If there is one small thing that I don't like, it's that there is a chance for Sami to try to reunite her parents again without respect to John and Belle's feelings. I hope the new writers will not be so predictable and have Sami finally accept her parents will never be together, only as friends.

Thing is though, Marlena isen't SINGLE and she wants to be with John. That's who she wants and they're making it clear that there is NO ONE else for either of them, it's them and this is about THEM. Marlena needs to know that she's able to stand on her own after everything Alex has done, and Tony and Stefano.

Yeah, I think so. Without Missy and Matt, the show feels there isn't any story for him. Sad, because Billy can act.

I know. I was hoping Frankie would hook up with Billie.

Sad, you would think that KC would want to keep someone of his caliber around but it is KC that we are talking about so it doesn't surprise me. Get rid of Matt and Billy, but keep the quad actors...yeah that makes sense ;-(

Maybe the show would have loved to keep him and Warlock is the one who wanted out. Just a thought.

Thing is though, Marlena isen't SINGLE and she wants to be with John. That's who she wants and they're making it clear that there is NO ONE else for either of them, it's them and this is about THEM. Marlena needs to know that she's able to stand on her own after everything Alex has done, and Tony and Stefano.

No, she is not single, doesn't seem to want to pursue being single, but just decided on her own to separate to discover her weakness, deserting her marriage vows. Totally not realistic at all. Marlena can do that without a separation. Staying John's wife with him by her side will not hinder her in this quest. It is purely a separation in disguise not to totally "off" the fans. I hate it. The part of marriage vows that refer to "becoming one" is what this is about. It is not "Marlena's life" it is their lives together that need to be worked on. What if the shoe were on the other foot and John decided and told her that he wanted a separation to chase down his past and she had to move. Wonder how acceptable that would be? This is no different. Marlena is old enough to know she cannot change the past but can build on her future and that is building her marriage, herself as a parent and grandparent and psychiatrist. She can do that with John. This is a very flimsy excuse and I think it is just a ploy to show off Marlena as an individual and John as an individual. Just about as bad as the separation of Bo and Hope in my mind. I hate it.

Marlena, John and Roman, fair to good. I still don't get Marlena cutting John off.

I "get," support AND agree with Marlena's decision.

It'll be refreshing to see Marlena become a strong, confident woman (no matter how cheesy that sounds).

ESPECIALLY since it's OBVIOUSLY giving Deidre a reason to super-act. I don't know if it's good or bad (acting-wise) but I just LOVE how full of life she has been since yesterday. So excited to be back!! I love it!!

I "get," support AND agree with Marlena's decision.

It'll be refreshing to see Marlena become a strong, confident woman (no matter how cheesy that sounds).

ESPECIALLY since it's OBVIOUSLY giving Deidre a reason to super-act. I don't know if it's good or bad (acting-wise) but I just LOVE how full of life she has been since yesterday. So excited to be back!! I love it!!

A little over-done if you ask me. She behaves like a women released from a boggling situation. Disturbing.

There's a simple reason why she needs to discover herself without John. She always seemes to need someone to save her. First with Orpheus, then with The Devil, the with Stefano, then with the SSK, and of course, Alex. That's not Marlena. She's a strong woman, or at least she used to be. I can totally understand her longing for that and I tihnk it's great for her to see that maybe some space will help her to find her center.

AMAZING explanation, Keith. And I agree. Marlena, as of now, is WEAK. And she knows it. Always having to have someone save her. My God, she's been possessed by the devil, had amnesia and might have been killed...and then the SSK, too. What a MESSED UP LIFE this woman must have. And yet, someone is ALWAYS saving her. She almost NEVER saves herself. At least, not in the REALLY big things. I APPLAUD "Days of Our Lives," NBC and the writers for taking this daring approach. How fresh!

I was kind of shocked by the Marlena feminist stuff. What's going on here?

It's kind of out of left field.

I agree. But, as long as Marls doesn't start placing Gloria Steinem posters all over her walls I am ALL for it.

On another board today, someone started a thread, in all seriousness, titled "I didn't know that Marlena was a doctor" -- that kind of says it all to me right there.

Tell me about it, GBB! Actually, I knew she was a doctor but was puzzled by something else. Who in the HELL is that girl sleeping with to keep her office for as long as SHE'S been away from work? I can't believe they reserve people's offices for wayward workers for that long...ESPECIALLY when you're as unreliable and unstable as Marls, when she's brain-controlled, kidnapped or possessed by the devil, which is almost ALL THE TIME.

She's been paying the rent to keep her offices. I'm pretty sure she or someone mentioned that months ago. It's never mentioned but she would have a business manager taking care of the accounting of her practice and probably with a power of attorney to that end. Obviously, the lady is loaded.

Yeah, I think so. Without Missy and Matt, the show feels there isn't any story for him. Sad, because Billy can act.

