Days Of Our Lives
Days of our Lives Cast Stylin' In Just Released 50th Anniversary Photo!
Photo Credit: Chris Haston/NBC
Those beautiful women, handsome men, beloved veterans and icons that form many of the characters of Days of our Lives are featured in the just released 50th anniversary cast photo from the long- running NBC soap opera. PEOPLE.com broke the photo with their exclusive posting earlier on Wednesday.
Featured in the photo are from left to right: (top row) Eric Martsolf, Jen Lilley, Josh Taylor, Stephan Nichols, Mary Beth Evans, Greg Vaughan, Alison Sweeney, Christopher Sean, Deidre Hall, Kate Mansi, Rob Scott Wilson, Kristian Alfonso, Melissa Reeves, Casey Moss. Camila Banus, James Reynolds, A Martinez, Thaao Penghlis, Lauren Koslow, and Billy Flynn.
In the second row seated left to right are: Judi Evans, John Aniston, Peggy McCay, Drake Hogestyn, Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes, Suzanne Rogers, Sal Stowers, Bryan Dattilo, and Joseph Mascolo.
What do you think of the 50th anniversary Days of our Lives cast photo? Who do you think is MIA? What do you think about how stylish the actors look? Are you getting excited to celebrate as the big golden anniversary date fast approaches? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Days Of Our Lives
‘Brilliant Minds’ Officially Canceled After 2 Seasons at NBC; DAYS Alum Al Calderon, OLTL Alum Teddy Sears and Zachary Quinto Among the Cast
After languishing on the bubble for months, on Friday, NBC handed down the decision and canceled the medical drama Brilliant Minds after two seasons.
Brilliant Minds stars Zachary Quinto as neurology physician Oliver Wolf, who’s character and the series is inspired by the life and books of neurologist. Oliver Sacks. The series focuses on the medical mysteries of the mind, as Wolf a larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns explore the last great frontier, the human mind, while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.
The final six episodes of what will now be the end of its second and final season were already set to air beginning on May 27, after being pulled off the network schedule in February as viewership saw a steep decline. Brilliant Minds second season became the lowest-rated drama on linear TV viewing, which didn’t bode well fo a network renewal, although it had its hard core fan base.
Photo: NBC
There are some exceptional notables in the cast along with the talented Quinto that includes Days of Our Lives alum, Al Calderon (ex-Javi Hernandez) who joined the series in its second season as Nurse Nico Silva, and One Life to Live alum, Teddy Sears (ex-Chad Bennett) who plays Wolf’s love interest and fellow physician, Dr. Josh Nichols.
The rest of the talented cast includes: Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Donna Murphy, John Clarence Stewart, and Brian Altemus.
In an ironic twist of fate on Thursday, April 30, Days of Our Lives finally revealed the actor who was Al Calderon’s successor in the role of Javi, when they announced that actor Jacob Martinez had now stepped into the role. Since DAYS tapes ten months ahead of streaming new episode, Calderon left in the spring of 2025, but will be seen in the part for the final part this month, and then on June 20, Martinez debuts as Salem’s new Javi.
Taking to his Instagram with a sorrowful and heartfelt post on the Brilliant Minds cancellation was Teddy Sears who wrote, “Thank you, Brilliant Minds. I got the call today and I didn’t want to hear, but I knew that it would come, You have to be a particular vintage to quote Don Henley from memory, but that’s the line that came to mind earlier today after I got off the phone with our inimitable showrunner Michael Grassi who delivered the news that NBC has cancelled the series”.
Photo: NBC
Sears continued, “To say that I feel sad to be moving on from these stories, this character, and this cast and crew just doesn’t paint the entire picture. I’m sad, sure. But I’m also deeply grateful that I got hired to play this part, so proud of the stories we told, and the other actors I got to play alongside. I’m excited to see what comes next, what adventures await, and terrified to be without a professional home. A quick and heartfelt thank you to everyone, all over the globe, who found us and found themselves in us, in our characters and in our stories. We wouldn’t have been able to tell them without you. And we still have 6 fresh episodes yet to air, and I do hope you tune in enjoy the remainder of the series. They’re the best we’ve done.”
As he wrapped up his sentiments, Sears signed off with, “The more I know, the less I understand. All the things I figured out I have to learn again. I’ve been trying to get down to the heart of the matter. But everything changes…Thank you, Brilliant Minds.”
The medical drama was created and executive produced by Michael Grassi alongside Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Lee Toland Krieger, DeMane Davis, Jasmine Russ, Henrik Bastin, Jonathan Cavendish, Andy Serkis and Shefali Malhoutra.
So, what do you think of NBC’s decision to cancel Brilliant Minds after two seasons? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Days Of Our Lives
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Sophia Seemingly Plans to End Her Life, But Not Before Setting Fire to Johnny’s Apartment With Him Trapped Inside
The final few moments of the Thursday, April 30 episode of Days of our Lives, will pave the way, to what just may be the end of Sophia Choi’s (Rachel Boyd) life, but not as you may think!
After an unhinged Sophia paid a visit to Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman), maced him in the eyes, knocked him out and then tied up to a chair, now conscious, she lets him know that she holds him responsible for all the trouble and trauma she has gone through from adopting her child, and her being sent to a mental institution.
So instead of the unregistered gun Kristen (Stacy Haiduk) gave her to finish off Johnny, Sophia sets up a plan to light candle, use nail polish remover and turn on the gas on the stove to ultimately create a mass explosion, which although Johnny pleaded to her not to that to all the innocent people inside his apartment building, she doesn’t seem to care.
