DAYS: Fall Previews!

[DaysFanatic777]

Wow! He really has made an impression on you!

I think Scott is pobably the best find this show has had in quite a number of years, and I agree, it would be a blow if proven true.

We've watched about the same amount of time, so we've endured the same things...

We've watched Susan Flannery leave the role of Laura Horton, Addie Horton Williams get ran over by a car, Doug and Julie backburnered for no real reason, Almost the entire Horton clan worked off the show (1979-1981), Bo and Hope leave at the height of their popularity, Marlena Blown up on a plane by Orephus as Roman (John) watched, John Clarke leave the role of Mickey Horton after working on the show 40 years, Jack and Jennifer leaving (even if Missy wanted out, it was still a blow) in just the span of three short episodes, and many other events that altered and hurt the show.

I just don't think that Scott leaving is that big of a deal compared to other folks that have been shown the door. I mean we've both seen a lot, haven't we?

If I were to have stopped watching, I think it would have been about the moment Marlena's eyes turned green, or during virtual eden, or when the teens from hell went to the island with Paul Mendez.

POINT: Scott is great, but bigger stars have left and the show survived, as did my love for the show. Also, Hogan's not the best, but I'll take him over Langan anytime of the day or night. I also like him better than Higley and Sussman. I think he's on par with Reilly, perhaps a bit better then Reilly...

They've all come and gone, I'm still here, and I'll be here the last time the Sands go through the hour glass.

[Raven04]

do we have any spoilers on what's happening in the fall on dool?

[JER Soaps Fan]

I agree. "Days" is STUPID to have another character "die" after the serial killer storyline -- and with ES in charge, I fear to death that, since he's probably a smart guy, this death is for real. :scared:

[KSlater]

That's my fear too. It reminds me of the Dennis Rickman death march on EastEnders (UK soap). Popular, handsome, controversial and in the midst of a redemption story (like EJ), Dennis was blamed for a lot of the show's ratings woes at the time. They decided to kill him off rather than have him ride into the sunset with his love Sharon (the actor, Nigel Harman had decided to quit). The soap mags promoted this a few months before it happened, so the audience knew what was up. The death episode was one of the best, most intense I've ever seen on a soap (I was devasted along with a tons of other fans) and it also was one of the highest rated shows for the year. This might be the reason why Days is planning this. People love and hate this character more intensely than any other on the show right now. It would be an impactful death, equal parts rejoicing and mourning (me!) among Days' viewers, and probably would pull in big ratings.

[Days4Life]

It might pull in big ratings for one or two episodes, but in the long run it would probably hurt. Some love him, some hate him, but EJ is the best of the new characters introduced in the past year or two. He's suffered from bad writing, but that could be easily fixed (I'm convinced most of the recent episodes have been written by Steve's former inmates at the mental hospital; clearly, the real writers are on an extended vacation). In what universe would a writer kill off EJ and leave us with Jett and Jeremy? I may be in denial, but I just can't take this headline at face value.

[IMissAremid]

Well this is not the first thing I wanted to read when I checked out the soap sites today.

My first reaction to the "EJ dies" spoiler was being EXTREMELY pissed off and the feeling that when it happens I'll never watch this show again. I hadn't been watching Days every day in the last few years before EJ showed up in Salem, so I was fine with giving it up again when it's unlikely Days will last beyond 2009 anyway so I might as well stop watching now. So congrats Days for I guess accomplishing one of your goals in picking a storyline that has a lot of visceral impact for this Days fan and so many others.

But after calming down and reading everything other people said pointing out how no one on Days stays dead and James Scott hasn't been fired and SOD is known for their misleading headlines I've decided I guess I'll at least wait to read the article before I decide to swear off DOOL forever. And I've resolved I will only get really worked up about this when I read the spoiler and it says EJ has whatever cancer Isabella had or Chelsea runs him over with a car. Otherwise I'm not expecting him to stay dead.

But a temporary "EJ dies" storyline, if done well, could create buzz for the show and get people tuning in more than just about anything right now as the EJ fans will watch afraid that James Scott will be leaving their screens while the EJ haters will tune in to watch with glee wishing he was biting the big one for real and enjoy his suffering. So I could see how that could be a winner for the show. It also makes sense of sort of flipping the Santo-Colleen story back around where this time EJ "dies" rather than Sami. I just hope James isn't off screen for too long.

