Days or Our Lives Round Table: Orpheus Returns!

Dr. Raynor tried to wiggle out of her deal with Victor, Kristen grieved her and Brady’s daughter, and Chad went on an attempted murder spree this week in Salem.

Our TV Fanatics Jack Ori and Christine Orlando are joined by UhSir from MyHourglass a Days of Our Lives fan forum to debate Orpheus’ return, Ciara finally visiting her Mom, the new reformed Kristen and more!

Do you feel sympathy for Dr. Raynor now that Victor is threatening her life?

Jack: Yes and no. She chose to be corrupt. Not cool. But now Xander is constantly harassing her -- when she's treating the baby he claims to love like his own. That doesn't sit well with me either.

I'm just not sure if it's sympathy for her as much as it is wanting this whole mess off my screen.

UhSir: No. She did this for money. All of a sudden she has a conscience and remembers her doctor’s oath? If that oath means so much to her then she should go to the authorities. But that would cause her to be stripped of her license.

Sorry Doc, can’t have it both ways.

Christine: I almost choked when she called herself Sarah’s friend! She took the money and then decided to come back to Salem.

When you renege on a deal with a mob boss you should expect to have your life threatened. If she somehow feels she’s better than Victor or Xander, she’s not. At least their motivation was protecting people they loved, Dr. Raynor's was cash and I feel absolutely no sympathy for her.

Which version do you enjoy more, the evil Kristen or this more human, reformed Kristen?

Jack: I never liked evil Kristen one bit. I couldn't stand her and wanted her off my screen. So I'm surprised by how much I like this version of Kristen.

I find her grief believable and I'm actually rooting for her and Nicole to bond over having both lost babies, especially if Nicole discovers the truth.

But for the love of all that is holy, stop this nonsense with her and Brady's "love story." That's always seemed like mutual addiction and it still does. And I have never understood why fans who were skeeved out by JJ sleeping with his girlfriend's mother and root for Brady to be with his former stepmother.

UhSir: I only know Kristen from 2012-on. I don’t like evil Kristen. I think the days of DiMera’s wreaking havoc are over.

I’m losing interest in reformed Kristen because she’s too saccharine. Bring back her bark and give her some bite. Keep her on the path to reformation but let her slip and then have to fix the mess.

Christine: Evil Kristen had gotten old and boring so I’m enjoying this reformed version of Kristen more than I expected. Her grief over losing Rachel is very believable and my heart aches for her.

I also like her and Brady as a couple this time around. Having lost their baby is making them act like adults and it gives them more of a connection than just pure lust. Now they seem like real friends who are in a romantic relationship and it’s interesting to watch.

Is Chad attempting to kill both Gabi and Kate great suspense or another lame plot twist?

Jack: Awful, awful, awful. Have I mentioned how awful I think this story is?

The microchips and doppelgangers are bad enough. Now Chad goes into a trance and tries to kill people because he hears Stefano's voice in his head? This isn't entertaining. It's stupid and unnecessarily violent.

Plus it again perpetuates the idea that people who hallucinate become violent murderers, so there's that.

UhSir: Lame. Good grief, will this show please just stop with the family battles over company control? Boring! Especially when they start spewing the corporate lingo. Snore!!

Having Chad being mind-controlled is just laughable. If the show seriously wants to add humor into company business then please bring back Anne Milbaur.

Christine: Oh, I’d love to see Anne Milbaur once again!

Whatever is happening with Chad is just stupid. So he’s running around with Stefano’s voice in his head telling him to kill people so that they can take control of the company. That’s really lame and it can’t end fast enough.

Were you more surprised that Ben had to push Ciara to visit her mother or that she finally left Ben’s side at all?

Jack: Sadly, I'm surprised that she agreed to leave Ben's side. Ciara has no life outside of Ben, and that's pathetic. What kind of message is this for young women who are watching the show?

Ciara should have been conflicted between helping Ben and helping her mom, not ignoring her altogether.

UhSir: That she actually left Ben’s side. I suppose they decided that since Ciara is a 20-something that means she’s all about herself, her mother be damned. That was never how little Ciara felt and we’ve never been given anything to think she’s changed.

The years we viewers “missed” after Bo died should only have brought that bond tighter and was shown as such right after the SORAS.

Christine: It’s sad that Ben had to push her to care about her own mother, but then again, it’s been over a year and Ciara never even noticed anything was wrong with Hope.

I loved spunky, smart, Ciara as a child but she’s been a complete disappointment as both a teenager and an adult. I wish we could erase everything since she was SORAS’d and start over.

Orpheus has returned! Are you excited by this or disappointed, and why?

Jack: Orpheus has always been one of my favorite villains. His original backstory was compelling and he was on par with Stefano and Victor back in the day.

His last run was a flop, though, and I'll never forgive him for shooting JJ. So let's hope this time around he's back to being a legendary supervillain.

UhSir: I didn’t see Orpheus’ story back in the 80s so I don’t really have much to say. I enjoyed what I saw in his 2016 return. I look forward to him injecting some life into the show.

Christine: I’ve never been a fan of Orpheus. This show has too many villains and supervillains and not enough reality-based stories. So no, I’m not thrilled to see Orpheus pop up again.

Your turn, TV Fanatics! Rate your excitement at Orpheus' return.

Which ridiculous plot or scene annoys you the most on Days of Our Lives?

Jack: The whole microchipping the entire town thing is aggravating me. I like realistic plots, not campy sci-fi nonsense.

But even that's not as bad as Chad being brainwashed to be a killer and constantly hearing Stevano's voice in his head. This plot needs to die a quick death.

I'm also irritated with Rafe being the only police officer. Lani and Eli need to go back to work already.

And similarly, I don't remember who it was, but Sarah treated a patient...while waiting for news about her daughter's bone marrow transplant. I'm not sure which is more unrealistic. That or Kayla being back at work 5 seconds after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning.

UhSir: The Stevano story. Mangling so many legacy characters. I can’t watch any of it.

Christine: How everyone always says vital information that they want to keep secret out loud in public places. I know it’s too drive the plot home to the audience but it’s done so often that it makes things seem even more unbelievable if that’s possible.

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

Jack: I didn't think I would, but I love the baby switch story, especially as it is moving toward the reveal. Kristen's grief made for some powerful scenes, and I love seeing Nicole in investigative mode.

UhSir: Baby MacKenzie wiggling and fussing in the crib on Friday.

Christine: I love how adult and realistic Justin is being about Steve’s possible return. Justin loves Kayla but he knows how he might react if Adrienne returned so he’s somehow managing to be both wary and supportive of Kayla’s reaction to Stevano.

On most soaps, you’d expect him to pull all kinds of tricks to keep Kayla away from Steve or try to sabotage efforts to bring him back, but Justin’s doing the opposite and it’s really refreshing.

I also enjoyed Sonny and Will's reunion. It was good to see some romance with these two again.