It's clear we're going to get along

As Melanie returned with a big hug for Maggie, it made me remember how important it is to pair the right characters together. Chad, Clyde, Nicole, and Eve could all use some help right now. Can they get DAYS back on track for the holidays? Find out in this week's Two Scoops.

As the quintessential food holiday is nearly upon us, it got me thinking about what scrumptious sides and wines pair best with a delicious turkey. Personally, I'm a roasted Brussels sprouts and zinfandel type of gal. But I wouldn't object to cheesy mashed potatoes and pinot grigio. Mmm...where was I? Oh yes, pairings.

Of course, the one thing that could ruin the meal is an odd combination. For example, what if someone decided to slap down sweet tarts and tequila with that turkey? While all perfectly fine in their own spaces, they really have no business being together.

And that's how I feel about some of the screen pairings on DAYS right now.

Look, losing Sami, E.J., and Kristen within days of each other is really not an ideal situation. They got the majority of airtime, and their loss has an effect on the balance of the show. It's going to take some time to settle into a new groove. But, to do so, we need to straighten out some of the pairings.

First, let's talk about my boy Chad. Billy Flynn continues to impress. And I like that the show took a surprising turn and had Stefano be thrilled that Chad swooped in and got the company. He should be. It's going to be a heckuva lot easier for Stefano to get Chad's share of the company than Kate's. But that should provide juicy storytelling down the line.

The problem right now is pairing Chad with Jordan. They are together because...um...well, she's pretty and...um...yup, I've got nothing. If she were staying on the show, she might have had something in common with Chad Peterson-Woods -- the guy who dealt with the guilt of maybe causing his mother's death and then had to deal with a jerky stepdad. But the show's made a clear distinction between that guy and Chad DiMera.

Speaking of evil stepdads, Clyde is verging on Alex North territory for me. The fact that they're expecting me to believe that Kate wouldn't recognize Curtis Reed part two when it's trying to suck off her own face is preposterous. This woman just outsmarted Stefano "I know everything before anyone else" DiMera. She's better than this.

However, as soon as Clyde ran into Marlena, things got interesting. I love it when Dr. Evans gets to act in her professional capacity. And I've been waiting for someone to see through Clyde's drivel for months. If anyone can recognize this con man, it should be Doc.

Next up is Eve. I, too, proudly wave my Team Kassie Fan Flag. But the show is trying to do way too much stuff with her right out of the gate. One week, Eve's making googly eyes at Daniel. The next week she's trying to drink wine with Eric. Last week, she went over to the DiMera mansion for a lot of chest clutching and "oh my word"-ing in front of Brady. And all of that was just a sideshow, because her best pairing is with Jennifer.

Yes, I said Jennifer! I love Melissa Reeves and Kassie DePaiva together. I'm so glad that Jennifer's first scene back was with Eve and J.J. I couldn't care less about what will happen to Paige when she finds out. But Jennifer is another story! There's history between Jennifer and Eve that will be fun to play out.

And if the show really needs something to do with Eve, I'm sure that Lucas could use some help in the sales department over at Mad World. That would keep her in the Deveraux orbit; give her a real job, and at least a sparring partner, maybe more, in Lucas.

Rounding out the Deveraux clan is Abigail. She and Ben are hardly offensive together, but their storyline is pretty nonexistent. But the real fun happens when Abigail is paired with Theresa. Sure, Abs was a total pain when she rubbed it in that her ex-boyfriend got her job back. But I like Abigail and Theresa as rivals a hundred times more than Jennifer and Anne. At least there's real history between Abigail and Theresa, in the form of young master J.J. I'd like another helping of Theresa vs. Abigail, please!

And I'd love for it to be alongside of some of the pairings that DAYS is getting right.

Not only do I love Haiden, but the Haiden Bunch is quite enjoyable as well. DAYS has been smart to keep Ciara and Chase part of the Haiden relationship. It grounds both characters. And keeps them from veering too far from the characters we've known them to be for a while.

There's still enough mystery about Aiden that I'm anxious to see more. Plus, I absolutely adore the fact that they didn't pair Hope with another cop. You know that eventually Aiden and Hope will be on opposite sides in court. Considering that we already know they spar well, that situation should produce something good.

Speaking of delightful, hooray for Victor's big mouth! For it opened and brought forth a call from Agent Shane Donovan! Theresa (who should really be qualified for X-Man status as she recovered at remarkable speed from major surgery) set the groundwork by explaining to her dad that she absolutely believed that she was pregnant. Even Eve conceded that Theresa wouldn't have gone for a blood test if she didn't believe it. Since Theresa is starting to have brief memories of what happened the night she was attacked, it seems that all things are at least in place if the show decides to bring Shane back to track Kristen down, ISA style. (Spoiler alert -- Kristen is coming back!) LOOSE ENDS While I get the symbolism of having a DiMera on the board, it feels a bit sexist that this group of people feels that Kate, who by all accounts has done nothing but make the board lots of money during her time as CEO, needs a DiMera man by her side to be successful. Then again, she can't see that Clyde is dangerous, so maybe she does need some help.

