Tuesday, April 15, 2014

DAYS: Is It Time For Daniel & Jennifer To Call It Quits For Good?

DAYS OF OUR LIVES is doing so many things well right now. I have already gone on record saying how lovely the WilSon Wedding was. Salem feels like a town that I want to visit. Every character on the show is connected to each other in some way. Their use of history has never been better.

In a recent scene, Julie (the divine Susan Seaforth Hayes) let Sami (Alison Sweeney) have it for not giving "poor Nick" a second chance, considering all of the times the Hortons and Bradys have forgiven Sami. This takes even on more meaning, because how supportive Julie was of Sami, during the Sami & Lucas days.

Hope (Kristian Alfonso) is front and center again and working incredibly well with Daniel Cosgrove as Aidan.

Fireworks will explode when Sami finally finds out about EJ's affair with Abby.

However, there is something that still isn't working for me. That would be Daniel and Jennifer.

Please let me be clear. I don’t have anything against Shawn Christian, who I have enjoyed since his time on AS THE WORLD TURNS as Mike. Melissa Reeves' Jennifer represents a major part of why DAYS OF OUR LIVES has lasted so long. Jennifer is a legacy character, and is someone that keeps the core Horton family front and center.  But, even after three years of trying, I do not feel any heat between Daniel or Jennifer, and truly do not understand why they are together.

We are told by various characters that Daniel and Jennifer are perfect for each other. Maggie, Kayla, Maxine, Adrienne and Eric all believe that they are soul mates. For as long as I have been watching soaps, when the audience has to be told by other characters that a couple should be together, that’s when I know something doesn’t feel right.

It certainly doesn’t help that there have been a long list of characters that have been used to come between them, and either written "out of character" (Chloe), or eventually were forced to realize that they were wrong for coming between this “new super couple” (Nicole, JJ).

Now, crazed Liam (who coincidentally also played Mike Kasnoff on ATWT) is the latest person being used to come between them, as the town of Salem rallies around Daniel, trying to protect him from Liam’s plot.

As I watch the show, it occurs to me that I am rooting for Liam, and the most entertaining aspects of the story come from the dynamic duo of Meredith Scott Lynn (Anne) and Jen Lilley (Theresa).

Part of the problem with the coupling of Daniel and Jennifer could be the lack of time Jennifer spent mourning her late husband, Jack (Matthew Ashford). Two months hadn’t passed before Jennifer was being encouraged to move on with her life, and to pursue Daniel. I would love to see Matthew Ashford back as Jack (again). He has a son, a daughter, a sister, a nephew, and many other people he is connected to on the canvas. There is a lot of story that could be told if there was a legitimate triangle between these characters. Maybe we could actually find out why Daniel and Jennifer should be together?

But even if Matthew Ashford doesn't return as Jack, I think it’s time for DAYS to cut its losses with Daniel and Jennifer. Christian has proven he has chemistry with many leading ladies, and it would nice to be able to see Jennifer start over again, and maybe even see she doesn't need a man in her life to be happy.

But I am curious what you think. Are Daniel and Jennifer right for each other and I am missing something? Or, are you ready for this paring to call it a day? Sound off in the Comments section below.

20 comments:

  1. Two years ago I couldn't stand Daniel and Jennifer but I don't actually mind them now. Maybe the writers have worn me down, although not minding a couple is a far cry from the days of my youth and rooting so hard for couples like Roman & Marlena, Bo & Hope or Shane & Kim.

    I don't even know what to think about Jack. He has "died" so many times I'm not sure I could take another appearance.

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    1. I for one certainly could, and I would welcome Matt back in an instant. His and Peter Reckell's absence is a prime reason why I'm not watching this show anymore. :)

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  2. I hear you! It would be very hard to bring Jack back and take it seriously. But if done right, and the genuine human emotion is there, I think it could work. What would Jack think of what has been going on since he has been away? lol

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  3. If Daniel & Jennifer truly worked as a couple, Days wouldn't have to try so hard to make us like them. The simple fact is, they don't work. There is no chemistry and after seeing the supercouple-build of Jack & Jen, watching Daniel with her is blah at best. Daniel is not a legacy character and simply doesn't have what it takes to be front-and-center & portrayed as a hero & savior as everyone fawns over him (Maxine, Anne, etc were all brought on to make Jennifer sympathetic and/or create tension between Dan & Jen). If Days would simply wake up and smell the coffee, they'd realize that keeping Dannifer on the front burner while shoving everyone else to the side is sucking up far too much screen time & wasting too much money to prop a pair that doesn't work. They need to marry them & write them off to Doctors without Borders, then bring back Jack. He has HUGE history with everyone on the show and it would be a nice contrast to see him and JJ in scenes - Casey Moss is good and his talents are being wasted on worshipping Dannifer. If Days, Ken Corday, Steve Kent (Sony), Bruce Evans and Greg Meng ever want to know why they're consistently dead-last in the ratings, they need look no further than the disasterously boring couple that is Dannifer.