Photo: JPI
FIERY FACE OFF
The plan was supposed to be, after she takes care of Johnny she will toss the gun in the Salem River, then focus on payback to Holly Jonas before leaving town to start a new life.
Now, Sophia makes her exit, leaving Johnny to be a few moments away from an explosion or gas inhalation, when Chanel (Raven Bowens) comes home after awaiting the results of her mammogram. She sees Johnny tied up, as he panics and tells her to put out the flame on the candle, things go awry, and a fire has begun and everything may go up in flames with Johnny and Chanel inside.
Photo: JPI
A BROKEN SOPHIA
Back in her room, Sophia breaks down after reading the social media comments about her, she planted, and then starts writing a suicide or farewell note which says. “I’m tired of begging for forgiveness for my mistakes. All I wanted was to move forward, to be loved and understood. But it’s clear that I was never going to get that. Holly Jonas said that I was dead to her. So, as her former BFF, I’m going to make her dream a reality.”
Photo: JPI
A DEADLY TRAP
Now, the fate of Johnny, Chanel and Sophia will be revealed on tomorrow’s May 1st cliffhanger, which may be the end of Sophia when she crosses paths with Kirsten at the bridge near the river. We do know Rachel Boyd is no longer appearing in the show credits section and is now off contract with the soap.
So, what did you think of the climatic final moments of DAYS? What did you think of the performance of Rachel Boyd as Sophia Choi? Let us know via the comment section.
Breaking News
Jacob Martinez is ‘Days of Our Lives’ New Javi Hernandez Replacing Al Calderon in the Role
Finally! The casting has been revealed as to just who would be Al Calderon’s successor in the role of Days of our Lives, Javi Hernandez. On Friday, April 30, the long-running soap opera revealed Jacob Martinez is taking on the part and he will first be seen this coming June 30th and then on all-new episodes streaming on Peacock.
As previously reported, the popular Calderon exited the soap opera last year to join the cast of the NBC primetime medical drama, Brilliant Minds as nurse Nico Silva, who in May will air the remainder of their second season. The series has been on the bubble for renewal by the network. His last episodes as Javi will also air this May on DAYS.
Since DAYS tapes ten months ahead of streaming, Martinez has been secretly ensconced in all the drama in Salem for quite some time. When viewers see the new Javi in story, we should learn what will happen in Javi’s relationship with Leo Stark played by Emmy winner, Greg Rikaart, plus his continued relationship with his relatives in the Hernandez clan. Currently, when Javi returned to Salem after taking care of his ailing father, and after the bust-up of his marriage to Leo thanks to Dimitri (Peter Porte), he claimed he had moved on with someone else while he was away from Salem.
Photo: JPI
Like Calderon before him, Martinez is a multi-talented actor and singer. Jacob’s resume is impressive having appeared in the musical In Pieces: The Musical at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater and he was hand-picked by Joey Contreras to play the role of Grey. Other credits include: the short film, Memory Swim and the play Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage.
Martinez hails from Norfolk, Nebraska and appeared when he was very young at the Johnny Carson Theatre, and as DAYS fans know, Jacob is now working at the Days of our Lives studios, right where the “Tonight Show” is filled. In addition, Jacob Martinez is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA).
Taking to his Instagram on Thursday, April 30 once the news of his casting was revealed, Martinez, expressed, “Way too many people to thank in one post, so I’ll just say THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART to each and every person who continues to pour into me and encourage me to chase my dreams. I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am. I already feel beyond blessed, supported, and loved. See you all in Salem ⏳”
Jacob Martinez appeared on Friday on the Days of our Lives Instagram account announcing his casting. You can check it out below. Deadline was the first to report the casting switch.
So, excited to learn who is the new Javi Hernandez? Please welcome Jacob Martinez to the role and be on the lookout for his debut on June 30. Comment below.
View this post on Instagram
‘Brilliant Minds’ Officially Canceled After 2 Seasons at NBC; DAYS Alum Al Calderon, OLTL Alum Teddy Sears and Zachary Quinto Among the Cast
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Has Dylan’s Mystery Caller/Stalker Been Revealed to Be an Alive Luna Nozawa?
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Nick Confesses His Drug Problem to Victor; Joshua Morrow, Mark Grossman, Eric Braeden Bring the Newman Bond
‘General Hospital’s’ Jonathan Bennett Receives 3 ‘Critics Choice Real TV Awards’ Nominations for Hallmark Series, ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Sophia Seemingly Plans to End Her Life, But Not Before Setting Fire to Johnny’s Apartment With Him Trapped Inside
DAYS Stephen Nichols Remembers Drake Hogestyn as the ‘Most Vital, Enthusiastic, Committed Man I Ever Knew’ Ahead of the PanCan PurpleStride Walk
DAYS Stephen Nichols and Co-Stars Walk in Honor of Drake Hogestyn at PanCan PurpleStride LA, ‘I Felt Him With Us’
Brandon Barash Granted Restraining Order Against ‘General Hospital’s’ Kirsten Storms
‘Days of Our Lives’ Rob Scott Wilson Talks ‘Turning Heel’ as Necktie Killer, Ben Weston
Paige Herschell Marks One-Year as ‘General Hospital’s’ Jacinda Bracken
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Has Dylan’s Mystery Caller/Stalker Been Revealed to Be an Alive Luna Nozawa?
