Days Of Our Lives Just Saved Kate, Marlena and Kayla… Or Did They? And With Half the Town Arrayed Against Him, How Long Can EJ Hold On?
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI (5)
The poisoning storyline came to a less-than dramatic conclusion — or did it? — this week as Marlena, Kayla and Kate all got their instacures. Elsewhere, from Kristen’s new “relationship” to EJ and Li’s rise to power, it seems like the show’s setting us up for a number of satisfying falls — if they actually follow through.
I know I’m hopped up on a whole lot of cold medicine right now — but did I completely miss the point of Orpheus’ poisoning storyline? Stories need consequences, otherwise why bother telling them. This one, though, hasn’t really had any.
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Marrying Kate and Roman? Yeah, I mentioned last week how nice it was to see flashbacks and recall that they used to hold their own stories, but unless the show plans on writing for them regularly again, that deathbed wedding was just an inconsequential blip.
“Hmm, she feels a bit warm. I wonder if she’s not feeling well.”
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI
Tripp came back to town, but that just begs the question as to why he left to begin with. Was it just to set up Beyond Salem? Neither Sami (Does EJ know Sydney’s got a crisis? I get the feeling he doesn’t even remember he has a daughter right now), Austin nor Carrie came back.
And Kate’s phone call with Austin was just downright weird. “No, Austin, I don’t want you to come home. The only cure doesn’t exist anymore so I’m sure to die.” Wait, what? Wouldn’t he want to come home to say goodbye? Also, seeing as how the woman who raised his wife was also dying, it seems crazy that he and Carrie weren’t there.
Plus, Tripp informing a ridiculously blasé Johnny that his grandmother was going to be fine just called attention to how he’s pretty much not seemed to care about her health crisis. And that just made me realize something about Allie. She had a threesome while both grandmothers and her great-aunt were dying. I know we all deal with stress and grief in different ways, but girl… Come on.
Kate, Marlena and Kayla almost dying should have been much bigger and touched on so many more people than it did. Without that it was just… eh.
But I have a feeling it isn’t quite over yet. We never got Kayla’s visit to heaven that the fall preview teased, so maybe her reaction to the cure was related to her heart and there will be more problems down the line. Come on, Days, give us something besides pointing out how much less of an exciting storyline rehash this was and how middling of a villain Orpheus is.
Heck, we’ll even take a clone story.
Moving Too Fast
One thing that did come out of Orpheus’ plot was Kristen getting Brady to dump Chloe and take her back. But splitting up a couple fans haven’t been enthused about isn’t really something that needed this type of storyline. Does anyone know if the original cure for this toxin needed follow-up doses, or is this something new and convenient just for the Kristen-taking-Brady story?
Kristen’s idea of subtlety is to physically put herself between Brady and Chloe.
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI
Also, Kristen, if you want Brady to keep the real reason for all of this on the downlow, moving in with him before Chloe even moves out is just stupid. It’s pushing believability, because no one’s going to buy that he just jumped from Chloe straight to you out of the blue like that. At least give it some time.
I don’t see this arrangement lasting very long, because she’s going about it so ham-handedly, people are going to figure out the real reason Brady’s back with her in no time at all. John’s already suspicious. And what then? Can they force her to turn over the orchid? I feel like that’s the only way this can end, with a battle of wills against Kristen and Brady and Chloe passionately reuniting. At least, I hope it’s passionate. Something needs to spice them up.
Speaking of couples that need spicing up…
A Near Miss
What the hell, Rafe? We finally got a glimpse of some fire to him when he (I feel) very rightfully went off on Nicole about how he’s her husband, not Eric. I liked everything about that scene, from the unsettling music behind it to Rafe finally standing up for himself. Then by the end of the week, he went back to being the conciliatory, as one viewer put it, “milquetoast” man that we’ve come to know and be bored by.
Rafe walked in on this hug and was utterly shocked — that he was actually feeling slightly annoyed… Don’t worry, it didn’t last.
Credit: Peacock screenshot
I wasn’t one of the fans who felt Rafe deserved to be treated like second-best by his wife because he should have known better in marrying her. But if he goes back to “Ho hum, it’s all good, Nicole,” then yeah, that’s his own fault. Maybe this is just setting Rafe up for a bigger snap down the line, but I have my doubts.
In other news, I’m continually surprised by how good a person Jada is. She overheard Rafe and Nicole’s fight, then proceeded to let everyone know she did rather than use it some way to her advantage. This isn’t Salem-appropriate behavior at all.
What Condition’s Your Conditioning In?
Stefan’s catching on faster than I thought he would. But please don’t tell me he actually bought Kristen’s lies about his brainwashing. Also, EJ’s Gabi attacks to test Stefan are always so… gross. Heck, any decent person would react the way Stefan did and tell EJ to shut up. Granted, Stefan isn’t all that decent and his reaction was, as EJ pointed out, less being upset about badmouthing Li’s fiancée than his own buried feelings, but still.
Yeah, that’s the reaction of someone who’s ready to remarry, Gabi. Who wants to have a talk with her about making smart choices?
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI
But has Stefan caught on enough to buck his programming to go after Chloe now that she’s single? I have my doubts. I can see her crying on his shoulder and them getting together, which would just hurt Brady enough to maybe give in to Kristen. Briefly. I still don’t see her keeping him trapped for very long unless she starts being smarter about the whole thing.
I thought for sure Gabi was going to team up with Johnny and Wendy to take EJ (and eventually, Li) down, but that may still be coming. And maybe they’ll throw Ava into that revenge mix too… with Xander? Not a team-up I saw coming, but if it gives him something to do and pits a Kiriakis against a DiMera, I’m in.
On paper, EJ should be in charge of DiMera. He’s got the experience, he’s got the family connection… but I just don’t want him to win. And I have a feeling he’ll learn that CEO chair was far easier to grab than hold onto soon enough.
Oh, and I guess with Joey on his way out, we’re getting a Johnny/Wendy/Tripp triangle? I’m not at all opposed, but it could’ve been even more wild if they’d kept Joey in town.
Stray Thoughts
• Does Li’s smarmy smirk drive anyone else crazy? Tripp punching EJ was satisfying, but Li’s just such a weasel, his enjoyment grated on my nerves. I love that he’s a bit afraid of Gabi, though, and doesn’t think Rolf can survive an encounter with her.
“No, seriously, my wife-to-be is terrifying, Rolf. Run away. I just hide my fear with my trademark smirk.”
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI
• As my one co-worker put it: Basic Black is an HR nightmare. First Kristen attacked Chloe over Brady, then Nicole fired Eric because she’s too attracted to him.
• Gwen making out with her pillow as Jack walked in was awkward enough, but them doubling down and talking about her “having a snog” with a pillow… eesh.
• Johnny mentioning EJ writing down passwords for him and Wendy to hack was convenient… but I actually appreciated the explanation that EJ’s paranoid about his memory after his “severe accident.”
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