DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[jam6242]

And didn't Karl want Julie to have a three-way relationship with him and Sharon too? I remember Sharon giving Julie a cameo or other brooch when she left Salem.

[EricMontreal22]

Was all of DAYS saved? I know a lot of it was--was it because the Cordays saved it themselves?

[Paul Raven]

From SOD re Julie and Sharon

Sharon Duval and Julie Williams go on a shopping spree and return to Sharon's house with all their goodies. Julie had admired a beautiful cameo necklace but didn't purchase it because of the exorbitant price. Sharon did. While the two women are sharing a cup of coffee and a pleasant conversation, Sharon gives Julie the necklace. Needless to say, Julie is stunned at Sharon's show of generosity. When Julie makes noises about leaving, Sharon pleads with her to stay. They have sherry in Sharon's bedroom and Julie admires the decor. To everything Julie admires, Sharon answers by saying "take it, it's yours." Julie laughs off her continued generosity until Sharon offers Julie the house! But even then, she is not aware of what Sharon is telling her. Again she makes noises about leaving. She sits at Sharon's dressing table and Sharon blurts out her true feelings. She tells JUlie that although Karl is leaving Salem, she, Sharon will stay. She will stay forever to be with Julie. She loves Julie. Julie, caught unawares by Sharon's admission, recoils in horror and runs from Sharon's house. Sharon, feeling the rejection and digust Julie is feelings, does the only thing she feels she can do... cut her wrists.

[DRW50]

Cuts her wrists? Wow. That seems very stark (no pun intended) for daytime. I wonder how this was done onscreen.

[EricMontreal22]

Did she die? Wow, seems like a weird way to end a tentative lesbian story (I can imagine the uproar now). I remember an interesting article way back about why suiide is so rarely done in daytime (a large part was most writers felt it just sent too negative a message to anyone contemplating suicide watching) and I think that may have been mentioned...

[DRW50]

She didn't die. She and her husband quickly left town and she left a letter behind for Julie.

[EricMontreal22]

Still... wow.

[Paul Raven]

Doug and Julie's second wedding.They got a location shoot for this one.

[DRW50]

Yeah it's still a pretty ugly way to go. I can only imagine what the initial story plans were for this. Certainly they weren't going to have Julie involved with the woman. I can see where they may have planned a long story where she got therapy for her problems and maybe her husband cheated on her.

[Paul Raven]

SOD synopsis continues

Karl Duval tells Dr. Marlena Evans he wants Sharon out of the psychiatric ward and home. Sharon, he says, is terrified of hospitals, afraid she will slip, inescapably, into insanity.

Marlena begs for more time. She attempts to tell him that Julie is blameless, that Sharon's problem is very deep-rooted. She has confusions about her sexuality. Karl is appalled. Sharon a homosexual? He cannot accept that. He refuses to listen to any more.

Together, Marlena & Laura piece together the cause of Sharon's suicide attempt, and Marlena tries once more to get the truth from Julie.

At first, Julie is reluctant to discuss it, but when she hears Sharon is closer than ever to tragedy unless she receives the proper help, Julie describes what happened.

Karl, meanwhile, has taken steps to get his own way. He takes Sharon home. Marlena, frightened at the consequences, rushes out to the Duval house to beg for Sharon to be helped in therapy.

Again, Karl Duval refuses Dr. Marlena Evans's insistance that his wife Sharon needs therapy, but this time his vehemence is unstoppable. He will care for his wife, and no lopsided psychiatrist will be able to hurt her again. He has already made reservation for their flight to Madrid. Later, alone, he wonders if he is really doing the right thing.

Karl and Sharon leave for Madrid. She finds it very difficult to leave, and she cries for all the love that could have been. Before going, she makes sure that Julie receives the cameo. Will Sharon's flight away from herself lead to disaster... and for whom?

And that was it for the Duvalls.

[DRW50]

Well that was clearly supposed to lead to more story. Too bad it didn't work out.

[EricMontreal22]

Wow what a great exit :S I wonder how any sympathetic audiences took that...

[Paul Raven]

Bill Hayes wrote this tribute to Brenda Benet (Lee) after her suicide.

[DRW50]

Thanks. Very sobering read.

Josh Taylor also wrote something. It's just so awful. I can't imagine what the cast must have felt.

[Paul Raven]

Edited October 19, 2011 by Paul Raven