DAYS: November Discussion Thread

[Michael]

I really, really don't think DH & DH are eating the show. Yes, they're at the center of the major storyline, but -- and I was a huge fan of how the show grew after letting them go in early 2009 -- it truly does not feel to me like they're pushing other characters offscreen. Maggie has been on more than John in the past week, and two of the days Marlena was on, she was supporting her stepson and grandson. I'm not LOVING their storyline, but I do feel there's a bit of overblown hysteria about how they've "taken over the show."

[remos]

I think a large part of it is the party for the Horton Square (which seems to be about the only truly Horton thing on the show now - pictures of dead people by a tree) where DH2 were the "Guests of Honour". While atrocious in itself, suddenly bang, they are 1/3 of the show with their entourage of Carrie, Austin and Rage. Abe might be running for office but his place is still supporting John. I even saw the stats that Hall had the highest or closet to highest number of days for the month. It's a whole picture thing and leaving a very sour taste in my mouth. She's almost like the Jason Quartermaine of Days - not driving story (right now) but everywhere like Waldo.

[juniorz1]

AMEN!

Maggie rocks and Suzanne Rogers has proven what a more than capable asset she was since the show first used her again, back in 2003 with the SSK. Suzanne was BEYOND interesting and layered in her sessions with Marlena leading up to her ultimate "death" a month later. Ever since then, the show has given her more to do and she has hit every ball they've tossed her out of the park. The "Buried Alive" retread, while not the show's best storyline ever, only worked because of the performances given by Eric Martsolf, Louise Sorel, and Rogers. Which reminds me that Suzanne has chemistry with every single person in the cast. Every one, including some of the weaker performers like Molly Burnett (not MY opinion), Suzanne brings the best out of.

I'm perfectly fine with Maggie driving story and frankly, I'd really like to see Julie (and Doug) drive a story again. Hell, we ALL know Susan Hayes and Bill Hayes have it in them. Yes, I LOVE Deidre and Marlena and am thrilled she's back. But IMO, that takes nothing away from Suzanne and her ability to be a lead on DAYS.

[Michael]

I can see what you're saying, but on the other hand, of course they and their story group are 1/3 of the show. A full third of the cast left in the week that the transition took place. I could do with fewer scenes of John and Marlena sitting around the townhouse talking about how she's going to prove his innocence, and I would certainly love to have a few more Hortons on the show (although Hope, Jen, and Maggie are all Hortons in prominent story positions right now), but to me, the problem with the show right now doesn't seem like it's being consumed by John and Marlena -- it's that everything is in this slow, weirdly understated, perpetual setup phase instead of being exciting.

[Toups]

I don't understand the correlation between the DH's being back and Maggie's screen time.

Also, the only type of rotation to me is between your leads. For example, during Reilly-1 there were the big 4 storylines: Kristen/John/Marlena/Stefano, Lucas/Sami/Austin/Carrie, Billie/Bo/Hope, Jack/Jen/Peter. Whenever one of those lead characters' storyline wind down or there was a slow period, another one would take its place as the "A" storyline for a while. To me, there are your lead characters and your supporting characters. I just don't see Maggie as one of the big leads on the show. Just my preference. Would I like to see her get some story? Of course! I like Maggie too. But to complain that the DH's are back and that they're taking away Maggie's screen time is a bit rubbish to me. Plus, Maggie had 10 episodes in October. That's good enough for her "C" or "D" storyline.

[remos]

It's not Maggie vs. Marlena - they are in two different stories and don't need to be compared as characters.

It's QUALITY vs QUANTITY and giving the lesser actor the better story. When is that going to stop so the better actors can perhaps help these shows get out of the gutter. Heaven knows same old same old doesn't improve anything.

[Days22]

Or ya know, soaps can stop having 1 decent story while the rest are atrocious.

[remos]

^^ it does seem the writers are a consistently myopic bunch.

[Mr. Vixen]

[quartermainefan]

and damn straight too!

Marlena traipsed into town "step aside, bitches!" and pushed everyone out of the way including Sami!

But anyway, I don't see that anyone since Hall has been better than Hall at fronting stories. Was the odious and anti-talented Tamara Braun better than Hall? Was daytime acting icon Crystal Chapell really such an asset to the show? Were our lives really enriched by listening to Arianne Zucker say "sydney!" for three years? What did any of these people show and do other than they are no better and often worse than perhaps lesser actors who might have a little more charisma? And in Tamara Braun's case there are no lesser actors. John and Marlena have not starred in a story since something like 2008? Something like that anyway, I forget when they left. I think the show rotated them out for a long enough period of time that having them star in a story is not an egregious display or airhoggery. Now, EJ, Sami, and Nicole..now they have been on non-stop since Marlena left. Write them off the show and leave John and Marlena alone, I say.

[Sindacco]

Who is the better or lesser actor is an opinion, not facts. I personally find Suzanne Rogers to be cringeworthy and I cheered when Maggie was killed.

[remos]

Oh, absolutely. It's all opinion - but that's what we do here.

Baby Boy, this was HARSH on the eyes first thing in the morning. You owe your Mama a latte.

[Toups]

Well, you were making it Maggie vs Marlena by posting this:

Complaining about DH's airtime and Maggie getting a "B" storyline.

Not always. On soaps, it's about the STAR actor/character, not who is the better actor. Deidre/Marlena is the bigger star, the bigger character than Suzanne/Maggie. On AMC, Susan Lucci isn't that great of actress, but she's the star of that show, not Julia Barr. On Y&R, Eric Braeden not exactly superb on a day-to-day basis and he's the star of Y&R, not Doug Davidson. These are characters and actors who overcome their "bad acting" because they have special "it factor". Suzanne is in that category with Juila Barr and Doug Davidson - great actors who are considered "better actors" than their costars, but they're never going to be the star of the their show, they're not going to be in that "A" storyline.

[remos]

^^ You misread me Toups, I was comparing the AIRTIME and story quality between the two. Personally I think DH is a joke as far as a celebrated actress - but none of that takes away from the fact that she has A line stories when much better actresses are stuck without.

I find it interesting to look at Days cast photos over the years. Slowly Hall was moved towards the front centre with Francis Reed while Rogers was pushed off to the side. It's certainly a statement of their treatment by the show.

[jcar03]

EJ shot John in December 2006 which was the same time as he made Sami sleep with him and she got pregnant with Johnny. John was in a coma for months before finally coming out of it than of course a few months later was hit by a car and "died." This storyline cause that guy to try and attack Drake Hogestyn in real life because he thought he was dead on the show or something nutty like that.