Home > Days of our Lives > Commentary

A Critic’s Review Of Days of our Lives: Lackluster & Tried-And-True Soap Trope

The author’s opinions on DAYS are his and his alone. They’re suitably scathing, fairly humorous, and normally bang on target.

days of our lives critic's review for november 6 – november 10, 2023, three images, gabi, xander, and theresa.Gabi Hernandez DiMera, Xander Cook, and Theresa Donovan.
 Comments

When it comes to Days of our Lives, every fan has their own opinion – and Soap Hub is no different. For five days, we sat and watched the good, the bad, and everything in between, and now we offer you a handy review and a cheeky critique of the Days of our Lives week that was.

Days of our Lives: The Critic’s POV

While I’ll admittedly miss the glorious Camila Banus, I’m not exactly poised to mourn the loss of Gabi DiMera. It’s been some time since I found the character either likable or rootable, so perhaps a rest will make my jaded heart grow fonder.

What I do find particularly galling is the lackluster exit provided to both the actress and her alter-ego. First, Gabi is embroiled in a “murder mystery” without any other discernable suspects, and now comes word that the victim fingered her as his assailant offscreen. Pathetic. And what can one say about the “justice” system in Salem?

Sure, EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) being named the district attorney and being allowed to oversee Gabi’s prosecution is ridiculously soapy in the best way, but it’s also patently ridiculous in the worst. And why is it that Gabi is continuously made to suffer for crimes that she didn’t actually commit, but the likes of Kristen (Stacy Haiduk), Rolf (Richard Wharton), Xander (Paul Telfer), and even EJ, are roaming around Salem scot-free?

Also, I’m still attempting to connect the dots between Paulina (Jackée Harry) offering EJ the job of deputy mayor and him bursting in to announce that he was the new D.A. Something just isn’t tracking.

Further DAYS Musings

* Does anybody else feel that Chad (Billy Flynn) might have been projecting when he accused Everett (Blake Berris) of passive-aggressively staking his claim on Stephanie (Abigail Klein)?

* Jeez, just how ill-prepared are Eric (Greg Vaughan) and Sloan (Jessica Serfaty) to welcome a new addition to their family? I could maybe understand their failure to purchase big ticket items, but to have not even started the baby-proofing process? Perhaps the question should be, just how serious are these two about adopting?

* Paging The Continuity Police: How did Everett go from mailing a letter for Stephanie, to mailing a letter to Stephanie? And weren’t they cohabitating at the time? At this point, I suspect the next time Evertt relays his story he won’t so much have been hit by a car as he did run smack dab into one.

And speaking of Everett, I get that he’s desperate for full-time employment, but wouldn’t he have at least done his due diligence and read up on The Spectator’s rather notorious history? And he calls himself a newspaperman!

* While I usually thrill to a tried-and-true soap trope, if I never again see the tired, hackneyed “the proceedings were but a dream” fake out — Theresa’s (Emily O’Brien) nightmare that Alex (Robert Scott Wilson) had rumbled her scheme being the most recent exemplifier — it will be too soon.

* Why was Maggie (Suzanne Rogers) so surprised that a plethora of friends and family knew the significance of the date? Did she really expect them to forget her wedding day?

The best place for true soap fans to be is our Facebook groups. Have you joined? If you love soap spoilers, gossip, and fans as dedicated as yourself, check out Days of our Lives Fans, General Hospital Exclusive, The Young and the Restless Fans, and The Bold and the Beautiful Fans.

Subscribe Now

Get spoilers, news and recaps in your inbox daily.

Subscribe Now

Get spoilers, news and recaps in your inbox daily.