Has Abe’s abduction storyline gone on too long?
Our TV Fanatic, Jack, is joined by Horizon and Andy from MyHourglass, a Days of Our Lives fan forum, to debate Sloan being pregnant, Li and Melinda’s blind date, if Chad or Alex was more obnoxious and more!
Plus, which love triangles have you loved or hated? Read on to see which ones our round table team chose…
Love triangles are a soap staple, but has there ever been a triangle story you’ve enjoyed? Also, do you have a most hated love triangle in Salem?
Horizon: Funky triangles like Johnny, Chanel, and Allie, along with Brady, Philp, and Chloe, haven’t been entertaining at all. And any triangle involving Eric and Nicole is dead on arrival. Although I must say, I like it when Sloan and Nicole go at it like alley cats when it comes to Eric.
I suppose the quirkier triangles are preferable. Like Ava, Rafe, and Nicole was amusing once Ava found out Nicole and Rafe did the dirty. The not-quite triangle of Jan, Shawn, and Belle had some uncomfortable humor going for it.
And again, not a classic love triangle but watching besties Leo and Gwen with their Dimitri cluster fuss scenario is amusing on more than one level. Gwen’s low self-esteem colliding with Leo’s insatiable sexual hunger promises some juicy Soap fun down the road.
Andy: I enjoy a good love triangle when it brings the drama and breaks convention. Like JJ with Eve and Paige was so wrong, but it made for compelling television.
Chanel choosing between Allie and Johnny brought a new layer of exploring sexual orientations.
Currently, the Gwen/Dmitri/Leo triangle is over the top but humorous. I hate the ones that are boring, and the only conflict is one person can’t make a decision, like Wendy with Johnny and Tripp. There’s no excitement or drama. It’s like watching paint dry.
Jack: I feel like DAYS used to do triangles better. I remember when Marlena couldn’t choose between Roman and John, and I was on the edge of my seat because she genuinely had reasons to be with both of them.
Jack/Jennifer/Emilio was also well done. I’ll never forget Jack’s heartbreak when he showed up at the Horton House for Thanksgiving dinner with flowers only to find Emilio was already there!
But in recent years, triangles have been handled horribly. The writers either make it VERY clear who you are supposed to root for (yes, Eric, I’m talking about you!)
Or, they make one of the choices evil so that they’re not viable (e.g., ruining Aiden’s character for no good reason), or are simply a choice between two boring guys (Chad/Abby/Cameron and the recent Wendy fiasco)
Right now, Tripp and Wendy are putting me to sleep, and that obnoxious competition with Johnny and Tripp wasn’t much better. It was also obnoxious when Chanel couldn’t choose between Johnny and Allie. And Alex intruding on Chad and Stephanie is awful, too.
Li and Melinda had a blind date that didn’t go well. Do you hope they try again?
Horizon: The date had its moments, especially when Melinda stopped in her tracks when she saw the fancy Chardonnet Li had ordered.
Much like Rafe, I am not too keen on watching Trask in a romantic relationship, so I would prefer they don’t hook up, but I suspect they will even after Li caught her surreptitiously taping their conversation.
Andy: The blind date made for a fun little intermission between all the main stories. I was surprised that I enjoyed their interactions as much as I did.
Not sure if I’m invested in seeing them become a couple. I think Melinda can do better. Li has proven to be quite pathetic and also a little crazy. But the two could make an interesting team to antagonize the Dimeras.
Jack: That was the oddest pairing I’ve ever seen. But I like the idea of Trask being more than a one-note character who prosecutes the wrong people all the time.
If Bonnie wasn’t in the picture, I’d rather see Trask and Justin give it a try. The cold-as-ice prosecutor falling for the passionate defense attorney would be fun.
Sloan is pregnant! Rate your excitement about her and Eric having a baby from 1 (I hate this.) to 10 (This is awesome!)
Horizon: As a fan of this extremely attractive couple, I am all in with Sloan getting pregnant. Although, based on her baby-sitting spell with Rachel, I am not sure how well-equipped she is to become a mother.
I’ll give it a 9-excitement rating. But I can’t help thinking something may go wrong.
Andy: I will be cautiously optimistic and say 7. I’ve enjoyed the way the Sloan/Eric/Nicole/EJ story has unfolded so far, and there’s potential to keep it exciting.
I smell a possible baby switch storyline incoming. If something happens with Sloan’s pregnancy, she could kidnap Nicole’s baby and pass it off as her own (presuming it is, in fact, Eric’s).
Or even if they both carry to term, it could be interesting seeing Eric try to split his time and attention to parent two babies with two different mothers who dislike each other.
Jack: Ugh. Can I give this a negative rating? I have no use for Sloan, I have my doubts that she didn’t fake that pregnancy test, and I don’t see this ending well.
I’m not a fan of Eric/Nicole either, so I’d rather Nicole have her miracle baby with EJ and Sloan not fool around with DNA tests and pregnancies.
Who was more obnoxious this week, Chad or Alex?
Horizon: The fact that no one has broached the unsettling subject of Chad pounding Abigail’s cousin continues to boggle my mind. It makes Chad a creep in my book, especially considering his kids are cousins with Stephanie.
I loved this scene. And while Alex was obviously being rude, in a pushy good-natured kind of way, if there is such a thing, I enjoyed Chad’s hilarious stuffy responses.
I am team Alex, though. And, of course, Stephanie’s quasi-ambivalent responses only made the scene funnier.
Andy: Alex was intentionally being obnoxious to mess with Chad and Stephanie, and it worked. I can’t fault him, though, and it honestly helps make Chad and Stephanie more interesting because, on their own, they can be quite dull.
Having Alex as a neighbor should make for some funny moments. Or who knows, maybe they can become a thruple? It wouldn’t be his first threesome on the show!
