Days: Does Marlena Play Favorites?

[Roman]

I have been watching how Marlena has treated Sami and Belle. Now, in the past, Marlena, IMO, has had every right to berate and bash Sami, because of the truly foul things she did. Sami got exactly what she deserve, even though I know where that anger was coming from. It may have looked like Marlena was getting on her high and mighty horse at times, but for the most part, Sami got what she deserved from her loved ones for her actions.

But for the past year or so, Sami has been trying her best to turn her life around and make the changes she needs to, to become a better person. She dropped her schemes, made up with John (her second father), and has made choices that she has honestly felt were in her family's best interest. Now, I have seen Marlena say that she sees what Sami is trying to do, but I still remember her telling Hope how angry she was at Sami for marrying E.J.

Now, I say that to say this. How was she livid with Sami for doing something Sami thought would help her family finally have peace, but Belle can cheat on Shawn, get an attitude with Hope for rightfully telling Bo about it, lie through her teeth many times........and Marlena not only gets an attitude with Hope, she tells Roman that she feels Hope is being too hard on Belle.

I just would like to see other people's opinions on this.

[KSlater]

I want to start by saying that I adore Deidre Hall. But . . .

The character of Marlena has been an awful mother to Sami. Her favoritism toward her daughter with John is so blatant. Belle can do no wrong and Sami no right. Marlena even brushed off Carrie's infidelity with Austin. But Sami is held to a different standard and one misstep and her momma kicks her to the curb.

Sure Sami has been a hellraiser. But did Marlena ever once ask herself, "Could it be possibly something I've done?" Nope. She was too busy making whoopee with John.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

^I tend to agree, Marlena's been MUCH MORE nurturing to Carrie and especially Belle than she ever has been with Sami. Sami discovering Marlena's affair with John was one of the many things that led to Sami having such f-u-c-k-e-d life, so Marlena definitely has her share of the blame for the way Sami turned out.

Marlena's always turned a blind eye to whatever Saint Belle does, but Sami regardless of all the stuff she'd pulled will never be an equal in Marlena's eyes.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I should add, I think they'll carry on this mothering tradition with Sami and her twins. Already we see Sami paying more attention to and worrying about her son with EJ than her daughter. I'm willing to bet Ali will be the next generation's Sami and will be a hell raiser mainly because Sami never paid enough attention to her or worried about her as much as does about her twin brother.

I like to think of Sami as this generation's version of Julie. Julie was in many ways the black sheep of the saintly Hortons, which can be applied to Sami and the Bradys. Like Julie, Sami had a horrible teenage life, but now that's she's blossomed to more of an adult she's toned down and is gaining some type of maturity.

[a2sassy]

I agree. When I started watching Days in early 2006, I couldn't believe Marlena was Sami's mother because she always treated Belle and Carrie, whom isn't even her daughter better than Sami. It's like Belle and Carrie could do no wrong and no matter what, their wrong doings were white washed but Marlena made Sami feel like [!@#$%^&*] for the things she did wrong.

[Ryan]

Sami is a royal screw up, and Marlena has told her so many times. I do see the favoritism that Marlena shows toward Belle (and even Carrie). Sami has gone out of her way to prove how much she's changed and actually stuck with that this year, and it wasn't enough for Marlena. Is much of it Marlena's grief? yes it is, but I think it comes down to Marlena believing Sami will never change.

Sami's been a screw up for years. Belle? Well she makes "mistakes". Belle can do no wrong, and Sami is the bad one.

[Tishy]

Good topic. Yes, Sami has gotten the short end of the stick. All along, it's been Belle, Carrie, Eric who were the favored children. Marlena just can't get past Sami's past transgressions and she just brushes over things like infidelity, which is something Marlena has done so it's ok. You think that she would be more forgiving, but towards Sami she isn't. Come on Marlena, cut Sami some slack

[Pest Spray]

See, I find it so funny that people see it that way. I can't stand the fact that Marlena even talked to Sami after like, 1997. After the blackmail, the lashings, the kidnapping, the constant blaming. I mean, I get that she's her kid and everything, but just a year and a half ago, Sami stood by and watched her mother get kidnapped, knowing she'd likely be hurt or worse, just so she could keep Austin. Sami may love her mother, but she doesn't care or give a damn about her.

There does come a point when you have to say stop, and Marlena has never found that, and that's something I couldn't stand. She loves Sami too much, and she gave in to her own guilt instead of showing tough love and telling Sami "no more, this is it, I won't apologize for you or let you get past with these schemes of yours". Ugh, I hated that, and that's why the scenes last fall when Marlena finally stood up to her were a breath of fresh air. Finally! In the past, Marlena would have made every excuse in the book for Sami, taken the blame herself or just be emotionally tormented by Sami's lashing out that everything in the world is Marlena's fault. I mean, come on. Sami is an adult and has been for most of the time after she saw Marlena with John. She gave her too many chances. There was not a single person in town who belived Sami when she said Lucas hit Will, except Marlena. I don't know how, but she did. She just kept giving Sami chance after chance and it pissed me off every time.

