Days: 1997 Rerun

On Friday, November 23, 2012, NBC showed a rerun of Days of Our Lives. The episode, which originally aired on June 24, 1997 is airing as NBC's original programming was cancelled. They had planned to air an NHL game, but since they are on strike and locked out there was no game available.


Franco (Victor Alfieri) is working to keep Hope (Kristian Alfonso) away from Bo (Peter Reckell) who is married to Billie (Krista Allen). Hope laments to Franco about her feelings for loss for Bo. She has a fantasy of being in a bubble bath with Bo. Franco decides he will do what he can to get Hope to fall in love with him. J.L. King (Matt Battaglia) has a gun on Bo, Billie discovers what is going on and fakes having a gun. This plan is for naught as King decides to bring them out to sea to kill them.

It is the day of the Elvis wedding. John (Drake Hogestyn) is in black leather with fringe and rhinestones. Abe (James Reynolds) has on black cowboy hat with a golden sash. Most of the people there are dressed normally though, but the wedding cake even has a pink cadillac on its top. Susan (Eileen Davidson) switched places with Kristen (also Eileen Davidson) and wanted John to herself as neither woman was good enough for him. John and everyone else has no idea that Kristen and Marlena (Deidre Hall) are in the secret room passed out from gas fumes. Marlena imagines that John comes to rescue her.

Laura (Jaime Lyn Bauer) is freaking out and starts attacking "Kristen", as she knows what is going on, but no one believes her. Jennifer (Stephanie Cameron) and Mike (Roark Critchlow) try to help their mom. Laura and "Kristen" tussle and the fake teeth fly out of her mouth into Vivian's (Louise Sorel) glass. Everyone is staring and John says Susan. Ivan (Ivan G'Vera) and Vivian realize where Kristen and Marlena are. Lexie (Renee Jones) tells her mother Celeste (Tanya Boyd) that she was right. Stefano (John Mascolo) wants to leave, but is held up due to the investigation. Carrie (Christie Clark), Shawn (Frank Parker), Caroline (Peggy McCay), Maggie (Suzanne Rogers) and Mickey (John Clarke) are all also at this event.

Susan wanted to be a family with baby Elvis (now EJ) and John. Susan even utters her "mean, mean, mean" catchphrase. She fingers Ivan and Vivian, but then shares everything. Ivan and Vivian are forced to show where Marlena and Kristen are being held. John is horrified when he sees Kristen and Marlena laying on the ground unconscious.

This episode came from the time frame when James E. Reilly was the head writer of Days of Our Lives. The lead story was campy to be sure, but if someone wasn't watching Days would give a good idea of what the program once was like. People seem to either love or hate that time at the program depending on what interests them. While it was interesting to see, I must admit that I would have preferred a more traditional classic Thanksgiving themed episode to have aired.