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Nick Confesses His Drug Problem to Victor; Joshua Morrow, Mark Grossman, Eric Braeden Bring the Newman Bond
WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus Talks Humble Beginnings, Test and Albert, WrestleMania 22 with Mickie James, Current Women’s Roster (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Michael Reveals His Plan to Set Up Chase and Willow to Have an Affair
Judith Light Talks Her Role in ‘The Terror: The Devil In Silver’ Dropping on AMC+ with Co-Star ‘Downton Abbey’ Alum, Dan Stevens
-
Days Of Our Lives1 week agoDAYS Stephen Nichols Remembers Drake Hogestyn as the ‘Most Vital, Enthusiastic, Committed Man I Ever Knew’ Ahead of the PanCan PurpleStride Walk
-
Days Of Our Lives5 days agoDAYS Stephen Nichols and Co-Stars Walk in Honor of Drake Hogestyn at PanCan PurpleStride LA, ‘I Felt Him With Us’
-
General Hospital4 days agoBrandon Barash Granted Restraining Order Against ‘General Hospital’s’ Kirsten Storms
-
Days Of Our Lives4 days ago‘Days of Our Lives’ Rob Scott Wilson Talks ‘Turning Heel’ as Necktie Killer, Ben Weston
-
General Hospital1 week agoPaige Herschell Marks One-Year as ‘General Hospital’s’ Jacinda Bracken
-
General Hospital6 days agoGH’s Giovanni Mazza Performs Violin Version of Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’ at LA Lakers Playoff Game; Co-Stars Heap High Praise
-
General Hospital1 week agoSteve Burton’s Wife, Michelle Lundstrom, Raises Alarm on AI Scammers and Hoaxes, Pretending to be the ‘General Hospital’ Star
-
Days Of Our Lives3 days ago‘Days of Our Lives’ Conner Floyd on Chad’s Quest For Abigail’s Resurrection; But Who Should Be Cast as NuAbby?
My man got the endcap, what an honor! Awesome pic! Wishing them another 50 yrs, at least!
And who, exactly, is “your man?” There’s one on each end.
Great catch! I have tunnel vision when it comes to Eric Martsolf since the first time we actually met. I couldn’t even talk right, I said, “Nice to eat you!” Lmao
days is so classy! i just love days!
Great photo. Wish Kassie DePaiva had been included, as well as a few others, but stylistically, it is a nice photo.
Yes.I too wish Kassie DePaiva had been in the picture and,more importantly,still the valuable member of the cast that she was and should have remained.
yes, Kassie DePaiva, True O’Brian, and James Reed deserved to be included, too. And, what about Wally Kurth, and the actress who plays Maxine, where is she? If Anne can be in it, what about Maxine? And, what about Nicole and yes, Dr. Dan?
Yeah I thought it was messed up that Maxine wasn’t on there. I like her also.
I think Ann is there next to Theresa but her name is not included. Where is Dr. Dan, Nicole, Justin, Bo, and any of the now grown children?
There are quite a few not included for one reason or another…like vacations or whatever. It’s a shame that they didn’t make this photo shoot mandatory and made sure every cast member was included.
Zander is missing! Paul Telfer!!! Hoping he returns soon.
Zander is gone and has been for a while. He was always just a means to an end and not a permanent cast member.
I know he’s gone, shit stirrer. Thus, the “hope he returns” comment.
It is a FANTASTIC photo of a FANTASTIC group!
FANTASTIC times
FANTASTIC production
Was Christopher Sean photo shopped in? Where’s Wally Kurth? Maybe Justin is another victim of the necktie killer! The empty space on the bench gives me chills!!!!!
Maybe he was playing in GH at the time
Yeah isn’t that strange to see? I hope that doesn’t mean Justin is going anywhere. He could have been photoshopped in lol.
Where is Rafe? Where are shawn christian and Adrienne z? Major omissions. Sad that Clyde and kassie de paiva are gone, but that’s logical. A glaring omission are sonny and will. Patch
without the patch? nice. Oh just noticed hopes soon to be assailant is not here as well.
SC and AZ couldn’t attend because they were at a charity event in the upper Midwest.
Who’s the woman between Jen Lilley and Josh Taylor? I agree with Taylor. Stylistically, it’s wonderful, but I’m upset by those that are missing, especially Kassie, Freddie and Guy.
The lady who plays Anne that works at the hospital. She’s also Teresa’s friend.
Peter Reckell (“Bo Brady”) is missing in this photo and he should not be. So is the doctor, “Daniel” , Maggie’s donor son, who is leaving the show. “Justin” is not in this photo and that’s fine with me.
It doesn’t say when the photo was taken. There is a prevailing rumour that Peter only returned to Days for a short time in order to give permanent closure to Bo and Hope. He never liked the way Bo was written off last time. Both Peter and Daniel could have left Days before the photo was taken.
where is justin and niclole and daniel adn aidan and how come none of the teennagers are in it or shawn d
Great picture! Suzanne Rogers name was left off the list even though she is in the picture. Can’t forget Maggie!
You forgot to ID two of the ladies, Meredith Scott Lynn (third from left in back row) and Suzanne Rogers (sitting in the front row)!
Nice! I LOVE that NBC still forks over the money to do these big shoots.
BUT….
Where’s Galen Gering?
Ari Zucker?
Wally Kurth?
Peter Reckell? (….as far as I’ve heard, Stephen Nichols isn’t on contract even though he’s still currently filming. Peter may have only made a short stay, but he’ll be there for the 50th)
Any of the new SORASed kids?
Meredith Scott Lynn (Ann) is there, but not the actress who plays Maxine?
I guess Shawn Christen is off for sure.
I wish that Ariana Zucker n Kassie DePaiva n Wally Kurth were in it. Shawn Christian too. I know a couple of them are leaving but if they’re on air for the 50th they should’ve been a part of it. But it is a beautiful picture otherwise
Gorgeous photo! So glad I have come back to Days of our Lives.
