Dare I hope?

I just read on Dustin's Days page that the actress who plays Willow is leaving. Dare I hope they are finally getting rid of Willow? Could we possibly wrap up this awful storyline and let Salem's finest get to the bottom of who broke in to the Brady house in a timely fashion? Of course with the way Chelsea has been acting lately, I sure wouldn't mind seeing her go down with the ship for obstruction of justice!

It sure would be nice for Shawn and Belle to come home years from now (we all know they will drag their feet on that one!) to a Willow-free Salem. The question remains... what will they do about the baby? Will she leave pregnant and years from now a teenager reappears? Or will she lose the baby so they can neatly tie up all the loose ends? Who knows, in Salem time she could even have the baby next week and Beau and Hope could offer to raise it for her. As long as Willow is out of the picture, they can wrap up her story however they want!

So much for the Chelsea turnaround

I guess we can finally give up on the redemption of Chelsea. She seemed so close to being a real human and she just keeps going back to her old ways (kind of like Sami). I was really starting to like her and Nick together. I always hated the way she treated him like a "lap dog", so it was so nice to see her come around and see him as the nice guy that he really is. We all knew that would end as soon as she found out about Nick and her mom sleeping together, even though that happened when she wanted nothing to do with him!

Somehow, I was still managing to have sympathy for little Chelsea as she has been set up by Willow who has way overstayed her welcome in Salem. Poor Chelsea can't catch a break. Yet, she still hasn't learned from her mistakes! That's what frustrates me about her. She berates her "best friend" Abby about lying while she is doing the same thing. The difference is that Abby lied to try to spare Chelsea's feelings. Chelsea is lying for selfish reasons, like she always does. She is trying to cover her own butt and doesn't care who gets hurt in the path of Hurricane Chelsea! She even told Nick to his face today that she still didn't think she could trust him after he broke the law for her! Surely now he can see that she is using him to keep her name clear. When he finds out about her little rendezvous with Max coming up tomorrow, he will be so hurt. That's the difference between Chelsea and Abby. Abby may bend and break the rules sometimes, but she does it with the intentions of trying to help someone. Chelsea does it for revenge and selfish ambition. So much for the turnaround!

The Gallant Men of Salem

Nick, Lucas, Max, and Shawn really turned it up on the show today! Nick was by far my favorite. When he first came on the show, he was such a weenie! Now he has become so protective of Chelsea as well as Sami. I loved his scenes with Sami today, and the vulnerability that she shows with him is great. Of course it would be better to see a little of that with her own fiancee, but beggars can't be choosers! I like seeing that Nick has grown a backbone and is willing to stand up to EJ knowing that he is such a bad guy. Nick reminds me of a Southern gentleman and he has been a great addition to Salem.

And how lucky is Sami to have Lucas on her side as well. His scenes with EJ were terrific today. I loved that he called EJ on his crap in the hospital and told him that he needed to stop obsessing over Sami. EJ has still not done what he promised to about moving out, yet he continues to placate Lucas with excuses. I'm glad that Lucas is not falling for it. I really wish he were smart enough to call Sami on some of her lame excuses before another wedding falls through. If she can be honest with Nick and Celeste, surely she can be honest with Lucas.

Max is just adorable with Abby. I even like the girl subbing for the regular Abby. I loved hearing Max talk to Kayla about wanting to make sure he protected Abby's innocence on yesterday's show. It was a good way of acknowledging all of the character issues that he has been dealt recently. The way it is looking, who knows if this relationship will last, though, with Ashley Benson leaving show. I am hoping they will recast the role of Abby (maybe even with the girl who is subbing today) because this story line has grown on me.

Lastly, more Shawn love from me! I just love this story. I would like to see more of the vets featured but Shawn and Belle are the future of Days for me! I have enjoyed watching their relationship develop into what it is now where they trust each other completely. When Belle said, "We're staying" Shawn followed and trusted her instincts. A few weeks ago, he wouldn't have done that. Belle has finally been able to trust him when he said he loves her and honestly tell him that she loves him. That is a huge step for her. I think we are a going to see a big test in this new trust pretty soon. Gabby seems to have proven herself for now, but I think she is still up to something. As soon as they let their guard down, I think she will turn on them somehow.

Now, if only Phillip and EJ will get the memo that Salem men are to be more gallant :)