There was trick-or-treating at Horton Town Square, and we saw scary clowns, a royal family, and some supposedly creepy letters.
Our TV Fanatics, Jack and Christine, are joined by PhloeForever from MyHourglass, a Days of Our Lives fan forum, to debate the best costumes, Orpheus’ supervillain status, who shouldn’t leave Salem, and if Sonny should have been asking about people’s threesomes.
Who had the best Halloween costume in Salem?
PhloeForever: I thought Brady had the best Halloween costume. He really did give me the feeling that he could pass as Henry Othello.
Jack: I loved Steve’s pirate costume, though Holly’s shark outfit was the cutest of the kids’ costumes.
Christine: Kristen did make a pretty amazing Queen. Plus, it’s a costume that was in keeping with her personality and the fact that she feels like she’s in control right now.
You tell us, Days fans. Who had the best Halloween costume in Salem?
Orpheus, the town supervillain, has seemingly been reduced to sending nasty letters. Is this effectively creepy or disappointing?
PhloeForever: It’s been months since Orpheus has been with the show providing a major storyline for Steve and Kayla or John and Marlena. Now, he’s reduced to sending creepy letters, and it is disappointing.
I would like to see a completely new storyline, perhaps from a clinical perspective. For example, Marlena competes against another psychiatrist who has come to the Salem hospital to obtain clients.
It might just be a similar storyline with Orpheus again, where his creepy letters result in kidnapping someone.
Jack: This is extremely disappointing. It makes me feel like this story isn’t really about Orpheus vs. the good guys; it’s a vehicle for other stories (like Kristen blackmailing Brady.)
I wouldn’t mind the nasty notes if they were part of a plan for Orpheus to make the guys crazy by making them think he’s doing something when he’s not.
But I wish we’d at least have a cameo of Orpheus sitting in his cell or wherever he is, laughing to himself.
Christine: Orpheus has become the ghost of this storyline. When was the last time we saw him? This is supposed to be the main storyline involving multiple characters, but it lacks drama, so it’s definitely disappointing.
Tripp, Ava, and Joey are all considering heading to Seattle. Would you rather any of them stick around Salem?
PhloeForever: I would have preferred Joey stay in Salem. I’ve liked the actor’s portrayal so far. I would have liked to see him interact with Stephanie, Allie, Chanel, Sonny, Johnny, etc.
Joey could be influencing things with his personality that hasn’t really been shown in depth. Joey belongs to two major families in Salem, the Bradys, and the Johnsons, so he should be interacting with family.
Jack: I feel like there are story opportunities for all of them. If Tripp and Ava both stick around, I think it would be fun and interesting for Ava to struggle between her impulses for revenge and her desire to please her son, who expects her to stay on the straight and narrow.
The young adult set has been reduced to just Allie, Johnny, Chanel, and now Wendy. We need more people in that age range, so Tripp and Joey should stay for that reason alone.
Plus, we haven’t had many interactions between Stephanie and her siblings other than on Beyond Salem and one token scene between her and Joey. The three of them trying to help take care of Kayla as she recovers would allow them to interact and possibly get in each other’s way.
The hospital is short of doctors, so Tripp has a built-in reason to stay, just as Steve pointed out, and Joey was supposed to be working with Stephanie. And won’t it be easier for Steve to ensure everyone’s safe if they’re all in one place?
Christine: I want them all to stay. I’ve always liked Tripp and Ava. I love their mother/son relationship, and Ava brings a sense of fun to her storylines.
Having Joey show up for just a couple of weeks is a waste. The show needs these young adults in Salem; they are all connected to one another, which should make it even easier to incorporate their storylines with the rest of Salem.
Should Alex have told Sonny about his threesome with Allie and Chanel? Should Sonny have asked Allie about it?
PhloeForever: Alex shouldn’t have told Sonny about his threesome with Chanel and Allie because he also interacts closely with them. From Sonny’s perspective, it should be weird imagining them having a threesome, seeing them in that way sexually.
In the world today, people’s sexuality is a freedom of choice. Having a threesome is not such an unusual thing. Why did Sonny have to ask Allie about her experience with that in her own home, especially since he already knew of it from Alex?
Sonny seemed like he was missing Will, and that’s why he wanted to know. It seems like even Will could end up knowing everything now.
Jack: Alex likes to brag about his sexual exploits, so that was in character for him, but Sonny could have told him he doesn’t want to hear the details and left it at that.
In any case, the threesome wasn’t really his business, and it made for a very awkward and cringeworthy conversation.
Christine: Alex bragging to his brother about the threesome wasn’t a surprise, but what was up with Sonny? Sonny confronting Allie about her private sex life was awkward, inappropriate, and kind of pathetic. I expected better of Sonny.
Could Brady find a better way of handling Kristen’s demand to live with him and Rachel? Is this situation helpful or harmful to Rachel?
PhloeForever: I remembered that episode where Stefan first came over showing interest in Chloe, and she and Brady both figured out what he was doing and that Kristen must have done something to with it.
It would have been more fun if Brady secretly told John, Marlena, and Chloe what Kristen was forcing him to do. Brady and Chloe could have tried to deceive Kristen by pretending to be broken up but still together.
