Family matters

Nicole hasn't had a legitimate shot at love since Eric Brady, and it's far overdue for her to have a real relationship.

Happy 4th of July, kids! I hope that you all enjoyed yourselves over the long holiday weekend. (Isn't it cool when the 4th is on a Friday and we get an instant three day weekend?!?! Maybe it's just me but I get way too excited about three day weekends.) Our friends in Salem caused some interesting fireworks themselves. Since, Wimbeldon pre-empted Days for Thursday and Friday, we only had three episodes. But, that doesn't mean that we were short on storylines. Tony will have TONS to talk about in his column next week! So, since you're stuck with me for the mini-week, I decided to set the table for him with a lot of predictions- most of them, sure to go wrong.

MAX and TRENT First, the good things about this storyline- the acting and casting. Not only does Darin continue to impress me, but I see what everyone was talking about with Roscoe Born. He's perfectly creepy! Physically, the casting of Roscoe and Darin's father is very believable. They have the same facial structure and mannerisms; and, I really appreciate that as a viewer. I also enjoy that the writers continue to have Max state that Shawn Brady is his father. Like Tony said last week, this promising storyline turns rancid anytime that it's positioned as justification for the Stax pairing.

The bad thing about this storyline- I'm starting to get dizzy from watching Max and Trent do circles. Max is a stand-up guy who is getting increasingly angry that he doesn't know who the girl in the picture is. Trent is a selfish dirtbag who thinks his you-know-what doesn't stink. We got it, writers. Now, show us something else.

On a side note, Stephanie really should take Chelsea's advice about giving Max some space. Chelsea does know a thing or two about having your life flipped upside down when your biological parents suddenly become part of your life. Furthermore, Chelsea is the third person who told Stephanie to give Max some space and Stephanie still refuses to listen. Could it be foreshadowing that there may be problems ahead for "Stax"?

LUCAS, CHLOE, EJ, and NICOLE I'll deal with Sami's reaction to both of the pairs in Sami's section. But, for now, I just want to concentrate on the two couples individually. First, I think it's great that the writers dare to make new pairings. All four of these actors are talented; and, let's face it, they're pretty darn good looking- the lot of them. Also, congrats to the writers for thinking of pairs that have not previously been involved. Rather than getting reheated "Stax" we got a new slice of Luloe with a helping side of Ejole.

First, let's tackle Luloe. (Is that the right name? You guys know how bad I am with that. Let me know what the proper term is. Thanks.) Lucas and Chloe are doing more for me together than either character has ever done separatley. For that reason, I love this pairng. Both characters needed huge makeovers. For some characters, a makeover consists of an actor change (see:NuPhillip and NuBelle). For others, it means a change in storyline. (see: Max). And then there's the good ol' brainwashing (see: John Black DiMera). Either way, something happens that breathes new life into a character. "Alcoholic/Rageaholic" Lucas and "Ghoul Girl" Chloe needed to be put to rest a long time ago. Lucas is a charasmatic, funny guy and Chloe is a knock-out, talented woman. Together, they are a very solid pair. These two might actually fall for each while trying to help someone out. In my opinion, that's much better than bonding over scheming to cause someone else pain. My only concern is that Lucas is being a little wishy-washy when it comes to his opinion about Sami. Not that I blame him for being upset, but he seems to be telling everyone that he intends on being with Sami, but Sami herself. Oh yeah, and Chloe. He didn't tell her either. Next, we have Ejole. Sorry, but EJ and Nicole are just not getting my vote. I feel the same way about these two that I feel about Phillip and Chloe. Hot? Totally. Promising? Not at all. Here's the deal: Good or bad, the most interesting thing about EJ is that he's Stefano's son. Not only Stefano's son, but Stefano's chosen soldier- the one who was to assume the DiMera throne. I don't want the writers to back away from that one yet. Exploring his DiMera genes, accepting them, rejecting them, explaining them to his son, etc. is something intriguing to watch. But with Nicole, who has virtually no ties to the DiMeras what so ever, EJ isn't really going to need to deal with his paternal roots. For me, that's a HUGE strike against their storyline potential.

The second strike is Nicole herself. I happen to adore Nicole and I don't like seeing her treated like dirt. She hasn't had a legitimate shot at love since Eric Brady and it's far overdue for her to have a real relationship. Her character is one of perseverence. She didn't have an easy childhood. (Or an easy time as an adult for that matter.) Yet somehow, she manages to come out on top. She should be with a fellow rags-to-riches man, not a man who's made of gold lamae. I have a bad feeling that EJ is just using Nicole to forget about Sami and I just can't support that. I'm with Ava. Nicole is a hot, funny, and knows how to have a great time! I want to see Nicole being something more than just the anti-Sami. SAMI Oh boy. It's time for some tough love. First, let me state again my utter disghust with the writers that some how they've managed to make Sami the odd man out in the Ejamicus triangle. Heaven forbid the Carrie, Belle, or Marlena ever had to deal with possibly loosing both men. That would never happen. Nope. Only Sami Gene. Grrr....pardon me while I count to 10 and take some deep breaths.

