Weighing in on Days' New Direction

So we're now about two months into the Dena Higley and Josh Griffin episodes of Days and I figured it was time for me to weigh in on how things are going.  There have been good changes, there have been bad changes, but the bottom line is--things have gotten BETTER.  Things aren't perfect yet, but they're improving.  So let's start with some good...

Old Favorites Have Returned!  We've got Bo back, we've got Sami back, we've got, we've got Andre back, and most importantly we have STEVE back!  Steve is a favorite of mine that I've been wanting to see come back to the show for years.  He and Kayla are my favorite super-couple so it's an absolute thrill to see them on screen together again.  Three couples I don't think Days should ever be without are Bo and Hope, John and Marlena, and Steve and Kayla.  I'm not even a huge Bo and Hope fan, but I recognize how important they are to the show and it just doesn't feel right not to have them around. That said, I would have absolutely welcomed Robert Kelker Kelly back into the role of Bo and been just as happy.

I was so excited to hear about Andre coming back and am super disappointed that we haven't seen more of him since he's been back.  I'm also super disappointed that he didn't EXPLODE back onto the scene.  Remember when he came back in 2002?  That shit was intense.  Everyone was expecting Stefano to show up at the Penthouse Grille (whatever happened to that place?), but to their surprise it was Andre that came back (once again impersonating Tony)!  This most recent return should have been no less shocking.  So when Justin came by the mansion to question Stefano, it was such a let down that he didn't bat and EYE to the fact that Andre was a) back in Salem, b) ALIVE, and  c) not in jail!  Did Andre already answer to the many many crimes he commited during the Melaswen extravaganza!?  I really don't want to have to sit through that trial, but at the very least we need to address this giant hole in the story.

Andre's Back!  Or is it Tony this time???

So we've got all of these great characters returning, however not all of them have me thrilled.  I'm also a little underwhelmed with the brand new additions to the cast.

In terms of existing characters returning that I'm not that thrilled about, color me unsatisfied with the Justin and Adrienne situation.  While I do like these characters and actors, I haven't been thrilled with how they've been handled.  Justin as the new D.A. is absolutely obnoxious and out of character.  His vendetta against the inherently evil DiMera's is almost as ridiculous as Bo's--but out of nowhere!  Justin has had beef with the DiMera's in the past, but never to the extent that the Brady's have.  Justin has been acting so out of character that I was honestly questioning if he was really Andre in disguise wearing one of his old masks from his Salem Slasher days.  But then they lamely showed up in the same room together, putting an end to that theory.  As for Adrienne, her relationship with Lucas was always a little weird, so I'm glad that's kind of come to an end.  But this storyline about her being susceptible to cancer is a snooze.  I'd much rather Adrienne and Justin getting into shenanigans with Victor and perhaps having some of their other sons return to Salem.  I've always wanted to see the dynamic between Sonny and his other brothers.

Two other returns that I could  have done without are Sonny and Gabi.  While I enjoy the characters, I have never felt that these two were the strongest of actors.  Back when Chandler Massey was on the show, he would carry all their scenes and completely out-shine them.  His performances were so much more genuine and believable than his co-stars.  So when Chandler left the show and we got--ugh--Guy, it was a talent vaccuum.  Guy actually ended up lifting Sonny and Gabi up because I was too busy hating Will to notice the faults in anyone else around him!

I hate to be so negative, but Guy Wilson was the worst re-cast in the history of Days of our Lives.  He was an absolute disaster and it didn't help that the old writers made his character completely unlikable over the past year.  But hey, Will's dead now so I should be happy, right???  WRONG!  Will didn't need to be killed--he needed to be re-cast!  But since no one over there at Days seems to be able to admit that the problem was Guy Wilson and not WILL the character...we get a dead Will.

My Hero--BEN THE NECKTIE KILLER!

It seems like these new writers came in and saw how HATED so many of these characters were, new and old, and decided to clean house as quickly and efficiently as possible.  They saw how everyone on the internet said, "I WISH WILL WOULD JUST DIE ALREADY," and the new writers listened. But what they didn't get (about Will anyway), was that it was only the actor that needed to go.  It makes me wonder what went into their reasoning when it came down to the decision to kill Will.  Did they not want to admit their mistake in such a horrible re-cast?  Was this the only way to get Guy out of his contract?  Or were they just looking to give viewers a truly emotional blow by killing a legacy character?  Whatever their reasoning, it was a complete misfire.  I'm upset to see the character of Will killed off, but the death had very little emotional impact for me because while I was sad to see Will go, I was SO HAPPY that Guy was gone!  The aftermath, however has been very emotional for me.  I try to picture Chandler Massey when they talk about mourning Will because losing Chandler would have been a terrible loss and a kick to my gut.

Will's death aside, I'm thrilled with the new Serial Killer storyline.  It's unfolding a little too quickly for my tastes--Ben's reveal as the killer happened after only two deaths!--but it's been a lot of fun and I hope it gets to drag out for a while.  Chad's involvement and Abigail's support of him have been excellently handled.  He's served as a great red herring and part of almost wants Ben to be a red herring as well because I don't want this mystery to be wrapped up so fast!  If anything, it had better snowball into bigger and better things in much the same way the epic Melaswen saga unfolded.

Moving on from characters and story, I've got to give the set designers and the lighting folks some major props!  I swear to God someone at Days read through my previous posts about what needed to improve on this show and they DID IT.  The sets are looking a lot better--the waterfront docks actually feel like waterfront docks again!  Things aren't perfect, but it's definitely an improvement.  Toning down the bright lighting really enhances the atmosphere of the show.

As for music, they've brought back some of Steve's old cues from the last time he was on the show, but they need to dig even deeper!!!  The early 2000s had some fantastic stuff, as did the 90s.  I don't think they sound dated at all.

So anyway, the show is on the right track to improvement but it's far from perfect.  I still look at General Hospital and wish that Days could have writing that well organized and consistent.  GH is in no way perfect (and actually kind of boring right now), but it certainly comes in a pretty package.  The characters might be put into ridiculous/unpopular situations, but they at least sound/act like themselves when they are and there seem to be fewer plot holes in their stories.  If there are plot holes (just whose kidney DOES Josslyne have???), they don't shy away from that fact.  Carly asked herself that very question about Josslyn but chose not to dwell on it.  That's all I ask Days to do.