Days: Another Actress Out

[Bright Eyes]

I liked her on DAYS and the few bits I've seen of her on PC, but her ATWT stint turned me off for a good long while.

[Gray Bunny]

I liked her for what I saw on PC, but I didn't like her take as Billie. It was okay, but very much like watching a lookalike trying to be the original, like Stephanie Cameron as Jennifer after Reeves abruptly left.

Can you imagine the 3 amigos (Billie, Jenn, Kristen) with 3 lookalike recasts of Julie Pinson, Stephanie Cameron, and Tracy Melchior?

[Michael]

Hahaha. Now I kind of want to see that... for like one day.

[VirdenEMT]

This sucks. Lisa Rinna was quite enjoyable to watch, especially when doing ISA work.

Days is sucking big time.

[bardgirl]

I kept forgetting she was back. The returns were pretty much a disaster which is a shame since I liked them but now I just can't stand Carrie. Austin's an idiot. Billie really didn't do much. Well it could have been worse. At least they didn't bring Julie back since she was just awful as Bille. I like her but just not in the role of Billie.

[Khan]

DAYS (or perhaps more specifically, Ken Corday) really thinks all they have to do is have certain characters and actors show up again on-screen and the viewers will be satisfied, regardless of whether those individuals have anything worthwhile to do. They might get how to bring back viewers, but they still have no clue how to hold onto them.

[Vee]

Exactly. See also: Melissa Reeves. We can call her all sorts of things, I certainly will, but she knows what game DAYS is playing. I suspect she knows how Corday works, and I think she puts in exactly the amount of effort the show is putting in. She knows that as far as DAYS is concerned, all she has to do is be there.

I went over this in another recent thread. DAYS and Corday are only truly comfortable with mediocrity and familiarity.

[Chris B]

I think this was a bigger flop than others because Rinna had potential to do big things. She could've brought continued focus to the show had they used her. Similar to Alison Sweeney, had they used Lisa's talk show to their advantage, it could be daily promo for DAYS and their actors. She'll mention the show, have the actors as guests on her talk show, etc. And even if her talk show doesn't work out, she gets spots on Access Hollywood and in the magazines all the time.

Not only that, but Billie had SO MUCH POTENTIAL! I was so angry. You get her back after so many years and don't even attempt ONE story?! Just give her one bad story and let it tank! Geez. I think EJ/Billie was the way to go, in a love/hate sort of way. Or bring back Chelsea. Something. Anything. I can't believe the new regime is going to let her go without trying something.

[Cheap21]

Lisa has a talk show?

[Ben]

They've been like that for so long now, I guess they're stuck in that mind set. This is the time for taking "risks", but Days never do what they need to do, just what they're comfortable with. Familiarity is needed on a soap, but if there's nothing to back it up, then familiarity breads contempt.

From what little I saw of Billie, I thought she worked as the ISA agent, so I'm surprised that she basically dropped off the show as soon as the Stefano stuff stopped.

[JackPeyton]

Bringing her on as an ISA agent and throwing her into an undercovering investigation of EJ & The Dimeras while also having her involved with carrie/austin was good. However, lack of an actual story hurt her. She should have been mixing it up with Jen and Jack too. She should have been working with Shane and John. Rinna worked very well in a supporting/limited role, but she still needed some story.

Its also too bad we wont get Jenn/Billie/Kristen, one of the best friendships ever.

[juniorz1]

While I prefer Rinna, I actually didn't mind Pinson's Billie and think she even had moments of greatness, like when Billie testified on the witness stand (I cant remember the trial) and she had to admit to some wrongdoings with Bo & Hope (can't remember exactly what that was anymore either). Pinson shined in those scenes and it was a good stride to make with the character to get her back to the Billie she'd always been and not the sociopath that Krista Allen played. Yes, Pinson's not the most colorful actress, but she can be a strong presence when the writing was there and she took the ball and ran with it in that story. She was never really passed the ball again imo but it was an important moment in Billie's history that should have happened in Rinna's first return (it probably would have if she and Brash/Cwikly hadn't left- I'm sure there was going to be redemption in her future after helping Larry Welch kidnap Hope- see, I can remember stories that were interesting, entertaining, and drew from history! )

Ugh! I KNOW! They just don't understand Rinna and the appeal of her Billie. She was scrappy and vulnerable and had a unique point of view. She's not and never was a generic DAYS heroine, let alone a poor man's Hope. She should have been mixing it up at Countess W and Titan, not helping the ISA take down Stefano.

That says something right there.

I honestly can't say anything positive about her return. They could have copy & pasted a few other female characters on the canvas into her scenes and nobody would have noticed. I was hoping with Rinna & Muldoon there, they'd tap back into the relationship between Billie & Austin, imo, both characters' most interesting relationship on the show.

Pretty much.

^^THIS!

And if Rinna's schedule isn't conducive to that, then don't bring her back or make it a limited run and call it what it is.

I was also curious if the writers would remember that friendship like they did Jenn/Carly's. Maybe Rinna will return for a day or two and we'll get those scenes? Stranger things have happened.