Days of Our Lives Is Walking Right to the Edge With Jada and Eric — Even As We’re Preparing for Two Other Characters to Fall Over It!
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI (4)
This week didn’t quite match the excitement of the last one, but we got some big reveals, some angry, snarky emotions and story twists that, if nothing else, are making us curious to see where things are headed.
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I’m going to start off right off the bat by saying I know Rafe has his haters out there. And I don’t know if his latest snarky turn is going to win them over, but I’m here for it. He’s finally not backing off of his anger and frustration but embracing it.
I loved everything about his reaction to Nicole’s talk. His calling her out for telling him just a few hours earlier that he was overreacting, that she didn’t have feelings. And then pointing out that these feelings didn’t just spring up out of nowhere. She’s been pining over Eric since he returned and is now using “loved” in the past tense for Rafe. And then there was his anger that she married him knowing he “wasn’t the one. And you knew. Hell, wish I had known it.”
As for his reaction to everyone else, his line to Eric about “knocking up” Jada while he knew he was in love with Nicole was crude, but on point, but his sarcastic, petty reaction to walking in on Brady and Nicole hugging it out was a delight. I hope fiery Rafe sticks around for a while and willfully naïve, dull, forgiving Rafe takes a backseat.
Will They/Won’t They?
As for the Jada/Eric aspect of this growing mess, I mused earlier in the week about how Days of Our Lives was clearly flirting with an abortion storyline, but wondered if they would actually go there. By the end of the week, though, it seemed like they might actually be willing to — though they surprised me by having Eric readily agree that the decision was Jada’s make and his past priest…ness shouldn’t have any bearing on her decision.
Jada started to get a little worried at how long it took Eric to puzzle out where babies come from.
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI
This, though, doesn’t mean that the show will actually go through with an abortion. Soaps have long skirted the issue, but it’s been decades since any have actually tackled it directly. Notice that they’re avoiding the word itself, as if so long as they do that, they won’t risk causing a stir. Still, there’s plenty of time for this to develop and I’m curious to see where it’s going.
Double Trouble
I’ve been wondering what’s been going on with Gwen since she shot down Ava, but I’ll hand it to the show for bringing her back into the picture at exactly the right moment. It takes a con to call out a con and she saw right through Xander within minutes. But more importantly, I think, is the fact that she’s about the only one he would ‘fess up to.
Everyone else has their suspicions and has tried to draw the truth out, but Gwen’s the only one to get Xander to open up. That says a lot. As did that look of excitement on Gwen’s face when Xander admitted he’s doing something illegal. I don’t need them to get back together — though “Xarah” has been losing me as the show’s fumbled them — but even just seeing them as BFFs would be fun.
Spiraling
As for the Ava/EJ mess, that’s just getting worse and worse. As Tony pointed out, they are both obsessed with making each other pay. They really are cut from the same cloth and would have made an amazing power couple. EJ may have lost his bargaining chip, but at this point, I’m convinced Ava’s just lost her mind. Killing Susan no matter what is a horrible idea. Ultimately, I don’t see how they can come back from this. Especially now that we know just how badly this is going to end. I’m not one to say I told you so but meet me back here next week and we’ll chat.
EJ had a few pointed remarks for Ava.
Credit: Peacock screenshot
As for Tripp’s rescue, it was… quicker and easier than I thought it would be. I was kind of hoping for more. But maybe it’s good we didn’t get it because Steve and Kayla’s “undercover” work was ridiculous. No one would buy that they were anything but out of work dinner theater performers.
Mixed Feelings
I’m on the fence with the Paulina/Chanel story. And I get the feeling a lot of folks are. I think we’d be quicker to get behind it if the show had revealed a connection to a known character — besides the still very fresh Sloan — but it’s not doing a terrible job. But I’ve seen comments all over the place from fans, from lamenting the lack of flashbacks, to apathy because we didn’t know Sloan’s parents and we barely know her, to feeling like Sloan’s anger is deserved because Paulina and Chanel really did do something horrible to her family.
If looks could kill… Paulina would have another death she’d have to cover up by turning into a suicide! Yeah, I said it.
Credit: Peacock screenshot
And Paulina doubling down on bashing both of Sloan’s dead parents as she claimed the lawyer’s mother was a horrible person and kind of implied she got what she deserved? That’s gross. But then mixed in with that is the acknowledgement that Chanel was groomed and preyed upon by a creep professor who should have known better and, well, I suppose there are worse things than feeling a confusing batch of emotions over a story. Plus, this one is still very early-stage, so we’ll see where it goes.
More: Has Days of Our Lives ruined two characters?
Huh, that’s the second time I’ve said that this week. Curiosity over storylines isn’t a bad thing.
Stray Thoughts…
• Wendy and Jonny are definitely heating up. Their espionage attempts, though, are not… Get it together, kids. Oh, too late, you’ve already been drugged by Rolf.
• I liked that callback to Johnny saying he wanted to emulate Rafe when he was his stepdad. It was sweet, and a family is one thing Rafe’s always wanted.
“Come on, who do you think you are? Alex Kiriakis?”
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI
• Thank you for acknowledging Jada and Eric’s use of birth control and that it’s not always effective. That’s so much better than just ignoring it or having something even more incredulous happen like a vasectomy not taking.
• If I was Chloe watching Stefan and Gabi fight, I’d have just turned and walked out of that room. Their arguing was way too fiery and sexually fraught. Run away from Stefan now, Chloe!
• Can Bonnie, Susan and Xander get their own spinoff sitcom? I don’t know what the premise would be, and I don’t care. But even in a life-or-death situation, they’re amusing.
• The telepathy was chuckle-worthy but a bit much. But huge kudos to Stacy Haiduk and Judi Evans. Conveying what you’re saying while tied up without actually speaking? That’s not easy.
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