Days of Our Lives Round Table: Our Favorite Marlena Moments!

It was Deidre Hall’s 5000th episode!

Our TV Fanatics, Jack and Christine, are joined by Horizon from MyHourglass, a Days of Our Lives fan forum, to share their favorite Marlena moments, if Maggie was right to fire Alex, and whether Nicole should tell EJ or Eric she’s pregnant?

And which was the lamest story of the week in Salem? Read on to find out…

It was Deidre Hall’s 5000th episode! Do you have a favorite storyline with Dr. Marlena Evans?

Horizon: Deidre Hall is the first person I remember when I started watching the show back in the 1970s. Yikes. And Roman is pretty much the only other cast member that I recall back when.

But since I haven’t watched the show in Continuum, I frankly don’t recall much. In recent times she had her moments from time to time in her second go around as the devil.

But I give her credit for her perseverance, and even I was touched when they flashed it was her 5000th episode. Whether you like Marlena or not, she is an icon.

Jack: I have a few stories of hers I loved, some of which I’ve only ever seen bits and pieces of online. I was hoping for a flashback of the Salem Strangler storyline.

I’ve seen the scene where she was working at her radio station, and the Salem Strangler called in, and I would LOVE to see the rest! I’ve also read about her baby dying of SIDS but never seen it.

Of the stories I’ve actually seen, my favorite is her helping Will when he first came out. That was a huge, groundbreaking story and so important to get right, and her support of Will was perfect and invaluable.

I enjoy Marlena when she’s working as a psychiatrist or supporting her family. (Sami’s bulimia story is also a favorite though that was more about Sami than Marlena.) I do NOT like the damsel-in-distress stories.

Christine: I was thrilled they showed the scene of Marlena talking the man off the ledge and then falling herself. That was one of my favorite scenes, and I’d like to watch it again.

I was a kid during the Salem Strangler storyline. I may have skipped school to see some of it (not an unusual occurrence).

And, of course, when she met John, who she thought was Roman. There have been so many fantastic storylines that I wish they’d used the entire hour to remember more.

Was Maggie right to fire Alex? Did he mess up that deal, or was Maggie too hard on him?

Horizon: I loved the sweet and almost unassuming Maggie. But as a boss, she has gone full troll.

I think Alex, despite his personal deficiencies, is a sharp ambitious young businessman. I appreciated the fact he was improvising on the spot when it became clear his prickly client wasn’t interested in Maggie’s stale readymade contract.

So yes, I don’t think Maggie has the business savvy to run the show, and she was wrong to castigate and then cruelly fire the poor fellow who was trying like crazy to get a deal done.

Jack: I was so disappointed by this! This whole time, I’ve been on Maggie’s side, but the truth is that this deal was NOT as done as she thought it was.

Yuri wasn’t happy with Maggie’s ideas and vision, and the reason he didn’t sign wasn’t that Alex reneged on something different — it was because he didn’t want the deal as is, and Alex ultimately stuck to Maggie’s vision. If Maggie had been there, the deal likely also would have flopped.

It’s true that Alex messed up by saying Maggie is new to this business, but that wasn’t the main reason the deal failed, and Maggie should have gotten more information instead of assuming Alex screwed things up for her again.

Christine: No, she’s had it out for Alex from the beginning. Yes, he messed up a bit when he mentioned that Maggie was new to the business, but that’s nothing Yuri couldn’t have found out with a Google search.

And Stephanie was no help at all. Alex tried to pivot and make things work. That might have worked, but Stephanie insisted he sticks to the original deal, and that’s when it all tanked.

Nicole told Anna about her pregnancy. Was that a smart move? And should she tell EJ or Eric?

Horizon: I really don’t know if it was a bad idea to tell Anna, who seemed very supportive. I understand it is such a loaded issue why Nicole can’t blurt it all out to EJ and Eric while she is still trying to process it all, but the sooner she spills the beans, the better.

She looks like she will self-combust if she doesn’t get this secret out of her system.

That said, I have been impressed with Nicole’s acting during this entire explosive dilemma. Subtle acting reveals her contradictory and troubling emotions.

Jack: I’m so annoyed that Nicole didn’t come clean with anyone but Anna. It’s understandable that she wants to wait and see who the father is, but this lie is going to be hard to explain away, and she’s probably never going to voluntarily tell anyone other than Anna.

Anna kept Nicole’s last secret, but she tends to be a blabbermouth, and I don’t see her keeping this from Tony long-term, so she was probably not a great person to confide in.

Christine: I love Anna, but I don’t trust her, at least not completely. But Nicole had to tell someone!

I wish she’d tell EJ because they are in a serious relationship, but I can understand why she’d want to know the paternity first, if possible.

But Eric pushing her to tell him if something was wrong felt off. They aren’t together any longer, and she shouldn’t feel pushed to tell him anything.

Should Sloan turn in her brother, Colin, to the police? Do you think she will? And is she developing real feelings for Eric?

Horizon: I love Eric and Sloan together, and I am convinced she is falling in love with him. Her slimy brother has put her in an almost impossible spot. It reminds me of that saying in the “Godfather,” never go against the family.”

But I am pleased she showed some moral fiber in all of this.

