I can’t remember which murder Marlena was revealed as the killer, but it was fairly late in the game IIRC. I wonder if that was the original intent, because we know that Francis knew she was coming back and didn’t have her contract suspended like the others did. Maybe the Marlena angle was also added when they backtracked.

Although I was glad that Maggie, Jack, Abe and Doug were spared.

16 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

I can’t remember which murder Marlena was revealed as the killer, but it was fairly late in the game IIRC. I wonder if that was the original intent, because we know that Francis knew she was coming back and didn’t have her contract suspended like the others did. Maybe the Marlena angle was also added when they backtracked.

Although I was glad that Maggie, Jack, Abe and Doug were spared.

If I remember correctly, Tony was mauled by the tiger, and the killer later came to his hospital room to shut off his breathing device. Tony recognized Marlena, and the Friday cliffhanger ended with him gasping, “It was you?” Then on Monday, Marlena was officially revealed. Next, I think, Nicole and Jan tried to kill Victor in the bathtub and blame it on the killer (which is very dark).

But Soap Opera Digest had already published its issue on Thursday—one day before the cliffhanger—and spoiled the reveal with Marlena on the cover as the killer. From that interview, it was clear none of the consequences would ever be permanent. Marlena continued scheming to kill more victims, but ultimately fell from her penthouse and woke up on Melaswen Island.

Basically, once the promo confirmed Marlena as the killer, I knew they’d have to walk it back to preserve her character. There was no way Deidre Hall was going to spend the next two decades playing Marlena behind bars.

But, Maggie's murder was especially scary.  I still recall when they held a special screening of the episode at the Cinerama Dome.

Edited November 5Nov 5 by j swift

Part of why Melaswen felt like it was tacked on to me was because it seemed very much like an afterthought. It didn’t seem very James Reilly at all, nothing major was happening there for quite a while.

On 11/2/2025 at 1:33 PM, Mitch64 said:

The Salem Stalker was, as we all know, dumb and made no sense, but the first "murder" of Abe was well done...everyone was waitiing for him at the church, the bridesmaids were wandering around the courtyard waiting for him, while the bells were ringing ominously.  Also the Halloween episode where Maggie was "killed" and the messages that were sent of dancing skeleton with "Death never takes a holiday."

I remember seeing Maggie's death episode and finding it very disturbing, especially the broken bottle being how she was killed.

20 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

Part of why Melaswen felt like it was tacked on to me was because it seemed very much like an afterthought. It didn’t seem very James Reilly at all, nothing major was happening there for quite a while.

I would disagree, based on production costs alone, those sets and costumes didn't build themselves overnight.  That's a huge plan.  Not a good plan.  Not a very entertaining plan.  But, clearly a plan.

NBC Daytime had new leadership.  This was their shiny new object.  It must have been planned and obsessed over for months.

The publicity story, about a change in direction, was easily betrayed by the amount of production put in the story's resolve.  Even the LA Times story about Maggie's death being shown at the dome, was skeptical that her murder seemed like a publicity stunt.  Again, not money well spent.  But, lots of money and time.

Edited November 5Nov 5 by j swift

On 11/4/2025 at 6:49 PM, titan1978 said:

Part of why Melaswen felt like it was tacked on to me was because it seemed very much like an afterthought.

Because it was. The rewrite was a matter of public record from people in the know, and several actors spilled the beans at the time when the show tried to claim it was all a grand design. Matt Ashford also took other work at OLTL in the interval. He wasn't the only one IIRC.

We had people here at SON at the time who were Reilly devotees since childhood insisting it was always his grand plan, but it wasn't. The little we know about the original story's ending, from what I recall, is that yes, they were all going to be dead, and that it would wrap in some sort of trial of the century story for Marlena. I have no idea how they were going to get her out of it which they clearly would have. Regardless, Melaswen and resurrecting them was never the original plan. The backlash cowed the always nervous and prone to 180s Corday, along with Sony/NBC.

The show was terrible period by then, but I wasn't complaining about getting those actors back. Most of them were dispatched so shabbily, by a writer who had clearly grown to hate or resent either many of them or DAYS itself.

Edited November 12Nov 12 by Vee

I agree that the early 2000s Reilly serial killer story looked as though it was going to be a legit serial killer mystery.  The Maggie arc especially was well done and gothic with some call backs to vital elements from her past (and the way she was 'killed' was by a demon she thought she managed to control).

Melaswen (New Salem spelled backwards) as a location was probably planned.. but what that location was going to be was re-written/adjusted once the show did a 180 and had all the victims really live on the island.

Reilly did love his offbeat and gothic locations... anyone remember Aremid (Dimera spelled backwards).   I did think the lady in white had a promising start in Aremid.. but it was a major letdown. 

 

As the World Turns:

Oddly as a kid, I remember the gothic period with Duncan's castle where someone was pretending to be Earl Mitchell.. which drove Lisa crazy while it look as though Grant Colman was behind it (I don't recall who actually did that.. perhaps it was James Stenbeck?).

The other story I wished I could see involving Lisa was The Willows story from 1979 (which I believe was a Marland tale during his brief stint head-writing before he switched to GL).

Guiding Light:

Though the Dreaming Death Story was an odd story... I still think the scenes where Lesley ann succumbs to the illness and she's up in heaven is creepy.

22 hours ago, Vee said:

The little we know about the original story's ending, from what I recall, is that yes, they were all going to be dead, and that it would wrap in some sort of trial of the century story for Marlena. I have no idea how they were going to get her out of it which they clearly would have. Regardless, Melaswen and resurrecting them was never the original plan. The backlash cowed the always nervous and prone to 180s Corday, along with Sony/NBC.

 

I am not sure I have ever heard of the trial aspect but it would have been much better if they had shred a couple months off the island tale to focus on the trial instead before picking up on the island. It probably would have kept at least some of the momentum they had going. 

1 hour ago, Soaplovers said:

As the World Turns:

Oddly as a kid, I remember the gothic period with Duncan's castle where someone was pretending to be Earl Mitchell.. which drove Lisa crazy while it look as though Grant Colman was behind it (I don't recall who actually did that.. perhaps it was James Stenbeck?).

The other story I wished I could see involving Lisa was The Willows story from 1979 (which I believe was a Marland tale during his brief stint head-writing before he switched to GL).

Guiding Light:

Though the Dreaming Death Story was an odd story... I still think the scenes where Lesley ann succumbs to the illness and she's up in heaven is creepy.

Most of The Willows plot is on YouTube, is the Grant/Lisa story available at all?

On 11/12/2025 at 9:57 PM, Soaplovers said:

As the World Turns:

Oddly as a kid, I remember the gothic period with Duncan's castle where someone was pretending to be Earl Mitchell.. which drove Lisa crazy while it look as though Grant Colman was behind it (I don't recall who actually did that.. perhaps it was James Stenbeck?).

The other story I wished I could see involving Lisa was The Willows story from 1979 (which I believe was a Marland tale during his brief stint head-writing before he switched to GL).

Guiding Light:

Though the Dreaming Death Story was an odd story... I still think the scenes where Lesley ann succumbs to the illness and she's up in heaven is creepy.

The man pretending to be Earl was Glenn Harrington, played by Richard Burgi. IIRC, he had killed Earl but wanted people to believe he was still alive (the reasons why I can't recall).

I also found the Dreaming Death scenes with Lesley so creepy.

"Angela" on The Bold And The Beautiful was pretty spooky!