The Perfect Pawn

Fan Fiction: Days of Our Lives copyright as part of:

In These Words ...  © copyright 2014 by Lillian Carrero

A "Days of Our Lives" fan fiction - author's intro:

Marlena and John

Marlena Evens Black the darling of darlings, America’s sweetheart for decades and then the cliffhanger revealed her to be the Salem Stalker, not to be mistaken with the Salem Strangler who had wrecked havoc in Salem too long ago to be remembered (or forgotten as the case may be). My sister called me and after a few decades of not having watched Days I tuned in. After years of not watching, you’d be surprised at how quickly I caught up. They were all there, older, as was I, but there nonetheless. Once again I was caught up in the moment of everyday of their lives.

Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn 

     But it was always Marlena, moments burned into my memory, not available on DVD. When she confronted Stefano and then pulled the trigger. Holy crap, if that was all there was that was enough. Deidre Hall as Marlena Evans became truly iconic. On occasion the damsel in distress testing my gag reflex and then she pulls the trigger. You gotta’ love her. There were other moments, sometimes few and far between (the nature of the beast aka Daytime television or just Soaps) but mostly worth the wait. 

     I’m never in favor of drag it out and milk it for all it’s worth, but you really have to tip your hat when they get it right. There really could not possibly be anything in the field as hard as Daytime. For the writers, for the crew, for the actors it has to be a challenge to package and lock a one-hour episode that airs daily. I can’t even begin to imagine all the work that goes into it. What I’m privy to, all I see is what’s on the surface. I watched Marlena.
     There’s all this nonsense about “America’s Sweetheart” and a whole slew of people snicker, but not me. She was nothing, if not always that. Yes, there was the adultery, the demonic possession, the serial killing and a hodgepodge of other scenarios none of which ever lessened her as America’s Sweetheart. Ingénues came and went and there was Marlena mourning her dead love, moving on. We waited as she waited for love to come.
      And then there he was—her perfect foil, John Black. I’m not sure who coined the phrase super couple, but it most certainly had to be a byproduct of daytime. Bo and Hope, Steve and Kayla, Jack and Jen these were the characters I wanted to see. Every other storyline felt like the wait that I had to endure to see them and so I waited. I still wait.
     One day they’ll find a way to package Days on DVD and I’m so there. Give me the Pawn storyline, give me my super couples and give me Marlena.