You know those summer blockbuster trailers were Mr. Movie Voice promises, "It will be an epic battle of good versus evil!" Yeah. Like that, but not. More like, "...epic battle of evil versus just as bad!" Yep, Vivian and Kate had a final showdown, and it was rather epic.
For starters, Lauren Koslow and Louise Sorel were, well, epic. The layers they add to their characters make them extremely compelling. Their talents seamlessly drew me into their rich history with one another but also managed to give a glimpse as to where they're each coming from, major faults and all. I mean, you guys, Vivian just wanted to be loved. Is that an unreasonable star for a woman who's buried two people alive to shoot for? Yeah. Maybe. But I still love Auntie Viv. There's that.
In the end, Kate killing Vivian was self-defense (which is sure to play out for a while). Viv crystal clearly confirmed she was going to kill Kate while pointing a gun at her. Kate tried to disarm her. They struggled. The gun went off. Vivian was ki...kil..she, uh, di-..okay, I can't cope with writing "Vivian" and "any form of her not being alive," so we'll just say Vivian went to the Horton Town Square on a really long FroYo run. Yep. That's better.
So, while Salemites believe Vivian went out for FroYo, one knows she didn't. Which one? I don't know! What we do know is that Viv was given a syringe full of something that I'm hoping was the same something Will and E.J. were undeaded with! In my Vivian-loving heart, I know it is. We haven't seen the last of her, but I will need Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" on loop while eating a pint of FroYo, as I know it might be a minute until Vivian returns from the square. But I'll hold off my grieving for another moment, as we have to talk about this syringe...
Weaving into the story, Will got a visit from Roger (Susan's wannabe Elvis lover). For starters, I liked these scenes much more than expected. They had depth. It was a little heartwarming to see that Will and Roger still care for each other so deeply. Sure, Roger was an accomplice, but he does seem to love Will and want nothing but the best for him. That was sweet, as are Roger's feelings for Susan. He loves her, as well, and visits her daily as she recovers. Again, that's sweet. Yep, Roger is, at heart, a good guy. But enough of the warm fuzzy fest. We have a syringe to talk about!
You see, Roger gave Will Dr. Rolf's diary. Amongst Wilhelm's swooning over Susan and praising the Phoenix, he detailed his experiments with bringing the dead back from the great hourglass in the sky. There wasn't an exact formula for "Resurrected by Wilhelm" (which is fun if you read that in a perfume or cologne commercial breathy voice), but I'd like to think it has a pinch of love in it, not unlike Alice's doughnut recipe. Anyway. Will and Paul still have plenty of mystery on their hands, but I suspect the answers are not right in front of them, but are. Huh? Those blank pages have got to be the key! I'm thinking invisible ink, or some writing you need to use a black light to see. Think, Will and Paul. Think!
And we talked about the syringe full of Resurrected by Wilhelm, but who was stabbing Auntie Viv with it!? If Dr. Rolf isn't so dead, I would believe that it was him. We've seen him die before and bounce back. To him, Vivian would simply be a test subject. Though Kristen did have access to the drug when she injected E.J., and in case you haven't heard, Kristen is alive, sooo...maybe Kristen? There's a lot of options. I'm intrigued.
Also, we talked about the drug. We pondered on the who. But what about these "just one amongst the ranks"/"vastly improved since the last time out" entries. I assume one is E.J., but there's been a lot of death over the years. I don't think any guesses at a dead Salemite are off the table, err, slab. There's Andre, recently, but going back (and remembering that Rolf and Clyde were cellmates) there are also Ben's victims -- Serena, Paige, Will (obviously), and often-forgotten midwife Wendy. Ava? That would clean up a big mess for Joey. Jack!? *Crossing fingers* Okay. The list could go on and on...and on, so comment or tweet me who else you might be thinking is alive! In the meantime, let's talk more about the dead -- but possibly alive -- Andre DiMera!
On a lighter note to begin, did anyone else get the Clue vibe when Chad was following Dr. Lauragail from room to room as she explained the events of Andre's murder? I really wanted Wadsworth to show up and quip, "Communism Gabi was just a red herring." Okay. Just me? Moving on...
I'm sort of torn and maybe a little underwhelmed by the outcome of Abigail's struggles last week. On one hand, it was super soapy that Chad's love saved Abigail. That's special. One the other hand, Chad's love saved Abigail!?
Let's break this other hand down. Renowned shrink Marlena and Commissioner "A Squad Car's Tailing Them" Brady just let an untrained guy -- who's teetering on the edge of his own sanity, trying to grasp what his wife's gone through while attempting not to further pulverize the guy who victimized his sick wife -- stroll around Salem with a fragile, mentally ill woman who probably killed a guy, and that was the best course of action? Okay then. If I were Mar and/or Hope, I probably would have tagged along. But that's just me. Stupid logic.
