Members Sindacco Posted May 6, 2011 Members Share Posted May 6, 2011 This is why I don't enjoy Stefano as much as I used to. I hate that Stefano is now a normal citizen living in Salem. It has ruined him just like it ruined him in 1998-2001 (I know alot of people blame the science-fiction crap with tooth chips and brain chips but that was just one of the reasons). Stefano used to be the larger than life villain that would come and go. There was this mystique around him. We didn't have to see him all the time. We already had a "living in Salem" kind of villain in Victor who was more of a classic gangster turned business tycoon. And through the years we've had alot of other villains in Salem but Victor was always the major one after Stefano. This isn't just the writers fault, it seems like Joe doesn't want to work the way he did in the past when Stefano used to come and go. Contract: January 18, 1982 - March 8, 1983 Recurring: March 2, 1984 - May 11, 1984 Contract: October 19, 1984 - February 22, 1985 Recurring: November 4, 1988 - December 19, 1988 Contract: September 17, 1993 - August 3, 1994 Contract: November 4, 1994 - August 14, 1996 Contract: October 4, 1996 - December 24, 1996 Recurring: February 7, 1997 - February 13, 1997 Contract: June 13, 1997 - June 14, 2001 Contract: June 6, 2007 - February 29, 2008 Contract: August 5, 2008 - Present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cheap21 Posted May 6, 2011 Members Share Posted May 6, 2011 Days isnt larger than life with cataclysmic plots which threaten to destroy the lives of nearly everyone in town anymore. The show and its plots have evolved and as a result so have the characters as a means to stay relevant and consistent with the changing times. It wouldnt make sense to write Stefano the way he was in the 80s and 90s. What is there left to fight for? He's older, he's mellowed out; it makes sense. Like Jack said, he's still doing very Stefano like things like with this Rafe plot but even that borders on the line of over the top at times. What we are seeing is probably the most relatable Stefano has been in a long time and he works the way he has. I prefer this version over the previous cartoon villian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aMLCproduction Posted May 6, 2011 Members Share Posted May 6, 2011 I think Dena has done a great job in spliting up EJ and Sami . Its know longer their show. I commend her for that as I enjoy Days much better now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sindacco Posted May 6, 2011 Members Share Posted May 6, 2011 Stefano's only purpose on the show these days is to help EJ in his plots (Sami/Rafe) or to screw up EJ's love life (Nicole, Taylor). That's been his only purpose since he came back in 2008. Even in his 2007 return it felt like that most of the times while other more important stuff like the Tony/Andre reveal, Benjy's death, John's death, Marlena's revenge, etc had very little to do with Stefano when it should have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted May 6, 2011 Members Share Posted May 6, 2011 I think the show erred years ago in not developing Stefano's OTT stories to be about more than just Marlena or John. I think they also erred in making a lot of his later stories so...bad. They seemed to think if they had the cartoonish elements that's all they needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JackPeyton Posted May 6, 2011 Members Share Posted May 6, 2011 I agree, completely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dc cubs Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Totally agree on Reckell. He is my favorite actor on Days and the reason I tuned in 25+ years ago. He has really improved since the 80's but as you said is still very under rated. I just wish Days could use him more but know that his low episode guarantees are due to budget issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Toups Posted May 6, 2011 Administrator Share Posted May 6, 2011 That's why Stefano's best stories will always be the ones from the 80's to 1997. I think Stefano's being watered down has to do with Joe getting older. He can't be running around anymore. Nobody's going to remember 2000's Stefano. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Toups Posted May 6, 2011 Administrator Share Posted May 6, 2011 It wouldn't make any sense for them to be attracted to each other. This is the type of idea that someone like Tom Langan would come up with! Bad bad idea! That's all their relationship should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Michael Posted May 6, 2011 Members Share Posted May 6, 2011 I love that, after all these years, we're really getting to see Stefano DiMera as an actual character. I don't really see him as being 'neutered' -- we're just seeing him in the context of an actual personal relationship. When Kate betrayed him, remember how he started screwing with her, making her go apologize to Daniel and Chloe, inviting Vivian over for dinner, then kicking her out anyway? That was cruel. He's still cruel. He actually seems less dopey to me than he did in that 1998-2001 