DAYS: Discussion for the month of January

[PhoenixRising05]

The reason Days discussion has slowed is because pretty much all the Days posters have moved on to discuss elsewhere, much like many GH watchers. This board is primarily AMc, OLTL, and Y&R now and other soaps get heavy discussion depending on what is happening and so on. It's not a bad thing. People just moved on. Many are disinterested but it is still being discussed elsewhere.

As for Philip and Stephanie, could not disagree more but nothing new there. They are young and flirty. The pace of the relationship suits them. This has nothing to do with Higley. Gone are the days of slow build romances. We haven't had those in years. I wish that weren't the case but it's true. Outside of most fans on soap boards, people don't have the patience anymore to sit and wait 6 months for a couple to come together. It's sad but true. I wish that weren't the case but I've come to accept it.

[tylerbo20]

i personally have watched GH and Days for so long but recently found myself moving on to watching YR and ATWT is that wrong of me?

[Toups]

That's because bad writers underestimate the viewers. Slow build up can work if you know how to write it. Even though I'm not Jean Passanante's biggest fan, the Casey/Alison build up has been pretty good. Tuesday's episode had a good payoff, where they almost got together, but at the end of the episode, they decide to go to there. If you want a primetime example, you have Chuck/Blair - the slow build up has been happening since last season.

It's all about the chase, all about how they get together, and it has to be done right.

Philip/Stephanie had so much potential. Philip could've been there after her break up with Max. Then constantly play the push and pull, push and pull with little touches of romance. Then you could've played the Victor/Steve beat - Romeo/Juliet stories never get old for me....it's classic. Another classic is the good girl falling for the bad boy. You could play that beat. There's no beats playing out in this relationship. It's just BAM - they're making out now.

Instead, they're giving the slow build up to the wrong couple - Chloe/Daniel. And it's way too creepy and it makes Daniel look like a jerk and Chloe a slut = unrootable pairing.

Nah, it's not wrong. ATWT/Y&R are better than GH/DAYS right now.

[JackPeyton]

i discuss Days all the time. Just not here that much. I enjoy it and want to discuss it with other people who enjoy it. I guess i just dont get why people watch and discuss shows they hate so much.

[Toups]

So you don't like hearing opposing views?

I would love to read why DAYS is "so good" right now, and why people are enjoying characters, pairings, stories that I'm not.

Using an old expression........it's like people can't take the heat, so they stay out of the kitchen. They're afraid for some reason.

Well, with me, I won't stop watching DAYS no matter what. Another show, I can easily stop if I wanted to. But DAYS is MY show and I'm going to be there until the bitter end....in 2010.

[JackPeyton]

I love opposing views. I do. and im far from afraid of them. But i dont like to be the only person discussing why i like it. i like balance. where i do post about days at it isnt like everyone there loves it. there is discussion, debate, etc.. but its all friendly. people dont get called stupid for liking something. its friendly debate. honestly, more people there dont like it then do like it, but they dont all flat out hate the show. if someone flat out hates it theres no point in discussing anything you do like about it with them.

as for what is "so good" right now? philip & stephanie first off. they are an amazing couple and the actors have major chem. they have friendship/sexual/romantic/hate chem. all of it. and they play so well off each other. but more than the actors, i love philip. i love stephanie. i love them together. the way they are around eachother. all of it.

i also really like nicole right now. girl is crazy desprate to hold onto ej and its so much fun to watch her.

then there is this lucas/chloe/daniel/kate thing. im not sure if i love it, but its sure intersting and a fun thing to watch.

sami & rafe in the safehouse has made me fall in love with sami again after the previous two HW's did everything they could to ruin her. She is fun, flirty, yet still sami.

i get why people dont like it, thats fine. many people loved days when HS was writing, personally i thought it was so bad i stopped watching. after watching my entire life and about 8 years of watching every episode.

i dont need my soaps to be brilliant. i need them to entertain me for an hour. days does that. and when it doesnt - or any other show for that matter - i turn it off.

whatever. i kind of understand, but at the same time why waste your time on something you hate so much?

[Ponz]

There isn't a single redeeming feature to Higley's writing. She doesn't conceptualise well. She doesn't pace/structure her stories well. She doesn't characterise well. Her dialogue isn't smart or snappy. DAYS has had some awful headwriters over the years but she's the first to flunk ALL FOUR of these requirements. She's just a mediocre, mid-level breakdown writer who happens to be friends with the right people.

