DAYS: February 2013 Discussion

[Soaplovers]

I actually enjoyed Rafe/Kate. On paper it looked like the writers were trying to tie two single characters together... but seeing them interact, there was some nice chemistry going on. Our girl Kate has finally gotten her groove back

[marlenafan]

Rafe and Kate has to grow on me because I just find it so random! And was I the only one that noticed Galen Gering thrusting in his sex scene with Lauren? lol Someone needs to make a GIF of that 3-sec clip!!! I will get behind this couple if it means that Rafe won't be in Hope's love orbit! I can't wait to see the look on Sami's face when Kate rubs it in her face. We haven't had a good Sami vs Kate scene in a while.

I just LOVED Eric and Nicole. I actually think that they have chemistry but I also think that their platonic relationship is so emotional and psychological which is a refreshing dynamic that isn't readily seen in the other relationships on this show. Eric truly cares for and Greg Vaughan plays Eric as such as sensitive character who tries to hide is vulnerabilities. His facial expressions and tone conveys so much even though the acting is understated. This is who Eric is to the core and for people who was watching when Eric was first introduced, this is how he was introduced to us via Jensen Ackles. The only difference is that Jensen played a more innocent version of Eric who was a bit juvenile at times. Greg is really doing an excellent job in trying to develop a character that hasn't really been explored enough by the writers. And course, Arriane Zuker shines in whatever scene she is put in. What I like about this duo is that the obstacles that prevent them from being together actually go far deeper than Eric being a priest. I am looking forward to more of them.

What can I say about Daniel and Jennifer. Well, I am definitely enjoying Missy Reeves more as of late. Shawn Christian, not so much. I agree when Toups says that he is the worst character on the canvas. It is so sad that his character is supposed to be a hero but he is so irredeemable right now in my eyes. The ONLY thing working for Daniel is Shawn Christian's hotness. BTW, what have these writers done to Chloe Lane? I remember a time when she was my favorite among the teens back when the Last Blast gang ate up the show (Thanks Langan). Chloe is unrecognizable to me right now. It is like they are turning her in to Krista Allen's version of Billie Reed back when she was trying to get Bo back from Hope. I hated what they did to the Billie character then and I hate what they are doing to the Chloe character now!

EJ and Sami, just grosses me out. Sorry. They need to go back to raping each other and shooting each other in the head. They are boring as hell as a romantic duo. Why is Sami so trusting of him all of a sudden? This pair would be more realistic to me if there were trust issues between them given what they have both been through with each other. How can they just forget what they have done to each other and go to business as usual?

I must say that I LOVE Marlena and Sami's relationship. It is so damn realistic. Marlena is the mom that is critical of her daughter and doesn't have too much faith in her decision-making skills so she comes off as judgemental. Sami is so sensitive to her mom's opinions but still wants her approval. My mom and sister have the same exact relationship. Deidre Hall and Allison Sweeney do such a great job of playing two people with underlying animosity that come as a result of them not truly addressing their issues but still trying to maintain a mother/daughter relationship. I would love to have an entire show devoted to just them and their relationship over the years at some point in time. Perhaps Mother's Day lol

And speaking of Marlena, ANY interaction with Stefano, even if it is over the phone is made of win for me. The Marlena vs. Stefano dynamic will always be intriguing to me. Her reaction to Stefano is what I expect from a woman whose life has been destroyed many times by him. I'm glad she wasn't chummy with him like John was with him.

Faux-drunk Kristen was so stupid and that was the WORST club I have ever seen in my entire life. It looked like a lounge inside a Motel 6. Whomever designed that set has obviously NEVER set foot inside of a real club. lol Speaking of sets, am I the only one who is tired of seeing that Horton Square? Can we just possess Marlena again and have her pour gasoline all over that Square and just burn it down? Oh how I miss the overused Pier set <Sigh> And I just love how they are using the same office set as EVERYBODY's FREAKING OFFICE! Smh. Whomever is renting that office space to Jen, Hope, Lucas, et. al. as well as a hospital room for Jen to get checked out when she is knocked out by a box and for John to be checked out when he gets beat up by his son must be making a KILLING!

[Toups]

I don't know about Rafe/Kate. I don't like random sex on soaps. This came out of nowhere and I don't see any long term plans for Kate/Rafe.

[frequentsoapfan]

At this ponit they just need to give up and let go up Rafe.

[JackPeyton]

Sam/Marlena is always the highlight of an ep for me.

Sweeney & Hall are perfection together. They have been acting partners for so long that they know how to play everything between their characters. For me, this is what a soap opera is all about.

I like random sex on soaps, but i hope rafe/kate isnt long term. Sometimes characters just need some fun. Not every pairing needs to be an epic romance.

[jfung79]

Tuesday was brilliant! Now that's how to write an episode. Monday is just a distant memory now. On Tuesday, every scene, every line, was full of rich characterization, meaning, and depth. There really is such a difference between the bland, largely surface writing of Monday and the true emotion and conflict of Tuesday. Melissa Salmons was the scriptwriter Tuesday -- not a surprise! What a talent.

I am loving Kate and Rafe! It would be great if they are a long term item. I think they could make each other happy and have a healthy relationship. It really made sense in their scenes how they came together. Kate certainly is no "old bat"! Their sex or relationship also introduces another complicated layer for the Will/Gabi story. Awesome all around. This wasn't random. Kate has been abandoned by even her daughter Billie and wants to feel loved; Rafe is attracted to strong, complicated women who know what they want and set out to achieve it like Kate (and Sami).

