Days of Our Lives Watching Days of Our Lives

[Daniel Avery]

Also, NBC/Peacock/Whoever Writes the Checks has renewed Days for another year, so apparently TPTB must be happy (or happy enough) with the show to keep it going.
Days of Our Lives Renewed For Season 61! - Daytime Confidential

 

[Monzo]

Body & Soul feels like a project for those characters that the writers can't think of anything else for. Unfortunately, the soap within the soap isn't interesting.

I like NuGabi better than I expected. Strangely, I had no problems getting used to her, as I usually do with recasts. I thought the recasts of Chad and EJ were terrible at first, but now they're among my favorites.

AnnaLynne McCord is one of those primetime actors who I only notice how talented they really are when they're in daytime. She does her job very well, even though the storyline is rather bad. Why does she have to be the granddaughter of Victor's now deceased and, above all, unpopular murderer? I thought it was stupid that Kat was arrested with her old hairstyle and was seen in prison with a new hairstyle. Is there a prison hairdresser in Salem?

I'm a little surprised that Brandon Barash was fired, since everything was done for years to keep him on the show, first as Stefan, then as Jake, and again as Stefan. I like the actor, but he never blew me away on Days like he did on General Hospital, where I'd love for him to return.

 

[Monzo]

It was nice that several episodes were dedicated to Doug's death without other storylines distracting. I was especially happy to see Hope and the real Jennifer again. It was interesting that Jack found Doug's body, but the panic that the children had to leave the house immediately to avoid being confronted with death was exaggerated.

When an actor dies and then his character dies, you often get the feeling that the real grief of the cast comes through, which was also the case with Doug, but I think it was important to Susan Seaforth Hayes that it was about Julie's grief for Doug and not her own grief for her husband. Susan Seaforth Hayes showed what a professional she is.

Unfortunately, the score bothered me. Days always uses the same score for sad storylines and in one episode the score was constantly playing, it was just too much. Days generally has the problem that death doesn't matter and you have seen all the characters mourn too many times and then the deceased comes back sooner or later, so that the grief of some actors seemed as if you had seen it a hundred times before.

 

[Monzo]

Body and Soul eats up a lot of airtime and seems pretty lame. I was surprised to find out that Ron C already had a soap within a soap on One Life to Live. How awful must it have been there if Body and Soul, his second attempt, is already bad enough.

However, there is one story at the moment that I am actually excited to see how it turns out: Sophia's pregnancy. However, this is only because of Sophia's strictly religious mother Amy. I like that the Christian God and the Bible are not just hinted at for personal views, as is usually the case in other soaps, but that Amy clearly says what the Christian God does not want: sex before marriage and abortion. Adoption by a possibly sinful couple is also out of the question for Amy. It would be interesting to find out how standard soap characters deal with a believer in the Christian God who never changes his/her mind, but knowing Ron C, I'm afraid the whole story will end disappointingly for me as a viewer.

 

[tommie]

I'll say I'm somewhat interested in where they're going with the "Lady in White" - is she real? An hallucination? If she is real, is she the reason why Peter's stayed away from Salem all these years (aside from backstage shenanigans)? I'm also enjoying the fact that Rachel is just a pure demon spawn at this point.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Body and Soul eats up a lot of airtime and seems pretty lame. I was surprised to find out that Ron C already had a soap within a soap on One Life to Live. How awful must it have been there if Body and Soul, his second attempt, is already bad enough.

Ron C did not create the soap-within-a-soap on One Life to Live. In 1988 OLTL had a storyline revolve around Fraternity Row, their soap-within-a-soap, with the then-producers deciding to spoof the soap business of the time. That era of OLTL was helmed by Executive Producer Paul Rauch, though head-written by a relatively unknown named Michael Schnessel (I think that was how it was spelled). Rauch was going overboard with audacious plots like these during the late 1980s.

It wasn't until 2012 or so (when Ron C was Head Writer of OLTL) that OLTL was cancelled. Ron decided to write a story where the citizens of Llanview found out that Fraternity Row, their "favorite soap" had been cancelled, using that faux soap to have the OLTL characters addressing the sort of sadness that the OLTL viewers felt. They even did a "fantasy episode" where superfan Roxy Balsom (played by Ilene Kristen) dreamed she was living in the Fraternity Row universe.