John, a former secret spy, could effectively help him with that secret, and Marlena could help him deal with that problem as a psychiatrist. Gabi could have even tried to help him bring her down.
It’s harmful to Rachel because he isn’t living with them naturally as a family, with love for her mom. It’s under pretense because of Kristen’s blackmail. Perhaps Brady could just tell Rachel when she’s older of Kristen’s wrongdoings.
Jack: The better way is staring Brady in the face. He could have told John and Chloe what was going on in the first place. What’s done is done, but John has given Brady about 15 opportunities to tell him, and he’s refused.
This really is not good for Rachel. First of all, it teaches her that she has the power to dictate her father’s life and that if she’s nasty and throws enough tantrums, she can get rid of any girlfriend of his she dislikes.
It also gives her false hope of her parents falling back in love and living together permanently. Plus, she’s living a lie. And finally, she’s better off with less exposure to her narcissistic mother, not more.
Christine: Brady’s father is a former spy, and his stepmother is a psychiatrist. Plus, they know what Kristen is capable of, so if he’d only tell them what Kristen has done, they could help him.
As for Rachel, she loves her mother, but Brady and Kristen have been idiots about this. They could share joint custody like adults, but the likelihood of that happening is slim.
Sloane Peterson. Love her or late her?
PhloeForever: I hate Sloane Peterson. I was really turned off when I heard her doubling her price for Paulina to pay her with the whole blackmail issue.
Paulina had just heard that Stephanie had tried to deceive Sloane with fake money, and this wasn’t even her fault. Sloane is a despicable shark of a lawyer, simply using what her client knows about Chanel to her advantage, which seems to be so bad Paulina has to end up paying her.
Paulina keeps saying Stephanie should be put out of business, but it’s more Sloane’s career that should end because this goes against everything her career stands for.
Jack: Ugh. What a useless, one-note character. She’s a sleazy defense attorney who loves kinky sex and is motivated by money. She can slither back to where she came from any time now.
Christine: I kind of like Sloane. The show needs someone like Sloane, who is slippery and smart. And I find her sex antics with Alex oddly refreshing.
But I am curious who Sloane’s client is, or if there is one. It wouldn’t surprise me if Sloane were behind it all.
Were you surprised that Paulina threatened to destroy Stephanie and her company?
PhloeForever: Honestly, I wasn’t surprised, but I thought she’d want to destroy Sloane.
Jack: I get why Paulina is angry and disappointed, but that was a little over the top. Stephanie isn’t trying to prevent blackmail on any other job, and she seems to do fine when it’s straight PR and not cloak-and-dagger stuff.
Christine: Paulina seemed to be taking out her anger on Stephanie because she couldn’t fight Sloane.
Unfortunately, Stephanie has been promising things she can’t deliver, and the stakes are very high for Paulina. If Stephanie was over her head, she should have said so, or she could have asked her father for help. As a PI, he’s dealt with blackmail far more often than Stephanie.
What disappointed you the most this week in Salem?
PhloeForever: What disappointed me is how big and horrible Chanel’s secret must be that Paulina, who seemed like a strong, resilient woman. But Paulina had to just put up with Sloane’s blackmailing her mercilessly, all because one of her clients knew Chanel’s secret.
Jack: Gabi got the truth only to get drugged, so she doesn’t remember. That drags this story out unnecessarily, probably so we can have the usual interrupted wedding.
Similarly, can we find out what Chanel’s secret is already? Do the writers even know, or are they making it up as they go along?
And why were there so many creepy clowns running around Salem? That didn’t seem like Susan’s type of costume; she should have been dressed as Priscilla Presley (or Elvis himself).
Also, at this point, Charlie needs to stay dead. Or is that someone in a Charlie mask looking for trouble? Either way, go away.
Why did Stephanie keep digging herself into a deeper hole instead of asking Steve for help when the thing Paulina wanted her to do was WHAT HE DOES FOR A LIVING? Also, I could have done without Sloane’s ideas about handcuffs.
I have nothing against real BDSM, but that scene with her and Alex felt like it was plucked out of a porn movie!
Christine: I hate that they’re dragging out Chanel’s secret. At this point, whatever she’s done is bound to feel anticlimactic.
And I hope Ava, Tripp, and Joey all stay in Salem.
What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline on this week’s Days of Our Lives?
PhloeForever: My favorite scene was seeing all the children I had not seen for such a long time dress up for Halloween and go to the Horton Square with their families.
I really was pleasantly surprised they made an effort to bring Ari, Holly, and Rachel out together. I liked the irony of it, too, with there being a mismatch of couples and it continuing to have tensions and awkwardness in different situations.
Jack: I loved Steve trying to convince Tripp to stay in Salem. I also was thrilled that Marlena and John were onto Kristen. And I loved what we saw the Horton Town Scare festival!
Christine: I love that Paulina gave Leo a job, and I think they’re going to make a wonderfully entertaining team. And Paulina would probably do better if she asked Leo for help with her blackmailer.
And I enjoyed seeing the kids and the adults trick or treating in Horton Square.
Want to share your answers for our round table?
Hit that SHOW COMMENTS button below. Want to chat more about the happenings in Salem? Then check out Jack Ori’s weekly Days of Our Lives review.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.