Thursday, May 15th, 2008

“Everything is perfect. I live in this great house. I have these two healthy, happy, sleeping children, and what could I possibly have to complain about?” And you’re married to EJ! It’s totally awesome!



“I assume you are referring to Master Elvis.” Still don’t like you, Rolf, but nice to see you’re on the “Let’s call EJ Elvis” bandwagon. See who else you can convince.



“I can't get over the feeling that I'm cheating on Samantha.” Aw, you love her so much! *sigh*



“I should just ignore all of my emotions.”
“Well, with the exception of the one emotion which will never steer you wrong-fear. It is the most effective survival technique to which one must always succumb.” Yeah, Sami, keep leaving the twins with the evil doctor here; nothing bad could possibly come of it.



“I'm the victim here, all right? And the sooner I can remind Samantha of that, the better.”
Hehehe. Oh, this is going to be glorious, isn’t it, Evil EJ?



“Well, you wait right here. We'll continue this little tête-à-tête when I get back.” Oh, so commanding. I love it when EJ orders.
“Samantha, I have absolutely nothing to gain by lying to you. And by nothing, I mean everything.”
“As a matter of fact, Samantha, it is out of the goodness of my heart.” Oh, no, it’s not.
“And I'm an American gladiator.” If you’re going to plug, NBC, do it a tad bit less obviously.



“Whether you want to believe it or not, I really want you to be happy.” With you, you mean. And where have I seen that evil brown hoodie before?



“I made love to you that night because of the way that I felt about you, and at the time, I really-I-I thought that you felt the same way.”
“And I was so embarrassed and humiliated by that, by how disgusted you were with me, that I took all my anger and I brought it all against you.” These are the only two lines I liked out of this whole conversation. Ali and especially James did a great job with the material, but I simply don’t care. Seriously, I’ve been over the deal since February 2007. It was an adult trade, and they both got what they wanted.



“I told her that I loved you.” Of course you did!
“You've done a lot of good things, as you pointed out” Um, like what, Sami? EJ only does ‘good’ in order to raise your opinion of him, not because he’s a good man.
“You were willing to help Lucas come back.” Only in order to wean you off him and realize your love for EJ.



“I'm not doing anything. She's the one who's chasing me.”
“It's relevant because I can't stop her from turning up wherever she wants to, okay?”
“I can't control what she does, okay? If she wants to have a crush on me...” Well, you could stop calling Nicole and leading her on, but that doesn’t exactly fit with your evil plan to entrap your Samantha, does it?



“How is that a problem, Samantha? We're married.” Exactly, EJ. I don’t see any problem here.
“What is wrong with me?” If this is wrong, Sami, you don’t want to be right.

Grade: B+. I had to take off some for the deal discussion, but EJ reminding Nicole that he only loves Sami and Ejami kissing was fanastic. Evil EJ’s plan to ensnare his Samantha is progressing nicely.

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

“Who made you the morality police?” Ah, TPTB you slay me.



Tall glass of water indeed. I see that Days has remembered it is a soap, and yes, this is what I want to see. Now get going on that shower scene.



Aw, it was so sweet of EJ to help Bru Bru with her work out.



“Would you like to come down and make Samantha jealous-I mean, run some laps with me?”



Hmmm. Better than Ejate, worse than Ejami. Moreover, not only was there this strange pause before Nicole and EJ kissed each other, and by strange I mean strange, not normal pre-kiss awkwardness. I also definitely heard slurping. Yuck.



“You’re a beautiful woman, but I love Samantha.” Of course you do, EJ.
“Who said anything about love?” And you’d know as Louis Vuitton doesn’t accept that.

Grade: *shrugs* C. EJ was hot, but I need more than that, and EJ with Nicole, well, there ain’t no there there. Watchable, but no passion or chemistry.

Let EJ Hug You, Sami!

It's May 13th where Sami stupidly refuses to let EJ hug her. You can just see how EJ is so hurt by this.

We Have an Electronic Ejami Photo

Yes, it's small, and yes, Ejami looks bored, but hey, we gotta start somewhere.

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

This is what happens when I get excited from the “Next time on Days” promos. No Patch, no Squire, no jokes. I demand a refund. At least EJ’s up on everyone’s whereabouts and his nice blue flowery tie has reappeared.



“Sami i luv u-no teh sex w/EJ plz k thx ur Lucas.” An email? Seriously? Yet another waste of time. At least Sami’s pink flowery top is pleasant. Ejami is coordinating their outfits again.



“What are you doing here?” Well, he doesn’t actually have an office, he’s already been to the Pub today, and the DiMansion only has the living room here, the stairs, and the entrance, so there’s really nowhere else he can go.



“You don't look fine.” Neither do you, EJ. Someone needs a nap.



