Business ethics

Stefano will see Nicole as nothing less than a faithful DiMera soldier when the truth is finally revealed. Nicole should be more worried about what Sami will do to her.

Hey Days fans! I pretty much enjoyed myself this week. We had to get some business out of the way first, but by the end of the week we were cooking...wait for it...with gas!! HA! Okay, I apologize for my use of bad puns. But, I'm a pretty good mood thanks to the shows this week, so let's dish! STEVE and KAYLA Blink and you missed it, but this week was Steve and Kayla's last scene. Kayla testified at Hope's hearing and then Steve and Kayla counseled Steph on her relationship problems. And then.....that was it. I'm torn on this one, but I really feel that in the light of the monstrosity that was Marlena and John's exit storyline, I'm sort of glad that Steve and Kayla weren't subjected to the same kind of abuse. Still, they left with the most legitimate excuse to show up again- they still live in Salem!

NICOLE Really? How many of these "close calls" are we going to have to endure? First Nicole almost slipped when she tried to seduce EJ and he had to remind her that she just had a baby. Oops! I guess she forgot. You know, since she didn't technically have a baby. Then, Nicole had a nightmare where an evil EJ told her off- which didn't fool me for one minute.

If I may (since I know that the writers aren't sure exactly what date a post-baby Alison Sweeney is going to be ready to fire up Sami Brady), I have a suggestion for the writers: Grab a copy of The DiMera Family Handbook and read up on the "betrayal" section. If you do, you'll realize that Stefano will see Nicole as a nothing less than a faithful DiMera soldier when the truth comes out. And, I almost wonder if EJ will be impressed too. After all, he's used the "we share a child" technique to secure a relationship before. Thus, these nightmares of EJ getting mad at Nicole for "crossing the DiMeras" are a bit strange. While I'm enjoying every second of Arianne Zuker's performance as a woman constantly trying to re-braid a rapidly fraying rope; and it's very nice to see James Scott thrill us with his evil charm again, Nicole should be more worried about what Sami will do to her. As Nicole already said, Nicole and Sami share a lot of the same thought processes.

Meanwhile, in the land of unfortunate stage costumes, Mia is starting to stir. She called Nicole to check on the baby. Nicole was downright cruel to her and told her to never call back again. Nicole treats Mia the same way that Cruella Deville treats dog breeders. She's completely sweet until she gets what she wants and then lowers the gauntlet of bitch down on anything that stands in her way. I wonder how long it will be until Mia and Victor have a phone conversation. He's got to be snooping around after that little "loan" he was privy to last week.

The above example aside, I am wondering where they heck this storyline has to go. Obviously, no where as EJ and Nicole are quickly being ushered into their respective separate storylines- AKA their holding rooms until Sami is back on screen.

For Nicole, that means Brady and I couldn't be happier. Their scene at the pub was great. It makes me long for the days when Nicole could be sarcastic and self-deprecating, yet still show genuine concern (well, as much as Nicole is capable of) for Brady's health and happiness. And Brady doesn't let Nicole lie to him repeatedly, which is such a refreshing change.

KATE Congratulations, Kate! You're cancer is in remission!! You've just won a passionately inappropriate kiss from Dr. Dan and the green light to go forth with your plans to be involved in your sons' lives again! This time, I don't think that Kate will be stepping over the line when it comes to Chloe. Kate did everything but bronze Chloe's extensions to welcome her to the family and that little hormone didn't even bother to break up with Lucas first before sleeping with Daniel. My only question is, what will Kate do to Daniel? It's not likely that she'll allow Chloe and Daniel to ride off into the sunset together. Kate just isn't about keeping her son's safe. She'll want Chloe to pay. And, that kiss was more than just a "congratulations you don't have cancer any more" kiss, don't you think?

