Sorry folks...due to some technical difficulties I was not able to watch Days this week. To make a long story short...my husband bought a new "toy" (a cross between a DVD player and a recording device) and he supposedly set it up to tape my shows. Being the trusting wife I am...I took my husband's assertions that it was working properly and didn't think to check and make sure that it was indeed taping my soap. Big mistake! Unfortunately, the darn thing was recording over the same show day after day...and I didn't realize it until Thursday. I did read the recaps for the week's show and luckily - from the looks of it, I didn't really miss much. I will post my comments as they relate to the end of the week and you guys will let me know if I got anything wrong; right? ;))
From what I could tell, the week really draaaaaged on. The Sami/Lucas/Carrie/Austin story is still as boring as ever. Why does everybody and their brother have to ask Sami and Lucas if there is any chance that they will get back together? First Caroline...then Shawn...it's like the same conversation has been repeated over and over again for weeks...just with a different person. From what I saw on Thursday...Carrie was trying to decided between her true love; Austin and the man who makes her feel safe; Lucas. Nice. Like that's even a choice to ponder for 5 seconds. If she truly loves and cares about Austin, she should do whatever it takes to be with him. Their misunderstanding is ridiculous anyhow. All it would take is a few hours - a day at most - to talk out the situation and for Carrie to get a better feel for "who" Austin is. (She keeps whining that he's changed and she doesn't even know him anymore). While on the other hand - Sami and Lucas were once again protesting too loudly about how they are moving on from each other. So what's new? We've heard it all before...a hundred times at least. I saw the scene between Lucas and Philip on Thursday and while it was great to see these two share a genuine moment as brothers; all Lucas did was whine about how he can't be with Sami and how Carrie is the woman for him. Lucas commented that he would have to kill himself in order to be with Sami again. Nice. That was the second time he has mentioned "death" as being preferable to being with Sami. Not only is at an extremely immature and dramatic thing to say - it's also irresponsible on the part of the writers. Why cheapen the idea of death? We know that Lucas would never kill himself...so why have him say it? It's just cheap theatrics if you ask me. There is NO drama to speak of in this storyline so they try to drum some up by using stupid things like that? I'm going on overkill with my comments related to that one sentence uttered by Lucas but...it REALLY bothered me that he said that and for the second time. So...of course, Sami heard Lucas say that he wanted to be with Carrie and is now under the mistaken impression that Carrie wants both men. This has led Sami to vow to do something 'drastic' to prevent that from happening. All together now...GROOOOANNNN.... I didn't know whether to be excited or worried when she said that. On the one hand...we know that whatever Sami's drastic action is - it's bound to be one that will keep us interested. However, Sami has a sad history of hurting herself the most with her little plots and plans. I guess we'll have to wait and see what she comes up with. According to the rumors...it will involve a pregnancy. But who the father is and how the events will unfold remains to be seen. I hope it's not another rerun of when Sami got pregnant with Will and claimed it was Austin's child. I realize the writers are hoping to recreate what they had 10 years ago with these 4 characters but it's just not w-o-r-k-i-n-g! TPTB need to take the reigns of this story and DO something different. Whether they want to admit it or not, the only thing they can do with this story that will keep viewers tuned in is to reunite Sami and Lucas. That's pure gold sitting out there just waiting to be snatched up. Why oh why won't they do it???
