♥ Never Ending Story 1998 ♥ 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 OF OUR LIVES Who Killed Kristen? It's Murder...We Think! Building A Mystery - DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Kristen Is Dead. (Or Is She?) Whodunit? For the past year, Kristen Blake has arguably been Salem's Most Wanted. Most wanted dead to be exact. Well, everyone in town finally got their wish last week when her lifeless body was discovered floating in the pool at the Blake house. "All fans of DAYS OF OUR LIVES know that many storylines are not what they appear to be on the surface," cautions Executive Producer Tom Langan. "I will say that this storyline is multi-layered, and that there will be many surprises." The Case: Last week, Kristen contacted a mysterious man in a turban and hired him to kidnap Susan and take her to a place far, far away. Kristen then demanded that Susan return from England dressed like Kristen - with baby Elvis. Fearing that Kristen would harm her sister, Mary Moira, if she didn't comply, Susan did Kristen's bidding. Once Susan arrived at the mansion, Kristen secretly drugged her. Outraged, Susan held a letter opener to Kristen's throat and fled to the airport. - Laura left Jennifer's funeral with a gun, intent on using it to bully Kristen into revealing where Peter was hiding. When she returned, she learned that Jennifer was alive and Peter was apprehended, but she kept mum about where she'd been. - John and Kristen argued at Salem Place; he told her to stay out of his life. A distraught Kristen said she wanted to kill herself. She wouldn't have the guts, spat John. The Suspects: Number One: Susan Banks "Roman and Abe think that Susan is lying about whether or not she was at the Blake house," says Langan. "Susan finally confesses that yes, she was there, but she didn't kill Kristen." Eileen Davidson, Susan and Kristen's portrayer, believes that Susan could have been pushed too far this time. "Under the right circumstances, yes, she could have killed Kristen," nods Davidson. "She's like a lion protecting her cub. Susan knows that Kristen is never going to give up trying to get (Elvis) back from her, so maybe she sees that the only way to stop Kristen is by killing her." Davidson points out that Susan was under the influence at the time: "There were drugs involved, which always exacerbates the problem." Number Two: Laura Horton "Laura left the funeral to find Kristen and get revenge," says Langan. "She was intent on finding Peter. However, she thinks she didn't kill Kristen because Kristen drowned, she wasn't shot." Nevertheless, Laura will remain a suspect because of all the threats she made against the DiMeras over the past few weeks. "If Kristen, Peter or Stefano literally had their hands on one of Laura's children or some member of her family with the intent of doing them harm, she could kill them without batting an eye," says Laura's portrayer, Jaime Lyn Bauer. "Do I think that Laura could kill just for revenge? No, I don't. It would be completely out of character. They'd have to lock her up again." Nevertheless, even Bauer admits that her character is teetering on the edge of insanity. "I think she's in pain, absolutely anguished," she concedes. "In fact, I think it's so much that she can't go there. What's really keeping her from completely withdrawing and going catatonic is the fact that she's not going to allow the DiMeras to hurt anyone else - to do this to anyone else." In the weeks ahead, Celeste will play a major role in uncovering exactly what Laura did that night when she went looking for Kristen. "Maybe Celeste did it, maybe Laura did it," teases Langan. "Maybe the turban man did it." Number Three: Kristen Blake As Roman and Abe get further into the investigation, they temporarily rule Kristen's demise a suicide. John - having told Kristen she wouldn't have the guts to kill herself - starts feeling guilty. "After the body is discovered, John goes home to his hotel suite and has a message from Kristen on the machine that she had left before she died," reveals Langan. "She says, 'I'll never bother you again. Please forgive me for the hell I brought you in life.' So then he feels that he's responsible for her suicide, which hurts." Drake Hogestyn (John) thinks his character will have some dark days ahead. "I think it would be very interesting to play that he doubts himself and his judgment," Hogestyn notes. "As devious as she's been and as hurt as John is because he trusted her, the person he fell in love with was good. She was everything he wanted. He watched this strange, twisting action happening in her, failing to believe it for so long even though he knew something wasn't right. When it was all exposed, he said, 'Get out of my life' and other hurtful things to her. But John isn't a spiteful person. If he's caused this woman to kill herself, plus the way he's been pushing Marlena in this situation, it's like he's causing a huge disruption. And it's all because of John." Davidson acknowledges that Kristen was at her breaking point, so a suicide isn't out of the question. "Anything is possible," she says. "The whole time that she was going to drug Susan, she was popping tranquilizers and drinking a lot. So maybe it was involuntary suicide; maybe she just drank too much and slipped and fell in the pool. I don't think she's capable of willingly killing herself." Which brings us back to murder. The Fallout: "This is such a terrific story because there are so many twists and turns, and what you think is the truth is not," hints Davidson. And keep in mind, "Kristen is mental. She's capable of anything. She has a Ph.D. in evil, and she can do anything when it comes to being bad." Langan promises that this storyline will be just what DAYS fans have come to expect. "First of all, is Kristen even dead?" he teases. