Days: Chelsey's trial!

[JERSoapsFan]

You know, DaysFanJean--I think you're right about Chelsea's slap on the wrist. Hell, all the factors of the incident makes this a unique case that suggests Chelsea's cell phone negligence played only a minor role in the accident. Hell, after reviewing YOUR argument, I'd say Hope needs to just get over it already! Grieve your son and blame that !@#$%^&*] of a babysitter!!!

I had to add: I'm STILL waiting for her to run into that !@#$%^&*]..that kid's mother whom Zach had the slumber party with... at a grocery store and chew HER out for a change.

[DaysFanJean]

From what I've gathered in other discussions on this, child services would have paid her a visit and she could have lost her own child in real life. Days hasn't done well at all in portraying this storyline focusing on how Hope and Bo turned to others and Chelsea playing her 10-year old whiz kid games. It's not been a pretty picture and I'm willing to put my voice out that the new HW (if true) will drop this asap. Unfortunately that probably could mean the Kate involvement....sigh.

[JERSoapsFan]

Hope should kill the !@#$%^&*]. Personally, I'd LOVE to see Hope become the new Salem Stalker, though with just one victim--that babysitter. Some babysitter!! First day on the job she had a fatality! !@#$%^&*]!!!

[Q Steph]

I'll buy you a club and get a chainsaw to chop her into pieces.

Crap like this is why I don't bother w/ Days. This could have been a quality story despite being a rip of Y&R but they just squandered the potential.

Chelsea is an unrepentant brat with no reddeming qualities. Kate is pretty much her pimp.

It's as if Zach died in vain; for nothing which is what this arc has wrought: nothing.

Furthermore, those who have confessed and there is circumstancial evidence to support and cooroborate the admittance, are still convict in lieu of a body or more damning evidence.

[DaysFanJean]

The case against Chelsea isn't a huge crime and she would not be treated like a criminal at all. It was an accident and there is no trial. It will be a hearing.

The bigger picture here is this is a family tragedy. One sibling being the cause of another's death and how does the family deal with it. So far it's been disgraceful. Hope is unwilling to see beyond her loss which is understandable as grieving is a lengthy process, however, by leaving Salem, she isolated herself from her family and friends who could have steered her into the reality of how to recover. Chelsea is a family member and nothing will change that. Hope is her step-mother and as such has a major role in the rest of Chelsea's life. Zack is gone but Chelsea is still here and that doesn't lessen the parental responsibility to her. To view further down the road, how do you want to see your family? Do you want one member treated with scorn or do you want her to make you proud. How she is treated by the family can make that difference. The court is very considerate of protecting rights and sees the long term picture.

It is obvious that Chelsea is a strong-willed person. She graduated at the top of her high school class. Never got into trouble in public school (or we would have heard of it) and is in her second year of college (no mention was made of her dropping out) and with proper mentoring, she will be a valuable citizen to Salem and can make her family proud. In Chelsea's defense, she suffered first the loss of her parents, then learned they were not her parents but she was adopted and Bo and Billie are her parents, learned the Benson's left her destitute (they were in bankruptcy proceedings), then as she was learning to accept her new family, she does the unthinkable by causing the death of her half brother. That is a huge chunk for a young person to deal with. She will need a strong hand in guiding her and Hope can do that if she will take on that role.

[dragonflies]

UGH! This is sickening, I can't believe the swamp skank isn't going to pay for her crime

[Q Steph]

I have to disagree somewhat.

While Zach's death was accidental, Chelsea has priors involving car accidents. It was the very reason why her license was rescinded. At the very least, she would be eligible for involunatary manslaughter because she was negligent.

DAYS has glossed over her receiving any legal sanction. Moreover, Hope, the parent of Zach, wanted Chelsea punished. Thankfully, the court systems are finally acknowledging that those under 18 are culpable of grievos actions that merit the full extent of the law.

As for the emotional fallout between Chelsea and Hope, it's been minimal from the few instances I've watched. I may be wrong, but HJope is bascially being told to "GET OVER IT". Chelsea is getting off withot so much as a slap on the wrist and the Scooby Doo Gang consisting of Billie, Kate and Bo couldn't be happier.

Chelsea is not strong willed. She's a weak brat who hides behind stunts to camoflague what a trifling human being she is.

[DaysFanJean]

If Chelsea wasn't strongwilled, she would have simply frumped out and let her life go down the drain. She is strong and she is spunky. She's a fighter and a very intelligent one albeit very immature one.

