Days of Our Lives: November 2023 Discussion Thread

[Liberty City]

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[AbcNbc247]

All the incestuous pairings on Days and Holly’s worried that Nicole marrying EJ is the deal breaker for her and Johnny?

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I do like how she got Nicole to think about her feelings for Eric though and I also like how Eric was used in Tate’s scenes today. I’m looking forward to the Eric/Nicole scenes tomorrow. 

Btw, Johnny and Tate really do have perfect hair But why are they acting like they’re not cousins? 

I also liked the Marlena/Li scenes. We got some really good insight into Li’s character. I still say that Melinda should have something to do with this storyline but whatevs. 

And yeah, Days really missed a great opportunity to explore that father-son dynamic between Li and his Dad. 

[carolineg]

I wonder if part of the reason they ditched Jen Lilley for Emily O'Brien is that Jen Lilley looks too young to be Tate's mom.  I am sure it was just for silly reasons BTS, but I do think EOB is a little older than JL.  JL isn't technically too young, but she looks younger than her own age.  I can't really pin down EOB's age with a quick google search, but she looks like she's in her early 40's.  Idk, I think I am still trying to put some logical reasoning in this decision where there clearly isn't one lol.

[Liberty City]

Jen Lilley is 39. Emily O'Brien is supposedly 38.

[janea4old]

Despite some of the hyperbole or gushing in Jen Lilley's interviews, I do believe the basics of what she has claimed.

She (like several other Days actors) reached out to the show when she heard John Aniston died, and said she could be available if they filmed a memorial episode.  She was later contacted and asked to do it.  She explained she had prior commitments to some hallmark or family-type network to do some films but she could be available for a very short arc.  I think she had about 10-14 days available. 
She said they wanted her for a 12-week arc. They told her they could arrange for her to film 12 weeks of episodes in two weeks, so she agreed.  After a few days of filming, she realized what was happening with EOB, so she confronted the producer about wtf is going on.

From reading and listening to JL's interviews, I think the show told her it was a great idea to come for the Victor memorial. . . . .  and then after they made the offer, (or maybe while the show was pondering making her the offer), the show decided to make Theresa's return a longer-term thing.  But she could not do the longer-term thing because of her prior obligations.  She's said this consistently in more than one interview.

I just don't know why they didn't write off Gwen several weeks before Victor's memorial.  And then have EOB play Theresa totally in this arc.  Was it just laziness and poor planning?  Or did they want to use old flashbacks of JL with Martsolf?   I mean they could have refilmed some of the Theresa/Brady flashbacks with EOB.    But of course the entire idea of using EOB as Theresa makes zero sense.  Same with RSW as Ben/Alex.  If they needed to recast Theresa, there are plenty of other actresses out there.

Edited November 1, 2023 by janea4old

[janea4old]

Remember Charles Shaughnessy and the Victor Cassadine arc on GH was supposed be a 6-month contract.  But part of his GH storyline involved Emma Samms as Holly, and she was unavailable to film GH due to Long Covid, but  GH was understanding of her situation and waited until she could film.  And there was also a delay in the middle of Charles' contract because he had to take some time off for a health thing, which GH accomodated, so the Casssadine storyline stalled for quite a while here and there.

For DAYS: I had wondered about the potential for a Donovan family arc especially since Colton Little had appeared as Andrew on Beyond Salem and was guesting on Days.  

My SPECULATION was that Days planned to start a full Donovan family arc a while back; no inside knowledge, just guessing.   Maybe they wanted to have Charles S. come to Days as Shane again - but they had to wait until Charles S. was finished taping contract episodes on GH. 

Meanwhile, On January 22, 2023, in reply to a comment on her IG post,  Charlotte Ross indicated there had been some talks about her returning to Days.   So I began to wonder some more about Donovan arcs coming?  Again just speculating.  But then months later we saw Kassie De Paiva return as Eve for one or two episodes with Harris Michaels. 

Charles S. finally finished his contract appearances on GH in spring 2023, so I wondered if he would pop in on DAYS in autumn 2023, and he eventually did appear in Greece with the briefcase episode.

I don't know any BTS stuff at all, but based on all of the above, I am guessing they had planned a Donovan arc long ago, and waited until they had all the actors available, with Charles Shaughnessy being delayed on GH.  But still. . .  it doesn't explain why they pulled in Jen Lilley for a few episodes and then recast.

Edited November 1, 2023 by janea4old

[carolineg]

Oops! I thought EOB was slightly older lol.  I have to agree with @janea4old.  There was no reason not to just bring EOB in at the start as Theresa.  I guess the show just decided they had more plans for Theresa once Jen was there.

[j swift]

Like counting sands through the hourglass, trying to apply reason to the production of DAYS is a futile task

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Which is why I don't question why Li is seeking outpatient therapy from Marlena at her office in the hospital, while referencing her other client Harris, which is clearly a conflict of interest.

Edited November 1, 2023 by j swift

[janea4old]

 

 

yep, there is no logic.

Edited November 1, 2023 by janea4old

[Vee]

It's not that deep. I said it before and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Lilley offered her services for the memorial and DAYS foolishly used it as an attempt to leverage and con her into agreeing to a longer return. When she declined Alarr or whoever punitively recast. Stupid as hell.

[janea4old]

That sums it up better than what I posted. Thank you.

[AbcNbc247]

Lol could be

Or maybe it really was the former producer just being petty and angry. 

And of course, Ron loves to humiliate his female characters. 

[Soapsuds]

She does look older. I thought the same too.

When I was in college some guys came up to me and thought I was in junior high!

I've aged well.

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[carolineg]

I definitely thought she was in her 40's.  She looks good.  I just assumed she was older than JL.  JL looks younger than 39 though, but some people choose to get some tweaks and some don't lol.  EOB just strikes me as more serious too so that might also age her to me.

I had the opposite problem.  I looked 21 when I was 15 and would get into bars and just sort of stayed looking the same age for years.  In my own mind I still do, but that's probably not the case

[Soapsuds]

And I couldn't get into bars because I looked too young.