1 minute ago, Khan said:

Look, I love Dee as much as the next DAYS fan, but I am not here for watching her give herself Botox injections.

🤣She's fake killing Tony/Andre here.  Although I do think Marlena is awesome enough to perform her own botox on herself.

 

6 minutes ago, Khan said:

Proof positive that Marlena/Samantha switch was built on the conceit that everyone in Salem is [!@#$%^&*] stupid.  I mean, look at them.  Do YOU think they look exactly alike?  Case rested! 

They look like siblings not even twins.  And they don't even have the same mannerisms.  Like someone pointed out, their voices are different and it's true.  Don's an idiot.  

Like the Olsen twins, Dee and Andrea are clearly not identical and looked more and more different as they aged (of course with the help of Dee getting "help"). I think it worked initially with the Hattie storyline though, but that was because the intent with Hattie was that she initially sort-of looked like Marlena even if the show was such a mess at that point that they couldn't do anything meaningful with it.

7 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Also, I have never been sold on Billie as a cop/ISA agent.  A cosmetics creator?  Sure, but not a cop or stealthy spy.

I always saw Billie becoming the owner and hostess of a nightclub/restaurant and, in time, serving as a sort of "den mother" to all the wayward teens and young adults who come looking for work or whatever.

And while I understood the appeal of Bo/Billie, I also felt like Billie deserved her own great, star-crossed love, a la Doug and Julie.

5 minutes ago, te. said:

Like the Olsen twins, Dee and Andrea are clearly not identical and looked more and more different as they aged (of course with the help of Dee getting "help"). I think it worked initially with the Hattie storyline though, but that was because the intent with Hattie was that she initially sort-of looked like Marlena even if the show was such a mess at that point that they couldn't do anything meaningful with it.

Yes!  It worked well with the Hattie story.  Andrea Hall is less refined than Deidre in mannerisms and as I think @beebs pointed out, she can't really act and misses her lines constantly.  It worked for that story and it's a shame it went nowhere because it had potential.

2 minutes ago, Khan said:

I always saw Billie becoming the owner and hostess of a nightclub/restaurant and, in time, serving as a sort of "den mother" to all the wayward teens and young adults who come looking for work or whatever.

And while I understood the appeal of Bo/Billie, I also felt like Billie deserved her own great, star-crossed love, a la Doug and Julie.

I thought RKK's Bo and LR's Billie were fire.  Loved them (secretly more than Bo/Hope, but I don't like Hope that much).   It's weird they really never tried Billie with anyone else.

8 minutes ago, carolineg said:

It's weird they really never tried Billie with anyone else.

Exactly!

Billie reminded me of early Julie.  Both were complex, self-destructive anti-heroines whom you nevertheless sympathized with, because, deep down, they were just desperate for someone to love them.  When it was clear that Bo and Hope were to reconcile, the show should have taken pains to transition Billie into a new romantic relationship of her own, with someone who didn't possess the baggage of being one-half of a supercouple BITD.  Billie deserved a great love of her own, not to become a cliched, jealous "third wheel" to Bope.

Of course, if I had been in charge back then, I NEVER would have let LR leave.  She might not ever be the greatest actress, but she MADE Billie work.

Edited March 19, 20223 yr by Khan

13 minutes ago, Khan said:

Exactly!

Billie reminded me of early Julie.  Both were complex, self-destructive anti-heroines whom you nevertheless sympathized with, because, deep down, they were just desperate for someone to love them.  When it was clear that Bo and Hope were to reconcile, the show should have taken pains to transition Billie into a new romantic relationship of her own, with someone who didn't possess the baggage of being one-half of a supercouple BITD.  Billie deserved a great love of her own, not to become a cliched, jealous "third wheel" to Bope.

Of course, if I had been in charge back then, I NEVER would have let LR leave.  She might not ever be the greatest actress, but she MADE Billie work.

LR was fabulous as Billie, but I don't think anyone could make her stay.  She was super popular.  She beat my queen Vanessa for best newcomer at the SOD awards.  She clearly had other offers and if we have learned anything from RHOBH, Lisa Rinna hustles lol.  

It's weird they kept trying to pair Billie with other halves of supercouples like Roman, Patch, even vaguely Jack.  KA got that hottie VW as Nicki Alamain, but shared him with Kate and slept with her daughters boyfriend lol.  I just don't think they ever gave Billie a fair shot with a viable love interest, but it may have been more a recast issue than a Billie issue.

24 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I just don't think they ever gave Billie a fair shot with a viable love interest, but it may have been more a recast issue than a Billie issue.

Agree.

18 minutes ago, Khan said:

Agree.

She was just weirdly boxed in with Bo as his other love.  The show was able to transition Kristen elsewhere, so I am not sure why they couldn't do it with Billie.  I guess they did have a sizable fanbase and she was always used as a foil for Bo/Hope.  The writers just never got Billie after LR's initial run.

