Jake was shot and killed, but Dr. Rolf has a plan. Chanel chose between the twins. Alex Kiriakis hit town while Kristen declared war on Brady and Chloe this week in Salem.
Our TVFanatics, Jack and Christine, are joined by DoolFan4Life and Soaps4Ever from MyHourglass, a Days of Our Lives fan forum, to choose between Jake or Stefan, if Chanel’s choice will stand the test of time, first impressions of Alex, and who they’d send out of Salem for good!
Do you think Dr. Rolf and Kristen plan to resurrect Jake or Stefan? Do you have a preference?
DoolFan4Life: I think it’s going to be something stupid like resurrecting Jake but brainwash him into Stefan. Jake was a bit boring, but Stefan I have zero use for, his character was offensive, and I hated him from the get-go.
I’d choose to leave them both dead, but if it’s not an option, I choose Jake by default.
Jack: Usually, when Rolf and Kristen take a body or inject it or whatever, it means they’re planning to resurrect that person when the time is right. So I’d imagine that’s what they’re doing this time.
Jake was not popular with the Dimeras. Most of them considered him an imposter. So I would be surprised if they resurrected him instead of somehow turning him back into Stefan. Rolf likely has Stefan’s essence stored somewhere but needed a body since Julie has Stefan’s heart.
I prefer Jake. My only real memory of Stefan at this point is him raping Abigail. Why do we need to resurrect him?
Plus, Gabi doesn’t deserve a happily-ever-after after the callous way she’s reacted to Jake’s death (among other things.) Jake was a fine character when not in Gabi’s orbit, so if we can only have one of them, I’d much prefer it be Jake.
Soaps4Ever: I think they will probably resurrect Stefan, which I prefer because even though I liked Jake, adding Stefan will make things more interesting.
With Stefan, there will be more turmoil because of what it means for the Dimera business, plus it will be a definite shake-up for Gabi’s life.
Christine: I’m so mad they killed Jake. I liked that he was sort of a regular guy. And I was enjoying the slow build between him and Ava. They could have ended up being a really interesting pairing.
Instead, Jake is dead, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Dr. Rolf and Kristen were turning him into Stefan. And as much as I liked Jake, I deplored Stefan even more!
Some villains are fun to watch, but that wasn’t Stefan. He made me want to get out of his orbit and get him off my screen as quickly as possible. So if the plan is to bring him back, I dread it.
Your turn, Days fans! Would you prefer to see Jake or Stefan in Salem?
Jake died, and all Gabi could talk about was his Dimera shares. Did she ever really love Jake?
DoolFan4Life: I don’t believe Gabi really loves anyone. She obsesses about people and fixates on them, which usually gets her into trouble.
Gabi’s a bit of a narcissist, so I don’t think she did love Jake, and her obsession with his Dimera shares just proves that.
Jack: Yes and no. I think that Gabi’s obsession with the Dimera shares was partially her way of coping with the grief. It’s easier to focus on what Jake’s death can do for her than to admit she’s heartbroken, especially in front of Ava. However, Gabi does have a selfish streak that is not attractive.
We know that she is capable of empathy. Gabi was genuinely upset when Abigail died. But she rarely shows that side of herself and insists on being this coldhearted businesswoman.
Soaps4Ever: I think Gabi did care for Jake, but her desire to have power seems to override other emotions she has. She wouldn’t be happy letting herself be walked over, which I think has come from having to overcome difficult things in her life.
But she also shouldn’t have resorted to convincing Ava to lie about being a widow. That is going too far and could land them both in serious trouble. Ava shouldn’t have gone along with it.
Christine: I think Gabi cared about Jake, but I believe he was a bit of a placeholder for Stefan. But watching Gabi stand over Jake’s newly deceased body and try to manipulate Ava into getting those Dimera shares was nauseating. I expected better from Gabi.
Did Chanel make the right decision by choosing Allie over Johnny? Do you think Chanel and Allie will last?
DoolFan4Life: No, I thought she was better with Johnny as they had more chemistry.
Allie is a brat, and quite honestly, she could really do with being single for a while. She went from being raped and having a kid by her abuser to jumping into a relationship with her abuser’s brother and couldn’t even stay faithful. And that was before she was possessed.
