Days of Our Lives: September 2023 Discussion Thread

[carolineg]

They had quite the shaky relationship, so I always wondered how they managed all those children so quickly after reuniting.  The stress of it all!!   I have to look at Jason's page too because you have to imagine there were some behind the scenes changes with writers and stuff.  I can't imagine any single writer just giving a couple that many male children so rapidly.  I don't think Ron would even go that far!

[AbcNbc247]

Yeah. Each birth happened under a different head writer. 

[Contessa Donatella]

That clip just totally blew my mind! Crystal clear why this particular retcon is about as good as a hairball that something hacked up. 

[carolineg]

Checks out lol

It's almost like some Days intern did the bare minimum of research and stopped reading a synopsis after seeing the line "Victor offered to marry Angelica" and just went with that detail.

[Contessa Donatella]

It's so lackadaisical that it could have been something exactly like that!!! I mean I have been critical of John's & Hope's & godawful Tony/Andre's retcons, but the people who wrote them had a plan in mind with a big picture & little rivulets & they obviously put work into trying to make them fit at the same time that they accomplished their current purpose. But, this one, it's so ... sloppy! I feel like down the road people may say this is when a retcon ate the first successful streaming soap. 

[j swift]

Wasn't there also a thing that when Kim thought that Victor might have fathered her son Andrew, part of the solution was that Victor was impotent (aka soap talk for low sperm count, not ED)? 

I could be getting the whole thing wrong, but wasn't that also part of the reason that Phillip was conceived by IVF (and then gestated in Vivian)?

Edited September 26, 2023 by j swift

[carolineg]

Kate had the issue conceiving with Phillip (can't recall why...I would assume age), but an heir was one of the terms Victor had for marrying Kate hence the IVF.  Can't recall the whole Kim story.  I think it was just switched paternity tests not anything to do with Victor's sperm count lol.

Edited September 26, 2023 by carolineg

[j swift]

Yeah, you're correct.  I looked it up, Shane's ex switched the paternity tests, with the aged old soap logic that he would instantly reconcile with her once he found out that Vic had slept with Kim.  Of course, later he revealed that he had also slept with Kim's mom, but reformed romantic rouges are a staple of culture in Salem.

BTW, I was thinking about the fan-based conspiracy that the headwriter has a thing for RSW and that inspires him to keep writing stories which benefit his characters, and I wondered why don't fans say the same thing about Paul Telfer?  Xander has done many awful things, but he is still written as a romantic hero, and I assume the audience is meant to be on his side in the Sarah story, so (rhetorically), why don't people write about RonC having a crush on Paul T?  I mean, Ron didn't create either Ben nor Xander, so the whole conspiracy has always rung false for me.  I'm not harshing on anyone who does believe it, I'm just suggesting that it strains credulity.

Edited September 27, 2023 by j swift

[carolineg]

Xander wasn't created by Ron and I do think PT/Xander had a bit of a fanbase before Ron brought him back.  I also think Sarah/Xander have a pretty substantial fanbase as well or at least did before Sarah became the worst.  IMO, Xander is really more of a grey character that does bad things and does pay for them for a while at least.  I don't doubt Ron favors PT as well, but I think there is more substance to Xander as a character in general in comparison to current day Ben and Alex.

I know Ben wasn't created by Ron either, but since he reappeared the writing for Ben was heavily skewed in his favor.   Ben wasn't a grey character.  He was a fully reformed serial killer and romantic lead, and you were wrong to think he was a bad guy.  His victim Will even became his bff.  His victim's grandmother became his biggest cheerleader.  It all was so heavy handed.  Creating an entire other character for RSW is ridiculous as well.  It isn't necessary and it feels like RSW is being pushed upon us.  I have no idea if Ron actual has crushes on these men and don't really care, but it's clear there is some favoritism there.  

All that being said, RSW does have an extremely large, rabid fanbase as well not to mention CIN's following.  I can understand wanting to keep RSW around.  I just think if you can't keep VK's Ciara recast, 'kill' her off or find reasons for Ben to make long term visits to the canvas.  Don't create another character and shove him in our faces.

Perhaps others have different feelings on this, but I feel like most of Xander's stories flow a little more organically and I never feel like Xander is shoved in my face the way RSW is.  I would also add that Leo and Gwen are much less popular and pushed way more than Xander ever has been, and I know that Leo/Gwen don't have large followings.

[j swift]

I totally agree with your points that both men are popular actors, and it makes sense from a business perspective to promote what the audience favors, even though it can feel heavy-handed.

