The Craig/Nancy Debate Could Face a Starker Issue on Days of Our Lives — Plus, Pondering Ray’s Fate and If There’s More to Xander’s Proposal
January 24 - 28
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI
This week brought a lot of new drama to Salem, while creating quite the firestorm with fans. It also paved the way for the Sarah drama to continue on for the foreseeable future. Let’s get right to it…
A Lot’s Changed Since Last We Met
Craig coming out as gay seems like an out-of-the-blue storyline, considering he and Nancy haven’t been on in some time. Heck, Chloe is barely on. But fans definitely have thoughts about it.
A story about a man coming out later in life is worth exploring, but many feel it takes away from the legacy of a plus-sized soap opera character getting the guy. It is a valid point, but as my Soaps.com colleague, Curtis Harding, pointed out, without the history and viewers’ emotional connection to the couple, the storyline wouldn’t have as much impact. Hopefully, the show will explore the deep issues involved and solid drama will come of it, including new love for Nancy.
However, my biggest issue with the story might be if the man Craig is in love with turns out to be Leo Stark, as many fans are speculating. If he was just a scheming manipulator like Craig used to be, it could be fun. But Leo is a lech. A sexual harasser played for laughs. Again, the story will have more impact if the audience already knows the man Craig is in love with, but if it turns out to be a troubling character like Leo, it would make a mockery of everything this story could be about.
These scenes with Craig and Chloe are good but damn if this story isn’t the most random thing ever #DAYS
— Alexa (@AlexaTurnOnGH) January 27, 2022
Unpopular opinion maybe but Craig being into men now doesn’t negate whatever apparent groundbreakingness Craig and Nancy was twenty years ago. #Days
— Husbands for Life. ❤️ (@hpcharmed) January 27, 2022
I’m trying to let it play out and not judge it yet but it’s not looking good. I wish it was a diff couple, only because there was so much representation with Nancy and Craig to begin with. #Days
— Faith Harbert (@Prettyinpink290) January 27, 2022
Possession as the New Brain Tumor?
Marlena finally re-joined the devil story by learning “her grandson” cruelly dumped Chanel, and that “Johnny” still plans to make the movie about her — even if we didn’t get the full force of her reaction to the news. Considering “Johnny’s” movie producer is Paulina’s ex and that “Johnny” devastated her daughter, it’d be great to see these two powerhouse women unite to figure out the truth about Johnny’s possession.
As for the movie producer formerly known as Ray, I do like that TR is connected to Johnny so that the story is more than just about him being the big bad in Paulina and Lani’s life. I want Ray to be a good guy because I like the actor, William Christian, but I don’t know how it can be done. I mean, ex-serial killer Ben is a hero now, but that took a lot of time. Unless, maybe the devil had TR in his clutches all those years ago? Kind of like the brain tumor excuse. On the other hand, TR could just be a full-on villain. But abuser-of-women villains aren’t exactly entertaining the way your standard mustache-twirling villains can be. So, maybe he’s a whodunit murder victim in the making?
Whatever happens, TR’s arrival has already brought Lani and Paulina’s story back to the forefront, and I’m all for that. So, bring on the drama, along with Abe being a great dad to both Lani and Chanel, and hopefully a story for Eli when he gets back from D.C.
Odds and Ends
• I’m happy to see them playing Chanel’s heartbreak over “Johnny” dumping her. She may have drowned her sorrows in Allie, but we should still see her process her heartbreak over a man she thought loved her. Unlike with Shawn and Belle, who have seemingly moved on like it was just a bad movie when Jan raped him, Days is allowing these beats to be played.
• Everything was laid out for him, but Xander just skipped right over the truth about Gwen impersonating Sarah. Or did he? Could there be a bug planted in the snow globe he gave her? Is his marriage proposal a keep-your-enemies-closer kinda thing?
• Speaking of, I’m not super keen on Sarah’s return being dragged out, but at least it is involving several characters. Including Chad and Abigail — all without D.I.D or cheating as a factor. Hopefully, we’ll just get a lot of good old-fashioned angst for “Chabby.”
• Ava and Gwen passed around the Sarah mask in the hotel room Gwen shares with Xander. Rafe kissed Nicole in the house he shares with Ava when she was supposed to be home any minute. Do the people of Salem just not worry about getting caught in the act?
That’s all I got this time around. As always, these are just my thoughts on the week in Salem. What are yours? Tell us in the comments, and then look through the photo gallery below of the classic soap characters, we won’t see the likes of again.
