♥ Never Ending Story 2005 ♥ Note on soap magazine publication dates and content of articles/interviews regarding multiple soap stars: Many of the monthly or every other month (and sometimes quarterly) magazines back in the 1980's would be on the newsstands a long time before the date on the actual magazine. We've noticed, for instance, that DAYTIME TV magazine did an interview with Drake in late 1986 about his upcoming wedding, which was scheduled for December 1986, yet the interview didn't appear until the July 1987 issue several months later. Therefore, it might be a bit confusing to read about his "upcoming" wedding in an interview dated July 1987 when you happen to know he was married in December 1986. We've tried to date the articles to match the date on the magazine, regardless of when the events talked about took place. Hopefully it will make sense as you go along! We've also edited some of the articles/interviews to just include John's storyline, since this is a Drake/John website. We've left out comments and sections about other actors or storylines unless they're involved with John's storyline. This too should be very apparent and clear when we've done that so it makes sense and you don't have to skim through a long article to find the "John parts." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS' John: Face Off! John's family and friends confront him about his drug addiction this week on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, and he's not amused. "They're sticking their noses where they don't belong. It's none of their business," slams Drake Hogestyn, describing his character's reaction to Brady, Kate and Nicole's intervention. "He doesn't come out and say that, because that would be copping to the problem. He tells them, 'You're wrong. Here's what it's all about.'" Then John goes off on a tirade, accusing Nicole of trying to turn Brady against him and admonishing Kate for buying Nicole's story that he's an addict. When Brady interrupts and tells Dad he found drugs in his pocket, John concocts a story that he's working on a "stolen drugs case" for the hospital. Yeah, right. "John tries to get out of it," explains Hogestyn. "Then he gets mad. He tells Kate it's none of her business and says she's nothing but a whore, anyway. That pretty much lets it slip, because John would never address her like that. That sets off a lot of alarms." John orders everyone out of his house, heads upstairs and locks the door. "Brady kicks in the door and finds John sticking a needle into his thigh," previews Hogestyn. "John explains that he wanted to get through Belle's wedding and needed a little help. But it's not an addiction. The drugs just got him through what he needed to do." Brady and Nicole leave, but Kate remains behind, enters John's room and finds a trash can filled with vials and syringes. The jig is up... (OOPS! This is wrong. John was taking a shower and Kate went back into his bedroom because she forgot her keys in there. The first thing she saw was vials and a syringe on his night table; she didn't see vials and syringes in the trash can.) SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 1/18/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ The News The Truth Comes Out! DAYS: Heartbreak For Marlena... Marlena Sees John And Kate - In Bed: Kate finds John's stash of drugs and confronts him this week on DAYS OF OUR LIVES. It then snowballs from there, ending with Marlena spying the two in the sack. "John tells Kate he needed the drugs to get through Belle's wedding," sets up Drake Hogestyn (John). "Kate, who knows something about addiction because of Billie and Lucas, says, 'I'm here to help you.'" Kate insists the only way John can convince her he's not hooked is by tossing them. John chucks them, but balks when Kate digs his drugs out of the trash and tries to leave. "John tells her to give the drugs back to him," previews Hogestyn. "He grabs Kate and she ends up getting knocked out. This is the turning point. When Kate comes to, John says, 'I'm sorry. I don't know how this happened.'" Kate does. She tells John the drugs "are becoming the driving force in his life," continues Hogestyn, "that John is going to end up forsaking his family, his kids and everything dear to him. John realizes Kate is right and admits he needs help." John decides to go cold turkey. "This is probably the toughest obstacle John has ever faced, outside of losing his wife," shudders Hogestyn. Later, Kate crawls into bed with John to comfort him, and he finally falls asleep. Little do they know Roman and Marlena are watching the whole thing from the castle where they're being held prisoner. "You get to see Marlena turn," previews Deidre Hall (Marlena), pointing out that up until that moment viewers "have seen Marlena saying to Roman, 'We've got to get home. We've got to get to our families. John loves me. Kate loves you. It will be fine.' Roman has been telling her it might be too late. They may get back home and find John and Kate have turned to each other. But Marlena keeps saying, 'What are you talking about? Don't be insane. He loves me. She loves you.' Marlena is dogged in that. Then, the monitor comes on and they watch John and Kate in bed." A devastated Marlena then has to face the fact that Roman may be right - they may have lost John and Kate forever. "Marlena turns completely," warns Hall. "It's, 'John has given me up for dead. He has moved on.' That's the show where she turns. She's inconsolable." SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 1/25/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Valentine's DAYS Surprises! John Sees Marlena! Love Lines...John Has A Vision Of Doc: Visions Of You: John Sees Marlena... John hits rock-bottom this week and heads to the docks to score some drugs. "He slumps down behind some barrels, pulls out the works and starts to load up," previews Drake Hogestyn (John). When he's at his lowest moment, "a big beam of light appears - it's Marlena. She's come back to save his life." John is overjoyed. "It is great," says the actor. "He gets to hold her and kiss her and tell her how much he misses her and how much he needs her. He tells her that she doesn't know what he's gone through. She says, 'Oh, I do know; that's why I'm here. I know what you've got in your pocket there...Fortunately, you haven't used the stuff yet and you don't need to because you're strong. The kids have already lost their mother and they need you to...' At this point, John says, 'Wait a minute, you said the kids have lost their mother...you're here, I'm holding you right now. It couldn't be any more real than this, and don't you tell me this is a dream 'cause I don't want to have to wake up again and find out that you really are dead and I lost you all over again.' With that," adds Hogestyn, "she fades away. It's pretty powerful: it kind of reminds me of some of the old stuff we did." Expect some flashbacks from the pier scene of Marlena's 1991 return from the dead. Hogestyn was thrilled to be re-paired with Deidre Hall. "It was a really good place to be," he enthuses. "It was so easy to fall back into the rhythm of working with her. We play well together. I don't care how you cut it, we've been down the road so many times and we've worked together so often and you can really let your guard down. That's comforting to know." Comfort is something John will need. After the vision of Marlena disappears, he sinks into even deeper despair. "He tries to get up, falls over some crates and lashes out and says, 'Dammit, Doc, I can't do this without you. I'm not strong: you were always my strength,'" sighs the actor. Suddenly, John gets another visitor - Brady, pleading with his father to go into rehab. "He says, 'Dad, just give me the drugs...I'm going to Lexie right now and we're gonna find some other solution,'" says Hogestyn. "John lunges for him and Brady just cold cocks John and beats him to his knees. It goes downhill for him from there." Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 2/15/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Kiss! Caught! Roman And Marlena Kiss! Valentine's Day and the sight of Kate and John "together" pulls Roman and Marlena closer this week on DAYS. The couple is in the castle when the scent of roses is pumped into their room. "It kicks a memory into the two of them," previews Josh Taylor (Roman), noting that he and Deidre Hall (Marlena) actually re-created a scene from Roman and Marlena's first Valentine's Day. "It was when Roman was guarding Marlena. He wouldn't let her out of the house or have any visitors and showed up at her door with flowers." The trip down Memory Lane comes to an end when the television monitor comes on and Roman and Marlena see John and Kate in the penthouse bedroom. Kate, who accidentally doused herself with water, is wearing Marlena's valentine pajamas. Ouch. (OOPS! This is wrong. Due to John's drug withdrawal, he was shaking so violently that he bumped the glass by accident, spilling water all over Kate. That's why she changed clothes.) When Marlena tells Roman that John promised she would always be his valentine, Roman tries to comfort her. "He tells Marlena, 'I told you that, too. That you'll always be my valentine. And right here, right now, today, you still are,'" previews Taylor. With that, Roman and Marlena kiss. "Things keep progressing: that's obviously what Tony wants," points out Taylor, adding that "It's working for a few reasons. There's the frustration that they can't get out of there. They can't get home. There's the pain of seeing John and Kate together. Plus, there have always been lingering feelings between the two of them. Now they're going through this battle together - and they're going to get closer and closer." SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 2/22/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS OF OUR LIVES Interviews One-On-One With Lauren Koslow Since the DAYS OF OUR LIVES writers tossed Kate Roberts into John Black's storyline - and bed - Lauren Koslow has been taking a lot of heat from John and Marlena fans. Find out Koslow's take on that subject and how she enjoys working with her new leading man. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: John and Marlena fans seemed to have labeled Kate 'the other woman.' What are your thoughts on that? Lauren Koslow: It's interesting, because John and Kate truly believe their respective spouses are dead, but Roman and Marlena know 'we' are alive. John and Kate (are reaching out to each other) out of innocence and still holding a torch, even though there is a definite attraction between them. They're doing as much as they can to honor (their spouses). But I can't believe Marlena and Roman! And I'm laughing when I'm saying this. I don't see John and Kate being the other man or the other woman. As far as they know, they're both single people. They're widows. I think they're innocent. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: So you definitely don't see Kate as this wanton woman. Lauren Koslow: Kate isn't after John. She hasn't (put any moves on him) at all, when she definitely could have. She has been restrained. She's had the opportunity, but hasn't taken it. I don't know if that will change, but she hasn't so far. There must be something about John that brings another side out in her. He's such a good guy. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: What does John bring out in Kate? Lauren Koslow: Her goodness. Even though Kate may be manipulative or devious encouraging her children (to do the wrong thing), with this man she's not. It's a very sincere thing. She wants to help John and cares for him. She's definitely attracted to him, but she's honoring his commitment (to Marlena) and her commitment (to Roman). All of that. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: What's it been like working with Drake Hogestyn (John)? Have you had any funny moments? Lauren Koslow: They are all funny moments. Drake amuses me. His stories are fun. We work in a similar way. We like to work out a scene. We'll (rehearse) a scene on stage and then come running into my dressing room to watch it on my television set. We see what else we can do to make it better. Drake is into making our scenes as good as we can. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY: It sounds like you're enjoying this storyline. Lauren Koslow: I like it a lot. I like the relationship between John and Kate. You have to remember that they have a background; they do work together. Sometimes Drake reminds me that it goes back even further than that. Before I played the part, Kate and John had a relationship. Not romantically, but they were friends. He helped her with her business. There's a lot of history between them that I didn't know. Drake remembers it all. When we first started working together, I was like, 'Oh!' The thing that I always go back to is when Kate was absolutely down and out, when Victor threw her out and she was living out of her car and had nothing, the only one who was there for her was John. He gave her a job. He got her started all over again. Also significant is that after Roman and Marlena were both gone and John and Kate started getting closer, Kate outright told him all about her past. All the stuff she kept secret from Roman and everyone else. She told him and he just accepted it. That was the first time she had been accepted, unconditionally. That Kate felt comfortable enough to tell John was interesting. Janet Di Lauro, SOAP OPERA DIGEST AND SOAP OPERA WEEKLY ONLINE, 3/22/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS OF OUR LIVES - Love Gone Wrong! "This Is Not What Fans Want To See" Feel Like Making Love: Hold on to your hats, DAYS fans. This week, John and Kate have sex, which prompts Roman and Marlena to do the same. "I don't think I've seen a more incendiary day than this one," chuckles Josh Taylor (Roman). He's not kidding. It all begins when John and Kate have a huge brawl over his drug