2 minutes ago, carolineg said:

She was just weirdly boxed in with Bo as his other love.  The show was able to transition Kristen elsewhere, so I am not sure why they couldn't do it with Billie.  I guess they did have a sizable fanbase and she was always used as a foil for Bo/Hope.  The writers just never got Billie after LR's initial run.

See, THAT is why someone at DAYS should have brought back Dougie LeClair (God, I hate that name) as an adult.  As Hope's half-brother, he would have been PERFECT as Billie's new love interest (after Bo) and a way to keep them both in Bo and Hope's orbit as part of a romantic quadrangle.

16 minutes ago, Khan said:

See, THAT is why someone at DAYS should have brought back Dougie LeClair (God, I hate that name) as an adult.  As Hope's half-brother, he would have been PERFECT as Billie's new love interest (after Bo) and a way to keep them both in Bo and Hope's orbit as part of a romantic quadrangle.

It is so weird that Dougie was never brought back.  It's Hope's brother.  It's not like story wouldn't be there.  I always thought it was weird they never brought Julie's brother Steve back either.  The show was always oddly dropping the ball on Hortons, but found dead Georgia suitable to bring back lol (I like Chelsea, but really?)

3 hours ago, carolineg said:

I understand most people hate LR because of Housewives, but she has a rocking body and it was the silliest thing to hide her in a uniform.  Also, I have never been sold on Billie as a cop/ISA agent.  A cosmetics creator?  Sure, but not a cop or stealthy spy.  I honestly do love LR as Billie and think she was great in Beyond Salem.

Why can't beautiful women be cops in uniform?  Why should beautiful women wear only beautiful clothes? (I've never watched any of the Housewives shows so I don't have that perception of LR.  I know her only as Billie Reed.).  Why can't beautiful women be spies?  Why should beautiful women be stuck doing cosmetics/fashion careers?

5 minutes ago, janea4old said:

Why can't beautiful women be cops in uniform?  Why should beautiful women wear only beautiful clothes? (I've never watched any of the Housewives shows so I don't have that perception of LR.  I know her only as Billie Reed.).  Why can't beautiful women be spies?  Why should beautiful women be stuck doing cosmetics/fashion careers?

I didn't mean it that way?  99% of the women on soaps are beautiful.  Hope is a cop and stunning, but it worked for her character fine.   Billie played by LR invented cosmetics.  That was her passion.  It's weird she changed careers so wildly and the show stuck her in an awful, unflattering uniform.  I am not saying every woman on soaps should do fashion or sit at home waiting for her prince charming lol, but it makes no sense with what we knew about Billie.  Just my opinion.  YMMV.🤷‍♀️

22 minutes ago, carolineg said:

but it makes no sense with what we knew about Billie.  Just my opinion

oh. okay I see what you are saying.

It was interesting that the Salem *characters* thought it made no sense for Hope to become a cop - but we the viewers got to see her first be a foolish rich princess but then eventually prove everyone wrong and work her way through the police academy.  In fact I later thought it was out-of-character for Hope to do that fashion stuff with Franco, because I felt she worked better as a cop.

Edited March 19, 20223 yr by janea4old

2 hours ago, Khan said:

See, THAT is why someone at DAYS should have brought back Dougie LeClair (God, I hate that name) as an adult.  As Hope's half-brother, he would have been PERFECT as Billie's new love interest (after Bo) and a way to keep them both in Bo and Hope's orbit as part of a romantic quadrangle.

Robert changed his name to Charles if that helps, lol.

43 minutes ago, janea4old said:

oh. okay I see what you are saying.

It was interesting that the Salem *characters* thought it made no sense for Hope to become a cop - but we the viewers got to see her first be a foolish rich princess but then eventually prove everyone wrong and work her way through the police academy.  In fact I later thought it was out-of-character for Hope to do that fashion stuff with Franco, because I felt she worked better as a cop.

I am not sure if it made the most sense for Hope to be a cop, but she showed a desire to be one early on.  I definitely don't think she should have been the head of police, but I thought the overall idea of Hope as a cop worked.  Obviously, KA is beautiful, but it never made sense for her to be a supermodel.  I think the show was just jumping on that 90's train were 1 character had to be a model on the show.

My point with Billie was she showed a lot of passion for her cosmetics work.  She had that little kiosk in the town square to sell the face cream she made and was so excited when Alice gave her money.  There was never a clear trajectory for her to become a cop after she built Countess Willemia from scratch(I have no idea how to spell this so bare with me lol).  I didn't mind Billie as a slinky spy in Beyond Salem, but it doesn't seem like the most natural progression for the character.  It's not Carrie changing careers 1000 times, but it just feels 'weird' for Billie, who I think it's just naturally more glamourous and into fashion and cosmetics.