Days of Our Lives Round Table: Really Dead or Salem Dead?

Susan and Ava went off a cliff. Xander struggled with what to tell Sarah. Nicole gave Jada some unwanted advice while Salem attempted to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Our TV Fanatics, Jack and Christine, are joined by Horizon from MyHourglass, a Days of Our Lives fan forum, to debate whether Ava and Susan are really dead, if Eric and Jada can co-parent their baby, if Nicole was out of line, and if Salem celebrated a satisfying Thanksgiving.

If Susan is really dead (or as dead as anyone ever is in Salem), are you upset about it? Would you prefer Susan was saved?

Horizon: With this show, one can’t proclaim deaths with confidence, but at the moment, it does seem Susan has expired.

I have never been able to tolerate Susan, the character, and I don’t find her offbeat cute. Just annoying and grating.

That said, if she does crawl back into the fray in limited doses, I hope I can live with it.

Jack: I find it hard to believe that Susan or Ava is really dead. No one ever stays dead (unless the actor passes away), which makes the grief scenes tedious.

I enjoy Susan’s eccentricity and would prefer she turn up alive. I also am not up for endless scenes of EJ’s grief, especially since we have the real-life death of John Aniston that will have to be addressed on-screen at some point, and I don’t want to be burned out on grief when that happens.

Christine: Susan’s never been one of my favorite characters, but I do enjoy her in small doses, and I like how she brings out EJ’s human side.

So, I will be upset if she’s really, truly dead, and I’m actually hoping she crawls back up from that cliff.

It’s your turn, Days fans! Do you think Ava and Susan are really dead or just Salem dead?

Will Xander tell Sarah the truth? If he does, will Sarah leave him?

Horizon: Since Sarah appears to be almost onto him, it would seem wise for Xander to let the truth fly and explain things in the way he did with Gwen.

A risk for sure, but the alternative of keeping the secret will probably eat him alive, and besides, Sarah might find out anyway down the road. I say bite the bullet. Xander is suffering from the “karma is a bitch” syndrome that Rafe has gone through.

Whereas Gwen kept a dirty secret from Xander to keep their relationship alive, he is hiding something bad from Sarah to keep things going.

One side bit. In a distinct minority, but I am a huge fan of both the Sarah character and Gwen character. But to me, Xander fits better with Sarah. They make a fun couple.

Jack: I doubt it. DAYS’ usual pattern is to start to tell the truth and change one’s mind after an interruption or a long preamble that goes nowhere.

When Sarah finds out, I’m sure she will leave him and say that if he had only told her the truth, things would be different.

Christine: It’s doubtful, although I wish he would, if for no other reason than that would be something different for Days.

If he actually tells her the entire truth, Sarah will struggle, but she might just stick by him, even though guilt might consume them both.

What did you think of Kate and Nicole’s advice to Jada and Jada’s reaction to it?

Horizon: Kate was offering some support and mainly listened. Nicole, on the other hand, is behaving like a borderline stalker.

I loved it when Jada told her to “shut the hell up.” I was sort of rooting for her to slug the obnoxious Nicole.

Jack: Deciding whether to keep the baby is a huge decision, and while I applaud DAYS for taking a pro-choice stand, I don’t think it’s being treated with the seriousness it deserves.

Kate’s advice was for Jada to decide what she wanted irrespective of what decisions Eric might make if she keeps the baby, and that was good solid advice.

But Jada changed her mind almost immediately after talking to Nicole. So she either hadn’t really thought things through, or she was manipulated by Nicole.

As for Nicole’s advice, it was better than I expected from the commercial. I still don’t buy that Nicole would be in favor of termination (after losing two babies, I’d think she’d be more in the “I hope Jada is able to carry to term though I wish the father wasn’t Eric” camp).

Nicole wasn’t really cold or nasty about it, and she did point out aspects of single motherhood that Jada hadn’t considered.

Christine: Kate’s advice was solid. She encouraged Jada to figure out what she wants, aside from Eric or Nicole. And she let Jada talk. Jada has no real friends in Salem, so finding someone who would listen to her was important.

Nicole was horrid. She said everything she could think of to manipulate Jada into ending her pregnancy, and considering how much Nicole went through to have a child, I find that particularly repugnant.

Jada was overwhelmed and exhausted. She’s had virtually no time to process any of this and feels very alone. Hopefully, she gets some rest and takes the time to think this all through without any more “advice” from Nicole.

Do you think Eric and Jada can successfully co-parent this child even if they aren’t a couple?

Horizon: I don’t think Eric can continue to play this tangled weave of multi-partner “hero.” The roof will ultimately leak. And Jada hasn’t ruled out an abortion, so this could go several ways.

Jack: I don’t see why not. Daniel and Chloe did it, and if Kristen wasn’t a total lunatic, Brady and Kristen could have worked it out too.

Christine: Absolutely. Jada and Eric are basically good people and responsible adults. This child can have a wonderful life with two separate but loving parents.

Did you prefer Alex and Stephanie’s Thanksgiving-themed second date or Wendy and Johnny’s Jakarta adventure?

