Turn and face the strain

In the wake of Will's bombshell article, Salem was abuzz with arguments and apologizes, but moving on may prove difficult now that lives have been changed forever. Find out who felt forgiving, who didn't, and who should really apologize for their actions. Plus, Aiden faced his feeling for Hope while Victor faced the firing squad over Will-gate!

I feel like I need to begin this column on a serious note. It's important to be self-aware. Sometimes one's actions can hurt other people. A lot of times we don't even realize we've done so. Therefore I'd like to issue a sincere and deep apology to everyone on earth. It was my fault Will wrote that article about Sami and company.

No. No. Stop. It was my fault. I'll take the blame, or at least share it with everyone else in Salem who wants on the apology bandwagon. If you're interested in apologizing, too, the line forms in Horton Town Square and ends somewhere in West Salem. But on a brighter note, squirrel hunting season is coming soon. There's that. Let's discuss!

To begin with, I'm tipping my cyber hat to you, Kate Mansi and Guy Wilson! Their scenes together were amazing. They brought the proverbial "it" in spades. I could go on and on, but I won't only so we can talk about the actual scenes...

Abigail finally got her moment with Will. And she let him have it -- hard. She called him Judas and a whore. She even demanded to know how much he got paid. I really, really wanted Will's reply be, "$3,000! Do you know how many cardigans I can buy with that!?" Sadly, it wasn't.

The truth is Abigail didn't know Will attempted to keep her name out of the article. Sonny, Will's "glorified barista husband," said so, yet I'm sure Abigail filed that under "Too Little, Too Late." And so Abigail went to Sami and slapped her. Then Abs played hardball with Sami and blackmailed her to let it go. It was a little convoluted, but ultimately effective. There was also a part of me that thinks Sami was a little impressed.

Still, that doesn't negate that Will's article was hurtful. So, sure, Abigail's guilty as charged, but I don't blame her for being annoyed at this point. Or pissed, fed up, and not in a forgiving mood. She's accepted her role in the affair and simply wants to move on, but keeps getting sucked back into the drama. She's like the Monica Lewinsky of Salem. She just wants to stop talking about the blue dress. As much as I enjoyed this storyline, it's time to let things go and move on.

Of course, Will is now in the middle of the meltdown. He even reached out to Gammy Mar Mar for help. She schooled him about selective thinking. And then his old school friend, T, came to pay him a visit, which I absolutely adored. Otherwise, I really wanted to give Will a time out until he decides if he's a good witch or a bad witch.

In fact, Will "I'm Sick of People Trying to Help Me" Horton needs to shut it down. Actually, he needs to have an It's A Wonderful Life type moment. Sure, he spent his childhood as a human rope in the tug o' war between Sami, Lucas, and company and that couldn't have been easy, but there was a turning point. That is, when he shot E.J. Let's take it from there...

Lucas took the blame and went to prison -- the big house, up the river, the slammer -- he was not, per se, in a nice, comfy villa in Switzerland. That's where Will went. Carrie and Austin took him in so he could ski, drink hot cocoa, and grow a super 'tude. Eventually, E.J. -- said main Will shot -- forgave him and gave him a sweet internship (complete with a sports car, trendy apartment overlooking the park, and an allowance). And then E.J. along with Sami and a slew of others who love Will helped cover up the shooting when Will was blackmailed. Is Will saying it would have been better that he not been helped and went to prison instead of Lucas? I'm sure that would have lessened everyone else's stress levels. Ugh. Sometimes he makes it so hard to love him.

Of course, Will's week didn't get any better. He also fought with Sonny and took more than a few low blows (SEE: aforementioned "glorified barista husband" comment). Let's break it down. Sonny's only crime was submitting Will's work for a potential job behind his husband's back. Aside from the secretiveness of it, it's called networking. I know how terribly mad I'd be if my handsome, ber supportive, entrepreneur, K2-climbing husband thought so highly of my work that he submitted it to a publisher. The nerve of that damn Sonny!

Ultimately, Will is just upset with himself. He took the assignment and ran with it to prove a point he now regrets on proving. He's lashing out and making excuses for his actions by blaming others. He kind of, sort of, a little bit reminds me of someone. Oh, that someone is Sami. Yet that's sort of interesting. Here's why.

Right now the character of Will is at a crossroads. He's tasted scheming (and power), but he doesn't know if he's cut out for it (which is a waste of Sami/Kate/Lucas genes if he isn't). But he can't play both the sympathy and revenge cards at the same time, he certainly didn't let Sami get away with trying that. So, if he wants to lash out, he needs to own it. I'd respect him much more if he did.