“Didn't I say that I had a headache?” Yeah, I hear drinking really helps with those.



“I'm gonna be reaching a bit, Samantha, but you also seem quite sad.”
“Can I give you a hug, Samantha?”
“Samantha, please. You're upset. You're clearly in a lot of pain.”
“You're gonna be a lot more comfortable if you just go to bed, sweetheart.” Insightful, endearing, and wonderfully kind to his Samantha no matter what his morality is. Lucas wouldn’t have even noticed.



Thank goodness I dramatically paused here with the door open for several moments so I could overhear EJ’s phone conversation with Nicole.

Grade: Split decision. EJ and Steve and Sami and crappy letter, C. Ejami B+. Aw, EJ wanted to hold Sami so badly. Maybe next time.

Monday, May 12th, 2008

Normally I’d complain about seeing the same scene over, but no need.



“Maybe you weren't thinking. Maybe you were just reacting.” Exactly. That’s been Sami’s problem this entire time. Her heart has loved you for a long time, but her mind wants her to love the ‘acceptable’ man Lucas.



“Keys, lip gloss, cell phone…now where’s the part of my soul that belongs to Lucas?”



“The way she threw herself on me was wonderful.” It was. And you played it just right, EJ.
“You obviously don't really understand the type of relationship that I have with Samantha.” Neither does anyone else on this show, not even Sami. We still have everyone else thinking of you as a stand in whose feelings are unreciprocated. Sometimes it hurts to be ahead of the curve.



“Look, Nicole, just calm down for a second. You're just upset because of what happened with Cookie.” Bwah! Yeah, you were really into those photos, weren’t you, EJ?
“My personal life never interferes with my work.” Your ability to multitask is thoroughly unparalleled. I am envious.
“What's going on here, EJ ? I feel like I'm being cross-examined.” Nicole, why are you so incredibly stupid now? Keep up!



“Grandma, what if Lucas keeps refusing to see me? I'm afraid that I'm just gonna get angrier and angrier at him. And by the time he realizes that he's wrong and that he should see me, I'm not gonna want to see him anymore.”
“Sami, that doesn't make sense.” Actually, it does, even if Sami weren’t in love with EJ. Lucas is an ungrateful hypocrite.



“Why are you asking him? He doesn't know anything about anything.” Everything about everything, more like it.
“I think that Samantha is just desperate to hold on to what she used to have with Lucas.” Score! And nice to see you aren’t letting your stalker skills get rusty, EJ.
“I am hardly desperate about anything. And it is not what I had with Lucas. It is what I have with him. And it's called true love, EJ. But you're never gonna know anything about that, are you?” Sami, all of this is wrong. I know it’s painful for you to admit that you’ve wasted so much time on someone who will never love you the way you should be loved and who doesn’t deserve your devotion to him, but it’s time to trade up.



“I didn’t do anything, not intentionally, anyway.” Mwahahaha!
“You’re only here because Lucas can’t be.” Oh, how little you know, Caroline.



Welcome to EJ’s flashback theater. You may recall in our last episode last May, EJ was feeling bad about Sami lying to him about wanting to be with him and their baby. Now EJ is contemplating his plan to force Sami to confront her feelings for him and see that Lucas is not the man she thinks he is. Seriously, this went on forever, not that I’m complaining about seeing “Samantha will be mine” again.



Oh, what I would not give for Stefano to just walk in the door during one of these weird scenes. And knock it off with the “You had to be that way to work for Stefano” allusions, show. Save that material for EJ.



“I think he’s finally becoming his own person.” Not really. EJ is no longer controlled by his father, yes. But he’s exchanged that for his fixation on Sami, so there’s a little growth there but much more transference.
“Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, it’s too early to tell.” Rolf, if we keep having Summer EJ and Evil EJ trade off, we don’t have to choose!
“With John as he currently is and with your mother longing for the man he used to be, I think there is as much chance of them reuniting as there is of you forgetting about Lucas and falling in love with EJ.” So all systems are go! And Sami already loves EJ, Rolf.



“Not you, too!” What did I say about being dumb, Nicole?

Grade: A-. I find it interesting that we’ve switched back to EJ being on the outside looking in here. Honestly, since the Ejami dynamic has been that way ever since I’ve watched since November 2006, it’s what I prefer, and I do think it’s the stronger story as well as I don’t need the Brady/Horton oligarchy to approve of Ejami. Sami needs to let go of the insecurities that are standing in the way of her own happiness and choose EJ for EJ. And that means admitting that he’s been right about her loving him all along.

Friday, May 9th, 2008

You know, if I found a mysterious CD in a safe and my memory had been erased, I’d look at it instead of leaving it lying around where anyone could get it. And Philip took it if you watch the promo for the next episode.



