Crazy, sexy, fools

Who would have thought that even with Vivian and Nicole roaming around Salem, Hope would actually be the craziest woman in town?

Who would have thought that even with Vivian and Nicole roaming around Salem, Hope would actually be the craziest woman in town!? However, Fancy Face Crazy Pants's antics weren't the only eyebrow-raising events. Chloe and Philip made the only logical move when wronged by their significant others and slept together. Sami contemplated moving into the DiMera mansion. And, oh, yes, Dr. Baker is alive! Say what!? Exactly! So, hold onto your wallets, and let's discuss some crazy DAYS.

HOPE and COMPANY Since last fall, Hope's been a little - shall we say - off. By "off" I mean she's been a totally irrational psycho hose beast. Now? Well, now she's certifiably crazy. Other than an initial "What the huh!?" reaction, I don't mind where things are headed. And, sure, those things might be utterly strange right now, but, I remember Hope from last fall, and anything is better than that. So, I'll bite, writers. I'm in - let's see what Crazy Pill-popping Hope is all about.

The best part of this bizarre turn so far is that Kristian Alfonso is getting to flex her acting muscles! I'm still scratching my head as to why she didn't get at least an Emmy nod - not to mention the win - for her work during Zach's death storyline, but I digress. The gal's simply talented and has some interesting new material to work with. Material that doesn't destroy Hope's character in the long run, that is. I mean, we can forgive her if she's under the influence, right? Besides, not since her days as Princess Gina has she gotten to play the town psychopath, which was a ton of fun to watch.

Now, do I think she's Gina again? Nope, not at all. Since Dr. Rolf disappeared and Stefano became a devoted "family man," the days of microchips, brainwashing, and sex-submarines seem to be over. That leaves me to wonder what's wrong with Hope. Are the pills the problem? Is she having a breakdown? Is she being gaslighted? I also have to wonder - has the last nine-ish months been a big set up for the Crazy Olympics Hope's now competing in, or did the writers pen this storyline to cover up their tracks? I'm not sure of those answers, but there is one thing I know, and that is Dr. Baker is back!

His return is the very close runner-up for the best part of this storyline. Truth be told, it was a little odd to see Dr. Baker interact with Hope instead of Nicole, but John Callahan's wicked wingman chemistry seems to work well with Kristian so far. I'm interested in watching these two interact some more - and I'm eagerly anticipating the moment when Dick meets Nicole again! Yes, good things to come!

CIARA After last week, there is no doubt in my mind that the writers have purchased Hope's Mini-Me a one-way ticket to Crazy Land. I mean, someone page Dr. Marlena. She's on in five with this future freak. I can't wait to see how Ciara acts in fifteen years - or two or three soap years - when she's a teenager. She's already graduated from destroying property to burglary, and she's still in elementary school. Something tells me she's going to make Sami's teenage antics look like amateur hour.

Of course, little Lauren Boles deserves kudos for her performance! Not only is she downright adorable, but she's able to turn on the crazy when prompted. And maybe I'm alone in this, but creepy kids scare me more than all of the Jason Voorhees and Freddy Kruegers put together. Not only that, but Lauren also nailed those "What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" looks and even managed to snag a soap staple - talking to herself aloud. Yep, Little Miss Thang is on her way to total soap stardom!

NICOLE and ARIANNA I wholeheartedly agree with Laurisa's feeling about these two - this might be an insta-storyline, but it's definitely a gift from the soap gods. The Nicole/Arianna paring is simply brilliant! In fact, I think I enjoy watching those two going head-to-head more than watching either of them with Brady. At this point, he's just like a hunky door prize.

However, Nicole and Arianna don't appear to be competing solely for Brady's affection, and that's another thing I like about this storyline. Sure, he's the reason they're on each other's radar, but there seems to be something genuinely deeper to their dislike for each other. And that something is doing favors for both of their characters.

Since Arianna has had more interaction with Nicole, it's like her character suddenly developed. She's proving she won't be pushed around and she won't settle for second best, yet she won't compromise her morals to do so. Arianna also seemed to learn from her sordid slammer past and doesn't want a repeat. Nicole, not so much, but that's what I love about her!

I also love this career path for Nicole! It absolutely makes sense for her character. Nicole has always wanted two things - love and power. When love didn't work out, she went for power (and booze...lots of booze). Therefore this job is perfect because she gets to be in a position of power, make demands, and use all of her scheming talents to get the stories (and man) she wants. She's like a drunken Lois Lane with Tourette's. More, please!

MELANIE and NATHAN Wait! You're telling me they still have feelings for each other? I did NOT see that coming. Oh, wait, I did. To break it down, I'm a little tired of these two. Sure, they're cute and cuddly, but dreadfully predictable. It's great that Mel stuck to her married gal guns, but that gun's sure to backfire the next time she and Nate cozy up at a patient's bedside. Yawn.

CHLOE and PHILIP Speaking of "yawn," did anyone actually have to read a spoiler to know where this storyline was headed? Seeing Chloe and Philip hitting the sheets - um, couch was about as shocking as hearing Vivian threaten Carly. Really, writers!? Some foolish speedy sofa sexcapades is all they could come up with to create more drama for this bunch? To quote Han Solo, "I have a bad feeling about this."