use, which leads to her throwing his pills in the fireplace. "John throws a vase across the room and says, 'Get out!'" previews Drake Hogestyn (John). "She runs upstairs crying, and he stumbles across the room and falls flat on his face. What should be in front of his face but two pills that didn't make it in the fireplace. Ah!" John takes the pills and is much calmer when Kate comes down the stairs, luggage in tow. (OOPS! This is wrong. John did find two pills on the floor, but he doesn't take both pills. He takes one pill, but he puts the other one in the pocket of his robe for later.) "He says, 'I don't want you to go. Don't do this. I'm gonna get it together,'" says Lauren Koslow (Kate). "She's so torn and she stays and they end up making love. It's just all of this passion that's been kind of pushed down over the past month, and I think they're both in such an emotional state that it just happens." Unbeknownst to them, Roman and Marlena spy their indiscretion from the castle. "They see John and Kate kiss and she's completely unraveled," sighs Deidre Hall (Marlena) of her alter ego. "It's the final moment of despair for Marlena to see him turn to Kate. She's deeply distraught, undone and lost. It's just a profound sense of loss, for the dreams and for the history and for the magic that was their intimacy. It's gone." Marlena turns to Roman for comfort and they make love, too. "It's out of grief for John and Kate, and it's out of loneliness and brainwashing," says Executive Producer Ken Corday. "If you put any two people in a room for that long and there's any sort of sexual attraction, something may happen." And it does. "There's a scene where she pulls away from him and says, 'I can't do this,'" reveals Hall. "They talk about how close they've been and what they meant to each other and he tells her that he's always loved her - not like he's loved Kate - she's always been the great love of his life. She feels safer with his revelation and knows that anything that happens is out of love and caring and tenderness and not out of any sort of need. She says, 'I need to feel safe and loved.' And it really is out of that and emotional need that the moment happens." Of course, all of the players involved are aware that spouse-swapping is not high on every fan's most-wanted list. "This is not what they want to see," acknowledges Hall, who was so concerned about the fans' reaction to her love scenes with Taylor that she asked for a body double. "They wanted some very explicit moments in the montage and in one ear, I hear the audience and I feel their presence in the room," Hall explains. "It's very hard for me." "Is it gonna upset some people? Absolutely. But are people going to see a different type of romance that they haven't seen? Without a doubt," believes Hogestyn. "We're working really hard just trying to make some moments so this will up the stakes. We need to get to a level where we've created a real conflict for when Roman and Marlena eventually return to Salem." Adds Koslow: "Even if fans want their favorite couples back together, they still have to admit that there is chemistry going on with these new couples. This story is always evolving; people come together and they split apart and then they work their way back. That is part of the great storytelling and that's what this is." Taylor says that striking any cord with the fans is a good thing. "I hope the audience is enjoying it, even if they don't like who's together, because I think it is a good story," he notes. "It's better having the fans of both couples mad than having both couples sitting around having coffee, talking about their kids and their fans yawning, you know?" Corday implores the viewers to stick with the show through this tryst in the tale. "These are couples that we know the viewers are not going to root for," he says. "Stay tuned." As for viewers turning off their sets in protest, he offers, "We want the audience throwing their sandwiches at the television, preferably not turning it off. I understand they're gonna be upset and vowing to never watch the show again and asking how we can do this. But they've been asking questions like these for countless years and they know that things are seldom what they seem." Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 3/29/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DAYS Four Play The DAYS quartet on the cover of our 3/29/05 issue (of SOAP OPERA DIGEST) had more to say than we could fit in a mere three pages. Here, Drake Hogestyn (John), Deidre Hall (Marlena), Lauren Koslow (Kate) and Josh Taylor (Roman) share their thoughts on the cross-coupling. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Is it hard for you to film scenes that you know the audience probably won't love? Deidre Hall: Yes. I so feel their presence in the room. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Is it strange for you to see Drake in these scenes with another actress? Deidre Hall: What's odd about doing intimate scenes is that when you're doing them, you're not looking at them. I only get that sensation of the reason you love (John and Marlena) together when we show the montages during the fan club luncheons. Then I say, 'That's right. They're magical.' But that isn't a sensation that washes over me when I'm doing it. I love Drake and I love working with him - it's like a security blanket. I know that the audience is in my ear going, 'Yes, oh, huge thanks,' so it's like satisfying a lot of voices. And that's wonderful 'cause there's a freedom to that. When the voices are saying, 'Oh, don't do that,' it's hard. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Is there an indication that you'll be working more? Deidre Hall: I know I'm in five shows straight coming up, which hasn't happened for three or four months. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: How did you feel about winning the SOAP OPERA DIGEST Favorite Couple Award? Deidre Hall: That's energizing to me and replenishing because it's been a while. That's so satisfying. It's nice that people make the extra effort of voting and caring and reflecting that they still love the couple. It's so dear and so reassuring that it is on the right track and they do love the couple. It just makes it that much more fun to do, whatever is in store for the reunion. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: What do you think it is about John and Kate that strikes a chord with the audience? Lauren Koslow: Their incredible chemistry? (laughs). It's something new, something fresh, and I think that's always interesting for the audience. John and Kate are so different and yet they have a lot in common: They're both extremely independent, very powerful people who have been up and down and all over and have dark pasts that are pretty similar. They've both been through hell and survived. We're having great fun with that; there is just this chemistry that comes out and I think the audience is seeing it. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: What is drawing John and Kate together? Lauren Koslow: The thing that everyone has to remember is that they believe that their respective spouses are dead and they have fought their attraction for each other because of the memory of Marlena and Roman. Even after this lovemaking occurs, she still says, 'I feel a little guilty,' and that's not necessary, but she is very respectful of their past relationships. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Is it hard for you because there are fans who want Kate with Roman? Lauren Koslow: The Roman/Kate fans say, 'We want to see you together, but we really like you and John together.' So, even if they want their favorite couples back together, they still have to admit that there is chemistry going on with these new couples, too. But there's never just an ending; the story is always evolving. People come together and they split apart and then work their way back. That is part of great storytelling and that's what this is. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: How do you think Kate would feel if she knew that Roman and Marlena saw them together? Lauren Koslow: Oh, my God. Well, what could be worse? That's just unthinkable. Josh (Taylor, Roman) and I joke about this, because I say to him 'Hey, we are so not guilty. You are so guilty. Roman and Marlena have no excuse whatsoever. They should just be working much harder to get out of the castle (laughs). If Jack can get out, what's wrong with them?' SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Do you think these feelings that John has for Kate are romantic and real? Drake Hogestyn: It's been a very slow build over a long period of time. I think there's a romantic feeling there that spawns out of a couple of different things. She has not turned her back on him and he has been putting her through hell, and the other part is that misery loves company, which is what got them to this point. They're just trying to bury themselves in each other and forget about what they have lost. That's a human emotion. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: How is John's current situation affecting him? Drake Hogestyn: John's still under the influence and has been under the influence throughout the evolution of this relationship. When he's of a really clear mind, what is his perception? He needs an anchor; Marlena always was there for him in that capacity and he's looking for help and for strength and Kate is obviously providing it. And visually, she's not an eyesore! SOAP OPERA DIGEST: What's it like to work with Lauren? Drake Hogestyn: It's fun to work with someone you haven't worked with before and it's been a good pairing. We'll get ready for the fireworks when Roman and Marlena come home. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: What rekindles the flame for Roman and Marlena? Josh Taylor: Well, I don't know that 'rekindles' is the right word because it's always been there. Roman and Marlena have an incredibly strong past and still have a love for each other that has never gone away, even though they've certainly moved on, Marlena with a strong and long love with John, and Roman with an intense, wonderfully passionate love, albeit shorter and newer, with Kate. Seeing John and Kate actually having sex, these two need each other to make the world, somehow for one moment, seem okay. And Tony has been pumping in the smell of roses and playing with their minds. I think all of that totaled up to a point of no return, and all of the love and the passion and the resignation kind of came together: right time, right place, so to speak, and that's what finally pulls them together. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Is it wrong for them to sleep together, knowing that John and Kate think they're dead? Josh Taylor: They're both damn good people and they both fought against that for a long, long time, even though they've been sleeping together in the same room. They both love their respective spouses, but all of what happened pretty much overpowered them and the only way that they would find any peace and joy and salvation is to join together through the wonderful act of lovemaking. And it certainly is lovemaking and not sex. There is a difference. SOAP OPERA DIGEST: In the story, Roman has had a through line of feelings for Marlena in spite of his romance with Kate. Do you agree? Josh Taylor: Yeah, they definitely have done that, but they've also done it the other side. I mean, Marlena's certainly espoused that also. I've been pleased that they haven't really made Roman this hopelessly-in-love guy, you know? SOAP OPERA DIGEST: Kate and Roman have a very passionate fan base. Do you keep them in mind during these scenes? Josh Taylor: Yes, absolutely. That's a fan base that I've been very aware of and Lauren's been very aware of and that strong fan base is exactly what made this story happen. Without the success of that coupling and the popularity of that coupling, you wouldn't have had a storyline. All stories need conflict and couples need obstacles to overcome and they have put these two couples in that position. Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST AND SOAP OPERA WEEKLY ONLINE, 3/29/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roman And Marlena Come Home Happy days are here again when three of Salem's most beloved couples finally reunite. As Roman, Marlena, Jack and Cassie fly home from Europe, Roman and Marlena are divided on how to handle the fact that they made love at the castle. "Marlena feels guilty and wants to fess up to John and Kate," explains Josh Taylor (Roman). "Roman doesn't want to tell them what happened. His feeling is, 'Why put them through it? They don't need to know.' Roman and Marlena are going back home to the two people they love. They should keep what happened in the castle there and move on with their lives." Back in Salem, John and Kate are at the airport waiting to see if the arriving plane is carrying Shawn, Rex, Brady and Lucas. The couple admits that they have fallen in love. When John proposes to Kate, she happily accepts, both unaware that that plane in fact carries their "deceased" spouses. When the jet lands, Jack rushes off to reunite with Jennifer, while Roman and Marlena wait to clear immigration. After several near misses, Roman and Marlena finally come face to face with John and Kate. "It happens separately," previews Taylor. "Marlena sees John first: 'My God. You're alive.' Then Roman walks off to call Shane and sees Kate. He calls her name, she turns around and almost faints. It's an extraordinary moment. Roman is back with Kate. Marlena is back with John. You've got four people in a quandary. It's an extraordinary, joyous, yet complicated situation. It's, 'We're back...but what do we do now?'" Good question. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 5/3/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS OF OUR LIVES They All Come Home! The Moment Fans Have Been Waiting For... Homecoming Scenes - At Long Last, Roman, Jack, Marlena (And Cassie) Make It Back To Salem: Order is restored - somewhat - on DAYS OF OUR LIVES this week. Those presumed dead finally arrive back in Salem, and the homecomings are both emotional and satisfying. The action begins at the airport, where John and Kate have gone to stop Brady, Rex, Shawn and Lucas from taking the private jet abroad to save Philip. They're too late; the boys have taken off. But John is struck by another idea. "He has a huge back spasm and is immobilized, so he and Kate sit for a second," says Drake Hogestyn (John). "With that, John has this sudden sense of urgency that he has to tell Kate something now and it can't wait. He proposes to her and she accepts." WOW, that was fast! While John is proposing to Kate, Roman and Marlena also arrive at the crowded airport. "There's a series of hits and misses," previews Hogestyn. The engaged duo heads to the lounge, as do Roman and Marlena. They miss each other again, then Kate and John leave. But John forgets something back in the lounge. "He goes back to get his cane, and as he picks it up, there's a bolt out of the sky that just stops him and he robotically just turns in this direction," reveals Hogestyn. "People clear and he sees the profile of a female who looks an awful lot like Marlena. He's just staring a hole through her and then she looks up, turns and they make eye contact." "It is a magical moment and it is very powerful," adds Hall. "When her eyes land on him, it just doesn't hit her that it's him. And then it hits her and they both go into slow motion, making their way together. Time just stops. There is nothing else at that particular moment." What a payoff! It's the moment DAYS fans have been waiting for. "It'll be great for the audience and a moment rich with love, for prayers being answered," Hogestyn praises. Hall reveals that she and Hogestyn got emotional playing out the scenes. "We both cried all the way through it," she smiles. "It was impossible not to cry during the rehearsals. I don't see (Drake) alone; the fans are standing right beside me. They've waited so long and so patiently and so passionately that they get to be part of that run, too. In the airport, Marlena doesn't let go of him. She keeps looking at him and touching him and holding him. She can't get enough of him. Drake plays it magically. It's what the fans have been waiting for and thank heaven, we get a chance to play it." In the excitement, John forgets about his new fiancée - but that's okay. "Kate walks in, wondering what's taking John so long," Hogestyn says. "And she's looking around, and all of a sudden, it's like, 'Oh, my God. No, it can't be,' and then she has a tap on the shoulder, and Roman says, 'Hello, Beautiful.' She turns around and it's a double whammy. And then there are scenes that are joyous and unbelievable." After the hellos, the foursome talks about what happened at the castle. (Well, not everything. Roman and Marlena keep their sexual encounter to themselves.) John suggests returning to the penthouse. "Roman says, 'Yes, let's go home, Mrs. Brady,' and Kate says, 'Oh, you never got a chance to call me that,' and he goes to kiss her hand and he sees the diamond ring on there," groans Hogestyn. "And John never is at a loss for words. He says, 'I gave her that ring. We're engaged to be married tonight.' It's a pretty riveting tag." Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 5/3/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ May's Big Moments! DAYS John To Marlena I'm Engaged... DAYS' John To Marlena: "I'm Engaged..." The honeymoon is over this week, when Marlena and Roman learn that John and Kate are engaged to each other on DAYS OF OUR LIVES. Their reaction? "Stunned is a good word," offers Josh Taylor (Roman). "It's certainly something Roman and Marlena didn't expect. John and Kate are trying to explain. Roman and Marlena are trying to accept. Everyone's trying to be civil about this and trying to figure it out." Roman suggests that he and Kate go home. That's when Kate reveals that she sold his house. OOPS! "That's pretty shocking," gulps Taylor. "It's like, 'You can sleep with John. You can get engaged. But, damn! You sold my house?!' Marlena even says, 'My God! Usually people wait at least a year before they move on.'" The question now is, who is going to stay at the penthouse with John: Marlena or Kate? Kate insists she wants to be with Roman, and Marlena insists she wants to be with John. So Kate decides to give John back her engagement ring. "There's a lot of extreme awkwardness," notes Taylor. "But, at that point in time, everyone (resolves) to move on with their new worlds." Kate and John go upstairs to the bedroom to pack her things, while Roman and Marlena wait downstairs. Marlena says they must tell John and Kate the truth about their own night together. "Roman doesn't think they should," previews Taylor. "This is an incredibly complicated situation. Why make it worse?" When John and Kate return with Kate's bags, Marlena decides to 'fess up. "And therein lies the great soap story," winks Taylor. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 5/10/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS: Kate And John Disengage Well, that didn't last long: Hours after accepting John's proposal, Kate returns the ring. "Roman finds Kate's negligee on the bed in the penthouse and thinks he has lost another woman to John," explains Lauren Koslow. "She gives the ring back in front of everyone, but she returns it with incredibly mixed feelings. She's totally conflicted. I have a line that says it's the happiest day of her life and the saddest day of her life, and it's really true. As wonderful as it is that Roman's alive, it's also painful that he's there, too. She's fallen in love with another man." Marlena, meanwhile, is dealing with her own issues about John and Kate's relationship. "At the penthouse, she realizes, 'Oh, Kate has been there for him,'" notes Deidre Hall (Marlena). "It's such a ripping apart for her because she really wants to be the one and yet loves him so much that she wants him to have what he needs. Very tricky. She certainly feels a sense of displacement." And Mrs. Black still wants to come clean about her night of passion with Roman. "It's agonizing," Hall sighs. "Roman persuades her that it was more of a natural thing to have happen because they were overwhelmed by the sight of John and Kate. It was more of a closeness and comfort and reassurance than it was an act of love. It was just an act of comfort." So, the duo remains silent. All is right in the Blacks' marriage by week's end when John pulls his wife into a passionate kiss after everyone is gone. "She's so happy to be back in his arms," smiles Hall. (OOPS! This is wrong. This never happened. John did hug Marlena but he didn't kiss her because he was looking at Kate. It was clear that his feelings are as deep for her, as her feelings are for him.) SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 