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad: How does Davidson feel about one of her three characters being killed off? Now she's only playing two. "I realize you can get used to anything," she laughs. "For a couple of weeks, I played three characters every day. Two characters used to seem hard; now I'm used to playing three, so two seems easy. That is really strange; it's great to be challenged after so many years in this medium. I was thinking this morning about the typical soap storylines where the heroine is locked away by the evil guy and has to be saved. That seems so mundane to me. If ever that day comes, it would be difficult to go back to that. I have been doing something so heightened and complicated and challenging on so many levels. I also get the impression that because I've been doing it for so long now, people aren't as taken with it. I don't mean it in a negative way, but I think people have become accustomed to these three characters. Nowadays, it's like, 'Oh, she's doing that again.'" Alan Carter and Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 3/3/98 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ At Last! DAYS' Hottest Couples Get Closer John And Marlena: "This Story Will Be Wrapped Up Quickly" Close Encounters - Love Is In The Air For DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Hottest Couples: When it comes to keeping star-crossed duos apart, DAYS OF OUR LIVES wrote the book. In fact, the following couples have logged nearly ten years of estrangement between them. Judging from our mailbag, fans are almost at the breaking point. When will their favorite Salem couples get together? It may be sooner than you think... John And Marlena: No April Fools "Marlena will make her decision about Roman and John in April," promises Langan. "We will finally have a resolution." What's taking so long? "Marlena has been under a lot of pressure from Eric and Sami to give it a shot with Roman," says the exec. "Even if in Marlena's heart she knew who she wanted to wind up with, on the surface, she wants to show these kids that she gave it the old college try. Is that deceptive? I don't know. She listened to what her kids said and tried to explore it." But John, wracked with guilt over Kristen's alleged suicide, needs Marlena now more than ever. "I don't believe that Kristen's death will derail his feelings for Doc, but I do believe that he will question himself as to his judgment," notes Drake Hogestyn (John). "He didn't size up the situation that was really happening - that Kristen was capable of really killing herself. Kristen was calling out to him and he didn't see it." Langan stresses that the fans shouldn't worry about Marlena and John. "This story will be wrapped up pretty quickly," he insists... Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 3/31/98 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kristen's Final 'DAYS'... Kristen's Goodbye "Gift" Backfires: That old adage "what goes around, comes around" speaks volumes to Kristen this week on DAYS. Her whole world crumbles when Susan turns the tables on her. To make matters worse, Kristen's plan to "take care of" Marlena backfires and her actions help sway Roman to let go of Marlena so John and Marlena can be together. Edmund and Susan decide to take care of Kristen once and for all. While Edmund holds her at gunpoint, Susan begins to execute their plan. "They make Kristen phone Stefano and tell him everything is okay," Executive Producer Ken Corday explains. "Then Susan makes a call to the henchman. He comes and takes Kristen back to the crown prince, where Kristen ends up in white slavery - the same place she sent Susan." As Kristen is dragged off to her dismal fate, she takes solace in one area of her scheming. She thinks she will at least have the last hurrah regarding her nemesis Marlena. Before Kristen left for her "honeymoon" with Edmund, she set a deadly trap for Marlena. "It's a time bomb," Corday says. "Kristen has left candy for Marlena as a present from Edmund. But the candy is actually laced with penicillin, to which both Marlena and her daughter Belle have a high allergy. Kristen left this poisoned candy with the intent to kill Marlena." (OOPS! This is wrong. Kristen said that the candy is from Susan not Edmund. She wrote a fraudulent note to Marlena in Susan's handwriting to put with the candy.) Kristen's plan backfires when Belle discovers the sweets and samples them first. "Roman actually finds Belle passed out. He notices the box of candy nearby," Corday continues. "Roman rushes Belle to the hospital where she is admitted into ICU. John and Marlena are drawn together as their little girl fights for her life." (OOPS! This is wrong. Kristen didn't leave a box of chocolates, she just left one chocolate wrapped in a wrapper for Marlena. When Roman finds Belle passed out, he sees an open bottle of Brady's penicillin pills on the table and thinks that Belle ate some of them. Roman has no idea that she ate the poisoned chocolate.) Corday explains that this ordeal "is the catalyst for bringing John and Marlena back together. It's the beginning of their unification and really the impetus for Roman to step back." As John and Marlena cling to each other to cope with this horrifying accident, Roman can't help but witness their closeness. "Roman realizes that John and Marlena are the ones who are parents still to young children. He realizes that they are truly in love, and all he's been doing is making it more difficult for Marlena to say no to him," Corday notes. "So in a very ennobling way, Roman tells Marlena it's not his place to be between her and John anymore. Roman acknowledges that his and Marlena's children are grown and raised. It's not as important for the two of them to be together as it