Days of Our Lives Round Table: Who Is the Most Entertaining Alter?

Chloe was kidnapped and found Theresa Donovan in Mexico! The rest of Salem met Abigail’s alters, while Marlena, Vivian, and Kate were sprung from the DiMera tunnels on Days of Our Lives.

Our TV Fanatics Jack Ori and Christine Orlando are joined by Mikey and Tinab from MyHourglass a Days of Our Lives fan forum to debate how Theresa and Chloe will escape, Brady’s romantic prospects, which Salemite they’d choose to be trapped with and the most entertaining of Abigail’s personalities.

Theresa Donovan is back! Do you think she and Chloe can escape Mateo together, or will they need help?

Mikey: I’d love to see the two of them escape together, because it’s so common on this show for women to wind up captured and helpless, waiting for a man. Plus I’d love to see these two really team up (did they actually know each other before at all?) and take this nut down.

Of course, it’s more interesting dramatically if other Salemites become involved, but I don’t think Brady could even find his way out of his hospital room, let alone to Mexico City. I’m impressed that Lucas figured out that something was up with Chloe leaving, though… maybe he can lead things.

Or Eve! Let Eve do it! It’s her sister and her friend, and she’s gotta have those Shane Donovan genes somewhere.

Tinab: I think Shane will help Teresa and Chloe escape. I would love to see them do it alone but I have a feeling they will get help.

Jack: I'd love to see them escape Mateo together, but given the way the writers seem to love writing women as damsels in distress lately, I don't have high hopes.

It would be awesome to see Chloe and Theresa save the day for Lucas when he comes after Chloe instead of the other way around though!

Christine: I love the idea of them saving themselves, but given the show’s history, that seems unlikely. I hate the idea of Lucas having to run to the rescue, and Shane has allowed his daughter to suffer for months, what would push him to do something now?

I think having Eve play hero would be amazing! Unfortunately, she’s stuck pining over Brady in a hospital room.

With whom would you like to see Brady romantically paired: Theresa, Eve, someone else, or "Dear God, can’t the man be single for five minutes?"

Mikey: The last one! I actually don’t think any of these — and I’m subbing in Chloe for “someone else” — would necessarily be a bad option, if they really committed to a narrative, but he’s just on this absurd merry-go-round of women. Raise your damn son for ten minutes!

I don’t think Brady is ruined for romantic pairings, but it would be great to see him take a break and figure out who he is and what he wants to be without being defined by these borderline-obsessive “loves."

Tinab: Brady needs a break, but truthfully I do like him with Eve as they seem more genuine. There was a lot of underhanded stuff that lead to him and Theresa.

Jack: NOBODY. If I have to pick one I'll go with Theresa. They did have a genuine love story for a while. But Brady falls in love so quickly all the time that I had to laugh both at Theresa's shock that he moved on so fast and him telling Eve he was done with love until he met her.

Christine: It’s downright comical how quickly Brady falls in and out of love. He should be single for a while and concentrate and what he wants for himself and Tate, in a context that has nothing to do with women or pleasing Victor.

However, I have been enjoying Brady with Eve more than I ever expected. Neither are perfect, but they could actually make one another happy which is a refreshing change of pace for both characters.

Which of Abigail’s personalities (original Abby, Gabby, or Dr. Laura) do you find the most entertaining and why?

Mikey: I’ve come to find “Gabby” the most entertaining just because she’s rude as hell to everyone, which is funny, and she’s disrupting the status quo. I also think Marci Miller has started bringing a bit of fire to the portrayal.

That doesn’t mean I “like” her, per se, and her thing with Stefan is so problematic that it can be tough to watch, but as a villain and an obstacle, I find her interesting. I also want to know how she keeps her wig attached so nicely during so many physical tussles, sex, etc...

Tinab: I used to really like Abby but at this point I can’t stand any of her personalities.

Jack: I like Abby. I'm not a fan of violent alters or ridiculous stories involving them, and Abby's fear whenever she surfaces and can't remember what she's been doing for days is the most realistic and powerful part of this story.

Christine: I’ve never been a huge fan of Abigail’s, but I’ve found her particularly dull since she’s returned from the dead. The only alter that’s interesting is Gabby, but it would be nice if they could incorporate some of her fire into Abigail as a whole when this is all done.