No Freddie-Sonny…i see Suzanne Rogers-Maggie but her name isnt there!…nice photo…weird seeing an aged Chase on todays episode after seeing little Chase just a week ago…lol
Where is Nicole and Justin? I know they are both on contract. I have a feeling Nicole has left the show which is sad.
Love the picture but where was peter reckell why was he left out of the picture.he should’ve been in the picture.he is a very big part of days
It’s a lovely photo but why is Christopher Sean the only one not wearing a suit? Was he photo shopped in?
where is Justin, Aiden, Bo and the new/old characters they were bringing back?
There are several new cast members in the photo, but where are Rafe, Bo, Nicole, Daniel, Justin, Adrienne, Eve?
A beautiful picture. I am curious that “Ben” is still in the picture. I haven’t read that he is leaving the show. I know some fans want him gone, I think Robert’s acting has been incredible.
Same here. I would like him to stay on though it would be hard to redeem him after he’s killed three people.
Hell, Guiding Light offered Frank Beaty (sp?) a contract after his character Brent had killed several people but he declined. Guess getting the character psychiatric help fixes everything lol.
You forgot about Suzanne Rogers.
There are a lot people missing notably, the actress who plays Maggie Horton, isn’t she one the longest running cast members? Hope her absence just means she wasn’t available for the shoot and not foreshadowing her being killed off too.
she is in the photo…her name was missing but now corrected
Suzanne Rogers (Maggie) is in the picture…in the front next to Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie).
Okay my eyesight isn’t what it was, SR is there apparently, I was going by the list of names– glad she is there.
Maggie is there, she’s on the front row.
Who is MIA? Asians, other actors of color besides lonely James Reynolds, gay people. At least there are, what, 2 Hispanics? On the whole, soaps don’t seem to understand that there is value and strength in representing the diversity that is America. This photo, though lovely, shows that.
Oops, I now see Christopher Sean is pictured. So there is a part-Asian and gay character represented. Still, the show looks overwhelmingly middle-class white. In my defense, the faces are tiny! Even Michael Fairman forgot to list an actress in the back row and Suzanne Rogers!
im upset that Wilson wasn’t in it with him!! i don’t think he’s going to stay.
Suzanne Rogers (Maggie) is seated in the front row between Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie) and Sal Stowers (Lani). Sal is African American. She was also a winner of America’s Next Top Model. She previously starred in All My Children.
They seem to be trying some. The new cop is a black female and Theo is coming on soon. And they have hispanics with Camila, Galen and A. Martinez.
I was SO impressed with the DAYS episode I watched yesterday! It had a dream like quality. It was where Aiden was planning to pull a copy cat murder and kill Hope because he “had no choice”. It was very Dexter-ish, if anyone knows what I mean from the t.v. show Dexter. The subject matter was dark, but the writing and production were SO sophisticated, as are most things about DAYS right now. And then when Nicole and Daniel were dancing, that had an old school vintage Hollywood vibe to it. And better yet…they paid actual money to use a current, popular song which NO soap does anymore. The dancing scenes may have seemed kind of pointless, but I think they are foreshadowing of a tragedy soon to come, as we viewers know that Dr. Dan is leaving the show, likely going to die. I hope that paves the way for an Eric/Nicole reunion…as they are the ones with off the charts chemistry. The episode had humour…such as when Nicole said to Victor “We’re going to be family again!” and he replied with some trademark funny like “Oh happy day.” I can now see why the actors have been talking about the writing for the past few months and how excited they are about it. If Dena Higley and Josh Griffith can write material like this….there is still life and creativity left in the soap genre. How does DAYS manage to keep so many things secret, or just as rumours, when they tape so far in advance? I mean, in summer, they were filming Christmas and New Year’s scenes!! I am SO on board with this incarnation of DAYS, and can take or leave any other soap.
There’s been a lot of talk concerning Daniel’s upcoming death, DYLAN. Some viewers have speculated Eric could be the person who kills Daniel. Eric has become a boozer since Serena’s murder. Maybe he’ll kill Daniel in a drunk driving accident.
I think good old Daniel hops in the car with him to stop him from driving but didn’t succeed, they both go off of a cliff but Eric lives but in bad shape. Just speculating not a spoiler.
It’s like the Muppets are having their fiftieth anniversary, and three weeks before it they Kill Kermit, after having him vivisected in a school biology class live on air, and then burning his puppet in a brazier with the rest of the Muppets gethered around warming their hands and chuckling, and announce to the world that’s it, the character is OVER!! P-E-R-M-A-N-E-N-T-L-Y! Next they have a piss-take of a memorial service, to which Miss Piggy is too busy to attend because she is having her hoofs done. A lollipop stick is used for a memorial plaque, with the name “Froggy” scrawled on in biro, which some oaf stamps on and snaps in two during the free-for-all rush to the pub, which is having a drinks-on-the-house Happy Hour to celebrate.
The next day all the remaining Muppets gather together for a celebratory photo shoot in front of a golden backdrop, with all the guys in snazzy new suits and all gals in stunning new dresses, with radiant smiles and the school biology teacher who did the vivisection placed top and centre and grinning ear to ear.
In the next few weeks the amphibian-free clan of Muppets swarm the country, descending on the cities en masse, to heavily promote their “50 years of the MUPPETS!” celebratory photo catalogue, with a full 384 pages of fun, celebrating characters which have been forgotten even by the core cast who played opposite them, but which notably has but a single page credit (the obligatory minimum) for the most-famous Kermit artiste who won them three Emmy awards in a distant universe a long time ago and far far away.
Happy 50th people!!
C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E !!!
I salute you, sir.
