This was such a great showcase for Kate. It is a perfect illustration of just how versatile Kate is and how you can plug her into any story on a dime and it, just like that, kicks the story up a few levels. Sami shooting EJ, Brady burying Vivian, Chloe and Daniel...you just send in Kate and one segment later you have a full story ready to go and it doesn't matter what kind of story it is, Kate will fit in.

I personally love Sami right now. I love that she's a flawed, three dimensional character. It's not as if the show wants us to think that she is completely in the right -- Will has called her out, EJ even pointed out "Sami tends to view things differently when SHE is in the wrong." And we know Sami's past. I think the writing for her is pretty consistent and true to form. Sure, Sami is railing against Rafe but would Sami ever not? Would Sami be the kind of character who'd admit she slept with EJ and just say "let bygones be bygones?" She'd never tell unless she's forced at gunpoint (or the altar).

I personally love Sami right now. I love that she's a flawed, three dimensional character. It's not as if the show wants us to think that she is completely in the right -- Will has called her out, EJ even pointed out "Sami tends to view things differently when SHE is in the wrong." And we know Sami's past. I think the writing for her is pretty consistent and true to form. Sure, Sami is railing against Rafe but would Sami ever not? Would Sami be the kind of character who'd admit she slept with EJ and just say "let bygones be bygones?" She'd never tell unless she's forced at gunpoint (or the altar).

I think they've stacked the deck in some ways to make sure she's not too unsympathetic (she had sex with EJ because she thought her son was dead; Rafe betrayed her with Carrie for no apparent reason; Will is verbally and physically abusive to her), but she still comes off as unpleasant. I think that's a big problem with a lot of this story - Rafe, Sami, and Will all seem much more unlikeable than the script probably intends.

Yeah, i actually think this is the most Sami she has been in a long time. Shes overreacting, going over the top, extreme, passionate, hypocritical, and losing control. Thats who she is, thats who she should be. And lets be real for a moment - the fact that she slept with EJ doesnt matter because Rafe nor Carrie are aware of it, and even if they were it does not excuse her husband and her sister kissing and having feelings for eachother. Add onto that the fact that Sami really isnt good enough for Rafe and she tends to lose the love of the people in her life she wants love from - Roman, Marlena, Austin, to an extent Will - to Carrie and has always been insecure around her and it all works. And for Sami herself it doesnt matter, because thats how she rolls.

The part that doesnt work? None of that is being played up. Like most things on the show, the stories actually do work and are in character but they are missing the beats to play and show it.

I personally love Sami right now. I love that she's a flawed, three dimensional character. It's not as if the show wants us to think that she is completely in the right -- Will has called her out, EJ even pointed out "Sami tends to view things differently when SHE is in the wrong." And we know Sami's past. I think the writing for her is pretty consistent and true to form. Sure, Sami is railing against Rafe but would Sami ever not? Would Sami be the kind of character who'd admit she slept with EJ and just say "let bygones be bygones?" She'd never tell unless she's forced at gunpoint (or the altar).

Exactly.

I forgot to mention but Abby is shaping up to be quite the little bitch! I loved her taunting Austin in front of Carrie by having him squirm. She has power that she is only now starting to realize and I see her using it. What a manipulative skank and I love it

This was such a great showcase for Kate. It is a perfect illustration of just how versatile Kate is and how you can plug her into any story on a dime and it, just like that, kicks the story up a few levels. Sami shooting EJ, Brady burying Vivian, Chloe and Daniel...you just send in Kate and one segment later you have a full story ready to go and it doesn't matter what kind of story it is, Kate will fit in.

Exactly. (And Ian Buchanan -- rowlllllllll. He and his GH compatriot Tristan Rogers may be "of a certain age" but... yeah. Still got it). Thank heavens they've given him some backstory with Kate. Sit back and watch two pros like Buchanan and Koslow summon up the chemistry. Suddeny the potential for story is endless. Madison & Kate's rivalry reignited! And can you imagine what Stefano's going to do when he spots the tension between those two? LOL

Love having Melanie back and being a VOR to Abby.