Chelsea is an idiot. Seriously. Okay...you're probably thinking "tell me something I don't know" but I'm just coming around to this conclusion, so bear with me. I am truly appalled by the direction that this character is going in. She's bored sitting at home so she decides to hit a bar (isn't she underage? How did she get in? Most bars check ID at the door) and make out with some random stranger? Unfortunately for her...the stranger turned out to be a reporter from some trashy mag and he took pictures of Chelsea drinking a beer - pictures that were then prominently displayed on the front page of said magazine. What a freaking dumb-ass. Everybody advised her to keep a low profile...but she couldn't even manage to do that much. She'll pull every trick in the book to force her parents together in order to ensure (or so she plots) that Bo will work that much harder at keeping her out of jail but then she turns around and goes partying? HUH? She must have freaking sand for brains. She is as dumb as a bag of hair...last one in the gene pool when the brains were being handed out...not the smartest tool in the shed; use whatever euphemism you want - it would apply to this character. I can't even use her age as an excuse anymore because though I think that many 18 year-olds make poor choices due to lack of experience...Chelsea's behaviour goes way beyond that. Chelsea is deliberately manipulative and malicious. She is fruit directly off the "Kate" tree, which I guess is exactly what TPTB want her to be. The one good thing about the bar scene was that Max returned to the canvas. I missed seeing his cute face - it's been a while. From the sounds of it, I think that Max's tolerance level with Chelsea is running shorter and shorter with each stunt she pulls. Can a romance with Abby be too far away? Previous rumors hinted that Max would turn to Abby after Chelsea disappointed him one too many times. Serves Cheslea right...and if this does happen, I'll be the first one to stand up and cheer.
ARGGGGGGGG! Too late! Too late, Bo realized how he had hurt his wife and the damage he had done to his marriage. Too late, Bo realized that Hope was justified in her feelings regarding Chelsea. Too late, Bo realized that Chelsea does indeed need to learn some hard lessons about actions having consequences....too...late. Of course, he realized all of this while he was drunk and said these things to Billie while swigging out of a flask. Strange behavior for Bo Brady. I wonder if we could end up seeing Bo have a problem with alcohol. If he was drunk all the time, it would certainly go a long way to preventing Bo and Hope's reunion. What floored me was that Billie sat and listened to Bo pour his heart out about Hope and Chelsea and all she could think was "Chelsea was right; I will have to take Bo away from Hope". CRAP!!! There goes Billie's resolve. FLUSH. Down the toilet. Wonderful. I guess that means that she won't be telling Bo the truth about what Hope saw before she left Salem. From what I saw on Thursday - not only does Bo manage to keep all the necessary camping supplies packed away on his motorcycle (he can pack more things on a motorcycle than anyone I've ever seen. I mean...coffee? Mugs? Come on!) - Bo has pretty much decided that if Hope doesn't want to be found, he's not going to look for her. He told Billie that he doesn't know where Hope has gone and that if she wanted him to find her...she would have let him know where she was. I was thinking; "HUH?" This is the guy who found his unconscious wife during a snowstorm on a mountain for the love of heaven...he can't be bothered to call the credit card company and find out if she's used her card? He's a cop for crap's sake - he could use his position to find out where she is (as unethical as that may be in the 'real' world...this is Days we're talking about). It was so defeatist of Bo to say that he wasn't going to bother looking for Hope. This is not the Bo Brady that I have grown up with over the last 20-odd years. The Bo Brady that I know would not have let anything come between him and his fancy face. Nothing. Not even their children - let alone a daughter he conceived with another woman.
Continuing with my theme on the ridiculous-ness (I like to make up words!) of the Bo/Hope storyline is the absurdity of the Island story. Why is it that anytime Days sends a character to an Island - a ludicrous story goes along with it? The idea that Patrick and Hope are staying at the same place - Patrick's cottage - is preposterous. To echo Melissa's comments in her column last week; there weren't ANY other cottages for rent on the whole island? Uh-huh. And don't get me started on the MOST IDIOTIC and CONVENIENT plot device EVER. The stupid flower legend thing...the flower only grows on that island...if given by a native to a woman - that woman will find love on the island...blah blah blah... The story of the legend was too outlandish to repeat and involved lovers who were separated and then reunited. The worst part was that, as Patrick was telling the story of the legend, we saw a flash of the two people in the "legend" and low and behold; they were Patrick and Hope. Now...having been an early watcher of Passions (I gave it up well over a year ago) I remembered how fond Reilly is of doing the "lovers through time" stories. Luis and Sheridan (two characters from Passions) were constantly involved in storylines where they remembered being lovers in past lives. I have a sinking feeling that this is where Days is going with Patrick and Hope. I really hope that I am wrong because BO is Hope's true love. NOT Patrick! Sheesh! I hope I'm wrong about where this story is going... Now: Totally off topic but; I have to say how proud of myself I am...I came up with 5 different synonyms for "ridiculous" to describe this story. That gave me more entertainment than watching this storyline did. What does that say?
