have Lucas once again as the emasculated and helpless doofus in distress and we have Sami, a once strong and shrewd and street smart character, stuck as a watered down and weepy victim yet again. Does anyone want to see this? I'm curious if this can even be truly an enjoyable episode from a Lumi fan standpoint when your guy is lying there unconscious and Sami has to save him again? I mean, yeah, you may get to gloat for now about the TRUE nature of EJ but I can't help but think you want a little more for your couple's storyline than this rehash of Sami and EJ needed for Lucas's rescue for the THIRD time by my count (besides Dec. 29 there was also the fire at his and Carrie's apt. that EJ and Sami rescued Lucas from). This thing is just going in circles and needs to move forward already.

And the most sad thing of all is that this stupid plot point has apparently been in the works for quite a while as Lucas foreshadowed it all in what seemed to be a throwaway line in the episode a month ago when the first of the Colleen and Santo letters arrived.

Simply dreadful.

[PhoenixRising05]

I don't see what was campy about Lucas/Sami/EJ? I thought it was well-don. I am more LUMI fan then EJAMI but I do like EJAMI and I thought the scenes were fine. I like seeing evil EJ back, although he seems conflicted over what he did. I think he did that in response to Stefano challenging him and his and Kate's comments about him not being a man. JS played that scene well and ALI was great today. I really liked the Sami/Lucas fantasy. Good scene.

Enjoyed the Sami/Roman scenes as well as Bo, Hope, and Roman. Peter looked like he was in so much pain but he is such a trooper. Good to see J&M and B&H on and involved. Can't wait for Bo and Hope in Ireland.

I loved seeing J&M with Belle. Good scenes. These are the scenes that make Days feel like Days. Loved them.

Shawn/Lauren was interesting. I like this baby story.

Today was a pretty good show. This week has been a simple week but a good, classic soapy week IMO.

[brimike]

I agree, Phoenix. I don't see this as a regression for EJ. He's still the guy who was trained to solve his problems by eliminating them. And with Kate and Stefano threatening his masculinity every day, I thought the set-up was all there. We've seen EJ kill (or try to kill)... three times now? (Eve Michaels, John and Lucas... did I miss anyone?) And all three times, it's been when he's backed into a corner. (NOt that that is an excuse for murder *at all*... just saying he's been trained by Andre and Stefano to deal with his problems in this fashion.

While I do understand where IMissAremid is coming from, I don't think we can pass judgment until we see how EJ acts/reacts in the coming episodes to what he did today. If he shows no remorse, or regret, then yeah... I agree with IMA that it's ping-ponging back and forth too much. But it's not like this is a defining turn in EJ's character or anything.

[IMissAremid]

OK I think I've vented about the EJ stuff enough for now so I'll just stick to other aspects of the episode with this post and perhaps later respond to what some others are saying on that topic...

I did like the Sami/Roman scenes today quite a bit. This storyline really has let JT shine as much as any I can remember during his time on Days. I liked Sami's feistiness and I'm curious about the recurring theme of Sami dead set on evening the score as well as Roman's cryptic comments about Sami becoming a DiMera if she acts on her violent impulses.

The John and Marlena scene with Belle was good. That was a good family moment today I thought. As was Bo and Hope with Roman.

Thanks to Peter Reckell for being such a trooper being back with his injury and I'm excited to see what's in store for Bo and Hope in Ireland, although it did amuse me that not only was everyone wearing the same clothes they were wearing in the rest of the episode in EJ's fantasy this time but also Bo had his arm in a sling. How would EJ's subconscious know about the injury?

Shawn is still full of crap lying to Belle about how confused he was and how he needed to catch his breath because as soon as he found out he was Claire's father they were on the run. Um no, Shawn, actually as soon as you found out you were Claire's father your first act was to decide to shack up with a sociopathic hooker rather than be with your daughter and supposed soul mate... which makes his sanctimony over Lauren talking about leaving her son even more laughably hypocritcal. But yay for them finally bringing Lauren back, I guess. I like her so far. This show needs more beeyotches, even if she and China Lee aren't likely going to be permament fixtures in Salem.

[brimike]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... touche, IMA!