window, and I just love having him on the show. He's sort of the bizarro Alice Horton, for me. And I think the only way that Bo/Jen could ever fly, at this point, is if Hope were dead and they turned to each other in their grief, with a very slow build from loving friendship to something deeper. Back in 2001, it might've worked, but there is no way Bo or Jen would do that to Hope if she were alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Toups Posted May 6, 2011 Administrator Share Posted May 6, 2011 I do think he's better now than that 1998-2001 period. He's still great to watch but I won't remember him for these storylines. Yeah, that's only possible way I could see it happening....but the thought of DAYS ending (we only got a year or two left) with Bo/Jen....that doesn't sound right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Michael Posted May 6, 2011 Members Share Posted May 6, 2011 Oh, totally. Literally the only way THAT would work is if Kristian Alfonso were to die in real life or something (I feel bad even saying that)... If Days is gonna end in the next few years, I think it has to be established that, even if they're not all onscreen, John/Marlena, Bo/Hope, Jen/Jack, and Steve/Kayla are all together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KLN Posted May 6, 2011 Members Share Posted May 6, 2011 I think I could. With better writing, anything is possible. But his schemes don't make any sense. Take this two-Rafes story, for example. It's quite obvious that the writers made it up as they went along. From what I've gathered, Stefano's goal was to eliminate Rafe as a thorn in his side, so if that's the case, why didn't he just kill him? Why bother with a doppelganger and go to the trouble of locking Rafe in the basement just to move him to a sanitarium? What was the purpose of keeping Rafe alive? Then there's the EJ angle. From what I can tell, EJ couldn't care less about Sami anymore. He's all about Taylor, so how exactly does he benefit from turning Sami against her husband? It's not like she's going to go running back to him after she gets a divorce. I read something about EJ's goal being to make it look like Sami has an unstable home so he can win custody of the kids, but that's a weak motive at best. Couldn't he tell the judge she shot him in the head and achieve the same result? It's just... none of it makes any sense. What irks me the most though is that the writers are trying to make Rafe the new John Black. I don't understand why Stefano gives a damn about him in the first place. I mean, I understood why he did battle with Roman and I understood why he did battle with John. But Rafe? He's so not a worthy adversary. The writers are lowering Stefano considerably by having him do battle with such a miniscule pissant. Who's he going to go after next? Dario? But where's the story? All I'm seeing are scenes. Random scenes stuffed into random episodes as filler. There's no story. Victor and Maggie are cute, but I need a little more content than a few sweet lines spoken once or twice a week to hold my interest. Why not? There's tremendous potential for the character with so many of her rivals on the canvas. There's Victor, Stefano, Kate, Carly... hell, even Melanie. And I'm sure Nicholas will be back soon. Vivian being on the show makes perfect sense. The only reason she isn't clicking with viewers is because Higley doesn't know how the hell to write her. Like every other "villain" on the show, she's been completely neutered and turned into a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cheap21 Posted May 6, 2011 Members Share Posted May 6, 2011 Vivian needs to team up with Chloe to take Kate down. I really want to see an unholy alliance between them. It would give Chloe some purpose bc she's walking around town like a hopeless cause Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Michael Posted May 6, 2011 Members Share Posted May 6, 2011 ^ Ooh, I like that! And Kenny, I don't agree with you on much these days, but you're right about the fact that Vivian has a place on this show. The stories are there, but it's like they keep forgetting to do anything with her. I really think bringing Nicholas on would open up story for so many people, especially if they were to try a Nicholas/Chloe pairing. I think they went too far having Sami shoot EJ and eventually having him find out, because you're right -- he basically has to forget about that in order for the stories to keep going. I would be okay if there were never another story/situation involving Johnny or Sydney again, though, so as soon as this two-Rafes thing is over (I do think the story has been worth some of the big leaps or suspensions of disbelief, because it's put Sami in the sort of position she should be in) I want EJ and Sami out of each other's orbits for a good, long while. Rafe has foiled stupid DiMera plots enough times by coming to Sami's rescue that I can see why Stefano is so offended by his continued existence, but you're correct in that he's no John Black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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