From what I read...John crept in to Marlena's bedroom at the beginning of the week...Marlena woke up...asked him to sleep with her (huh?)...but he didn't because she called out Alex's name. What the heck is going on with this crazy storyline? One minute Marlena can't stand John and the next minute she's crying that she still loves him? I just don't get it. Did Alex drug her? Is that why she reverted back to her love for John? Does that even make sense? Do I care? Nope, nope, nope! Moving on...
I have nothing good to say about Belle so I'll just stick with the comment that Belle's behavior is making me see red. I couldn't believe that she tried to get Shawn to the roof so that she could once again attempt to convince him that they need to find a way to be together. She then goes to church under the guise of participating in Mimi and Shawn's wedding rehearsal and decides to go to confession and tell Father Jenkins that she loves someone other than her husband! Sheesh! This character really bothers the heck out of me. Though I didn't see the scene where Mimi wrote the letter to Shawn and was trying to get him to read it when Phil and Belle came over...I thought it was totally inane that Mimi TRIED to tell them the truth about Claire's paternity but Philip interrupted her will some baloney about how she was probably declaring her love for her soon-to-be-husband (what? Is he a mind-reader now?) And Shawn totally disregarded her urgings to read the letter. If my fiancé was urging me to read a letter he wrote...I would do it and I would make sure to read the whole thing. Right away. Without an audience standing there telling me what they think it says. ARG. So then, during the wedding rehearsal, Mimi confessed all to Father Jenkins and he declared that he would not marry Mimi and Shawn until she told him the truth. That was an interesting turn of events. I wonder if a priest would really do something like that? Anyhow...rumors are still running rampant that Mimi will discover that she's pregnant very very soon. I will happy if this comes to pass because I really want Shawn to choose to stay with Mimi - given that he loves her and that they will have a child together - when the truth comes out about Claire. I can't imagine Shawn dumping Mimi and his child just to be with Belle and their child. Wow...that sounds strange eh? Imagine that scenario for a second...
Good Night...and Good Luck: John Ingle (current Mickey) will be leaving Days shortly to return to General Hospital. As a result; the character of Mickey will die "suddenly". I guess that's not such a bad thing...being a GH fan; I'm excited to see John return to the role of Edward Quartermaine.
Austin mentioned Nicole's name this week and that she was out of town conducting research. I'm guessing that she will soon be permanently located in L.A. or she will just be mentioned with less and less frequency until nobody even remembers that she just disappeared one day...never to be seen again.
Rumors...
Best Line of the Week: "There is no fury like a Sami scorned". Caroline said this to Carrie after they agreed that Sami would not be happy with whomever Carrie chose to be with (Austin or Lucas).
Reader Feedback: Thanks to everyone who wrote in and provided their feedback! I truly look forward to reading your thoughts and opinions so keep them coming!
From Canadianrose:"I wanted to write and say that I really enjoy your column. It is the only thing I enjoy about Days right now. I was once a die hard Days fan, but lately it has left me cold. I used to come home, plunk myself in front of the TV and not move for the whole hour. Now, I skip past it on my way to other Soaps, with the occasional stop to see if they are still insisting on ruining Shawn, Mimi, Bo, Hope, and Marlena and John, and the answer is always YES. I am sick to death of it and I am sure that I am not the only fan that has said good-bye to the show and the characters I used to love. It is sad to say, but I think TPTB have destroyed the show for good this time. They need to fix this mess, or lose many more fans like me who refuse to stick around and watch them destroy characters who have become like old friends. (Oh and by the way....Lexie for the love of God, learn some self control, Tek IS NOT WORTH IT. Thank you for the chance to vent."
