I'm all for breaking up Lexie and Abe but her reaction has been flat out stupid.

WTH, Lexie is leaving Abe over this? Now I will agree that she is overreacting. Im down with her being mad but this isnt cause for seperation. I do like how Nicole and EJ were saying that they would be there for her and welcome her back into the Dimera family fold

The Kate/Madison feud finally makes sense and this story now has life in it again.

I wonder who Nicole was talking to at the end

Edited February 20, 201213 yr by Cheap21

This Lexie/Abe breakup is so stupid. I wish Abe would've brought up the affairs and the baby switch to shut her up.

Why isn't Nicole telling EJ she fixed the results? It makes no sense for her to keep that from EJ.

Now we know why Madison hates Kate but I would've prefered Kate being the woman Madison's dad left the family for - I hope that actually comes into play down the road.

I love Ian. Finally a new villain who's not a DiMera

Ian to Madison: "Don't you be a silly girl, you're not going anywhere".

Ian to Brady: "You better watch your temper young man, especially around me".

His scenes have been great to watch. And I've been wanting a villain who isn't a Dimera for a long time too. I hoped that person would've been Quinn but that's not going to happen. I also like that Ian isn't afraid of Victor and Stefano.

Apparently that means sympathetic. And this whole notion that Carrie and Rafe came out of nowhere is still baffling to me as they've been flirting and having close calls for months, which in soap time is ages...

In soap time months is not that long, especially when it makes no real sense for the characters (Rafe in particular). Carrie's only been back since late fall and by early February she and Rafe are kissing? They're having close calls almost immediately after she returns to town? There aren't even the reasons which were there when she cheated with Mike or with Austin. I just don't see what it added to the story, other than to have some type of level playing field in terms of how people would view Sami. Instead of the story being about Sami betraying the man who loves her, she cheated on the guy who soon cheated on her.

I was going to agree to disagree but since you commented again after that about what I said I wasn't sure if you wanted a response or not. Sorry if that goes against what you asked, I wasn't sure what you were indicating.

Nowhere in this story is Sami portrayed as sympathetic. They are writing her ugly and exposing her flaws. I think she'd be more sympathetic if she weren't vehemently attacking Rafe or Carrie but she is and it's doing her no favors at all. She doesn't even come across remorseful for what she did. As long as no one knows then it doesn't matter to her

I think having Will shove her around and call her a whore is something which probably would get some sympathy. The Carrie/Rafe stuff comes across that way to me as well, even if the acting hasn't been overly sympathetic.

Edited February 20, 201213 yr by CarlD2

This Abe & Lexie breakup is so stupid, but I don't care. Anything to free Alexandra from Abraham.

This Abe & Lexie breakup is so stupid, but I don't care. Anything to free Alexandra from Abraham.

LOL! I agree. I am loving this breakup because it's finally going to get Lexie away from him!

Big Bad Ian is a stone faced joke. He does nothing for me..

LOL! I agree. I am loving this breakup because it's finally going to get Lexie away from him!

Big Bad Ian is a stone faced joke. He does nothing for me..

IA. I hope they throw Lexie back to EJ and Nicole takes a hike to Jack or someone new. Im so bored with EJ these days and his ticklefests( barring Will) and would love to see he and Lexie get their DiMera groove back.

And IA about Ian. IB who I like does nothing for me in this role and I see no chem with LK. I keep picturing a deliciously sinister Tristan Rogers in this role as he was awesome as Colin on Y&R.

Rafe and Carrie has been hinted at since Carrie returned. The flirty friendship started when they were working on John's case. I'm not sure if you're choosing to ignore it or what. I don't understand this need for things to take years to build when soaps don't even have that kind of time in 2012.

I agree with both parts of this debate, but I do disagree that since the soaps' time is limited, they should do quick builds. Quick builds and quick couplings like this is a large part of the type of storytelling that had a hand in killing each show that's off the air and some that are still on. You build & sustain an audience by making them wait, as long as things are paced properly and we have some story peaks and twists along the way.

And right now, I think most of us can agree that pacing is a HUGE problem with this regime right now, probably their biggest problem. The ability to write some long-term story seems to be there, as this Alice/Stefano thing has legs. But unfortunately, the story has been zigging and zagging all over the place and whether it's true or not, it's starting to feel schizophrenic.

Edited February 21, 201213 yr by juniorz1

I agree with both parts of this debate, but I do disagree that since the soaps' time is limited, they should do quick builds. Quick builds and quick couplings like this is a large part of the type of storytelling that had a hand in killing each show that's off the air and some that are still on. You build & sustain an audience by making them wait, as long as things are paced properly.

