Apr 07 2010

To Watch or Not to Watch…

Posted in Days of our Lives, Mary Beth Evans, Stephen Nichols, Steve & Kayla 7 comments

~By Jen

… that is the question.

So, I have to admit that last week was a miserable week for me, it was rough. I kinda kept up on what was going on in cyber space but it was a hit and miss on what I would see. But, I DID pick up on the fact that it was confirmed that Mary Beth Evans is indeed coming back to Days of Our Lives for Alice’s memorial episodes (whatever that entails at this point). I saw it on Twitter from the official PR person from the show (I get all my news from Twitter). This was the first official notice from the show itself that she is going to be on, not just that she was “asked” to come back for the shows. So, considering I was in a miserable mood last week, this made me feel good, it made me smile, and I was happy. Not only was I going to get to see Mary Beth back on my screen, but I was going to get to see Kayla also! I should be happy, right? Well, then I started to read some of the comments/thoughts on it. Seems there is an item out there that it is possible that Mary Beth is one of the actors that could be back for “more” episodes than just for the memorial. Michael Bruno even placed her back in the “working” section of his site as “Kayla Johnson”. What does that mean? Two days? Two weeks? Or even more? No one is saying. Not only that, but speculation abounds on what “back for more than one show” really means. Even more frightening is what it might mean seeing how Stephen is not coming back with her. What will happen to Steve and Kayla? Will they even mention it? Will we have to learn something frightening like Steve is MIA again? Or even worse, are they are not even together? I personally don’t think it will be either.

I am a firm believer that you cannot trust these writers any further than you can throw them. They have given us NO reason whatsoever to trust them, NONE. This is the same team that just wrote our beloved couple off the show as if they were nothing more than day players never to be heard from again. Even more insulting is the way Mary Beth, Stephen and their fans were treated. That is where my beef lays with the whole thing. “Steve and Kayla” are fictional characters, the others are not. We have feelings, and as consumers of their show, we should be treated and respected as such (See Giddy’s Blog last week). But, this is not going to be a recap. This blog is going to be about why I am happy that Mary Beth is coming back (for however long it might be). Yes, I am happy.

The first thing I have to say is that I am a “post-Steve” Kayla fan. There, I admit it. It’s out in the open. Not that it was a big secret, but just so you have all the facts. I was able to enjoy “Kayla” minus Steve. Call me strange, weird, whatever… I have heard it all. Mary Beth did some really good work during that time and it would be a shame not to acknowledge it. But, I am not naive about things; I know how things work. I get that there is going to be “Steve and Kayla” fans, there are going to be “Stephen” fans, there is going to be “Mary Beth” fans, and then every other combination you can come up with. Everyone has a right to feel the way they feel on the situation. And supporting one situation does not mean you don’t support another. I guess I almost feel like Switzerland in this situation, because I really do see all sides of the argument.

On one hand, TPTB have shown us that they are not to be trusted with any super couple (see Bo and Hope currently). All it would take is one comment from Kayla that she hasn’t seen/heard from Steve, or they are having “trouble” and they are just taking a “break”. Now I can see this point… really I can, and as I said before, I don’t trust this regime running this show for one minute. But, I honestly do not think they will go this route. My thing is this… I just can’t worry about it. It’s not worth it to me to worry about it at this point. While I hold Steve and Kayla as “THE” couple over every other Daytime couple and I would hate to see anything tarnish that, I can’t get over the excitement over seeing Kayla, and more importantly, Mary Beth on my screen again. And honestly, to me at least, nothing they do to Steve and Kayla at this point will tarnish any memories I have of them as the greatest love story on Days of Our Lives or in daytime. Heck, many have proved that certain “things” can be ignored if need be.