In the end, Abigail did kill Andre. The real Abs, not any alter. The quick breakdown: She overheard Andre talking aloud in his office to Tony's urn. Ha! I guess Anna's not the only one who did that, but I digress. Andre spilled the beans to Tony's remains; Abigail overheard everything and confronted him. Not wanting his master plan ruined, he tried to do damage control in which he grabbed onto Abigail's arms. She expressed he was hurting her, and she was panicking as he pleaded his case not to tell anyone what she overheard. Scared, Abs managed to break a hand free and struck him with Tony's urn. His last words were, "I love you." Ouch.
So, yep. All in all (and stellar performances aside), I was left a little torn and underwhelmed. But there's still more to this story, and perhaps last week was just catching Abigail up. Now she knows she killed Andre, feels horrible for what she put Gabi through, and knows that Stefan took advantage of her while she was under the influence of the alters. She doesn't know to what extent, but, having seen Abigail deck Ben, I can't wait to see what she does to Stefan when she learns what he did.
As for Stefan, he got off scot-free. For that, he is like Stefano, who also had that Teflon winning streak when it came to getting away with crimes. Still, the rapist d-bag's limping around Salem, carrying a wig while grieving for a love that didn't exist. So, did he really win?
Ultimately, the biggest loser is Gabi. Abigail regained control, the alters are gone (I think, that wasn't totally clear), and she got to go home with Chad to be with Thomas. Don't worry, though, Gabs, Hope will get around helping you...in the morning...maybe after she's had some coffee and a scone...and picked up her dry cleaning. An early run to Target for that item she keeps forgetting to pick up? Maybe. Just maybe. So, in the meantime, sweet dreams in the Statesville infirmary, Ms. Gabi -- Hope will get to you soon...ish!
LOOSE ENDS:
Andre did love Kate. Though it's kind of like having a pair of arm floaties on the Titanic, I hope she finds that out, as it might make things a little better. Maybe, but, ultimately, not really that much.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, Chloe and Theresa had a captive pajama party. Chloe caught Theresa up on life in Salem. Theresa was not loving Brady being in love with Eve. Theresa caught Chloe up on life as a drug lord's detainee. They plan to escape. They amusingly tricked Miguel. And Theresa got the key, found evidence and, hello!, ran into Xander! Yep. Xander Kiriakis. Twist! I'm in. Let's go.
Back in Salem, Brady and Eve were Brady and Eve. They love each other still and expressed their fears again. Brady popped the question...again. Before she could answer, Victor walked in and was ba da ba ba bah, not lovin' it! Stay tuned.
Rafe and Hope skirmishes are odd. They manage to be super passive-aggressive and kinda vicious simultaneously. I feel this round goes to Rafe. His arguments did have merit. Hope made valid points, too, especially when stating the obvious that it's hard to be professional when your personal life is involved. I paraphrased. Still, I felt like Rafe won -- Hope, I love you, despite the way you're acting.
Maybe I shouldn't have wished for the Lani's Lie/Baby Bonanza to be over so quickly. The Lani/J.J./Eli/Gabi set is just kind of bitter, blue, and sitting around reading now. Ah. Well. At least there's ice cream involved.
Marlena and Kate's chat was great. A very honest conversation peppered in the right amount of reflection. Though I don't think Kate's a "capture energy in a positive way" kind of lady.
And as much as I loved Marlena and Kate's conversation, it did leave me with two extra thoughts. One, Marlena is totally going to play the "Abigail" role against Kate, since she heard Kate state she wanted to strangle Vivian. More so, two, and again, shouldn't Dr. Mar have been with Abigail!? You know. Just a little.
Okay. Three things. So. Kate was watching Thomas at the time of the shooting, and then Jennifer picked him up. Just wanted to get that timeline right. Good luck, 'Lil Tom Tom. You'll need it!
And Paul for the win! I think I'd melt a little if someone said (and I'm paraphrasing again), "There is a problem. It's been twenty-four hours since we've seen each other." Aww. Though I once got a mix tape from someone. There's that. Yeah. Anyway. I like that Paul and Will are sharing an adventure, which might seemingly weave into other storylines, but I also like the fact they're just a cute young couple in love. Christopher Sean and Chandler Massey's chemistry sells this storyline in spades, even in the slower moments.
Still, I did take note of Paul's puzzling looks as they learned of the diary and began to read it. I tossed up a few ideas, but I think it's simple. Paul possibly could be a little panicked that Will might remember his past while strolling through Dr. Dementia's diary and dump him to reunite with his ex. That's a valid concern, as Paul semi-recently lost at love because the guy dumped him to reunite with an ex. You know, Will. So, yep. There's a lot there.
HOT
Take a bow, Louise Sorel! You came (back). You saw. You conquered. You're fabulous.
NOT-lite
Mar. Hope. Get it together, ladies. I know you're both better at your jobs than shown, err, not so-much-shown last week.
LINE OF THE WEEK
Will (to Paul): "Okay, well, last night sounds crazy. You found a hidden panel and then went to a secret room, and you rescued both of my grandmothers from suffocating."
