By 
Days of our Lives kicked it up a notch this week! John’s life is in danger, Will and Sonny want to take Arianna to Phoenix, Ben’s road to recovery isn’t an easy one, Hope and Rafe are testing the waters again and our Philip is back! Let’s dive into Days of our Lives for the week of August 17-21, 2020.
The Pawn in Peril
Whooo boy, Drake Hogestyn and Alison Sweeney did not miss with that confrontation between John and Sami. They knocked it out of the park and then some!
You know, some tend to forget (either deliberately or innocently) that John (as Roman) raised Sami and Eric from 1986-1991ish (not accounting for SORASing time). John considers Sami, Eric and Carrie to be his children, and there should be nothing wrong with that. He loves them like they are his own, and that makes their families, his family too. Blended families are a part of society, and I’m not sure why there seems to be an asterisk when it comes to John status with Marlena and Roman’s children.
John was right when he told Sami that this situation with Allie will hurt his family — everyone he cares about and loves — Allie and that baby included. John and Sami are no strangers to a good old-fashioned fight, but it has been a little bit since they had one. Once John collapsed, Sami was surprisingly self away. “You know I just say things. I don’t mean them.” Yeah, Sami. We know. We also know that once Marlena finds out what really happened, you may need to run far away for a really long time.
The relationship between John and Sami is so rich with angst and subtext. So much of Sami’s life has been defined by that moment, and it’s driven so much of her animosity towards so many for so long. But it’s that complicated past that makes the confrontation with Sami and John so good. Every line of dialogue is layered with a pointed meaning. It’s the kind of thing that only comes with the soap genre. What other medium can pull from 30-plus years of emotions between characters? This is good stuff.
Can we talk about the living legend that is Deidre Hall for a moment? She is my gold-star performer of the week. Marlena and John are the romance of the ages for this show. They have been in love for almost 40 years and have not lost one ounce of chemistry. Through thick and thin, their love has been battle-tested and has blossomed into one of the most enduring love stories in all of soaps. It shows and shines on the screen when one of them is in peril. You can look at a scene from 30 years ago that has a similar parallel and you see the exact same love and devotion. It is not an easy thing to do. I have every confidence that John will be okay, but that cliffhanger on Friday gave me 2008 flashbacks and I DID NOT LIKE IT.
DiMera Mansion Nonsense
What the hell is going on, Chad? You seriously just told your (new) brother Jake that you are cheating on your wife with his girlfriend? For what? So, Jake won’t go get BBQ sauce with the client you want to schmooze? I really, really hope you called your wife the moment you left the room.
And for those of you spamming my mentions last week, it’s behavior like this that is why I CANNOT stand Chad when he’s not with Abigail. Not that I am a huge fan of her either, but together they can cancel each other’s worst traits out for me. Furthermore, I will reiterate how unnecessary this entire affair is. Chad loves Abigail. He will always love Abigail. I don’t buy any of his attraction for this lady because she’s simply not the woman he loves, the woman he is willing to risk it all for. So can we fast forward to the inevitable reunion for Chabby and save us all from this tasteless affair?
I do not understand why someone doesn’t kick Gwen out of that house. She doesn’t NEED to be there. Or in Salem. Or on the show. Nothing against the actress (who is doing a fine job), but the character is really starting to grate on me. I know I wrote last week that I like that she knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it, but perhaps she can go after what she wants in another town, off my screen.
End of the Rope
I honestly don’t know how I feel about them trying to get Rope back together. Obviously, we know that Kristian isn’t sticking round and that Galen will be leaving the canvas for a little bit soon. Maybe that’s why.
That whole washing machine debacle didn’t help much either. What was the point of it? I just sat on my couch and blinked at my television.
What was the point? Was it really necessary to have on my screen? Was there was nothing that could have taken its place?
I know most people have a problem with Rope, but I don’t. Not really. Aiden and Bo are never coming back. Rafe really isn’t a bad guy. Is it okay to say I don’t really know? Because I honestly don’t.
The Prince of Titan
My dimpled Prince Philip is back, and I could not be happier. I have waited far too long for this moment and I will relish it for as long as humanly possible.
Philip needling Xander is my new favorite thing. Between Philip telling him the hedges looked like they needed pruning to calling him “Xandy”, I am hooked on this new dynamic. Xander had better watch out, too. If Xander thinks those DiMera’s are bad when it comes to business, Philip might be worse. He wants Titan and he may stop at nothing to get it.
I cannot wait to see what happens with Philip and with the “Last Blast” crew. Shawn has already face to face with his enemy uncle. I want scenes with Belle, Chloe and Claire. I can’t wait until he sees Kate and Lucas.
Welcome back, Jay Kenneth Johnson! You have been missed!
Eve of the Damned
Eve is disgusting me right now with her love for revenge against Ben. To have him kill his wife on the anniversary of the murder of her daughter? The symbolism is cringy. A ton of yikes there for me. Seeing her salivating with glee at the prospect of intentionally inflicting the pain she went through on another mother is gross.
And another thing – how can Ciara look at Ben and think that he’s doing alright? As much as it would hurt her, she should be pushing for Ben to be put back in Bayview. I do really love that Ciara is sticking by his side. She loves him so much, probably more than he loves himself.
“If their pain goes on forever, maybe mine should too.” You see? That’s growth. He knows he cannot be forgiven by the families of those that he has hurt. It doesn’t matter that he was sick. Next week looks like it is going to be a wild ride. Buckle up, Cinners!
The Wrap
I have to say that I am #TeamGabi when it comes to Will and Sonny wanting to take Arianna to Phoenix. That is not how you ask the mother of your children to let you take her child. Gabi was making valid points and while I understand Will and Sonny wanting to take Arianna with them, the way they went at it was all wrong for me.
Ben and Marlena… chef’s kiss, honestly. “How are you doing?” Ben knows she’s lying. “You sat on the groom’s side, remember?” “Let me be there for you.” the crying and the hug? CHEFS KISS, motherfucker.
I really enjoyed the scenes between Kayla, Hope and Jennifer. Honestly, it made me smile. It has honestly been too long since we have had a moment between female friends on this show. “Wrong. Absolutely wrong.” LMAO Only family can tell you to get over yourself and it ends up feeling like a pep talk instead of a dressing down.
I do appreciate that Ciara is okay with her mother moving on and being happy. Too many children on soaps (and real life) want their parents to be alone forever after their other parent passes away. It is a nice change of pace. Feel how you want about Rafe, he and Ciara are really cute in their scenes together.
I know HIPPA isn’t a thing on soaps, but good lord.
Days of our Lives airs weekdays on NBC. Episodes are available on NBC.com and Peacock.
Comments