[PhoenixRising05]

I agree with you in that it should be done that way but judging from responses off and on the net, I don't think the bulk of the audience is willing to wait anymore. I wish that weren't the case and that I was wrong but everything I've seen and heard proves otherwise. I blame TPTB too because I do think their own failures to make it interesting contributed to this trend but I also think it's a reflection of people wanting traditional soap with a modern twist, meaning they want it to be more fast paced. I mean, just look at the Nicole baby story. She lost the baby in late November and literally a week later, I read responses from people wanting the secret out already. That is something you have to build up but many fans don't want to wait, for whatever reason. This is one pivotal reason why JER's second run fell apart and why Passions ultimately did too. People no longer were willing to wait years for a payoff like they were in the 90's. The patience was gone. Even Y&R has abandoned it's snail paced pacing.

In regards to Philip and Stephanie, they have been interacting since late October so them having their first kiss after about 2 and a half months is actually decent by daytime standards. Both are single so there wasn't exactly alot of conflict. She was through with Max. He was looking to move on. They interacted alot. It wasn't forced and then they just got flirty. They're young so a kiss and them starting to date at this pace is actually logical. I expect older characters to take a bit longer to explore, especially if they are split up from someone or have other issues. The conflict is coming now that Stephanie and Philip are dating and it makes it more interesting IMO. I think it's fine as long as there is no sex until at least the couple has been together for 6 months. I think that is reasonable. Otherwise, the couple takes a hit unless you sell it well IMO.

That is how I feel too, which is why I always tend to be in the minority on so many things, especially since I can't manage to turn off any show .

[Ponz]

Most didn't want her keeping the secret in the first place. It wasn't a case of refusing to wait for the payoff. Fans tend to be more patient when they agree with the overall premise of the story.

[PhoenixRising05]

Your right but I don't think the premise is the problem. People actually had been wanting some story, any story that had some consequences and built up to something because for the past two years we haven't had that due to constant upheaval and rewrites. I think that is why many are just taking to the Nicole story so that they have something to at least look forward to. It's some sort of story with a payoff, even if many didn't want it in the first place. However, the issue is there just isn't much patience. You see that reflected on many boards and in the ratings. People don't stick around for the little moments and the buildup. It's sad and TPTB helped get us to this point but it's just the way things are from what I've noticed.

[JackPeyton]

Sami & Rafe were fantastic today! I loved the end where she was laying in bed and he was on the sofa. And the looks they shoot eachother. Feelings are starting to emerge!

Philip & Stephanie were great. I loved the convo they have and love how they are a slow build. Since oct they have had steady scenes together and formed a unique friendship and a flirty one. That kiss was hawt!

The lucas/chloe/daniel/kate story is intersting.

I didnt much care for brady/nicole/ej today tho.

And next weeks scenes with Brady & Philip discussing Stephanie look good!

[Toups]

I love DAYS and that's why watch the show. I haven't stopped caring about my first soap opera I ever watched. If I did stop caring, I'd stop watching. I just hate the writing and some of characters.

I hope Sami/Rafe will get out of the safehouse really soon. I'm tired of seeing them there. Surely, Alison's maternity leave is over, right? If not, please let it be soon. I don't want another month (or two) of them stuck in there all the time. I would prefer actors to fully leave the show until their hiatus is over to avoid situations like this.

That was a good scene.

Scew those type of viewers. LOL I'll take the long build up every single time.

Paraphrasing Agnes Nixon: Make them laugh, make them cry, make them wait.

[JackPeyton]

I dont even think shes actually taken time off days yet. She hasnt give birth yet so...

I actually really like Sami in the safehouse because after years of damage to her they needed to get her back to being sami. this safehouse is doing it.

I feel like they have done this with Philip & Steph, they have had scenes together for years now and then when they started to pair them up a lot more it was in oct, and really nothing has happened but a kiss. they have fallen for eachother. i think its been a nice steady slow build. and

just confirms that for me.

[Ponz]

LOL, it hasn't even started yet. She gives birth in mid-Janaury and is currently pre-taping for the 8 weeks or so she'll be off. I imagine she won't be taping *new* scenes until March at the earliest.

[DrewH]

Missed out on Monday's episode, but here goes a discussion for this week's episodes.