This really upsets me. Stefano was a veteran character on Days, just as much as Shawn Sr. and other veterans. They couldn't be bothered to write an exit storyline for him, at least. And then to be summarily dismissed with a phone call...it's outrageous! I was starting to have a glimmer of hope for this show, but this...if it's true...is taking away from that hope. I don't see Joe agreeing to another deal with TIIC even if they wanted to bring the character back somewhere down the line. What a pity...I was looking forward to his return and his interaction with his family. I even imagined a nice amnesia storyline for Stefano, where his family doesn't know if he really has lost his memory or is faking them out. Now I'm really sad as well as angry.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I was waiting to hear a name in one of the spoilers, but now this makes me want to turn my TV off. I too realize 'Stefano Dimera' might be coming up to his last stint of Days, but its was not over yet. We needed that last kidnaping of Marlena, last battle with John, last show of emotion for his children/grandchildren, last scene. This is not far to true Days fans.

Taking this with a grain of salt but I also can see it.

His contract is up soon after all.

I'm not upset about him being released. I feel like Stefano was becoming watered down again as 2008 began but I wanted him to have one more hurrah before leaving. That pisses me off more then anything else. Ending the run of one of daytime's best villains by having him languish in a coma. That angers me and, if this is true, the way they told him angers me. However, the fact he is being released doesn't because he does make alot and I do feel it was time to give Stefano a send off.

Joe, Martha, Julie, etc going sucks but Days also brought back Renee Jones, gave John Aniston more to do, added Tamara Braun and Shawn Christian (short-term or not)...I mean they are just as talented still.

I can understand the reason in getting rid of Joe and Julie (they were doing nothing with Billie and they showed they never would). Like I said, if this is true then I hate how I did it and I hate that they won't give him some big exit but getting rid of Stefano IMO is a good idea. It's past time and, like some have said, the act is getting old. That is why I hope the Vitali's are here to stay. The show needs new blood to mix in with the old. It needs that more then anything. It's relied on the same old, tired Dimera stuff for too long. I always thought the Vendetta last year was supposed to be the end of the feud and Stefano's swan song. I wish they had given us a better end for Stefano but I'll get over it. It's a missed opportunity and I would've loved Joe and Drake having more scenes but, in a way, it's nice that Marlena took him out. It's fitting in a way IMO.

It's sad. He should've gotten better to end his run and that is what angers me but I can't disagree with the decision. Shows just can't keep people around because of talent, history, etc. You have to know when to cut the chord and Days should've done that ages ago on the Dimera stuff. It's made a joke out of the show over time and the Dimera's, other then what Hogan did for them last year, were made into a joke themselves. I think the angle is played out and I hope Days considers keeping the Vitali's around. Tamara sounded at least open to it.

That is all I will say on that. Now everyone can go back to their outrage although I can't believe people are shocked by this...

Wow, I'm just gonna stop before I get banned.

Is it a big surprise though? He hasnt been used since Hogan left. How long has he been in a coma? It was obvious Dena wasnt going to use him. It shouldnt come as a shock to anyone here.

I am suprised. I thought Higley was gonna wak up Stefano during May sweeps or around the summe and have him battle this new John.

If true, I hate how it was done and I hate he doesn't get a proper send off but I do think he's played out. I thought this before he even returned last year. I wanted this to be his last act, if you will. The show needs new blood. It's relied too long on the Dimera's. What else can they do, especially since even Hogan couldn't erase some of the damage done to them. From my standpoint, it's just time to cut the chord. JMO.

I dont get the whole "the DiMeras are played out" BS. They are a part of the show just like the Hortons and Bradys. So what if they have been written cartoonish for many year? Why not try to start writing them less cartoonish? Instead Higley chose the easy way and that is to write them off.

Uh...what?

No one has to have permission to do anything. It's a free country. I knew my opinion in some ways was a dissenting one so I just jokingly said what I said because it was kind of like a "Back to your regularly scheduled program" type moment. Sorry for trying to have some fun with it.

