DAYS: July 2022 Discussion Thread ⌛

[David_Vickers]

If you're talking about Martha Madison, yes she can act.  SMH.

[carolineg]

I actually think Martha Madison can act too.  She actually is one of the better actresses on the show, but her Belle is just very unlikable.  I honestly don't think there has ever been a time where I liked or enjoyed her Belle ever.  Honestly, I would rather have someone that was a lesser actress, but more charismatic and warm playing Belle.

[soapfan770]

Only downside is Vivian is still locked up in Statesville? Would have been nice to see Linda Dano walk out with them. Otherwise lame.

[victoria foxton]

I was just thinking about Auntie Viv. Especially with what's going to happen to Jake. 

Edited July 23, 2022 by victoria foxton

[janea4old]

I normally don't care for Martha's take on Belle, but I thought she and Beemer did really great today (July 22), in a deep conversation.

[te.]

I've said it before, but I'd cast someone born in the mid-80s just to try and have at least some age difference between Ali and whoever plays Belle, especially if they're going to keep bringing up how Belle was conceived and Sami's past kidnapping.

If they're going to keep Martha in the role, just lean into her more icy demeanour when writing Belle.

[carolineg]

I think recasting Martha now would probably be useless.  I wouldn't mind, but I think Martha is fairly popular?  Then you have the whole Claire problem-you'd have to go pretty young with her while recasting as well.  If you cast a Belle in her mid to late 30's Claire can't look much older than 18.  Belle was a young mom, but she was married and an adult when Claire was conceived.  

Anyway, I think they should have leaned into Martha's iciness years ago.  If Belle was written as jaded by her conception and upbringing with her parents constantly kidnapped or brainwashed or even if Belle became jaded after marrying Phillip and Shawn marrying Mimi and that whole debacle it may have worked.  But Belle is not supposed to be icy.  Even currently, if the show wrote Belle as more weary and like the world has just knocked her down too many times, her take on the Jan stuff wouldn't come off so....unfeeling.  Idk, there is a clear disconnect with Martha and how she plays Belle and instead of Ron or the show fixing it-they wrote her off for years and have marginalized her.

The Sami kidnapping Belle stuff really seems to be a favorite fact of Ron's.  I don't remember any other writer bringing it up that often or at all.  Again, I really wish we got to see a scene where young Belle learned all this info and saw who told her.  For some reason I doubt it was her parents.  

[te.]

I don't think there's a perfect solution to the age problems that excessive SORAS has caused on Days, but I'd just put Claire on ice for a few years and Mike Horton her - if she does return a five or so years from now she's still vaguely early 20s.

[carolineg]

I don't mind putting Claire on ice for awhile, although I do think she is probably the most interesting young adult character (especially under ORK).  I do find her problematic overall because she is related to everyone in town though.  Days really blew the Belle/Brady situation.  They aged them too quickly and then doubled down and aged Claire way too quickly.  Very silly.  Could you even imagine Kirsten Storms and Jason Cook with a kid that looked as old as Isabel Durant did lol?

[Soapsuds]

Martha can't act. She couldn't even cry in the emotional scene with Shawn. All we saw were her wrinkles.

[janea4old]

Why would Belle cry in Friday's episode?  Belle was taking responsibility for the way she tends to behave. Belle was owning up to it. It was a serious moment, not a weepy moment.

Edited July 24, 2022 by janea4old

[Soapsuds]

Because of her acting choice. She was sniffling and made it seem like she was suppose to be crying. She's a bland actress.

[Joseph]

Martha's a good actress but the writing doesn't really favor her (or anyone most of the time) and I'm saying it because 1. I thought she deserved her Emmy Nomination in 2019, I've seen the episode,

2. Her Style is fairly different from how the character is written, they had to test it over and see if they could find a balance, maybe explore Belle's psychology a bit, maybe in a deep and long delayed FULL CONFRONTATION with Sami, They always loved having Sami Vs Carrie but never really explore the low-key antagonism between Belle and Sami

I would love to see a confrontation on the Style of Dancin' Days a classic Telenovela here on Brazil the two sisters who are the protagonists get physical in a deserted Disco and finally open up about they're feelings 

[carolineg]

She is bland.

She did deserve her Emmy nod in 2019 but her style is so different from what Belle should be like you said.

 

You both are right.  Martha Madison is a good actress and would excel at many different roles.  She is bad as Belle and no one is up to changing the writing for her so she seems awful.  Even as (probably) the biggest John/Marlena shipper on this board, I can't stand Belle.  I don't think it's Martha's fault necessarily.  She's always been miscast.  The only thing you can say about her is that she looks like she could be Marlena's daughter physically.  And ORK's Claire looked a lot like her.

[AbcNbc247]

What scenes were she nominated for? I don't even remember lol