is for John and Marlena to be together for Brady and Belle. But the real reason Roman (steps back)," Corday emphasizes, "is that he sees Marlena is truly in love with John and not him." By week's end, John and Marlena's prayers are answered when Belle begins to recover. Ironically, Kristen's plan to separate the couple permanently has backfired. They're together at last with nothing - and no one - between them. When Susan hears what's happened, she can't wait to let Kristen know. "Susan sends Kristen a message that her little attempt at killing Marlena didn't work," Corday says. The news leaves a banished Kristen horrified. Janet Di Lauro, SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 4/28/98 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS' Marlena And John Finally! "The Fans Have Waited Long Enough!" Back On Track: After A Pit Stop With Roman, DAYS' Marlena Commits To A Lifetime Of Happiness With John: The last eight months have been long (make that very long) for fans of DAYS OF OUR LIVES's John and Marlena. Just as they were about to say their I do's last July, her presumed-dead hubby, Roman, made an appearance at their nuptials, courtesy of Kristen. (OOPS! This is wrong. Roman is Marlena's ex-husband, not her husband.) Roman was determined to reclaim his ex - even after he learned she was in love with John. But last week, Roman backed out of the race. Marlena made her choice. And that choice is John. "It's not about romance or competition," explains Executive Producer Tom Langan. "Roman believes that Marlena would always wonder about what her life with John would have been like. Roman senses that she really wants to be with John, so he does the noble thing and steps aside. Marlena does want to be with John; we've always played that. And she's not going to hesitate." Which is music to fans' ears. "That's the bottom line," says Drake Hogestyn (John). "To have some audience release. I think this will give it to them." Deidre Hall (Marlena) concurs: "The fans have been loyal and they're patient, and they've waited long enough." So has Marlena. "I think it's certainly a sense of relief and an indication that Roman's okay about it," offers Hall. "He wouldn't have volunteered it unless he was stable enough to handle it and no longer needy. Marlena thinks it's a really good sign." Nevertheless, Marlena feels bad for her broken-hearted ex, which John understands. "John knows how important the past is, since he doesn't have one," notes Hogestyn. "He knows what she had with Roman was very real and very powerful, and there's always going to be a strong love there. It's a different kind of love and he respects that." Had Marlena chosen Roman, however, Hogestyn thinks John's world would have crumbled. "I believe that John would have been very disappointed and very disillusioned if it had gone the other way," he says, "to the point that he would have become very shielded with his heart. Luckily, it didn't work out that way." Now that Roman has given up the fight for Doc, he may be the one to keep his guard up. "Roman will become somewhat of an emotional loose cannon. He may decide to get involved with the ISA and begin some of the work he started when he was away," hints Langan. As for Marlena, "She's always felt a deep sense of caring for him," believes Hall. "But I think when relationships are based on love and there's a sense of betrayal or disappointment, the shine is off; it doesn't have that heart-pounding quality ever again. When this man walked away from his children, a woman who is devoted to her children like Marlena would have to think that he was a little tarnished. It doesn't make her stop caring for him, but it does snatch away that feeling of abandon. He's shown a chink that isn't okay with her." Speaking of the Brady kids, it's a safe bet that they won't react well to their mother reuniting with John. "Eric and Sami will not be happy," confirms Langan. "But Eric is falling in love, so it's amazing how that distracts one from other important family issues." Story-wise, Marlena and John will finally enjoy a period of bliss. "It's basically a time of rediscovery and newness," smiles Hogestyn. "That's what this particular section is going to be about. I don't want to say recapturing the old, but trying to find something new and improve upon what we've done in the past." Promises Langan: "We'll do a lot of colorful, fun things for them. They will try to create a history for each other that they never had. John will do very romantic things for her." One of those things will be a surprise trip to New Orleans, where they are sure to meet up with Hope, who is investigating Maison Blanche. "John has a lot of unanswered questions about his past," points out Langan. "Once he's resolved the situation with Marlena, which has kept him on an emotional treadmill, he starts to realize that he's not a complete man and he needs to find out who he was." Which leads him to Hope. "John and Hope will cross paths in the future," confirms the exec. "This will be a shocking, yet intriguing story. Stefano has played with various people's lives, and two of those people are John and Hope." Will we see the beginning of the much-rumored John and Hope romance? "John's quest may take him out of Salem, but he's madly in love with Marlena," Langan demurs. Until then, get ready for John and Marlena romantic overload. John will move into the penthouse, and they will start planning for their wedding. "I'm having so much fun doing the scenes now," grins Hall. "People may say they want to see us back in bed, but they really want to see us back in love. We're doing the cutest stuff. I know they're planning on doing a lot of big-time romantic, fun-loving scenes - all the stuff that you missed is about to happen!" We Go Together: Is it hard to keep