If true, I hate how it was done and I hate he doesn't get a proper send off but I do think he's played out. I thought this before he even returned last year. I wanted this to be his last act, if you will. The show needs new blood. It's relied too long on the Dimera's. What else can they do, especially since even Hogan couldn't erase some of the damage done to them. From my standpoint, it's just time to cut the chord. JMO.

Uh......you heard me.

Didn't stutter.

And thanks for telling me it's a free country. I'll have to remember that the next time I hear how I should watch this dreck no matter what.

If a HW doesn't want to write for a character, that's one thing. New HWs come on all the time (unfortunately) and change things to suit their wims, or get madates from the bosses about what they can/cannot write. Like I said, that's one thing.

But in this case, to turn John into a DiMera/Brady, not give any thought or decent backstory to his past, kill off his mother after great fanfare and six episodes (roughly) on the show, put his memories on a disc (after bringing him back from the dead) and building this story up, with many hoping that when Stefano eventually got out of his coma fans would see he and John go at it, only for this to happen........I'm so, so sorry. But that smacks of hackneed, lazy writing.

Hogan and his team wrote Stefano the best he had been written in many years. And, it's the Stefano I remember when JM first started on the show. If he has been written as a cartoon.....it sure wasn't Joe's fault. They finally got him back with the promise that his story would not be turned unto BS, and guess what happened on the way to the Forum? It surely was.

And that is the blame of the EP & the HW.

The EP, who decides to listen to the hack writers and lets them write Days as horribly as they want to, for as long as they want to. The last writing team (Hogan's) that wrote Days in a classic vein were summarily dumped in favor of a writer who can only finish up other writers' material well, until she turns the show into a boring mess.

And.........all that missed story. Now, John is the new Stefano. The Vitalies, the writer's new favorite villainous family, will run roughshot over Salem until The Man With No Memories walks up like a hoarse Clint Eastwood and saves the day.......

And Marlena is back to being a damsel in distress........

And half of Salem is living in STEFANO'S house.........

And Stefano, The Phoenix, is reduced to being written off the show in some half-ass manner by having him laying on his back in some damn coma, never to be referred to again.

I heard that on ITZ the other night, most ofthe material that was supposed to make it to screen for this character never did, because of decisions from the higher ups. But now......those same higher ups have the lacky that they want writing this show, and now we are ONCE AGAIN witnessing the destruction of this show from the inside out.

And that stuff about Joe being too old and soaps losing interest? All I have to say about that is look at this thread and other threads on other boards with this news and tell me with a straight face that people are losing interest. They look pretty interested to me. Hogan, I feel got Stefano, and so did his writing team. It was not their fault if the EP stuck his non-writing nose in and changed things that made Stefano and his stories weaker. IMO, the writers at that time did the best they could.

And then, six months from now, when she is fired and Corday blames her for what happened to Days, and he launches Plan No. 34,756,467 to save Days, the same people who have been pushing and saying that Dena is doing a great job will THEN be saying that she always sucked, they always thought so and it's about time she was gotten rid of.......

While one of daytime's best actors is probably working at another soap, never to wreck havoc on Salem ever again.

As Yoda said........"Tha Dark Times have fallen."

And that is just MY opinion.

If this is actually true, I'm not that pissed. I think Stefano has ran his course (yet again). I'm glad Stefano wasn't killed off, so being in the coma he could be brought back down the line.

It's not about the character being written of. It's about the way an actor deserves to be treated, especially an actor like Joe.

I do think the character is pretty much done. Personally I wouldn't be crying if he was just let go like it's supposed to happen, in person and a proper ending for Stefano. But this way... it's just disgusting!!!!

Uh......you heard me.

Didn't stutter.

And thanks for telling me it's a free country. I'll have to remember that the next time I hear how I should watch this dreck no matter what.

If a HW doesn't want to write for a character, that's one thing. New HWs come on all the time (unfortunately) and change things to suit their wims, or get madates from the bosses about what they can/cannot write. Like I said, that's one thing.

