Lisa Rinna exiting Days of Our Lives Again!

It seems that Lisa Rinna, who plays Billie Reed on NBC's Days of Our Lives, will be leaving Salem again.  “She's leaving so she can do all of the 500 other things she loves to do. She's working on her Belle Gray line for QVC, she’s writing another diet and fitness book, plus she’s developing a vitamin supplement line and lingerie line. She’s also in talks to do a panel-type talk show,” a friend of Lisa's said.

Before her most recent return, Billie Reed was last seen on Days of Our Lives in 2005.  Since Billie's return to Salem in March 2012 the character hasn't been given much of a storyline.  Billie was a sounding board for Austin during his Carrie problems, and helped Kate with Countess W. for a short time.  She flirted a bit with Daniel Jonas, and harassed EJ for a bit about setting up John.  But we never really saw a meaty storyline given to Billie.  It's almost as if the writer's don't know what to do with the character of Billie if they don't have her chasing around Bo Brady, which just goes back to what I said originally:  Billie Reed is finished.  We've heard all of her story.  Sometimes it's important for the writer's to realize this and to move on.

Good luck to Lisa Rinna.  I happened to love her when she played Billie Reed the first go around and was a huge Billie/Bo fan when Robert Kelker-Kelley played Bo.  But alas, those days are gone.  I wish Lisa all the best and much success. 

Chemistry Between Alison Sweeney and Galen Gering Feels Contrived

There's nothing worse than watching a couple on NBC's Days of Our Lives whose actors have zero chemistry together. You know it's bad when the writer's begin writing into the actual dialogue of the show how we the viewer should feel about certain characters or after particular scenes.  This is what is currently happening with Alison Sweeney and Galen Gering as Sami Brady and Rafe Hernandez respectively. 

On yesterday's show, Sami was mugged and hurt her wrist in the process.  And in a very fake fashion, Sami fell on top of Rafe.  Rafe disgustedly asked Sami, "Could you get off me?" After bringing Sami to the hospital Rafe and Sami had a little spat. It was a stupid little back-n-forth on who was right about her wrist and got more serious when Sami questioned Rafe about being Nicole's baby's father.  If Rafe is the dad, Sami wondered, why isn't he going with Nicole to her doctor appointment? There was lots of "What's it to you?" and "I don't want to talk about this with YOU," from Rafe and equally snotty responses from Sami.  As I watched I honestly felt like these people hated each other.  Rafe came off as annoyed and hassled.  Sami came off as contemptuous and slightly disgusted.

But then Nicole came in.  She said to Rafe "Question is, will you betray yourself for the woman you love?"  When Rafe denied he's in love with Sami, Nicole said "Well, seeing you two a little earlier, you could have fooled me."  Nicole later said "Okay. Think what you want. But the eyes don't lie. You two look like you haven't even been apart."   And all I was thinking was "What the hell did I miss?"  What I saw wasn't even close to what Nicole declared to have seen.  Nicole apparently saw hidden passion and love in Rafe and Sami's eyes. I saw annoyance and contempt. What I saw with Rafe and Sami was a couple of strangers who didn't ever want to get to know one another.

If we are supposed to see chemistry between Rafe and Sami, then the actors actually need to have chemistry.  And Alison Sweeney and Galen Gering don't. And it's insulting that the writer's think I can't form my own opinion based on what I see and that instead I need them to tell me what I saw and how I felt about it.  The banter with Rafe and Sami doesn't come across as fiery and passionate the way Sami and EJ's fights always do.  The fights with Rafe and Sami seem to come from a place of disgust and dislike. Sami being with someone who genuinely dislikes her as a person is insulting and degrading. That's not the "romance" I want to see.

Does Galen Gering (Rafe) have Days of Our Lives Head Writers in his back pocket?

Galen Gering has worked on NBC's Days of Our Lives since October 2008 portraying Rafe Hernandez, an FBI agent hired to protect Samantha Brady from the "evil" EJ Dimera.
For fans of Days of Our Lives, Rafe and SAFE (Sami & Rafe) have always been controversial.  For some fans, Rafe was a breath of fresh air.  He was viewed as the good guy Sami always needed to help Sami settle down and lose all the chaos that had always characterized her life. 