things new when you've worked together for over ten years? Not if you're Drake Hogestyn and Deidre Hall. Drake Hogestyn: I heard someone say once, 'We're not ready to make you Mac (Carey, Ex-Tom) and Frances (Reid, Alice) yet.' Obviously if they talk about that, then they're thinking about it. Bottom line is, we work really well together and it's easy to work with Dee. There's a very special chemistry there that I think a lot of actors would like to have, and we don't have to work at that. That's very comfortable. The more serious the situation, I think the better we are. Deidre Hall: I think it's a magical pairing. There's some chemistry there that's undeniable. The audience responded to it before I left the show, they responded to it when I came back to the show. They're responding to it still. Stephanie Sloane, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 5/5/98 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Big Photos! Stories! Latest News! DAYS' John And Marlena Make Love... DAYS: John And Marlena Make Love... After months - even years - of trials, tribulations and third parties keeping them apart, DAYS OF OUR LIVES' John and Marlena finally have a happy ending this week. They are at her penthouse discussing the fact that Roman has stepped aside to let them be together. Marlena tells John that she, too, has made a decision. She wants to spend the rest of her life with him. Eager to celebrate, John takes Marlena on a surprise vacation. While on his private jet, John begins giving Marlena little clues about where they are headed. Finally, she correctly guesses New Orleans. John puts on some Dixieland jazz, and they dance. John fills their hotel room with flowers, ready for romance. He gives Marlena a charm bracelet and then proposes. When Marlena accepts, John slips on an engagement ring - and carries her off to make love. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 5/12/98 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Late-Breaking News Hot Off The Net (Please Note: What follows is a very rare interview with Deidre Hall. By "rare" we mean that it is absolutely un-heard-of to see an interview with another actor on our site. This is our man Drake's website, so we'd rather fill up every square inch of it with interviews and expressive quotes from this very articulate actor and phenomenal speaker. My partner and I came to an agreement that we'll give this interview a spot on our website simply because it talks a lot about the character that Drake breathes life into, as well as his possible on-screen pairing with Kristian Alfonso.) Last summer, DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Dr. Marlena Evans was busy getting locked in a secret room, warring with daughter Sami and welcoming back presumed-dead ex-hubby Roman. Boy, those were the days, huh? John and Marlena may be on an eternal honeymoon, but they're not generating much heat. In an exclusive interview with SOAP OPERA DIGEST ONLINE, Deidre Hall (Marlena) discussed romance, rumors and her reservations about a John/Hope pairing. For starters, the reason Hall has not been on-camera much is because she had a three-week break, not because of a clause in her contract, as has been rumored. "I figure if I shut my own mouth, I will be up to five-million a year. Let the rumor mill run wild!" jokes Hall. "Thanks for the speculation and the interest, but no, there's nothing like that going on." And what will be going on with Salem's supercouple? Like most fans, Hall has her heart set on romance. "I would like to see them fall in love again and have those old-fashioned boy/girl first-love scenes," the actress says. Hall empathizes with fans who balk at the very thought of John with another woman - especially Hope. "I'm not sure what's going on there," she confides. "I understand that the fans will be upset...I wouldn't be happy if I was a fan either." For all the latest news and info, join the fun at www.soapdigest.com. SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 7/21/98 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Farewell Eileen Davidson! A Retrospective On Kristen's Salem Madness! The minute John Black (Drake Hogestyn) rescued social worker Kristen Blake (Eileen Davidson) from a gang of muggers, it was apparent that there was a very strong attraction between the two. However, Kristen had an explosive secret that would prevent the two of them ever getting together...or so she thought. Knowing that his relationship with Marlena (Deidre Hall) was over, John and Kristen began expressing their mutual interest in one another, although Kristen was a bit hesitant. Before she ever arrived in Salem, Kristen heard all sorts of tales about the man known as John Black, and discovered that he was not the kind of a man she had thought he would be. Kristen was deeply conflicted. Although she had very strong feelings for John, she knew the minute she revealed her family connections that any chance of building a relationship would be out of the question. Nevertheless, the attraction was so overwhelming, John and Kristen finally expressed their love for one another. Surely, Kristen thought that the love they were beginning to share would prove stronger than the revelation of her true family ties, and so she decided to come forward with the truth. How wrong she was. The minute Kristen told John that his most hated enemy, the villainous Stefano DiMera (Joe Mascolo), was her adopted father, John was in total shock. How could such beauty and honesty that Kristen embodied, be involved with a man such as Stefano?! Needless to say, John was furious when he discovered the truth, just as Stefano was when he learned his adopted daughter was growing closer to John Black. Tony DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) arrived in town as