“I don’t care how you do it-just do it!” Sure, this is Gray EJ. You just keep telling yourself that.



I really liked Nicole talking about Pookie here. Yes, pets are family members. You can’t get Victor for murder, however. Destruction of property is more like it.



“Was she always this crazy?”
“No, she was crazier.” No, Victor, she was much, much smarter and not a Paris Hilton knock off. I still like Nicole, but this woman might as well be a different character.



You know, I’d like to actually see Pookie, but this was cute. Nicole really cares about her, and EJ did a good job pretending to be actually interested.



“I’m just going to set Nicole’s purse and associated crap on the ground. Sure, there’s clearly a bench behind me, but only Sami gets that extra effort.”



“You have me.”
“Only because I pay you.”
“That’s pathetic, isn’t it?” Summer EJ hits a wall, and out comes Evil EJ to pick up the slack. Talk about a well oiled machine.



“Did you miss a sale at Hookers ‘R Us?” Judging by Nicole’s eyeshadow, I’d have to say no.



I’m glad EJ didn’t just stand here like the last time Sami and Nicole got into it. He’s not a passive guy.



“She is playing you. Why can’t you see that?” He does. This is the plan, not that he can tell you about it. And I love how it suddenly got dark instantly. I’d compare this part to a bad horror movie, but honestly, this happens on television shows of all stripes quite a bit. Whatever the plot wants, the plot gets.



The best part of this was Sami pulling in EJ and EJ letting her do so. He’s playing this so well.

Grade: A-. Sami really impressed me with her genuine emotional display here. She’s finally letting her love for EJ out. And I have to say, switching off between Evil EJ and Summer EJ is highly entertaining. I thoroughly enjoy the juxtaposition and hope the tag team continues.

She Really Likes Me

It's May 8th where EJ learns his visa has been renewed. Honestly, the description on Hulu is somewhat misleading. Nicole is barely in this; the focus is the Ejami interaction as EJ calls Sami out on her jealousy. And is it just me, or is this clip grainier than the others?

I Give You He Who Suffers the Truth

He had fallen asleep nearly instantly. There was no acknowledgment of their discussion the next morning more than him kissing her as soon as he awoke, and she wasn’t sure if that had been for listening to him or just for being there when he opened his eyes. And it hadn’t come up again afterward. She had been reluctant to press, and he had not volunteered. One week of normality stretched into two, and two into four. She had kept an eye on him at night, listening to him sleep for any sign that he was distressed, yet unwilling to upset the equilibrium he had apparently found. And she makes it a point to check on him during the day as well as she does again this evening when she walks into the sitting room. She is not surprised to find him standing by the wall, looking through the window at the heavy rain pounding the exterior of the building.

Sami (looking outside as well): “It’s still really coming down, isn’t it?”

EJ (firmly): “You enjoy this.”

Sami (considering): “No, I don’t like rain much. I mean, I know what the weatherman said last night about us needing it so badly, but if I could choose, I’d have it be sunny almost all the time.”

EJ (ignoring her): “There’s an old saying…when you and a friend are being chased by a panther, you only have one option. Trip your friend.”

Sami (dumbfounded): “What?”

EJ (turning his head around to look at her): “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to.”

Sami (confused): “Up to what? What are you talking about?”

EJ (not buying it): “You already know. You finally found a way to put me in the same category as all your other boy toys, eh? Because that’s what this is really about, you and your girlish insecurities. You had to save yourself, and it came at my expense.”

Sami (puzzled): “EJ, I’m not following. My what?”

EJ (turning around and folding his arms across his chest): “This is all your fault. But that’s perfectly fine with you because that’s what you enjoy, isn’t it? Samantha has to be in charge. Can’t have the man as the head of the household, no, of course not. So you ask me about me about my upbringing when I’m tired and not thinking clearly. And now you’re free to run rings around your screwed up husband.”

Understanding now, Sami shakes her head.

Sami (indignant): “So that’s what this about. You know it’s not like that, EJ.”

EJ (gesturing with his right arm): “Oh, it’s not? How is it not, darling? Tell me because I’d really like to know.”

Sami (trying to get through to him): “It’s for you. I want to help you.”

EJ (making a face): “Sure you do. And because of your overwhelming concern for me, that’s why you check on me the same way you check on our children?”

Sami (scoffing): “No, I don’t.”

EJ (insistent): “Oh, yes, you do. The three of us. You confirm they’re asleep, and then when you come back to bed, you make sure I’m sleeping as well. Because we’re the same, aren’t we? Yet actually I need more help because you check on me more often.”

Sami’s eyes widen as she realizes she hasn’t been as discreet as she thought she had.

