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For the week leading up to the grand 50th anniversary, this week on Days of our Lives felt just a little flat. When I say flat, I don’t mean boring or awful because again, the show is in such a strong upward swing that its boring is miles better than its boring six months ago. I honestly cannot stress that fact enough. I can’t exactly pinpoint where DAYS missed a beat in the last week, cohesively it was a solid week yet it felt underwhelming with the anniversary fast approaching. Lots of stories are converging and ready to reach their climax around the time of the 50th, but I think the biggest issue is that after spending half of the year on ceramic elephants, we could have had bigger returns and bigger stories from the get go. DAYS has been in great form for the last few months but there just was no time for that truly awesome and deserving lead in to the anniversary.
Now onto the highlights from Salem, USA this last week!
Week in Review for Days of Our Lives episodes airing October 26th – 30th, 2015.
Shotgun Wedding
The entire town of Salem is abuzz with the impending wedding of Aiden Jennings and Hope Williams. No, it won’t be a shotgun wedding in the usual sense but there will be another weapon involved. In a sudden plot twist, viewers learned that Aiden was severely in debt to loan sharks. The Dimera family later bailed him out but now expect payment which Aiden can only fund by killing and cashing in on Hope’s life insurance. It’s a lot, not to mention a huge switch in the narrative that was the love story of Hope and Aiden but it’s certainly riveting.
Aiden seemed to be falling apart at the seams this last week. The nearer his wedding date to Hope approached, the more high wired he seemed to become. The truth behind his nerve was that he was planning to use the Necktie Killer’s motive operandi to murder Hope, having already crafted up what he felt like was a seamless plan to snuff her out on their wedding night. This week he filled in a titillated Andre and Stefano Dimera on his plan. Having been a lawyer for the prime suspect in the crime, Aiden promised to make the killing look as authentic as possible though the two crime lords doubted he’d pull it off. I doubt it too; especially since it’s come to light that unfortunately Daniel Cosgrove’s time in Salem will be coming to a close next week.
Kristian Alfonso, Daniel Cosgrove
“Days of our Lives” Set
NBC Studios
Burbank
05/14/15
© sean smith/jpistudios.com
310-657-9661
Episode # 12705
U.S.Airdate 10/27/15
He’d been just barely pulling the wool over everyone in town’s eyes until Shawn Douglass showed up, who in the most teen angst filled (his old trademark) way, he told his mother’s fiancé that he’d never accept the marriage. It’s hard to believe that Shawn still carried a torch for his father since his mother didn’t keep quiet about his heartbreak over the last two years. He totally could have parked the sailboat at Salem Harbor two years ago to get on his dad’s case for abandoning (without his consent) his family! It was a total breath of fresh air to see Shawn D back in Salem though, especially with Jason Cook reprising the classic role for a short run. His desire to protect his mom from anyone that wasn’t Bo Brady just felt so heavy handed. His barging in on Hope and Aiden’s lunch with Doug and Julie Williams acting surprised really made no sense. Hope had said she’d told him about leaving his father, but did she keep the engagement a surprise too? This couldn’t have been the first time he’d heard about Aiden. The two later go on to have their respective bachelor and bachelorette parties and of course, neither go as planned. Hope winds up arresting her thieving male stripper and Aiden stumbles home drunk, almost incriminating himself to his fiancée while crying about not being worthy of her. If I were Hope, I think I would have seen nothing but Aiden waving a giant red flag in my face. Clearly there is something off with this man! He promised to be settled with the financial hole he alone dug but all the second thoughts, boo-hooing and secrets should clue in anyone, let alone a detective to the fact that there was something else going on. Instead, Hope cuddles Aiden through it all just as Bo Brady is trying to reach her from the Kiriakis Jet’s phone. Steve Johnson had managed to help his friend break out of captivity to get back to Salem, but their flight is held up due to a strong electrical storm. He calls again and in classic soap form, Bo can hear Hope but she can’t hear him through the bad connection. What he does manage to hear makes him think she sounds too troubled and the two adventurers risk it all to fly through the storm – only to have it shot out of the sky by lightning.
The tension is really rising as both of the men in Hope’s life struggle greatly unbeknownst to her. It’s strange seeing someone who was once one of Salem’s super cops be so clueless. I truly do feel for Aiden though. Things weren’t supposed to come to this for him and Hope, and I’m sure Daniel Cosgrove feels the same way. The best part about the unfortunately cheap turn to the gray side for Aiden is how well his confliction is playing out on screen. He doesn’t want to kill Hope and he doesn’t want his son hurt and with his exit set for this week, I can see Aiden sacrificing himself to save them both. But we shall see.
Photo credits: JPI Studios. All images are licensed for use.
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