well, and when she told John that she had already promised her hand in marriage to Tony, his heart began to shatter-even though Kristen told John it was him who she loved. Kristen had already proven herself to be the total antithesis of Stefano, and John truly believed that he and Kristen might actually have a chance. Not content with possibly losing the woman he began to have strong feelings for, John vowed to win Kristen's hand from Tony. John took Kristen away to the Horton cabin for a romantic interlude, that soon turned to tragedy when Kristen fell and was hanging from a cliff. Heroic as ever, John saved a grateful Kristen, who promised to reconsider her marriage plans to Tony. Realizing that Kristen was beginning to grow a bit distant from him, Tony was determined to continue planning their future together. Reluctantly, Kristen felt an obligation to the DiMera family, and had no choice but to go along with his plans. At the mysterious hide-a-way in Aremid, at a place called Maison Blanche, Stefano revealed himself to be alive, much to everyone's chagrin. (OOPS! This is wrong. Maison Blanche is in New Orleans not Aremid.) He captured John and held him in the dungeon, forcing him to watch via closed-circuit television Kristen and Tony consummating their love. John was later rescued from the dungeon, but during a struggle with Stefano, it appeared that Stefano had gone overboard and drowned. Kristen blamed John for the death of her adopted father, and with the help of Tony's manipulations, Kristen exorcised John from her life and finally married Tony. Shortly thereafter, Tony was informed by Dr. Mike Horton (Roark Critchlow) that he had an illness and wasn't expected to live much longer. He also wasn't too thrilled to learn that Kristen was deeply in love with John. But then luck intervened, when John discovered that at one point in his past, he was a priest, and as a deeply religious person, Kristen could only justify her love for John as being sinful. At first, Tony did not know of John's past vocation, and sensing that Kristen had strong feelings for him, Tony plotted to do away with John. During that time, Kristen began drifting further away from Tony and for fear of procreating, Kristen lied about not taking birth control pills. Tony was soon wise to Kristen's deception, but instead of confronting her, he secretly replaced her birth control pills with placebos. Finding out what Tony had done made Kristen furious, which finally gave her the excuse to leave him. Not content with losing the woman he loved, and finding out that his time was nearing an end, Tony plotted his own revenge. Tony later killed himself, but he made it appear that John was responsible for murder. Kristen was unable to have total faith in John's innocence, which definitely put a strain on their relationship, and was the catalyst that began bringing John and Marlena closer once more. Kristen wasn't about to lose the man that she loved, especially to Marlena, and was hell-bent on keeping John all to herself. Kristen's kindness and concern for others began wearing thin, and she was becoming more and more like her father. Yet it was the DiMera curse that was just too strong to fight, as Kristen succumbed to the evil influence she had always tried to deny. Kristen's turning point was the day she discovered that letter from Marlena, in which she declares her love for John Black. (OOPS! This is wrong. The "letter" was written by John before he was sent to the gas chamber. In the letter, he expressed his love for Marlena because he knew that he was about to be put to death and he wanted Marlena to know how he really felt about her. The letter wasn't Marlena's letter and she didn't declare her love for John; it was just him who declared his love for Marlena.) With the loss of her child, Kristen feared that John would leave her, but her love for him was so strong and obsessive, she was reduced to taking drastic measures to keep her man. Kristen made sure that John would never see Marlena's letter. (OOPS! This is wrong. LOL! The letter is John's letter, not Marlena's letter, Oy vey! He wrote that letter when he thought he was going to be executed, he had no idea that his life would be saved at the last minute. Had he known that, he would've never written the letter to begin with. John was worried that his feelings that he had for Marlena, wouldn't be returned by her which is why he tried to locate the letter so he could destroy it before Marlena read it.) While they were in Paris, Kristen miscarried her and John's baby. Panic and desperation set in, and she was terribly fearful that John would leave her. That's when Stefano stepped in with an alternate solution. Although he was helping Kristen keep John, it also served his own purpose of alienating him from Marlena, his own obsession. Back in Salem, Stefano helped Kristen with her subterfuge which was to fake a pregnancy by finding a pregnant woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Kristen, and who was convinced that her baby would be better off raised by a loving couple like John and Kristen. Susan Banks (also Eileen Davidson) was a quirky character, but with the right accessories, she was made to look like Kristen's exact double. Kristen first came face-to-face with Susan in the doctor's office, where the two switched places and no one was the wiser. When John caught a glimpse of the baby's ultra-sound, he felt truly blessed, and more in love with Kristen than ever. What he didn't know was that during those special moments, it was in fact Susan, who was so enamored of John herself. By the time that Susan went into labor still thinking that she was Kristen, John married her shortly before she gave birth to a baby boy. Kristen's schemes became more intricate and each lie that was told was compounded with