I will also point out in my viewing area the official NBCDays site was posting smiling pictures of heterosexual characters as the life was being strangled from Will. This was the anniversary of Matthew Shepherd’s death – and a day many campus GLBTQ organizations use to speak out against violence and Will and Sonny and Paul were extremely popular on college campuses among the GLBTQ set.
The big, giant gay cleanse of Days was completed today as Sonny abandons his daughter to the hands of a single mother with no income and a prison record.
You neglect to say why Gabi went to prison. She went to prison for murdering Nick Fallon…the legacy character whom many lgbt viewers begged to kill off.
Wow! That is brilliant. I couldn’t have said it better. The whole mess kinda leaves a weird “green” taste in your mouth like bile. But great post, and I cannot agree more.
Thank you for brightening my last day as a DOOL fan. I couldn’t believe the insensitivity with which Will’s death was handled and the obvious hatred the writers had toward the character. You can kill off a main character if you write a good, tragic story. They didn’t. They rushed through a gay cleanse.
If that wasn’t enough, we’re got more Deaths of Our Lives ahead. Is that what fans really want to see, death, death and more death? I’m so glad to have taken it off my DVR today.
Thank you for thanking me! It has brightened *my* day knowing that I have brightened your day. Thank you all who have shown appreciation. 🙂
Stephen. take a few breaths. do it again.
Forgot to add that leader of Muppet HQ, has been releasing “Celebrate Good Times” tweets over the Kill Kermit period, with a “Happy 12,000th episode” tweet on Murder Day itself. How tactless can you get?
Is all this angst over Will?
Who’s Will?
It sure ain’t easy being green. In Salem these Days anyway.
Thank you for this
Without Will Horton, there is no celebration for me. I’ve quit watching and I feel so bad that Will and fans of the Wilson love story have been excluded from the 50th Celebration.
Also, it looks like they photoshopped Christopher Sean, the backburned token gay, into this picture. Maybe, maybe not, but it doesn’t matter.
I stopped watching 2 weeks ago. The 50th Celebration is over for me, too.
Same here. Not knowing what was coming I was actually looking forward to the 50th, expecting both Guy and Freddie to be there, and expecting some happy ending! Little did I know!
Will was what got be watching the show in the first place. I’ve always looked forward to scenes with him, and had been really enjoying the few scenes that we had been getting with Will, and getting excited about his character being restored. And now everything has changed. Everything has turned to dust.
What Days has done is gob-smackingly crass: killing a fan favourite for their 50th celebration, and in such a disrespectful and blatantly braindead manner, without a care for even making the plot make sense! Who’d have thought that they would top the unpleasantly abrupt dismissal of Chandler, but they have!
Total respect to Guy who was TRUE CLASS when they celebrated “Days 50” at the Emmy’s earlier this year, with journalists asking him “what’s it like to be part of the 50th anniversary celebrations?”, and him saying nothing but it was great to be part of the show, and he did this while battling his loss-of-voice. Guy is a champ, and I not only wish him every success, and after having seen his work, especially at the end of his run, I expect him to do very well.
I am determined to celebrate the good work that we did get from Days in the past (which has been a huge inspiration for me) but as for Days today, the hourglass has shattered and its all over. Time for me to do something better instead! 🙂
I will nevertheless be very interesting to see how the ratings go in the months that follow!
The ratings are up as the last weeks of Guy & Freddie and Alison makes her reappearance. However, I doubt they can sustain this after Sami is gone. The ratings were terrible for the first weeks the new writers arrive.
Sami always boosts ratings, no matter how much she seems to evoke hate online. She’s very popular. Why they didn’t wait until November to bring her back, I’ll never know.
The highest ratings of the new writing regime have been for a Will, Sonny & Sami story and all those characters are gone now. Will & Sonny’s romance was burned to the ground by writers who held Will and his fans in contempt.
I don’t see how all the new faces they are bringing in can save the show.
Frankly, I’ve had a hard time seeing anything going on since the new writers took over. It’s not just dark in tone, it’s dark so I can’t see anything.
I loved Will for all his faults and flaws, and I really hated to see so many fans turn on him for minor-for-a-soap transgressions. Guy, Freddie & Christopher carried the damn show for months with their maddening, messy and soapy triangle. I didn’t care for all Will’s actions, but Guy played the self-destructive, insecure Will to the hilt, and I think that’s why so many people had such a negative reaction to the character’s death. Even people who thought they hated him wanted to see him redeemed, not killed.
The people who came up with killing Will made a colossal error.
Serena & Paige didn’t bother me because they weren’t iconic legacy characters like Will, but the aftermath of Paige’s death was so sad – well acted by KDP – but very sad, that it turned me off the show before I even found out they were violently killing off my favorite. Then, the knife twisted.
It’s like the writers assumed we wanted to see Will hurt. How wrong they were, at least for many of us.
I agree. They destroyed my confidence in this show. It is dark and depressing and full of death. Killing Will was the last straw for me, and now they have Sonny leaving Salem one day after burying Will, abandoning Arianna, and clearly setting it up for him to move on to Paul “when” he comes back. Leaving that picture on the grave was like Sonny no longer wanting to remember his “family. So sad.
My days fandom began with Will’s coming out and ends today when Sonny abandons his daughter. I had been so looking forward to the 50th Celebration, until the show sent me a clear message me and my kind weren’t welcome for the 50th.
Paul hardly counts.
I wish the best for Chandler Massey & Guy Wilson, both fine actors, as well as Freddie Smith and Christopher Sean. It sucks to be un-invited to a party.
Well said K.K! This is how I feel to0. Today (10/22/2015) is my last day watching days. I too have removed it from my pvr. I could care less what happens at the 50th celebrations because as you said, my attendance is not welcome.