Ok, I'm better now. I want to look at the positive side- and there is a HUGE positive side- to Sami discovering what happened in those elevators. I dare say that I am looking forward to Sami flipping out because it just might mean that Sami will finally roll up her sleves and take action. I've been more than a little miffed at Sami's lack of decision making skills. If she's going to do anything resembling Sami "I'll fight for what I want" Brady, now is the time! The question is, who will Sami be fighting for? Which pair will anger Sami the most?

I know that Sami will be mad, but Lucas hooking up with Chloe is a little more understandable. Sure, Lucas told Sami that he still loves her, that he dreamt of her in prison, that he wanted to grow old with her, etc. But, Lucas also came right out and told Sami that he doesn't think he'll be able to get over her sleeping with EJ. While I think his reasons are totally bogus, I give Lucas 100% credit for being honest with Sami. I'll be even more honest with Sami. She should be used to being Lucas's second choice. If she isn't, what in the name of Carrie Brady has Sami been thinking all these years?

If I were a betting woman, when the dust finally settles, I'd put money on Sami being more mad at EJ. Why? Because this is the hook-up that Sami could have prevented. She knows it too. EJ has been the grand marshal of the Sami Brady Parade ever since he came to town. I can't remember a time when EJ wouldn't have been right by her side the second she snapped her fingers. For being a rather pompus and confident man, EJ wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to Sami. So, Sami should be justifiably shocked when the guy who publically admits to everyone that he loves her, is stepping out with another lady. Furthermore, all Sami had to do was not make that phone call telling EJ to move on and there'd be no Nicole and no elevator. This one hurts not only her heart, but her ego as well. Ouch.

AVA, JOHN, and MARLENA John doesn't realize it, but he's starting to have more and more in common with his step daughter. Those two need to go out for some make-up-your-mind martinis. Just like Sami can't decide who she really loves, John can't decide what to do with his future. That disc represents more than just John's past. It represents the first real decision that will stick. Until now, John has been playing with house money- so to speak. He wasn't supposed to be living in that house, heading that empire, getting into fights with the Kiriakises, etc. I think he realizes that at any moment, Stefano could wake up from his coma. Thus, John better make the most of it while he can. But, that disc- and the possibilities that it carries- is the one thing that makes John accountable. Either way he chooses, he's going to be accountable to a life and a lady.

On one hand there's Ava. I love her, but Ava leaned a little too much towards Crazy Ava this week. If it weren't for her cute pep talk with Nicole, I'd be really mad at Ava. I get that she is smitten with RoboJohn. But, this is only her second date with a man who she knows is still married. It seems a little early to break into his lab and try to destroy the disc which may contain all of his memories. Personally, I always wait until the fifth date to destroy my dates' brainwaves discs.

On the other hand there's Marlena. I totally agree with Tony's column last week. Normally, "victim" Marlena is an eye-roll waiting to happen. But both this week and last, I totally felt for her. My heart broke for her as she pounded on the lab door when she heard John destroying the inside of the lab. All she could do was stand there, listen, and wonder if the future that she refuses to let go of is being ripped away from her. I am excited to see where the writers go with this storyline. Marlena can be a strong character and this is an excellent opportunity to prove it.

CHELSEA and DANIEL If you don't like this pair by now, you're missing out on some great TV. There. I said it. It's in stone. And I truly mean it. The material is different, the actors are great, and, for once, a relationship is just about two people. I can get past the age difference because there doesn't seem to be a maturity difference between the two. As a matter of fact, Daniel kind of reminds me of Max Brady, version 1.0: the racecar driver edition. I guess I could argue that he should be more mature because he has had more years, but the fact of the matter is that he just isn't. Daniel seems genuinely interested in Chelsea and she seems to genuniley return those feelings. They're something intriguing about them. They actualy talk about their relationship and are aware of the problems that they might encounter. I find it refreshing. My only gripe about this whole relationship is Daniel's little 'tude that he got with Victor. Daniel eventually came around to saying, "I have no intentions of this being our last date" and "I would never do anything to hurt Chelsea" but I think he should have lead with that material rather than, "Sorry Vic. I didn't think I needed your permission to date your granddaughter." True as it may be, it is a little conceited. I just hope that he doesn't take that approach with Bo. If Daniel is aware of the fact that people might have a problem with his relationship with Chelsea, I would think that he would approach the situation with a little less sass and a little more humility. But, like I said, Daniel's got a little bit of a rebel edge.

For those of you who can't stand Dansea, my inner pessomist does have some condolence for you. If Dansea does end up living happily ever after, you won't have to watch. Days hardly ever shows happy couples. Reference the sporatic appearances of Doug/Julie and Maggie/Mickey. Even Bope and Jarlena get brainwashed now and then. "Happy" just isn't what makes the Daytime world go 'round.

