DAYS: Thursday, Sept. 20

[IMissAremid]

Thursday, Sept. 20
DAYS OF OUR LIVES



I must confess that the current younger set is making me miss these people.
And thus making me hate myself for it.

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DOOL classic clip o' the day: Benjy says good-bye to Steve and Kayla.

[billyjill]

The only worthwhile one in that picture was JKJ. And he's still around. So, nah, not missing 'em. Nothing egregiously wrong with Melvin or Blake either (stronger than Cook/Storms/Fath), and Shelley Hennig has potential. Donovan and Patrick suck and are clearly instances of Days' underwear model casting. I kind of think young people, on this show anyway, are just going to be innately annoying and precocious because of the fact that Days doesn't really have a significant thirty-somethings core, so the 21 year olds play out the high dramas (better than Salem High 18 year olds, I say). Not much to do about it now.

Anyway, the show. I was struck today again by how awful the Jeremy casting is. I have no problem with him being "the bad Horton" (though they could point it out a little less heavy handedly ... but I suppose since people probably barely remember the Hortons, maybe you can't expect more) but the guy doesn't have the gravitas to pull off torn and tortured. Sigh. Way to blow it, Days, way to blow it.

[IMissAremid]

OK I know Stefano is probably pissed that Benjy tried to kill him, but was it just me or was his reaction really COLD? I mean he had no thought about the fact that his son Benjy got gutted so he could have his liver and then today he has no reaction or hurt to the fact that his son was SO angry at him that he would try to fill him full of lead? He was more troubled with the pests at the Salem PD. And since when does Stefano sue people? That's so much more Victor than Stefano. I just can't get a grip on exactly what Stefano is these days. Some days he's beautifully vulnerable like he was with the scenes when Santo visited him, but days like today he's cold as ice but not in the crazy fun way he was in the past where he did everything with flair and dramatics. Instead he's just detached and bitter and angry and not like the Stefano I remember knowing and loving in the past. OK I should've waited to post this until the episode was over. I love Stefano raising his voice and telling Steve he's going to regrrrrrrrrrrret siding with the cops against him.

I liked the Jeremy and Kayla confrontation. I really think the improvements that Trevor Donovan has made since he started have been remarkable and even though I think Jeremy is a total douchebag I want him to stick around and stay being that selfish douchebag. I don't know why, I just do. I don't love him like I just straight up love EJ being the smarmy bastard, it's more like I love to hate Jeremy being the selfish douchebag and there's no one else who fills that love to hate void for me on the show right now. Marcus Patrick, who I did like when he started on the other hand, just annoys me these days. I wish they would just let him go so he can pursue his dancing and movie career full-time because he just sucks all the energy out of all of his scenes and this whole Jett as an obstacle for Chick story doesn't work at all (why isn't Chelsea helping Nick get a job when she got him fired too?!) and I hate that the only time we get to see Abe is with Jett. Where the hell is Celeste? I miss Tanya Boyd!

Sorry Chelsea and Stephanie. I don't care one whit about your problems. I really don't. Please whine about them offscreen.

And am I the only one who just has to laugh at the fact that Jett can't get a job on the Salem PD but Shawn D is being allowed in the Salem police academy? Are we supposed to take from that that Abe has more integrity than Bo? Or that the Salem PD is racist or otherwise corrupt in its nepotism exclusively for the Bradys in that they will turn away a veteran and former ISA agent injured in the line of duty as a prospective cop but will allow a hothead college dropout with a rap sheet who was a DiMera goon this time last year into their ranks just because he has the name Brady? Such BS!!! If I were Jett I would be so pissed. Not to mention confused at how I was shot in Vegas yet transported to the hospital in Salem for recovery.

LOL at Rolf and the chalk and him keeping it in the pocket inside his suit. That's got to get messy.

The scene with Steve doing the impression of Roman for Stefano's benefit was great, but the rest of this episode was just kind of meh. Not godawful like yesterday, but not great. I just want next week to get here already!

[stenbeck212]

I have no problem with him doing porn.

[IMissAremid]

Interesting how differently we view Donovan... LOL...

but anyway I guess looking at that pic it's just striking to me that as much as maybe I didn't care about those people THAT much when they were on DOOL, I think they would have improved if they had stuck around and been given a chance to get better while on DOOL. I mean we have ex-Brady making something of himself on B&B, ex-Belle making something of herself on GH and ex-Mimi coming soon to OLTL. Not to mention a little older ex-Austin going to ATWT. So for me, this just goes to show a problem for Days in that there are SO MANY under-40 folks who were on DOOL for some years but have gone to other soaps and took their fans with them, plus the issue of people who grew up with them and got hooked on DOOL in the days when they were teens/20somethings may go to tune back into the show now and find all their old faves gone and thus tune back out right away. There's just a glaring void there from all these characters and familiar faces disappearing in the 30 and under set. And as much as I don't know if I can ever like Belle, having tuned into GH a little bit the other day I was shocked at how much I wished Kirsten Storms was still in the role because as much as I want to like MM, she just doesn't give Belle the spunk she needs to be a rootable diva princess so instead she just comes across as an annoyingly fickle spoiled brat.