[KSlater]

ITA, EJ is the best character introduced on Days in years. I'm a huge fan of the actor. Problem is that the writers haven't a clue what to do with him. I'm more convinced now that they'd rather kill him off for short term ratings gain than invest some time and fix his character (I like him the way he is, but know that many others don't). Maybe the writers don't have the skill to do it and know it. It's easier to write for idiot characters than for complex ones.

[Days4Life]

It may be easier, but these idiot characters are causing me a lot of mental anguish right now. I seriously don't know how much more of this younger crowd I can take. If they want this show to succeed and continue past 2009, they need to be developing some new characters that people actually care about and are invested in. They had this in EJ. When he first arrived in Salem, he was suave and sexy and mysterious and played by an actor who could actually act...then December happened and the writers began his destruction. Not only was the rape storyline handled badly, but then they created fan backlash by having EJ on all the time while Bo/Hope and John/Marlena did a vanishing act. Yes, it will take some effort to "fix" EJ, but the writers are hired to write. It's their job. THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL WRITERS!!! If they can't repair the character destruction they caused, don't kill off EJ--get new writers.

[ArizonaDaze]

. . .I have been watching for 40 years and agree with all you've said. If I can endure Steve's "death" when he was my very favorite, there is no reason to stop now! Your post says it all. Thanks.

[ArizonaDaze]

I am not EJ's biggest fan, but I sure would rather have him on every day than Jett & Jeremy once a week!

[IMissAremid]

To play devil's advocate for a minute, back when Steve "died" don't you think the show still had enough other things going for it that made it much more worth still watching back then? For me, without EJ and thus without any hope that we will get old Sami back, I don't think it's worth my time to be emotionally invested anymore. Sami is nothing like the Sami I have watched all these years and I loathe Lucas, Kate is a pathetic bore, Billie doesn't have anything to do, Roman is meh, Bo and Hope and even more so John and Marlena don't have a real story, Tony and Anna are never on, Stefano's return has been a disappointment for me and most of all I could care less about Nick/Chelsea/Jett and Shawn/Belle/Phillip and Jeremy/Max/Stephanie when I know this show is hellbent on cramming them down my throat 3 or 4 days a week.

EJ is all that kept me watching hanging on by a thread from Jan-April and it was his redemption storyline and Colleen and Santo that got me somewhat excited about this show again but for all this to be thrown away and EJ to die that would just be it for me. Sorry, that's how I feel.

[KSlater]

I don't disagree at all. And you bring up a good point -- I think the biggest blunder was the disappearance of Bo/Hope and John/Marlena, although in the latter's case, I personally didn't mind at all. But their absence alienated so many long-time fans of the show--they place the blame for the show's ratings demise on EJ/James Scott, rather than bad planning and writing.

As far as the writers being professional, there's ample evidence to suggest that a lot of soap writers out there are unfortunately far from it.

[sungrey]

Very little writing skill? Well, considering we just got rid of Reilly...

[maconrich]

Yes he did make quite an impression on me -- something that few actors do. If he hadn't been on, I would have stopped watching when Sheffer started, and turned it back on with the return of Tony and Stefano. But I would have turned it back off because it's clear Days doesn't care about the DiMeras since they're rarely on.

I have stopped watching at times over the years-- the first time being when PR left and Bo was recast. But it's always been good to know that at some point, no matter how bad the writing or which characters were gone, things would turn around for the better and I'd be able to watch again. That isn't the case anymore, and I'll put the blame squarely on the shoulders of Hogan Sheffer. He's ruined the vets, continued to bring in worthless characters and made them the focus of the show and changed many of the characters to the point they're no longer themselves. If I wanted to watch a different show, that's what I would do -- but seeing Days bottom out to the point I barely recognize it is beyond pathetic. And it seems I'm still watching because of James Scott and the few days the DiMeras are on. There simply isn't anything else about the show that I'm enjoying - and that's not to say I've enjoyed how EJ has been changed at whim, but JS's talent has kept the character interesting DESPITE the writing!

Days has been like a pair of comfortable old shoes - I've loved them, but if they get one more hole, they're gone - and for me that last hole in Days would be James Scott leaving.

[maconrich]

Trust me, I've smacked myself in the head for this thought, but the characters were more true to form and the show was more interesting when JER was writing for it (and I NEVER thought I'd feel that way).

Sheffer is IMO worthless.