One DAYS at a time

Sometimes when your soap hits a rough patch, you have to tackle Scooping one day at a time and hope for the best. This week, you'll get a day-by-day breakdown of the DAYS action. Plus, say a big Two Scoops goodbye to Molly Burnett (and Melanie)!

Okay, I'm not going to sugarcoat things. Our favorite soap has been a little rough since the "DAYSaster" week in August. Yes, the beginning of August. And by a "little rough," I mean I've wanted to fast-forward so many scenes my finger has a tension fracture from resisting the urge. So, to combat this, I've changed up Two Scoops this week.

If you've read my column before, you know I generally partake a in a DAYS-o-thon at the end of the week by watching all five episodes consecutively and then feverishly writing and ranting about them as a whole. Last week, I decided to watch and Scoop daily. Part of this is to avoid the Safe overload, which generally sets in around the third hour of watching DAYS back-to-back, but also because I'm counting down the days until Eileen Davidson's return as Kristen! Ultimately, I'm treating the next two weeks as filler until Kristen arrives So, bear with me.

You'll also notice the change-up for this week's special "Daily DAYS Two Scoops." I've posted my mood before watching, after watching, and, of course, my opinion. It was like a little DAYS journal. Was it a good week? An unintentional DAYSaster? Let's discuss!

MON-DAYS (September 24, 2012)

Pre-DAYS-watching Mood: I had a very productive day! I'm feeling good. The big accomplishment was weeding the patio and cleaning the backyard to create a nice little fall garden oasis. So, after a hard day of working outside, I was eager to put up my feet and watch DAYS!

Post-DAYS-watching Mood: I think not watching Safe five days in a row is good for my TV-watching soul. Their scenes (and by "their" I mean everyone talking about them) were balanced with enough other juicy stuff that I didn't want to claw my eyes out. I'd consider that a small victory.

The Scoop: Sonny and Will's date (and kisses) were extremely cute! I like how Will rolled with the punches as Sonny was called into duty. Granted, I haven't seen any coffee stirrers that come with such Fort Knox security, but whatever. It was a sweet date, and I look forward to seeing those two happy for a while. Sonny is more interesting when he's confident, so that's a good start.

On the flip, I'm not as confident in Lucas dealing with Will's sexuality. I know spotting your son in a smooch might be awkward, but I don't like how the writers are turning Lucas into the parent with a problem. After all, he was first one to step up and support Will. I know they've had issues other than Will's sexuality, but that seems to be the card the current writers are playing, which is a shame. What's next? Will Lucas start sending Tweets out in support of Chick-fil-A? Ugh!

Speaking of a shame, I still don't want to believe Molly Burnett is leaving, but the countdown has begun! I loved Mel and Maggie's scenes. I also do. I hope we get a few more this week, as I want some good memories to hold onto because I suspect this is going to be a rough week for young Melanie.

And, surprisingly, I liked Nick and Gabi's scenes, too. Neither of them is one of my favorite characters, but I'm actually enjoying them together right now. It's funny how that works. I also enjoyed seeing Kayla treat Nick and the nod to the time he helped save her life. Nice catch, writers!

The writers' biggest fumble, as always, was making most of the episode Safe-centric. Even without Sami and Rafe sharing a scene, they were front and center. Everyone was talking about them, which was a waste of a Kate/E.J. scene.

True, I was glad to see Sami and Marlena still playing nice, but I could do without Marlena's Safe cheerleading outfit. Sure, she gave Sami sound advice, but I can't help remembering Mar Mar giving a big thumbs-up to Carrie and Rafe a few short months ago. My, how times have changed!

I personally liked Rafe's dream the best. You know, the one where Sami said she never wanted to see him again. Oh, Dorothy Gale, you lying bitch. Dreams really don't come true all the time!

TUES-DAYS (September 25, 2012)

Pre-DAYS-watching Mood: After paying bills, which is always fun, I had some free time (and money). So to stimulate the economy, I went shopping. No need to thank me. I'm just doing my part. The highlight was finding a Le Tigre and a Lou Reed album on sale, but mostly my shopping excursion was a bust. And I got caught in the rain while walking home and ran into an ex who kinda bruised my heart recently. Jerk. So, let's just say I need to escape to Salem with a pint of Greek frozen yogurt.