TRUE 'DAT LINE OF THE WEEK
Gabi (to Rafe): "Why do you keep saying that!? Everyone keeps telling me 'It's going to be okay,' but it's not. It has not been okay. I'm not okay!"
Srsly. If anyone has the right to utter that statement lately, it's Gabi. Preach, girl.
EXCHANGE(S) OF THE WEEK
Kate: "As tempting as that offer is, I'd rather crash on a deserted island and nearly die -- again -- than work with you."
Vivian: "Would that be a grudge?"
Hope: "Stefan was just spotted carrying the wig."
Rafe: "Huh. 'Cause that's not weird."
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Mystery solved! Leo is a painter. And he's super talented, or so says Sonny. And we all know Sonny is a good judge of character. Poor Sonny Bear.
DAYS' use of history was on fire last week! Dr. Rolf. Princess Gina. John's "death." A carbon copy of Will's grandmother. Nice. Very nice.
You know, I am a little, maybe a lot, disappointed that we'll never get to see a "Girl Power!" team-up of Kate and Vivian. At least for now, I guess. There is a syringe full of hope, after all.
Really!? Will met with Clyde, and we didn't see that? That also disappoints me.
Galen Gering cracked me up last week. He delivers some sarcastic truth bombs like no other. I'm still chucking about the above "Exchange of the Week" regarding the wig. Well played, Galen. Well played.
Okay, Kate. Lucas is immature. Grandpa Lucas, that is.
Go on, Eli. Go visit Gabi again. She has a lot more rage she needs to express. It's sort of like helping her. And that's what he wants.
Should Rolf have used Resurrected by Wilhelm on Paige, that might not be such a bad thing. J.J. is in desperate need of a storyline now that that baby business has been blown out of the water. I'm still rooting for Bev to return, but a not-so-dead Paige might do the trick, too.
When Roger told Will, "I miss you, kid," I kind of wanted to give him a hug for the road. I hope Roger reoccurs more often. Hat tip, Rog, you win!
I hope someone calls Ivan and Quinn Hudson! They might want to know what happened to Vivian. Or does Ivan already know -- could he be the one who injected Vivian!?
Chad really needs to change his shirt. I think it's beyond what OxiClean or a Tide Stick can salvage. Then again, maybe Dr. Rolf invented a solution for removing bloodstains. That would come in handy is his line of work.
Speaking of fashion, I loved Theresa's jumpsuit! It's very captive chic. Yep. It would behoove Gabi to look into a prison clothing line, for sure.
Kate told Vivian that Stefan was either "complicit or stupid." Could be both, Kate. Could be both.
Somewhere out there, Carly Manning is doing backflips!
Hmm! Leo has a last name. Stark. That must mean his importance is growing, and I'm okay with that. I like having Greg Rikaart around Salem. Though "Stark" made me have a few thoughts. One. Tony Stark, but I doubt Leo's related to Iron Man, though that would be really cool. Two. Isn't there a family on Game of Thrones called Stark? I dunno. I'm one of the only two people who don't watch it. I'm just assuming there's another out there, mind you. Anyway. Three! Remember Andrew Stark!? He was the faux-stalker turned real stalker who worked for Gabi. Though Andrew's real name was revealed as "Corey Oliveieri." That would have been cool if he and Leo were related -- or he was related to Iron Man.
Let's ask Stefan what he learned because he just got schooled from the Patch Man with a follow-up lesson from Sweetness. I kind of love them hating on Stefan. I think Jack would, too.
You go, Will! Way to pick up that tab for dinner. And it's equally impressive that he got paid and hasn't submitted a story yet!
Related to food, I was kind of jealous of Chloe's breakfast spread. You know. The one Theresa devoured.
Returns from the dead are pretty much a dime a dozen on DAYS. Almost a running joke. I'm glad the writers cut to the chase and showed Vivian getting the injection. Glad on many levels.
Snap! Brady got to work in "all the days of your life" into his proposal to Eve. That means it's serious.
It's official. Deimos' murder is a "cold case." Chloe said so. She told Theresa. So, the ball hasn't been dropped as much as placed in a drawer for future generations to uncover. Maybe said ball will be found along with Don Craig's letter and the Gemini Twins' skimpy silver outfits.
I don't think Stefan and Gabigail's entire "It was real because we were real" schmaltz could have made me roll my eyes harder. It's absurd. And I'm pretty sure a cut song from Pinocchio.
Oh, Gabi. Gabi. Gabi. Gabi. She asked why her best friend would "do this" to her. That's easy. They didn't have matching friendship bracelets to seal the deal, amIright E-Rock and D.J. Jenny Bear? Those bracelets are like magic. Magic.
PARTING THOUGHTS
So, friends and fellow DAYS fans, that's it for the week of May 14! While Salem was full of returns last week, Two Scoops gets one of its own -- Laurisa is back in action next week! And, "That's a fact!"
As always, thanks for reading!
Tony
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