5/10/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ On Soaps... A New Day In Salem: Enough with the wild and wacky stuff - DAYS OF OUR LIVES is getting back to basics. The NBC soap, which used to be driven by matters of the heart, has spent nearly two years awash in outrageous plot twists. Case in point: Half the cast was kidnapped by a super-villain and held hostage in an alternate universe Salem. But DAYS Headwriter Jim Reilly tells TV GUIDE that he now wants "to satisfy the audience's need for continuity and familiarity" and will lay off "the larger-than-life stuff and go back to emotional, interpersonal family drama." Reilly, who insists that this was always his game plan and not a response to NBC pressure, says the revamped DAYS will be "heavy on new couplings and triangles." And a very bizarre four-way. On August 1, Reilly will bring back fan favorite Wayne Northrop, who was the original Roman Brady. Just one problem: Northrop's old role is now being played by Josh Taylor. Does this mean the current Roman isn't the real Roman? "This is not going in the direction fans might assume," vows Reilly. "Wayne will be playing a character named Alex North - but his familiar face is really going to throw Marlena." Marlena (Deidre Hall) recently became pregnant by Roman, even though most DAYS viewers want her reunited with her true love, John (Drake Hogestyn). Reilly hints that the John and Marlena groupies will get their wish - eventually. "But until then they're going to hate me," he says. "They'll be throwing their baloney sandwiches at the screen." Michael Logan, TV GUIDE, 7/3/05 - 7/9/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Lies Exposed! DAYS: Marlena's Pregnancy Secret Revealed! Lies, Lies, Lies: Three Doozies Are Exposed This Week On DAYS: John Learns Marlena Is Pregnant - With Roman's Baby - On DAYS: Marlena's world comes crashing down - literally - this week when John learns that not only is she pregnant, but it's Roman's baby. "Kate and John have prepared this little renewal of vows," begins Deidre Hall (Marlena) of how the beans are spilled. "At the same time, Marlena is trying to tell John that she's pregnant. There's never a clear moment for it and as they're about to take vows, Marlena faints. Roman calls out, 'Careful, she's pregnant!'" Gulp! In front of everybody? "Yes," smiles Hall, whose character knows a thing or two about public humiliation: In 1994, Stefano pushed Marlena to confess her affair with John to the entire congregation at Belle's baptism. "It's such good television," Hall enthuses. "And then, of course, what happens is, he thinks it's his." "My wife gets pregnant with another man's baby and I used to be that other man. Sounds like a soap opera to me!" laughs Drake Hogestyn of John's dilemma. But John is very happy to learn he's going to hear the pitter-patter of little feet again. "He's stunned and delighted," groans Hall. "He says, 'I didn't think we'd have another child, but oh, my gosh, now that I think about it, I couldn't be happier.' So now it's even worse. It's not just that she's pregnant, it's not his. So it's kind of a double whammy. It's every moment a person who has lived with a hideous secret has had." The group returns to the penthouse, where finally, Marlena is able to come clean with her husband. "She persuades him to go upstairs," says Hall. "Roman says, 'I'm not going anywhere; I'm staying here.' John and Marlena go upstairs and she tells him. She can barely get out the words, barely get out the truth." Meanwhile, downstairs, Roman confesses to Kate that while he and Marlena were in the castle, they viewed footage of John and Kate having sex. Back in the bedroom, John is blown away by Marlena's disclosure. "How would any man react when his wife tells him that she is pregnant with another man's child?" muses Hogestyn. "(First there are) emotions of disbelief, hurt, betrayal. Then he finds out Roman has known. Belle has known. Everybody has known but John. It's an impossible bind." Praises Hall, "Drake is so good in those scenes. John is horrified and protective. He thinks Roman took advantage of her vulnerability. He goes downstairs to confront him. They begin a fistfight. Marlena gets to the top of the stairs and the rest is history." Translation? Marlena falls down them, which stops the men in their tracks. Doc Evans is rushed to the hospital, where it's touch and go. With Dr. Alex North making his way to Salem as her physician on August 1, expect some serious medical consequences from her fall. Mara Levinsky, Devin Owens and Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 7/26/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Late-Breaking News DAYS: John And Marlena Get Closer John gets romantic with his amnesiac wife this week, which leads to memory flashes for Marlena. It all begins at Brady and Chloe's wedding. "At the reception, he asks her to dance and it's a very sexy thing," previews Deidre Hall (Marlena). "It's that startling awareness of, 'Oh, there's something happening here. I didn't think I even liked you and now I'm liking you a lot.' It's familiar, it's intense and it's worth the wait. There was a moment during the reception where Drake (Hogestyn, John) slowly just ran his hand down my arm and took my hand and I thought, 'Oh, that's really good,' because it was something that happened when they're not looking at each other." After that, John takes Marlena on a carriage ride. "It is a sweet, tender scene and their faces get close together and it's all that stuff we know is magic," says Hall. "And he's about to kiss her and oh, Alex comes up." Back at the penthouse, John presents Marlena with a necklace. They dance again and she has flashes of dancing with him at their wedding. "He's trying to win his wife back and he has to be slow and patient and gentle, which is what every woman would like to see a man do," smiles Hall. "Ken (Corday, Executive Producer) has made it clear to me that it was always a John and Marlena story and this is a big event and a big payoff." "The glass is not half-full, it's overflowing with a John and Marlena story," affirms Corday. "And it's a great John and Marlena story in Jim's (Reilly, Headwriter) and my hands." