One Year Ago Today…

I wouldn’t trade having Steve and Kayla back for the short amount of time we had them for the world. It was wonderful seeing these beloved actors and their beloved characters again and it was also worth it seeing Steve alive and reunited with his girls after so many horrible years apart. It really showed me that in the end true love wins and also the power of true love.

Even though we were deprived of a proper going away story line for our faves I believe that they are happily living in Central America with their miracle boy baby Joey and that they are happily running a clinic together. Kayla always needs her favorite assistant and that makes me happy that they are together and living the life that they were deprived of so many years ago. Even though their return to Days was short lived I loved seeing Stephen and Mary Beth again and now I am loving seeing Stephen on Y&R as Tucker. Good Times!!

For 16 years, every time I watched my Steve and Kayla tapes, it was with a sad little ache, remembering the way they ended with Steve’s “death”. When they were going to be reunited onscreen in 2006, I had mixed emotions: While I was thrilled beyond belief that we might finally see a happy ending, I also knew that no writer from Days, would ever do them justice. Even worse, I feared, someone like Days’ James Reilly could even destroy the essence of those characters and their love story. James Reilly had already destroyed *everything* I ever loved about Days. And I had seen it happen before on other shows- GH’s Bob Guza destroyed everything I ever loved about Stefan, and Katherine (respectively and together). So when Steve and Kayla came back, I was more than a little frightened at the prospect.

There were some rough patches, some bad story from the likes of Reilly, Higley, and even Hogan at first…but in the end, we did get a beautiful reunion for our favorite couple. In the end, it was almost everything I could have dreamed of. (Though I still wanted to see them renew their vows in some intimate way).

I have to say, I am SO grateful for that. I can watch the early story now without that sad little ache. I can envision Steve and Kayla happily ever after. I admit though, still miss them SO much. They were such a bright light in my day.

But what really still stings, and probably always will is that Days didn’t even bother to write them off. That was disrespectful not only to the fans/viewers, but also to the history/legacy of the show, and to the actors who worked so hard to create these characters. They went off with a wimper, as if they didn’t matter enough to the show to have an ending story. Days doesn’t respect it’s own history, it’s own team of actors or its viewership. It’s no wonder that legions of fans and daytime viewers in turn have stopped caring.

If daytime wonders why ratings continue to decrease: take a look at Days as a prime example. As soon as you stop caring about the legacy of your show, as soon as you stop caring that the audience has an investment, the audience stops caring to watch. It’s really that simple.

I too am not happy about the way they were written off Days. I haven’t watched the show since and like someone else mentioned I could barely watch the whole show when they were on. What has me completely baffled is how Days stays on the air. Guiding Light and As The World Turns had better writing in my opinion and now one is gone and the other is one they way out. Days starts so many different story lines and then never finishes them up. I think the writers must have ADHD. At least Stephen is on Y&R.

The way in which they were written off was HORRIBLE, but the way they were told about it was even worse IMHO.

Show up to work all prepared to do what you do best then TIIC call you into their office and say, “By the by, this is your last day. Thanks and good luck.”

So I see Steve helping Kayla out in the hospital by cheering up all the little dudes and dudettes and keeping an eye on the baby. Maybe Steve sees a little orphaned guy who reminds him of Marcus and they decide to adopt him. That’s what I see.

Tami

Oh how I miss Steve & Kayla, what a missed opportunity, but I am so gratefull that we got them back for the short amount of time we did.

Um lets see, Steve & Kayla are still dealing with the unresolved fallout from the whole Ava debarcle.
Kayla wrapped up her short stint in Africa and accepted a position running the Emergency Department at the busiest private hospital in Sydney Australia. But unbeknownst to KAyla, this hospital is funded by a consortium of anonymous wealthy business men, headed by none other than the evil EJ Dimera.
Behind the scenes, EJ silently pulls all the strings at this hospital like an evil puppet master and is wringing his black gloved hands in glee that his Brady loving ex soldier, Steve Johnson, will be within his grasp again, EJ has unfinished business with all the Bradys.
But Kayla is too busy with her new job to notice any strange goings-on at the hospital, she has her hands full dealing with the life and death emergencys that come through the hospital doors everyday.
Kayla is so happy to discover that one of her colleagues (Bill) from LA is also working at the hospital. KAyla is releived that there is no awkwardness between them (BIll came on pretty strong in LA & wanted to persue a romantic relationship with KAyla, but she was not interested at the time).
Unbeknownst to KAyla, Bill is BSC and hiding a dangerous obsession with the beautifull Dr Johnson & is about to put into motion a plan to win over the good Doctor & have her all to himself (If he cant have her, than noone will, insert BSC laugh).
Steve has settled in nicely in stunning Sydney, he has his own PI/bounty hunter business and is going great guns, having replaced the wild animals of Africa with the wild animals that inhabit Sydney’s seedy underbelly.
Steve also moonlights as a harmonica player in the coolest little blues band in town. Steve’s good friend Marcus, who also works with KAyla at the hospital, plays drums in the band.
The band is the perfect cover for Steve to mix with the more seedy side of town & he has made alot of contacts who assist him with his bounty hunting escapades.
Who knew that Sydney Australia was the hotspot for International criminals fleeing the long arm of the law.
Little Joe Johnson is no longer a baby, he is now a mischievous toddler who is the apple of his parents eyes/eye.
Unbeknownst to Steve & KAyla, their beautifull boy is the centerpiece of evil EJ’s diabolical plans to rip apart the lives of the Johnson family and continue his insatiable and neverending hatred of all things Brady.
Was that really just a freckle on baby Joe’s wrist? or something much, much, more sinister?
REmember brainwashed crazy Steve? well hang onto your seats folks, you aint seen nothing yet.
When EJ goes after little Joe and sets his diabolical plan in motion, an enraged Steve steps up to the plate and must be the hero that we all know he can be.
Nick Fallon was released from prision early and a damaged and cynical Nick has turned up in Sydney trying to escape his inner demons and rebuild his shattered life.
Chelsea Brady is visiting her Aunt Kayla and runs into Nick, imagine her shock ……………….
Jack Deveraux has just acquired a new newspaper, the Sydney Herald, he has been so successfull in London that he is expanding his newspaper empire rapidly and is considering moving his family to Sydney to concentrate on his new business acquisition.
Of course the fact that his brother now lives in Sydney is a huge drawcard and Jack longs to restablish a relationship with his big brother.