3 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

And I couldn’t help but laugh when I noticed that Steve and Shawn had matching jackets

Literally the same exact jacket from the same designer, Steve in black and ShawnD in brown.
I posted a bunch of May 14 and May 15 episode photos on page 2 of the May spoiler thread,
including the matching jackets and the designer.

Edited May 15May 15 by janea4old

I honestly felt like Gabi/Alex had a deeper conversation on their short date than Stephanie and Alex have had in their entire relationship.   Didn't Alex try to reboot Titan Publishing with Theresa, and it flopped?  

So Sophia and Rachel have the same birthday?  Lol.  It was strange Tate got sick at the party and I have no clue what Sophia's about.  I really don't think she's scheming, but I do think she'll ending wanting to keep the baby.

The Kevin stuff is a bit silly.  He needed Phillip to tell him to just make one dose and bring the rest back?  He doesn't have time to do that before the Dr. comes back to the lab?  Kevin's right outside lol.

Nice Kayla/Marlena scenes.  I really hope they don't drag finding John out much longer.

13 minutes ago, brisbydog said:

Did Shane actually find John or was it just 'closing in' again? Marlena's reaction seemed to indicate he was actually located.

She said closing in.  Deidre was sobbing so hard I had to check the closed captioning

19 minutes ago, brisbydog said:

No comment on Alex getting turned on by Stephanie's book again. This is all the new writers can do for this couple? I know they are shallow and their entire relationship is based on sex but come on, this is mortifying.

I wish the triangle with Philip was still going on with them.

10 minutes ago, janea4old said:

Literally the same exact jacket from the same designer, Steve in black and ShawnD in brown.
I posted a bunch of May 14 and May 15 episode photos on page 2 of the May spoiler thread,
including the matching jackets and the designer.

Maybe Days got a good deal 😂😂😂😂

9 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Didn't Alex try to reboot Titan Publishing with Theresa, and it flopped?  

He tried to relaunch Bella magazine 

4 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

I wish the triangle with Philip was still going on with them.

Anything, but this non-story.  Who cares if Stephanie publishes her Danielle Steel novel or not?  Maybe Joy will be back sooner or later with the baby.

6 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Maybe Days got a good deal 😂😂😂😂

Last Chance Sale at Nordstrom rack.  I bet JJ has one too.

6 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

He tried to relaunch Bella magazine 

Yeah.  For some reason I thought they shuttered the whole Publishing department after that.

4 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Anything, but this non-story.  Who cares if Stephanie publishes her Danielle Steel novel or not?

I still can’t help but think that this was all Ron and Paula/Jeanne just decided to run with it. 

Maybe it’ll improve over time 

8 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

I still can’t help but think that this was all Ron and Paula/Jeanne just decided to run with it. 

Maybe it’ll improve over time 

Probably.

Stephanie is still so underdeveloped as a character to me.  She jumps from romance to romance and I feel like she takes on the persona and interests of the man she is with at the moment.  I don't really know her interests or personality.  And Stephanie certainly gets enough airtime to explore more than sex with Alex.

I know she was interacting with Kayla today, but a lot of the dialogue was "Alex asked", "Alex thinks..", "Alex is now free so I have to go" lol.  What do you think about anything, Stephanie?

Deidre Hall did really well in that last scene hearing about them closing in on John. John's funeral is going to be tough to watch.

I am very much enjoying this week! Could it be because Leo, Javi and Rafe are all off screen?

Belle gives new meaning to being a whole dicktimized bird. Good god I thought Ciara was bad when it came to Serial Killer Ben but she ani't got nothing on Isabella when it comes to EJ. The self-righteous smugness is off the charts & I'm need someone to knock her off her pedestal. This hoe ani't got too brain cells to rub together. My girl wasn't salutatorian in HS to be acting like she ani't got the good sense that god gave her.

I don't buy she is in love with rapey Elvis she is in love with dick that ani't her husband. She is one of those type of chicks who comes up missing or dead cause she's infatuated with a monster & think she is good enough to change them. Lord make it end

There isn't enough dick in the world to be acting like a whole sanctimonious trash bag.

The actress playing Stephanie seems more passive and indecisive than the previous two actresses that played Stephanie. 

Shayna's Stephanie had a lot of spirit and a more daredevil attitude.. while Shelley's Stephanie had this stoic confidence where she seemed like a pushover, but would push back if provoked (i.e. her interactions with Melanie).

I do hope that Paula/Jeanne figure out how to write to the strengths of the current actress playing Stephanie and also play her more in scenes with Patch/Kayla where they have heart to heart talks and also delve into the father/daughter dynamics with Patch.  The previous two Stephanie's kind of had Patch's temperament while this Stephanie doesn't seem to have either Patch nor Kayla's temperaments. 

 

19 minutes ago, Soaplovers said:

The actress playing Stephanie seems more passive and indecisive than the previous two actresses that played Stephanie. 