From Sharon:" Just some random thoughts: I have loved the Bo/Hope storyline UNTIL last Friday when they messed it up. I never have been a big fan of Boring and Hopeless and their forever love, and this is the first time I think they have really had to deal with a true (non-Gina, non-Stefano) type problem in ages. I also have been appreciative of Billie's dealing with the situation, with the understanding that her own experiences of jail are coloring her view of Chelsea's situation (and it was an accident). That said-did every good writer take a vacation Thursday and Friday?? Billie out of the blue and at the urging of her teenager jumps naked into bed with Bo!! Also, since when is any woman (amnesiac or not) okay with wearing the wedding dress she married her previous husband in at her next wedding!!! What guy wrote this. Marlena has become a drifty airhead. I loved Calliope though after being told John was different "What, he's not cute anymore?" Also since when does John worry Belle with suggestions of murder and why aren't Sami (and Carrie) for that matter challenging Marlena on her wedding to Alex. I hate that Days seems to have forgotten the deep emotional connection between John and Carrie, even if she is Roman and Anna's. Loved Carrie and Sami's talk with each other-I would like to see them make peace. (And both drop Austin-what a dweeb)."
From Rachel:"Hi Pamela, love your column. I know I am in the minority but I am loving the Bo & Hope storyline. It is some of the best acting I have ever seen from these two in years. We know these two will find their way back together eventually but I can't wait to see what happens between Hope & Patrick in the mean time as they have a lot of chemistry. Also. you are SO right about Belle .... she is so selfish and spoiled. I would love it if she ended up alone. Shawn & Belle are just sooooo boring together."
From Paula:"I am sorry to say that I have quit watching DOOL. I really had to quit watching when they brought the whole Carrie/Austin/Sami/Lucas story back from 10 years ago. I like many of you, didn't care for this storyline then, and it does even less for me now. JER has taken a once great soap, and highlight of my day down to a senseless, inane, boring imitation of what Days used to be. He has ruined all of the beloved characters that we all raced home to watch every day and made the worst storyline decisions (Ex. The Island storyline) ever! How can the show justify keeping this guy in charge? Do they want DOOL canceled? Because at this rate they are losing more loyal viewers every day. I have switched my viewing to Y&R and ATWT. These are great soaps with captivating storylines, great writing and acting, actual romance and intrigue! I can't wait to watch them every day! I will keep up with Days via this website and all of you, it is such a waste, I really feel for all the talented actors on Days because the potential is still there to have a great show, it is too bad no one behind the scenes really seems to care what we viewers think!"
From Kathleen:"The fact that the writers are splitting up Hope and Bo is going to be a grave mistake for the show. I have spoken to a lot of Day's fans who have chosen to stop watching anymore because of this storyline. This couple has shown fans that love can survive the hardest of hardships. They were like Alice and Tom Horton. They were the only stable relationship on any of the soaps. I myself am going back to All My Children. You have totally destroyed this show".
From Jeannie: "From your 02/27/06 column: "Shawn won't love Mimi more after they're married than he would have two days before. Love grows between people over time, not strictly because they said a vow." Case in point with Belle and Philip. If Kate and Bonnie think Shawn and Mimi will not break up once they are married, no matter what happens, then why are they so worried about Belle finding out that Shawn is the father? She said a vow, right? So now she will forever be with Philip and there is nothing anyone can do to ruin that, right? NOT! But that is exactly what they are telling Mimi will happen with her and Shawn. If Mimi would just think about what they are trying to do to her maybe she would realize that. Of course, we all know that Shawn WILL find out and go back to Belle. The writers are telling us that every day with their rooftop meetings and Mimi's dreams. Hopefully she'll get a conscience and tell the truth first, before it ruins her. Please??"
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