BO and HOPE How jerky was that IA board? I mean really! Dismissing Kayla's testimony like that because she was "related to detective Brady through marriage". Tisk, tisk, tisk! And, am I the only one who doesn't understand why the heck Hope is suspended? I heard what Bo said, about procedure being to wait until a superior officer gives you the verbal order to fire, and that's all swell. The problem is that Mr. Killer fired his gun! Doesn't that change procedure? Anyway, I doubt that Hope will be gone for long. If Bo can get promoted after he tampered with evidence, it would make no sense if Hope doesn't get her badge back soon.

But this storyline isn't about Hope's badge. It's about Bo and Hope's relationship. I had to consult with my partner Tony about this storyline and he brought up a great point- this is the first problem in Bope World that wasn't brought about by a third party. No one is brainwashed. No one's ex is in the picture. This problem is just between Bo and Hope. Thus, the storyline just didn't fit into the normal "Bo and Hope fighting" storyline. I couldn't dust off my normal reaction to when Hope gets all self-righteous and Bo turns into a fumbling hot-head.

She's upset because Bo all of a sudden chose to not trust her with information that he's fully trusted her with in the past. Sure, it stinks that that information could maybe have prevented Hope from shooting Kayla. But I think Hope made the right call to shoot and Kayla is going to be fine. Yet, the issue of trust is still there. How many times did Hope ask Bo to tell her why he didn't want her to see Kayla? How many times did he lie right to her face? While I think her actions are stupid extreme, I still think she has a valid stance to be angry with Bo. What did she do to suddenly make him not trust her with his visions?

I think the solution is for Bo to actually ask Hope to help him with his visions and stop shutting her out. Not only would that make Hope feel like he trusts her again, but it would delve into the real storyline here, which is BO can see the flippin' future here, people!

CHELSA and MAX I'm waiving the white flag on this one. If the writers had any knowledge of the Brady family tree, sense of decency, or respect for Caroline, they would stop having Max date his nieces. But they don't. Yet, in light of the fact that Rachel Melvin has chosen not to renew her contract with the show, I refuse to let anything get in my way of enjoying her last few months in Salem. So with that, I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the parts of Chax's relationship that I love. Rachel Melvin and Darin Brooks are effortlessly entertaining together. I usually don't like recycled relationships (see: Philip and Chloe) but this one is different because not only have the characters evolved, but the actors have grown so much that I'm sort of glad that they get their victory lap.

MELANIE/PHILIP/STEPHANIE From a glance at the message boards, it's clear that I would greatly be in the minority. Yet, I thoroughly enjoy watching Philip rip into Melanie. Maybe it's because I know that Melanie can deal with it. Compared to what Trent and Nick put her through, Philip is a Teddy bear. Or, maybe it's just the basic fact that the only person who enjoys seeing Philip's tough side more than me is Melanie herself. She's a head-case study, and I like her. I honestly suggest that all of you try to see Melanie from a different angle because it will make this storyline so much easier. To assist you in that task, I've posted a "Guide to Not Hating Melanie" on my blog. If you have a chance, take a look. No pressure though. Moving on...

I still think that Steph is growing leaps and bounds each day she's further from "Stax". At first, it was making me a little insane that she got mad at Philip for using a metaphor (see: "I'm going to bury her"), but even I can't fault her for being irritated at Philip for falling for Melanie's blackmail. Still, I'm proud of Steph for finally deciding to fight for her man rather than trying to guilt him into staying with her. It's a change for Stephanie and I'm interested to see what happens with her next.

Then, there's Philip himself. He challenged Dr. Dan this week for biggest man-slut, huh? He spent the beginning of the week trying to charm Stephanie. But, when he thought that Melanie was going to give the project to the DiMeras, he went over to Melanie's house and dangles the "L" word, among other things, in Melanie's face. She entertained his kisses for a while (Mel's not a complete dummy), but then informed him that her love for him has now become a perverse desire for revenge. And just like that, Philip's dance card is empty again. By the way, the line to fill it starts right behind me.

I actually like this storyline, and it has everything to do with Jay Kenneth Johnson. He has crafted the character of Philip into so many believable layers, that his performance alone is enough to buy into this classic plot. Philip is a conflicted character who's torn between two forces- good and bad. But, in true soap form those forces are represented by two pretty ladies. Melanie is Darth Vader and Stephanie is Yoda. (Ok, at times she acts more like C3PO, but that analogy still works.) I'm still in favor of Steph and Philip. But, I'm not opposed to watching Melanie grow a soft candy center to her cold heart. There's hope for her. Unlike some other people....