I think a lot of the conversations are based on just what your personal threshold is of what you can and cannot bear to see. Everyone doesn’t have the same threshold. Everybody is looking at scenes from a different perspective. Some might look at a scene as a “Mary Beth” fan, some might look at it as a “Stephen” fan (or their respective characters), or as a “Steve and Kayla” fan. Where you personally come from has everything to do with what you are willing to accept or not accept. And again, it can be a combo of things. It’s not always so cut and dry. Few things are.

On the prospect of Mary Beth coming back for an undisclosed amount of time, I am all for it. The thing we have to remember is that this is for Alice, a tribute to her. Steve and Kayla have a history with Alice. I find it an honor that not only did Days ask her back, but that Mary Beth is accepting a come-back just for her when we know in the past she has turned down such invitations for appearances. No one at this point even knows if her story will expand beyond just a tribute to Alice, so why panic? Because you don’t trust “them”, I get that… really I do. But my prize is just seeing Mary Beth again back in her Kayla persona for how ever long they want to give us. I guess I have proved by the above statements that I am not one that is afraid of Kayla minus Steve by enduring the 91-92 days. So, that is where I am personally coming from. Even though I really don’t think it is something we have to worry about. I am well aware that others come from different perspectives on the issue and I welcome them and I think I would even agree with them.

On the issue of whether Mary Beth herself would agree to come back if she knew that it could possibly mean that Steve and Kayla were in some kind of trouble and “trusting” her on it. Honestly, I don’t know Mary Beth well enough to say one way or another if that is true or not. I know in talking with her and from interviews, both she and Stephen take the characters of Steve and Kayla very seriously and as many speculate, it’s that fire for the characters that put them at odds with the current team. There are many interviews with Mary Beth during her post-92 DOOL days where she was very open about her displeasure in they way Kayla was written during that time. She is not one to shy away from voicing her displeasure with things. So, based on that, you pretty much have to trust her on it. I know I do. I am sure when her and Stephen came back in 2006, there was nothing but good intentions. But, sometimes they just don’t always play out like we would like them to. Even saying that, I know from experience that I don’t even have to agree with Mary Beth all the time. From all accounts, her last days on the show back in 91-92 where not good ones at all, but you would never know that from her performances… never. She is a professional and she does her job as such. If she accepts a job, she will give it her best. I know that.

The question for everyone now is whether to watch or not to watch… basically it’s up to you. But, I know I will.

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7 comments

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Miahappy - April 7, 2010 - 5:54 pm

Thank you for the perspective, Jen.

I never thought of myself as a Steve fan, Kayla fan or Steve and Kayla fan, but you’re right. The attitude we all have at this recent news really does depend on our perspective. I did not watch the post-Steve Kayla very much, but it wasn’t because I didn’t like Kayla. That was the same time I just started college and life as a whole for me changed incredibly. Would I have watched if Steve were still there? Hard to say. Losing that character was painful for me because a part of me really loved him (still does) so could I have watched his widow suffer and ultimately move on? I’ll never know.

If I had to classify myself I guess I would go with a Steve and Kayla fan. There’s really one main reason for that, though. I think the relationship the two characters share is a huge part of the people they are. The devotion and loyalty they have to each other cannot be measured or matched, and that is a big part of what makes them the fantastic characters we love and care for.

Although I wasn’t sure when they wrote it, it is now part of Kayla’s life that she basically shut down when Steve died. She had a fleeting romance (i.e. mistake) with Shane, but essentially lived alone for 16 years until they were reunited. This is now a big part of her character. If the writers were to ruin that by a fleeting comment about the two not being together now, it would be utterly ridiculous (not that a ridiculous story ever stopped these incompetent writers). She pined for him for all those years she thought he was dead, there is no conceivable way she would give up on him now, no matter the situation. And, the Steve we all know and love would never do anything to intentionally hurt his sweetness, so I can’t think of a way I would accept the two apart…ever.