In fact, I'm more than a little nervous about the crapstorm which is sure to follow. There will most likely be steady rain of Chloe and Philip swapping guilty glances. Thunderous booms of Dr. Dan and Mel giving unaware "my partner is great" declarations. And, of course, plenty of lightning strikes of "Phloe nearly spilling the beans" moments. Ironically, the silver lining might end up being something I complained about before - perhaps because this storyline is speeding down the DAYS highway, we might not have to suffer too long. Here's to hoping!

CARLY and DR. DAN The Carly I saw last week is the Carly I would love to see all the time! She was take-charge, confident, and went an entire week without needlessly apologizing to someone or sucking up to Mel. Okay, true, Carly had that chat with Dr. Dad, but that was something that needed to happen to reset their friendship back to Go and collect $200. To celebrate, I think they should grab Adrienne and head to the Cheatin' Heart. Quite frankly, I'd rather see those three chatting about life over a beer and maybe a little karaoke rather than watching Chloe and Philip dig themselves out of their guilt-laden sinkhole.

SAMI and COMPANY Score! Seeing Sami question E.J.'s motives and rip into Stefano made me optimistic that this whitewashed former hellcat's claws are coming back out. It's amazing what a little less Rafe and a lot more interaction with other characters is doing for her. In fact, even Rafe's more interesting when he's doing detective work and not Sami 24/7. Ironically, I think two Two Scoopers had that suggestion ages ago, but I digress.

Overall, this storyline is moving along rather nicely. The actors are shining. The characters are inching back to what made them interesting in the first place. And there are no more watered- or dumbed-down versions of great characters. I repeat, "Score!"

LOOSE ENDS Good news - Kimberly and Bo are both doing well after their bone-marrow transplant! Now, I just need to start a petition to have Kimberly recover in Salem. I hear they have room over at Hotel DiMera. Maxine and Mel could be her home nurses. And Stefano could help her pass the time with chess. Check, check, and check - now make it happen, dear writers.

A contender for the "Hot" of the week was Justin's scene with Victor. I loved that he pointed out how dedicated he is to the family and how much Victor ignores that. Right on, Justin! Right on.

It's odd that DAYS didn't do more for Earth Day considering all the "Go Green" gospels preached over the past few years. Sure, Brady mentioned an aluminum water bottle, but that's it. Then again, that bottle is more than what they did to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. So, moving on...

Since Gus likes to surround himself with crazy, I think he should try to seduce Stephanie. And, no, I'm not just grasping at straws to ensure an end to the Steph/Nathan/Mel/Philip/Chloe/Dr. Dan/Carly/Bo/Hope/Justin/Adrienne hendecagon. Okay, fine, I might be grasping a little.

Since we talked about Ciara's future, let's chat about Ali Horton's. This girl is going to have EBS when she grows up. Oh, sorry, EBS is Eric Brady Syndrome - when a twin is never seen and only mentioned when absolutely necessary. Either that or she's going to turn into the drunken needy mess who seeks approval that Lucas and Sami had nightmares about.* Either way, she's a goner.

* If you watch the clip, please note the four shots. Yes, four! As Nicole might slur, "Attagirl!"

EXTRA SCOOPS

HOT: If I haven't mentioned this in the last ten minutes, I'll do so now - I love Stefano and Kate! What started out as blackmail has since turned into high-fives and inside jokes. They undoubtedly have each other's backs. They understand each other's motives. They have the same likes and dislikes, Sami Brady included. In fact, they're pretty much one of the rarest of rare soap opera creatures - they're a happy AND interesting couple. Imagine that!

NOT: Granted, this might not be the "Not-iest" thing from last week, but there was a general negative attitude towards Melanie being "only" a nursing student that made me cringe. Several characters made comments - including Mel herself - that she should step aside for Nathan's sake because, you know, he's a doctor and she's "just" a nurse. I think the word "expendable" was even used. Oh no, no, no - not cool, writers. Not only is that insulting to real nurses, but also makes Mel look weak and wishy-washy, two things she's not. Let's try this one again, gang, without drinking before writing.

LINE OF THE WEEK: Victor (to Hope regarding Ciara's sticky fingers at school): "Well, now, that's my girl! Do you know how much she can scalp those for on the playground?"

Honorable Mentions: Kate (to Stefano RE: Sami): "Should I start baking some brownies?" Nicole (to Chloe RE: Lucas): "Who wouldn't play around on that idiot?" And Vivian (while listening to Chloe go off about Carly): "Tell it like it is, sister!"

RANDOMNESS... Hmm, I wonder who's interested in buying the Cheatin' Heart?

Where exactly does Rafe live?

I didn't think Andy Warhol's barber was still alive, but Philip found him.

Spring fashion was in bloom in Salem! And I must say Sami's sweater, Nicole's blouse, and even Hope's red pajamas were all nicer than Ari's wedding-dress mess.

Theo knows how to make an entrance - all together now, "aw!"

PARTING THOUGHTS... So, friends and DAYS fans, that's Two Scoops for the week of April 26th. The scary, but good part - Salem should only get crazier as we cruise into May Sweeps! Laurisa will be back next week to navigate as well as make sure everyone remains buckled in to what is sure to be a bumpy ride. And, "That's a fact." Need more Two Scoops? Head over to read blogs by Laurisa or Tony for more ranting, raving, and all-out randomness

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.