Of course Marlena looks past Belle's behaviour right now as a sole mistake, and just that, Marlena doesn't know about Belle's other mistakes. Marlena thinks Belle has a perfect track record because as far as she knows, she does. She was in captivity when Belle was sneaking around on Phil, and Belle looked into her mothers eyes and lied when Kate accused her of cheating on Phil with Shawn after her return. I mean, this is the first thing Belle's done that she knows of basically.

She gave Carrie hell over the affair with Mike. She was more pissed than Austin was because she kept telling Carrie from 4th of July 1998 that this will end badly unless she either stayed away from Mike or divorced Austin (and Carrie always claimed Austin was the one she loved). And she knew that was true, she'd been there. Just because she had an affair doesn't mean she shouldn't give advice when she sees someone heading down the same path. In fact, she should. She knows the consequenses. She dealt with them. She knows the pain it cost her family.

How many times this last year have we seen Marlena say to Sami that she's proud of her? We've seen her say that every time Sami pretends to turn her life around, but this year its actually valid.

And she shouldn't be pissed that Sami married EJ? The man shot her husband, took his kidney, tormented her family, raped her daughter to impregnate her and continues to torment her daughter's life. And Sami uses John's death as a catalyst to marry him instead of saying enough's enough, time to end this and just say to EJ to get out of her life.

And just one last thing, Marlena hasen't been fully prepared to give her soul for anyone else. Not John, Belle, Carrie, Eric, Brady... only Sami.

Marlena ain't perfect or one note, and thank god for that.

[dawn9476]

If my daughter married her rapist that terrorized her family and stoled her stepfather's kidney, I would be more upet with her than the one who cheated, too. Marlena's not stupid. There was no way she was going to just sit back and trust that the Dimera/Brady fued would end just because Sami married EJ after everything Stefano did to her and her family.

[thelma42]

I guess Sami only has ONE parent.Never mind that Roman took off and abandon his family for years! But do you ever here him getting blame for any of Sami's problems? No, it's all Marlena's fault. If Marlena isn't bowing down and kissing Sami's a** she's a horrible mother.Sami ought to be on her knees thanking her mother for all the hell she put her through.

[JackPeyton]

this question is soooo easy to answer.

YES. YES. AND... YES!!

and its gon e on forever. and ever, hell even when ali sweeney first came on the show and there was noi belle marlena wasnt great to sami. then came along marlena basterd daughter - err love child - and it was a done deal. the fact that she has also treated carrie better over the years says a lot. the only person masrlena has been worse to is brady.

marlenas a selfish bitch. i love her soo and DH is great - but marlena only treats those she finds worthy of her in there lives good. never mind the fact that shes 99% of the reason sami was f-ed up for so long.

even after all sami has done to chnage and prove herself it isnt enough.

how anyone can deny that is beyond me.

[dragonflies]

Definitely, I've noticed it since Ali started playing Sami. Heck she even treats Eric better than Sami

[PhoenixRising05]

She does, sadly.

That is why I loved how this year she seemed to actually have more scenes with Sami, let alone the scenes involved her not judging her or just simply consoling her like she had done with Belle and Carrie for years.

I love Marlena but she has slighted Sami. I get that Sami did awful things to many people, including her mother, but she is still her mother and there have been times I feel she is a bit too much like a person who would react to the situation from the outside of the family more then one that should try to help Sami and stand by her, even when things are tough. Roman always had. He may get mad at her but he is still there while also not putting up with her BS. Marlena just didn't give off that same impression, at last not until this past year or so.

[dragonflies]

IMO Sami's whole family treated her like crap for years. Yeah, yeah I know she did bad things, but so have most of them, but they still treated her like crap despite that........

[daysfan]

Marlena has gotten much better this last year. It used to be she never even talked to Sami, mostly during the past several years.

Marlena has played favorites before, but in her defense I think she understands what Belle did better than what Sami has done. Since Marlena has never pulled off schemes like Sami, she doesn't understand where Sami is coming from. Now some of those things, Sami was doing pure bad things, and Belle did too. Marlena has done what Belle did, so again she'd understand it better. It can seem a bit hypocritical of her but yeah.

Now, Marlena is not the only one who has played favorites. Roman has definately played favorites with Carrie and Sami, often treating Carrie better than Sami. Sometimes John could even play favorites, even though Sami is his step-daughter(but more of a father than Roman was).