I enjoy Stephen and Mary Beth’s work. Tremendously. I like watching them together or separately. If the writers could find a way for Kayla to be on Days without Steve but not trash their relationship, it would be something. It wouldn’t be enough for me to invest my time in the show, however. They have shown us as fans absolutely no respect and I will not give them another opportunity to do it again. (I will most likely watch clips if someone were to post them, however)

Whatever happens with MB on the show, I wish her the best. I hope and pray the powers that be treat her well and give her the respect they obviously did not before. She is a big girl and knows what is best for her. I only hope the character of Kayla (and as an extension the couple Steve and Kayla) survives whatever the idiots running the show have planned.

Dawn - April 7, 2010 - 7:07 pm

I would definitely classify myself in the Steve and Kayla fan category. I also didn’t watch the show after Stephen left in 1990 but it wasn’t because I had any dislike for MB/Kayla. I was also at the start of college and that had to take priority for me. I have always been a Steve and Kayla fan but I will watch to see Mary Beth. I absolutely adore both her and Stephen and they don’t have to work together for me to watch. I’m just very scared because as we all know this writing crew isn’t very good at maintaining happy couples. I’m mainly going to watch because it’s a tribute to Frances Reid. She was a wonderful actress and this is for her. So I’ll watch even with my fears and hope for the best.

Kris - April 7, 2010 - 7:48 pm

I love Steve and Kayla, and I consider myself a big fan of both Stephen and Mary Beth, but you’d have to be blind not to be aware that I am very much in Kayla’s corner.

I think I just tend to see the female perspective very well, and Kayla’s in particular. When I was growing up, I thought my brothers were probably from Mars. And hey, when my brothers and I are in disagreement, I’m right. They’re wrong. I think it’s been scientifically proven. No, really. None of you have talked to them, have you? Cuz they might disagree that I’m always right, but what do they know?

But hey, I love Mary Beth. With Stephen. Without Stephen. No question. I love Mary Beth and I watch her in anything. GH? She was there for a few years before Stephen showed up. I watched. ATWT? Yep. Watched that too, the minute I heard she was going there. I have tapes full of her episodic roles…Don’t ask me where they all ARE right now, but I have ’em. Somewhere.

I follow Stephen around too, don’t get me wrong. I have a fair number of Stephen episodes over here too, from GH and from his episodic television roles. Personal appearances. I have a bunch of it. Trust me.

But I will watch Mary Beth and Kayla no matter what and it’s not dependent on the fate of Steve and Kayla as a couple. If Mary Beth’s there, I’m watching.

Now, will I LIKE it if Steve and Kayla are broken up? Nope. Of course not. I love them. But I don’t think it’ll be an issue because I don’t think Kayla will be in town indefinitely. If that little bit of speculation regarding a potential longer stay does pan out, she’ll be there to straighten out Stephanie, who’s kind of a mess these days. She’s being deceptive and sneaky and if Kayla gets wind of that, you know she’ll try to put the brakes on that behavior…though how much influence she has on the “adult” Stephanie is open for debate.

At any rate, if Mary Beth’s around, I’m around too.

Period.

Kris

Liz K - April 7, 2010 - 10:23 pm

To start off I just want to thank you for a great blog Jen! So well said!

I am really excited to see Mary Beth, and so happy that Kayla (and maybe her memories too) will be a part of the memorial/tribute to Alice & Frances. I don’t trust Days in the least, but I do appreciate that they wanted/invited Mary Beth back for this occasion, and I can’t help but look forward to seeing her on my screen. I miss her lots.

Just some more points I wanted to highlight/respond to that have been mentioned here as well
as posts about the possible “lengthier” stay

(1) I like that you recognize all fans have different preferences for what we are going to watch and what we are not going to watch. I really get irked by debates about what makes a “true” fan. A true fan is someone who supports, respects and/or simply enjoys an actor, show, character etc. Anyone who puts themself “above” another fan for whatever reason, has a chip they need to get off of their shoulder. The debate only alienates fans from each other and drives fans away. I can totally understand why someone would not want to see Kayla return without Steve, why some fans tuned out during some soap stories Sn and Mbe were in, why some fans would never watch GH again even if SN or MBE returned, why some fans never tuned in to Santa Barbara or As The World Turns. Not every character, story or show is going to appeal to every fan.

