Love will keep us together?

Carly smiled last week! No, really! Carly smiled and was happy for more than a doped-up millisecond. Like Days of our Lives being less porny and more romantic, this was a nice change.

Bravo, DAYS! The show's romance stocks have rebounded nicely from Rafe's misplaced, porn-music-laden montage two weeks ago because last week it was all about real romance. Well, that's not entirely true. There was still plenty of talk about beat-up prostitutes, corporate ventures, and website start-ups sprinkled into the mix. But for the most part, romance led the way. Let's take a look at what Salem's lovebirds were up to, and their chances for survival using my trusty Magic 8-Ball!

GUS and VIVIAN Magic 8-Ball Response: "Very doubtful"

I don't blame Gus for being angry with Vivian. But by "angry," I mean he should de-friend her on Facebook or start a rumor that she has cooties, and not beat up hookers. His idea of attacking women to frame Quinn is all shades of wrong. Like, sandals with socks wrong.

Nope, I'm not a fan of this storyline. I don't believe Gus is in love with Vivian. I don't believe the writers should use attacks on women as a means to tell Gus's story. And I don't believe the writers should dumb-down Vivian as much as they have. It's all a bit garish and uncomfortable.

Therefore, the chances of Gus actually winning Vivian's self-absorbed heart by getting Quinn out of the way hovers somewhere between snowballs in hell and Nicole turning down a drink.

QUINN and TAYLOR Magic 8-Ball Response: "Don't count on it"

It's hard to invest in anything "Quinn and Taylor." Everyone knows that Tamara is leaving. And I'm still torn about this. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I wish there was a way to keep Tamara but not Taylor. Is that too much to ask for?

For what it's worth at this point, I can't help but be a little intrigued by Taylor and Quinn. Even though they're linked to semi-core families, they both have an outsider vibe. And I consider two "outsiders" intriguing me a good thing.

All in all, it's probably for the best this has a short shelf-life. Sometimes short, sweet, and intriguing is much better than long and drawn out. And considering Taylor has a long, drawn-out history of bugging me, it's best that she's leaving on a semi-good note.

BO and HOPE Magic 8-Ball Response: "Signs point to yes"

Gus being the attacker to seek revenge on Quinn is ridiculous. However, it has brought out the best in Bo and Hope: Super Cops! They're less smug and more compassionate, and I'll take that silver lining any day.

In fact, I was impressed by their Criminal Minds-esque sleuthing. It was nice to see them doing cop things, and not just standing around the doughnut shop harassing stray DiMeras. As long as they can stay away from wrongfully accusing E.J. for, well, everything with a haughty 'tude, I think this super couple will bounce back to their cool status. Sorry, Dr. Dan. I meant "super cool" status.

MAGGIE and VICTOR Magic 8-Ball Response: "Without a doubt"

What's not to love about Magic!? They're classy, cool, and downright cute! I especially enjoyed that he was impressed that she said something snarky to Vivian. And I suspect she was impressed he didn't. Although one big question remains -- what will Maggie's response be to Victor's proposal that they shack-up in Casa Kiriakis permanently? Say, yes, Big Red! Say, yes!

DR. DAN and JENNIFER Magic 8-Ball Response: "My sources say no"

Alas, Jack does cast a long shadow. Jennifer and Dr. Dreamy can't seem to get through one of their adorable banter-filled moments without his name being brought up. Like Tamara's very public departure, Matthew Ashford's return has been just as heralded. So, sorry fellow Dr. Dan and Jennifer fans, but we better stock up cute conversations and romantic dinner dates while we can, because very soon this couple is bound to be de-coupled, I suspect.

CHAD and ABIGAIL Magic 8-Ball Response: "Cannot predict now"

They. Did. Not. Fight. About. His. Family. Nope, these two knuckle-brains had several scenes together and they did not - I repeat, did not - fight about his evil family. That shouldn't be Scoops-worthy, but considering they can turn a happy-go-lucky picnic into a reason to bring up his family, I feel their non-discussion about Stefano has warranted two snaps and a twist.

GABI and WILL Magic 8-Ball Response: "Outlook not so good"

Ripped from the pages of He's Just Not That Into You, Gabi worried her relationship with Will is reverting back to friends without benefits. He hasn't wanted to sleep with her since their first time. She's worried she did something wrong. Although Gabi can be a bit yawn-inducing, I felt bad for her. Even worse, she seems to be right.

Aside from the not-wanting-to-get-horizontal-again thingy, Will definitely hasn't been showering Gabi with affection. I don't think he's being malicious. I just don't think he's that into her. Then again, Will has always been, shall we say, a little awkward. But even Sonny's picking up on his hesitations these days.

Not to mention, Will pretty much dismissed all of Gabi's sweet nothings. He replied to her in the "We should do lunch sometime" type fashion one says to be polite to old acquaintances with which one never intends to "do lunch." Sorry, Gabs, but you might be eating alone in the not-so-distant future.

SAMI and RAFE Magic 8-Ball Response: "It is decidedly so"

She's all right! Our gal, Sami, is all right! She's cancer-free, and got to celebrate all glammed-out like a '40s Hollywood movie star. . Alison looked amazing! Even more amazing, this storyline is over!

Although I'm not a "Safe" fan, I'm not too proud to admit, I cracked up when Rafe called Sami while she was hiding under the desk. That was fun. And I'll even go one step further to admit their romantic dinner was sweet. I appreciated that they were worried about the bill for such an extravagant evening. As one who's had to pinch pennies from time to time, yet still strives for romance , it was a nice, realistic touch.

