A Summers DAYS' Dream: Phantoms of the Soap Opera

As DAYS' 50th Anniversary approaches, find out what Two Scoopers Laurisa and Tony are wishin' and hopin' for in this year's Summer Series: A Summer DAYS' Dream! This time they're focusing on those unfortunate Salemites who have passed to the great soap beyond that they would love to see conjured up again. Just who made this spooktacular list? Join them and find out!

Deaths on soaps don't necessarily mean we've seen the last of a particular character. Heck, "soap deaths" don't even mean that an individual is actually gone forever (we're looking at you, Stefano). However, while some bounce back from the grave, other Salemites haven't seemed to be as lucky.

Still, that doesn't mean fans don't want to see their favorites again. Since ghostly visits, hallucinations, and dream sequences are soap staples, we've compiled a list for our DAYS Two Scoops Summer Series: A Summer DAYS' Dream of the top ten Salemites we'd love to see make a visit from beyond the grave or during someone's not-so-restful night's sleep.

In true soap fashion, these deceased ladies and gents could help to clear up plot points, torture someone, give their living loved ones encouragement during a hard time, or urge someone to move on and toward love again. Obviously, Celeste would make a cameo where she steps one foot onto the square then runs away screaming that the force is too strong in Salem!

The sweet and beautiful Isabella has made several other ghostly visits over the years, and we think it's time for another one. In fact, there's plenty for her to do! We're sure Brady would love some motherly advice as he navigates fatherhood. There'd be a sense of peace about seeing John say hello to the other love of his life. And we'd love to see soft-spoken Isabella remind Victor that family is family, and he needs to treat a certain Kiriakis black sheep with the same love and respect he gives the honorary one (we're totally talking about Xander and Dr. Dan here, of course)!

While some ghosts or dreamy visitors come back to help, we'd like to see the nefarious Nick do just the opposite. There would be some poetic justice in Cousin Nick coming back to torment Will one more time, especially since Will has fallen off his "My Dear Boy" pedestal. Talk about a precautionary tale. On a lighter, less malicious note, maybe Nick could also pay a quick visit to some of his other Horton kin to tell them that he's made a little peace on the other side. We know Julie and her shrieking would appreciate that!

The man died a hero. There's no denying that. And as poignant and courageous as Shawn Sr.'s death was, there was one thing missing -- a proper goodbye with the love of his life, Caroline. In addition to seeing the rosy, merry cheeks and hearing the charming lilt of Frank Parker again, I think fans would appreciate a dream reunion of these two iconic DAYS parents. Perhaps her past love could give Caroline the encouragement she needs to fight for her future as she navigates her illness.

Oh, most Salemites called him "Scary Larry" for a reason. When the man was alive, he was a terror. In death, he's just as bad. Heck, he might be worse, as he no longer fears death! Just ask Carly and her visions of her frightening ex -- though it's not Carly's nightmares we want to see Lawrence haunt. We believe if Eve continues her to plan to drive her foe insane, Jennifer would come face-to-face with "Scary Larry," too. After all, they shared a horrific past that would surely be stirred up if Jennifer were going off the deep end. Talk about shark-infested waters, eh?

It's a tale as old as time, beauty and the pimp. Oh, wait. That doesn't have the same ring to it, but we digress. Though more Fifty Shades than The Notebook, Nick and Eve had a romance that isn't easily defined. In the beginning, she was his call girl; he was her pimp. They eventually became friends, lovers, and, well, genuinely fell in love. And with Eve wading in the kiddie pool a lot these days, we'd love to see her former love find his way back into her dreams to assure her that it gets better. That, or give her some scheming pointers. They were good plotting partners, too.

We still hold a grudge that Fay was killed off. She had so much potential (and still does -- hello, Roman and/or Abe). But Roman and Abe's love lives are not the only reason we want to see Fay return alive and well from the Witness Protection Program, but we'll keep pretending she's dead for the sake of this column. A ghostly Fay needs to have a tough love mother and daughter chat with Nicole. That is, she needs to drive home the point that Nicole should not settle for a man who doesn't treat her like a queen. Fay was a tough cookie, and we're pretty sure Ghost Fay would be just as tough. So, listen up, Nicole -- even dead mother knows best!

Though we still love the magic that is Victor and Maggie, we'd also like to see Big Red remember her life with Mickey. More specifically, we'd like Mickey to remind her that she has two other kids aside from Dr. Dan. Perhaps Mickey could coax Maggie to ask her daughters to return to Salem. We know we'd love to see Melissa and Sarah again, and so would their Horton cousins!

J.J. has a hard time wrestling with his dark side as well as the darker side of his father's past. Though we still want to counterpunch each bash on Jack with a truth about how he positively changed, we can't, but a ghoulish pop-in from grand-paps Deveraux might help J.J. see just how dangerous one of the dragons his father had to slay to escape evil influences was. Maybe that will give J.J. a little perspective, and he can surely talk to Aunt Kayla about Harper, too.

There's no reason to ever not want to see the beautiful, kind Lexie again, and her return could come with several things to do on her other-worldly check list. First, she could remind Chad that he can be a good DiMera. Second, she could encourage Abe to move on and find love again (the guy needs a storyline, are we right?). And finally, she could give Theo a little shot of love and advice as he rapidly approaches adulthood.

Though we still refuse to believe she's dead, a ghoulish visit from the divine Ms. DiMera would be a good time had by all. Well, a good time had by most. We'd love to see Kristen and Marlena go another round -- or a ghostly Kristen simply stick like glue to Marlena's side, making her Casper the unfriendliest ghost ever. If their various fights and time stuck together in "The Secret Room" weren't an indication these two are made of win together, we don't know what is.Plus, where there's a Ying, there's always a Yang. If Lexie represents the good branch of the DiMera family tree, Kristin represents the opposite. She could join Lexie on her ghostly visit with Chad, but unlike Lexie playing the angel role, she could play the devil on Chad's shoulder, urging him that it's not so bad being a bad DiMera. Perhaps even the other fallen DiMera children could join in. Though, ultimately, we hope her untimely demise is another precautionary tale!Honorable Dream (and Nightmare) Mentions: Zack Brady, Byron Carmichael, Rene Dumonde, Dr. Rolf, Samantha Evans, Megan Hathaway, Benjy Hawk, Henchman Bart, Addie Horton, Titus Kiriakis, Princess Gina, Larry Welch

Part One: Dream GirlsPart Two: A Few Good MenPart Three: Phantoms of the Soap OperaPart Three: Somewhere out there... please come homePart Four: The show must go on