[Days4Life]

I've only seen 20 minutes of today's episode so far, but I have to say this--when Lucas was walking around the truck and heard the voice saying "Help me, please help me", I had a flashback of Kate and Lucas and the Will doll, trying to lure Sami to her death. I don't know if it's intentional, but I got a laugh out of it. Okay, back to the show.

[Ponz]

It's only a regression if you bought EJ's *redemption* in the first place. IMO, his behavior has always been rational and self-interested. He protected the twins because he saw them as a means to "win" Sami, not because he genuinely wanted to better himself or make amends for his crimes. The paternity reveal took that weapon away and forced him to adjust his strategy. Since he's now in a position of weakness, he's resorting to more extreme measures to achieve his goal. He's a sociopath so right & wrong is not a factor in his decison making.

[Days4Life]

Okay, let me deal with EJ first...although I don't agree with the way the writers are going back and forth with his character, I can kind of understand his actions today. He's lost everything, his back is to the wall, Kate and Stefano both hit him and called him a coward this week, he's feeling vilified, emasculated, alone, betrayed... so he's reverting to his "training" as a Dimera. I'm holding out hope we will see some remorse at some point, but if not--I like him as a villain. And in my mind what he did today isn't any different than the Will doll stunt Kate and Lucas pulled years ago and which I referenced in an earlier post. I believe the writers meant to draw a comparison between the two--why else have the Kate doll in the truck? The voice alone lured Lucas inside long enough for EJ to lock him in. I guess it will be interesting to see the aftermath play out but whatever happens, I like EJ. And I like Sami, and I've been secretly hoping the writers would make her bad again, too. I liked scheming Sami better than crying Sami. I guess I just prefer the villains and think they are way more interesting!

Yay for Bo and Hope going to Ireland to search for the tabernacle! And ouch to Peter Reckell for his real life injury. I think instead of using his frequent flier miles, John should have offered his plane to Bo and Hope, though.

Belle and her parents was good, Belle and Shawn not so good because I'm so tired of Shawn's immaturity. And I'm soooo tired of all these couples lying to each other about everything. Haven't they learned from all of Sami's past schemes that the truth always comes out--and usually at the worst possible time?

Roman and Sami were pretty good today. I like family scenes like we had today with Sami and Belle and their parents. The line Roman said to Sami about turning into a Dimera was food for thought.

[MikeGoldy]

I think if anything, the EJ-Sami-Lucas story is the only one that is actually working on the show; people are debating this story, it's getting people wound up. With Bo and Hope, Steve and Kayla, John and Marlena, it is "they MUST be together," as if it's just law. The Shawn, Belle, Philip story is so boring, no one cares...

[Toups]

Yup, I hate that. You have to break them up to tell better stories, IMO.

[Days4Life]

I disagree with that. A good writer should be able to tell good stories within a relationship. I get tired of triangles and quadrangles and couples bouncing back and forth. There are a lot of other issues a couple can deal with, besides the same old love triangles.

[Ponz]

There's a major difference. The Will doll stunt wasn't a murder attempt.

[MikeGoldy]

See, it's only fans of a particular couple that think that most of the time lol When you write for a complete audience of a show, and not a select few, you don't have people just watching for a couple, but for the actual drama on the show. A huge segment of these fan bases only watch for their couple; that's not the viewers you want. I personally like the drama of a couple apart and working with new people; a show filled with these "together forever" couples is snoozeville. The fact that I'm not quite sure who Sami is going to end up with; Lucas or EJ, makes it interesting for me.

[Days4Life]

I'm not saying EVERY couple needs to be fated to be together forever. I've watched this show since the early 70s and I've seen more breakups than I care to remember, and I'm still watching. There's only one couple on DAYS right now that I'm totally stuck on wanting together forever and that's Bo and Hope. They have been my favorites since they first got together, but even when Bo was with Carly and then Billie I watched and enjoyed the show. My point is that there are things that can happen inside a good relationship to cause drama. There should be a mix of a lot of different types of conflict. The non-stop partner swapping and WTD storylines are so stereotypical of soaps and one reason some people have given up on them. Some couples do need mixed up occasionally; I agree with that. However, I personally want to see some happy couples, too.