In case you missed it, Paul loves to flirt with the ladies. He's also allergic to both shirts and help from Marlena. I'm really starting to see his appeal.

Adrienne is a buttinski and has had a grudge against Will for months. But, like Victor said, even a broken clock is right twice a day. And this is her time. It's not that Sonny has done anything wrong. It's that Will isn't doing anything right by his marriage, nor, considering Lucas's report that Will is working long days, by his daughter and the family he claimed to go out there to help. And while I can certainly see why Sonny brought up Justin, it is a wee bit different, since Justin doesn't have an infant daughter and a spouse of six months. Justin's life is in a completely different place than Will's.

Aw! Kate said she missed working with Sami, and she meant it!

Both Jennifer and Abigail gave touching speeches about how Jack was a changed man and would want J.J. to be happy. They weren't wrong, but both seemed pretty hollow, since we all know this has nothing to do with Jack. Plus, if J.J. told her the truth, Abigail could have 100 percent sympathized with making a bonehead decision to hop in the sack with someone inappropriate.

Eric moved into a new place, which is great because, "Hey girl, I spent the last decade in the priesthood. Want to come back to my place? I live with my grandmother." probably ruins his game.

HOT I have a confession to make. I've loved Melanie from basically the minute she showed up on-screen. Maybe it's because Molly Burnett has infectious energy. Maybe it was because Melanie finally put Princess Stephanie in her place and thankfully ended the Steph/Uncle Max experiment. Or maybe it was because I'm legitimately scared of Roscoe Born, and his portrayal of Melanie's horrid adoptive father made me feel sympathy for her because, seriously guys, I'm pretty sure clowns are scared of Trent Robbins.

So I can't wait to see what Melanie has in store for her next round in Salem. It's already involved the glorious charm of Maggie and Melanie. (Something that was built and established long before Daniel became the miracle egg.) Going forward, something tells me that Mel and Theresa aren't going to be sharing the same type of friendship. I can't wait!

NOT I started out talking about wonky pairings, but I left out the worst one. That would be Nicole and Daniel. My problem isn't Shawn Christian and Arianne Zucker. It's with Daniel and Nicole.

First, at least with Eric, Nicole was the one driving the story. With Daniel, she's in the supporting role -- solely there to try to make him feel better about himself. Way to neutralize Nicole's charisma, DAYS. Smart move.

Next, can we try making Daniel actually work for a gal for a change? I'm tired of these women not being able to resist the Daniel pheromone, which, granted, is probably military strength. In the last two weeks, he's been in love with Jennifer, nearly slept with Kristen, and started having feelings for Nicole. Down, boy!

Finally, while I applaud the idea of comedy on soaps once in a while, it has to seem genuine. Nicole and Daniel have been a train-wreck love affair that resulted in her having a mini psychotic breakdown. Later, they teamed up to track down, capture, and torture a criminal to get information out of him. These two aren't a happy-go-lucky pair. Their whole trip to the park was a total waste of time, save for Randy, the adorable little guy who mercifully interrupted DAYS' production of It's the Never-Ending Pointless Scene, Charlie Brown. I don't blame you, Daniel. I'd have faked passing out twice to try to get out of it too!

LINE OF THE WEEK Anne: "You're a sick poodle." Meredith Scott Lynn's delivery is always on point. Anne's insults are starting to amuse me.

RANDOM THOUGHTS I do so enjoy that the Donovan sisters fill their wine glasses up all the way to the top.

Kate's leather pants, floral top combo was totally fierce.

You know how they say people look better in candlelight? I think the same goes for charcoal-colored sheets.

Theresa's on my list of robe envy this week.

Nicole's black heels were beyond glorious.

I had a hard time buying that Daniel, the free-spirit surfer, doesn't like yoga.

We haven't seen the DiMera library since Stefano was shot there, yet suddenly it's the place to hang out. I'm skeptical, but I'll reserve full judgment until I see what kind of Christmas decorations Kate can whip up for the place.

Improvement! Theresa was only an hour late! Anne should actually be thrilled with the progress.

If Paul is such a top-secret patient, maybe they should not put him in the hospital's most popular room, right next to the nurses' main station and the coffee stand?

Considering that people can make it across Salem in all of about five seconds on foot, I do not understand why it's such a big deal for Ben to work at the other club location.

Brady has a horrid track record with strong, controlling women. I do not think that lunch with Ciara is going to end well for him.

Give yourself an early present and check out the adorably hilarious Jen Lilley on this week's Kroll Call episode!

It's a short week next week, but @Tony_S_Days will be back to cover it all. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and enjoy the time with your friends and families!

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