Days: August 2023 Discussion Thread

[Contessa Donatella]

I was okay with Kristen & Rachel and also Gabi & Rachel. 

I was very okay with Maggie, Justin, Brady, John. 

I was very un-okay with Steph & ... and with Gwen & ... It's just absurd that Leo is there. There's no way Gwen isn't on to them. I don't like Gwen but she's always been sharp, not stupid. Dumbing down is always a bad sign. 

[wingwalker]

So I've been attempting to get back into DAYS for the Victor stuff.  That story is good so far and worth watching, but everything else is terrible. This show is awful. 

First Gwen/Leo/Dimitri. Who is this story aimed at? Why on earth would you create a triangle with two characters most viewers hate (Gwen and Leo) and throw in a newbie most don't care about? Do they really think people would rather watch Leo and Dimitri this over Sonny and Will or Andrew and Paul? Since they are in Iceland, I hope all three slip and fall into a volcano.

Chad/Stephanie/Alex, just as terrible as when I left. Stephanie and Alex both could have been great next generation characters they've ruined with terrible writing and Chad, he's pointless without Abby, Will or Sonny around. Honestly, they should have just written Abby and Chad off together. 

Then there is Johnny DiMera who is just being completely wasted. 

Firing Ron during a writers strike would probably be a bad look, but if he doesn't come back with better material when it's over, the new EP needs to fire him. 

 

[Contessa Donatella]

Who cares about optics when it would mean a hefty fine for doing it?!! Or, hire a co-EP & maybe Ron's ego would lead him to quit? Other suggestions? Work him 90 days & then fire him. No fine. 

[aim4thestars]

I literally laugh-snorted at this. Better than anything anyone on the show writes! 

[Errol]

It would be illegal to fire a writer during a strike. Not only would they face a lengthy lawsuit by the individual, but they'd be lucky to get another WGA union writer to lead the show's writing team ever again. Only a Fi-Core writer would ever be hired if they ever did that. Which is why it'll never happen (during a strike). It has happened after the strike was over and the new contract was signed, however (see Lynn Marie Latham in 2008).

[Contessa Donatella]

Apparently Ken Corday has an example of firing the HW as soon as the strike was over, himself, Hogan Sheffer out & Dena Higley in, and that was why I said work for 90 days & then fire him, because supposedly the show paid a hefty fine for Corday's firing of Sheffer at the end of the last strike. 

[AbcNbc247]

Well, Janet might not be able to fire him right away but hopefully she’ll rein in him and the writing won’t suffer because of it. And also do away with all the biased degrading prop writing.

And I wouldn’t mind my personal wish either #GregOutColtonIn

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Edited August 17, 2023 by AbcNbc247

[Errol]

According to Toups' exclusive report at the time, Sheffer elected to go Fi-Core during the strike (2007/2008). However, Corday decided not to use his services and fired him. However, Sheffer went on to join "The Young and the Restless" as that show's co-head writer.

Now, the question is was Corday legally allowed to fire Sheffer at the time since he went Fi-Core during a strike? I believe the answer is yes in that regard, otherwise, Sheffer could have remained the show's head writer as a striking member and could not have been fired until after the strike was officially over as that would have been illegal to do. Then again, his going on to become a co-head writer at Y&R could be Sony's way of making up for his firing at DAYS. Otherwise, I found nothing on Corday paying Sheffer "a hefty fine" for being fired. Source?

I think there might be confusion on the matter due to this:

[AbcNbc247]

Today was another episode where the style and tone didn’t match. I sort of get them not wanting to stop other storylines but I’ll focus only on the good parts of today

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Today was very flashback heavy. And I really enjoyed seeing Steve, Kate and Xander’s histories with Victor on full display. And I also liked how despite everything, they remembered that their relationships with Victor ultimately led to good things. 

I hope there are more episodes like this as characters absorb the news of Victor’s death and remember their pasts with him. 

I’ve had to remind myself many times that, as bad as it is, it’s still better than the alternative of Sonny/Leo

[1974mdp]

Like some others, I started tuning in again after a very long time just to watch the fallout from Victor's death. Those scenes were great! I hope they really give SR a chance to shine with this story. Although, people come back from the dead so often, I don't see how anyone in Salem could take death seriously.

The Leo/Gwen stuff was so out of left field. There's literally no one to root for in this story, and I'm so over all things Dimera. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Thank you very much for this information. It bears little to no resemblance to the fanlore on the matter. I think I was informed by Alan Sarapa but I would have to check that to be sure. He is regularly a source of bonafide information. One oddity is that I just checked all the WGA Fi-Core lists I could find here, @Liberty City and @janea4old links & I do not find Hogan Sheffer on any Fi-Core list. Do they perhaps remove deceased members names? That is just grasping. Of course the job protection afforded legally striking writers is only for legally striking writers & no one else! @Liberty City & @janea4old would you please double check me & see if you find Hogan Sheffer listed as Fi-Core status? Thank you. 

[teplin]

Variety reported that Hogan Sheffer went fi-core.

https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/wga-reveals-fi-core-writers-1117984266/

[j swift]

Kudos to DAYS for walking the fine line between being sentimental about the passing of an actor, while still showing what a monster Victor had been.  I was worried that just like that terrible uncle that we've all known, who was suddenly canonized after their death, they'd try to make Victor into a saint after his passing.

In recent years, John Aniston had filled his portrayal of Victor with humor and wit.  Recently on TikTok, someone uploaded the very funny scene where Carly passed out at the front door of the mansion, and Victor stepped over her to grab the newspaper. 

Meanwhile, Victor was a vile man who abused women.  His relationship with Kim and Carly was gross, and difficult to watch.  He was cruel to Kate.  And, unlike Stefano, he usually escaped any mortal consequences for his actions.

So, it is good to see in these flashbacks that they've found a balance between demonstrating the skill of the actor, with the barbarism of the character.  I'm equally hooked into the mystery of where Victor was going at the time of his death and how we'll resolve those questions.  As well as, what his will reveals about the future of Maggie as CEO of Titan.

Edited August 17, 2023 by j swift

[Contessa Donatella]

Thank you. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Okay, I'm not finding out anything about any supposed fine. Suddenly nobody has anything to say about it. 

But, I've just been told that Sheffer declared Fi-Core status *after* being fired but before the strike ended in a matter of days. All of the breakdown writers were also fired & none of them were Fi-Core. To get around the illegality of firing striking workers DAYS said it had eliminated the breakdown writer position. They went without it for a time & then said the experiment wasn't working & they hired the breakdowns who had scabbed during the strike. This information comes from one of the fired breakdown writers. 

Also seen 2 items from Daytime Confidential & an old tweet that referred to the SON article about everyone being fired. 

I have not found any old tweets from Alan Sarapa talking about the supposed fine. 

 

I love that clip & "Did anyone call for a hooker?", those two, my favorites! The good thing about SoapTwitter right now is all the pictures & clips that are being uploaded of Vic/John A.    Bonanza!