Yeah, but Frankie is SUCH a pushover. Granted, when he first came on I LOVED seeing a soap actor who didn't look magazine perfect and had vulnerabilities and wasn't this bedhopping idiot who admired his own muscles.We see that every day on soaps. And it was sweet and different to see a man actually care for the husband of the woman he loves DYING, and it was even okay to watch him support their reunion after Jack was revealed as alive. BUT COME THE FREAKING ON, already. He's always so selfless and Lexie seems to ALWAYS comment on that, as do Jenn and others. Can't he do SOMETHING off color? Even if it's not with Jack and Jenn, can't he get pissed, truly pissed and hateful to someone about a case he's working on? ANYTHING? I mean, this Dudley Do-Right [!@#$%^&*] MUST go. And by that, I mean, make Frankie well-rounded. That's his ONLY saving grace. He's too much of a whimp, as it stands. Right now, I want Jack and Abby to beat the living [!@#$%^&*] out of him.

J&J were great, but my heart broke for Frankie. He's such a good guy. It's a shame Billy is leaving. I love him and they could have kept him and paired him with Billie and he could have been the new lawyer. Corday, what the hell were you thinking???

Oh, yes, Frankie, who is so weepy and needy and girly and all about 'feelings, feelings, feelings.' It's like, "My GOD, shut up already, man!"

No, she is not single, doesn't seem to want to pursue being single, but just decided on her own to separate to discover her weakness, deserting her marriage vows. Totally not realistic at all. Marlena can do that without a separation. Staying John's wife with him by her side will not hinder her in this quest. It is purely a separation in disguise not to totally "off" the fans. I hate it. The part of marriage vows that refer to "becoming one" is what this is about. It is not "Marlena's life" it is their lives together that need to be worked on. What if the shoe were on the other foot and John decided and told her that he wanted a separation to chase down his past and she had to move. Wonder how acceptable that would be? This is no different. Marlena is old enough to know she cannot change the past but can build on her future and that is building her marriage, herself as a parent and grandparent and psychiatrist. She can do that with John. This is a very flimsy excuse and I think it is just a ploy to show off Marlena as an individual and John as an individual. Just about as bad as the separation of Bo and Hope in my mind. I hate it.

Well, I still disagree. Amazingly, yes, I would normally take the conservative angle here, but Marlena has been through SO much. More than any of us will ever WANT to go through. It's just impossible to have everything happen to someone like it has to her. So in this case, I'm GLAD she wants to see what would happen if she lived alone and someone broke in and tried to rape her. With no ROMAN. No John. NO ONE to help her, except herself. I think she needs this, to prove how strong she is without a man. (Sorry if that sounds too feminist but she is incredibly weak and dependent. I'm surprised she made it to the doctor's office alone without John holding her hand.)

A little over-done if you ask me. She behaves like a women released from a boggling situation. Disturbing.

I'm not sure what a "boggling" situation is. But I agree with her happy, lightheartedness. Um, !@#$%^&*] FINALLY got her life back after what, a friggin' YEAR of amnesia? And then the serial killer thing, being buried alive...AAAHh! I expect Marlena, who FINALLY had a breather, a true breather, after all those adventures, to feel happy-go-lucky and walking on cloud nine after doing it EVERY which way thousands of times with John in Europe, and then getting another high from her self-empowerment seminars.

JSF, you just want to see macho males fighting and ripping their shirts off. Admit it.

It depends what day it is. Oh wait, it's a weekend, so you're right, Bree.

I love Marlena, but she is acting like she is out in left field - wtheck...

I don't remember Marlena being that spacey.

Where the heck ya been the last three years?

I didn't get to see the whole episode but will catch it on Soapnet tonight.

My Shelle-loving heart aches for Mimi to get slapped around. The Claire secret must come out soon or I'll be

I am glad Marlena is going to get herself in order before she gets cozy with John again. We need strong, independent women on daytime.

Loved Missy's hair. Those bangs are the cutest.

Just another solid episode. Wow.

I am loving Marlena's new storyline. Man, it's good to say that.

I loved Shawn & Belle's talk.

Is it me or was there some weird camera angles in Philip and Mimi's talk? The were like, a yard away from each other in one of the angles.

And Abby and Max were the cutest! Why are TPTB so clueless?

Still loving JJF, so help me!

I agree Keith-those camera angles were weird. They went closeup on Philip but never on Mimi. It was just weird.

Days should keep Matt and Billy but they won't. I actually heard they wanted Billy to take a pay cut and he refused and that is why he is off. I guess they felt there wasn't much story for him so why pay him alot. I think at least Matt should stay-the J&J/Frankie story is great.

Marlena's story is the best story she has had in years already. It is finally a story about her as a person. J&M always seem to get couple stories but here we have her wanting to find herself and became stronger. It is the most realistic story Marlena has had in a long time and is one of the most original stories Days has come up with in a long time. Usually Days just writes romance, adventure, and mystery but here they have Marlena striving to help other women and seeking to explore her self and not be dependent. I will say one thing-Days is going to score big in women's demos with this because this will spark their interest. This is what I want from Days-good, solid, realistic drama. I think Dee has been great so far in her return and I look forward to watching this unfold. This definitely makes sense after all she has been through and I am just glad that all the trauma she went through wasn't slept under the rug like things usually are with new writers or when couples get back together and everyone is happy. It is so nice to see Days play the fallout of something and the emotional ramifications of it all for once.