Unfortunately, Victor is the one who owned up to most of the fallout. He admitted that he owns TruVista and wanted the article to be written. First, seriously Salemites!? Why didn't anyone suspect that Titan Publications owns this magazine? Wouldn't there be in the fine print on the first page? That was head scratching. Anyway...

I think Victor is an easy out. He commissioned an article, but Will took then pen and wrote with it. Blaming Victor for everything is like someone giving you a bottle of wine and you drink the entire thing then blame them for the hangover. It really doesn't work out that way. Alas, Maggie thinks he's still adorable and all is forgiven on that front. Cheers to that!

Also cheers-worthy, E.J. and Sami had an uneasy luncheon. As E.J. stated, their relationship is slowly thawing. I like this. I like this a lot, especially because Salem is a lot more interesting when E.J. and Sami get so heated that they fight. It beats his groveling and/or the silent treatment. Still, there's one thing that will either make or break them. That this is the return of Stefano!

As it were, Sami received a text from the Phoenix. He's coming back to Salem. Sami and Kate are nervous, and so is E.J. Um, yes, please! This is perfect timing if you ask me. The shock of the affair and Sami's revenge is dwindling. Now the next phase needs to begin, and what better person to usher it in than Stefano.

LOOSE ENDS: Hmm! I have to wonder - has Clyde really taken a shinin' to Kate, or is he just messing with her? I mean, he looked at her as if she was a steaming plate of deep fried squirrel and who can resist that? I repeat, "Hmm!"

Speaking of hot things, we finally have a little movement between Hope and Aiden! In case you missed it, they had an intense waltz that lead to some hot and bothered feelings between them. I'll wait if you want to YouTube the clip. It really hasn't been shown since it happened. Right. I digress...

Aiden finally admitted to Hope that he has feelings for her. Detective Fancy Face was quick to play the "I'm Married" card, but that doesn't negate that she has feelings for Aiden, too. I still like what's happening between them yet I desperately need the writers to give a hardline answer as to the state of Bo and Hope's marriage. Are they actually married? If so, will she file for divorce? I know where she can find a good lawyer. This needs to happen yesterday so Hope can work towards finding out why Aiden thinks he's not a good guy and can't date. I'm an inquiring mind that wants to know!

I also want to know what travel agent booked Julie and Doug on her life-changing yoga cruise! Why? Because I want to buy Adrienne a ticket in hopes that she'll return a million times less annoying, too. A shriekingless Julie is a wonderful thing.

Not so wonderful? I'm beginning to see Eric in a new light. That would be as a bratty kid who crosses his arms, pouts "I don't wanna..." and then throws a gigantic tantrum. Granted, I know Eric is Kristen and Nicole's victim. Truth. And Greg Vaughan is doing an amazing job portraying Eric. The pain, the confusion, and the betrayal are completely legit. Don't worry, there's a "but" coming...

But, Eric's being written as a bit of a diva when it comes to Nicole. Sure she deserves his snark. She did a horrible thing to him, no doubt, but he's basically demanding she crosses the street if she sees him coming down the sidewalk, or flee a building if he walks in. No, really! He literally pushed her out of the Kiriakis Mansion. Nicole is right. They're going to run into one another. He needs to either accept that, or move because, despite his pain, this snarling Eric and groveling Nicole are exasperating to watch.

Nicole also hit the nail on the head when she hissed that he doesn't even know what the hell he wants. Agreed, gal (and nice to see your spunk back). And in the meantime, I'd appreciate the writers giving Eric and Nicole new scenes. This rinse and repeat stuff isn't really doing either character favors and is completely wasting Greg and Ari Zucker's endless talents. Going to a happier place in five, four, three, two...

On one hand, Eve and J.J.'s jam session was a lot of fun. I like when DAYS showcases its actors' other talents, and Kassie DePaiva and Casey Moss are certainly talented musicians. It also showed that Eve's real passion is signing -- a passion that outweighs her hatred for Jennifer as she seemed perfectly fine singing with her nemesis' son in her nemesis' living room.

And then there's the other hand. There's a weird vibe between J.J. and Eve as well as Dr. Dan and Paige, for that matter. It's like the writers are trying to figure out if they should try out a The Graduate or The Crush type storyline. This has me a little nervous, though Paige could use the excitement, perhaps. Still, I don't know what I'd want to see with J.J. and Paige. Their friends (looking at you Marybeth) are kind of annoying, yet they need to stop hanging out with their parents' friends.

Speaking of excitement, Abigail took the time out of her busy telling people off schedule to hang with Ben. They ended up, of course, locked in a strangely stocked storage room. And, of course, they had a romantic candlelit meal, and heavy petting ensued. That is until Abs thought about E.J. while kissing Ben and things went south. Whoops! So, sorry, Ben, but if you still need help in that storage room...