As much as I didn't want the show to go back to the EJ/Sami well one more time, the story has worked. It brought Chandler Massey a whole Emmy reel of scenes for next year and it turned out to be a good story, done in character.

As for the overall show, I sense the balance is tipping again. Why aren't we seeing more of Maggie? There are other characters sitting on the sidelines twiddling their thumbs. The balance problem isn't as bad as it was when we went through the reboot...

I think Marlene and Darrell are trying hard, but they're suffering from the problem of pacing, rewrites, and daily scripts that are weaker than some others. Still, I haven't closed the door yet.

Oh wow, so they are actually saying John and Hope got married during submarine sex

I missed the episode where they established the timing of the Hope/John wedding. Submarine sex was on John's honeymoon with Marlena, right? So how are they getting around the fact that John was already married to Marlena at this time?

As much as I didn't want the show to go back to the EJ/Sami well one more time, the story has worked. It brought Chandler Massey a whole Emmy reel of scenes for next year and it turned out to be a good story, done in character.

I think the story should have worked, but between some characterization issues and hammy/odd acting, and bizarre story choices (like having Carrie/Rafe together before the truth was revealed) it misfired a lot. If I didn't know better I would have thought the headwriters had never worked on soaps before.

I missed the episode where they established the timing of the Hope/John wedding. Submarine sex was on John's honeymoon with Marlena, right? So how are they getting around the fact that John was already married to Marlena at this time?

If they are remembering the Alex North retconned history that would mean John/Marlena's 1999 marriage was invalid anyway because she would have been married to North all that time.

I think the story should have worked, but between some characterization issues and hammy/odd acting, and bizarre story choices (like having Carrie/Rafe together before the truth was revealed) it misfired a lot. If I didn't know better I would have thought the headwriters had never worked on soaps before.

That's my biggest problem with it. By having Rafe cheat with Carrie they've taken some of the drama away. Of course, they can always try to resurrect the Rafe/Carrie drama when Rafe finds out about Sami and EJ and Carrie finds out what Austin did.

That's my biggest problem with it. By having Rafe cheat with Carrie they've taken some of the drama away. Of course, they can always try to resurrect the Rafe/Carrie drama when Rafe finds out about Sami and EJ and Carrie finds out what Austin did.

its very messy. and not in the its entertaining messy with a plan kind of messy. just... it feels like a bunch of plot points happening to serve the next one.

IF they were going to have Rafe and Carrie get caught first,t hey needed to play that and hold onto the EJ/Sami secret much longer. In order for that to work I'd probably have them have sex, then throw in Abigail tricking Austin into thinking they had sex and you have an interesting soap story that can go on for ages.

IF they were going to have Rafe and Carrie get caught first,t hey needed to play that and hold onto the EJ/Sami secret much longer. In order for that to work I'd probably have them have sex, then throw in Abigail tricking Austin into thinking they had sex and you have an interesting soap story that can go on for ages.

I'm not even sure why they needed the EJ/Sami sex. If it was supposed to give Will an excuse to do his overblown huffing and puffing, they could have found a better reason. They could have slowly destroyed Rafe/Sami - they had plenty of material, especially with Austin, Marlena, John, and Carrie returning. The whole idea of "irony" and "history repeating itself" fails when the situations have absolutely nothing in common and the characters don't either.

Edited February 17, 201213 yr by CarlD2

The whole idea of "irony" and "history repeating itself" fails when the situations have absolutely nothing in common and the characters don't either.

I completely disagree with this.

I dont want to see a recycled story touted as honoring history - and that isnt what this is in any way. It is similar in the way that Sami walking in on marlena and john shaped her, made her hate her mother, and dictated her wraped view of love and relationships from there on. It was the biggest moment in her life. She recreated that moment for will. No, the situation and the relationships were not the same, thankfully. It is a nod to history, not a retelling or repeat of it. thats the way soaps should be honoring history, IMHO. Now where it falls flat is the motivations and impact and fallout, but the actual moment itself - and the confrontation was very well done. I cant wait to see the Marlena and Sami showdown.