She was not charged for driving without a license. She was not speeding (I don't know how they can tell that but she wasn't charged with speeding so that isn't in the case but may be mentioned as I've not read the transcript.)

The court is accustomed to hearing many cases every day and understands the severity of each one and that even though Hope is devastated at losing a child, it was an accident and basically it is saying, we are sorry for your loss, grieve your loss and get on with life. That is simply the way life is.

On a personal note. I lost my youngest son due to an accident. There were no witnesses and the cause was never determined. His death was listed as results of injuries sustained in an accident of unknown cause. He was 16. Of course there was so much anguish and thinking everything imaginable, but the bottom line is, he is gone and he of all people would not want me giving up on life but would want me to make the most of it, which I try to do in his memory every day.

[Q Steph]

I'm sorry about the loss of your son. I'm glad you're doing better and living for each day.

My own personal situation is different. I'm tortured every day by my own pain and it's not so easy being the better or mature person.

I'm deeply offended by the cowardice of others. We live in a world where people commit the most horrible of crimes and it's glossed over.

As for Chelsea, she merits some type of penance. It doesn't take much strength of character to scheme, manipulate and mouth off. Hope should consider a civil lawsuit at the very least because that brat is literally getting away w/ murder.

[DaysFanJean]

Q Steph, this may be off topic and be deleted but I wanted to share something with you. I'm deeply sorry for your pain. You didn't say whether it was physical or emotional, but either is a regrettable situation.

Here are a couple of quotes heard often. Raise the bar and Reach for the high level. Those used to be terms I associated with exercise, but one day it occurred to me that out of all the choices of response to anything, how many are exactly the same? Take those same responses and look at how they group up. They make parallel bars similar to one you write music on. Then I thought this is what those expressions really mean. Take yourself up the bar and reach the high level. It gave me a perspective to work with. Of course, I'm sure that I don't even recognize the highest bar or level because the higher I go the higher they get, but I'm working on it....even dropping back a bar or level from time to time. That may not make a bit of sense to you, but if it does, I hope it will be something to think about. Even if it just occupies some of your thinking time, maybe it will help.

About the subject now, with me having faith that Chelsea is intelligent, she is capable of raising herself up from her situation, but she will need a strong instigation to do it. I'm not sure if the writers want to make a transition for Chelsea or just go on with her following her misguided path. Personally, I would love to see her work out of this level upward and that Hope will be the motivator. Guess, I'm dreaming though, because Hope has a lot of healing to do herself right now.

[Q Steph]

It was physical & emotional but I like your analogies. There's a part of me that wants to devote completely to healing. I've set the bar towards creating shelters for abused kids, changing laws, winning an Oscar, becoming an Ambassador, forgiving m ore But I'm like a ticking time bomb sometimes. I need to work on that, but I digress.

I just feel bad for Hope. Chelsea is always in her face and manipulating Bo and her marriage. It's like she hasn't learned anything at all. She doesn't exactly have good role models.

[DaysFanJean]

Thank you and good luck with your goals. You have some lofty ones set, but maybe one thing at a time and in increments will help the frustration as well as perhaps setting tolerance level bars for yourself. Since I'm old and retired and homebound due to health issues, I'm just delighted that I have a great attitude, a husband who makes me laugh, a dog devoted to me and most of the rest of my immediate family in touch. The simple things are golden in my place. I reached my career goal, thankfully, and sort of let all the puff go out then.

With a new writing team heading toward Days, surely Hope will find peace and a more interesting story and I hope if Chelsea stays, her character is more tolerable. I personally see a lot of potential for her.

[Ryan]

DaysFanJean I want to say that I am sorry for what happened to your son. Though it's not the same, I lost my best friend a few years ago to a drunk driver. What angers me the most is that the writers aren't having her pay for her mistakes. She committed a crime and no matter how accidental it was, she needs to be punished.

[Jinxed Soul]

It is pretty sad that the writers won't punish Chelsea. I remember reading on another board that Chelsea suffers a tragic mishap shortly after the trial. My guess is that she will lose her life at that time. So, I guess the writers wanted to expand the storyline further - thus, Chelsea will still pay the price, but with her own life instead.

[PhoenixRising05]

Wait Jinxed Soul are you saying Chelsea dies? Where did you read that?

That would stun me if Days killed her off since it doesn't make sense. They seem to love writing for her and JER is still writing as far as we know so would he have planned to kill her off? I could see Sheffer doing it but not JER.