(2) If Mary Beth is going to be there “longer than we expect” then I am guessing it will be once or twice a week for a month or two tops to comfort family and/or just Stephanie. The current team of producers and writers proved before they couldn’t care less about writing for Kayla with or without Steve, and I don’t see why they would change their mind now. I also can’t see Mary Beth going back there as Kayla for too long, without SN, especially knowing how the writers dissed them on her last run..I doubt she is a glutton for punishment lol (and she and Stephen were both fiercely loyal to making sure these characters’ story kept some integrity).

(3) As for ruining Kayla and Steve, I don’t think this team of hacks has that kind of power. Who here takes them or that mess of a show seriously? Not me. Nothing they could do would “ruin” S&K for me. And honestly, I don’t think they’ll bother. There’s no point. The worst they will do is come up with a crappy reason Steve isn’t around (like he finally got a job or something LOL.. or he’s off in Genoa City on some business meetings *g*)…Some lame reason that doesn’t impact his relationship with Kayla in any way.

(4) *If* Mary Beth decided to return for a lengthy stay without SN, yes I would watch, as I did the first time she was on the show without him. I love watching Mary Beth’s work, and would have to give it a chance at the very least. But I won’t pretend to like the idea of S&K being broken up, and especially without Stephen around to play the story…Then again I don’t think any story at this point could make me believe Kayla living a life without Steve willingly (or vice versa) after all they have been through. I truly don’t believe that’s what we’re in for though.

wawame - April 8, 2010 - 12:08 am

I will definitely be watching, I just hope to enjoy it when I do. Of course, I am referring to the storyline(s) Kayla will be involved in and not the acting abilities of Mary Beth. Her performances are always stellar, and she undoubtedly delivers no matter the challenge. It is a shame that TPTB have tarnished their reputations beyond repair in being able to write a compelling and/or worthy storyline. So much so that the lack of faith in their abilities does make fans weary of what may or may not happen. On the other hand, as a fan, I would feel insulted if MBE and/or SN were not asked back for such a milestone as the passing of Alice Horton. I also admit that I would feel slighted if one or both of them were not asked back for the upcoming anniversary. But, what it all boils down to is that despite our speculations and estimates, the ones who know for sure have yet to share. Our worry could be in vain, or it could be totally justified. Either way, MBE will always have me as a fan.

Julie - April 8, 2010 - 3:54 am

Great blog Jen, i’ll be watching, I cant wait to see MBE back as Kayla. I think it was fantastic that TPTB at Days asked her back for the Alice tribute, of course that dosent give them a free pass on all the other craptastic decisions they have made in the past, but i’m glad she was asked back. I hope the ratings for the Alice tribute shows with the returning vets (particularly Kayla) go thru the roof and then drop back down to the basement when the vets all leave again, I want TPTB at Days to maybe start thinking like we do that it was not such a good decision to get rid of all the vets. I hope they do Alice justice (but i’m not holding my breath, I have yet to see the current creative team at Days deliver anything other than plot driven subpar unimaginative storytelling), I would probably watch the Alice tribute episodes even if MBE was not returning, I hope they have bucketloads of Alice flashbacks. On the subject of Shane and Kayla, I wonder if Evil Genius is still around??

Giddy - April 8, 2010 - 5:22 pm

MB had some great scenes with Frances Reid. Just the other night I was watching the Jencon (?) story and was chuckling when Tom and Steve came to bail Alice and Kayla out of jail and they were like, “ummm….no.” LOLOL FR deserves a wonderful send off and I’m sure that MB is very delighted and honored to be a part of that.

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To Watch or Not to Watch…