For other fans, Rafe was the death of all we loved about Sami.  We had to say goodbye to passionate, impulsive Sami.  We watched for months as she cleaned her apartment, had sex with Rafe, and cried about losing custody of her children.  Gone was the Sami who had a plan. Gone was the Sami who'd do anything (and by anything I mean anything!) to keep her children safe. Gone was the Sami who acted first and worried about the consequences later. The Sami who replaced her was just a shell of who we once loved.  We mourned her. 

And then Days of Our Lives Executive Producer and Head Writers were fired! Gary Tomlin was Executive Producer for Days of Our Lives from Sept. 2008 - Sept. 2011. Dena Higley and Christopher Whitesell worked as Head Writers from 2008 - August 2011.  They were responsible for storylines such as all that was Rafe and SAFE, the Nick Fallon stalker story, Kate's lung cancer, Hope's prison storyline including Jen's heart transplant!, Chloe as a prostitute, the awful way Louis Sorel was treated as Vivian Alamain, Taylor Walker with EJ Dimera.  Horribly awful things is what I'm trying to get at.

The new writer's came in and fixed alot of the mess. Suddenly we saw our beloved impulsive, passionate Sami again.  We saw the beginnings of Ejami and the ruination of SAFE because honestly, who can ever forgive Rafe for wanting Carrie? We saw Taylor Walker removed from Salem along with that loser Quinn.  We saw John and Marlena returning.  Good things were happening.  And then BAM! The new writers are FIRED and guess who's back in? Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell, authors of all that's awful.

Now what are we seeing on Days of Our Lives?  Oh look, there's Nick Fallon. And my goodness, are they seriously trying to work Rafe back in with Sami after having that selfish little slut Carrie tell Rafe he should go back to Sami since Carrie was leaving with Austin?  You've got to be kidding me.  But it all fits, doesn't it?  Galen Gering as Rafe was Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell's little invention.  SAFE was their stupid idea.  Nick too, for that matter.  And because Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell are pompous asses, they think they know better than us what we fans want to see.

Well, news flash Mr. Tomlin and Mr. Whitesell: SAFE sucks.  Do some damn research. Scour the internet, read the blogs and forums.  Safe doesn't work on any level. Not for those who enjoy Rafe and not for those who love Sami. SAFE isn't what we want to see.  EJami far outscores the competition, with Lumi coming in a close second (and you'll have to debate a Lumi fan is you want to get away with this statement!) SAFE doesn't even register on the richter scale.

 Mr. Tomlin and Mr. Whitesell, we might be okay with the dead coming back to life, the dopplegangers, the devil possessed, and mind control switches - but we aren't okay with a husband going after his wife's sister no matter how hard you try to sell it.  Galen's been around for 4 years. He's a MINOR character.  SAFE no longer works. It's time for Rafe to go. The next time you arrogant asses fire someone, how about Galen Gering instead of canning fan favorites like Peter Reckell and Matthew Ashford. 

EJAMI or SAFE?

EJ or Rafe?

Looks like we're getting a Ejami vs Safe storyline for the fall.  Who's your pick?

Eric Brady as a priest?

Days of Our Lives has confirmed that Greg Vaughan has been cast as Eric Brady, Sami's twin brother and Nicole Walker's first love interest. On August 13th, Kristian Alfonso tweeted a picture of herself, Eric Matsoff (Brady), and Greg Vaughan on the set.  In the photo it looks as if Eric has become a priest.  In an interview with EW, Vaughan said this about his new character: “He’s been a world photojournalist. He’s just a guy who has a found a new direction in life. He has kind of re-gravitated in a different direction, more so than what the audience expects. The question will most likely be why he has chosen this new direction in life.”

I have to say my first opinion of this is WHAT? Who in the world wants to watch Eric Brady as a priest? I was already having a hard time with Greg Vaughan being Alison Sweeney's twin because Vaughan looks much older than Sweeney from the photos I've seen.  But a priest?  We did the priest thing with John Black a few years back and unless someone's gonna be possessed by the devil then I'm not really into doing it again. Hopefully bed-hopping Nicole will get Eric to turn from the priesthood.