DAYS: Week of August 11, 2008

[Gino24]

I vaguely remember someone posting a link here a while back to this old mini Q & A with former Days HW Sheri Anderson from a J + M fan board. A member named Jiggs recently reposted it on the Days NBC forum. Sheri answered three questions. Here is the third one where she talks about Drake being the real Roman/her opinion on the retcon, and how the massive rewrites have affected the show.

Posted by Sheri Anderson on May 30, 2005 at 18:02:13:

#3a

"Did you always plan to make Drake Roman or did the writers think that if the chemistry between Drake and Deidre didn't work out, they would have an escape hatch????" - jl

jl,

When Drake emerged from the bandages he wore as the pawn, he WAS Roman Brady. Though so different from Wayne Northrup who originated the role, Drake had the same level of incredible warmth and charm, plus that fantastic face! I'm sure many fans remember that whatever other writers have changed over the years, those who saw him know that he got his name from a plaque off a wall when he had no idea who he was. We did. In fact, it was only when Wayne Northrup expressed a desire to come back--and only if he could be the 'real' Roman--did that change. I wasn't on the show at the time, and can't imagine I could ever have been convinced to make that happen. My thoughts on it are addressed in part 'b' of this question answered next:

#3b

"If you were to become head writer of Days ever again, would you want to make John Roman again?" - Jiggs

Jiggs,

In my mind and heart Drake will always be Roman. When I wrote for Josh Taylor when he was Chris Kositchek I loved him, and perhaps it's my clinging to the past, but one reason I stopped watching the show was that Roman recast. Josh is a terrific actor, but doesn't have the particular kind of likability that Roman needs. If only he'd been brought back as Chris--who was a great, sexy character! Plus I've never felt the all-too-critical heat between him and Deidre that a true supercouple needs. No one connects like Drake and Deidre!

Would I want to make John into Roman again? In a heartbeat. Could it be done? I'm not sure. It would take alot of maneuvering--perhaps even falling back on the old trick of this all being a 10 year long nightmare!

For me, Days has had so many writers rewriting history that I as a viewer don't trust it any more. It's not just that the dead come back to life so easily, but when established characters have new 'loves of their lives' I feel cheated. I want to know that Bo will always love Hope, Jennifer will love Jack, Roman (Drake's Roman!) will always be passionately commited to Marlena--and even if they're separated because of emotional circumstances they'll always be the love of each other's lives. And some how they'll always get back together. People CAN love more than one person, but in different ways.

But that's just me!

[Roman]

And to me, that says it all.

She will always be my all-time favorite daytime writer.

[Roman]

And , I see what she means by characters having "The love of his/her life."

That doesn't mean that they have to stay together through everything, and can break up. Just as long as, no matter wo the end up with, their greatest love can still be that one person.

[koos]

I liked Tuesday and Wednesday (didn't see Monday), but Thursday was a major dropping of the ball. Totally boring and annoying. How many times can Stefano pop in and out and back into Marlena's room? It was much more suspenseful when it ONLY showed people trapped on the seventh floor. Today sucked. I hope Friday picks things back up.

[Toups]

Damn, I missed a DAYS discussion!

Anyway, I thought today's episode was okay.

Queen of the Night flashbacks!!!! You know I loved that! 90's Reilly.

Jawn: "Does she bring that kind of energy to bedroom?" Tony leaves. Jawn: "I"ll take that as a yes."

I was upset with episode continuation! How can you not follow up from Wednesday's cliffhanger??? How???? Why???? I just don't understand how people in the business for so many decades can screw that up. That's like soap opera 101 to follow a cliffhanger in the next episode. Duh!! Unless something was re-written?

Another gripe about the breakdown writing. Why did Nicole/EJ show up instead of Abe, Bo, Hope? And Stefano arriving/leaving into Marlena's room. Why was Tony explaining the Stefano/Marlena/John backstory? Dude was on an island! How the hell does he know? Also, Tony tells Jawn about Marlena's beautiful smile and John flashes back to Marlena confused/upset. I thought Jawn was going to flashback to seeing Marlena's smile, but nope. I was like huh? lol

Well, even with my complaints, I'm really enjoying the show. LOL I just wish the breakdowns were better because I like the idea of this story. Oh, and I love how we've had more Stefano/Marlena scenes than Hogan's entire run.

[Kirk]

Toups I agree not following up from a cliffhanger is just ridiculous and plain dumb. I still enjoyed Thursday's episode, but it could have been so much better with better breakdown writers. How I wish DAYS still had Paula Cwikly(sp?), Peter Brash, SLG, and others I am blanking on right now. Nicole had already visited Lucas, did she already forget what floor he was on? Where were Kayla, Steve, Joe, Lucas, Chloe, Sami, and EJ in today's episode? I know I saw them in the previews for tomorrow's show, but why create such a good cliffhanger and then just ignore it the following episode?

[Toups]

It sounded like Tony was talking about 1986 and on.

Tony: He thought you were going to be his greatest weapon, that you were going to do all his dirty little work. But something happened along the way, something he didn’t anticipate.

Jawn: What was that?

Tony: Marlena. You fell for the only woman Stefano only truly loved.

--------------------

Tony: You know when Stefano created his Pawn, I don’t think he believed that his Pawn would have real feelings for anyone.

Jawn: I guess he was wrong.

Tony: He was jealous of you, of Roman, anyone who was close to Marlena. You know this was a man who was used to getting whatever he wanted. He thought he could make Marlena fall in love with him.

Jawn: That didn’t work out too well for him, didn’t it.

Tony: No. She was in love with you. She’s stil in love you with.

Not bad! I kinda like it.

[Toups]

Jeanne Grunwell/Ford, Brash and SLG, I have soft spots for because they wrote for DAYS for around 8 years, from 1999-2007.

Oh yeah! Steve and Kayla was another cliffhanger! GRrrrr.....that's just bad continuation!

[koos]

Thursday would've been way better if they had continued Steve/Kayla, Sami/EJ, and Lucas/Chloe instead of showing Phillip/Nicole and Roman. They didn't keep the intensity going. Whereas Tuesday and Wednesday were all physical, almost action-oriented, Thursday was just another episode of people sitting (or standing) around talking... more or less.