But in this case, to turn John into a DiMera/Brady, not give any thought or decent backstory to his past, kill off his mother after great fanfare and six episodes (roughly) on the show, put his memories on a disc (after bringing him back from the dead) and building this story up, with many hoping that when Stefano eventually got out of his coma fans would see he and John go at it, only for this to happen........I'm so, so sorry. But that smacks of hackneed, lazy writing.

Hogan and his team wrote Stefano the best he had been written in many years. And, it's the Stefano I remember when JM first started on the show. If he has been written as a cartoon.....it sure wasn't Joe's fault. They finally got him back with the promise that his story would not be turned unto BS, and guess what happened on the way to the Forum? It surely was.

And that is the blame of the EP & the HW.

The EP, who decides to listen to the hack writers and lets them write Days as horribly as they want to, for as long as they want to. The last writing team (Hogan's) that wrote Days in a classic vein were summarily dumped in favor of a writer who can only finish up other writers' material well, until she turns the show into a boring mess.

And.........all that missed story. Now, John is the new Stefano. The Vitalies, the writer's new favorite villainous family, will run roughshot over Salem until The Man With No Memories walks up like a hoarse Clint Eastwood and saves the day.......

And Marlena is back to being a damsel in distress........

And half of Salem is living in STEFANO'S house.........

And Stefano, The Phoenix, is reduced to being written off the show in some half-ass manner by having him laying on his back in some damn coma, never to be referred to again.

I heard that on ITZ the other night, most ofthe material that was supposed to make it to screen for this character never did, because of decisions from the higher ups. But now......those same higher ups have the lacky that they want writing this show, and now we are ONCE AGAIN witnessing the destruction of this show from the inside out.

And that stuff about Joe being too old and soaps losing interest? All I have to say about that is look at this thread and other threads on other boards with this news and tell me with a straight face that people are losing interest. They look pretty interested to me. Hogan, I feel got Stefano, and so did his writing team. It was not their fault if the EP stuck his non-writing nose in and changed things that made Stefano and his stories weaker. IMO, the writers at that time did the best they could.

And then, six months from now, when she is fired and Corday blames her for what happened to Days, and he launches Plan No. 34,756,467 to save Days, the same people who have been pushing and saying that Dena is doing a great job will THEN be saying that she always sucked, they always thought so and it's about time she was gotten rid of.......

While one of daytime's best actors is probably working at another soap, never to wreck havoc on Salem ever again.

As Yoda said........"Tha Dark Times have fallen."

And that is just MY opinion.

I agree about some of the things you say Roman but I dont understand what you mean when you say "Hogan, I feel got Stefano, and so did his writing team". If Hogan got Stefano he wouldn't have destroyed Stefanos history when he rewrote the reason for the feud. I hated the way he wrote Stefano from June-October last year. There were only some scenes here and there that I liked. But I did like the way he wrote Stefano from November-January.

That's why I said that on the In The Zone interbet show, it was confirmed that much of Hogan's material never made it to screen, and that there was a mandate from TPTB to write muchof what we all saw.

That's why I said that on the In The Zone interbet show, it was confirmed that much of Hogan's material never made it to screen, and that there was a mandate from TPTB to write muchof what we all saw.

Sorry I dont know what in the zone is but are you saying that Hogan didn't want to write all that crap with Santo and Colleen and having the vets read letters?

Damn good post Roman!

Roman is love.

Even if you decide to write him out ... why write him out with a whimper? Why not use his popularity to your benefit, give him a big exit, set up new interesting juicy intrigue? Why no bang?

Sorry I dont know what in the zone is but are you saying that Hogan didn't want to write all that crap with Santo and Colleen and having the vets read letters?

Exactly. ITZ is a internet radio show hosted by our own Ryan Chandler & SoapQueen. It was confirmed on there that much of Hogan and his writing team's material was overuled and never made it to air. Plus, the S/C stuff was not suppoed tolast nearly as long as it did.

....................

........................