Reilly on DAYS - a renewed appreciation

[pdm1974]

I LOVED the whole Bill/Kate/Laura backstory and how Laura joined forces with Vivian to take down Kate.

I was VERY disappointed when DAYS had characters suddenly announce that Bill had died. I thought that was shortsighted and didn't see the point.. Having him come back and revisit Bill and Kate would have been a great twist. Jennifer could go ballistic since she still dislikes Kate for the Jack affair, and it could have pit Lucas and Jennifer against each other. It would have been a fantastic story based in family and the show's history.

[carolineg]

@titan1978 lol Labine and early Guza does remind you how good MB used to be and how dead sexy he was with Brenda.  In 1996 I remember agreeing with the sentiment that Sonny was a good man who made some poor decisions and then I hate myself for it a little bit.  Days in the early 90's edges out GH, but 95-96 GH easily beats Days for me.  By 1997 Days was better.

I adored Aremid lol.  The Jen/Peter/Jack stuff was a weak link with the recasts but the Tony/Kristen/John/Marlena arc was fire.  It's the turning point in Jarlena being endgame for sure and Kristen becoming evil.

100% on Carrie being needed to be Sami's foil.  The show vaguely tries to use Belle in that capacity sometimes, but it doesn't work the same.  Belle was a baby when Sami became a villian, so it doesn't pack that punch of Carrie vs. Sami.

The affair works so well because it was such a long term arc.  Soaps would never do that today.  The seeds were planted in 1991 and the repercussions were felt for almost a decade.  People still bring in up!  It changed multiple characters trajectory for years.  That why I agree Eric was a missing link.  By the time he came back he was TeamRoman in the John/Marlena/Roman race, but we didn't know why.  We understood Sami's motivations, but JA's Eric looked like a whiny baby.  I always thought it was hilarious Sami/Eric needed their parents together as adults, but it's fine young Belle/Brady didn't get their parents being together.

Is it worse than the show just casually killing off Laura?  Does Marlena even know her bff died?  No one even cared.

[Gray Bunny]

Looking back, I wish I had started watching DAYS in 1993 instead of two years later. So much I missed out on in real time. It was the possession storyline that got me to tune in, but it was Bo & Hope (the newly returned Peter Reckell!) that made me fall in love with the show. 

I think in 1996 the show was firing on all cylinders still. But looking at the first half of 1997, you can see Reilly was stretching out Carrie/Austin/Sami and Marlena/John/Kristen to fill space in the winter and spring to have the big summer climaxes. As for Bo/Hope/Billie/Franco, they felt kinda half-assed, and the Jack/Jennifer storyline was literally suspended while Jack (Mark Valley) wallowed in prison. 

Also, though the possession storyline got people talking and watching, it wasn't until the Aremid storyline arc (my personal all-time favorite) that propelled DAYS to No. 2 in the ratings and they *stayed* at No. 2 until December of 1997.  Speaking of the Fall of 1997, I would wager Reilly purposely sabotaged the show on his way out the door after he got to do his big Summer reveals (Kristen, then Sami). 

[pdm1974]

Laura's death was COMPLETELY pointless, too. And, it had no long-term impact. They could have told the story with Laura just ending up in a coma after the Gwen confrontation, and then have her eventually wake up. For the brief time they were all on, I thought CM, JLB, and MM had amazing chemistry as Jennifer, Laura, and Abby. It would have been great to see that continue.

[carolineg]

For sure.  I can't believe a legacy character was killed off for Gwen and no one even got to react to it besides Chad, Jen, Abby, and Jack.  To this day I am unclear if it was accidental or Gwen actually killed her.

@Gray Bunny  I thought the Carrie/Austin/Sami storyline still had some twists and turns in 1997 especially with the addition of Mike.  The John/Kristen/Marlena storyline drug on.  Every week Marlena was about to confront Kristen and tell John and was thwarted for some silly reason.   I personally think it may have been better if Marlena/John admitted their feelings after Paris and dealt with Kristen being "pregnant" in that capacity rather than the two of them being ridiculous and just living life in misery instead of admitting their feelings for one another.  

The Bo/Hope/Billie/Franco stuff was just stupid.  Even though I think VA/KA dated in real life they had no chemistry and neither did PR/Krista Allen, even though I didn't hate her as Billie.  I always felt JER had a subtle disdain for Bo/Hope because he created OG Bo/Billie.

I don't think the Jack/Jen/Peter storyline was bad per se, but it was just bogged down by the recasts.  Until Jack and Jen went to the circus that was dumb af.  But I think that was post-JER.

[Gray Bunny]

 

Oh yeah, you're right about the addition of Mike. That definitely helped keep the story going, especially after Sami was exposed and they needed a new direction for the Carrie/Austin aspect. 

In 1996, Jack/NuJenn/Peter wasn't bad, but by 1997, Peter was gone and Jack was stuck in prison for months, with only that dude Trent to talk to. Meanwhile, Nurse Lynn kept Laura drugged up to keep her memory from returning. Jack/Jenn were just stuck the first half of '97. Then when Mark Valley left, Steve Wilder took over, and NuJack/NuJenn were on the run.... oy. Just bad. 

Side Note: I remember the early years of my viewing so vividly, yet everything from the last 15 years is a blur, lol. 

Another Side Note: How many of us started watching DAYS in the mid-90's and consider Mark Valley to be "their" OG Jack? 