Post-DAYS-watching Mood: Aww, Maxine is the perfect bad day remedy! Not to mention the episode was pretty exciting thanks to Gabi's confession. And if Chad still feels like hitting someone, I can give him the address of my previously mentioned jerky ex. I kid. I kid! Violence is never the answer, but I'm not too proud to parade arm candy Chad around to inflict maximum jealousy. That's fair.

The Scoop: Aww, I hate seeing Melanie cry! Alas, the writing was on the wall for that to happen. I'm glad that Gabi brought spray paint and graffitied a confession. It still falls under "too little, too late," but at least it's a step in redeeming Gabi a bit. And by "a bit" I mean a tiny, teeny, little baby bit. She has a long way to go before I'll stop wanting to throw my remote at her.

And then there's Chad. I don't blame Melanie for being hurt and furious with him. Gabi did some horrible things, but Chad did, too, even if he was "scared." His heart might have been in the right place, but his delivery was all shades of wrong.

Ultimately, I'm not surprised how this is playing out. I only hope something good will happen for Melanie. I don't want to see her leave Salem broken. She's come a long way since Premiere Party Girl, and to see her go in a bad place would be unfair to the character's evolvement.

Speaking of unfair, Safe's date was about as fun as a haircut from Sweeney Todd. I especially loved the part where Sami denounced E.J., apologized for being a brat about Carrie, and then basically sang "Nothing Compares To You." Ugh. Simply, ugh. I just don't get why the writers think they are the end-all couple when real supercouples like Bo and Hope get ten minutes of screen time each week. Way to listen to the fans, writers!

Okay, to a happier place. An unexpected happier place, as it were! Nick and Gabi's chats were interesting. I look forward to his reaction upon hearing her confession, but I like that these two are bonding. It's creating a nice bridge and a deeper rivalry for Nick and Chad.

Finally, Jennifer pre-kicked Nicole out of her house. She has to leave when, ugh, "Baby Boy Hernandez" is born. And then Jen nosed around in some DNA records. I'd think she'd have more important things to do than worry about Dr. Dan -- you know, like grieving for Jack or repairing the strained relationship with her non-slut daughter. I guess I was wrong.

WEDNES-DAYS (September 26, 2012)

Pre-DAYS-watching Mood: Another productive day! I ran a ton of errands, checked some things off the home repair to-do list, and stocked up on Morning Star products at the grocery store, which were majorly on sale. Hello, savings! So, I made a Chik Pattie and settled into DAYS.

Post-DAYS-watching Mood: The Safe montage in the beginning almost made me lose my appetite, but I worked through it. Mostly, I tuned in knowing we were slowly starting to say goodbye to Melanie (and Molly). I had tissues on hand just in case. I didn't use them yet, but I still don't want Mel to go. Thanks a lot, Chad and Gabi. The Scoop: Melanie's a lot nicer than I would have been to Chad. Upon hearing he thought he was going to Europe, too, I would have said, "Of course, Chad! Go pack. And be sure to pick up Gabi, Nick, the website kidnappers, and Andrew's ashes along the way. Party!" Props for composure, Mel.

But if Melanie's going away, I'm glad she's going to be with Carly and Nicholas. They wanted her to join them last year, so it's good for her to spend some time with them now. I just hope she returns. I've grown fond of Mel thanks to Molly's effervescent nature. More, please!

Surprising even to me, I've also grown fond of Rafe and Gabi's interactions. I'm not in love with either character, but I dig their sibling time. They even brought up Arianna. Score!

In addition, I dig that Rafe is supporting Gabi and willing to help her. I was a little concerned he was going to play the holier-than-thou Saint Rafe card. Considering Rafe is knee-deep in a lie right now, that would have seemed a little hypocritical. Not that Rafe ever is, of course.

Whereas Chad apologizing to Nick seemed a little trite, I'm glad that Gabi told Nick the truth about what she did. Props for starting to learn from your mistakes, Young Hernandi! Too bad she didn't think of that earlier, but I digress. Somehow, Nick and Gabi balance each other out, and I find her less annoying when they're together. So, that's a good thing, considering Gabi doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, and we have to learn to coexist.

