Days of Our Lives Round Table: Who Should Raise Holly?

Halloween brought it’s own brand of zaniness to the residents of Salem while Sami and Chloe both tried to get DNA tests at University Hospital.

Our TV Fanatics Jack Ori and Christine Orlando are joined by Andy from MyHourglass a Days of Our Lives fan forum to debate the highs and lows of the Halloween episode, if Brady should feel guilty, and who should raise Holly now that Nicole is gone?

What was your favorite part of the Halloween special episode?

Jack: I wasn't a big fan of this episode, so my favorite part was probably it ending so we could get back to normal.

But there were some funny lines and as an SVU fan I cracked up when Hattie called this Law & Order: Salem's Victim Unit because the idea of Olivia Benson [from SVU] attempting to deal with the lunacy in Salem was hilarious.

I also liked Abby telling Hattie how to hypnotize people based on what she saw in a movie. The idea of hypnotizing people by stirring a teacup three times actually felt dream-like.

Andy: It was a fun episode overall and a nice break from the real storylines. Loved the throwback to Marlena's possession (one of my first memories of Days of Our Lives).

But my favorite part was Hattie agreeing to end her marriage to John. I was afraid that would drag out much longer.

Christine: I’m never a big fan of these silly Halloween episodes. They seem like time wasters to me, but Hattie did make me laugh when she was “hypnotizing” Abigail. Hattie made the entire encounter a lot more fun but without her I’m not sure I would have enjoyed any of it.

Should Brady feel guilty about Nicole’s death? Does he have her blood on his hands?

Jack: While Brady is to blame for Nicole having left town, he didn't tell Xander where she was, encourage her to go along with Xander's blackmail, or set the fire that killed her. His actions set things in motion, but that doesn't make her death his fault.

Andy: I wouldn't put her death on his hands, there were a lot of other factors at play. He should feel more guilt for forcing her to leave Salem and Eric, a direct action that caused heartache for Nicole, Eric, and Jennifer. But her death is way more indirect than, say, Eric causing Daniel's death.

Christine: Although Brady isn’t directly responsible for Nicole’s death, he did force her to leave town and he did make the recording that allowed Xander to blackmail her. If he hadn’t set this whole mess into motion, Nicole might very well still be alive, so I’d say Brady’s got plenty to feel guilty about.

Will the mystery man in the hospital bed turn out to be EJ? Do you want him to be?

Jack: I'm sure he will since the show is pushing this idea of EJ and Sami being soulmates. But I would rather he not be. With Lucas' heart about to be broken too, if the guy isn't EJ it would make perfect sense for Lucas and Sami to find their way back to each other.

Andy: I would say it definitely is EJ, and better be after all this teasing. I'm happy about it. I think the show (specifically the Dimera clan) lost something when EJ died that just hasn't been recaptured. With Stefano gone, it's time to bring EJ back.

Christine: I want it to be EJ, but I want James Scott to play him. If that can’t happen then I hope that Sami and EJ go off to live their happily ever after off screen because I don’t want to see anyone else paired with Sami.

Who should raise Holly now that Nicole is gone?

Jack: Maggie and Sarah are Holly's actual relatives, but Sarah appears to have her hands full right now, so I'd vote for Maggie, with some help from Chloe and possibly Eric.

Andy: Maggie should have first rights or final say in who raises Holly, end of story. They could ship her off to live with Brandon. But if anyone outside the family is an option, it should be Chloe before Eric.

Christine: As the paternal grandmother, it should be Maggie’s choice unless Nicole left a will with instructions for Holly’s care. That said, it could be difficult for Maggie to raise a toddler at her age.

I don’t see a good answer here. Chloe barely sees Parker, Eric knows nothing about raising kids and does he even have a job? And we barely know Sarah. Maybe Melanie can come back and help raise her baby sister.

Was Lucas right? Does Belle owe Sami an apology?

Jack: Absolutely! Belle attempted to stop Sami from seeing her mother on what might have been Marlena's deathbed!

She was doing a great imitation of the way Julie goes on about Gabi having killed Nick every chance she gets and it was obnoxious, especially after it turned out that Sami had nothing to do with Marlena getting shot at all.

Andy: Yeah, Belle owes Sami a profuse apology. I get that all signs pointed to Sami having shot Marlena, and Belle was rightfully mad about it at the time; though she always takes her anger too far in my opinion.

But now that the truth is out in the open, Belle should definitely apologize and try to mend fences. Be there for her sister during this EJ situation.

Christine: Yes, and I think it’s horrible that she hasn’t done so already. Kristen had abducted Sami and drugged her, yet Belle didn’t seem to care at all what her sister had gone through. I’m so tired of Belle feeling so self-righteous next to Sami.

Which character did you dislike the most in Salem this week?

Jack: There's a couple who are on my bad list this week. Eve didn't need to be mean to Jennifer on her way out of town, Tripp didn't need to look down his nose at Ben, and the less I see of Stefan the better.

I'm also really not happy with Belle. She knew with 100% certainty that she was lying when she told Chloe that the baby is not Mimi's. She should be disbarred. And what happened to her being too ethical to rip up that Advance Directive?

Same goes for Kayla with her nonsense about how unethical it would be to run the DNA test without Mimi's permission after the unethical behavior she's been engaging in recently.

Andy: This week, I most disliked Belle, Mimi, and Bonnie for what they're doing to Lucas and Rex. They're all terrible for either concocting this plan, going along with it, or agreeing to cover it up.

Both Bonnie and Mimi are terrible, terrible mothers. And holier than thou Belle...well I guess lack of morals makes her a good lawyer? The truth always comes out people!

Christine: Belle! She was willing to let her own mother die for her ethics but has no trouble letting Lucas fall in love with a child that’s not his and allow Rex to never know his own daughter. I expect horrible behavior from Bonnie and even Mimi, but Belle not only keeping her mouth shut but also enabling their plot was despicable.

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

Jack: I loved Maggie's speech at the engagement party. DAYS is supposed to be about families overcoming obstacles due to their love for each other.

I also cracked up at Sarah's story about how Sami used to rip the heads off her dolls and Eric fixed them for her. And we finally got the Sami/Lucas scene I've been waiting for since Sami came back to town!

Andy: My favorite scene was when both Sami and Chloe showed up to ask Kayla for a paternity test at the same time. Classic soapy goodness. Sami's interactions with Susan were pretty funny too.

I thought the Ciara/Ben scenes were well acted, but I still don't like Ben being portrayed as a changed and redeemed man.

Christine: I loved Chloe and Sami showing up at the same time for a DNA test. That’s so Salem!

And I appreciated Lucas standing up for Sami with Belle. I never thought Lucas and Sami were a great love story but I do love them as best friends who always have one another’s backs.

Want to chat more about the crazy happenings in Salem? Then check out Jack Ori’s Days of Our Lives review here at TV Fanatic.