yet another lie. Kristen was sinking deeper and deeper and there was no way that she could win her heart's desires. Susan finally got the courage and turned the tables on Kristen. Having impersonated Kristen to perfection, Susan began to have feelings of love for John, and had no intentions of letting Kristen raise her baby. While Kristen was keeping Marlena a prisoner in the secret room downstairs, Susan managed to trap Kristen in there as well, and continued her charade as John's wife and the mother of his child. Eventually, the truth reared its ugly head, and John finally learned of Kristen's evil doings and vowed never to have anything to do with her again! Towards the end, even Stefano began to turn against Kristen. It was a battle of wills, and Kristen's desire to raise Susan's baby as her own, was not part of Stefano's master plan. Little by little, Kristen kept sinking further and further into the depths of madness. Fueled by her love for John and for Susan's baby, Kristen did the unthinkable - she kidnapped Susan's twin, Sister Mary Moira (again Eileen Davidson). Her plan was to have Susan give her the baby in exchange for Sister Mary's freedom. While Kristen plotted to steal Susan's baby, Susan had fallen in love with Edmund back in England where she was living, and found the courage to stand up to Kristen's evil demands. It was the last encounter they were to have. Then the tragic end came, as Kristen's body was found floating face down in the Blake swimming pool; an apparent suicide victim. Sister Mary Moira was set free by Roman (Josh Taylor) and Abe (James Reynolds) while Susan was getting ready to head back to England. However, it soon became apparent that Susan was more unusual then before, and with good reason. Kristen was now impersonating Susan. Although Kristen believed that it was Susan who was found dead in the Blake pool, it was later revealed that Susan was taken prisoner by the turban man, and held hostage in a foreign country. Susan had no clue what was going on, and Kristen, disguised as Susan, had to contend with Edmond's affections, and longed for the day that she would be reunited with the baby she truly believed was hers! Imagine Kristen's surprise when she learned that Susan was indeed alive and well, and the ultimate confrontation between Kristen and all those who loathed her cheered when Kristen's reign of terror was finally over! Jeffrey S. Pearlstein, EVERYTHING DAYS OF OUR LIVES, DAYTIME DIGEST, 9/98 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Plus...Who Will Marlena Choose? Who Do You Love? Marlena's Heart May Long For John, But Her Mind Is Set On Roman! Love in Salem has never been simple. With intrigue, deception and drama at every turn, couples in search of lasting romance often find broken hearts. But for Dr. Marlena Evans, the road of desire has been more difficult and treacherous than most. Now, once again forced to choose between the two men she loves, Marlena is ready to risk it all. Can she make the right choice? Marlena Evans Torn Between Two Lovers: What is a woman to do? Always trying to do the right thing for herself and her children has somehow backfired again on Marlena. Happily married to Roman Brady, she was devastated when he disappeared and was pronounced dead. But a miracle that's all-too-common in Salem occurred, and Roman reappeared. Yes, he was a changed man, but Marlena still loved him with all her heart. Together, they worked to rebuild their love and their life. Sadly, something as perfect as their love can't last long in Salem. Marlena was destroyed when she and Roman discovered that he was actually John Black, and the real Roman returned to reclaim his wife. Turning away from the man she had grown to love was not easy. Meeting secretly, John and Marlena found themselves unable to forget one another and carried on an affair that was exposed when Marlena gave birth to John's daughter. And so it has continued, with Roman slipping in and out of Marlena's life, keeping a hold on her heart that John has not yet been able to break. These three are intertwined so deeply, there seems to be no way to separate them. But Marlena is determined to find a way...She must give up her attempts to control the actions and decisions of those around her and simply do as her heart commands. Will it turn to Roman? His steady presence, despite the difficulties in their marriage, has been a rock for Marlena, a place for her to gather strength and someone she can turn to for reassuring words. For Marlena, Roman's life has always been an open book - there are no mysteries, no hidden pasts or relationships that could one day rise to the surface and threaten their lives. Indeed, with Roman, Marlena has already survived more than most women encounter in their entire lives. But then there's John. The man who would give up his love for her if she only asked, who braved the jungle with Stefano DiMera to save Roman's life. Marlena looks into his eyes and sees the fire of desire and wants that in her life, even if it means risking the approval of her children, even if it means risking what could be safer love with Roman... Why Marlena Must Choose Her Man: The longer she holds both men in the palm of her hand, the greater the risk that she'll lose them both - not because love will end, but because something will interfere in their lives. Both Roman and John offer Marlena a life full of love, but their loves (and her expectations of them) are different. Now that her children are grown and Stefano has moved onto other targets, it's time for Marlena to find some romantic happiness and decide what is more important in her life - the fiery passion of John or Roman's secure and abiding love? Roman Brady Too Late Again: Thanks to the DiMeras, Roman made it back to Salem in time to prevent Marlena