KATE and E.J. Magic 8-Ball Response: "Concentrate and ask again"

Elvis J and step-mommy Kate might not be a romantic twosome this time around the board room, but "Old Kate" and "Old E.J." have proved to be an intense pair before, and I'm eager to see what they'll cook up this time. I'm also a sucker for corporate storylines when they're well done. So, I'm in!

I'm also still curious to see if E.J. and Kate will hit the spreadsheets again. I don't think so, and I blame my hunch solely on the fact James Scott and Lauren Koslow have the uncanny ability to have chemistry with nearly all of their costars. And they certainly have it with each other! Also, whenever a character pledges their total devotion to another, my Spidey Senses start tingling. Wait! That could be due to my vodka infused mango-peach tea. Nevermind.

NICOLE and BRADY Magic 8-Ball Response: "Reply hazy, try again"

I give Brady credit for revisiting the very uncomfortable conversation he had with Nicole a few weeks ago. You know, the one where she basically tried to get him to admit how happy they were. Well, Brady's not that happy. He's hesitant. And can you blame the guy? I can't. Yet my Nicole and Brady loving heart wants to see these two make it, but I'm afraid to get overly invested as I don't want mine to be the heart that's broken again. Maybe Brady and I should grab a drink together and commiserate.

LOOSE ENDS Brady and Chloe may not be a couple I'm eager to see repeated, but I do enjoy their friendship. His devotion to her is coming from the place that saves Brady from being a total, irrational jerk-face. More, please!

Of course, I also enjoyed that Nicole and Kinsey were just as affected by Chloe's condition, and that they wanted to protect our Ghoul Girl from being labeled a hooker. In addition to all the romance, DAYS kicked up their friendships last week, too. And for that, I'm one happy Scooper.

Chad, Will, and Sonny all fail to strike me as the types who would rally around a sports-themed website. However, I like the idea. More so, I'll point and click at anything that gets the Teen Scene away from talking about their parents' love lives.

Have I mentioned I love Sydney Penny? Because I love Sydney Penny! She had me at B.J. Walker on Santa Barbara. To say that I'm thrilled she's guest-starring on DAYS is an understatement. I just wish she could stick around! I mean, if only there was some tall, handsome British guy who needed a smart, classy, beautiful new wife, we would be in luck. Wait a second! Maybe Kate and I are on to something.

HOT: Carly smiled! No, really! Carly smiled and was happy for more than a doped-up millisecond. Like DAYS being less porny and more romantic, this was a nice change. More so, I loved all things Manning-Jonas/Layton-Alamain last week. Carly's addiction was suspect, but her recovery has yielded a lot of nice surprises. From Nicholas and Melanie bonding to Carly battling her demons, I'm all in for (potential) happy endings for Doc Manning. Tell me when I need to have my bags packed, because I'm all-aboard for this road trip!

NOT: A Vivian storyline without some degree of lavishness and absurdity would probably shock us all. But I'm still shocked that the writers couldn't come up with a better exit-storyline for Vivian. Ms. Thang is daffy and dangerous, but never downright dimwitted. Lately, however, she's been a clown. I don't like this. I don't like this at all.

LINE OF THE WEEK: E.J. (to Nicole, regarding her tumultuous relationship with Brady): "The inevitability of the implosion fascinates me."

EXCHANGE OF THE WEEK: Victor [teasing Dr. Dan on his romantic ways]: "Nice poem. Eloquent use of the rhyming quatrain." Dr. Dan: "Bite me."

RANDOMNESS... Spoiler alert: this exciting casting news is sure to add a little sweetness to your day!

Seriously, Johnny, Allie, and Sydney are going to start calling Caroline "mother." Well, at least they'll learn their baking and hacking skills from someone.

Drats! Taylor is yet another in a long line of characters that got much cooler just as they are headed out of town.

Am I the only one who'd like to see Mandy stick around to see what develops? We already know she has a hooker past, so it should be uphill from there.

Roman and Dr. Dan having something to talk about -- who would have thunk it?

I'm just throwing this out there, but shouldn't someone have called Craig and Nancy RE: Chloe's in a coma...again.

Would Chloe still be wearing her cocktail dress after being examined by Lexie? Wouldn't they have cleaned her up and put her in a hospital gown? Just checking.

It's official! I think the Chlomeister has out-coma'ed Stefano!

PARTING THOUGHTS... So, friends and DAYS fans, that's Two Scoops for the week of September 12th. It's hard to imagine getting through this particular week in September without remembering the past. When most of us look at the calendar, we instantly recall a rather warm Tuesday in September when the world changed. Those dark memories will never be erased, but over the past ten years, new, good moments have also been made.

One such happy memory happened for me on September 10, 2007. That's the day I auditioned to become a DAYS' Two Scooper. Yep, for better and worse, we've been together for almost four years! If you want to take a walk down a sunnier side of memory lane with me, feel free to click here to read my very first Two Scoops venture!

With that, Laurisa will be back next week with an all-new Two Scoops! She'll also be sneak-peeking everyone as to what we've cooked up for DAYS' big re-launch. Like Hope's mystery party, everyone is invited to join in the festivities. And, "That's a fact!"

As always, thanks for reading! Tony

Need more Two Scoops? Head over to read blogs by Laurisa or Tony for more ranting, raving, and all-out randomness