Allie needs to do a bit of self-work as well as focus on being a mom to her little boy. She really needs to grow up.
Because I’m not a fan of Chanel and Allie, they will last longer than expected because that’s what always seems to happen.
Jack: While I’m thrilled to have some bi couples/same-sex relationships beyond Sonny and his absent partner, I don’t think Chanel made the right choice.
It seemed to me that Chanel chose Allie ONLY because she’s known her longer. From everything she says and does, she appears to still be in love with Johnny. Chanel’s hurt that the Devil broke her heart when she and Johnny were supposed to be married. But she’s less hurt that the Devil broke her and Allie up.
That suggests that Johnny is the one she wants, but she’s still too hurt to risk being with him.
Soaps4Ever: I felt all along that Chanel cared more for Allie than Johnny, and I like the talk that Chanel had with Paulina. It helped her sort things out and clarify her feelings.
However, I think there will be bumps in the road for them in the future, and it’s hard to tell if they will last long-term. They are both kind of impulsive, which could be a problem. But if they are really committed, I think they have a good chance.
Christine: I don’t think Chanel should have chosen either of them. After all the Devil trauma, they all need time to be single and figure out who they are and what they want.
And I love that Salem finally has a lesbian couple, but I feel like Chanel and Johnny are the stronger pairing. Allie seems too immature to sustain a long-term relationship, so I don’t have high hopes for these two moving forward.
Alex Kiriakis, one of Sonny’s brothers, arrived in Salem. What do you think of him so far?
DoolFan4Life: It’s still early days, but I like Robert Scott Wilson, and it will be nice to see him in a role and not have to roll my eyes because he was a serial killer.
I am excited to see what he will do with the character once the general obnoxious phase wears down that always comes when a character comes to town.
Jack: So far, he seems flaky. I got the sense he’s the black sheep of Justin’s kids. Neither Justin nor Sonny seemed thrilled to have him visit, and they seemed to be hoping that he leaves sooner rather than later. I hope there’s more to his character than being this loser who wants to live the life of Riley!
But Robert Scott Wilson is doing a great job. The transition from Ben to Alex was seamless (other than that stupid in-joke about the Necktie Killer.) I’m hoping for more character development for Alex so I can fully invest in his character.
Soaps4Ever: It was kind of hard for me to accept Robert Scott Wilson in a role on Days other than Ben, although I like that they chose him to play the character. Alex is a lot different from Ben, so that helps. It will be interesting to see what kind of mischief he creates.
Christine: Most viewers probably won’t remember, but when Justin first arrived in Salem, he was a bit like Alex, a playboy who didn’t take anything too seriously. So, I’m enjoying that throwback.
I enjoy Robert Scott Wilson, and it’s fun to see him playing someone other than Ben. And I’m looking forward to seeing Alex’s character develop and how he fits in with the Kiriakis clan.
If you could choose one (just one!) character to leave Salem permanently, who would it be?
DoolFan4Life: Clyde, he’s useless, and I loathe him.
Jack: Gabi almost always gets on my last nerve, so I vote for her to leave.
Soaps4Ever: I would say it’s probably a tie between Gwen and Clyde. These are characters that I don’t feel are truly redeemable, and even though it might seem that they pretend to be sincere about changing, you know they probably aren’t.
Christine: Gwen! There was a time I thought she was redeemable, but that has long passed. Now, Gwen is either obnoxious, whiny, or both, and I just want her out of Salem and off my screen!
In the battle between Brady, Chloe, and Kristen, who would you like to see come out on top?
DoolFan4Life: I’d like Chloe on her own, just getting out and realizing that Brady isn’t worth it. He and Kristin are made for each other, and that’s not really a good thing.
Jack: There are no good answers here. I can’t stand Kristen, and I feel like this storyline is a rerun of the awful Fuentes storyline on New Amsterdam this past season.
Chloe is also aggravating me by putting her nose in people’s business all over town, yet I can’t bring myself to root for Kristen either. I’d love it if Chloe and Brady agreed to break up so that Kristen can’t use the threat of HR to fire Chloe.
Soaps4Ever: The pairing of Chloe and Brady has been uninteresting for me, and as evil, as Kristen is, she’s still a fascinating character. So I have to say that I don’t mind Kristen successfully ousting Chloe out of Brady’s orbit, even though I don’t want to see Chloe hurt.