from marrying John. But did he return in time to win back her love? This man has always lived his personal life in the same manner that he conducts police business: straight forward and honest. So when Roman chose to hide his knowledge of John and Marlena's renewed relationship, it didn't seem like something he would do. For viewers, it was easy at that point to question whether he could still be the right man for Marlena. But it soon became clear that he was merely showing how he had grown and changed, that he was now ready to do anything to have Marlena in his life again. Now, as he woos her with romantic dinners and dancing, and attempts to influence her decision with shared memories of their past life together, Roman is showing just how determined he is. But with Marlena doubting that their love could ever burn as brightly as it once did, Roman must also make a decision: Is Doc still the right woman for him? He fell in love practically at first sight, and ever since he's protected and rescued her. He even forgave her for falling in love with John Black, and for finding it hard to relinquish that love. But while he has been there for her at almost every turn, Marlena has shown him in countless ways that, to her, he is primarily her children's father - not the man she cannot wait to get into bed with at the end of the day. And, while Roman is thrown into adventures and danger, he doesn't search them out. What he wants now more than anything is for his family to be together, for he and Marlena to live happily ever after without another shadow of turmoil or intrigue crossing their lives. But is he certain that Marlena would be happy with that? Why Roman Will Never Be Free: With his family's history, Roman believes in the sanctity of marriage, feeling that even when it's been broken it can be repaired. And so, even if he promises to be happy for John and Marlena, we know that Roman will never find another love that will measure up to Doc. In real life, Roman would clearly be the responsible choice - he may not make Marlena's heart beat as rapidly as John does, but there's deep love, history and family to lend strength to marriage. John Black The Love Of His Life: His past remains a mystery, but John has been welcomed into Salem life like a long-lost relative. With Marlena's enduring love, John has found the strength to move forward with his life, even finding passion with Isabella and Kristen. But through it all John has turned to Marlena whenever he is confused or suffering. And it's that sensitive, vulnerable side of John that intrigues Marlena with its sharp contrast to his obvious strength. As their love bloomed anew, both John and Marlena were caught off-guard. They seemed to think that the passion they shared was dead, and that friendship was the only bond between them. But as John turned to Marlena for help in dealing with Kristen, and Marlena found herself struggling with Roman's disappearance and her children's troubled lives, friendship turned into desire. Now, with Roman's reappearance and Marlena's reluctance to hurt him again, John is left wondering if he will ever be able to have Marlena as his wife. His doubts stir Marlena and remind her of what draws them together. But for John, the doubts that he cannot give Marlena what she truly desires are tearing him apart. Perhaps better than anyone else in this triangle of love, John understands that Marlena is torn between the safe and the dangerous. Why John Shouldn't Lose: Marlena longs for stability and safety after the recent turmoil in her life, but even though she knows Roman would be the best choice for that, she yearns for John. And, since this is a woman who is ruled by her emotions (despite what she may say as a psychologist), Marlena is bound to turn to John again and again. John brings out her daring side, the part of her that still dreams - and she needs that in her life. But if Marlena decides that friendship and that knowledge of what could have been is enough, will John survive? Martha Carlson, EVERYTHING DAYS OF OUR LIVES, DAYTIME DIGEST, 9/98 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS' Missing Persons: John And Marlena Now that DAYS OF OUR LIVES is staying on NBC, the biggest question from fans is, "Where are John and Marlena?" The duo, who finally reunited in May, spent the summer apart - he in Lugano with Hope, she in Colorado with her parents - but haven't shared much screen time since their respective returns to Salem. What gives? "Deidre (Hall, Marlena) had some vacation time coming to her," explains Headwriter Sally Sussman-Morina of Hall's summer absence. "But we have a lot of story coming up for them." That's good news for fans of this put-upon pair, who have expressed their opinions via letters and the Internet. "I've seen the mail; I know," acknowledges Hall. "And we feel it. We're working a lot more these days...so maybe you'll see us more." Hall says she has tried to add a little romance for the duo into the script. "We did a scene in the Penthouse Grill, but all we did was walk in and talk to Krista (Allen-Moritt, Billie) and Josh (Taylor, Roman) - and that was the whole moment. So when we were going to tape, I flung my arms around Drake (Hogestyn, John) to make it look like we'd been making out. I said, 'We've got to give them something!'" Sussman-Morina vows that there'll be lots of air time for the two throughout the Fall and Winter. "They will be heavily involved in scenes with Greta, so you can expect to see them on-screen," she promises. SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 11/10/98 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Missing Link: As "Kindly" Stefano Protects Greta She Helps John Uncover His Secret Past... Sympathy For The Devil: Early in the week, Greta is feeling pressured by Bo and Hope