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  4. Time,it's past time, that time came and went so long ago it's not even funny anymore....I can't believe how much I love Liam just for all the havoc he is causing in Dannifer & Nicole lives....not suggest I ever want to see Nicole with Dr Dan, Because I really have no love for the character..wish he would disappear from our screens forever.

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  5. I certainly want to see Jack back. It's a crime how Matt Ashford has been treated and how Jack as a character has been wasted. Still so much story to tell DAYS has tried for so long to sell Daniel and Jennifer, it shouldn't be that hard. I am still trying to figure out exactly why they love each other and when it happened :)

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  6. As much as I am enjoying the Kasnoff vs. Kasnoff aspect of the story, this post is very well stated. Michael. Especially "For as long as I have been watching soaps, when the audience has to be told by other characters that a couple should be together, that’s when I know something doesn’t feel right." Heaven knows that was also true also during the final months of ATWT...and what a mistake that "couple" was! As far as Jack? Heck, sure - bring him back! I'm sure Days can find a way....

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  7. These two should've been done in 2011. They are nothing more than a rebound fling after their divorces. When Jack returned, Jennifer written true to character would never have been torn between a guy she went on a few dates with vs the traumatised love of her life. She wouldn't have treated Jack the way she did either. And agree after 3 years if you're still trying to tell the audience how to feel about a couple then they are a failure. I will always resent the destruction of so many other characters all for the sake of Dannifer and mostly the killing of Jack so that Daniel could have his life and family. Just the thought of Daniel Jonas living in the Horton house..Jack should be in Salem now..I don't care how many times he's "died" before (it's just twice BTW) he has more of a place there than Daniel. To see his own family members pimping Daniel as Jennifer's soulmate is sickening.

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  8. Okay - my take:

    I sometimes get the feeling that the writers have actually paired Daniel & Jennifer together as something of an "inside joke" - the non-super "supercouple." (And this is why we actually hear Anne Milbauer snarkily refer to them as "Dannifer" or see Theresa make a "gag me with a spoon" look behind their backs. .. lol!)

    And all of the endless roadblocks "this perfect couple" continues to face are like a cartoon series. In short, Dannifer is like The Roadrunner, while their nemesis-of-the-day is Wile E. Coyote. And just like The Roadrunner was supposed to be the "good" character, viewer sympathy was with Coyote - always hoping that one of his Big Ol' Acme Bombs would actually do the job some day. .. lol!

    But yes, all jokes get old. And if this is the case, then this one should end ... soon.

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  9. I was always a Jack and Jennifer supporter. I grew up watching them. But I also understand that Jack may be gone forever. But please, let us move on from this. FoxCrane, you have a point! My favorite part of them being together are the characters that hate them being together. If only that was the reason they continue on...

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  10. Dear Michael,

    You cannot see me but you are receiving a hand-clapping, standing ovation from me! I have nothing more to add to to your excellent post. Bravo!

    Sincerely,

    Joshua

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  11. Who has seen 'Mean Girls'? Remember the line "Gretchen, stop trying to make fetch happen, it isn't going to happen". Everytime I seen Daniel and Jennifer I feel this way about them. It is a constant of someone trying to come between them, first Jack returned then they for the 407th time killed Jack off, then it was Nicole, then JJ, then Theresa and now Liam. And every single time I root for whoever is trying to pull them apart. Who gets rid of a successful long term pairing like Jennifer and Jack? What did Matthew Ashford ever do to the powers that be that he gets the shaft every single time?

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  12. Lol I love you guys comments!! I personally dn't care for Jennifer of Daniel either their together or their not whatever way works for me i dn't even wanna go on my rant about Nicole & Eric hmm i need DAYS to fix them ASAP!!

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  13. Ha! Thanks Joshua! If I could only understand why they fell in love,maybe I would be able to get on board with them as a couple. As Jessica was saying, it's just one person after another trying to pull them apart. It just isn't working for me. I get a sense of who Daniel is. We are told all of the time :) But with Jennifer, who we have seen on the canvas for over 25 years, I don't understand anything about her anymore. I want to be able to root for her and I can't.

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  14. I actually like the kind of character Daniel Jonas is ... he's laid back, easy-going, honest and live and let live. I get him. I've known people like him, and they don't usually end up being gaga over people like Jen-Jen. I can stand Dr. Dan w/o Jen but not together. In my opinion, he would have been with someone like Chloe. You see, Dr. Dan is so low-key he's actually dull and Jennifer is pretty much the same as a character. Together they cancel each other out. Two boring characters together = a boring pairing. Daniel needs someone who brings his interest level up quite a bit. That would work mercifully. Jennifer is dead dull -- if Jack can't breathe life back into this character, please, Days, find someone who can! She's has become so "flatlined" as a character she should be working in the morgue! Dr. Dan is cute, but that's the only interesting thing about him. And in his case looks are def not enough. Jennifer, heck, I liked her better when she was an investigative reporter. Daniel was better with Nicole; she at least makes him tolerable. When Eric returns to the priesthood (and chances are, he will), Dr. Dan could have mended Nicole's broken heart. Jennifer needs someone interesting as well, Liam is a start. Maybe Jen-Jen needs a project! She seems the type! As it is now, Dannifer is crushing Days' ratings into last place. JMOp!