And right now, I think most of us can agree that pacing is a HUGE problem with this regime right now, probably their biggest problem.

I also agree with both. The show definetly has had something in mind bc many on here noted on the testing. On the flip side, I perosnally never saw anything romantic with them with either having feelings for the other. I think that may be a flaw in the writing they came across more platonic as opposed to anything sexual. Their kiss definetly didnt come out of left field though bc it seems as if that is where they were heading with things

Edited February 21, 201213 yr by Cheap21

Would it be too much to ask if I can get Lexie to move back into the mansion? When she told Abe she was taking Theo with her it was such a BITCH move and I absolutely loved it! I almost felt sorry for Abe. When she spat that he became the very thing he despised and it made her sick I laughed out loud. The dude looked like she physically punched him.

I don't undertand why Nicole is keeping the secret from EJ. Neither he nor Stephano will care if she tampered with the results. Unless EJ wanted to win on his own merits then I would undertsand all the hand ringing she's doing otherwise this is stupid.

Equally stupid is Madison staying with Ian. Unless he's physically abusing her it has to be one hell of a secret he's holding over her head to force her to stay with him.

He's a joke as a villian and I don't buy that Kate will be all hot and bothered over this geezer.

This Lexie/Abe breakup is so stupid. I wish Abe would've brought up the affairs and the baby switch to shut her up.

I completely agree, Toups. However, I still thought today's episode was excellent.

Hey, I do apologize for asking some of these questions again, but I really am trying to pick this show back up via Hulu after months away:

- What as the upshot of John's financial mess? Who did it? How did it end? Was John really involved?

- Are EJ and Nicole back together, or what?

- How far has Rafe/Carrie and Austin/Abby actually gone, and how did it start?

- Do we know what Alice's secret is yet?

- What's the deal with Jack and Jen these days?

Vee!!

Someone else can answer this better, but:

They seem to have dropped the story, but it was implied or said outright that EJ had framed John. John and Marlena lost everything in order to pay back those who were ripped off. I think John took a charge and wants to clear his name or did before it was dropped. Anyway he is now working at Basic Black with Brady.

EJ and Nicole are back together. She knows he's hiding something but is staying with him out of love/loyalty/hoping for the best.

Rafe and Carrie became close while working together, and had one of those cheesy "air conditioning breakdown = strip" scenes. After that, they had to dress up as prince and princess for a birthday party, and became closer. They kissed, and Sami walked in on them. They claimed they were kissing out of happiness, or whatever. They said it won't happen again but they still have feelings for each other.

Abby went crazy over Austin but he doesn't feel anything for her. When he got drunk and passed out, she made him think they'd had sex.

Alice's secret is that John and Hope were married during the time of the much hated submarine sex storyline.

The other rumor is their son is EJ.

Jennifer essentially treated Jack like crap and then grew to barely tolerate him when she was "dating" him and Daniel. She mostly wanted Daniel. Jack realized this and broke things off with her and wished her well. Daniel then dumped her, because he had to leave town due to problems with his hands. Jennifer has since become friendlier with Jack, but there is no relationship, although for some reason people keep asking her if she and Jack are back together. This story has been, according to the actors, heavily rewritten.

Soon she asks Jack for a reconciliation, and he says no.

Hey, I do apologize for asking some of these questions again, but I really am trying to pick this show back up via Hulu after months away:

- What as the upshot of John's financial mess? Who did it? How did it end? Was John really involved?

- Are EJ and Nicole back together, or what?

- How far has Rafe/Carrie and Austin/Abby actually gone, and how did it start?

- Do we know what Alice's secret is yet?

- What's the deal with Jack and Jen these days?

I could be wrong on this, as I avoided this story the best I could, but Stefano and EJ set jogn up. He was not involved. One of Alice's secrets bo & hope found was something to do with a pardon - and they had it used on john.

They are back together, but she is unaware He slept with Sami. She has begged him to be honest with her, and she thinks he is.

Rafe/Carrie have had a mild flirtation since her return. It ended up in a quick kiss that Sami walked in on and Austin walked in right after. Abby has become obsessed with Austin and thinks he loves her/likes her too because he is nice to her and helps her out. He gave her some advice that she thought was his way of telling her how he felt. He got drunk and she said they slept together, but they didnt even kiss.

Alice has a few secrets, the pardon, Daniel is Maggie's son (Victor also knew, that beat hasnt been played though), that Hope/John were married, and i assume there are more. We do not yet know what it was she had on Stefano though.

jack and Jen, no idea.