Shayna's Stephanie had a lot of spirit and a more daredevil attitude.. while Shelley's Stephanie had this stoic confidence where she seemed like a pushover, but would push back if provoked (i.e. her interactions with Melanie).

I do hope that Paula/Jeanne figure out how to write to the strengths of the current actress playing Stephanie and also play her more in scenes with Patch/Kayla where they have heart to heart talks and also delve into the father/daughter dynamics with Patch.  The previous two Stephanie's kind of had Patch's temperament while this Stephanie doesn't seem to have either Patch nor Kayla's temperaments. 

 

You make some really good points here.

I think Abigail Klein is quite likeable she's just been written as very wishy washy and cookie cutter.   There is nothing that makes her stand out as Patch/Kayla's daughter like you stated.

Ron never seemed to have a clear idea what to do with Stephanie or who to pair her with.  I do think it's a fixable problem, but she needs to get away from Alex, IMO.

I completely agree @Soaplovers with your excellent comment.  And the bold, confident Stephanie we saw in her previous incarnations would be a much better match for Alex than the one trying to play house too soon.

Let’s not forget: Alex came on the scene as a walking red flag with a gym membership—dodging commitment in love and work. And now he’s out here giving career advice? From a man whose last job was playing a soap star no one in Salem has even heard of? Sir.

What I’d love is for Stephanie to be a genuine challenge for him—not someone who bends to his charm, but someone who knows she’s the prize. She’s a free agent in Salem: no ex-husband drama, no kid in tow, no awkward family entanglements.

Let her be more like Kayla now—centered, respected, and not here for games—than Kayla was when she was falling off motorcycles with Steve. The next great Salem love story shouldn't be about chemistry alone. It should be earned—like Patch and Kayla, Shane and Kim, or even Bo and Hope on their best days.

Give us slow burn, mutual respect, and a Stephanie who makes him level up.

Edited May 15May 15 by j swift

@j swift @carolineg

I was looking at some scenes on YT of Shelley's take on Stephanie.. and her 2007/2008 take on Stephanie was very spirited, bold, and confident.   I often think her ordeal in 2009 when she was kidnapped and kept in the morgue by that creepy guy probably did change her.. but I don't recall the show ever focusing on the after effects of such a traumatic event.

In fact... her novel/manuscript should have been loosely based on that trauma in a fictionized account.  Maybe the rest of the manuscript will involve some of that.. but I doubt Ron C would ever think to include that event in a constructive way to explain the current behaviors/motivations of Stephanie.

34 minutes ago, j swift said:

What I’d love is for Stephanie to be a genuine challenge for him—not someone who bends to his charm, but someone who knows she’s the prize. She’s a free agent in Salem: no ex-husband drama, no kid in tow, no awkward family entanglements.

Exactly.

That's a fertile ground, where a lot of drama could be mined from.

16 minutes ago, Soaplovers said:

@j swift @carolineg

I was looking at some scenes on YT of Shelley's take on Stephanie.. and her 2007/2008 take on Stephanie was very spirited, bold, and confident.   I often think her ordeal in 2009 when she was kidnapped and kept in the morgue by that creepy guy probably did change her.. but I don't recall the show ever focusing on the after effects of such a traumatic event.

In fact... her novel/manuscript should have been loosely based on that trauma in a fictionized account.  Maybe the rest of the manuscript will involve some of that.. but I doubt Ron C would ever think to include that event in a constructive way to explain the current behaviors/motivations of Stephanie.

That's a great idea.

Especially since her kidnapping was a part of the Dimera/Kiriakis war at the time. Not only could it cause conflict between Stephanie and Alex/the Kiriakises, it could also be tied to both families trying to buy the hospital, and how that would make the hospital look, since these villainous families both want to own it.

Edited May 15May 15 by AbcNbc247

3 minutes ago, Soaplovers said:

@j swift @carolineg

I was looking at some scenes on YT of Shelley's take on Stephanie.. and her 2007/2008 take on Stephanie was very spirited, bold, and confident.   I often think her ordeal in 2009 when she was kidnapped and kept in the morgue by that creepy guy probably did change her.. but I don't recall the show ever focusing on the after effects of such a traumatic event.

In fact... her novel/manuscript should have been loosely based on that trauma in a fictionized account.  Maybe the rest of the manuscript will involve some of that.. but I doubt Ron C would ever think to include that event in a constructive way to explain the current behaviors/motivations of Stephanie.

Stephanie also was raped in college and killed her rapist along with the help of Chelsea.  It was an accident, but that's something the show has only touched on once or twice since AK took over the role.

5 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Especially since her kidnapping was a part of the Dimera/Kiriakis war at the time. Not could it cause conflict between Stephanie and Alex/the Kiriakises, it could also be tied to both families trying to buy the hospital, and how that would make the hospital look, since these villainous families both want to own it.

Very good point!