CHLOE Chloe ran into a priest in the park and happened into a spontaneous confession, which made me all sorts of uncomfortable. Maybe it's because she used the word "slut" with a priest. Maybe it's because she told the priest how great Daniel was in the sack...er, floor...whatever. Or, maybe it's just that neither of her "Dear God, it's me Chloe" moments made me feel one bit of compassion for the girl. I have no tolerance for people who fully admit that they are in control of their life, but then express frustration because they are not happy. And, I couldn't help but notice that Chloe never, ever, once used the word "love" when she was talking about Daniel. She used it about Lucas, but not Daniel. Hmmm......maybe Chloe was a little quick to say, "I love you". Obviously, she's not a Two Scoops reader, otherwise she'd have realized that weeks ago.

LUCAS Ahh, Bryan Dattilo, you little great actor, you! I KNEW that if given the right storyline you would absolutely shine. The guy's been completely misused for years by being forced to play the pouty lap dog to a woman that clearly does not belong with him (Nicole, Carrie, Sami- take your pick). The big difference this time is that Lucas did nothing wrong in his relationship with Chloe. As opposed to his other relationships where he's done his fair share of dirty things, Lucas gave Chloe everything she wanted. Yet, she still found the relationship unsatisfying enough to go sleep with Daniel. That hurts. A lot. What ever the reason, I much prefer this response to his usual pattern of freezing people out of his life. Finally we get to see what happens when Lucas lets himself internalize some of that pain and hit the roof... and the bottle.

I'm a little ashamed to say that drunk Lucas entertained me. He was vulnerable, yet even comical in places. And, I LOVED that Maggie rushed right to Lucas's rescue. She chose the absolute worst moment to spill the beans about Chloe and Daniel. But, it had to be done. Then the rest of the scene was great. Lucas blamed Chloe, then Daniel, then Maggie, and finally himself. Maggie pleaded with Lucas to remember that Chloe isn't everything. He still has Will and Ali- a point, which fell of drunken ears. Alas, he slipped out of Maggie's grasp to head over to Daniel's apartment. I am glad that Lucas got a chance to tell off Daniel's door before the hallway exploded. I'm even gladder that Chloe was inside and had to hear every bit of it.

EJ, TONY, and STEFANO EJ found out that Melanie's formula was correct- well, the half that she gave him was correct. And, just as I was about to wonder how ones knows that half a formula is correct, EJ made the good point that it will only be a matter of time before his staff crack the rest of the formula. As of now, the DiMeras are done with Melanie. Well, EJ might feel her up again on the docks for kicks, but other than that, EJ thinks that he'll be able to just swat Melanie away. Stefano warns EJ not to be so certain, but EJ assures Stefano that he knows how to handle women. Right.

I laughed out loud when EJ accused Philip of loosing the fuel project because of the way he "mistreated" Melanie. I assume he meant the way Philip fired Melanie after catching her hacking into the Titan computer system. I'd like to see how polite EJ would be towards Melanie should he catch her taking a stroll through...say...the DiMera basement. I so wish EJ would stop preaching about things he knows nothing about. It's ruining my EJ day dreams. Now, instead of calling me "daaahhling" and pouring me wine, he just keeps finishing my sentences with the wrong answers. Boo.

But, I did enjoy Tony warning EJ not to get a big head. Unfortunately, Tony is too late. EJ actually called himself "the chosen one". Good grief. Now that EJ has two children you'd think he'd be a little more adverse to the idea of his own father so blatantly playing favorites. What ever. Anything that gets Thaao back on screen is okay with me. I know it will be short lived since as he soon will go the way of Drake, Deirdre, Stephen, and Mary Beth. I'm just glad that at least he is getting great scenes with James, rather than some lame scenes with a newly crazy throw-away character.

