Times, they are a-changin'

Could Kate have something to do with Quinn's interest in Chloe? Kate does know a thing or two about call girls. Then again, Kate also knows that Chloe will eventually self-destruct.

Well, well, well, DAYS fans. We have a lot to discuss this week, and I'm not just talking about the on-screen shenanigans of our favorite Salemites. So, let me just begin with the big news: Dena Higley is out as DAYS' head writer!

Now, I'm not going to celebrate someone being fired. I've been unemployed, and it sucks. However, DAYS has had a certain suck-factor at times since Higley has been at the helm. From turning Sami into Marlena 2.0 to the dreaded scarf flashback, and so much more in between, she's made more than a few suspect decisions during her tenure, and the good really didn't manage to outweigh the bad. So, no, I won't celebrate her firing, but I will celebrate the possibility of bigger and better things to come for my favorite soap.

However, I should take this time to thank Dena. Without several of her craptastic storylines, I wouldn't have been able to fine-tune my snarky side. She's also the reason the Alex North Memorial Awards have thrived over the past few years. For that, I do thank her.

In other off-screen news, DAYS fans have this exciting casting nugget to look forward to! I'm not at all shocked by Jack's return, but I'm happy this talented actor is coming home to Salem where he belongs. Drama is sure to ensue and, as long as the writers avoid a certain rinse and repeat storyline, we should be in for a treat.

Without further ado, let's get down to the nitty-gritty and talk about the latest round of Sweeps!

QUINN Quinn's like a Transformer. There's more than meets the eye. Let's break down what we know about him so far:

He's rich enough to leave the Chlomeister a hefty wad of cash and buy a drug ring. That kind of delegates him to the "Bad Boys Club." He has connections to shady people like E.J. He fancies eavesdropping. He doesn't mind when a woman he's with calls out another man's name in bed. He's a bit creepy and pushy at times, and a lot hot all the time. Other than that, he's a true international man of mystery.

So, here are some big Quinn questions: Why is he in Salem? Is he working alone? Why is he so infatuated with Chloe? Well, other than Chloe being gorgeous, that is. Is he who he says he is? And does he have a connection to the DiMeras?

The first question I have no idea about. Then again, Salem seems to be a hub of international crime, so I'll roll with it. Besides, that question sort of blends into the second, "Is he working alone?"

I'm leaning towards "no" at this point, but I just can't pinpoint his partner in crime. I have a checklist of suspects and a reason to suspect each one of them. I'm still working some theories, which I'll share once I see a bit more of Quinn!

As for his infatuation with Chloe, I haven't exactly figured that out either. Perhaps he's into damaged goods. He listened to Chloe telling her sob story to Justin and still seemed intrigued. He also knows two lemon drops will get him what he wants. With those odds, he might as well enjoy Chloe's, um, company as often as he can.

More so, I think he is, in fact, working with someone, and I suspect that someone wants to see Chloe suffer. Could Kate have something to do with Quinn's interest in Chloe? Kate does know a thing or two about call girls. Then again, Kate also knows Chloe will eventually self-destruct, so would she go through that much effort? Hmm!

Next, is Quinn actually "Quinn," or is he some wayward former Salemite? With no last name and his constant lurking, I think he's keeping a low profile for a reason. Just who could he know is Salem? I repeat, "Hmm!"

Finally, does he have a DiMera Connection? It seemed like E.J. knew who he was. Not only did E.J. sell him his drug ring, but he seemed to dislike Quinn. Are they old adversaries, or does E.J. just get a little cranky while wheeling and dealing? Time will tell, but I'm interested to see what a new villain will bring to the table.

CHLOE What's a five-letter word meaning hot mess? Oh, that would be "Chloe." She can't even sit down to drink in the middle of the afternoon without being reminded of her failures. Ultimately, though, I have a hard time feeling sorry for her. When Chloe has rock stars of support like Maggie, Justin, and Adrienne in her corner and still can't stop to think before she does someone something stupid, my compassion level wanes a bit.

DR. DAN and JENNIFER I'm sorry to gush, but I just really like these two together. They're cute. They're fun. And they come with a side of Maxine, and there's nothing wrong with that.

More so, I love the way Dr. SuperDan praises Jennifer. She's awesome and deserves it. Aside from Frankie, Jennifer never really got much loving from the men in her life except for when they tried to kiss up to her after they've done something wrong. Jack and crazy Peter both fall under that category. To see her doted on for a change warms my Jen-loving heart.

ABIGAIL and MELANIE This budding friendship is interesting. I like it, but I'm not ready to break out my pajamas and have a slumber party with them just yet. After all, I still haven't entirely warmed up to Abigail. I think she means well, but she's a little grating at the same time.

The part I enjoy is Mel actually being friends with someone her own age. Since she's come to Salem, everyone she's formed a relationship with has been older. She also kind of skyrocketed from teen princess Premiere Party Girl to a reformed, but zany Stepford Wife. Because of that, I'm all for the writers letting her take a step back and enjoy her youth. After all she's been through, she deserves to relax and have fun not flirting with a hunk like Dario.

DARIO I love that both Adrienne and Gabi are in Dario's corner. He needs some friends, but not friends like bulldog Mike, who didn't seem too happy that Dario wasn't at home when he came a knockin'. Is the young Mr. Hernandez a gambler, or is this Mike guy Kinsey's father coming to collect his daughter's money? If Dario is a gambler, do you think he's run into everyone's favorite sleazeball, Dick Baker?