Yes!!!!! That’s exactly how I feel. Un-invited. All the hype for the 50th had me excited, and then turned and said “nope, you aren’t welcome” to their glbt fans and allies. It’s very sad that in the space of a month I was hopeful of the show’s survival and now I can’t help but wish it would go away.
I’m in my 40s, and I don’t think I’ve ever watched a soap or serial drama that I felt was actively telling me I was unwanted as a viewer, until now.
I will say this. I find it very heartening that Will and Sonny had so many female fans and so many people supported their equal treatment. I think all of us were betrayed.
Very few of the vets are sticking around for more than a few weeks, and then a slew of brand new faces are being brought in.
The killing of Will sent a pretty clear message to me that as a Will & Wilson fan I wasn’t welcome to their little party. I also think the show was idiotic not to explore the amazing chemistry between Paul and Will once Freddie/Sonny exited. But there will be no gays on Days anymore. Paul is neutered and backburned.
Kassie DePavia finally really started to shine as Eve, and then they axe her. She deserved much better.
Finally, I am not interested in watching Aiden be retconned into a con man, Hope being played as a fool, Bo being tortured and then – very probably dying – so Hope and Rafe can be together. Daniel Cosgrove had a thankless task being Hope’s new love interest and won many people over, and the show’s disrespect for him and Haiden’s fans is just stupid.
Sorry, Days. You blew it. The show is dark, depressing, mean and now reads like bad Dena Higley fan fiction with a strong dose of erasing the gay. Message received. Enjoy that party on your sinking ship.
So, now they’ve enraged the Wilson shippers and the Haiden shippers. I can’t wait until Bope fans react to Bo dying to service the Rope ship. That’s sure to provoke a good reaction.
I think Bo is loyal to his fans and just want closure. A lot of people complained about how he left, he came back to give us closure. I hope Bo just leave and not die.
I hope he decide to give Hope her freedom and travel the seas again.
Killing him would hurt a lot of fans. But, it’s Peter’s choice. If he decides to go, I will embrace ROPE. BUT NOT until at a least a year. LOL!
Well said kiki.The last scene today in the cemetery with Sonny showed me just what the writers/producers thought of the gay storyline. I certainly won’t be watching this show anymore.
I too am curious to see how the show will be after the anniversary because soon there will be no more Bo, Daniel and Aiden. And there might not be anymore Patch if his was short term also.
There are people missing and people who don’t belong. A Martinez and Sal Stowers don’t belong. Daniel Cosgrove, Kassie and Guy and Freddie should be there. Even Peter who I don’t care for. Shame what they did to Daniel Cosgrove. Won’t be watching the 50th. Glad Galen not in it. They are trying to make him the face of Days when he is just a Passions leftover.
I like Galen so have no problem with his character. Also he is not the “face of Days” as you call it. What the writers have done is make Galen a lead detective in the neck tie killer case. Hope can no longer be lead detective because Will was her nephew. And Rafe is the only one who does not believe Chad killed Will.
I agree Kelly, I have no problem with Rafe. He is a good cop. He seems to solve more crimes than any of them. Shane D and Rafe is number one crime solver.
A lot of people still dislikes Rafael because he married Sami Brady and had a beef with EJ. Get over it!!! EJ is DEAD I hope. They are not making him the face of anything. It’s about time he get some airtime since the Sami and EJ show hogged it all from a lot of people.
A Martinez and Sal Stowers do belong. They are part of the cast.
As much as I like Freddie, I ‘d have to say unless he’s part of the cast during the week of DAYS’ 50th anniversary, there’s no need for him in the picture. Same with Guy who is definitely gone.
Kassie and Daniel should be in the picture as they’ll still be featured, but their absence is not to say DAYS didn’t allow them. In fact, when the picture was taken, Kassie was far from the studio entering her son into college in the east. Daniel Cosgrove also lives in the east. They live on the east coast while DAYS tapes on the west coast.
A few others couldn’t make it either, including Ariana, Shawn, Galen and Wally.
Ariana and Shawn were in the upper Midwest while Galen and Wally were were on vacation.
DAYS could not force people to attend and they didn’t deliberately exclude anyone.
The storylines sometimes dictate the exits of certain characters and they sometimes come back. Kassie is wonderful as Eve, but most viewers know there was always a chance for Aiden to be a murderer. If I had my way, Daniel Cosgrove would never work in daytime again. He has a big mouth!
I’m curious about your comment on Daniel Cosgrove. I really like him as Aiden, but I respect your knowledge of the show. Can you elaborate?
Classy, indeed! And I want to acknowledge the classy set of scenes that happened on Wed. with Hope and her fiance. As he plots to kill Hope, the fiance watches himself go through the act of killing Hope: dressing all in black with a hood and gloves, he moves through the events as he imagines how they will happen: carrying Hope (looking exquisite in a white wedding dress) over the threshold, up the stairs, onto the bed. Then he goes on the pretext of getting a bottle of champagne, “suits up,” goes upstairs and strangles Hope with a necktie. Then he comes back down the stairs and removes the hood, etc. All the while, he is watching himself. A very imaginative and creative set of scenes that humanized the character to an extent but, most importantly, involved the viewer emotionally. Well done!
Days continues to surprise me with their set-ups, the suspense, the humanity of the writing, the acting. Very absorbing drama these “days.” All I can say is that I am enjoying tuning in each day and, once again, I can’t wait for the next day and the next set of scenes. It’s been a long, long time since I have enjoyed watching so much. Thank you, Days!
DAYS is truly thinking outside the box. They’ve been a very creative team consisting of new writers and producers!
