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DAYS: May 2025 Discussion Thread


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I did not expect Bo and Hope to be back already, I thought they were coming later. It is nice to see John was apparently doing all this for them.

Far be it from me to be hypercritical (haha), but this whole "let's show John Black from behind and play old sound clips" thing is super-tacky to me. But it's classic Days Brain about style and taste choices going back at least 25 years. We forget how they had Alice 'killed' by Marlena. If it were me I'd just have John die in a blaze of glory in some entirely offscreen heroism, or maybe seen only briefly in the background of some action-packed sweeps event doing the same. Not these awkward scenes where these poor actors pretend they are talking to their coworker who just died from behind (or in bed) while they play Drake's voice like it's the morning zoo radio soundboard.

Maybe I'll feel differently as I watch more, we'll see.

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The actors said in interviews that the scenes of John dying and the eventual memorial service was finished filming the week before Drake passed away.  

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The actors didn't know how near the time was for Drake to pass away.
But they knew he was terminally ill and they were shedding real tears.

Edited by janea4old
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Yes.  I found it tacky too.  I would have preferred John to die off screen as well. 

Although I do enjoy everyone getting a chance to say goodbye and then wander around the hospital giving 3 second life updates to one another lol.  I don't doubt the actors are crying real tears.

I honestly find it tackier that the show is dragging this part on and saying John's recovery is a miracle and he's doing so much better when we know the ending.

That's just my opinion.  I do see a lot of praise for the story.

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Yeah, I don't think it was necessary to have a John body double in a hazmat suit scrabbling around on the floor with a dayplayer all to explain his death. They even have this crispy dude in a mask on a gurney.

Nor would I personally have shown John wasting away in a hospital bed to die without the actor. John Black shouldn't go out like that. Even if his death isn't purely an offscreen event, you could still have woven him into a sweeps action event where John saves the day, mostly offscreen or seen in glimpses in the background without all the awkward talking to body doubles, voice clips, etc. Then he dies in an explosion or whatever and it's a blaze of glory, and no lingering in the hospital circling the drain.

But I assume part of this was done so that the actors could say goodbye, and I can get behind that. I'm sure they'll all be great.

Nor was it necessary to have some fake voice croak out 'go save Bo!' You could tell poor Stephen Nichols and Kristian were struggling enough as it is telling Crispy Fake John they know he'll be okay for the last time. The double was tacky enough in that situation! Not Hope going out in her Laura Bush ensemble to help save the day.

Susan Seaforth Hayes has still got it, I don't care what anyone says.

Edited by Vee
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I am the first to say I don't have the perfect scenario for John's death in my head.  I think it would have had something to do with saving the world from Orpheus and killing Orpheus once and for all, but losing his own life in the effort.

I am actually sad Orpheus is still alive and well doing dastardly deeds.  I GET the saving Bo idea.  I just am not sure I want to say, "Oh, yeah, John died in a meth lab.  Some kid attacked him and he burned to death"

I love all the actors coming back to pay tribute.  It's lovely.  I think it would have been smarter for Marlena, Kayla, etc to say this is grave for John-it's time to say goodbye.  Not add in all the "he's doing great and on the road to recovery".  I assume it's a nod to Drake about always fighting, but, man, if you didn't know Drake had passed the rug would be pulled out from under you next week as an audience member.

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-- I didn't want to be the first person to mention it, because I've complained so much about Chandler Massey's smirking and grinning in the past. He just cannot get through a scene without breaking -- that grin broke through every time he ran into another character today.

He looks young -- and good -- but I am not a fan of this acting. He's not trying.

-- I agree with others here about this goodbye. The bandaged John is a throwback and a full circle moment, but it's gone on too many days already. I especially hate the "He's getting better" stuff. That doesn't work since we all know how this ends.

-- I'm glad to see the return of all these characters and I love the flashbacks, but I think DAYS could have done all that without the bandaged exit.

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Xander is Victor's son, but thought he was his nephew until Victor's will.  His mom is an alcoholic who ran Sarah down then left town.  He's got a kid with Sarah and then is related to the rest of the Kiriakis brood.

I would argue Orpheus lost his purpose years ago.  I lost the plot with Orpheus when his entire beef was with John and not Roman.  The person who actually killed his wife.

Too be kind I'll just say it looks like Chandler was a bit out of practice at the old acting game.  He's never stopped smirking.

Edited by carolineg
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I watched the episode three times already.

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I can't believe how many different interactions we got in today's episode. Many we hadn't gotten before or for the longest time.

 

Everyone looked so young in their flashback scenes with John.

 

Great to see Will again! Chandler looked so damn hot!

 

It's going to be interesting to see Will be at his former lovers wedding.

Edited by Soapsuds
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