RAFE and SAMI Wow, Sami was right about that "frozen river" analogy! Once the ice cracked, Rafe's memories came flooding back, complete with some snazzy, mystical music. I kind of got whiplash from the pace, but I can't say I minded. I'll gladly wear a neck brace if it means this storyline is wrapping up.

All in all, it was a good week to be a Safe fan. I'm not, but I can respect why Safe fans would be happy and break out the champagne. Rafe and Sami had the type of soapy reunion every fan wants to see for an estranged couple they root for. And, really, who am I to burst the balloon of happy fans, or turn away free champagne?

What's next for Safe has me a little curious. Note the "little." It may be interesting to see how the Fedora Agents handle Fafe and what kind of revenge they'll cook up for the DiMeras. Of course, it would be more interesting if Sami would release her inner schemer and really cook up something delicious. Yes, dear writers, that was yet another hint.

BRADY First of all, I'm glad Brady returned some of Titan to Victor. That needed to happen. Titan without Victor just wasn't the same. Besides, the writers never really jumped into that storyline with both feet, they just kind of dipped their toes into it. Therefore, I'm all for brushing it under the rug and moving on.

On the flipside, I'm glad the writers are going back to Brady's feelings for Arianna. The dude's mad and wants revenge. This could potentially be great if Brady teams up with Sami and Rafe to take on the DiMeras. I'd love to see Brady and Sami scheme together, and I'm eager to see the real Rafe's reaction to finding out who killed his sister. I also suspect Brady and Sami's combined coolness could balance out Rafe's Rafeness.

TAYLOR Taylor still has me a bit confused, but I'm glad she's showing more spunk these days. The way she ripped into E.J. gives me hope that the writers are actually taking the character in a new direction. I also hope that direction has something to do with Brady and less to do with E.J.

E.J. James Scott can really do no wrong. Okay, the K.D. Lang haircut era was a little suspect, but all in all, he's a brilliant actor. Hmm, maybe that's why he got an Emmy nod this year (again)!

James certainly didn't disappoint last week, either. He's at his best when E.J. is torn between right and wrong. Well, more like wrong and not-as-wrong. Anyway, James played E.J.'s turmoil and the fiery scenes with Ari Zucker to perfection.

However I tend to agree with Taylor. E.J. needs to want to change for himself and nobody else. But since E.J.'s struggle is interesting to watch, I'll be happy to sit back and watch him spin.

NICOLE Sometimes you see characters on TV or in a movie and think, "Damn! They're cool." Nicole is one of those characters. I'm specifically talking about her reaction to E.J. tossing his wedding ring in her glass of orange juice. She stayed cool and simply downed the entire glass then plucked it and gave it back. Brilliant!

With that said, most of us know Nicole's plans eventually blow up in her face. Been there, done that, and I don't have any reason to suspect that her latest scheme will be an exception. So, thanks for the warning, Lexie, but I'm going to sit back and enjoy the Nicole Revenge Show as long as I can. Ari Zucker is absolutely killing the part right now. For that reason alone, I'm in.

LOOSE ENDS I needed some good, old-fashioned Hope time, and that's just what I got last week. She dished out some sound advice for both Jennifer and Maggie. Alice would be so proud of our little Fancy Face!

Speaking of, Hope's "You're Maggie! You don't give up!" speech was just what Big Red needed to fight for her man. I'm glad she apologized to Victor. She needed to. And they sealed their conversation with a smooch. Aw, amore!

Maggie and Mel also mended fences and that made me happy, too. Their relationship is something special. Now Aunt Mags just needs to remind Melanie not to wear prom-like up-dos to work.

EXTRA SCOOPS

HOT: She. Said. Their. Names. Hope actually mentioned Shawn-Douglas and Belle! I'm nearly speechless. To boot, we even got a little update. They're hardcore deep-sea fishing off the coast of Mexico and then heading to San Diego. I vote that Salem is their next stop!

NOT: I was kind of hoping Rafe's memory loss would be a new start for DAYS fans who don't worship at the altar of St. Rafe. I thought maybe, just maybe, he'd be a little less annoying than before. And then he goes and tells Sami he would know the difference if he was sleeping with a Sami look-alike. Low blow, Agent Holier-Than-Thou.

LINE OF THE WEEK: Maxine (to Dr. Dan regarding his "hike" with Jennifer): "Right. How about you, Dr. Jonas? Did you overdo it, too?"

RANDOMNESS... One thing's for sure, we never know where oddball Kinsey will pop up. I thought her scenes were very "Kinsey." That is so say, funny...in moderation.

Aw, Quinn called Chloe easy! That's the beginning of every fairy tale romance.

Well, Troy might be in a chronic vegetative state, but at least he makes a fine-looking coma patient.

Would two small pieces of tape really secure a flyer to a post on a windy pier?

Sorry you didn't score with Jennifer, Scott Albright, but I hear Carly is still single.

I think the writers actually read Two Scoops! I've been begging for more Justin and Adrienne time and they were on more than once last week. Woot!

PARTING THOUGHTS... So, friends and DAYS fans, that's Two Scoops for the week of May 23rd. Laurisa will be back next week with more Sweeps coverage. She's also been eavesdropping on Quinn, who's been eavesdropping, and may have some newfound info to share about Salem's newest bad boy! In the meantime, be sure to check out soapcentral.com's Emmy coverage! And, "That's a fact!"

As always, thanks for reading! Tony

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