BRADY, PHILIP, and VICTOR Like the DiMeras, the Kiriakis family seems to be rallying behind the most in experienced member of their team, Philip. I love seeing Victor have an active roll in this storyline and I can not wait to see what happens when he learns that Melanie turned down Philip's offer (*wink*). However, I'm not a fan of the battles between Philip and Brady. Really, we've seen this dance before and I'm over it. I find it hard to believe after Philip's two tours in the military and Brady's stint in rehab, these boys can't get past their differences to work together. And, I'm not so sure about Victor's idea to have Brady work some PR with Melanie. Brady has a cordial rapport with her, but Melanie is still hell bent on using the fuel project to get herself a date with/ revenge on Dimples. I don't think the Brady would do much good. Besides, Melanie eats nice guys like Brady for breakfast (see: George, Nick, and Max)

LOOSE ENDS Stefano brought up the idea of getting Nicole to sign a pre-nup with EJ again. It was not well received. (See previous evidence of EJ's superior ability to handle women.)

Lexie and Abe bonded with Theo. It seems like the little guy is responding well to the therapy and even speaks a bit more. It's a shame that this storyline gets pushed aside with immediate exits and baby swaps because I think at the heart, it is a tender storyline.

Kate and Victor had a great conversation that really brought their relationship to a new level. Kate told Victor not to be such a cranky old man and Victor told Kate not to be such a busy body. Despite the mean things they were saying, the conversation was actually playful and respectful. I like this duo.

Extra Scoops:

RANDOM THOUGTHS Melanie said that she was her dad's card counter at casinos. What casinos allow children to sit at the table?

Sami was in the witness protection program because she could identify a murderer. But that murderer is now dead. Even if he was working with someone else, why would they care about Sami now? She can't identify them!

I wonder if Chloe will suffer any facial damage from this explosion. Of course, then she'll go back to Lucas so that Daniel won't have to look at her disfigured face ever again.

Nicole needs to stop stealing EJ's hair clips and putting them in her own hair. Doesn't she know that he needs those to keep his bangs from falling in his face?

HOT There was a good dose of overall humor this week. Lucas and Melanie's scene cracked me up for some reason. I like it when Bryan plays Lucas a little cranky and I like it when Molly makes Melanie seem a bit aloof. Their interaction "I heard that! I have ears!" and "Well, I said it loud!" was funny. And, Brady cracked me up a bit when he quipped about watching Nicole from afar. Eric Martsolf has a good bit of comedic timing in him too! Well played, you three!

NOT I'm not sure if his savior complex has gone to his head and he thinks, and he's invincible, but Daniel Jonas has got some serious over-confidence issues. Looking back, I should have seen it sooner. When Daniel was dating Chelsea, he thought that it was foolish to keep the news from her about how he had been sleeping with her grandmother. Then, with Chloe, he thinks it best to get their affair out in public. Why? Does he think that he has such a "magic touch" that no one will get mad at him? Not Kate, or Philip, or Victor, or certainly not Lucas. Obviously this guy doesn't know that Lucas shot the last dude who tried to take his girl. And then there's the fact that he seems to think he had nothing to do with Lucas/Chloe's break up. What was that nonsensical garbage he was trying to feed Chloe about how her breaking up with Lucas doesn't have anything to do with him? Because I'm pretty sure I saw Daniel sleep with Chloe and then beg her not to marry Lucas. What is with this guy?

LINE OF THE WEEK Stephanie to Melanie: "You know, when they say, 'Get a room' - they don't mean the kitchen." Funny and sort of ironic since at times Steph's "rooms" have been a hot tub and a cave.

There you have it Days fans. I'd like to remind everyone that the artist formerly known as "February Sweeps" is now "March Sweeps" so next week should be the one that sets us up with our game plan for sweeps month. Tony will be back to recap it all for you. In the mean time, let me know your new thoughts on Melanie, your take on Daniel, and whether or not you like the chemistry between Nicole and Brady. Also, don't forget to cast your Dankies Vote!

What are your thoughts on ? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.