to reveal herself to Stefano. They feel that going public would render him powerless. "Bo and Hope are pretty persistent," says Julianne Morris (Greta). "Greta freaks out. She also has feelings for Bo but doesn't really fit into the Salem lifestyle. Everyone seems to have established lives, and she's alone with her scars." Greta is not so sure about going public and wants to return to the bayou, so she calls Erlene, who says that Wayne and Earl will help her. But the Bayou Boys are being tracked by Bart because Stefano expects them to lead him to Greta. For Greta, the hardest thing about leaving Salem is leaving Bo, who is still trying to convince her to stay. He promised to protect her, and during a warm embrace, she reflects on their shared past in the bayou. When Bo leaves, she runs away, only to end up cornered at Green Mountain by Stefano. "Greta is confused about Stefano," says Joseph Mascolo (Stefano), "because others tell her Stefano is an awful person. John has told her how Stefano altered his mind and that he knows nothing about Father John, as Greta knows him." Stefano tries to reason with Greta, reminding her that the reason she ran away from Maison Blanche was not out of fear of him, but because she could no longer stand the pain of the reconstructive surgical procedures. Now she's afraid only because of what other people say. Greta tells Stefano to leave her alone. When he doesn't, she goes on a tear about what he did to John. Stefano then asks what Greta has told Bo about her past. "Greta told Bo as much as she knows about the switch in the cage and Princess Gina, because she didn't see any harm in telling him," says Morris. And after Stefano reassures her, telling her not to worry, she begins talking to him pretty openly, so there is something there. Greta is afraid of him, but she's also grateful to him for his care of her in the past. In her state of agitation and confusion, Greta steps back to the edge of a cliff, loses her balance and goes over the edge. She manages to hang on to some roots and brambles and has a tenuous toehold beneath her. As Greta hangs on for dear life, DiMera, the king of cunning, sees an opportunity. "Stefano tells her if he really wanted to kill her, this would be the perfect time," shares Mascolo. "No one is around; no one has seen them. All Stefano would have to do is walk away." And not a moment too soon, Greta reaches out and Stefano grabs her, just as the earth around her gives way. Now Stefano has saved her for the second time. It would be impossible for her not to feel great appreciation. In an emotional moment, Greta embraces her savior. "He explains that he's never done anything but help her," says Mascolo. "Yet he suffers the reputation he does." As the two are holding each other, John, Marlena, Bo and Hope, who all have been looking for Greta, come upon them. They don't realize Greta has just been saved. Without being seen, they watch the apparent warmth between the two and hear Stefano tell Greta that he's glad she placed her trust in him again. Stefano then promises to take care of her again, as he did in the past. The shocked foursome step out and confront Stefano and Greta. Stefano tries to explain everything, but not everyone is believing it. They're now suspicious of Greta, too. Morris explains that Greta tells Bo she's sorry she didn't make it clear that Stefano had always been kind to her and helped her. "But there's a contradiction," Morris points out. "It confuses them, and Marlena doesn't believe Greta at all. She really doesn't trust her. Greta convinces Bo and Hope that there's nothing more between her and Stefano than the gratitude of the moment. Greta then points out to John that she's never lied to him before." "Even after seeing Greta in Stefano's arms, John chooses not to believe she's working for Stefano," says John's portrayer, Drake Hogestyn. "They obviously had a relationship while at Maison Blanche, and she's thanking him for helping her now. Greta could be a pawn in all this, just as Marlena already suspected, but that doesn't matter to John. Greta knew John in Switzerland, and he'll be careful - but he has to trust her to get answers to his past." "John is no longer being patient," Hogestyn continues. "He's jumping on this and putting all his trust in Greta as the real thing. Hopefully, he won't be proven wrong, and that's where the danger lies. Marlena is very, very cautious because John's been burned in the past and also because he doesn't know the conversation she had with Stefano, in which Stefano warned her to be careful what she wished for. So that's where Marlena's coming from. She's trying to dissuade John from hypnosis after she previously suggested it, which confuses John. So Greta is even more important." As Greta goes off with the group and leaves Stefano behind, "John tells Stefano that he will find out everything Greta knows about him," says Hogestyn. "He feels he doesn't need Stefano to find out about his own past - he has Greta. But Greta is still not convinced she wants to stay in Salem." "Greta very much loves Bo but knows that he loves Hope," says Morris. "Greta is not a jealous, vindictive or greedy woman. She accepts it even though it hurts. She'd rather have him as a friend than cause him to be an enemy. But she's not certain if she wants to stay in Salem, where people are now suspicious of her." And not only might Marlena be happy to hold open the door out of town for her, Billie doesn't want Greta around either. John wants information from her; Stefano has vowed not to let Greta turn on him, and Bo, whom Greta loves, loves another. You can bet that the solitude of the bayou, or some new hiding place, is looking pretty good to Greta right about now. Lorraine Zenka, SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 11/17/98