All shook up

Johnny's disappearance served as a catalyst for a lot of drama that unfolded last week...drama that is sure to keep unfolding for months to come.

Wow. DAYS was pretty intense last week, huh? There was blood, sweat, and tears, and not just from the characters. Fans were squeezed through an emotional ringer along with our fair Salemites as everyone wondered what happened to our favorite little cutie-patootie, Johnny. I know this DAYS-o-holic still feels a little emotionally worn out.

But before I go on, I'd like to issue a challenge for non-soap watchers. Anyone who thinks daytime actors aren't cut from the same cloth as primetime or film ones should log onto nbc.com and watch all five episodes of DAYS last week. I dare them to. I also dare them not to dampen at least a dozen tissues while watching.

Of course for those of us who already know DAYS has an amazing cast, let's gush about them for a second. Not only did Alison, James, and Chandler completely floor me, but everyone was on the top of their game. The casts' talents made for a macabre, but compelling, Sweeps week. Let's discuss!

JOHNNY I'm shocked, DAYS fans. Utterly shocked! The Salem P.D. didn't find Johnny. Gee, and they had such a good track record at solving crimes before that.

Conversely, E.J. proclaimed, "The police department is completely inept." That was way harsh. And by "way harsh," I mean kind of true. The Salem P.D. has the same accidental case-solving luck as the bumbling gang from Police Academy, sans the officer who mimics sounds.

It took Rafe and a six-year-old girl to figure things out. Please note that I did not make a crack about Rafe having the same mentality as a six-year-old. Thankyouverymuch.

Ultimately, Johnny was found safe and sound! Well, as sound as a six-year-old is going to be after being in the middle of a shooting spree. Then again, technically, he wasn't found. He simply came out of hiding. Yep, Roman, the kid is pretty damn good at hide-and-seek.

And now that Johnny is home, that should be that. But it's not. Johnny's disappearance served as a catalyst for a lot of drama that unfolded last week, and drama that is sure to keep unfolding in months to come.

It was a shrewd Sweeps move, but effective. It kicked the show into high gear again. DAYS didn't bore me last week. And for that, I'll refasten my seatbelt and enjoy the ride. After I invoice the writers for the box of tissues I used, that is.

SAMI I don't think I can adequately praise Alison Sweeney enough for her performance last week. The last time I saw that much gut-wrenching wow-power was Kristian Alfonso's performance when Zack died. Like Kristian, Alison broke my heart. She pulled me in. And I'll be one royally sore Scooper if she doesn't get recognized by a certain Emmy crew next year.

As for Sami, all of her actions might not be praiseworthy, but, justified or not, I found it hard to blame her for most of her outbursts. What Sami was going through was incredibly tragic. Was she wrong to throw blame around? Was she wrong for lashing out at her loved ones? Was she acting irrational?

Sure, sure, and sure, but Sami thought her son was dead for the better part of a week. I'd like to see anyone stay composed and be on their best behavior throughout that. Not to mention, Sami is a hothead on a good day. I'm not justifying her actions, but I'm not condemning them either.

Although she was hard on Rafe, I don't think all of Sami's tongue-lashings were that unfounded. In fact, I think some of her opinions were warranted. Head over to my blog by clicking here to find out which one of Sami's rant I agreed with. Spoiler Alert: Diehard Marlena fans should proceed with caution!

E.J. Yeah, E.J. should feel guilty for setting the wheels into motion that ultimately led to a gunman shooting at John, which caused Johnny to go into hiding. It seems like he's always reeling about consequences of his actions after the fact. You'd think he'd learn by now. But that suffering is one of the things that make E.J. an interesting, albeit frustrating at times, character.

However, Stefano really surprised me last week. He basically told E.J. there are consequences for the wicked way they lead their leaves. That's true. And Stefano has suffered because of his actions, from the death of Tony, to his seemingly forgotten children Benjy, Rene, and Megan.

But -- big but -- Stefano picked the worst time to point this out. For a man who was forced into bed rest when E.J. signed over full custody of "Giovanni" and Sydney to Sami, Stefano seemed pretty cavalier about Johnny's disappearance. I thought he would be just as sickened as E.J., but he seemed composed. That's not the roaring, fired-up Stefano I'm used to seeing in situations like these.

SAMI and E.J. Let's start with the obvious. Alison Sweeney and James Scott still have it. Their chemistry is off the charts. I'm not talking about romantic chemistry this time, as there was absolutely nothing romantic about their scenes. I'm talking about two actors who simply connect with one other. They don't hold back. The go for it. They both push and shove, and that's what makes "EJami" Must-See-TV.

I will admit, though, that watching them makes me uneasy at times, but, uncomfortable or not, they drag you in with them nonetheless. And that's the draw of E.J. and Sami. You never know where things will end up. And where it ended up last week is that they went from fighting to Frenching.

Although out of left field, it wasn't entirely shocking. E.J. and Sami always seem to pick the oddest moments to be intimate. Heck, in general, DAYS has a way of picking the grimmest moments for estranged characters to make whoopee. I'm still ick-ed out by the plane crash sex of '08 and when Sami slept with Rafe within an hour of shooting E.J. in the head.