So happy to see Meredith Scott Lynn in the cast photo! Just love her as Anne. Why is Victor posed so far from Maggie?
I love Meredith Scott Lynn as Anne. I also like Rory and T and wish they were on more often. These characters really add layers to the canvas.
In reply to your question of my comment regarding Daniel Cosgrove, MBmomof3:
I liked Daniel Cosgrove, but knew DAYS always had the option of turning Aiden bad. I thought it was selfish of the actor to devulge so much story so far ahead of viewers seeing it.
Viewers that follow several different soap sites have known what was going to happen several months before it happens because DC ran his mouth at a celebrity meet & greet to rile fans up.
DAYS tapes 5-6 months ahead of airing and the other soaps will eventually use DAYS taping schedule as their model. DC spoiled much of the story way before any spoiling should have occurred, which deflates the excitement.
He should do his best to find work on nighttime TV or in the movies.
4ever DAYS, Thanks for your reply. I don’t follow a lot of the soap sites or boards so I really wasn’t sure what went down at the fan event. I agree with you. I find it unprofessional and it does impact viewer response as things unfold. I admit I like a few spoilers here and there but really appreciate it when a show keeps things under wraps and it is a total surprise. That’s hard to do in this day and age of social media. I did like DC on Days, his storylines have been good, acting enjoyable and pairing him with Hope was really good for me. It was nice to see Kristian Alfonso in a story that didn’t involve pining for Bo who we knew was not going to return (at that point in time).
I’ll keep tuning in. I’m loving Days! Best soap right now.
I really hope that Anne is killed off soon. I have never liked her. She is selfish and self-centred. Everything has to revolve around her or not at all. I wonder if the reason Maggie and Victor are so far apart is because the two actors don’t get along off set at all. I’ve noticed that Suzanne Rogers and John Aniston are rarely in scenes alone together. There is always someone else in the room; Brady, Theresa etc.
I always thought Suzanne Rogers and John Aniston got along!? I read somewhere that DOOL was like a big family! Did I read and/or hear wrong?
I like Anne also. I want to see more of her and Teresa together.
Nice.
Why isn’t Suzanne sitting next to John Aniston?
Where’s Wally?
Waldo was on vacation, Mo. lol
Glaring Omissions: Peter Reckell (Bo), Wally Kurth (Justin), James Lastovic (Joey), Galen Gering (Rafe), and Arianne Zuker (Nicole)
Pictured, but not captioned: Meredith Scott Lynn (Anne)
And where’s Rafe? Not available on photo day?
Galen was also on vacation, Mo.
While this is a very great and classy photo there are a lot of actors missing. Where are Nicole, Justin, Abby, JJ? None of the new teens besides Ciara are there. Plus the picture is so small that it’s hard to make out who is who.
I am glad that Anne is there, I like her and Teresa and I hope they show more of them.
Well on People I was able to see the picture better so I see that JJ and Abby are there but not Ciara.
But Nicole, Justin and Rafe aren’t there. What is that about?
I know Daniel, Aiden and Bo aren’t there because they won’t be on the show much longer. I am surprised that Ben is still on the show though. He does play the evil serial killer VERY well though!
I have hated, hated, hated, hated every moment of the show since the new writers came aboard with the exception of good performances by Guy Wilson, Freddie Smith, Kassie DePavia, Bryan Datillo & Robert Scott Wilson. I found the stuff around Paige’s death sad enough and Will’s death felt aggressively sadistic toward Will and Wilson fans. Yes, it was homophobic and shoddy. It is also depressing and dark all around.
Now they want me to celebrate? No thank you.
DOOL is homophobia and I won’t be watching I’ve already quick they killed off Will/Guy and want fans to be happy for a show that’s homophobia not me. I don’t watch NBC at all they really don’t have any shows that I like. DOOL was the only reason I watched was because of the gay storyline and they killed that
Is Day really homophobic or is it that the writers just didn’t know how to handle a gay couple. Don’t forget, it was Ken Corday who allowed Will to come out of the closet. And it was Ken Corday who allowed Sonny and Will to get married with loved ones present.
By accident or by design, Will’s death was harsher and missing some of the key story beats that legacy characters get when they die. He died alone, terrified. No flashbacks. No goodbye with his daughter. No reunion with Sonny.
People familiar with gay images in the media noticed that it hit some of the classic “punish the gay” beats that have been around forever. These tropes weren’t designed, they just developed as filmmakers learned that audiences enjoyed seeing sexually ambiguous and gay characters suffer and die.
I don’t think Corday is homophobic, but I think the new writers are, and I do think there was a deliberate choice to have no positive gay images in the run up to the 50th so as not to alienate the olds.
I don’t know if they deliberately scripted Will’s death as cruel as possible as a message about the show’s direction or whether it was subconscious, but look at the fact that Will’s husband sat in the second row at his funeral. JJ sat in the first row at Paige’s funeral. Is this all an accident?
Gorgeous group. Just lovely.
I was a huge Steve/Kayla and Kim/Shane fan years ago. I came back to the show for Will and Sonny, but I was also looking forward to watching at least some of my old favorites on the 50th. After all, I thought, General Hospital did a great job with their 50th, and I was sure Days would do the same. But apparently those of us who loved WilSon, and a non-neutered Paul, are no longer welcome; Days apparently wants to throw our part of the audience away, just as Will was thrown away in a garbage bag.
as long as JJ is in the pic! hope the new team gives jj a meaty new story after the dropped his drug storyline and paige as his love intrest! jj s the best young actor on days !!!