[carolineg]

Raises Hand!  I didn't see MA's work until much later.  MV was my OG Jack.  Not bad, but he really wasn't Jack at all.  He worked fine for the story they were telling and he was very cute.  I forgot Peter was gone for so long lol even though he was presumed dead.  I remember the poison paint and jungle madness so well and I still giggle about both those plot points.

I can vividly remember most of the 90's on GH and Days.  But I tend to rewatch the stuff I liked in edited character/couple form so that helps.  Most of the secret available you tube Days stuff is Jarlena centric from that time period so it's easy to remember all those details. 

I wonder how JER felt about Mike/Carrie taking off like they did.  I am sure that was never part of his plan.  Unfortunately, I think he made Austin too dumb and sympathetic to Sami and it backfired.

[titan1978]

I know I read somewhere that Reilly loved Bo & Hope, they were his favorite DAYS couple.  I remember it because all I kept thinking was how he didn’t use them well together beyond the Gina is Hope storyline!

And while I did see MA’s Jack long before Mark, I loved him as Jack.  I thought he was hot as hell and had excellent chemistry with Missy.  Peter was hot as hell too.

[pdm1974]

Mike under JER floundered until they added him to Carre/Austin/Sami/Lucas and he had great chemistry with Carrie.

OMG...I forgot about the circus story with the Jack and Jen recasts. 

I actually didn't watch much of the original Jack's first run. So, in a way Mark Valley was the first Jack that watched for a long period. I think because of that I had an easier time accepting him in the role.

I definitely had a crush on Peter!

[carolineg]

I have always assumed Marlena/John were his favorite couple.  Or maybe just Marlena was his favorite.

It didn't seem like JER liked Bo/Hope at all.  It seems liked he clearly liked Bo/Billie much better and RKK/LR were fabulous together.

I can't remember if I thought MV had good chemistry with Missy.  I obviously thought her and Jason Brooks did.  They both were hot.  Lucky Jen lol.

[Titus Andronicus]

The climax of Maison Blanche - the mansion catching fire during the hurricane - and everything that came out of that is some of Days' best stuff, not just Reilly's.

Belle's birth, kidnapping and return were good, too, especially as it had not been revealed yet that Roman wasn't her father. The end of 1993 was really, really good. (Except for maybe the Pacifier storyline. It could have been written much better.)

[soapfave06]

I wasn't watching then but have watched many edits and I think if they had introduced a new family or heavily expanded Abe/Lexie/Jonah/Wendy instead of focusing on the recast Jack, Jennifer and Billie (just one example) then maybe things would have been better. 

I love ED and Kristen/Susan but watching a 1998 Killing Pool edit was kind of...exhausting. enjoyable but exhausting and too plot driven. 

When I watched Carly Buried Alive & Maison Blanche edits...that was soap opera on fire. The atmosphere, writing and community were top notch and I was so invested. 

[carolineg]

The Killing Pool is exhausting.  But that was SSM and I feel like the show was just trying to finish off ED's run but with no investment.

I think recasting Wendy sorta screw up plans for that whole story.  And Thyme Lewis was pretty bland, although very attractive.

[titan1978]

I am literally at that point right now in my edit binge.  I loved Maison Blanche then, and I still appreciate it now.  But I have to say, the changes that I remembered being in the Posession storyline actually begin here.

I get Roman being distracted and angry.  But his stubborn refusal to recognize Marlena and John are in danger, and also that she would never call him to tell him they were having a wonderful time together.  It’s an early beat of someone has to be dramatically stupid to drag the plot out.  Jennifer also has to loose some of her brain for Peter’s antics to last as long as they do.  Although who wouldn’t be distracted by Peter Blake.
 

Also- the first hints of Father John, and Drake develops what I think of as his “John Black” persona while chained in that dungeon.  Gone are the charming smiles and somewhat Roman-esq personality.  He is now a man without a past and he is growly and serious about it.  I have to admit I find him incredibly hot with all this angst during Maison Blanche.  It is also noticeable how much everyone has started talking about God in a much more significant and meaningful way all of a sudden.

The Gina/Hope reveals are are awesome as the first time.  There are two shocks from the 1990’s that I got to see before any soap mags spoiled me- one was the Hope reveal, and the other was clink/boom on GH.  My soap mag purchases were spotty back then, so both of these were genuine surprises.

And Stefano never had a better scene partners than Celeste.  They are so much fun together and I loved her right away back then, now it makes me miss her so much.  She really hates Marlena right now.

He certainly was attractive!

[carolineg]

Clink Boom was literally the shock of my life on GH.  I had no idea.  I waited patiently until Monday because I assumed Lily managed to escape the car bomb lol.  Such a good soap moment and Brenda just married Jax.  My teenage heart died lol.  

Hope's return, while shocking, wasn't as mind blowing as Lily going to bits on GH.  I felt like you could immediately tell it was Kristian Alfonso so you knew what was coming very shortly.

I give Roman a slight pass.  He wasn't dumb just very jaded.  Of course Marlena would never call and say what a wonderful time she was having with John, but his whole world was turned upside down.  His wife cheated with his "bff", his baby was not his baby, and his other daughter was borderline psychotic.  It's a lot for a man to deal with.  Plus, didn't Carrie still have acid burns or something?  And Eric was MIA?  Poor guy.

John was hot in those MB scenes.  Long hair and all.  And the lengths John/Marlena went for each other.  SWOON!

Jen was dumb and so was Kristen to fall for Peter/Tony's acts.  I guess TADRE was still "good" here, but Kristen's staunch belief Stefano was dead was stupid.  Like has she met him?  JB as Peter will always be super hot and I give Jen a pass as well..