When the lights go out

This past week, Philip was like a caged tiger waiting to pounce on Lucas. Dimples better watch out, because Lucas might have learned a few tricky self-defense moves while in the slammer.

I'm not sure what went off faster last week - Salem's power or everyone's clothes! Talk about the hot days of summer! There were stolen kisses, sex in elevators and more drama than you could shake a sparkler at. The Fourth might be over, but the fireworks seem to be just beginning. No, not the stock footage ones they showed at the Brady Picnic, the ones that are igniting Salem into a storyline frenzy! So grab a cool one and let's talk about all the hotness!

OMG!? (Dansea, the Gawkers and Granny Kate)

I just love picnics! Grilled burgers and hot dogs. Mayonnaise based side dishes that you risk food poisoning to eat because they're so yummy. A cold drink or two. Watermelon. Then some rich, gooey dessert slathered with fluffy frosting. And, of course, your entire family gawking at you as your kiss your significant other. Awe, the memories.

In a town where dead people pop up alive and well, relatives date each other and brainwashing is as common as a cold, I'm still kind of stumped about the "Oh my God" attitude towards Chelsea and Dr. Dan. Worry? Sure. Gasping and fainting? Just a tad much folks. I was waiting for them to sting her up like a piata and take some whacks with a self-righteous stick. Then again they did kiss and I don't know of any other couples that ever do that. I mean ever. That would be ridiculous. A big rolling rrriiiggghhhttt pretty much sums that up.

I can't help it, I'm onboard the "Dansea Train." I enjoy them together. They're obviously smitten with each other and they're playful yet realize their obstacles. The hospital scenes (pre-Victor's stroke) were so fun and cute. Ok, back to the picnic, did they flaunt their affection? That would be a big negative. The lights were out and they were away from the flock, so, really, I don't get the big deal. I loved that Hope stuck up for Chelsea and the little nod of encouragement they shared afterwards was very cute. I just hope this underdog couple keeps fighting the good fight because after Friday's show I'm a little worried about them as Kate and Dr. Dan cryptically agreed that Chelsea can never find out about them ... THEM!?

Seriously, don't go there Dena Higley! It was so nice watching a couple have problems without third party involvement. Didn't this happen with Chelsea, Nick and Billie already!? Ok, I'll relax and go to my happy place as maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe their secret is something semi-innocent. Maybe they got drunk and toilet papered Bo and Hope's house. Or, umm, maybe they got manicures together and painted their nails all sorts of different colors. Dr. Dan would certainly be embarrassed about that! Ere, maybe they dressed up like ABBA and sung songs from Mama Mia! in anticipation of the upcoming movie. Or ... or ... awe, shucks, maybe they slept together. If that's the case, I will be one angry Scooper! Heck, maybe if Dr. Dan and Chelsea break up because of this revelation and she moves on to her next boyfriend, Kate's mother can come to town and sleep with him because, you know, nothing would be more interesting to watch than a love triangle between Chelsea, her new man and her great-grandma. Hot! Ere, not - not at all!

The Era Error of John Black-DiMera

(John and Marlena)

Doc was rocked to the core to find out that John destroyed the lab AND the disk! I have to agree with Laurisa agreeing with me and say I'm still shocked that I'm enjoying Marlena right now. She's in big time victim mode, yet isn't playing the part in her normal sniffling way. Really, Marlena is one of my favorite characters on the show right now and I can't believe it! I was even astonished when, in the middle of her own drama, she asked Sami how she was doing! She showed motherly love to a child that isn't named Belle!? Wonders never cease.

Anyway, so I was a little annoyed with John last week. I'm surprised he didn't want to hold onto the disk for safekeeping. It would be like an emotional investment. For a businessman who's gone to war over some ships in the docks, I'm not sure why he was so careless with something that could potentially help him. Granted, I'm sure he's terrified, yet Marlena has done nothing to scare him and he should have listened to her. Normally John has some funny zingers that offset his new cocky, robotic personality and I give him a free pass, but last week he was void of even humor. Not fun. No smiley face sticker next to your name on the chart John Black-DiMera, that'll teach ya!

Excuses 101 (Lucas and Chloe)

I'm not gonna dance around this one - I still like Lucas and Chloe! They're hot, they're a fresh pairing and, they said it themselves, it feels right. When they steamed it up in the elevator, I was cheering! They both needed to seriously move on and that was a good step in the right direction. Maybe not the smartest, most thought out step, but a step nonetheless.

However, I did find it funny that they kept doing the "should we or shouldn't we" tug-of-war. The "best" reasoning came from Lucas and it reminded me of his playboy days when he first came to Salem. He was all, "But Philip cheated on you with Morgan so it's ok." Yep, that seemed to work and, shortly after, they "made love." Smooth Lucas, very smooth, way to play on Chloe's insecurities. She didn't seem to mind though, twice.