Kristen is determined to get what she wants, so she will probably get it, at least temporarily.
Christine: I cringe every time Brady and Chloe share a scene, so by default, I’m rooting for Kristen.
Plus, I’d like to see Brady and Kristen actually sharing custody of Rachel. Chloe is much better off out of Brady’s orbit, not hanging all over him just to irk Kristen.
What, if anything, disappointed you this week in Salem?
DoolFan4Life: A few things, the constant propping up of Eric and Nicole.
Chloe flaunting her relationship with Brady to Kristin. Not long ago, she was terrified of her, and now she doesn’t care. Why is she being so stupid? And for who, Brady? Lame.
I was disappointed in Chanel’s choice to be with Allie as well.
Watching Gwen getting out of jail and her scenes with Xander were depressing. Oh, and Bonnie hitting on Alex? Just why?
Jack: While the aftermath of Jake’s death scene was well done, there were way too many problems with this. First, we don’t need ANOTHER unexpected death so close to the first one.
And secondly, if Jake was going to die at the hands of a violent criminal, why was it a random mugger and not someone connected to the Evil 5 who just got out of jail?
The whole setup with the mugger running all over town looking for people to rob was ridiculous, and then after he shot Jake, he refused to leave, as if he were waiting to get killed.
Plus, the whole tragedy might have been prevented if:
- Brady had called the cops like he wanted to instead of listening to Eric.
- Nicole had given the mugger her purse instead of arguing with him.
- Jake had let Ava give the mugger the ring instead of arguing with him.
Obviously, the mugger is at fault for Jake’s death, not the victims, but sheesh. It would have been better drama if Jake and Ava had complied, and the nervous mugger accidentally shot Jake anyway.
On another note, did it bother anyone else that no one acknowledged the irony of Orpheus begging Justin to forgive him for accidentally killing Justin’s wife after the years Orpheus spent trying to get revenge on Roman for accidentally killing Orpheus’ wife?
Soaps4Ever: Xander letting Gwen into his room and listening to her. No way should he have allowed her to talk to him in private.
Also, I didn’t like Bonnie fawning over Alex. Very inappropriate.
Christine: Xander letting Gwen into his hotel room. He should be nowhere near Gwen, never mind consoling her!
And what was so damned important in Nicole’s purse that she wouldn’t hand it over to the guy with the gun!
What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline on this week’s Days of Our Lives?
DoolFan4Life: I like the friendship between Kate and Paulina There are a lot of parallels between these two women, and it’s not often you see strong female friendships on this show. I like them supporting one another, and I liked the conversation between Roman and Abe.
Jack: I loved Orpheus’ confrontation with Steve, especially this Days of Our Lives quote…
Steve: If you really want to start over, why not go somewhere else?
Orpheus: That’s a good idea. I was thinking of heading west.
Steve: West where?
Orpheus: I heard Seattle is beautiful. Maybe I’ll stop in and check on your kids. What are their names? Stephanie… Joey… and Tripp.
Steve: Is that a threat? if you lay one hand on my family –
Orpheus: Relax. No threat. You’re the one who suggested I leave Salem.
Steve: What kind of game are you playing here?
Orpheus: I’m not. But look, if me moving worries you so much, you win. I’ll stay in Salem. Guess I’ll be seeing you around.
Soaps4Ever: I liked seeing my favorite villain Orpheus. I also liked Paulina and Chanel’s honest discussion, and Jake and Ava’s moments before Jake got shot were touching.
Christine: I loved that conversation between Paulina and Chanel. It was honest and refreshing. And I hear head writer Ron Carlivati had to fight for this line…
Paulina: You have to ask yourself, what do you prefer? Penis or Vagina?
Chanel: Mama!
Paulina: What? We’re two grown-ass women. I had “the talk” with you years ago. There’s no need to be embarrassed by what God gave us.
It was also good to hear Paulina tell her daughter to stop worrying so much about Johnny and Allie and to take care of herself.
I also enjoyed Kate and Paulina’s conversation. These are two strong, fierce, flawed women who have survived it all and lived to tell the tales. They should be friends.
Now it’s your turn, Days fans! Hit that big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button below to share your thoughts on Days of Our Lives. Then check out Jack Ori’s Days of Our Lives review here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.