DAYS: Discussion for the month of December

[Michael]

No, it's great! The story has been kinda dull so far, but the concept and the shape of it are right.

More wonderful scenes between Stefano and Kate today. I'm glad they haven't made him too soft in service of this relationship. How nice that Kate took time to put on her 28 finest sets of Mardi Gras beads before pleading to save her marriage, though.

[AllMyDaysatGH]

I'm glad Kate just gave up and walked away from Stefano in the end. I found myself saying WTF when she was adhering to his requests. That scene with Chloe/Daniel was just outright embarrasing (and kind of awesome at the same time. LOL)!! I hope Kate ends up moving back into the Kiriakis mansion after all of this

Shutup Caroline, ugh she is annoying and once again she manipulated Stephanie into not telling the truth. I loved when Stephanie had an attitude with her at first and I was cheering her on for a hot second, then Caroline had the nerve to say "Dont you get fresh with me" STFU. She is so disrespectful to her own grandaughter!! She hung up on her & then dismissed her at the pub like she was nothing.

That last scene with Johnny yelling out for his mommy would have had more of an impact to me if the actor playing Johnny wasn't smiling the whole time ;-l!! It seemed like he thought it was a joke, LOL...and EJ trying to tell him to be quiet was pathetic!!

Don't like Sami/Rafe to much, but I kind of loved the scene's after Rafe set up the tree. They were funny lol..

[Antoyne]

Kate talking to Chloe/Daniel was hilariously degrading, but awesome. LK played it so well.

[Michael]

She was really great in that scene. It was very Kate -- she was being humiliated but still held her head high and went through with it. And, of course, inflected it with a touch of bitchiness.

I thought Daniel and Chloe were pretty funny trading looks during that, but even more so when they were staring the gift down and Chloe was like, "Was that the weirdest thing that ever happened in the history of the universe, or what?"

[Cheap21]

I know and I loved it! That was so funny. Im glad she told Stefano to F-off at the end though when he wanted her to do the same with Vivian. I like that she isnt being some weak wife, grovelling for her husband. I love the dynamics of their marriage

When watching, I couldnt beleive she was manipulating Stephanie again! This time using Sami's pain to hide her own lies and secrets. Those tears were so fake, yet I loved it! Manipulative Caroline is soooo fun.

[Cat]

Lauren Koslow brought it yesterday. God, I love her as Kate. "Well, my darling. You can shove your loyalty and respect because I AM DONE WITH THIS!" She wanted to show Stefano how sorry she was but when he pushed her too far, she stood up for herself.

It may be just me, but I was kinda grossed out by Philip wanting to impregnate his child bride so soon. OK, I know they aren't teenagers anymore but Melanie comes across as so young. And so in love with somebody else! Well, at least we know that Philip's little swimmers are in functioning order.

Chloe & Dr. McHairyChest. Snorezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. So boring. I'd rather watch Prisoner Cellblock Hope than those two.

Loony Tunes Caroline is just NUTS. The spooky thing is that Peggy McKay plays it like she's always been this way but everybody was too wrapped up in themselves to notice. I love this Caroline! She and Vivian need to sit down and share some chowDUH.

[DaytimeFan]

I have always loved Lauren Koslow (all the way back to her days on Y&R) and Kate but the last few weeks have elevated her in my mind. Lauren Koslow has really "gone there" with her performance, she is demonstrating the skill and talent she possesses with writing that has allowed her to flourish. The chemistry between Koslow and Joe Mascolo is undeniable. Bravo to both of them, I will be insulted as a viewer if they don't net Emmy pre-nominations at DAYS and frankly, they both should win.

I have to give credit to Peggy McKay for playing Caroline just as you describe: as if she's always been this way but everyone has been too wrapped up in themselves to notice. That happens in real life, you think you know someone and then they get pushed and it all changes. It's very creepy and very effective.

[Toups]

Loved Kate's speech! So degrading yet hilarious. Hope to see more of Vivian getting involved with Stefano and Kate. It's such a mistake to have her not interact with them.

Hope's story finally gets interesting! It's been so boring for so long.

[Cat]

Oh, DF, I would love it if LK and JM got a supporting nod from the Emmys. They really have ignored Dyas far too long, IMO. Kristian Alfonso should have gotten a nomination for when her baby boy died, so should Ali Sweeney for Grace's death and Adriane Zucker for her work during her miscarriage (gosh, notice a baby theme here?). And yet the Emmy voters looked to the same old tired group of "stars" -- Tony Geary, Christian LeBlanc and Michelle Stafford.

I wish the SOD awards were back and televised. I think Days would get more love that way. Personally, I think Days is putting most other soaps in the shade, but I suspect my opinion is a minority one. Still, I'm not going to lie. I love pared-down Days. The writing is just the right side of campy and they have a lot of underrated actors out there who make scenes and entire SLs stand out. And Rogers, Aniston, Koslow and Mascolo are leading the pack.

[Dr Neil Curtis]

+1 +1 +1

[DaytimeFan]

As far as I'm concerned, Lauren Koslow and Joe Mascolo would be locks for Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor if the damn Emmys weren't so fixated on the usual suspects like Geary, LeBlanc and the Stafford who have been phoning in their performances for the better part of a decade. Arianne Zuker's nomination was a shocker to me since DAYS does so poorly, year in and year out. Koslow and Mascolo have been the definition of what supporting actors should be. They have carried the B storyline and in my opinion have made it the A storyline. They steal the show right out from under everyone else. They are the ones I tune in to see.