 

[Jason73]

I quit watching the show for a long time. I was not at all interested in the satan story and just checked out for a while. I have just gone back to watching this week. but started with the Thanksgiving episodes to see the fall out from Doug's death. I thought those episodes were really well done and I too appreciated that they were the sole focus of the episodes. I was also impressed with the eulogy, firstly because of how emotional and challenging it must have been for Seaforth Hayes to get through that. Secondly, I appreciated how long that particular scene was. It drives me crazy how short scenes are on Days these days so it was nice that they let the entire eulogy play out without cutting it into three or four different scenes all ending on the camera panning to various character reaction shots. As cheesy as it was, I loved the cast singing Always.

I REALLY enjoyed having Marie back for a couple of episodes. I actually wish they would bring her back full time as Marie is now the true matriarch of the Horton family, more so than Julie.

There weren't enough flashbacks and I wish Peacock would have produced a special where they looked back at Doug and Julie's stories over the decades. Wishful thinking I know. And I know the episodes were about Doug, but I would have loved to see some flashbacks of Liz and Marie.

Sorry for taking the thread back a couple of months. I plan to watch through New Years and then jump ahead to current episodes.

 

[Jason73]

I'll say I'm somewhat interested in where they're going with the "Lady in White" - is she real? An hallucination? If she is real, is she the reason why Peter's stayed away from Salem all these years (aside from backstage shenanigans)? I'm also enjoying the fact that Rachel is just a pure demon spawn at this point.

Seeing a headline teasing that character's return is actually the reason I decided to start watching again. I'm looking forward to seeing that play out.

 

[tommie]

Seeing a headline teasing that character's return is actually the reason I decided to start watching again. I'm looking forward to seeing that play out.

Yeah I started watching the last two weeks because of it, and yikes. The show is really awful at the moment and it's no wonder why Ron is out. April can't come fast enough - I'm hoping for overnight changes at this point. Really, if there was a time to do a time jump and start with a blank slate... now is the time. Why are they all so invested in this dumb soap?
Leo at this point reads like a poor self-insert / Mary Sue at this point. He does awful things, yet for some reason all other characters are propping him up like mad. Nothing against Greg Rikkart, but Leo either has to go or get a complete rewrite with the new writers.

 

[Monzo]

Leo doesn't deserve to have become the mirror image of Ron C. Javi is too hot for Leo and Marlena would never be friends with Leo and all the monologues about Body and Soul are just awful. I was never a fan of Leo and hope that the new writers will part ways with him.

I could have lived without a new Doug, at least without the fact that he is called Doug. Everything would be better with a different name, especially since I liked the actor back then on Dog with a Blog. Doug's story hasn't been exciting so far.

I think JJ and Gabi are very promising as a couple, for me they are currently the best new couple. It's fortunate that a recast just like that has chemistry with one of the established actors, with Dan Feuerriegel's EJ they are still looking for the perfect match. Sami and him unfortunately didn't fit, EJ and Nicole and EJ and Belle were alright, but EJ finally needs someone with whom the sparks really fly.

I liked Kat better for the first time recently when I saw her with Marlena. She should disappear completely from Chad's orbit, but from what I've read, that probably won't happen. Maybe Kat will have a better direction with the new writers.

 

[tommie]

Oh wow. I haven't believed the conspiracy theories about Ron getting fired over the Body & Soul garbage, but with the way a months-long umbrella arc just ended within an episode just has made me a true believer. Seriously, it's like a Peacock exec finally woke up and started wondering what this trash is and told them to nuke it. It's basically all over within one episode and now the show is moving to New York - halleluja!

Even Abe finally realising it they just cut from him saying "oh my God" then straight to revealing it's Kim Coles. In a mental hospital.

 

[Jason73]

Yeah I started watching the last two weeks because of it, and yikes. The show is really awful at the moment and it's no wonder why Ron is out. April can't come fast enough - I'm hoping for overnight changes at this point. Really, if there was a time to do a time jump and start with a blank slate... now is the time.

