Ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive

Kayla perfectly summed up Caroline's involvement in the paternity switch when she said that her mother was acting like a totally different person. Still, that different person is interesting.

Put on your party hats and break out the bubbly -- it's that time of year again, DAYS fans. Not only is it November Sweeps -- which, in itself, is celebration-worthy -- and not only is Melissa Reeves back as Jennifer this week -- excuse me while I hyperventilate for a second -- but it's DAYS' big 45th Anniversary! Combine those events with topping off my week by listening to the lovely and talented Arianne Zucker's interview on Soap Central Live, and I'm one happy Scooper! And once this "happy Scooper" pries the champagne bottle from Nicole's hands, we can cyber toast to all of that great news.

To further celebrate, Laurisa and I have put together our annual list of "Reasons to Watch DAYS!" Head over to Laurisa's blog for the beginning of the countdown and then over to mine for the top ten reasons. You know, after reading Two Scoops, of course. And so ends the shameless self-promotion portion of this column.

But on an event like this, I can't help but to be a little overly giddy. I mean, we're talking DAYS here -- DAYS turning 45 years old! And whether they're good days or bad ones, I still can't help but to love life in Salem when all is said and done.

To commemorate this occasion, I'm aiming for an "all positive" Scoops this week. That's right, no snarky comments, no complaining about Stephanie, and no mention of why I think -- ah, see! I caught myself already. So, please join me as I try my best to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.

VICTOR, KATE, NICOLE, BRADY, PHILIP, and VIVIAN I'm a sucker for this entire crew, so I'll come right out and admit that I was in stitches all week because of them! Victor and Nicole are always a hoot, but Kate and Philip's reactions were priceless too. I loved their back-and-forth rationale of why they decided to keep Viv locked up -- because "she talked!" The quick, witty exchange of reasons from the entire group was a perfectly hilarious way to end the week.

Heck, even my non-soap loving roommate stopped to watch the hilarity for a moment as he passed through the living room. He cracked up and quipped his high praise of "legendary" before walking out. With that seal of approval, I was happy to grab a glass of champagne and join in Kate's toast.

Of course things ended a little cryptically. I'll wait while you groan from that one. Vivian was seemingly freed from the sarcophagus. Or was she? Was it a dream? If it wasn't, what will she do now that's she's sprung? My vote -- shower and change clothes, but that's just me.

HOPE and COMPANY I was happy to see Hope back in cop mode. I was even happier to see Maggie visit her! I wish Big Red would show up when I'm having a bad day. But I digress.

Maggie and Bo were there to support Hope. They both begged her to go a little easier on herself. I don't think she's ready to forgive herself just yet, but I'm glad the writers are continuing to let us take the journey with Hope. Anything other than seeing Fancy Face go through the wringer would be disappointing after the wringer the writers put Hope fans through. Was that snarky? I couldn't tell. If so, whoopsy!

Nevertheless, Hope is making strides to go with what she knows, and what she knows is how to be a super sleuth. I'm into this storyline. Lee intrigues me (mostly because I love me some Robin Mattson), I love the fact that Carly is getting a break from Guilt Land to join in the investigation, and I'm hopeful that Jennifer will lend a helping hand when she arrives in Salem (this week!). After all, Jen did go undercover in a prison before -- ironically using Hope's credentials -- so I wouldn't mind a repeat of that if it means seeing the Horton cousins and Carly team up Charlie's Angels style.

E.J., SAMI, RAFE, ARIANNA, and COMPANY As far as memorials go, I have to admit Arianna's was nice. It was short. The eulogies were sweet and sprinkled with the appropriate amount of cheese, but not too much for the lactose intolerance set. And of course, it had the expected twist of "Oh, No, He Didn't!" when E.J. showed up. Yep, it was a nearly perfect DAYS gathering.

I should confess that I was a tad disappointed -- I said "tad" because I'm a positive Scooper this week -- that the mysterious Mama Hernandez didn't show up in person. But she was "around." Of course, she was "around" in the sense that Mickey was "around" prior to his death. But Roman was around, and that alone thrilled me enough to overlook Mama H missing the memorial.

In other Arianna news, Justin was her lawyer. Hmm, I thought she paid E.J. a buck for that duty. But I won't look that gift horse in the mouth -- Justin's involvement was a welcomed surprise! It would have been better if Adrienne was with him to help carry his briefcase or something, but I won't get greedy.

With that said, the evidence is out there. Does Justin have it? If so, he better watch out, because E.J., Sami, Will, and Ali -- okay, not really Ali, who knows where that kid is -- are looking for it. I'm curious to see whose hands it ends up in, but, at this point, I would check Caroline's purse before pointing any fingers.

KAYLA and CAROLINE This is tricky. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about this storyline. Perhaps Kayla perfectly summed up Caroline's involvement when she said her mother was acting like a "totally different person." I agree.