I don't understand the criticism about DAYS being pared down. To me, it's being tightly written and produced. Everything is flowing. Everything makes sense. It's going along organically. It's logical and emotional and character motivations are clear. Do we have explosions? No. Do we have multiple elaborate sets? No. Do we have action and adventure? No.

Do I find the show satisfying as hell and worth an hour of my time? You bet I do.

[Michael]

+1,000,000 to both of you!

[juniorz1]

BRAVO! I've never been a big fan of Lauren Koslow or her version of Kate, but I must say, I've come around this past year. It helps that they're no longer writing Kate as obsessed with her kids and their happiness. I also think the pairing with Mascolo has invigorated both character and actress.

Oh HELL YES to this! SIT DOWN Maria Arena Bell and Hogan Sheffer, because many of the reasons I used to love Y&R are now the reasons why I'm LOVING DAYS. The characters are so richly drawn and three dimensional now- these actors must be THRILLED after years of horrid characterizations and storytelling. I just LOVE the subtleties like the pained look on Nicole's face as Johnny was yelling for Sami- just a few years ago, Nicole would have had no compassion for Sami, as her hatred for her was priority one and the show insisted in shoving it in our faces, even at the expense of Nicole as a character.

The same goes for Kate. A few years ago, NO WAY would Kate have warned Sami that EJ was going to leave town with her children. Her hatred for Sami would have trumped everything, even her own life experience and history. There's a richness now in all of the characters that the writing simply never allowed for before and I have to say it's amazing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again- as a long-time Santa Barbara fan, it does my heart good to see Gina Gallego and Robin Mattson acting together again. But I LOVE the role reversal- Gallego's warden is clearly in charge of the operation, while Mattson's Lee is the weaker, more sympathetic character. Gallego has put a thousand percent into what little she's been given, though the story actually started getting good this week (probably what Alfonso was referring to in an interview she gave about a month ago). I shudder to think what the one dimensional and severely overrated Stacy Haiduk would have done in the part.

My only minor quibble is I wish this team would find yet another creative way to write Leann Hunley's Anna back into the action. I adore her and she largely helped hold the show together in the beginning of the year, when many had thought it lost it's way (the Sydney debacle, after all ,did begin to drag).

To take a page from DaytimeFan and Seinfeld's David Luchner(Cary Elwes)- Do I miss Deidre Hall's Marlena? Of course I do. Do I appreciate that the absence of her, John, Kayla, and Steve has turned CoupleDAYS into a truly ensemble show? You bet. As a fan and viewer since 1982, is this the best DAYS has ever been? Quite possibly.

Soap rags (I'm looking at YOU, SOD & TVGC) be damned! Days of our Lives has easily been the most consistent and well written soap for all of 2010, bar none. I have a feeling Michael Logan is going to agree.

[David_Vickers]

DAYS needs to kill off EJ & Nicole pronto, these 2 evil characters have been written into a corner and are too damned evil. James Scott and Arianne Zucker are very talented, Emmy-deserving actors, but they deserve better than playing these evil characters. EJ and Nicole have gone too far with the way they've blackmailed Sami and kidnapped her kids. DAYS should've let EJ shoot himself while drunk, or had to have died after Sami shot him and let her guilt off on temporary insanity. Nicole makes me sick, no sympathy at all. She acts as if Sydney is or was hers, she NEVER was she kidnapped her right before the cord was cut so to speak. This loon needs to finally lose it and kill herself or better yet, have her kill EJ after he takes Sydney way from her once and for all and Brady finally wakes up and quits having anything to do with bitch. Then send Nicole to the pen or have her off herself. Bring on Natalia Livingston as Sarah Horton instead of as Taylor Raines, Nicole's sister. If these 2 were on ONE LIFE they would've been murdered off in a Who Done It? Mystery a la Elijah Clarke or Margaret Cochran, or just written off like Mitch Laurance,

Also sick of Melanie's constant wining, Molly Burnett(Melanie) needs to be replaced. Also Casey Jon Deidrich(Chad) has really gotten scruffy and poor actor, drugs? The prison story needs to end, Kristian Alfonso(Hope) deserves much better, Hope should've never been sent to prison----she was mentally ill when she committed her crimes and taken advanatage by Dick Baker.

[DaytimeFan]

I agree about EJ, I feel he's been written into a corner as well. The only thing that saves the character is James Scott's charisma.

When it comes to Nicole, I feel quite differently. Whether it's the writing or Arianne Zuker's interpretation of the character in her performance, I feel absolute sympathy for Nicole and if there's anyone I hate in this storyline, it's Sami. The beauty of DAYS, in comparison to other soaps, is that people get to stick around a lot longer. DAYS hasn't done a 'Who Done It?' since The Killing Pool of 1998.

Molly Burnett is a love her or hate her actress. I happen to love her. She has an easy chemistry with most everyone. As well, Casey Deidrich's acting doesn't bother me at all. I think he's great.

Finally, the Hope in Jail storyline is a redemption tale for Hope, she was in desperate need of redemption.