DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[Planet Soap]

I agree with you about the oddity of her over the top loyalty to Roman. I second that Roman was too soft when it came to Sami, forgiving her for the kidnapping, which was before he even knew Sami witnessed John & Marlena's tryst at Titan. He also seemed to let switching Belle's paternity test slide. 

It's also interesting to see John bounce back and forth between Marlena and Kristen in '93-'94.

 

[carolineg]

Even with Sami's initial entrance with her breaking into the house and dropping out of school Roman was A-okay with it and Marlena wasn't but that was more Roman is driving Marlena away to John plot than anything else I guess.

Kristen/John/Marlena were odd because he was still into Marlena but also hardcore into Kristen and people like Alice were pushing Kristen/John.  I think it was writers just being uncertain of where they were headed.

[Khan]

I feel like that's what they were going for with Tracy Middendorf's Carrie, but there's a big difference between bad and bratty.

[carolineg]

Yeah, the seeds were planted when CC was fired/left to begin with.  She was struggling as a teen with RoJohn and went to live with Anna.   I assume that's why they recast but

TM was a bomb as Carrie and pulled off pouty and bratty only.

CC came back and couldn't pull off evil especially with the audience's investment in her as an actress.

Sami was a blank slate of character so it was easier to pull off.  It's pretty risky to make a legacy child a villian like that, but it worked.  Honestly, I don't think Days has done it since.  

[Vee]

Christie Clark has always been a solid part of the firmament. We've talked about her here a lot over the years. To this day it's a mistake that she is not back more often or on contract IMO as a steadying presence; her unexpected return in 2012(?) proved it could work. Carrie is far more interesting - and comes off more youthful and vibrant - than Belle who is supposed to be almost twenty years younger than her yet has the same profession. Belle could go away forever and I wouldn't blink.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Vee

[Khan]

That's...really not saying a whole lot.

[carolineg]

Belle might be the most boring child of a supercouple on Days ever.  There have been others who have given her a run for her money at times, but Belle is consistently dull.  Even if we are told she cheats and is kind of slutty..she does not project that.   Carrie is just the original prototype and Belle is a dull copy.

I don't mind Belle/MM on my screen anymore because I have accepted the mediocrity, but I would trade Belle, Eric, and Brady for Carrie any day of the week

[Khan]

Belle Brady makes Mary Richards look like Sue Ann Nivens.

[te.]

I've said it before, but Belle should've been like ORK's Claire - not evil, but slightly unstable and a bit of a wreck after all the trauma of her childhood. If I were in charge right now I would recast MM - not that I have anything against Martha per se, but there should be a visible age difference between her and Sami. It's just plain odd when they bring up stuff like Sami kidnapping Belle or watching John and Marlena boink on the conference table - was Sami a toddler when this happened?

[carolineg]

Lol!  That truly cracked me up.  So true.

Ugh.  Belle is the one kid that shouldn't have been aged in 1999.  I get why the show did it especially considering the age of the actors playing the parents, but to this day they bring up actual events that happened and the 2 actresses look the same age.  Actually I think MM/AS are the same age.  Shawn was born earlier and was aged fairly minorly and Phillip's conception was memorable, but nothing that would screw up timelines with aging. Stephanie or Jeannie/Sarah/Noel could have been aged instead.  Even Rex/Cassie would have been more age appropriate at the time. They honestly should have held off and aged Belle/Brady with Will/Abby or rolled out the aging a little slower like Shawn first, Belle a few years later, Will/Abby after that etc.   I know that would mean Shawn/Belle couldn't be star crossed lovers, but really what has that relationship truly added to Days besides glimpses of BB's abs?  They genuinely could have done a slow burn to Belle/Shawn like Robin/Jason on GH if they wanted to.  Like Belle always had a crush on Shawn when she was young and she finally grew up and it wasn't creepy anymore sort of thing if they had to.

Edited January 5, 2022 by carolineg

[Khan]

That could have been fun to watch.  Belle, as a young girl, is infatuated with the older Shawn, but Shawn thinks of her as just a kid.  Then, several years down the road, when it looks like Belle, who is now age-appropriate, is about to embark on her first, real relationship -- maybe she's even about to get married! -- Shawn, finally realizing that he has fallen for Belle, pulls a page from his father's playbook and whisks her away to reveal his feelings.

I'm ALWAYS down for the slow burn.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Khan

[carolineg]

Realistically Shawn was born like 5 years before Belle.  They honestly could have aged Belle to a Carrie- esque pre teen when they aged Shawn and just waited a couple of years.  Honestly, Shawn could have dated Jan in high school and it would make her CRAZY more relatable now.  Hell, even Mimi-he married her anyway.  I think it would have slowed down the progression of their stories as well and that would have helped the characters longevity as well.

I always thought that would have worked with Ethan/Kristina on GH as well, but that's a whole other topic and LA still looks 12 so..

[Khan]

Yes!  Absolutely!

It's been so long since DAYS had a HW who could play the long game.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Khan

[te.]

I've never liked it when shows literally turn babies to teenagers overnight like what happened with Belle and Brady. On top of everything, it did screw with timelines because Belle's conception was so central to Sami turning bad. I always liked the approach they took with Will and Shawn - small bumps up in age, but nothing drastic. Will's not turning into an insta-teenager probably helped with Sami being able to be a "young" main character for so long - I'm glad they didn't age up Will in the mid-2000s like they originally planned.

 

And yes, Belle and Brady should've definitively been slowly aged up, maybe they could've hit teenage years in 2005/6. A young Belle having a teenage crush on Shawn, now in college, would've been a decent way to play it.

[carolineg]

It was very jarring with Belle because as a child she was so central to plots.  At least with Sami/Eric they gradually phased them out, sent them away, and came back with AS.  The little girls that played Belle were so young and at the wedding then it was KS's Belle to greet them back from their honeymoon.  And it's not like John/Marlena didn't have a whole huge story going on themselves at the time.  They seriously didn't need Belle being a teen.  

At the end of the day, the show just shot themselves in the foot with that because Belle/Shawn should clearly be leading the show not some bit players.  But again, I would have predicted Carrie leading the show for years and they didn't real screw her aging or stories up that bad. That's more of a CC than the show though.