Days: February 2021 Discussion Thread

[victoria foxton]

Dano's Auntie Viv comes across too nice and reasonable. Ivan kidnapping the twins. For his beloved Madam doesn't work for me.

Edited February 3, 2021 by victoria foxton

[AbcNbc247]

That surprised me too. I know Ivan is devoted to his Madam, but I don't remember him being this villainous.

[prefab1]

Agreed. I'm all for subverting viewer expectations, but Vivian has a good reason for wanting revenge on Lani, and it just would have made a lot more sense if she'd been plotting this kidnapping from the shadows and sent Ivan to execute it. 

[ranger1rg]

Matt Ashford was AWFUL. So over-the-top my mouth fell open. Every scene was one lined screamed after another. That’s not acting.

 

OTOH, I thought Linda Dano was great as Vivian, and I appreciated the Sorel touches. She’s so much better than Strasser in that role.

[te.]

OMG, watching the flashback episode now

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[SFK]

 

I was *hollering*.

I liked how Tiffany's wig was a direct tribute to our Tiffany of the '80s.

 

As for Linda Dano, it's still early, she's not giving us the character, but I love her all the same. I'm not mad at this revolving door casting approach to Vivian, it reminds me of Cluedo where all of those fabulous British actors had the opportunity to reinterpret the same role.

 

To bring Laura back as such a tool seems egregious, but what can you expect from soaps these days...

 

I must admit that I rather enjoy the show for what it is. I watch DOOL and B&B on the apps at night, and I find them very easy to keep up with while being entertaining and not at all sluggish like Y&R and GH.

I don't typically notice such things, but has anyone else caught how the ladies' manicure game on this show is top notch?

[te.]

I don't mind Dano, but it's one episode so far (that I've seen). I do like that she's at least not going for the overly camp thing that Strasser did.

[victoria foxton]

So far Linda has failed to capture Vivian's essence. But it's only her second episode. She's nervous and rusty. It also doesn't help that the story isn't any good.  I see poor Days is using Jarlena's set as Vivian's. Corday going to have do a GOFUNDME soon. 

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Edited February 4, 2021 by victoria foxton

[prefab1]

I think Dano was a bit better at playing Vivian in today's episode, but the character is such a product of Sorel's unique loopy energy that any recast is going to have trouble. 

 

I normally like the show's use of camp, but today's episode was a bridge too far even for me. The Susan stuff was too over-the-top and all played at the same screeching level. And everything with Ben and Ciara and the fortune cookies was too stupid for words. If there's any character I'm rooting for in that storyline, it's her kidnapper Rhodes. Maybe Ben and Ciara can go ride off into the sunset together, and he could be our next "redemption story"; I mean, at least he's not a serial killer. 

[RavenWhitney]

Ron has pulled Days fully back into Dena Higley territory. Dumb, embarrassing, nonsensical - along with character assassination (Laura). Poor Linda Dano. The plot is awful and she's horribly miscast as Viv.  Ben and bug eyed Claire. No thanks.  

[vetsoapfan]

 

Ron is one of those writers who inexplicably gets "recognized" for his work, even though it has never been any good. He is a scribe whose continued employment on the soaps just baffles me. After decades of failure, you would think even TIIC of daytime TV would accept the fact that ludicrous, low-brow camp, sci-fi and blatant supernatural themes do not work on soaps which were created to be, and known to be, traditional. The writers who do not have the talent to incorporate character delineation, intelligent interpersonal relationships and at least plausible and recognizable situations into their shows should be purged from the pool of potential hires. Ron C, Jean P, Josh G, Charles Pratt, Dena Higley, and so many others should never again have the opportunity to decimate the soap genre more than they have already done.

[te.]

Oh this is a new low for DAYS especially Marlena explaining in a very contrived way to Susan how Kristen "changed".

 

[!@#$%^&*] you show, [!@#$%^&*] you very much.

[ranger1rg]

I hated the Susan stuff. Too much craziness, too much yelling. Eileen Davidson made Susan work, but I don’t think Stacy Haiduk can do the same.

 

After Ciara, do I want to see Ben with Claire? Not a chance. I still think this nuClaire is grossly miscast. The fortune cookie stuff was embarrassing.

[DynamiteKiddo]

Linda Dano seemed very unsure, which is unlike her.  It felt like she was imitating Louise, and she was doing a fine job . . . but LS's deadpan Vivian is equally funny, aloof, and crazy.  LD's portrayal just felt confused, sedated, and too elegant.  But hopefully she'll find her footing.  And anything is better than whatever Robin Strasser (who I love!) thought she was doing.  Like others have said, LS brings something so unique to the role to the point that no recast stands a fighting chance.

 

After the last week, I'm officially done with Kristen.  Just put a cork in it.  And I think SH can be a revelation, but she misses the mark too often here--she's either psychotic OR saccharine and has mostly lacked the nuance that this role requires, which ED perfected.  Susan was a mess and I agree with everyone that this newfound Marlena/Kristen "relationship" is not only unbelievable, it's actually very damaging to both characters and their very rich history.  And F anything to do with Cin.  I always hate psychic connections that JER was so fond of and this is especially triggering lol.  I don't even know what Ron is going for with the Necktie Killer references anymore--Susan SHOULD be freaking over being in the same room as the Necktie Killer . . . it being played for laughs doesn't help Ben, but like others have guessed, maybe Ron is just trolling now.

 

But other than Cin, this has been a solid af week.  The Jack/Gwen stuff is reaching, but no more than any other long lost kid story.  I personally loved the flashbacks, despite the aesthetics being very wrong lol.  I know some have complained that Laura is being thrown under the bus here, but this is the JLBLaura I've always known--totally erratic and hysterical.  I hate this interpretation of the character, but it totally tracks with her '90s era.  However, this doesn't track with the serious and capable psychiatrist Laura that Ron was going for a couple years ago.  And even though I am so not fond of JLB in this role, she did very well this week, and it was the first time she's been given meaty dramatic material in any of her returns.

[AbcNbc247]

I don't think Linda Dano is doing a bad job as Vivian, the biggest problem is that she comes off as too nice. She plays the subtlety of Vivian really well, but the villainous side of Vivian is lacking, which is surprising because when Felicia first debuted on AW, she was a bit of a bitch and Linda played that really well. (Then again, that was almost 40 years ago) With any luck, that'll change next week when she finds out about Jake and Kate.

 

Speaking of next week, we may want to get our barf bags ready for that special Ben and Ciara Valentine's Day episode lol

I do have to admit though, out of the 5 writers that you mentioned, I think that Ron is the best. I know that's not saying much lol but I think he does know how to tell a story. The problem is a lot of stuff gets too silly and too clownish under Ron's pen. I like humor on soaps, but not that campy kind that he can't get enough of.  I prefer that kind of snarky, sarcastic, deadpan humor that you get from John Aniston's Victor. He still makes me laugh sometimes.

 

 Between DAYS and GH, I'm really starting to hate the word "changed" lol

Edited February 5, 2021 by AbcNbc247