I'm currently halfway between Thanksgiving and Christmas and really struggling to stay interested. It's not compelling and there are absolutely no layers or depth to most anything that's happening.

Why are they all so invested in this dumb soap?

I don't get it. I haven't seen a single person say they are enjoying it.

I think JJ and Gabi are very promising as a couple, for me they are currently the best new couple.

In the episodes I am watching JJ and Gabi are just beginning to reconnect and I'm liking it a lot. I really like the new Gabi--she's a bit grittier and tougher than the previous actress. I LOVE Casey Moss and his return is another thing that lured me back to Days.

I liked Kat better for the first time recently when I saw her with Marlena. She should disappear completely from Chad's orbit, but from what I've read, that probably won't happen. Maybe Kat will have a better direction with the new writers.

So I missed all of Kat's introduction and she's currently on adventure with JJ, Gabi and Chad against Clyde--but I am really loving the actress even if the story is dumb. The actress is very watchable and I hope the new writers keep her around and find a good way to use her talents better. She'd be good with Brady.

 

[tommie]

So I missed all of Kat's introduction and she's currently on adventure with JJ, Gabi and Chad against Clyde--but I am really loving the actress even if the story is dumb. The actress is very watchable and I hope the new writers keep her around and find a good way to use her talents better. She'd be good with Brady.

When AnnaLynne McCord signed her contract it sounded like a similar deal like Steve Burton - a year contract with a storyline that plays out during it. However, she's been so oddly put on the backburner and there's about six months left of her contract (if she doesn't sign another). I think whatever they planned for her has been seriously screwed up by Carlivati.

 

[Monzo]

I thought Kat would be Sloane's successor somehow, a character that I find entertaining. While everything was done right with Sloane at the beginning and she only lost power through her love for Eric, everything was done wrong with Kat from the start. Kat got a new face so she wouldn't look like Abigail, what's the point of that? Despite all the little mistakes, the biggest one was that she didn't let Chad in on the truth at some point so that they could outwit Clyde together. I really wish they would find a new man for Kat (Alex, Brady or EJ), that could be good, but with Chad it seems too forced, but that's probably what will happen. Billy Flynn said in an interview recently that the new writers have good material for Chad and Kat. He also mentioned that he and AnnaLynne McCord have an undeniable chemistry, which I found strange, as I haven't heard much positive about Chad and Kat from fans. Since AnnaLynne McCord is recently single again and she likes to be a vixen when it comes to her co-stars, who knows what Billy Flynn's little family looks like now.

 

[Monzo]

This is a surprise, but is it a good one or a bad one?

Soap Shocker! Billy Flynn Leaving 'DAYS' for 'Y&R'

Plus, details on how long Flynn will still appear as Chad DiMera.

www.tvinsider.com

As for Days, they really didn't know what to do with Chad anymore. As long as neither of the two Abigail actresses wanted to return, he seemed pretty lost. Since I watch Days and Y&R, I'll probably see Billy Flynn on both soaps for months.

Y&R seems like the biggest shark tank of all the soaps. If you're convincing, it can go well; if not (whether on screen or behind the scenes), it can end really badly. I have no idea how things will go for Billy Flynn.

Otherwise, I think Days is better without Body and Soul. I still haven't gotten used to Tate still being in school, especially since I saw the actor years ago in Legacies as a high school student and even then thought he was too old for the role. John's farewell is approaching, and I'm curious to see how Deidre Hall conveys her grief (not the first time for John, but this time it's final).

 

[Daniel Avery]

I love how casually they have pointed out that although BF has quit Days, he'll still be seen onscreen until 2026.

 

[tommie]

The last few episodes have been quite good - well, specifically the "EJ raped Sami" reveal that has been 17 years in the making (although with SORAS...). I've been pleasantly surprised since Ron's episodes are still airing and considering with an utter mess the Body & Soul crap was just about a month ago it does feel like night and day. It makes me wonder if he was strictly supervised when writing these or if they actually went back and adjusted his script (his pet Jamey Giddens claims it's all Ron but again, the difference is so stark and even during Ron's stronger periods on the show it just doesn't seem like his writing at all with those scenes specifically).