The pic itself is fine, I guess. Missing some people and some newbies aren’t really representative of the 50th. I am disappointed with the show in general. Too much doom and gloom. Several actors are casualties of vets being brought back. Some of these vets are short term and new actors being brought in. Stories recycled. Losing Daniel Cosgrove is a big mistake just to give Peter Reckell his hero moment and save Hope yet again. Same old story. Cosgrove can act given proper material. Dena Higley making it the Rafe hour is another mistake. Look how well that worked for the Daniel character. Sadly, my Days viewing is over when Aiden leaves.
I also think that Aiden was sacrificed in order to bring back Bo. But Peter Reckell only agreed to return to Days for 13 weeks. So that means Bo will be leaving Salem again sometime in December. The only question will be if Bo leaves alive. The writers will have to do something because Hope cannot live the rest of her life alone longing for the return of Bo. It’s not fair to her.
Disgusted by this pic and Griffley’s gay cleansing. The character that earned three Emmys in a row and the first gay married couple and family axed right before the big anniversary, and everyone is laughing in our faces just like they tweeted a picture of actors laughing and smirking while Griffley’s murder of Will was airing. Of course the ratings went up (a bit, still bad in women 18-49, Tomsell*s ratings were better during the summer!) because hundreds of thousands tuned in for Will, Sonny and Sami, but now it’s mass exodus and I’ll never watch this show again as long as they don’t bring back Sonny, Will, Paul and Derrick, one of the biggest ratings draws!!
DAYS won best show last year… because of their submission of Will and Sonny wedding… a big part of their success… had to be a big reason the show was last renewed
There is no way I will celebrate a show that just murdered my favorite character in such a horrible undignified manner. I started watching before teenage Will came back on canvas but it was Will’s coming out story and WilSon’s love story that made me fall in love with the show. I liked Chandler as Will but I loved Guy’s Will (in fact he may have played him too well the past ten months). Will and WilSon meant so much to so many in the gay community but they were torn apart by the writers. Will was an iconic character not just because he was a Horton and a Brady. In the words of Michael Logan he was a hot mess that was storytelling gold. I will not watch Days of our Lives ever again!
One of the things that saddens me the most is that Will, Sonny and Paul had a pretty normal soap love triangle thing going and Will really didn’t do anything to earn the hatred he got from fans and writers. He misbehaved a little and was hated more than the evil characters on the show.
The previous writers seemed to think they could treat gay characters equally and that Will could be a love-to-hate character. I think they succeeded but that got drowned out by nasty voices from team bigot and team self-hatred. I think many in the gay community do get upset when they see a gay character who isn’t perfect because they know that gay characters are hated more than straight ones even if they are perfect. I think this whole debacle shows that we have a long way to go before gay characters in mainstream shows are allowed to be flawed.
I loved Will and I loved his relationship with his daughter. I still can’t believe I’m so upset that a fictional little girl lost her fictional gay dads, but I think it’s just symbolic to me that this show that I invested my time and caring into didn’t care about me and didn’t care about portraying gay fatherhood.
repeat overload
it would have warmed my heart to see Daniel Cosgrove and Kassie DePaiva
period
otherwise
I love them… the cast
the cast
the acting is superlative and near 110%
what a huge pic to showcase TALENT
It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Even if my beloved Eileen Davidson returns to show, I will not watch. The anti-gay agenda is and was pretty obvious. Kudos to A. Sweeney for speaking out against Will’s death. I will not watch this show again. Nice picture though.
I am grateful that I have been able to share my reaction to the Will’s End Daysaster here at MichaelFairmanSoaps, and I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has posted to express outrage at Day’s decision to kill Will in this crass fashion right before the 50th anniversary celebrations.
I consider myself lucky to find out that there are a great many people who are also revolted by this, and see the outright crassness of it, and know in their bones that this is a HUGE mistake for Days, and I am really heartened by this discovery of shared thinking and feeling!
The ability to share our reactions here has, for me, brought me unexpected happiness – because it is thrilling to hear how many other people totally loved this character, and who will continue to appreciate “Will Horton”, no matter what – no matter what!
Salem without Will is unpalatable to me, and I have no desire to tune into a fictional world where Will not only no longer exists, but where credibility and good taste and the principle of universal human solidarity were all sacrificed to eliminate him in double-quick time. It’s so nice to hear from people who, like me, have turned off and stopping watching Days because of this, because, you know we understand each others experience of this – there was something wonderful and uniquely special and good, which we all appreciated, and now it’s gone. We all appreciate the value of what was, and the experience of having it treated as if it was without value and cut away, and it’s really nice to be able to have a connection with each other at this time when it is happening.
Yes Will’s a fictional character, and a soap character and all, but he is more than just a character, he is a slice of wonderful humanity that the talented actors and writers shared with the world, and I think, not only gave us some upbeat entertainment, but also made the world a bit of a better place. It made me a better person, I know that – and it also rallied my spirits when I was going through a difficult time of illness and disability and shattered dreams.
So it’s wonderful to know that “Will Horton” is appreciated the world over. He won’t be forgotten. For us who appreciate him, he is alive and well and living in our hearts and minds and lives. 🙂
And, of course, the actors and writers who put him together are now free and active at creating new works, which I expect will be even better! 🙂
Good speed to all of them!
And thank you all for sharing!
As to Days, well I feel lucky to have encountered their world and their characters, and particularly this character – NOW BRING HIM BACK!!
You know, it does happen in the real world from time to time, that people declared dead wake up in the morgue …
Where is justin, adrienne and bo?
Wally Kurth (Justin) was on vacation. Judi Evans (Adrienne) is pictured. She’s the first from the left, sitting on the bench next to John Aniston (Victor). Peter Reckell (Bo) was unreachable.