Jack: Alex by a long shot. Chad and Stephanie were having a romantic dinner for two, and Alex showed up shirtless, insisted on taking a shower in their apartment so he’d be clean before a meeting 12 hours from now, stole Chad’s robe because he didn’t have any clothes of his own with him, and invited himself to their private meal.
Chad was comparatively restrained, considering how intrusive and annoying Alex was.
With Sarah secretly pregnant with Xander’s baby, do you expect Xander and Chloe’s relationship to survive? Do you want it to?
Horizon: I preferred Chloe and Xander in their just pal’s mode, and I get the feeling their hook-up is nothing but a pit stop if Xander ever gets wind of Sarah’s pregnancy. I just hope Chloe doesn’t go running back to Brady.
Andy: Chloe has always felt like a temporary infatuation in the absence of Sarah, especially knowing Sarah is pregnant with Xander’s baby.
I do enjoy Xander and Chloe’s chemistry (even if I don’t necessarily buy them as a romantic couple), but Xander will always love Sarah.
When he finds out she has his baby, I’m sure he’ll stop at nothing to get them both back. And I would like to see them find happiness after everything they’ve been through keeping them apart. Sorry Chloe.
Jack: I am in the minority, but I hated Sarah and Xander. Sarah acted so immaturely every time she was around him. That baby voice grated on my nerves, and her constant demands for attention as if she were really five years old weren’t much better.
I’d rather she and Rex fall hard for each other than that nightmare.
However, I expect that she will return to Xander “for the baby’s sake” when the truth comes out, just like Nicole and Eric will get back together if it turns out this is Eric’s baby. We don’t need two of the same story at the same time, but here we are.
Has Abe’s abduction storyline gone on too long? Did Whitley seeing the devil for therapy cause her obsession with Abe?
Horizon: I don’t think so. It has given actor James Reynolds a chance to expand his acting range, and he has come up aces as the befuddled captive trying to sort the pieces together.
I have loved Abe’s reactions to the corny, over-the-top soap opera “Body and Soul.”
As for the short-cut, easy-answer approach Days takes with psychiatric problems, I just feel Whitley is a sociopath who needs to be removed from regular society because she is an ever-present danger.
Andy: Part of the reason Abe’s abduction has dragged for me is fatigue after the same basic kidnapping/presumed death storyline we just made it through with Marlena/Kayla/Kate.
It also doesn’t help that Abe has been reduced to a vegetative state this whole time, which makes the whole thing more sad and frustrating than anything.
The Lani scenes this week breathed some life back into it, but I’m ready for this storyline to wrap up. And speaking of storylines that went on too long, please don’t bring the devil back into this.
Jack: I suspect Whitley’s obsession with Abe began before she saw the devil for therapy — her husband died and her admiration for Abe probably turned into obsession then. But her faux therapy sessions didn’t help.
And yes, this storyline has gone on too long. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the reason it hasn’t been resolved hadn’t involved utter incompetence and stupidity on the part of everyone searching for Abe.
What annoyed the heck out of you this week in Salem?
Horizon: Marlena has been grinding on my nerves like nobody’s business of late, and the sight of “Teenage Talia” is always a downer.
But I suppose the community idiocy surrounding Abe has annoyed the crap out of me the most. And Lani heading to Whitley’s without any backup has to rank up there as one of the all-time stupidest moves.
Andy: Talia’s presence probably annoyed me the most. I don’t know if it’s the character or the actress, but she grates my nerves when she’s on screen.
I also thought Kayla dropped the ball by not being suspicious of Whitley sooner or calling Steve to share her strange behavior. It took too long for her and Marlena to get the right conclusions.
Jack: I was aggravated that Rafe was so stupid about the search for Lani. Why didn’t he think to look at the data from her ankle monitor before the US Marshal showed up?
And not involving police resources was stupid. If they found Lani tied up in Whitley’s apartment, it would be obvious Lani wasn’t a fugitive, so his excuse that he didn’t want her to get in trouble was ridiculous.
As for Lani, she should not have gone after Whitley by herself. Instead, she should have told Rafe what she knew when he came to take her to prison.
Talia was also annoying me, and I can see from a mile away that the next story will be that Chanel can’t choose between Johnny and Talia. Do we really need a THIRD round of awful love triangles for Johnny?
And while it wasn’t annoying per se, why the heck did Rafe invite Johnny to hang out with him and Jada at the Pub, and why did Johnny accept? He would only be a third wheel on their date!
What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline in Salem this week?
Horizon: My favorite quote was Li toasting with Trask describing the relationship between Stefan and Gabi, saying, “the misery they so richly deserve.”
My favorite scene was Alex interrupting Chad and Stephanie’s romantic takeout Chinese night. As someone who loves comedy, it hit all the right spots.
My favorite storyline is the emerging Leo, Gwen, and Dimitri convoluted triangle. It is poignant and amusing all at once.
Also, a shout out to Rachel, the formidable little rascal who called the cops on her dad.
Andy: The most entertaining scenes for me were with Brady/Kristen/Rachel. Even if Brady was being an idiot pulling a gun on Kristen, their exchange was exciting to watch unfold. And then Rachel calling the cops and ratting out Brady about the gun was a nice twist.
The dynamics of this custody battle are really interesting. Where Brady is generally the more stable parent (who makes terrible impulse decisions), but the child is so protective of her mother, who has committed more crimes than anyone could count. Rachel is sure to be quite the troubled child as she grows up.
Jack: I loved Paulina telling Kate that Rafe was not very good at detective work. So true.
I also enjoyed Rafe and Johnny catching up. I love their relationship.
Now it’s your turn, Days fans. Hit that SHOW COMMENTS button below to tell us your answers to our round table questions.
Then check out Jack Ori’s Days of Our Lives review here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.