I guess what I am reacting to, and get tired of hearing, are criticism that focus only on the head writer.  He is one part of a large machine, and it grates on my nerves when fans assume his motives are lewd.  Especially when we now know that there were other forces behind the scenes that were much more egregious. 

Again, please note that I don't mean to disrespect our little community.  It just feels reductive.  There's enough on-screen to critique that I don't find it necessary to create false narratives about the headwriter's motives being anything else than wanting to draw the highest ratings possible.  And, if you are reading this and thinking that you don't imply about the writer's intentions when you post, then this is obviously not meant toward you.  But, you wouldn't have to scroll back very far to find examples of what I am talking about.

Edited September 27, 2023 by j swift

[Contessa Donatella]

Hmm, fan-based conspiracy ... now that is a new way to put it as far as I know. Since when is garden variety "playing favorites" a conspiracy? I think it's pretty universally accepted that certain writers have people they prefer to write for & certain not so much & that's okay as long as situations don't become extreme. At any rate here is another way to look at Ron & his writing for his favorites. And, I am well aware of what a problem it is for writers to get what they pitch greenlit! I think being a soap HW is possibly one of the hardest things to do.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Donna L. Bridges
typo

[Antoyne]

Comparing PT’s writing to the writing RSW got as Ben and then a whole new character for him to play to keep the actor on canvas is ridiculous to me. If you don’t understand the obvious favoritism this man and his characters have received under RC, I don’t know what to tell you. Xander is called out about his awful behavior constantly. With Ben you were literally considered a villain for calling him a serial killer. They literally turned one of his victims into his biggest apologist along with the character’s grandmother. And when the actress of his love interest wouldn’t commit to the show long term, they literally gave him a legacy character and just retconned history to make him even more of a legacy character. Choosing to ignore all of this because you don’t like how some fans have phrased it is absurd.

If you've ever watched a show head written by RC, this is literally nothing new. It started with the Ford character/actor on OLTL.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Antoyne

[AbcNbc247]

Xander and Sarah’s scenes were the best part of today, except for Rex sticking his nose in at the end. 

We really got a good understanding of why each of them did the things that they did. And I liked that there was sort of a parallel between them over how they each tried to defend their own indefensible actions. They’re so similar that they actually do deserve each other lol

Lindsay Godfrey really stood out today. With the way she plays it, there were so many times where I got the vibe that  Xander was right and that Sarah was keeping the baby’s paternity a secret just out of spite. She seemed a lot more sincere today. But yeah, somebody really ought to tell her that the final reason Xander decided to steal The Spectator was because she chose to be a spiteful, vindictive bitch

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I’m glad Chloe finally revealed what she had been feeling to Philip, but I still think everybody needed to do a better job at establishing that. We knew from the beginning that Xander was only with Chloe because he couldn’t have Sarah. I feel like we never really got that vibe from Chloe. 

Tripp and Wendy were really sweet today too, but it’s well past the time for them to have some conflict lol 

And yeah, Rafe is just a dick

Edited September 27, 2023 by AbcNbc247

[carolineg]

Good Sarah/Xander scenes.  Both sides had understandable, valid points and there was good acting by both.  Rex needs to STFU.  I know we are supposed to think Rex is a good, upstanding guy, but he's kind of pathetic and creepy.  Why does he want Sarah's crumbs of affection and to raise another man's child?  He knows Sarah doesn't love him at all.  Pack up what's left of your pride and head back to Chicago, Rex!

Why is Rafe like that?  Why do they write one of the 'heroes' of this show like such an ass?  And Jada just sits there lovestruck or something.

I agree with @AbcNbc247 fan re: Chloe/Phillip.  Chloe's love life has been hard to follow for years.  Sometimes it's Brady that's the love of her life, sometimes it's Phillip, and it's even been Daniel.  It's very hard to take Chloe/Phillip seriously when there has been no indication she had romantic feelings for Phillip and Brady was the love of her life 6 months ago.  You get whiplash thinking about it and I am not even throwing her love for Xander into this.  

I think JPL is playing Phillip all wrong as well.  I know Phillip has changed and is struggling with mental health, but JPL plays Phillip like he's socially challenged and awkward.  Almost like he can't handle the most normal social cues and emotions.  Even a struggling Phillip would have some bravado and cockiness in his interactions while battling demons.  At least IMO.  This Phillip is completely lacking any charm or lightheartedness that Phillip once had.

[Contessa Donatella]

But, I'm seeing many people who really like this portrayal, including me.