Days of Our Lives: The Best and Worst of 2014
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Camila Banus' decision the leave Days gave the writers a chance to pen a great exit story for Gabi, and they delivered in spades. The sweet ingenue was revealed as Nick's murderer. The fallout -- from Gabi's confession to the crime to her being carted off to prison -- provided for major dramatic moments. The best scenes, however, were Gabi's touching farewell to her big brother Rafe and her emotional goodbye to her beloved baby daughter Arianna.
Her beloved fiance was murdered. Her children lost their father. So what did Sami decide to do to cope? Move to Hollywood where studio execs were going to put her whole sordid life story on screen. That's going to help her get over EJ? Make her kids feel better? One word: lame. It's definitely not the kind of exit I would have penned for Alison Sweeney, after nearly 22 years as Salem's premiere bad girl. And Sweeney herself went on record as saying that she thought Sami deserved "some sort of very twisted like 'Breaking Bad' ending." Now that would have worked.
When baseball star Paul Narita first arrived in Salem, it looked like he was going to break hearts of the female variety. The guy was a blatant flirt, who came onto everyone from Abigail to Anne. Finding out he was actually gay was a surprise, but finding out he was Sonny's ex-lover was a monumental shocker. Kudos to the Days writers for scripting the big reveal so cryptically and cleverly, when Paul snuck up behind Sonny in the hospital linen closet and planted big, fat kiss on him.
Yes, they won by default. Let's face it, there aren't many happy Salem twosomes. Nonetheless, John and Marlena deserve the best couple honors for a a few reasons. Number one, they have staying power. The duo have been going strong, on and off, for over two decades. Although they weathered "Storm Kristen," separated and filed for divorce; they eventually found their way back to one another after John was nearly killed. Now, they're happily reconnecting, as they should be.
After a date, maybe two, JJ and Paige suddenly pronounced their love for one another. The question is, When exactly did they fall for each other? Fans didn't get to witness a courtship, see them endure normal teen dating woes, yearn for their first kiss... The relationship was just announced: these kids are in love. Viewers aren't invested in this "love story" and for good reason: the show's scribes didn't write one.
11. Best Exit: Gabi's Farewell
Camila Banus' decision the leave Days gave the writers a chance to pen a great exit story for Gabi, and they delivered in spades. The sweet ingenue was revealed as Nick's murderer. The fallout -- from Gabi's confession to the crime to her being carted off to prison -- provided for major dramatic moments. The best scenes, however, were Gabi's touching farewell to her big brother Rafe and her emotional goodbye to her beloved baby daughter Arianna.
12. Worst Exit: Sami Heads to Hollywood
Her beloved fiance was murdered. Her children lost their father. So what did Sami decide to do to cope? Move to Hollywood where studio execs were going to put her whole sordid life story on screen. That's going to help her get over EJ? Make her kids feel better? One word: lame. It's definitely not the kind of exit I would have penned for Alison Sweeney, after nearly 22 years as Salem's premiere bad girl. And Sweeney herself went on record as saying that she thought Sami deserved "some sort of very twisted like 'Breaking Bad' ending." Now that would have worked.
13. Biggest Surprise: Paul Is Sonny's Ex-Lover
When baseball star Paul Narita first arrived in Salem, it looked like he was going to break hearts of the female variety. The guy was a blatant flirt, who came onto everyone from Abigail to Anne. Finding out he was actually gay was a surprise, but finding out he was Sonny's ex-lover was a monumental shocker. Kudos to the Days writers for scripting the big reveal so cryptically and cleverly, when Paul snuck up behind Sonny in the hospital linen closet and planted big, fat kiss on him.
14. Best Couple: John and Marlena
Yes, they won by default. Let's face it, there aren't many happy Salem twosomes. Nonetheless, John and Marlena deserve the best couple honors for a a few reasons. Number one, they have staying power. The duo have been going strong, on and off, for over two decades. Although they weathered "Storm Kristen," separated and filed for divorce; they eventually found their way back to one another after John was nearly killed. Now, they're happily reconnecting, as they should be.
15. Worst Couple: JJ and Paige
After a date, maybe two, JJ and Paige suddenly pronounced their love for one another. The question is, When exactly did they fall for each other? Fans didn't get to witness a courtship, see them endure normal teen dating woes, yearn for their first kiss... The relationship was just announced: these kids are in love. Viewers aren't invested in this "love story" and for good reason: the show's scribes didn't write one.
