Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Saturday Night Fever: November Promo Unleashed



Um...WHAT?!


Because I chew spoilers up and spit them out, I knew about Jack and Jennifer’s kiss. It was already spoiled that Fancy Face and Beauregard were going to find a “gift” from Stefano to Mrs. H amongst her belongings. Hell, if you were looking for it (I was), you’d even have already known about the attempt on John’s life.


But – What the fuck?! – Where the hell did that kiss between EJ and Sami come from?



The way it all went down.



Not that I’m complaining or anything. On the contrary, I loved it. I honestly didn’t see it coming, and Days hasn’t been able to catch me off guard like that in a long time. Now, it’s hard to figure out how we got from Point A all the hell the way to Point WTF, but I dig that in this case. If I want to know what’s going to happen, I have to tune in. A novel concept, that.



I will say this, though – while the content of the promo was amazing, on a technical level I thought it was terrible. Showing Justin and Adrienne was wonderful, but it was an old clip taken from Sonny’s first few days in Salem this past summer. The half-a-second shot of EJ noisily shuffling outside of the pub trying to see inside after the shooting was pointless and awkward. I didn’t even immediately register that it was him. The clip of Austin laying Carrie down on the bed had the same problem. I had to watch the promo twice to figure out who was doing what, and I’m still not one hundred percent sure I’m right. Was that Carrie? Was it Jennifer? Whatever it was, it was blonde and wearing boots.

Instead of a boring shot of Chabby playing pool at the Cheating Heart, they couldn’t find one second of drama or sexual tension that may be happening this month between Chad, Abigail and Little Red to give us?



The clip of Brady dancing with Madison was blah. I wouldn’t have missed that. I’d have preferred if they’d left their kiss as a standalone. The voiceover announced that there’d be “seduction” and you show me Madison and Brady looking like they’re going to launch into Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart?



Ding, ding, ding!


The Kate/Madison/Quinn clip was boring as arse. Kate and Madison are supposed to be empire-building big wigs. Could their “confrontation” have been any duller? What few seconds you give us have to pop, guys. You have a couple of seconds to make the story look amazing. All that beige. Quinn looking like a cross between a gym teacher and Dan Lauria. Wrong, wrong, wrong. This is a promo, fer chrissakes, and that was a blatant misuse of the magnificent Lauren Koslow.



Those plants could probably do with some watering.



The November promo probably could have devoted a second or two to Jack’s PTSD storyline. I mean that’s the only thing making the Dannifer/Jannifer triangle interesting, the only thing that makes it unique. Matt Ashford has been doing such a fabulous job with his scenes, and he’s been getting so much well-deserved praise for them, that you’d think TPTB would want to showcase a little more of that. Trim the fat and give us a little more of the good stuff.



You brought this all on yourself, Blondilocks.




The music is all well and good as background music, but doesn’t lend itself to the awkward stretches of dialogue-free footage. The long silence during the “seduction” sequence could have used some dialogue over it.


I’m being nit-picky. I know.



The things I loved…




STEFANO VS. HOPE


The Bo/Hope/Stefano sequence was great. I loved the quick shots of the paperweight, and not just because that paperweight looked like something out of a steampunk flick. Seriously, what WAS that thing? I must know!



Paperweight or the key to time-travel?



RIDDLE ME THIS


The mysterious sniper? The windows of the Brady Pub getting all shot up? People running and ducking for cover? Loved it. I actually got all caught up in the action. And, no – not because Bradys were being shot at.




And seeing Johnny hiding under the bar with his pupils dilated to the size of saucers?  I’m fully expecting the Kunitz Twins to steal the show again.



THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT



Finally! Some life in Gabi’s deep brown eyes! A little vibrato in that voice of hers!




Maybe I didn’t need to do all those stretches to keep my muscles from seizing up during all the cringing I thought I was going to have to do during her scenes with Will after all. Gabi might actually be able to hold her own. At least that’s what those two seconds in that promo told me.



THE KISS


That kiss.  THAT KISS.


Wow.


I was stunned.It was incredible.And, yes – I’ve watched it about a thousand times now.



A closer look at the kiss by the folks at Rogue Ejami


I’m sorry, but there’s nothing Alison Sweeney and James Scott can’t do when they’re together. He brings out the best in her, and vice versa. That kiss alone could be, and probably will be, its own promo. I’m looking forward to seeing EJ and Sami face off in scenes that don’t also include Rafe sucking up oxygen and wasting it on trying to work his eyebrows around his face. That kiss had four words worth of dialogue leading into it and the combined power of Jamison effortlessly handled the rest.





The gasp Sami lets out as EJ reels back from her slap. The look you can’t quite see on his face but know is there because Jamison are working to make you feel it. The cry Sami lets out before they start to devour each other. Woah. Just…WOW.


Exactly how Ejami’s pelvic affiliation goes down, I don’t know. I know the characters well enough that I can have some fun speculating, but I can’t do a thing beyond that. Again – that’s a very welcome change. I’m comfortable and content enough just knowing that whatever’s going to go down between EJ and Sami is going to be epic, because it’s impossible for EJ and Sami to go down any other way.