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    1. Whatever happens, I hope the writers stop defying the laws of attraction. Plot gimmicks abound when two characters so similarly dull are put together. If Jen were with someone interesting, she would feed off that interest just as Daniel would do in a pairing with a more interesting character (wonder how SC would pair with OLTL"s Cassie D?!) Time (past, actually) for a new pairing for these two. I can't help wishing Dr. Dan had fallen in love with Nicole so we'd at least have an Eric-Nicole-Daniel triangle. Nicole seems wasted, too, in a predictable SL.

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  15. I would very much enjoy seeing Jennifer have a nervous breakdown. She has been on the verge of one for years. Given her family history, that makes a lot more sense to me than her pairing with Daniel.

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  16. Time and past time for Daniel and Jennifer to be Splitsville, permanently. They break up every other week as it is, usually over something stupid that most couples would take in stride or talk out like the adults they're supposed to be. Daniel and Jennifer come across as a pair of volatile, immature middle schoolers. Besides having no chemistry, history, or substance, they bring out each other's worst qualities, namely self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and a whopping sense of entitlement.

    I'm not a fan of Daniel, who strikes me as smug, judgmental, none too bright, and far too prone to violence when he loses his temper. But he's much more tolerable with someone who calls him on his faults than with someone who fawns and gushes over him, like 90% of Salem these days.

    As for Jennifer, she swings between two equally unattractive extremes with Daniel: fawning spaniel and shrieking shrew. When she's not worshipping the water he walks on, she's shrilly berating him for some perceived offense of which he usually turns out to be not guilty. (As opposed to some of the sleazy things he actually did--breaking up Lucas's marriage to Chloe, for example--for which Jennifer has inexplicably given him a free pass.)

    But I'd agree that the biggest problem with Jennifer is the Jack Factor. We saw Jennifer and Jack in a powerful, transformative, long-running love story that cemented them as a supercouple. Neither was a perfect person but they challenged, pushed, and stimulated each other to be more than they could be on their own. By comparison, Jennifer's relationship with Daniel seems superficial and flat, based more on the idealized images they have of each other than on true love.

    Bottom line: Jack needs to return. But not to play the interloper in a triangle with Jennifer and Daniel: been there, done that in 2011, and I hated it the first time, especially since I grew to despise this version of Jennifer in the process. My dream storyline would be Jack returning with amnesia and being ambivalent about wanting his old life and memories back, because let's face it, Jack's life wasn't all sunshine and roses, and he's got some genuinely dark and disturbing things in his past. Plus, his family really let him down when he came back from Afghanistan: Jennifer and Abigail were both horrible to him and gave him virtually no support during his struggle with PTSD. I'd be even more intrigued if Jack had another love interest, because he's never been allowed a viable alternative to Jennifer, who's been shopped around with other guys for years. Let Jennifer be the one to pursue Jack for a change and convince him that they still belong together. That's how the romance between J&J began, after all, so why not go back to what's been shown to work, instead of continuing to push a pairing that still doesn't, after three years of trying?

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  17. I thought Jack would take over the Salem newspaper, The Spectator, trying to make a go in the digital age, with Jen helping and being a reporter on occasion. This would be a good fit with Will wanting to write. Someone could help bring the paper into the digital age, possibly the not-so-trustworthy Nick. It would make more sense than the nonsense we have right now. I will tolerate Dannifer; I feel right now we have little choice unless we tune out or FF all their scenes (tempting, but I have't so far). The writers have made Dannifer the "it" couple for Days and unless they have a change of heart and bring Jack back, Dannifer will remain intact because no one else can end this nonsense (except the writers). The newspaper angle should make for some interesting stories and give Days a business that resembles a real business, also a way of bringing the wealthy and the working classes together. Days is so close to being really good; pick up the pacing just a bit, lose some of the scenes that don't advance story, some scenes could be cut and never missed, lose the filler and go for the gold. Jack wrote a book, so buying the newspaper would make sense. And yes, he should come back with a mental impairment initially, probably from the fall in the elevator. He may have been living as a homeless person. Jen could even see him and think her mind is playing tricks on her. Oh, when will these writers learn that they cannot make Dannifer work the way they want them to!

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  18. It has been time to call it quits for them since they put them together and monopolize nearly all of the screen time...couldn't agree more with all that it said here...they don't work!!!

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