EJ (accusingly): “Didn’t know I knew about it, did you? Between the staring and the facial expressions and the almost touching it was rather obvious, my dear. This entire time you’ve been waiting for me to crack again so we can share another wonderful moment together. Maybe you’ll even get me to cry this time.”

Sami (exasperated): “No, I have been and I still am taking care of my husband. And now that you’ve brought it up so nicely, let me say that you’re wrong. This is about you, and you don’t have to beat yourself up about telling me what Stefano did to you. I mean, I know you might regret having done so, but you haven’t had any problems sleeping since that night. It’s okay. You’re okay. There’s nothing to feel bad about.”

EJ (sharply): “Feel bad? The only thing I feel bad about is listening to you in the first place.”

Sami (trying to reason with him): “I understand that. I know how painful it was for you to share this with me. I know-”

EJ (sinisterly): “You know nothing.”

Trying to prevent their confrontation from escalating, Sami walks over to EJ.

Sami (looking up at him): “Look, I know you need to lash out at someone, and I know that person has to be me. It’s fitting after all since I’m the one who asked you about this in the first place. But it really is okay. Everything is fine. You’re my husband, EJ. I love you.”

EJ’s expression softens at her declaration. Encouraged, Sami beams at him.

Sami (warmly): “I don’t think any less of you.”

Until she sees the rage flit across his face, she does not know that she has chosen exactly the wrong thing to say. She glimpses the sheer pain in his eyes for a moment before his gaze hardens.

EJ (venomously): “Sweetheart, you don’t think much about anything, do you? Which is why all your attempts to accomplish anything beyond the most menial task fall flat on their face, don’t they?”

EJ (leaning forward): “So, go ahead. Fine. Attempt to run our family. Because when it all blows up in your face as it always does, we both know who will end up fixing everything, don’t we, darling?”

Sami (snapping back): “Don’t think for a moment that what you went through gives you some excuse to insult me.”

EJ (mock seriously): “Oh, and here I thought it was permanent, like our EZ-pass to tolls on the expressway. Admit to being ill-treated, get a free ride on my behavior. Maybe I should have it printed up and hand it out to people along with my business card. Elvis DiMera, child abuse victim.”

Sami (irritated): “Knock it off, EJ.”

EJ (continuing): “If you’d like to help me pick up the pieces call 555-”

Sami (interrupting): “EJ. I’m serious.”

EJ (harshly): “Are you? You’d think by now that you’d reach a point where you’d stop lying to me.”

EJ moves closer to Sami and roughly grabs her with his left arm. She attempts to pull away, but his grip is too strong for her.

EJ (playing with her hair with his right hand): “Try again, darling.”

Sami (unable to free herself): “I know you’re angry at yourself for sharing with me and at me for listening to you, but just because you need to blame someone doesn’t mean you get to accuse me of having some hidden agenda against you.”

EJ (raising his eyebrow): “Hidden? Try overt. But I suppose in your eyes it’s a miracle I noticed anything at all given how pathetic I am.”

Sami (sneering): “You ungrateful bastard.”

EJ (rolling his eyes): “Poor twisted me. How ever do I function?”

Sami (without thinking): “You keep this up, and I won’t hold you next time.”

EJ (furiously pointing at her): “There is not going to be a next time. I’ve already indulged you. You got what you wanted, your emotional bonding with your confused exhausted husband. Now I get what I want. That was the end of it. We are never speaking of my childhood from this point on. You never bring this up to me again, you got that?”

Unimpressed with his threat, Sami merely looks at EJ.

EJ (pressing her): “I’ll take that as a yes. I’m glad we understand each other.”

Sami (not backing down): “I understand you’re afraid.”

EJ (lighting up): “Really.”

Unprepared for his reaction, Sami takes a step away from EJ as her words do not have diffusing effect she imagined. EJ immediately pulls her back closer to him and takes her face in his right hand.

EJ (stroking her skin): “Your committed façade to this endeavor is rather convincing, sweetheart, but I can see the fear in your eyes.”

Sami (swallowing): “I’m not scared of you, EJ.”

EJ (agreeing as he whispers): “But you are frightened of what else is my head…because you know your control is the control I let you have.”

Satisfied with her nonverbal response to his words, EJ lets Sami go and resumes his placement by the window. Husband and wife stare at each other in silence for several moments before Sami steadies herself.

Sami (done with him for now): “You can think what you want. I am going to go check on the twins, so if you like the rain so much, why don’t you take a walk in it? I hear that all species of snakes can swim.”

EJ glares darkly at Sami.

EJ (too calmly): “And here I thought you liked being bitten.”

Sami makes a noise of disgust as she leaves the room, inwardly troubled by how badly her husband has interpreted her concern. EJ mock waves at his wife as she leaves and turns back towards the window. Watching the water roll down the glass, he seethes at the cost of letting her in.