Eric tried to cut Xander out of MacKenzie’s life, Gabi and Chad went to war over Dimera Enterprises, and JJ hunted Kristen as he left Salem for Italy.
Our TV Fanatics Jack Ori and Christine Orlando are joined by Soaps4ever from MyHourglass a Days of Our Lives fan forum to debate if Eric has baby Mickey’s best interest at heart, should Justin move in with Kayla, and which plot twist is their favorite!
Does Eric really have MacKenzie’s best interest at heart when he insists that Xander stay out of her life, or is he just being vindictive?
Soaps4ever: There is no doubt in my mind that Eric is wanting to keep Xander out of MacKenzie’s life for selfish reasons.
Yes, it was wrong for Eric not to know she was his daughter all that time but Xander clearly loves MacKenzie so he should be able to see her.
Jack: Eric is totally being vindictive. Does he have legitimate concerns about Xander’s past? Probably.
But if he was more concerned about the baby’s best interest than his own ego he would consider the fact that Mickey has bonded with Xander and work out some sort of custody agreement that is aligned with her best interests, not just his.
Christine: Just when I think I couldn’t dislike Eric more he proves me wrong. It’s not Eric’s fault but MacKenzie doesn’t know him and she loves Xander.
That may be difficult for Eric to handle but Mickey is sick and she deserves to be able to have her “Daddy” there to comfort her. Keeping them apart is pure selfishness on Eric’s part.
Now it’s your turn TV Fanatics! Is Eric Brady being a good father or a selfish jerk by cutting Xander out of Mickey’s life?
What do you think of Marlena’s advice that if Xander really cares about Mickey he should just leave the hospital and go home? Is this what’s best for Mickey?
Soaps4ever: Marlena has no right to suggest that Xander leave. It wouldn’t hurt for him to stay, and he is obviously very concerned for the baby.
Jack: Marlena was totally unprofessional. She wanted to stick it to Xander about how he hurt her precious son, and should have stuck to saying she couldn’t give him info about the baby’s condition because he is not the child’s parent.
And how does abandoning a sick child who loves and depends on him prove he loves her, anyway? What would be best for Mickey would be for Eric and Marlena to put their vendetta aside to allow Xander to help care for the child while she is sick.
Christine: It’s easy to see where Eric gets his judgmental streak. As a psychiatrist, you’d think Marlena would realize that having the people MacKenzie loves the most with her when she’s sick is the most helpful to her recovery.
Instead, she took advantage of the opportunity to make Xander feel like an outcast. The town of Salem really needs someone more qualified to help with their mental health issues than Marlena.
In an all out war for the company, who wins? Chad or Gabi? Who would make the better CEO?
Soaps4ever: I vote for Chad because Gabi is just plain dangerous. She makes decisions based purely on emotion most of the time. That is not a good way to run a company. She is not stable enough.
Jack: I can’t say I care much about this. The endless business wars don’t interest me, and I don’t understand why Kristen’s stock is so important — why can’t Chad or Gabi buy more shares of stock to make up for whatever Kristen is donating?
If I had to pick a winner, it would be Chad. Gabi needs an attitude adjustment, and her getting knocked down a peg or ten would be very satisfying. Plus, Chad has the advantage of knowing what he’s doing and not thinking he can manipulate the board into satisfying his personal vendettas instead of making good business decisions.
Christine: Can I admit that I, for the most part, just don’t care. I kind of like Gabi as CEO. I find her ruthless business side a bit of fun whereas Chad is more boring, but I can’t say I care who runs Dimera Enterprises.
Should Kayla and Justin move in together, and if so, where?
Soaps4ever: I get the feeling Kayla is not quite ready to move in with Justin. But if they do move in together it should be at Kayla’s place.
Jack: I’m still mad that they killed off Adrienne. I’m hoping it turns out Will killed Bonnie instead.
If Kayla and Justin want to move into together, so be it, but let it be at Kayla’s place. The mansion is quickly becoming a boarding house for all of Salem and I’d like to see them buck that trend.
Christine: If it makes them happy, why not? They’ve turned out to be a much cuter couple than I expected, but they should stay away from the mansion.
They can live like an actual adult couple at Kayla’s place which should be more fun and much less stress on both of them.
Which plot twist has been your favorite so far? Stefano in Steve’s body, Kristen and Lani at the convent, or Kate as a waitress at the Brady Pub?
Soaps4ever: I like them all even though I think Lani and Kristen being nuns is silly. But they have developed a great friendship and it has been nice to see it unfold.
Kate as a waitress is so interesting and she seems a little more down-to-earth and friendlier.
At first I didn’t like Steve being Stefano because I miss him being Patch but I like how he has morphed into the character and now I am enjoying it and it is my favorite plot twist of the three.
Jack: Kate being a waitress. It’s silly but it leads to some good stuff for her and Roman and it’s amusing to watch her put her nose in all her customers’ business.
Christine: I’m enjoying all three far more than I expected. My favorite is Kate at the Brady Pub. She and Roman work well together and I don’t know where this is all leading but I’m happy to watch more of it.
Abe mentioned he was going to call Celeste. Would you like to see Celeste return to Salem?
Soaps4ever: I wouldn’t mind if Celeste returned to Salem. She seems like an interesting character.
Jack: Like we haven’t had enough campy nonsense. But I’d prefer Celeste to the latest doppelganger story, so sure. Abe also called Theo, though, and I’d rather have him back than Celeste.
Christine: At one time, Celeste’s other-worldly outlook seemed too out there, but now she might seem more grounded than most of Salem! It could be a fun to have her back.
What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline this week in Salem?
Soaps4ever: I liked any scene between Nicole and Brady. Even with all their history it’s good that they can lean on each other.
Jack: I liked Chad pointing out that Gabi was going to ruin her reputation with her daughter and that he was going to enjoy seeing her go down in flames.
I also liked Brady asking if Eric was going to abandon Holly, since Eric was so busy being vindictive he seemed to have forgotten about her.
Christine: Sarah finally realizing that Xander really loved her and Mickey and was willing to put the both of them before himself. It gave me hope that these two will eventually really end up together as a couple because they have some great potential!
Want to chat about the unecessary tragedies happening in Salem? Then check out Jack Ori’s Days of Our Lives review here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.