Horizon: Frankly, I didn’t much care for either, but if pressed, I would side with the junior sleuths. Stephanie and Alex plain annoy me.

Jack: I don’t like Alex and Stephanie as a couple, so I’ll go with the adventure. I thought Wendy and Johnny had a lot of chemistry, and I was hoping their near-death experience with Rolf would help them realize life is too short to deny how they really feel.

Christine: I want to like Alex and Stephanie, but something about them isn’t clicking.

So I’m going with Wendy and Johnny. These two are cute more than steamy, but I am enjoying their scenes together and look forward to more.

Rate the Thanksgiving-themed episodes this year? What were your favorite and least favorite scenes?

Horizon: I loved the Rafe, Gabi, and Li chill fest. It felt so homespun with everybody sucking down beers. Especially amusing watching Li in sit-back and knock-one-down mode, casually dressed for a change.

My least favorite was Alex and Stephanie and their muffin love fest. They’re the most annoying couple since Brady and Chloe.

Jack: The biggest positive is we actually had Thanksgiving, and I liked Roman and family discussing what they were grateful for.

I also enjoyed Abe and Paulina’s Thanksgiving in the cafe with Nicole. Nicole seemed more like herself around them, and it was nice to see them acting like her surrogate parents.

Finally, I enjoyed Li showing a more human side when he was at Rafe’s for Thanksgiving.

I wished we didn’t have EJ’s grief on Thanksgiving itself — I wanted a break from that for the holiday! Also, I’d rather Chanel get out of jail than get a Thanksgiving meal in the interrogation room.

Christine: Rafe, Gabi, and Li’s get-together was my favorite. I loved how disappointed Li was that there was no pie. I completely get that!

And Roman, Kate, Jada, and Eric were a close second. I liked that they mentioned why other people couldn’t be there and still enjoyed their day.

As for my least favorite, Stephanie and Alex were eye-roll worthy, but I was mostly disappointed that we didn’t get a Kiriakis Thanksgiving dinner. Seeing Victor, Maggie, Justin, Bonnie, Alex, Sarah, and Xander all at one table could have been epic.

What, if anything, disappointed you the most this week in Salem?

Horizon: Xander even contemplating for one second killing Susan.

Jack: Way too much of this awful Ava/EJ story. Four out of five days were devoted to the accident and its aftermath, and one of those days was a single-story episode, so I couldn’t escape from it at all! And as mentioned above, Chanel should be out of jail instead of stuck in the interrogation room.

I also think Rafe and Nicole had way more chemistry in their awkward Thanksgiving prep scene than Eric and Nicole have displayed in months. I wish Nicole would realize she made a huge mistake and fight for a second chance with Rafe, but sadly I don’t think that will happen.

And Rafe should have donated the pie to a food bank if he didn’t want it. Throwing it away was such a waste of food!

Christine: For all of the buildup to Jada’s big secret, the aftermath has been kind of boring.

And I’m tired of hearing about the whole “broken home” trope and how that ruined Sami and would ruin Jada and Eric’s child.

Sami always had issues, and walking in on her mother cheating on her father is what sent her over the edge.

This child could be raised by two loving parents who don’t have to be married. Not only would that be okay, but it’s a lot better than a lot of kids get in this world.

What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline on this week’s Days of Our Lives?

Horizon: The way Sarah pronounced “blue suit” to Maggie. Li proclaiming he loves pumpkin pie before finding out Rafe chucked it plus Jada telling Nicole to “shut the hell up.” And EJ calling Ava a “psychotic bitch” to Rafe were the most memorable quotes.

As for the most interesting scenes, its a tie between Rafe questioning Bonnie in front of key characters and the Rafe, Li, and Gabi Thanksgiving get-together.

Also, the cliffhanger Friday as “Susan’s doll” fell off Marlena’s mantlepiece as EJ hears a rustling in the woods.

This was an especially strong week. Two storylines came up aces. First off, the wild escapades between Ava and EJ ending in a horrifying climax. The Xander secret with Sarah and Maggie but getting it off his chest with Gwen in the surprising role of offering kind support.

Jack: I loved Abe and Paulina’s scenes with Nicole, as mentioned above, and I especially liked that Abe had the sense to stay out of her and Eric’s business.

I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed Rafe and EJ’s talk by the side of the road. These two are better off as frenemies than hating each other!

Christine: Everything EJ! I was dreading that Susan might be killed off, but the aftermath has been poignant and dramatic.

Dan Feuerriegel knocked it out of the park in every scene. From coming home and telling Stefan and Chloe, to chastizing himself with Marlena, to the strange bromance brewing between EJ and Rafe, I couldn’t get enough.

And I love how even in grief, EJ still revels in sarcasm. “Well done, Hernandez, putting those crack detective skills to work.” “Commission Dudley Do-Right, drinking on the job.”

As much as I’d like Susan to be alive, I’m actually looking forward to seeing EJ tell Johnny she’s gone because it could be a very moving scene that brings this father and son together.

It’s your turn, Days fans. Hit that SHOW COMMENTS button to let us know your answers to our round table questions. Then check out Jack Ori’s Days of Our Lives review here at TV Fanatic.

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C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.

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