DOUG, JULIE, BO, and HOPE Speaking of Doug and Julie- YEAH!!! WOOT! YAHOOOOO!- they were on screen this week! I'm so glad that they were at Bo and Hope's BBQ because Bo and Hope desperatley needed advice. Bo needed advice on how to deal with his daughter dating someone that he didn't approve of. Hope needed advice on dealing with Bo. Who better than Doug and Julie to help out our favorite super couple? Reluctantly, I'll even forgive the wardrobe department for dressing Doug and Julie like cake toppers for George and Martha Washington's wedding cake. There is a way to treat legends like Bill and Susan Hayes. Making it look like Hallmark threw up on them is not the way.

Anway, I know that some viewers will think that Mr. and Mrs William's appearance was just a stunt to prop up Dansea. However, while I would love to tout that Dansea has Doug and Julie's support, I didn't see it that way at all. Doug and Julie didn't show up to further Chelsea and Daniel's relationship. They showed up to further Chelsea and Bo's relationship. Let's not forget, Bo is still pretty new at the whole "having a daughter" thing. He has to learn how to bond with his daughter at the same time that he needs to be preparing to let his daughters go. That's not an easy thing for Bo. To make matters worse, Chelsea is dating an older man. To top it all off, Bo doesn't have the best relationship with his own father. Thus, Bo's at a really tough point in his life. Hope needs help too. She loves both Bo and Chelsea and wants them to have a good relationship. She's seen first hand what can happen to fathers and daughters when the father gets too involved and she doesn't want to have to play referee between Bo and Chelsea. I don't blame Fancy Face for that at all!

Doug and Julie have parallel talks with Bo and Hope, respectivley, and in the end all four of them come to the same conclusion. Chelsea's decisions- life, mistakes, and all- are hers to make. As Chelsea says, "I might not get the happy ending that Hope got, but if I don't put myself out there, I'll never know." She's absolutley right. Mistake or not, Chelsea has to find that out for her own. And, as Bo reluctantly grunted, "If he doesn't hurt my daughter, I won't hurt him." He's right too. He should absolutly be cautions and suspicious of Daniel. But he can't interfere. Cheslea will ask Bo for his help if she needs it.

MORGAN Morgan is starting to realize that her missing dad may be on more than just an extended vacation. At this point, both the Salem PD and Phillip are looking for Paul. The police did recover Paul's suitcase from a plane that Paul never boarded. There was a letter in the suitcase addressed to Morgan.

This storyline leaves me with a few questions. First, if the bag made it on the plane but Paul didn't, where was Paul killed? In the airport? Maybe he went to get a Cinnabon and took a wrong turn. Second, is Phillip really looking for Paul? If so, that pretty much gets Phillip off the hook for Paul's murder. Finally, why didn't Bo and Roman call Morgan the second that they found the letter? They know she's been worried about her father. But, rather than let her know that there was a letter for her, they scampered home to work on their burger recipes. Oh well, at least she has Phillip to keep her company.

LOOSE ENDS: Chloe talked to her MOM!!!! YEAHH!!!!! Just the idea of Craig and Nancy gets makes me a little giddy.

Did you see how happy Hope and Bo were to see Victor? I kinda like it. I know that Vic and Bo haven't had the best past, but I liked that Victor was invited to the BBQ. They're blood after all and good blood is always better than bad blood.

I'm glad that the writers continue to have all of the Bradys mention Shawn.

From the "in case we need an easy rewrite" file, Nicole presented us with an explanation for why Sami loves Lucas. Apparently, Sami won't ever give up on Lucas because if he is with her then everyone in Salem will believe that she's actually changed. Like I said two weeks ago about Tony's talk with EJ- not matter how true it may be, it sounds way too much like a "get out of this storyline free" card for the writers to play. I don't like it.

Did anyone else find it a little strange that John kept the lab completely in tact? Stefano's picture in the living room was too much, but he's ok with the brainwash chamber? Hmmm...

Nicole carries playing cards and champaign in her purse. Who doesn't? LINE OF THE WEEK: Ava about the brainwashing chamber: "Do you think we can destroy the death star from here?" Yeah, I'm a Star Wars fan. Are any of you really surprised?

Extra Scoops: HOT: For comedic purposes only, Lucas's disguise gets my vote. He managed to look like the real life version of those pencil sketched drawings of suspects that they show on the evening news. I don't know why Lucas doesn't just disguise himself as Stefano. After all, the police can hardly ever catch him. (ohhhhh.....snap!)

NOT: Pretty much everything that happened this short week was good, but there was one carry-over thing that's been bothering me for weeks. Nicole mentioned (again) that Sami is the one who drove Lucas to become an alcoholic. Not only is that not true, but it's pretty insulting. Just like Chloe didn't force Brady to become an adict, Sami didn't cause Lucas to become an alcoholic. Last time I checked, additction was a disease. Neither Sami nor Chloe waved their magic she-wands and rendored the men in their lives immune to making good decisions.

Like I said, Salem packed a lot into their three day week. What do you think will happen? Will Sami be more mad at EJ or Lucas? Will John really destroy the disc? And, how do you think Lucas is going to get out of being arrested for breaking house arrest? I hope you all had a happy 4th of July!

Happy viewing! Laurisa

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