I watched Friday's episode, which was the first episode I've seen since the third day of the Horton Town Square party. From what I saw, the reboot has failed to fix any of the problems with the series, and, in fact, has only added to the show's problems.

Friday's episode featured Sami, Rafe, Austin, Carrie, Marlena, John, Roman, Jack, Jennifer, and Caroline. Five of the returning cast members dominated the episode. It was like watching a completely different program. Other than Jack and Jennifer's story all the other stories were basically new. Jack and Jen's story was basically a continuation of Jennifer's story that was already in place. There story was the one I was most interested in.

The scenes with Jack and Jennifer wavered from good to awful. The confrontation between Jack and Jennifer over the incident on Halloween night was weak. As previously mentioned, Jennifer should have called J.J. and gotten to the bottom of it. The conversation between Rafe and Jack about post-traumatic stress was good. I myself was thinking how Jack's situation was similar to Shane's return last May. Stranding Jack and Jennifer at the cabin was good, but Jack's Afghanistan flashbacks were overly produced in my opinion. I think the audience was smart enough to figure out what was going on without them. Anyway, the conflict was good and I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of this plays out next week.

On the otherhand, the other storylines did little to excite me. Sami, Carrie, Austin, and Rafe living arrangement appears to be a rather uncomfortable arc highlighting the limitations of the show's sets. Quite frankly, it is rather contrived and seems rather age inappropriate. Carrie / Rafe is the only thing that interested me, but the idea of Carrie and Sami fighting over the same man again doesn't. It was nice to see the Jennifer / Sami connection played again.

The John - Marlena conflict highlights why I was happy to see the characters depart in January 2009. John and Marlena blaming Stefano for everything is boring. This was part of the show's problem. The writers and, to an extent, the fans haven't allowed Marlena and John to grow past this. For twenty-five years, Marlena and John have fought against Stefano without changing the dynamic. Unfortunately, the show has never truly let go of Stefano Dimera supervillain even though the show spent the better part of the last three or four years evolving the character.

In general, I have no problem with the actors who have returned, but I feel they have been a disservice by being forced to carry the show. While returning characters, the audience needed time to readjust to these characters. You don't allow newbies to dominate a show and that is what Jack, Austin, Carrie, Marlena, and John are at the moment. It's a shame that the show didn't take advantage of what was going on and use those stories to reintroduce the characters into the canvas. John and Marlena could have been involved in Sami's and Brady's stories while laying the groundwork for the embezzlement story while allowing the audience to reaquaint themselves with these characters. Austin and Carrie could have been involved in Will's story given the significance of Will in the past triangle between Austin / Carrie / Sami allowing more bonding between Carrie and Sami before ripping their newfound sisterhood apart.

My other issue with the show is I don't get the sense the show knows where it is going next. We all know how the Daniel / Jennifer / Jack situation will end, but I don't get the sense TPTB know where it will be going. Once John and Marlena handle the scandal, I don't see what story there is for them. While the show seems to be heading towards a Rafe / Carrie pairing, I don't see the dramatic potential of this storyline. Other than ruffling Sami and Austin's feathers, I just don't see how this will affect others. Anyway, I hope I'm proven wrong.

+1 and I could not have said it better myself.

Victor and Maggie getting married is rushed.Maggie should have accepted in the excitement and then had second thoughts.Melissa visits to discuss with her mother her doubts about Victor.(Lisa Trusel seems willing to return from time to time) Julie should definitely chime in. Maggie talking to a picture of Mickey about her confusion.

Maggie is overwhelmed and tells Victor she has changed her mind.Victor gets grumpy and says perhaps then they should stop seeing each other,blah,blah,blah

Classic soap stuff.

Victor and Maggie getting married is rushed.Maggie should have accepted in the excitement and then had second thoughts.Melissa visits to discuss with her mother her doubts about Victor.(Lisa Trusel seems willing to return from time to time) Julie should definitely chime in. Maggie talking to a picture of Mickey about her confusion.

Maggie is overwhelmed and tells Victor she has changed her mind.Victor gets grumpy and says perhaps then they should stop seeing each other,blah,blah,blah

Classic soap stuff.

The whole thing is quite rushed and not fitting with the dialogue just two months ago that Maggie was going home and wasn't ready for marriage. I can't help worrying that this is setting the stage to push Magic even further into the background after the pre-requisit "you lied to me" argument over Daniel when it finally happens (not if).

I don't know why soaps do this to themselves…. why all this boasting of "getting back to the basics" when there's a great deal of argument about what that should and does mean. Surely to heavens complicated characters are not difficult to write - we've seen them - and coming up with new dynamics or series of interactions should be the expectation of new writers. This same-old same-old with different packaging is not going to impress the already dwindling soap fans.

I'm confused as to why it was an even issue that McHairyChest's mom used someone else's eggs to conceive? He acts like it's the worst thing in the world.

I cant even enjoy the fantastic chemistry that EJ and Nicole are having onscreen knowing that she's about to

get steamrolled as the show does EJ/Sami yet again. Poor Nicole keeps getting tossed aside

They need to bring on a new man for Nicole.

I wish James and Ari didn't spark so well together. But they have "it" in spades.

Edited November 7, 201114 yr by Antoyne

I'm confused as to why it was an even issue that McHairyChest's mom used someone else's eggs to conceive? He acts like it's the worst thing in the world.

I could see someone being upset about this. Suddenly you literally are not who you thought you were.

She still birthed him and raised him did she not?

She still birthed him and raised him did she not?

That wasn't what I was referring to. It is just all of a sudden you find out your blood is not what you thought it was, and those cousins at the family reunion you thought connected to all these years because it was so cool that 120 years ago some guy had three brothers on Ellis Island aren't even your cousins. You think you are part of one tribe, and suddenly you are part of another. That pilgrimage you took back to the old country and Castle Daniel where your great great great grandfather died in a gunfight over a girl, well now it isn't your history anymore so who gives a !@$%?

Then you adjust and life goes on, but it is all a lot to take in.

Still came from his papa. And all that stuff is still true of your family. I still don't see the big deal.

Edited November 7, 201114 yr by Antoyne

They need to bring on a new man for Nicole.

I wish James and Ari didn't spark so well together. But they have "it" in spades.

Quinn????

It really doesn't make much sense for Quinn to be brought back. He's got some heavy baggage (of course, so does EJ yet he remains on the canvas, but I digress...) and no family ties except to a character who was just written off (Viv) and who'll more than likely never return again. I get it, he's good looking, has pecs that almost require a bra, but really, what's the point? Why not just write in a new character to run a spa?

I think they should keep Quinn as a shady character. The show needs a none-DiMera villain.

Quinnn was more of a nuisance than solid villian. The show spent quite a bit of his last month redeeming him. He does seem like a waste

DAYS has missed a couple of great opportunities to show flashbacks: today when Jack/Jen were talking about being stuck in a cabin (did that really happen?), and last week when Bo/Hope were walking about their previous weddings.

Loved Brady/Madison today. Today's scenes were once again, what I call, "flashback worthy scenes" - scenes that could be used in the future for flashbacks or montages. Also, we learned more about Madison. I wish Brady brought up that his mother also died of cancer. That would've been a good bonding moment.

I think they should keep Quinn as a shady character. The show needs a none-DiMera villain.

I agree. I've always thought he had a lot of potential. The DAYS has done a poor job in creating new bad guys and schemers.

I don't think he's right for Nicole since he's shorter than she is. I was thinking Quinn could become interested in Carrie.