Fingers crossed Ken Corday doesn’t decide to drop in on SOD to let them know how excited he is about November.




12 comments:

  1. For me, it was dull and lifeless. Yet another round of f*ck Nicole over, literally, and leave her. Why can't she NOT be involved in this EJama. It's wasting her time, our time, and Ari's talent.

    I have to say, I am happy for EJami fans. They have been slapped so many times by these writers and others, like us Bricoles, that it's surprising they can even get excited over teasers. It's about time.

    BADison on my screen any time sucks the life out of a room. They are the proverbial fly in my soup. I avoid them like the plague. Childish yes, but it keeps me from up chucking my lunch. Not to mention BADison and EJole in the same show, I might just open a vein.

    I see nothing for me to look forward to, just cringe some more. When are they gonna get it through their thick heads, that Bricole is what works and stop placating this crap. Oy!

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  2. I forgot, I would love to see Hope against Stef again. I don't know why they keep my two Italias away from each other, they have such intensity on the screen. Kristian and Joe bring their best with each other. More Stope.

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  3. Twin, I can't say enough about this. I agree with it to a T. Your description about EJami "devouring" each other is amazing! Good one! I may use that when I tweet the writers.

    Oh, I agree with you Schinaia. The intensity between Hope and Stefano is awesome. Stope, I like the sound of that. Also, we will get our Bricole soon enough, keep the faith. It will eventually happen.

    I kind of like the Sami vs. Nicole thing they have. I know Alison Sweeney and Arianne Zucker love those scenes and it shows. They said once at an event that they are both tomgirls and love fighting scenes together.

    Bradison....well...I got nothing. Not worth mentioning really.

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  4. Too late,Ken Corday already opened his big mouth LOL, although it's nothing storyline specific like the previous years thank god. Here's what SOD says: "As far as what is happening on camera, Corday is aware that fans feel things aren't moving fast enough. "The new writers hit the ground running, with John and the Madoff story and EJ running for mayor, but you also have to establish what all these characters are doing, even though they're old characters", he explains. "So there was what we call a settling in period for these characters, from their arrival in September, to about two months later, when the story really starts to ramp because it takes that long for the audience to learn them again. You learn them through story; you don't stop the show. Resetting the whole show didn't just mean new sets and new actors; it meant giving these actors and this look time to seep in. It sounds like a rationale, but it was done on purpose. I think the writers did a good job with this, but things will go at a much faster pace from mid-November into what I'm reading now, which is March. Stay tuned: Stakes will get much higher. After the first of the year...wow."

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  5. Well! I have to say that when Elle showed me that clip I was stunned! I was surprised to find that spark of Ejami hope still lingering deep in my heart and it has been fanned to a burning bonfire of need.
    A quick comment on the writing that I truly feel needs to be acknowledged...whether we like the pairings or not (and I do like Bradison) the dialogue from the DA ep yesterday between Ejole and Bradison was very well written. After all this is what the fans have been asking for... some meaningful interaction between characters; some build-up. I feel they were very well played by all four actors and I enjoyed the content. I watched the Ep twice and not just to see EJ's six-pack ripple in slo-mo on the DVR (although that was the PRIMARY reason). I look forward to watching every day now... ;)Digs <3

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  6. Have I watched the clip a thousand times? Close! And, the Rogue Ejami version is great too. I haven't been this excited about a storyline on Days in...well, the last time Sami and EJ were obsessing and fighting and loving...

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  7. And, the Golden Girls/Bea Arthur montage was great ;)

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  8. Post-script... by the way my comment was not "Pro" Ejole. I just noted that the writing was thoughtful, realistic and captivating and I appreciate a well-written script. What do you guys think?

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  9. yes, it was very well written and very well delivered, that said, after watching five seconds of EJ and Sami it was all for naught.

    I'm with those who dying Ejami embers have turned into a full blow four alarm fire.

    As for the rest of the promo, outside of Stefano and Hope, it was very meh.

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  10. OMG!

    I loved that finally they are addressing EJami and giving them some great material to work with. I think they have the "IT" factor when they work together in their scenes and it totally shows.

    I am very interested in the Hope and Stefano scenes as well. They seem to have a really good story up there sleeve for them.

    I love Lauren Koslow (Kate) and I am so glad to see her working in a great storyline as well. I am unsure how I feel about this SJB actress though. She seems to oversell her scenes to me. The story should be good though as they have Quinn involved in it also.

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  11. Ummm, you have no soapy goodness to share regarding Friday's eppy or are you too shocked for words?

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  12. OMG I am still basking in this..I too did not expect this..not now..WOW WOW and WOW, as sting would say "EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE I'll BE WATCHING YOU" I am now hanging on to my seat..also I SCREAMED AT THE COMPUTER when I saw this promo jumping up and down..then silence fell..What, how..thank you for this blog..

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