And really, looking at that picture I'm struck at how it seems like other soaps snap up ex-Days folks and their fans yet DOOL never can seem to do the same thing save in the case of James Scott, who did bring a ton of AMC fans over, although a lot of those people may have tuned out or been turned off of him by the dark direction they took his character.

[billyjill]

Well IMA, I guess I think that being better than Marcus Patrick isn't all there is to the game. I admit I have high expectations for Jeremy and for the show in general, and while I realize that DOOL has a big hole to climb out of, I'm still going to shoot for the moon. As long as somebody is out there laying out all the improvements, I may as well be useful and keep an eye on how good I actually want it to end up. I don't want just a sorta-kinda good show, I want an awesome show. Everyone else is free to measure things up however they see fit, but it's not cutting it for me.

I can see your point about those kids but honestly, I think that's still saying that, well maybe in time these hires we make might pay off, some time in the future, so lets just go with the looks for now and oh just sorta hope it pays off ... I feel that's still settling, the philosophy still puts quality in a distant second or third on the rubric for the show's top-level decision making. And I just don't want to take it any more! Does it mean that some of those kids didn't pay off? No, but we can have it better off the bat. I want the best, dammit. We need it now. Just my take on the situation, I don't like being harsh just for the hell of it, and optimism and finding the silver lining is a good thing ... I'll just leave it to other people for now

I do agree that other shows do a better job of cultivating potential though. If for no other reason than, the writing on DOOL is not actor-friendly. Nothing about it really encourages deep engagement with the personality, there's no space to read between lines, there's no interpretation, it's all tell and no show, the dialog is overwhelmingly expository and info-dumpy (and in this arena it's improved under Hogan but not enough IMO). I mean rumors were that they don't (didn't) even rehearse any more ... which on the one hand is disappointing, but on the other hand, what would the point be anyway with writing like that?

[IMissAremid]

Believe me, I don't either!

I think I was just in a charitable mood when I was watching the show so that is why I thought Trevor was OK today. I actually agree with pretty much everything you said.

[DaysFanJean]

I think Trevor is improving greatly. He is even showing expression in his eyes now. The main reason I want him to stay around is the hope that Mike Horton will be showing up to straighten out his wayward son. Then he can hook-up with Billie. Well, I have dreams LOL.

It was good to hear Kayla remind Jeremy who he is and who is affected by his behavior as well as protecting her daughter. That was excellent as he surely needs someone to light his path and purpose for doing his best.

Any scene with Stefano is so easy on my eyes. I just love him. He looked super in his suit and red accessories, sigh.

LOL at Jett in his hospital gown in that bed whereas yesterday we saw what appeared to be a naked Shawn (what was he wearing under that sheet anyway if anything?) I think the reason Jett was dealt so harshly is because he was fired from his previous job which just happened to be the CIA whereas Shawn didn't have that history to deal with in his applications to the Salem PD.

Highlight today....Kayla setting Jeremy straight and Stephanie defending her "true love forever". I really believed her today.

[Soapfan1]

Today was okay.Next week will be amazing

[Ives]

I loved the Steve and Stefano scenes! Stephen and Joe both play their characters with complete abandon so it is fun to see them together. At different points in the conversation, each seemed to have the upper hand. They both totally distrust each other yet have some reason to rely and interact with each other. I loved Steve's steely voice got and cold look when he reminded Stefano that he knew exactly what it was like to wake up in your own coffin. And how awesome was Stefano when he got angry and rose up out of his chair saying he would squash them like a BUG and you will REGRET (with his rolling Rs). And my heart did a little pitter when Steve said the lines, "I am a family man", "Stay away from all of my children, including foster." You could sense his seriousness and heart, especially his concern for Benjy. Stefano even had his moment of vulnerability when Steve called him on not even asking how Benjy was doing.

Chelsea and Stephanie and Jett - just feeling nothing for them all together. But Jett certainly was trying to show off his legs in his short hospital gown and no blanket. Abe was trying in his scenes but I couldn't even tell if Jett was really feeling bad or not - he stirs up NO emotion or interest in me.

Mary Beth rocked her scenes with a strong and fiesty Kayla toward Jeremy. You can tell Jeremy is used to charming people but Kayla has always been able to look right into someone's heart and character and make a judgment. Glad to see that character trait being brought out. Also, Kayla was quite true to character in not making Kayla 100% negative. I love how she did also try to encourage him in a very nice and straightforward way to really look at himself and think of the man he could become. Even when Kayla is pissed and fighting, the "sweetness" in her that wants to see the good in everyone still comes out. lol

My true test for Ed Scott is whether we might get some different cell phones in Salem