On the other hand, one thing did irk me and that's the entire "Betrayed Factor." They kept rattling on about what Phil did to Chloe blah, blah, blah, but - they weren't dating! They were sleeping together, not the same thing! Both Phil and Chloe made a point of establishing themselves as "friends with benefits." I called this one not working out a while ago. One party gets more attached than the other and soon someone, Chloe, is taking swings at sweet, yet sassy southern sorority girls.

Yet, Philip is a little jealous himself! He was like a caged tiger waiting to pounce on Lucas as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Dimples better watch out as Lucas might have learned a few tricky self-defense moves while in the slammer. I'm very eager to see this confrontation as well as the explosive fallout when Ms. Sami Gene finds out! She is SOOO not going to be happy that St. Lucas jumped on Salem's resident songstress. Ha-ha, that should be fun!

Excuses 102 (Nicole and E.J.)

Nicole is hot. E.J. is hot. Yet together I found them not. I love Nicole, but she needs to wake up and give E.J. sharp stiletto heeled kick to the curb. As soon as he called out Sami's name in the middle of their tryst I really wanted her to smack him. Seriously, he called out another woman's name!!! But, he did "apologize" and they "made up" - twice!

I'm with Laurisa on this one as I'm just not into these two. Them pairing up as schemesters is cool, but E.J.'s sudden romantic interest is not too convincing. I think he wants to move on and does care for Nicole, but as soon as Sami snaps her fingers he'll be back to following her around like a puppy. The sad thing is he's only going to hurt Nicole in the long run and Ms. Walker doesn't need to be relationship road kill again.

No Excuse (Lucas)

Right on Bo! He hit the nail on the head - why did Lucas, who got such a great deal, risk a future with his family?! I agree with you, Detective Brady, that was dumb. He didn't even try to make up a valid reason which made him look even stupider. Hope shouldn't have apologized for Bo's temper as Lucas has needed a stinging slap of reality since he whined his way out of the slammer. I wish I could, but I don't feel bad for him - at all. I'm sure there will be a loophole that keeps him a semi-free man, yet if he goes back to the big house for being a big dummy I won't have sympathy for him.

If you can believe it after that rant, I actually did like something in those scenes and that was the Horton Family Power Hour! Hope is always submersed in Brady Drama so it was nice that she got to support the Lost Horton Tribe. I'd be so happy to see more interaction between these cousins as well as the rest of the family. With Jennifer in London, Hope needs some relatives to hang with who aren't merely babysitting her kid and Lucas needs a supportive shoulder ... not that Sami isn't supportive, but her shoulder might be a very cold, very soon!

Excuses, Excuses (Sami, E.J. and Nicole)

Oh Sami! She never really needs enemies as she does a pretty good job at kicking her own ... yep, she conveniently found E.J. and Nicole in their post elevator bliss. Ouch! Ouch all around. Valid points were slung in every direction. Was Sami reacting too impulsively when she told E.J. to beat it? Oh yeah! Did she force him into have revenge sex with Nicole? Oh no! Was Nicole justified in telling Sami off? Big time oh yeah! Round one was ugly, but I have a feeling things aren't going to get any prettier. It will be interesting to hear which tune Sami sings when she finds out about Lucas! Will she soften a bit towards E.J.? Will she kick them both to the curb? Will they both kick her to the curb? God I hate suspense!

Max is Back! (The Brady Bunch and Friends)

Last week made it a little harder for me to hate the entire "Max Saga." Note: I'm not into him and Stephanie as a couple, but I'm beginning to like things in general as the storyline seemed to move from justifying "Stax" to being the quest of a young man discovering his roots. My change of heart happened because of several things - let's discuss.

First, and foremost, Max cooled his jets! I was so irritated by his constant lashing out. Granted, Darin Brooks is doing an amazing job and I get why the character would be so angry, but, like an overly sweet treat, a little bit goes a long way. Welcome back old Max, we missed you!

Second, Caroline rocks! How sweet was her encouragement and that hug - awe! My frigid heart melted a bit. And then ... and then she gave it Trent with both barrels a blazing! Awesome! Shawn Sr. would be so proud! I'm not sure if he would be as encouraging as Stephanie was about her sorta-date with Victor, but I liked it! Not that they need to rush into anything, but those two have sparks that need to be rekindled. And a revival of Citizen Kane - cute! I wonder if Vic will fake a yawn and put his arm around her? Moving on ...

Third, was Nick's part in bringing down Trent! I'm glad he's getting involved in a post-Chelsea storyline. I was a bit worried he'd be shuffled to No Man's Land once they broke up. It's good that he wasn't and with Max's sister coming to town, who knows, maybe Nick will get a new chick. Above all, I was super impressed how slyly he got the Mean Dean's cell phone! Nick "the Pickpocket" Fallon? Who knew!