One nitpicky problem though about Kate's scene with Stefano, if you're divorced by Dec. 31st, you don't file married filing jointly!

I agree with the comment about Nicole and Eric's psychological chemistry.

Glad Jennifer stuck up for herself to Daniel. Daniel would be right in real life but knowing what we know and seeing what we see, no, Jennifer was not going too far in making her little white lie! Glad though that Jennifer also realized at the end she should not stoop to Chloe's level.

I do not feel Sami or EJ are boring or defanged or what have you. I still find Sami a very harsh, confrontational person. She still leaves destruction in her wake and makes thing worse, whether that is in relationships or with how she escalated the conflict with Nick, Rafe, and Gabi over custody.

I think Sami and EJ could be good for each other. I've said it before, they feel very "Carl and Rachel on AW" to me. Fans also either loved or were repulsed by the idea of Carl and Rachel and the idea of them being together. Some fans also thought reformed Carl was boring and wanted the villanious Carl back, and to some extent thought Rachel had been defanged or whatever too. Carl also did horrible things to Rachel in the past. Carl and Rachel also both had scheming pasts. Rachel's family and most of the town could also never accept Carl after he changed, like Sami's family and most of the town won't accept EJ. Also Carl and EJ both have British accents, LOL. The one major thing I would say is different is that Sami doesn't have a Mac who trusted her and saw the good in her who she would be "paying it forward" of that trust to EJ.

Fundamentally, Days is working so well for me right now because for almost every character, if you ask, "Why?" as Harding Lemay would have said, or if you ask, "What do they want?" as the characters sometimes verbalize themselves, you can answer that question. We may all have slightly different interpretations, and there are layers, contradictions, and complications to what they want -- which is as it should be -- but we can still answer the question. In soap history, I have so many times seen characters who go around and are just there while the writers figure out what to do with them and what they want. But that's not the case with Days of Our Lives right now. This, in addition to the great cliffhangers (often emotional cliffhangers well placed at the climax of a scene, not plot cliffhangers) both within each episode and at the end of each episode, shows a great grasp of how soaps work, how drama works. What a delight to watch this writing masterclass every day for an hour (especially on Melissa Salmons days).

I want Will back on screen on Wednesday though ... Good writing only goes so far, I still want my Will fix.

[Cheap21]

Man I have to say that for the first time ever, Im feeling Eric and Nicole. I hated them back in the day and was so opposed to them now but I think GV and AZ have a spark.

Fu-k Daniel. Jennifer should have hit him with this

Ewww to Kate and Rafe. I forgot about the spoiler regarding them as watching their scene at first and then it hit me when I realized how extended they were. This better not turn into a relationship

[KMan101]

Wonderful post. I really love reading your thoughts, I do.

I disagree about EJ not being defanged, but yeah, I guess Sami is still mostly Sami, more so than she was back in 09/10.

I like that the characters have motivations. I like that they are being written somewhat smart. I think the show is getting so much better but a lot of it has to go to the script writers. If Days lost the Cullitons and Salmons, I think we'd be in trouble.

[JackPeyton]

Sami never really stopped being Sami. She has more than less always been plotting, scheming hiding things, and being her own worst enemy. Her hiding Grace from EJ? That was stright up classic Sami, except her motivation changed from landing a man to keeping her child safe, and that is a change i welcomed because I dont want this immature 17 yearold Sami back. Her shooting EJ in the head and being like "id do it again", lashing out at marlena & carrie, hiding her sex with EJ from rafe. This is more of that more adult/mature reasoning, with her going after gabbi & Nick to make sure Will gets his baby. Granted, before she was also a victim (EJ's) and now she really isnt, so i think thats why people seem to respond to her better right now than before, but yeah she never stopped scheming, her motivation just changed.

[AlexElizabeth]

I saw Rafe thrusting too. I was dying.

[daysgoby]

What was with that look Daniel gave Chloe when she handed him the coffee? It was a"I-know-what-you-are-doing-and-I-secretly-love-it-because-I-am-an-ego-maniac-manwhore"

[AllMyDaysatGH]

You brought Gabbyroars into this. Love ya, Cheap!

Rafe & Kate's morning after awkardness was fun to watch. I admit they're cute Lucas & Sami's reactions to them hooking up should be amazing!

[Cheap21]

lol...you know when Daniel was all up in Jen's face about not being sorry, I thought of this ho's classic line.

BTW, love your new signature. I want them reunited!

[Michael]

The ripple effect of Kate and Rafe hooking up should be a lot of fun. If Rafe has to be around, I can deal with him in scenes that allow Lauren Koslow to sparkle like that -- there was a fun energy both in the scenes of them drinking together and their morning-after stuff. That said, I'm not 100% convinced that Rafe's morality would allow him to go for Round 2 in the morning when sober; I'd have liked to see him panic in the aftermath and try to resist Kate for a while before caving again. Then again, he barely showed any restraint with Carrie, and he's looking for a way to lash out at Sami, so I might buy it. Anyway, it's an interesting new energy, and it gives Kate something to do, so I'm onboard with this twist. I like outside-the-box stuff like this.

[Soapsuds]

I can't believe how stupid Will is.