Days: May 2018 Discussion Thread

[Soapsuds]

One that I flove is Lauren Koslow but she looks bored as hell. She is so being wasted on Days. The sad part is there is no other soap worthy of her talents. Vivian returning just proved how bad Ron's writing continues to stink. Another great actress wasted......instead they gave everything to orange peel.

[Khan]

 

And I would have to agree.  LK and LS were/are just two of the fine actors being wasted on DAYS.  But, like you said, there aren't any other shows worthy of their, or others', talents.  If they were on B&B, GH or Y&R, they'd have the same issue(s), because if TPTB are bending over backwards trying to snag this-or-that porn star for their shows, they're sinking the rare, amazingly talented actors with the absolute worst material known to mankind and giving them zero rehearsal time to make it even passable to boot.  The days of a Michael Zaslow or Beverlee McKinsey being able to rise above shitty storylines and dialogue, I'm sad to say, are over.

[Soaplovers]

Back in the day, Deidre Hall was a pretty good actress (even got 3 emmy noms back when there were multiple soaps).... but after the mid 90s.. the show stopped truly writing for her (except the times she isn't chained to drake H.. then I notice she comes alive because she isn't trying to carry him). 

 

I do agree that Lauren K is being wasted as Kate.. and maybe she is happy with job security vs being given meaty material (I lost count of the times she was rumored to be on the chopping block only for her to be spared).  And Louise Sorel always gives it her all even when she's given next to nothing ( I actually thought some of her 2009 to 2011 return had some decent material in it).

 

 

[Soapsuds]

Deidre Hall can be good. She has her good moments.

Now I know why she was so upset in her exist interview from Days. They could've gotten a recast to play Vivian considering how little she was used. What was the point in bringing her back? To introduce a newbie that no one had heard of played by an actor who sucks for a storyline that was downright awful.

[Khan]

 

ICAM.  I look at her sometimes, and I think, "Is this the same Marlena who pumped Stefano DiMera full of lead?".  With some RARE exceptions, I feel like no one at DAYS remembers or cares about Doc's history BEFORE 1987, when she was written as a confident, intelligent human being, who could take care of herself.  Subsequently, we often get such listless, checked-out performances from Dee that makes it tough to argue to newer DAYS fans just how much of a jewel she was for the show once upon a time.

 

I would LOVE to sit DAYS' writers down and show them whatever clips I could find of her with Jed Allan and Wayne Northrop.  Sexy AND funny AND sophisticated.  A winning combination that could give them yards of material to work with.

[ranger1rg]

 

I can’t disagree. When I said Rikaart doesn’t smirk and break character like CM and FS, I wasn’t implying that he’s a good actor. He does seem the same in every role he plays.

[Wendy]

See, I never liked Marlena. But I respect everyone's opinion. That said? Here's a big UO:

 

I like Drake Hogestyn. Or I did, during his Roman Brady/early John-post Roman era before the show turned him into a pretzel. Not to say he was ever a GOOD actor, but he had charisma and chemistry with his co-stars once upon a time. He managed to acquit himself quite well when Dee Hall left in the '80s with multiple pairings, most with chemistry to burn.

 

I think Drake has been hampered having John chained to Marlena as much as she has being chained to John. Shrug. I mean, at one point, I recall John/Kate gaining popularity with some John/Marlena fans becoming absolutely livid about it.

 

Always two sides...

[teplin]

 

I so agree with this. I don't think Deidre has given a really good performance since 1987. I have a deep well of affection for Marlena, because she was an absolutely spectacular character -- and Hall played her exceedingly well -- in her first decade or so on the show. So I'm always glad to see her these days ... but I also really miss her.

[Soaplovers]

 

I think Deidre gave some good performances from 1991 to about the mid 90s when she was possessed by the devil... but after that, the writing stopped and even the most gifted of performers can only do so much with sub standard material.  I do think Kristen's return in 2011/12 helped to re-energize Marlena's character and I think ED is such an interesting acting partner that you can't help but give it your all when acting opposite her.  

[Khan]

But even then, neither her performances NOR the writing for Marlena compare to what I remember from the '80's, or what I've seen on YT from the late '70's.  Same kinda goes for Laura Horton.  With all due respect to Jaime Lyn Bauer, I feel like her Laura is a completely different person from just what I've HEARD about Susan Flannery's Laura, or even Rosemary Forsyth's.

[ranger1rg]

Regardless of the writing, Deirdre Hall is a good actress. These posts saying she hasn’t been good for 20 or 30 years are just ridiculous.

 

Hall runs rings around Drake H, I know that much.

[titan1978]

I think she did great work when Will was coming out.  I also remember really enjoying her work when John died and also when he came back with no memory.

 

The possession ended up a campy fun mess by the time it was over.  But it worked because the beginning was gothic horror and because of her haunted and desperate and lonely performance.  The affair story also gave her a great time to shine.

 

She had a truly great run from coming back until Reilly went big and stupid.  They never really let her drive the story again after Susan kept her and Kristen locked up until she started killing everybody and that story did nobody any favors.

 

The entire show lost me sometime around Lady in a Cage.  It just got too stupid for me to even have fun.

[victoria foxton]

Paul & John's rescue of Chloe was so lackluster. The whole rescue taking place in that ugly room with a couple of goons. I did like Chloe killing that greasy & cheesy drug lord. It was nice seeing Will playing with his daughter. Will interaction with his daughter is quite often overlooked. I simply don't care about Gabi's jailhouse drama's. 

[Dr Neil Curtis]

I think when they chain these actors to their screen partners as if the couple is a character, if that makes sense, it mess a lot of things up. Jack was so much more than Jack and Jennifer and vice versa same with Bo & Hope, and Steve & Kayla. To me those characters can carry a story without their screen partner if need be. 

[AlexElizabeth]

This Gabi stuff is absurd. Why are they prolonging this? Let her go home already. I don't even like her but this is stupid.