DAYS: Leading Actor Possibly Leaving

[DRW50]

I think where we disagree is the idea that fans supported Sami and Austin. I don't think they did. I don't think they had any interest in this pairing. A lot of viewers never cared about Austin Peck in the first place, and they cared even less about Austin/Sami. Would it have made a statement if they'd said, "We don't ever want Austin to be with his rapist"? Yes. Does their not saying this mean they just loved Austin/Sami and felt that the rape was A-OK? I don't think it does.

But THE SHOW made her a hapless victim. The show had Sami held at gunpoint and coerced into having sex or Lucas would die. The show had Sami weeping for an entire year. The show had Sami telling people she was raped. The show had stories where any attempt by Sami to stand up for herself was a pathetic failure, and that EJ and Lucas had to save her from herself and from Andre.

Many fans were willing to overlook the Sami/EJ rape scene. It was the show that wanted it so many different ways, and thought that it made more sense to have them in a past life than addressing what happened. The show led the way on any of this confusion and ugliness, because Sheffer doesn't tell stories, he does scenes. And scenes where women are forced but maybe it was hot are something he does again and again.

And the show had Sami as evil for years after she raped Austin. The show even had Austin unwittingly plow her with his car and run back over her for good measure.

[Skin]

My problem is that soap fans don't care about any rapist and rape victim love combination unless it's a male who raped a female, then they get all red in the face because it's "wrong" and "socially irresponsible" yet they continuously turn a blind eye to male rape victims falling in love with their female rapists.

Logical error. Does not compute.

[Ira]

Just to add a tidbit to the conversation, Sami did bring up her rape/assault of Austin when she eventually forgave EJ for what he did to her, back when she was living in the DiMera mansion when they were seriously pursuing a relationship.

[DRW50]

There's only been one soap story where a leading female character raped a leading male character and they eventually became a couple.

I guess there was also James and Sheila on B&B, if that was rape. But that relationship was over very quickly and Sheila went nuts again.

Thanks. I didn't know that.

[dragonflies]

Damn he re-signed for a year

http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/james-scott-re-signs-days

[JaneAusten]

Like it or not it would have been bad timing for the show to let him walk at this point in time. Its a good move for the show.

[Cheap21]

thank god. I hope these new writers are actually invested in he and Nicole

[Shawn]

I agree 100%. He's too much involved in numerous plots to be written out, or worse, recast. Very smart move to keep him for another year. If he does decide to leave then, hopefully the writing team will think ahead and not have him be the main focus of the show at that time.

[edgeofnik]

good to create controversy to determine how much ppl care about EJ and JS. Not keen on DAYS for past few years, BUT I don't want another show gone. Soaps need to keep their stars. I'd rather see fewer strong characters than a lot of dead weight.

[Skin]

I think he is going to fly the coop next time. Just like Billy Miller. That one year deal thing almost never happens unless the soap isabsolutely desperate to keep them.

[AmandainNC28655]

Most of the stars that have signed 1 year contracts in the past, stay well only a year. I think that this is just an extension and a way for DAYS to wrap up EJ's storyline and prepare for JS to go back to England since that is what his desires are. JMO.

[Shawn]

He's most likely going to leave after his new contract is up. He hasn't hidden the fact that he wants to move back overseas and leave soaps altogether.