However, that "different person" is interesting. Also interesting was one of Caroline's reasons for making the switch. For the record, I didn't buy all of the claims she made, but I did buy she regretted telling Bo about Victor. Well, I sort of bought it. Her reasons seemed a bit all over the board until she settled on that one. Perhaps she was flustered when cornered and perhaps I am a little too.

Now, I don't question her love for her family. I also shouldn't be surprised that woman who told such a mammoth lie decades ago would do something so suspect again. But -- big "but" -- we're talking about Caroline Brady -- Salem's sweet, but feisty, clam chowder-pushing, upstanding Brady Family matriarch. As a result, that humdinger was indeed shocking. And on a positive note, I'm thrilled Peggy McCay is getting so much airtime!

Another thing I can praise was Kayla's reactions. Like me, she was totally floored by the reveal (as she should have been). As a daughter, she was completely shocked that her "honorable" mother pulled off such a dishonorable capper. As a mother, she was royally ticked off that someone messed with her daughter's life. And as a general goody two-shoes, she was appalled by the wrongness of the entire situation. It's a shame Mary Beth Evans is leaving again, as I'd love to see Kayla continue to go through the motions.

In the meantime, I'll keep scratching my head and searching for a more declarative take on the situation. I'll also start working on my faux-shocked face because something tells me Stephanie isn't going to do the right thing. Please note, that wasn't a bash, just an observation. And that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

LOOSE ENDS I'm going to go out on a limb to say I don't think Mel is ready to practice Dr. Dad's mantra of "forgive Chloe." Not that Mel should, because Chloe's a bit of a *this portion of "Loose Ends" was deleted due to the "Positive Only Pledge." We now rejoin Two Scoops already in progress*...and that's what I think about Chloe.

Need another reason to love Philip finding out about Vivian? Here it is: he didn't do the "Guilt Dance" with Chloe for an entire week because he was doing something non-Chloe related! I was pleasantly surprised.

Brady and E.J. sparring? Yes, please.

And speaking of sparring, I adore E.J. and Stefano's relationship. It's so unhealthy, but James and Joseph manage to make it endearing somehow.

Wow. I had a Nicole/Jan Spears flashback while watching Nicole's scenes with Kinsey! Please excuse me if I continue to shudder as I shake off those thoughts...

Anyway, since I'm being positive, what I can say about the Nicole/Syd storyline is that I can't wait to watch Ari Zucker's performance. She's amazing on any given day, but totally shines -- Emmy-type shines -- with this type of material. That's the piece I'm looking forward to...we'll touch on the "other pieces" I'm less than eager about during my next time up to Scoop.

Finally, Stephanie and Nathan are engaged. Congratulations? I meant a hearty, "Congratulations!" That union should end well.

EXTRA SCOOPS

HOT: Happy Anniversary, DAYS! And a big thank you to everyone from NBC to Corday to the ber talented cast and crew who keeps our daily Salem fix in place. Us fans may not always agree on what's happening on-screen, but we can all agree we're thankful for the chance to agree and disagree. So, cheers to DAYS -- thanks for the first 45, and here's to 45 (plus) more!

NOT: Nathan kept calling Stephanie "Future Wife." She kept calling him "Future Husband." I see barfing in my future if these two lovebirds keep it up. Okay, okay, back to my happy, positive place.

LINE OF THE WEEK: Vivian (alone in the crypt after a nightmare): "I deserve better dreams. Nice silk sheets...rose petals...the Baldwin brothers lined up according to height."

Honorable Mentions: Melanie (to Philip, regarding living with Nicole): "I will steer clear of her and she will steer clear of me because, you know, she hates me."

Victor (to Nicole): "Listen, you booze-soaked, money-grubbing, baby-swapping whore, I've had about enough of you for one day."

RANDOMNESS... Hmm, Bo and Chloe shared a scene. I know it has happened before (when, I can't remember), but it was odd.

I guess E.J. upgraded his black gloves for rubber ones. Nevertheless, the man still has his breaking-and-entering skills. I wonder if he can still drive a race car?

Yeah -- the Horton Cabin!

Steve has malaria. Bummer.

I think "warm and fuzzy" were the writers' words of the week.

I wonder if Louise Sorel is sick of that outfit yet.

Since it's November Sweeps, I assume it's November in Salem too, so why are some peeps wearing coats while others are in short sleeves?

DAYS could certainly do with more hunky Steven Bruns (Marco) appearances. Just saying.

Have you checked out Part One and Part Two of "45 Reasons to Watch DAYS" while listening to Ari Zucker's very amusing SCL interview yet?

PARTING THOUGHTS... So, friends and DAYS fans, that's Two Scoops for the week of November 8th. I'm off to celebrate all things DAYS, but Laurisa will be back for the after party next week! 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

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