Jack: Yes, she should. She gave him an ultimatum, but she should have gone straight to the cops with what she knew. Otherwise, when it comes out, it’ll look like she was covering for him.

I think she is developing real feelings for Eric. The question is, can she stay reformed if things don’t work out? (Which they probably won’t, given the baby situation.)

Christine: Yes, she should turn in her brother, but I understand why she’s giving him a chance to stop what he’s doing. He is her brother.

But I do hope she turns him in and proves she isn’t the devil people in Salem think she is.

And yes, I do believe she’s starting to have real feelings for Eric, and I hope they stay together. Sloan makes Eric more fun.

Do you find the Dimera Enterprises CEO rivalry entertaining or tiresome?

Horizon: From time to time, these little battles have been amusing. But the material is still a little too trite.

Jack: This story is so juvenile and tiresome. How does this company stay afloat? They’re always changing CEOs, and the people in charge are busy fighting with other Dimeras instead of working.

Christine: Ugh. If I never hear someone say “CEO” again in Salem, it will still be too soon. These stories are repetitive and boring. There has to be something better these characters can do.

Chanel was ready to fall into bed with Talia. Is she that attracted to Talia, or was this about getting over Allie?

Horizon: I have stopped trying to figure out Chanel. Seems too flighty, and knowing he,r she probably is attracted to Talia regardless of her recent Allie breakup. But I must say I detest this entire setup. Feels like a plot point story and not much else.

Jack: I think it’s both. Chanel is attracted to Talia and naive enough to believe Talia is a great person, but she also is on the rebound from Allie.

Chanel seems to believe in the best of everyone, and it gets her into bad situations. I hope she learns from this if she gets burned again.

Christine: She is attracted to Talia. Talia is a beautiful woman. But she also got blindsided when she heard Allie had already moved on. So this is likely more of a rebound fling than anything else.

That said, I think Chanel will be devastated when she learns the truth about Talia. I hope it will drive her back to Johnny!

Did Chloe overreact, or was she right to be upset with Xander for expecting her to cook and do household chores?

Horizon: Chloe is the touchy type, so it wasn’t out of her character to be insulted by Xander’s requests. But it made for a kind of funny uneasy comedy.

I like the free-swinging off-the-cuff feel these two give off when they interact, and it is welcome on a show that can get too stuffy at times.

Jack: Chloe was right. While she agreed to help with the housework, she didn’t agree to be the maid or a short-order cook.

Xander was acting like s 1950s husband who expected the wife to do all the work without him contributing a thing.

That said, Chloe didn’t need to fly off the handle and threaten to move out. They needed to talk this through and agree on what she was actually responsible for contributing.

Christine: Chloe shouldn’t be expected to do all the cooking and cleaning, but she did come off like a diva here.

They did say Xander would pay the rent, and she would take care of the apartment. He shouldn’t have expected her to get up and make him breakfast, but it’s clear they need a real conversation about expectations.

But Chloe threatening to move out was silly and over the top. And where was she planning to go?

What was the lamest story or scene of the week?

Horizon: Layup question. The whole Colin and Talia ordeal is a terrible thing to behold, and the quicker Colin exits stage left, the better. And neither Colin nor Talia has impressed me with their rudimentary acting skills.

Jack: I hate this juvenile Stefan/EJ fight, and EJ fighting with Eric while Nicole keeps her pregnancy secret isn’t much better.

I also disliked that Nicole again talked in public about her secret on the phone and almost got caught.

Christine: This stupid CEO evaluation storyline. Why would anyone care about Nicole or Gabi’s evaluations? Please, make it stop.

What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline in Salem this week?

Horizon: Paulina got off some good ones when telling Rafe he needs to grill instead of lightly sauté. And telling Sloan she is lucky she doesn’t have a gun and a badge.

Colin telling Jada about the “Scottish Wanker” Xander, I must admit, hit my funny bone.

I can’t say I am in love with any of these current storylines, but Nicole and her superb, subtle acting have elevated the too-common “who’s the daddy” scenario.

Two favorite scenes took place in restaurants. Brady’s Pub and The Bistro, respectively.

First, I liked the natural way the Jada, Xander, and Chloe sit-down progressed. Xander, unbeknownst to him, gave Jada juicy intel regarding Colin. Best of all was the surprising way Jada flashed her badge inserting urgency in a scene that seemed merely casual.

I also loved Alex and Stephanie’s business meeting. The client was suitably annoying, and I loved the gallant way Alex tried to save the boat from going under. Adding to the fun was the deadpan reactions from Stephanie. It all felt like classic screwball comedy material.

Jack: I am so glad we’re almost done with the Kate kidnapping story! Also, I know I’m in the minority here, but I thought Talia’s tears about not being able to resist Colin were well done.

I know she’s trying to throw Jada off, but I think it was close enough to the truth — except she hasn’t found the courage to tell Colin she’s done. But she was not lying about being unable to resist him or not liking who she becomes around him.

Christine: I loved that John celebrated Marlena. It made for a fun, heartfelt episode. And I just adored the flashbacks. I only wish there were more of them.

Now it’s your turn, TV Fanatics! Hit that SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON below to tell us if you enjoyed Deidre Hall’s 5000th episode and which is your favorite Marlena moment.

Then check out Jack Ori’s Days of Our Lives review here at TV Fanatic.

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C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.

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