It's been a while since I remembered this, but I like Jennifer when she's not orbiting Planet Dr. Dan. I enjoyed her giving Jeannie-T a hard dose of reality, especially since Jennifer wasn't just being mean. She pointed out what would be the good things Theresa could have going for her if she'd only lose the chip on her shoulder and grow up. And I adore the way Jen loves her children. Melissa Reeves' performance was touching as Jennifer looked at the picture of her and her children and vowed to protect them. It was an honest moment that made me realize Jennifer is the mom and the dad now. I think it's time for the writers to focus on this Jennifer and eventually give her a mature relationship, because High School High Jenny and Dr. Danny don't work.

As such, Dr. Dan is more fun when not with Jennifer. I enjoy his swagger with Kristen. Of course, she has even more swagger to give back and I love that, too. It's redundant for me to say this, but I simply love Kristen. She's a gal who always has a plan, and I'm eager to see what she comes up with. I know it involved John and that's always a good start because that is sure to lead to a Kristen/Marlena showdown. Bring. It. On.

Of course, Brady and Kristen brought it, too. They were reunited and it was as amazingly crazy as expected. Truth time: I did have an initial Passions flashback when I saw Brady was shirtless in those scenes. If you watched Passions you know what I mean. Eric was always shirtless. Like, if his character had to get the mail he had to be shirtless. If he was in the arctic he was for some reason shirtless. If he, well, you get the picture, he was shirtless a lot. But! Then I watched the performance and it was a bit brilliant that Brady was stripped down. He was raw. Naked and exposed. He had nothing left to hide. It was one of those moments that shirtless actually worked and wasn't just gratuitous. Okay, I'll go with that.

HOT Reunited and it felt so good! Of course I'm talking about Eileen Davidson and Eric Martsolf! Their scenes were all shades of amazing. Eileen brings Kristen's level of crazy full circle to the point where I almost sympathize with her. And Eric simply proved again and again why he won that Emmy. Here's hoping for more of this twisted brilliance!

NOT Okay, writers. We get it. Clyde isn't a city slicker. Now can we lay off the rural stereotypes? I'm surprised Clyde isn't running around with stained bib overalls on while carrying a spittoon and a shotgun. Pretty soon he'll be shooting wildlife in the middle of Horton Square while trying to figure out one of 'dem new fancy phones. I repeat, we get it, dear, writers. We soooo get it.

LINE OF THE WEEK Sami (to E.J.): "We've had our little differences." #understatementofthedecade

SUMMER LOVIN' While Laurisa and I are hard at work on the fourth and final part of our Summer Lovin' series, be sure to check out installment three: Super kids from supercouples!

RANDOM THOUGHTS Kristen's sad face is just all shades of brilliant.

Yes! Yes, please! Lucas needs to look into Will's editor Zoe. And then they need to fall head over heels.

Congratulations, Allie! She was elected chairman of the camp Olympics. Okay, I'm officially not worrying about her any longer. She's just become more successful than Lucas. I kid, I kid.

Cutest video message ever goes to Johnny DiMera. Hands down!

I'm still in shock at Julie's new 'tude. Her entire "we're humans/we stumble" monologue was actually amazing. Of course, if I were E.J. I'd still check that Buddha statue to make sure it's not ticking.

Yet another t-shirt idea: A close up of Victor's smirking face with the phrase "Me? What did I do?" around it in bubble lettering.

Why is so shocking that two teenagers are into making out? Methinks Theresa and Eve need a new hobby.

On topic, NBC needs to a sitcom about Victor to their fall lineup. It will be about Victor babysitting Arianna-Grace. They're too cute together. Oh, and crazy Aunttie Viv will pop in as the whacky next door neighbor.

Sad news! Cousin Joan moved to Chicago for a job. I know, I know. Breathe. It will be okay. The show will move on without her.

In case you were wondering, Gabi's hanging in there.

We get it, writers! You can work "all about Eve" into nearly conversation about her.

Um, has Dr. Dan even met his siblings yet? #thingsIdlovetoseehappenonscreen

The term "Salem second" was used several times. I suppose it's like a "New York minute," but I've seen how things move in Salem, so by "second" I assume they mean a moment stretched out over a two day period with pauses for commercial breaks.

For a business that's been open for just about a year, Club TBD has a lot of random, dusty stuff in that storage room. And I'm not sure I'd have eaten those cookies.

Many wondered why Nicole was even visiting John. That' simple! A comatose person is probably her best choice of friends. They can't judge her or kick her out. I wonder if she's still visiting Jan Spears?

PARTING THOUGHTS So, friends and fellow DAYS fans, that's Two Scoops for the week of September 1! As Laurisa will be out of town digging up dirt on Aiden, I'll be back next week to smack these crazy Salemites around a little more. And, "That's a fact!"

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