LMAO, that would so explain Marlena's inability to cook. She was traumatized!

Dancing polka with Chris Kositcheck doesn't really scream psychotic !@#$%^&*]

Seriously though, I just want something for Deidre to react to. Marlena's been so out of this world over the past few years that we need something to ground her and make her seem 'normal' again, you know? Nothing would do that better than to have her mother come in and be this complete overbearing !@#$%^&*] to make Marlena seem sympathetic and normal by comparison. Plus, Deidre's always wonderful when she has a female "rival" type character to play off of. Just someone to push her buttons a bit.

That's why Marlena's so proper and ladylike. Her mother raised her to be this perfect little girl. Never speak out of turn, always have your hair perfectly groomed and always introduce yourself and ask "how do you do?" when you meet someone new. And as 'good' as Marlena tried to be, it was just never enough for her overbearing !@#$%^&*] of a mother. I imagine the lady who played Mona on "Who's The Boss" in the role.

I'd love a 'normal' storyline for her. But I'd also love for her to get to kick ass a little bit.

I want Hogan Sheffer to get rid of everything that he possibly can that had Reilly's name written on it.

The Phillip/Bell/Shawn/Mimi mess has got to go.

I don't want the supercouples all put back together because that would be boring to me since I'm not a fan of any couple in particular. I do though want to see stories that make sense for the couples as well as stories that make sense for individual characters without such contrived nonsense making the characters do stupid and out of character things.

I want more fun things and happy times with celebrations for various things.

I'd love a 'normal' storyline for her. But I'd also love for her to get to kick ass a little bit.

...paging Kristen!

I don't want the supercouples all put back together because that would be boring to me since I'm not a fan of any couple in particular. I do though want to see stories that make sense for the couples as well as stories that make sense for individual characters without such contrived nonsense making the characters do stupid and out of character things.I want more fun things and happy times with celebrations for various things.

I don't think they should all be lovey dovey, but they can work together.

I don't want the supercouples all put back together because that would be boring to me since I'm not a fan of any couple in particular. I do though want to see stories that make sense for the couples as well as stories that make sense for individual characters without such contrived nonsense making the characters do stupid and out of character things.

I'll have what she's having!

(Perhaps the actress that plays Marlena's mother could be 70, but Makeup would have to Estelle Getty-ize her...unless she was a teenage bride, but I don't see that for the Evans family.)

Marlena's mother has already been on the show and seen. She was hardly a !@#$%^&*] from those scenes in the early 80's. She was seen during the Salem Strangler and Samantha's death.

Just because Martha Evans (Marlena's mom) wasn't a !@#$%^&*] when she was on before doesn't mean the writers can't bring her back to the show and make her a !@#$%^&*]. Maureen Lockhart was nothing like Bonnie Lockhart and although the character can be much at times, she hit it off with the fans. Writers can change/re-write anything.

From his time at ATWT, and I don't know if that has any indication of what he will be like on DAYS, Hogan tends to write stories through his leading ladies. Carly, Katie, Emily, Barbara, and Rose. With that being said, I can see him totally writing for the leading ladies of Salem: Marlena, Hope, Kayla, Sami and Belle.

I would like Hogan to write a very intense, very romantic love story for Carrie and Austin that's kind of away from Sami and Lucas and their scheming. I feel Carrie's gotten short-changed since she's been back, so I'd love for her to get some juicy material, and really intensify the love between Carrie and Austin. They need to go on a romantic adventure together.

There should be a "BIG" (Real Big, DAYS big) mystery involving much of the cast, their stories can sub-divide and intertwine periodically.

Hope should go on searching for her daughter ala Maison Blanche years. She'll find her daughter and the person who has her will stop at nothing to prevent her from getting her. Bo and Hope work their way back to each other. Billie is not in their life.

Steve and Kayla's journey for rememberence should be heavy on mystery and involve characters returning or disappearing.

Marlena should research what REALLY happened to her 15 years ago when she was found on the spanish island, again, tieing into Steve's mystery.

EJ's mysterious ways should continue.

Marlena should research what REALLY happened to her 15 years ago when she was found on the spanish island, again, tieing into Steve's mystery.

Ahh, yes, that's what I want too! They were missing at the same time. Maybe they saw each other. A tied together past WITHOUT a romantic connection - ah yes!

Ahh, yes, that's what I want too! They were missing at the same time. Maybe they saw each other. A tied together past WITHOUT a romantic connection - ah yes!

I don't know how much that would work..Marlena and Patch would have interacted while she was pregnant with the Gemini Twins based on the timeline...I'd rather have Patch be involved with Hope's time as Princess Gina...

What, you can't be a !@#$%^&*] if you dance polka? LoL

Seriously though, I want to see Marlena's mother be some 70-year-old version of DH's Bree Van De Kamp.

70? She'd have to be about 800 if she's going to portray Marlena's mother. I know this is an ongoing debate, but I don't see Marlena any younger than 60.

Then again, aren't Judi and Brody only about 8 years apart?

I can't say it better than this, so I'll just quote PhoenixRising:

-Emotional, character driven stories.

-adventure and romance

-keep a limit on triangles and quads

-family moments that Days is famous for

-good, meaty scenes for the actors because most of them can act

-not always bowing to the fanbases and always willing to take risks if necessary

-no more Lockharts

-repair damage done to characters and some of the history

To that I'd just add that I hope Hogan will do a much better job with pacing that JER did. There are two major problems with the pacing of the show right now:

1) "Days" last far too long. A single day can, and often does, span 2 or 3 weeks of episodes. That's ridiculous and creates part of the problem we're having with slow plots and dialogue that repeats itself over and over and over. There should rarely be a legitimate reason for a day to last more than 2 or 3 episodes.

2) Pacing is off in terms of the arcs themselves. Everyone is miserable at the same time. That makes for a miserable viewing experience. Ideally, characters should be at different places in their lives and relationships at any given time. So while one couple of family might be miserable or breaking apart, another is giddy and in love, others are just starting to notice each other and in another you can see the seeds of a problem beginning. If everyone is unrelentingly unhappy at the same time (as it's been) the show is miserable to watch. If everyone is happy at the same time, it's a fun payoff but the interest isn't there. Put some time and attention into carefully planning the arcs.

I think Hogan does need to start with a big umbrella story and a mystery would be great. Going into the missing pasts of many of the characters would be a great way to start.

I really do feel very good about what Hogan is going to do since Beth is with him and Beth knows what Days is since she was there before.

LIke GBB said, the pacing needs to improve and they can't break up too many couples or start too many triangles/quads at once. It gets far too depressing and there is no variety. That is why Days tanked after Zach's death-it was starting to get too redundant with all the breakups and triangles/quads.