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 9/20/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shocking DAYS Ahead! John And Marlena: "I Want A Divorce" Salem Trials: Ties That Bind: Marlena Asks John For A Divorce: Alex continues his manipulation of Marlena this week, which leads to Doc Evans asking John for a divorce. "These are the notches in the story that make John fight harder because she is slipping away from him," observes Deidre Hall (Marlena). Translation? John reaches into his romantic bag of tricks to woo his wife. It's Marlena's birthday, so he presents her with a photo album of their life together, hoping to change her mind. Marlena is deeply affected by the trip down Memory Lane. "In any sort of conscious moment she's captivated by John - moved, touched, charmed, almost giddy by being around him," Hall explains. "He recites the passion that he feels for her and it's completely compelling. Although you see her under Alex's spell and indifferent to John's pleadings, as he expresses his love and need of her, it is so captivating. It's the best work I've ever seen Drake (Hogestyn, John) do. I have said to him after many scenes now, 'That was breathtaking.'" Is John reaching Marlena or amnesiac Marlena? "I think he's reaching in her absolute core where all these feelings live," Hall notes. "She might not remember exactly when he talks about the wedding and his commitment to her and what it meant to him and what it still means to him, but there's something about the feeling of it." Hall loves the newness of her scenes with Hogestyn. "We've been kind of in a place of, 'Oh, ain't it grand?' and playing the same love and fun and devotion, but this is so deep and so raw," she says. "He talks about not knowing who he was and having lost his identity and how Marlena helped him and how he wants to do the same for her, to take care of her and give her her life back. Drake and I have never been better. My work with him has heightened because his work has heightened. And this is only the glance across a crowded room. The first date is yet to come!" So, about that divorce? "In a few days, she says, 'What was that? I don't know why I did that,'" assures Hall. Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 10/11/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Divorce For DAYS' John And Marlena Marlena asks John for a divorce this week on DAYS, thanks to Alex. "John has spoken to a doctor in California and is becoming more convinced that Marlena is not being treated properly or effectively," explains Deidre Hall (Marlena). "But Marlena wants to heal. She wants to recover. She thinks Alex is going to be the key to doing that." When Marlena demands that John stop bullying Alex, John has no choice but to let it go. Later, John finds Marlena at the café, and they bond over Belle and her new baby. "Marlena is drawn to John," concedes Hall. "He is emotionally familiar. He speaks to her heart, not to her memories. When he does that, she is like a moth to the flame." But that flame flickers out once Alex - who wants John out of the picture - arrives and confuses the muddled doc. Next thing you know, Marlena is asking for a divorce. "Marlena is not hysterical," previews Hall. "She's asking for a divorce from her friend, because he still scares her and she doesn't want to be scared anymore. It completely blindsides John, because they've been having this lovely, intimate moment." Although John and Marlena fans won't be thrilled, Hall is happy about how the scenes turned out. "Drake (Hogestyn) does the most exquisite work of his career," she raves. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 10/11/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Living Together! DAYS: John And Kate Move In Together: Under Alex's spell, Marlena reiterates her desire to divorce John this week and kicks him out of the penthouse. John turns to Kate for comfort and she offers him the spare room in her hotel suite, which John realizes has a direct view into Marlena's pad. "She's hypnotized, she's Svengali-d," says Executive Producer Ken Corday of Marlena's state of mind. "John wants to be able to get close enough to her to get a peek, so it's convenient for him to live at Kate's and use his telescope. (OOPS! This is wrong. John doesn't use a telescope to view the penthouse; he uses a pair of binoculars that belong to Kate.) He is doing everything he can to get the goods on Alex." Translation: This is not a John and Kate redux. "There is nothing hot that comes out of John and Kate being together," Corday clarifies. "The 'Jate' fans may think, 'Oh, boy, here we go again,' but I don't want them to hold out that false hope. This is a John and Marlena story." But how do John and Kate feel about each other? "Kate still has very deep feelings for both John and Roman, but more so for John because she was with him last," the exec explains. "John was with Kate last, so that's the freshest in his memory. But he has an undying love for Doc and he keeps hoping she's going to pull out of it. He wants Marlena back. His best intentions are to free Marlena from Alex's grip, but his emotional well-being may be determined by the fact that he has someone like Kate to talk to." SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 10/18/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DAYS Shockers! John Rescues Marlena! John's Desperate Plot To Save Marlena: John pulls a page right out of Stefano DiMera's book this week on DAYS: He decides to kidnap her. Stunned by Marlena's request for a divorce, John insists she speak with him before leaving the restaurant with Alex. As John pleads his case, Marlena weakens. "John's soul connection to Marlena is so powerful that he can reach her through the hypnosis," explains Deidre Hall (Marlena). "He can reach her through the resistance she has up without even knowing it." But the wall soon goes back up, so John asks Marlena to start locking her bedroom door when she sleeps. She agrees. Alex takes Marlena home, while John and Kate go back to her hotel suite. John watches the penthouse through binoculars and is relieved when he sees Marlena retreat to her room alone and bolt the door. Later, however, John thinks he sees Alex sneaking into her room, so he races over and bursts into the penthouse to confront him. John begs Marlena to remember their love, but Alex mesmerizes her again. "The story that Jim Reilly (Headwriter) is telling is turning into this amazing push-pull," praises Hall. "Marlena does not have a mental recognition of John, but she does have an emotional recognition. By contrast, she also has the same feelings about Alex. It isn't so much the mind-control stuff. She feels safe with him, because when she didn't know who she was, Alex was the only safe port. Physically and emotionally, she feels safe with Alex." John is forced to leave, and Alex sets the next stage of his plan in motion: to erase all memories of John from Marlena's mind and convince her they used to be lovers. But Alex's plan goes awry when a clock John gave Marlena chimes and blocks Alex's brainwashing. "When that veil is lifted, Marlena sees how much she loves John," previews Hall, adding that Marlena is "a woman of two minds. She is completely in the moment, in both realities." Meanwhile, back at Kate's hotel, John decides the only way to save Marlena is to...kidnap her. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 10/25/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS Preview! Married! Marlena And Alex... Common Tense - DAYS' Marlena Learns More About Her Past: Marlena And Alex: Secret Past Revealed! Marlena decides not to divorce John this week, which prompts Alex to take desperate measures to hang on to Dr. Evans. At first, it looks like the Blacks are on the road to reconciliation, so odd-man-out Alex begins an online search, determined to find something to split them up. While Alex is on the computer, Marlena asks John to once again explain how Kate and Roman came between them. The DiMeras, he says. Marlena then asks him if he still loves Kate, who is off talking to a Net-surfing Dr. North. "John tells her that he loved Kate and he still loves her," reveals Deidre Hall (Marlena). "He says that she pulled him through the darkest days of his life, when he had lost Marlena and when he was having so much pain. She was there for him and he'll always be grateful and always love her for that." When Marlena asks John who he wants to spend the rest of his life with, however, he chooses his wife. Alex overhears and goes ballistic. "He wants Marlena back in his life so he reacts, but he's still in a pretty good position," notes Wayne Northrop (Alex), whose alter ego still has one trick up his sleeve. But Marlena is unaware of how deep the good doc's feelings go. "She feels his closeness, his compassion and a deep sense of caring from him, but I don't know if she has any idea how deeply he loves her," says Hall. Suddenly, a fax comes through that changes everything. Alex hands over the document to Marlena, who reads it and is stunned. She sends everyone away. Alex goes back to the hotel with Kate and John. Roman comes by with divorce papers for Kate and sees the gathered group. Marlena calls John and asks him to bring everyone back to the penthouse. She has an announcement to make that will affect all of their futures. As it turns out, the papers reveal that Alex isn't an evil interloper at all. Spoiler Alert! He's her husband. "It sends everybody reeling because nobody saw it coming and nobody expected it," says Hall. "This is the turning point," nods Northrop. "The moustache twisting is going away and it's back to just human emotions. They were really married, and here's the proof." What about John? "She is drawn to John every time he comes near," says Hall. "She's mesmerized by him and there's something very familiar and very tender about the feelings she has when he approaches her, but the twist is there's no emotion connected to it." And Alex? "As the storyline unfolds, he reveals more of himself and you'll see more flashbacks," previews Hall. "It's clear they have a very deep relationship and it was a great love." Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 11/15/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ The News And The Winner Is... Alex?! Marlena chooses Dr. North – her husband – this week on DAYS OF OUR LIVES after Alex produces a wedding photo of himself and a young Marlena. He also whips out their marriage license, shocking John, Roman and Kate. Then Alex lovingly recounts their courtship. John and Roman don't buy it, and John orders Alex out of the penthouse. But Marlena stops him. "Marlena is confounded by her feelings for this man," explains Executive Producer Ken Corday. "The icing on the cake is that she is provided with information that they were married at one time. That's huge." So, too, is Alex's explanation about what transpired between them. "Alex says that he was married to Marlena and was an operative," previews Corday. "Alex went away and was presumed dead. When he came back, Marlena was married to Roman and had children. He didn't want to interfere. Obviously, the children are now grown. So the first man in Marlena's life is coming back into her life. It's hard to say no." Marlena is shaken by a memory of Alex proposing to her. John, however, "is determined to prove Alex is a fraud and that Alex has a secondary agenda with Marlena," says Corday. "It's more than denial. John hasn't trusted this guy since day two. John says it's just a matter of time before he figures out what this is all about." John verifies that Alex was in special ops, but refuses to believe Alex and Marlena were ever married. He then demands all the details of Alex and Marlena's relationship, because Marlena is still his wife. Marlena begs to differ. If what Alex claims is true, she and Alex are still husband and wife. Alex tells Marlena he wishes he could give her the proof that would convince her they belong together, but the only thing he can offer her is a kiss. Maybe it's true: Marlena responds. "Marlena feels more, but we wonder how much of the real Marlena are we seeing," teases Corday. "She has obviously been under Alex's control, not just emotionally but also physically with his hypnosis. That is still in play." So, maybe there's hope for John and Marlena after all? SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 11/22/05 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ The News Ripped Apart! Why DAYS Did It And The Next Big Twist The decision to split John and Marlena by tossing dubious psychiatrist Alex North smack in between them was all about taking the DAYS supercouple in a new direction. "They, as a couple, had not had a story," explains Executive Producer Corday. (OOPS! This is wrong. It should be Executive Producer Ken Corday.) "It was either her as the stalker or him as a hero doing something with Stefano. This is much more internal storytelling as opposed to external devious forces just coming in and operating. This is the story of John having to regain Marlena's love, almost going back to Day One." Corday was onboard the moment Headwriter James E. Reilly suggested the unusual twist. "I loved it right away," enthuses the exec, "including the idea of bringing Wayne Northrop in (to play Alex). This could have been a stunt cast. A 'famous actor' could have played this role for a short run. We thought, 'We can have our cake and eat it, too.' Wayne, who played a different character (Roman), is now playing another character, and the audience is wondering, 'What is going on here?' There's an interesting quality that Wayne brings to the story, and there's such chemistry between Alex and Marlena. Plus, there's the chemistry that John has with Kate, and that Roman has with Marlena." That's why DAYS decided to extend the story much longer than originally planned. "The storyline dictated it," explains Corday. "It's the kind of thing where you have an actor come on the show and think it's going to be one way, but then you see what he's bringing to the part. It excited me. It excited Jim. We decided to take another turn around the block with Marlena and Alex. We felt it was better to get more mileage out of this than just say, 'Bad guy twists his moustache. John gets him. All over.'" As for the next big twist, "Stay tuned - it's amazing," promises Corday. "The question is: Will John lose patience with this and move on? Or continue to endure in the face of what seems to be a real love with Marlena?" Might Kate end up with John? "Could be," teases Corday. "And Roman is still part of this equation. Marlena was his wife. They share children. Ultimately, he and John may have to work together to save Marlena." SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 11/22/05