In any event, E.J. and Sami locked horned and then locked lips, and I'm eager to see how this plays out. My only concern, however, is E.J.'s magical sperm and the thought of another "Who's the Daddy?" storyline being delivered in nine months. That I could live without, but the rest could be interesting, especially Rafe and Nicole's reactions if and, most likely, when this secret comes out!

JOHN Truth be told, I was so enthralled all with the Johnny-drama last week that I had a hard time paying attention to other storylines. John's case was one of them. The nutshell of it all -- he pleaded guilty and was carted off in cuffs.

John's selfless act certainly didn't go unnoticed. I commend him for trying to do what he thought was the right thing, but I hope this storyline either kicks into high gear or comes to an end soon. It's missing an oomph-factor. And I really need an oomph-factor with my Sweeps.

LOOSE ENDS: Dr. Dan told Jennifer that he saw her kissing Jack. And that it hurt him. A lot. Ironically, Jack hurt Jennifer a lot, too. And Jennifer hurt Jack a lot. There was a lot of hurting going on, but not a whole lot of action. Next!

Hmm, Madison has talked a lot about her family lately, especially her younger brother. Something tells me he's either missing, is presumed dead, and/or went missing and was found dead. Does the picture of the infamous Horton/DiMera blond child have something to do with it? I repeat, "hmm!"

I love that Austin is helping Bo and Hope solve the mystery of Alice's bank account. It was a smart way to utilize Austin's newfound forensic accounting abilities. Granted, I'm still nervous that the writers are using Alice in a storyline, but the scope of her secret got a lot bigger last week, and I'm always up for a lot of characters getting involved in a plot. So, as long as the writers tread lightly, I'll stick with them on this one for the time being.

I know it's been years, but there's still a little part of me that tears up when I hear Zack's name mentioned. I instantly go back to the previously mentioned moment when Hope found out that Zack had died. It's obvious that his death still affects fans and, of course, Bo and Hope, too. I thought it was a realistic use of history for them to bring him up during the search for Johnny.

I believe Celeste is still in Salem. And I believe she is dressed up as Bo because Detective Brady called the hide-and-seek outcome to Johnny's disappearance in the beginning of the week. Then again, wasn't Bo psychic for a little while? Maybe he just had some sort of snazzy premonition. Anyway, yeah, the cops kind of blew that one, didn't they?

HOT: Nearly everyone supported Sami last week, but it was the tender, yet uneasy scene between Sami and Kate that really stood out for me. It was a great show of compassion on Kate's part, yet both characters still managed to remain true to themselves and their long animosity of each other. It was honest and real, and I give the writers kudos for penning it. And who knew after all these years Kate actually does have a heart (albeit three sizes too small)!?

NOT: Small things I can overlook, but I'm getting annoyed now. In fact, I'm prescribing DAYS Metamucil and Ginkgo Biloba. It needs some regularity and memory enhancement.

Let's start with Exhibit A. John is related to the Brady family. He's related to them by blood. He is Colleen Brady's son. Colleen Brady was Shawn Brady Sr.'s sister. I've used the surname Brady enough in that sentence to prove my point.

Exhibit B: John is also part DiMera. Colleen Brady's baby-daddy was Santo DiMera. Please correct me if I'm wrong or if I was watching the wrong show in 2007 and 2008.

Exhibit C: Stefano has had two -- that's one more than one -- sons that have died as a result of his actions. Tony died in 2009, but Benjy Hawk was also his son. And Benjy died in 2007. Let's count together. Tony is one, and Benjy makes two. Coincidentally, Stefano also had two daughters who have died (Rene and Megan).

?Finally, Exhibit D: E.J. said that Bo couldn't understand what he was going through because Ciara had ran away from home and was not kidnapped. I'm pretty sure that I remember a storyline involving an eerie clicking lighter sound and Ciara being taken by three money-hungry abductors. Again, correct me if I'm wrong, dear, writers.

LINE OF THE WEEK: Sami (to Kate): "Oh, God. You're being nice to me. This is just too bizarre to be real."

EXCHANGE OF THE WEEK: Carrie: "John is not safe, and maybe the people around him aren't safe either?" Austin: [sarcastically] "Maybe!?"

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Poor, Johnny! If he's scared of loud noises, he was certainly born to the wrong screaming-prone parents.

Another clue to Salem's whereabouts -- it's in Salem County!

The lighting crew was on fire last week. Bravo, gang!

Speaking of "Bravo!" Chandler Massey better prepare an Emmy speech for next year's awards.

"Karate Spa" sounds like some sort of so-bad-its-good '80s movie.

PARTING THOUGHTS: So, friends and DAYS fans, that's Two Scoops for the week of November 21. Be sure to check out Soap Central Live's latest interview with DAYS' sweetheart Renee Jones by clicking here! I'll leave you with some more fun news -- Laurisa came out from under the table, and she'll be back next week to cover all the latest Sweeps shenanigans in Salem. Until then, have a very safe and happy Thanksgiving! And, "That's a fact!"

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