Finally, I was glad to see how carefully they addressed the issue of family. When they first started on about how Max might have a sister I was about to scream - he already has two (Kimberly and Kayla)! This storyline has been teetering on dangerous grounds with me as it seemed to be diminishing the importance of adoption as well as treating the Brady Family like two separate sects - Max's Family and Stephanie's Family. Now that their romantic relationship is a bit more out in the open it's been getting a little better in terms of them actually being able to admit their members of the same family with common relatives. Wait, on second thought, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Ewe. Well, as I always say, anything's better than "Touch the Sky" and that's gotta count for something.

Divorce and Disaster (Victor)

Poor Victor! He finally gets Nicole out of his life, scores a "date" with Caroline and then has a stroke! I'm not entirely sure where this is all going, but the outcome worries me. I really hope Victor doesn't have to "go to rehab" again and disappear form our screens for months or, worse, years!

In any event, it was neat camera work when he actually collapsed and I love all the characters who are involved. It was kind of touching to see Kate and Caroline comforting each other. Odd, but touching. I also like Bo and Philip time! These two have never really bonded and I would love to see that happen. Finally, it was nice that Morgan called Philip. If you noticed, Chloe was there, but didn't make the call which proves which woman is a little more concerned about Philip's wellbeing rather than her own. Yep, Morgan scored some unselfish points with that one.

Now, to back track, I loved the divorce celebration. Very funny on the outside, yet tender on the inside. Although these two pretty much hate each other, it was nice to see they remembered they did have feelings for one other once. It seemed, despite everything that has happened between them, Nicole kind of feels bad for her misdeeds and might even have a little hidden respect for her former Mr. A nice touch. It was also great to see that both she and E.J. were worried about Victor's health - she isn't a heartless bitch after all!

The Drunk and The Dean (Nicole and Trent)

I had a thought about these two as I was watching them last week - what if Nikki and Trent are married? Just a though mind you, but it came to me because she was so adamant about not revealing to him what E.J. was helping her with. I realize she wants to keep the Mean Dean out of her life, yet perhaps there's something more to it. If they were married, Nicole would never have been legally wed to Victor and therefore her divorce settlement would be null and void. Hmm ...

Extra Scoops

Hot & Not

Hot: Caroline was hotter than the heat wave last week! She fought, she flirted and she had some great family time. How awesome was it that she gave Trent "the" warning!? I think it's great that the writers are remembering that the seniors have just as much storyline potential as the twentysomethings. Feisty, fiery Caroline not only rocks, but rolls too!

Not: I've nitpicked about this before and I'll do it again - what was with ALL the freaking flashbacks last week!? I know, kind of ironic that I'm complaining about something being overdone yet I'm reusing this is a "not," but I'll risk it. I was seriously annoyed. Some of them lasted from commercial break to commercial break! Seeing what happened the week before in painstaking detail does not a happy viewer make. I think Higley and crew need a flashback intervention pronto!

Line of the Week:

Max is my son, I love him and I will do anything to protect him so I'm putting you on notice - if you hurt him you're going to have to answer to me!" Caroline's warning that Trent should tread lightly. You go girl!

Odds and Ends ...

Despite the flashbacks and the looming of the Kate and Dr. Dan disaster, I'll give Higley some props for continuing to handle the Theo Storyline so well. It's been very heartbreaking and heartwarming to watch. Props to Abe for putting his family first and double props to Lexie for being supportive - they seem to be working things out! Yay! Ok, I'll admit, I did get a little worried when she talked to the hunky officer, but she didn't jump on him so that's good.

So, Melanie. Melanie? I wonder what she'll be like. Good like Max? Bad like Trent? Enquiring minds want to know!

Randomness ...

Although I am enjoying the "Mean Dean," I had this hidden desire that he'd end up being a good guy and a potential love interest for Marlena. He's handsome, smart and rich which might have been a nice distraction for Doc while John gets his ducks in a row. It may have also kicked John into high gear when faced with losing Blondie. Another wish dashed - drat!

I think Morgan's mother should come to town considering all the drama her daughter is going through. Maybe she could be some eccentric southern diva and stir up a good helping of trouble. Perhaps she could even be a love interest for Roman! Nah. Am I the only person wishing they'd give Pete the Bartender a bigger part? The show is missing men in that age range who aren't actually related to everyone! There are single women out there for him and some not so single women - I mean I'd hate for him to come between a happy couple who just might be related, but it might be interesting!

As I watched Steve and E.J. peer out the window while Nicole talked to Trent it dawned on me - The Patch Man and Nicole need some scenes together. I don't know how it would happen, but I have a feeling these two would be absolutely hysterical together! An outrageous drunk and a crazy guy with an eye patch just screams good times!

Parting Thoughts ...

So friends and Days fans, that's "Two Scoops" for the week of July 14th. I hope everyone has a great week and, as Old John Black used to say, "That's a fact."

As always, thanks for reading! Tony

Need more Two Scoops? Laurisa and I are always up to something, so make sure to check out our Soap Central Blogs for more ranting, raving and all-out randomness!