The bad thing was Sami and E.J.'s conversation. Ugh. I'm sick of what the writers are doing here. It's like the summer didn't matter once St. Rafe Oompa Loompa'ed back into Sami's life. I hope that Howard guy does run Rafe out of town, or at the very least, under a bus.

In happier news, we saw Roman and Caroline in one day! It must have been bring-a-vet-to-work day. Anyway, Ro Ro told Bo he needs an answer ASAP. FYI, ASAP means "next week." Good to know!

So, Bo has some ideas brewing in his mind. Straight up, I'm not going to like any of them unless they mean he's staying in Salem. Yep, I'm still in denial about Peter's departure.

Oh, and I'm not sure what's going on with Caroline's memory lately, but it's making me nervous. I'm not sure the current writers are capable of handling a potentially serious issue with TLC. Um, I'm not even sure if they're capable of handling a silly storyline most of the time.

Final thought for the day, I would have rather seen Hope and Roman's conversation than most of the Safe stuff. Could we make that happen next time, writers? Pretty please!?

THURS-DAYS (September 27, 2012)

Pre-DAYS-watching Mood: Another rainy day, but another day closer to Eileen Davidson's return! It's a good day to stay in and watch DAYS. Plus, I got to watch the Criminal Minds season premiere last night, and that put me in a good TV-watching state of mind.

Post-DAYS-watching Mood: It was a good show for the most part! Well, most of the parts were good. Some kind of made me scratch my head. All in all, can't wait for Friday's episode!

The Scoop: First things first. I'm glad Adrienne apologized to Will. She's one of my faves. I was worried about her. But then Lucas came to see her! I hope she doesn't do anything fishy. It would break my heart to have to give Adrienne an Alex North Memorial Award at the end of the year.

With that said, I'm on the fence with Lucas. On one hand, I can see where he needs time to grow comfortable with Will's sexuality. It's a big adjustment. I'm not negating that.

On the other hand, Lucas was the first one to lend his support and, correct me if I'm wrong, but he actually gave Sonny his blessing. So, really, I'm kind of concerned that the writers are going to turn Lucas into the elder T/junior Kate "No One's Good Enough for my Kids" Roberts. Yeah, I don't want to see that happen. At all.

I'm much more interested in what's going on with E.J. and Rafe. It won't be a surprise when E.J.'s plans eventually blow up in his face like some Wylie Coyote fiasco because St. Rafe can't be touched, but I'm okay with E.J. making him suffer for a while. It's karma, as I suffer most of the time Rafe is on my screen.

Speaking of Rafe, I don't blame Sami for being frustrated with him. Sure, she screwed up initially, but he messed things up, too. His fault can be summed up in one word -- Carrie. So, I can understand Sami's confusion about their kiss and wanting to get on the same page. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's hot and cold. Been there, done that. And Sami deserves better than groveling at Rafe's feet and wondering what she did wrong.

And so a wronged Melanie decided to leave Salem and started making her rounds to say goodbye. To be honest, it's a speedy wrap-up, but I loved that she told Gabi that she didn't care enough about her to pursue legal actions. Ouch! That stung far more than dragging things out.

Chad is also stinging from the news. He went to E.J. for help. I like this, but sadly, we know Melanie is leaving, so there's not much E.J. can do. With that said, I'm worried about what Chad will do next. I have a bad feeling he is going to do something to completely destroy his character (and I'll share that hunch next time I Scoop).

The odds and ends: Nick and Gabi had an honest scene, which I enjoyed. I completely fell in love with Justin again, as every time he's on, he gets more awesome. And Brady and Marlena had a nice, out-of-the-blue scene. I guess the writers just wanted to remind us they're still roaming around Salem. Or, perhaps, it was foreshadowing. With Kristen coming back, maybe John and Marlena will need Brady's help. Hmm!

FRI-DAYS (September 28, 2012)

Pre-DAYS-watching Mood: TGIF, right!? I'm excited to watch DAYS, today, but sad that it is Molly Burnett's last day. Yep, the tissues are on stand-by.

