by Bethany

For the Week of March 14, 2016

DAYS really took some steps in the right direction this week in terms of resolving or beginning to resolve some pressing issues. But, just as many resolutions and paths to healing came to light, so did a whole new brigade of twists, turns, and turmoil!

Note: This week's column was written by one of Laurisa's alternate personalities. Okay, it's here sister, Bethany -- but that doesn't sound nearly as exciting.

I'll start off with the Chabby wedding because the week began in classic soap fashion with the eventful news that Crazy Ben is still on the loose. If you are a fan of Crazy Ben, you probably found this very exciting; of course if you are Chad or Abigail, you probably found this terrifying. Side note: it's a good thing we had Julie around to announce prior to the wedding that "no one should mention the name Ben Weston"...because normally at a wedding, people try to do whatever they can to bring a dark cloud over a celebration of love. Well, this is Salem, so maybe I shouldn't be so critical of Julie's proclamation!

Even though this storyline could add some excitement for Chabby, it seemed to be overshadowed, for the most part, by some other storylines. However, as Friday's episode ended, again in classic soap fashion, a cliffhanger as to whether or not Ben is actually standing outside the DiMera mansion will surely set up something interesting for next week.

Watching Ciara open up about the rape was probably my favorite storyline this week. The fact that she first confided in Claire proved to be really "real" to me. I just did not see Ciara be able to open up to Hope without being able to at least actually verbalize what had happened to someone else first. I was so happy to see Joey quickly get up off the couch and want to do anything he could to help Ciara as soon as he found out what had happened, even though he is dealing with his own skeletons. I was also glad to see Ciara open up to Theo. I love how he wants to protect her, but not in an overbearing way; I am liking these two on screen together more and more!

Watching Ciara finally tell Chase exactly how she felt was emotionally necessary for her character and for fans watching. Ciara telling Hope exactly what happened and watching Hope comfort and console her was also a pivotal moment. Even seeing Claire, Joey, and Theo stand outside Jen's door and ask about Ciara, I thought it showed a very honest element of teenage relationships. Although Ciara will still have many issues to overcome, I am glad that the writers did not have Ciara keep what happened a secret for an extensive amount of time.

Don't read into the subject title because this is one area that I am not necessarily "loving" at the moment. Okay, she's Maggie's daughter; I think we all saw that coming. Okay, she's not ready for Maggie to know this; I think that's understandable. However, I am not really sold on how close she and Dan were, considering she knew nothing of Nicole, their engagement, or their wedding. And yes, we have been made aware that Summer has some mental instability, but a klepto? I think something needs to progress with this storyline, but maybe the real purpose of this is just to bring Dario back to Salem!

Let me preface this by saying that I am a fan, and for the most part always have been a fan of both Belle and Phillip, but when it comes to Bellip, it is going to take me quite a while to come around, if I even do at all, and for several reasons. One, I grew up as a Shelle fan; I mean, I was thirteen during the "Last Blast Dance!" Two, I want to see a better relationship between Belle and Claire. And three, this is probably the biggest issue that has been bothering me and it lingers because of something Phillip said prior to the Vegas getaway. Belle initially told Philip that she could not go to Vegas with him because she needed to work on her relationship with Claire. Phillip's response? "When are you going to start putting your happiness above hers?"

Wait, what? Belle is Claire's mother! I can't imagine any other character ever suggesting to any other mother on the show to put her own happiness above her daughter's. Would anyone have said that to Sami? What about Jen? How about Hope, for that matter? And if anyone would tell these mothers to put their happiness above that of their children, I think it's rather obvious what their responses would be! Sorry, Philip, I like the haircut, but that advice to Belle along with your shaky at best basketball skills are making it hard for me to board this train.

I am liking many different elements of Eduardo and John's connection, which I see as becoming a strong friendship. Sometimes I would be bothered by John trying to learn about his past on his own or by Eduardo staying so tip-lipped about his, but when these two are together and discuss their concerns together, I seem to have much more interest. It feels like their past is more interesting when it is discussed together, as opposed to individually. In addition to learning how to become top-notch assassins, I am guessing this is also where John and Ed both learned how to do the "out-of-breath-whisper-yell" to add intensity to almost everything they say. One other aspect about this storyline that I like is that it seems to be opening a door for Ed and Rafe to rebuild a relationship.

How are Belle, Steve, and Kayla really going to sell the story of self-defense? This should be interesting.

What all does Victor really know about Deimos? Does Deimos have any connection to Stefano through Petrov? How long has Deimos really been out of jail? It seems like he has made unbelievable use of his time after being released from a thirty-year sentence in a Greek prison!

Paul's phone call made me wonder if we will we be hearing from, talking about, or seeing Sonny anytime soon.

Jen can't stop popping pills, and it's hard to assume Jen was anything but high at Abby's wedding, since we saw her take several pills before the ceremony began.

John: It's not poison. ... I'm going to serve this at my next cocktail party.

Whether it was coming clean to Claire, finally facing Chase and telling him exactly how she felt, or breaking down to Hope, I thought the character of Ciara made a huge breakthrough, and I enjoyed watching Vivian Jovanni this week!

I really am a big Lauren Koslow fan, and through the years, the storylines and scenes I have loved the most are when she is paired with other strong female actresses. Last fall, I was so excited to see Nicole, Theresa, and Kate working together because I knew I would love watching all three on-screen together, regardless of whether or not they would be bickering, fighting, or forming a united front to destroy their competition. This was also refreshing after seeing so much of Kate and Clyde! Kate was, or at least should have been, too smart for Clyde. Unfortunately, I foresee the same type of relationship happening with Deimos.

I would have liked to see Theo push Thomas down the aisle in a stroller at Chabby's wedding. I guess the wedding took place during one of Thomas' naps and in between feedings, since he wasn't even in the room!
As much as I love seeing Theo and Ciara together, I can't help but wonder how they would be affected if the truth of Stefano's murder comes to light.

What are your thoughts on Days of our Lives? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.