If you had to be trapped in a room with either Marlena, Kate, or Vivian, which one would you choose?

Mikey: They all have their merits! Vivian is probably the funniest, but I’d be legitimately worried she would kill me. Actually… they all have troubling histories with regards to murder.

Marlena sure seems to have a good sense of humor about all the insane things that have happened to her, but I’m also not sure I’d want to be trapped with someone who cackles about transforming into a jaguar and attacking a bunch of scholars…

Can I just cut off my own oxygen and not pick?!

Tinab: I could handle Kate. Marlena would analyze you, and Vivian is evil, but Kate just wanted to get drunk!

Jack: Marlena, because I'd love the opportunity for some career advice. Besides, both Kate and Vivian are the kind of people I'd rather be entertained by from a loooong distance away.

Christine: I’m going with Kate. Vivian is too crazy to trust and Marlena could get all moral at a critical moment or just sit back and decide John will save her. I can see Kate and I coming up with some devious plan to escape and following through on it.

Which storyline would you like to see more of on Days right now, and which one would you cut?

Mikey: Steve’s blindness feels so underplayed for the tale of a decades-old character losing a significant ability and adjusting to life that way. Like he went blind one day, and the next Salem day, he was just wandering around town on his own, and no one seemed to find it that weird.

Does no one give a crap? Is he a savant? They’re acting like he got bronchitis and has to function like that. He can’t see! This is also one of those things where I’m actually interested in seeing people’s reactions and interactions to it.

Tinab: I was over the Gabby with a y story but it’s good now that it is ending. I don’t love Leo and Sonny. I also want Steve to get his eyesight back.

Jack: I'd like to see more of JJ having a story, preferably getting caught between Abby and Gabi and not sure how to navigate his loyalty to both his sister and the woman who saved his life.

Let's cut this boring Sonny/Leo nonsense. I'm even less interested in Leo than in Lani's baby.

Christine: Steve’s blindness! The show is skipping over so much good material and it’s a crime because Stephen Nichols is such a pro. Like Mikey said, there are story and character moments that are being completely missed.

Which to cut? There are too many to choose from, but after this week I’ll agree with getting rid of Leo. It’s a boring story with no purpose…but most weeks I’d ask for the Rafe/Hope romance to finally be killed off for good, cremated and then buried in the hopes that not even Dr. Rolf could brink it back.

What, if anything, disappointed you this week in Salem?

Mikey: I hated that we didn’t actually get to see John visiting Brady. We get to see Brady with his immediate family so briefly, and they skipped over that interaction.

And Marlena’s scene in his room was so clinical and focused on Eve. I don’t know why he has to be solely a Kiriakis, but I’m bummed any time they downplay him interacting with the family that we saw him grow up with.

Tinab: It was an excellent week, but I don’t like Brady and Lucas looking pitiful; I would like to see both of them man up.

Jack: JJ only got one little scene with Gabi and then nothing for the rest of the week. And Stefan raping Abby seems to have no real consequences.

Christine: The scene between JJ and Gabi was lackluster at best. I’d like to see these two as friends, and take Rafe out of the room. Also, Trask making a deal with a mentally ill woman to forgo sexual assault charges was all kinds of wrong.

What was your favorite quote, scene or storyline on this week’s Days of Our Lives?

Mikey: Everything with the three women in the sealed room was terrific. Just putting three characters with that much history in a closed space and forcing them to interact when they normally wouldn’t — that’s the core of soap opera.

Days could do more of that and less of contriving scenarios and it would soar! It’s good TV to let characters with bizarre histories discuss and react to them.

Tinab: My favorite storyline this week was Kate, Marlena and Vivian trapped, although I didn’t care for the demonic possession story at the time, it was great fun to relive it!!

Jack: Steve and Kayla. Steve and Kayla. Steve and Kayla. Seriously, that little scene where Kayla told Steve that their forever vows included him sharing his struggles with his blindness with her and him saying she was all the light he needed was the best scene of the week. I really want to see more of these two.

Christine: Jack took my favorite scene with Steve and Kayla, but I also liked Marlena laughing about being possessed. It was such a ridiculous storyline at the time that it’s actually entertaining to look back and make fun of it now.