Post-DAYS-watching Mood: Sad. I miss Molly already. I might have bawled like a baby. You know, just might have.

The Scoop: So, Melanie is headed to Barcelona to be with Carly. I'm glad that they're going to be spending time together. They could use it. Although, I wish viewers could see their tour of Spain! But, alas, we had to say goodbye to Melanie. Her farewell scenes with Brady, Daniel, and especially Maggie broke my heart. I'm glad the writers didn't forget what a special bond Melanie has formed with those three. Considering the writers forgot nearly everyone but Safe throughout the week, that was an extra special treat.

Also extra special was Adrienne, Justin, and Sonny's family moment! Talk about "aww"! If it wasn't Molly Burnett's last week, that very well could have received this week's "Hot." It was especially great since it meant the return of the real Adrienne I know and love. The one who isn't a Judgy Judy. Welcome back, my love!

On the contrary, I could do without Lucas right now. I'm glad the show isn't having every member of Will's family join PFLAG. That would be unrealistic. And, I mean, DAYS thrives on realism. Just ask Fake Rafe and Satan. I digress...

It's fine to have some of Will's loved ones not fine with his sexuality, but I kind of feel that Lucas was thrown under the bus for the lack of any real storyline he has going on at the moment. My suggestion: Roman should have spotted Will and then talked to Kate about it. I mean, not that Roman needs more airtime, but it would have made more sense. You know, just a tad.

And so we have it. E.J. is blackmailing Rafe to get Sami. This should end well. I wonder if E.J. will be exposed at a pivotal moment and Rafe will come out looking like the hero (again). Yeah, I'm not wondering too hard about that, actually. We know the current writers have a special place for Rafe in their hearts, which overshadows the spot where "love for their fans" should be. Whoops! I guess I'm sad and cranky.

HOT: Molly, Molly, Molly. Your warm, sparkly personality and infectious giggle will be missed, but I'll be watching as you flourish in new projects. Best of luck, Molly, and thank you for making Salem your home for four amazing years!

NOT: No Melanie and Maxine goodbye scene!? Boo, writers. Boo!

LINE OF THE WEEK: Melanie (to Gabi): "You're sorry. That's all you've got!?"

RANDOM THOUGHTS: I liked the surfing picture in Dr. Dan's apartment! A lot of the sets seem decorated with generic candleholders, vases, and similar lighting fixtures, so it was nice to see the good doc's place have some personal touches.

Hmm, how many times can the word "bitch" be used in one episode? Yes, I'm talking to you, Monday.

I keep seeing Jason Brooks (ex-Peter Blake) in that Fiber One Chewy Bar commercial. Methinks it's time to bring him back to DAYS.

Me-also-thinks a Peter/Nicole pairing would be interesting if the show did bring him back. Hmm!

Oh, Rafe! Why not just take Sami to her apartment for dinner? She never goes there, either. Sheesh!

Where does Roman disappear to all of the time?

I hope Chad also brought Melanie her phone charger.

If you wanna call Sami simply dial 555-0125.

Wow! I haven't seen Rafe's loft in a long time! It looks like he got a new door.

E.J. has a new office. Good! I like to know where my bad guys scheme.

I can't wait for Abigail's reaction to Gabi's dirty deeds!

Allie's drawing of Will was total cuteness overload.

Chad has a stainless steel mini-fridge and a white stove. Isn't that a decorating faux pas?

Yay, Will and Sami scenes!

ALI'S FIT TIPS REMINDER: Congratulations, Laurisa! My partner worked her way through Alison Sweeney's fit tips that appeared in September's Health Magazine. Be sure to follow up on her accomplishments by visiting her blog (click here), or by checking out her Tweets (@LaurisaDays)!

PARTING THOUGHTS: So, friends and fellow DAYS fans, that's Two Scoops for the week of October 1! You can follow me on Twitter @Tony_S_DAYS as I continue to count down the days until Eileen Davidson returns as Kristen! In fact, the next time I scoop, Kristen will have returned, so be prepared for an all-out gush-fest about my favorite diva. You've been warned, and "That's a fact!"

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.