Put Your Hands Together For Hogey!(Page 1) The "scripts" included on this page were written by us while watching the personal videotapes made of the shows in question. We taped the shows that Drake Hogestyn appeared on for our personal collection of games and talk shows and TV appearances he made to promote DAYS. These were from when he came on the show in 1986 until the present. We've put our own personal "spin" on what the shows were about as we went along so it would read like we were talking to someone in the room with us about what we were seeing. These "scripts" were just intended to give the general content of the show and what Drake said and did. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soap Opera Update MVP Best Actor, DAYS And Best Of The Best: 2/19/93 Best Actor: Drake Hogestyn: Thank you. I don't know what to say! I did jot down a few words though. Teehee! Drake pulls out a big scroll of paper and unwinds it. Then laughingly, he says... Drake Hogestyn: No...this is very easy. The "M" stands for the multitude of fans that support daytime, especially Days of our Lives. "V" would have to be for my wife, Victoria, who inspires me. And "P" for the professionals that I work with at Days of our Lives who make that job the best for any man in the world. Thank you! Best Of The Best: Maury Povich: Are you a little surprised, Drake? Drake, who has just kissed All My Children's Susan Lucci (Erica Kane) on the cheek, says... Drake Hogestyn: Hey, I'm sitting next to Susan Lucci! After some more surprise and comments from Susan, Drake holds up the MVP Award and says... Drake Hogestyn: If Buck Showalter is watching from the Yankees - we were teammates, pal, and I got an MVP Award! Then Maury went into the audience and pulled Drake's beautiful wife, Victoria to her feet, saying... Maury Povich: This young lady, nice-looking, marvelous-looking woman... Drake shouts out... Drake Hogestyn: My inspiration! Maury Povich: Is your wife, right? Drake Hogestyn: Yes. Maury asks Victoria... Maury Povich: How old were you two when you first met? Victoria Hogestyn: I was 12 and he was 15. Maury Povich: You started to be boyfriend and girlfriend right away, puppy love, right? Victoria Hogestyn: Right. He followed me home. Maury Povich: And he's never left! Victoria Hogestyn: I know, it's wonderful! Maury Povich: And you don't mind millions of women every day looking at the television screen, going... Victoria Hogestyn: Well, sometimes! Maury Povich: You're jealous? Victoria Hogestyn: Sure, sometimes. Maury Povich: I can understand; I get jealous a lot too. It's okay. Good for the soul, good for the marriage. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soap Opera Update MVP Best Actor, DAYS And Best Of The Best: 2/3/94 Best Actor: When his name was announced as the winner, he kissed Victoria and went up to get the award. He shook hands with Maury, who told him... Maury Povich: I got it right this year. "It" was the pronunciation of Drake's name. Talk show hosts have been saying it wrong for years, and Drake always corrects them. Drake told him... Drake Hogestyn: Congratulations! Drake then kissed Ivana Trump on the cheek as he accepted the award. Drake Hogestyn: To the fans of Days of our Lives, the greatest fans, it's nice to know that you think I'm doing a good job still. Thank you! Best Of The Best: When his name was announced as the winner, he put his head on Victoria's shoulder and then kissed her. Then he stepped across the aisle where All My Children's Susan Lucci (Erica Kane) was sitting and kissed her on the cheek. When he got to the front he looked at Ivana Trump at the podium, and everyone sort of laughed as he kissed her on the cheek again. She said... Ivana Trump: That was what I was waiting for. ROTFLMAO! Drake said... Drake Hogestyn: It's what I live for! Maury, no one has thanked you yet - thank you! Angela Shapiro and Soap Opera Update, I didn't expect this so I really don't know what to say. It's an extraordinary compliment and I'm shaking and there's not a quake here! It could go to any one of our cast members. Justin, Michael - I've watched and I've learned from you over the years. It's just amazing that the fans out there enjoy our work as much as we enjoy our work. Thank you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soap Opera Digest Hottest Male Star: 2/4/94 For the 10th annual Soap Opera Awards it was such a pleasure to see Drake nominated to win his first Soap Opera Digest award, but to see him win caused my partner and I to park our butts on cloud #9 for a week. We were both so proud of our Hogey! Usually they show clips of the actors before announcing the results of who the winner is, but this year they just went right to shots of the actors nominated for this award. The actors nominated for Hottest Male Star, along with Drake, were Guiding Light's Frank Dicopoulos (Frank Cooper) and from General Hospital Antonio Sabato Jr. (Jagger Cates). Drake is shown looking so gorgeous in his tuxedo but pretty apprehensive. When Drake's name was announced as the winner, he closed his eyes like he was in total shock, teehee! His beautiful wife, Victoria, grabbed his face, whispered something in his ear and kissed him as he says something to her and heads to the stage while smiling real big. He high-fives his cast-mates, and Robert Kelker Kelly (Bo Brady) congratulates him before Drake steps on the stage. We see Another World's Charles Keating (Carl Hutchins) and Victoria Wyndham (Rachel Davis). Charles hands Drake his award and shakes his hand as the camera then shows Executive Producer Ken Corday standing up and clapping for Drake as he yells, "That-a-boy, Hogey! Alright!" Drake Hogestyn: Well...well this is...Hi Mom! I work with the hottest cast and crew in daytime - I share this with you. I want to thank my lovely wife, Victoria... We see Victoria looking at her guy with so much admiration and love in her eyes. She is as proud of him as his fans are. Drake Hogestyn: ...who I've known since I've been 15. You are my guardian angel, honey. My four children: Rachael, who runs lines with me; Ben, who catches the rats at home; little Whitney - I love ya, honey; and Alexandra - oh good God, my shirt got real tight right now and I can't speak. It all boils down to six words: I owe it all to Ken! Alright! And for the fans out there, the most loyal and interactive daytime fans, Days of our Lives fans, there's a party at my house and you're all invited! Backstage After Awards: Drake Hogestyn: I come from a baseball background, so I'm used to failing 7 out of 10 times, haha! You don't know until you get up there and you think you might have something you want to say, but all of a sudden your collar gets real tight and you just start blah, blah, blah, and emotions take over and it's earth-shattering, especially here in L.A. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soap Opera Digest Hottest Male Star: 2/17/95 For the 11th annual Soap Opera Awards, it was once again such a pleasure to see Drake win his second Soap Opera Digest award! They showed clips of the actors before announcing the results of who the winner is, so we're treated to shots of our Drake with Eileen Davidson (Kristen Blake) on DAYS in a tuxedo, a hot shot of John kissing Kristen on the couch in his loft, in the shower at the Horton cabin and back to the couch! Pass the ice please! We now see shots of the actors nominated for this award. The actors nominated for Hottest Male Star along with Drake were All My Children's John Callahan (Edmund Grey) and As The World Turns' Paolo Seganti (Damian Grimaldi). This was so cute. When General Hospital's Wally Kurth (Ned Ashton) was reading out the nominees, the camera shows Drake and his wife, Victoria. They're snuggling close together as Drake looks right at the camera and mouths "Hi, Mom!" and gives mom a little wave, which made Victoria laugh, LOL! Drake then kisses Victoria's cheek; they're so adorable! When Wally was getting ready to announce the winner, we see Drake and Victoria in the little square. These two are so adorable that they could've quite easily won for the hottest couple in Hollywood, swoon! Drake has his face in Victoria's hair and his eyes are closed, LOL! When his name was announced as the winner, we see Victoria smiling big as she is saying, "Yes, yes!" while smiling with pride at her husband. The camera gets in close as he kisses Victoria and whispers "I love you" to her before going onstage. Victoria stands up to give her guy a standing ovation (along with his cast-mates); as he walked toward the camera and the stage, he mouthed "Hi, Mom!" When he gets up on the stage, Wally and Rena Sofer (Lois Cerullo Ashton) hands Drake his award and hugs him. Drake Hogestyn: Thank you - Digest, Fans, Cast and Crew of Days of our Lives, and my Family: Rachael, Ben, Whitney, Alexandra - Daddy loves you! And especially my wife Victoria... We again see Victoria beaming with pride at her husband. Drake Hogestyn: ...my friend, my lover, and as long as you think I'm the hottest, that's all that matters to me. Thank you. The camera shows Victoria looking at Drake with so much adoration and so much love; what an awesome sight! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soap Opera Update MVP Best Actor, DAYS And Best Of The Best: 8/6/95 Best Actor: When his name was announced, Drake kissed Victoria and Melissa Reeves and then went onstage. Drake Hogestyn: Thank you, what a storyline! Victoria, my lovely wife, I'd like to thank you. Mom and Dad - so good to see you! And to win this, I did have divine intervention, and there they are, right up there (pointing to the balcony where the fans were sitting). A class publication - Update, Angela, Jerome, and class viewers. Thank you very much. Best Of The Best: Drake Hogestyn: Wow, I'm so... He blew a kiss to Victoria. Drake Hogestyn: You know, I can look around at every table here; I've met a lot of actors; I've worked with a lot of actors here, and this could sit on anybody's table. I'm very appreciative, I'm very respectful for it. Thank you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soap Opera Update MVP Best Actor, DAYS And Best Of The Best: 9/29/96 Best Actor: Drake Hogestyn: Thank you, I'm very, very, very humbled. Six magic words - I said I'd get to this one of these years, 'I owe it all to Ken' and my beautiful wife and children. Without your support, whew! - I'd be in the dugout. I love you. Thank you! And for Kristian Alfonso (who won for Best Actress on DAYS and whose award Drake accepted for her since she wasn't there), I will carry this home for her and share this with her - and maybe get a storyline with her! Best Of The Best: He kissed Victoria and patted Ken Corday on the back as he went onstage. Drake Hogestyn: Oh wow! Mr. Benard, you've done some great work - cool it! haha! You've given me a forum, also, to say hello to my father and my mother and how much I love you, and not many actors get that chance. Along with my children, Rachael, Ben and Whitney, and Alexandra, I still have the little "wish" bracelet you made for me on Labor Day and it hasn't fallen off yet. You got your wish, honey! And my wife, Victoria, I love you. Cast and crew of Days of our Lives. I'm sure I forgot somebody, but I didn't mean to. Thank you very much. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soap Opera Update MVP Best Actor, DAYS And Best Of The Best: 9/7/97 The 8th annual Soap Opera Update Awards were done a bit different this year. Instead of having the actor receive their award solo, they instead had the best actor and the best actress for each soap opera go up on stage together. Three actors and three actresses from each soap opera are nominated. We're treated to a love scene with John and Marlena! For DAYS the nominees for best actor with Drake are Austin Peck (Austin Reed) and Peter Reckell (Bo Brady). The nominees for best actress are Kristian Alfonso (Hope Brady), Deidre Hall (Marlena Evans) and Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady). Drake and Kristian both won, YAY! When their names are announced, the camera shows Drake (looking beyond gorgeous in his tuxedo) and his beautiful wife, Victoria, smiling big. We see Kristian also smiling. We see Drake walk over to where she is and they both walk together to the stage. Drake helps Kristian up on the stage, he is such a gentleman. John Aprea (Alexander Nikos) from Another World shakes his hand as Linda Dano (Felicia Gallant) also from Another World gives him a hug and congratulates him on a job well done as Drake thanks her and admires his award. Our courteous guy believes that ladies should always go first, so Drake steps behind Kristian so that she could give her speech first. When Kristian is thanking her mom and dad, she gets a little choked up, Drake smiles at her and puts his hand on her shoulder as a comforting gesture, so sweet! He tells her congratulations and kisses her as Kristian stands behind our guy so that he can give his speech of thanks. Best Actor: Drake Hogestyn: Fans rule! Thank you! Soap Opera Update - a class act. I love my wife, Victoria, and my children, Rachael, Ben, Whitney and Alexandra - without you I have nothing. While he was saying the previous sentence, the camera focused on Victoria, who was smiling lovingly at him as he spoke. Drake Hogestyn: I accept this award and I share it with all of the men of Days of our Lives. Thank you very much! We now see Drake put his arm around Kristian as both exuberant and happy actors head off the stage together. Our next award is for the actor who is the favorite actor in all of daytime television. The nominees are General Hospital's Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) and The Young And The Restless' Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott). When Drake's name is announced, we see him kiss Victoria (swoon) as he once again heads to the stage. Ingo Rademacher (Jasper Jax) from General Hospital shakes Drake's hand and presents him with his award. Best Of The Best: Drake Hogestyn: Wow! Like I said, the fans rule! Um Maurice, we did this last year, didn't we? And I understand you're leaving - that's good for me. haha! Very good. There's really only one reason that any of us are standing up here tonight, and that is because of your story, and Jim Reilly, he has thrown together such material - I'm just the beneficiary of that tonight. I'd like to thank Ken Corday for the opportunity; Tom Langan and Steve Wyman for the guidance; Jim Reilly for his brilliant writing; Mom and Dad, my beautiful wife, Victoria, and my children. Thank you very much. Drake heads off the stage wearing a big smile as the camera follows him; we see him blow a kiss to the camera as his way of saying 'thank you' to his fans! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Performer Of The Week: 2/28/00 - 3/3/00 Drake Hogestyn showed remarkable talent this week. Under Rolf's control and the powerful hold Stefano once had on him, John Black became the mercenary he had once been and took charge when the plane bound for Europe was destined for a crash landing or an explosion. Drake portrayed John wonderfully. We saw his character transform back and forth from the loving John Black to "Mercenary John" from his past. He was in command the entire time the passengers were in danger. He saved their lives by flying the plane, landing the plane in the ocean and leading them to shore. He was in control the entire time. Every once in a while, he reverted back to the good, loving John that they all knew. And several of them noticed that he was a little too controlling and demanding. But Drake gave the performance his all and had us at the edge of our seats wondering what he would do next while under his mercenary persona. We cheered for him when he saved them and urged him on while he tried to disarm the bomb. He showed remarkable talent this week while transforming back and forth, and he kept us glued to the television and off the couch as we anxiously watched him perform the daring rescue. Erin, DaysCentral ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Performer Of The Week: 3/13/00 - 3/17/00 Well, we've all known that this was coming. The poor man's head has been screwed with for so long that I'm surprised he's managed to hold it together this long. First Rolf and Bart trying to kill him so that he wouldn't remember, then Rolf nearly killing everyone just to make John remember the way he was when he was Stefano's pawn. Those flashbacks of the sub sex must be tiresome, and having everyone treat you like you're going nuts and probably shouldn't be trusted would make me a little edgy too! Drake Hogestyn has always done a spectacular job playing John (the Pawn, Roman Brady, Forrest Alamain) Black. No matter what ridiculous storyline the powers that be have thrown at him, he's always played the part sincerely and believably. I remember crying when IzzyB died - not only because I was going to miss her, but also because John's pain (through Drake's acting) was so obviously heart-felt and devastating. Drake Hogestyn has made John Black truly a three dimensional character, and there is no better proof of that than watching him flip-flop between loving husband and father to harsh, controlling mercenary. I must admit that I've enjoyed watching John take charge of the situation all throughout this ill-fated (although eventually successful) rescue mission. And hearing him treat our favorite Salem residents like the idiots they can sometimes be has been a hoot (and elicited more than one "You go, boy!" from me)! For far too long the "searchers for Hope" have needed a good kick in the tail, and Mercenary John is just the man to plant the foot. John's relationship with Stefano is also taking an interesting twist, one that our dashing hero (that would be John, not Stefano) is doing a fantastic job with. I cannot begin to imagine how confused (and somewhat disgusted) John must feel to have flashbacks of being "like a son" to Stefano. (And considering how Stefano's children tend to turn out - do you blame him?) I'm intrigued - no, scratch that - I'm enthralled and excited to see where this story will lead. Now that I've explored the dark side of our dashing hero, allow me a moment to explore the Knight in Shining Armor that John so excels at being. John is an ideal family man (or at least he will be when/if this Gina/Stefano/Hope mess is straightened out). He obviously adores his wife and children - even Eric and Sami who he raised as his own while he thought he was Roman seem to have a special place in his heart. It is only appropriate that Marlena is the one person that can talk him out of "mercenary mode" and back into the sincere, gentle man she married. No matter how far he's gone into his other personality (for lack of better term) he adores his family and will do whatever is necessary to protect them - even from himself. Drake Hogestyn once again shines as this obviously multi-dimensional (personalitied) man, allowing us to see far enough into him to recognize the confusion and pain he experiences without becoming predictable. I expect as the mystery of who is Hope's baby's father (and who is Greta's father) continues, we will continue to see stellar performances from this extremely gifted actor. Kudos, Drake! Erin, DaysCentral ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Honorable Mention: 4/3/00 - 4/7/00 This spotlight written at the request of Gina, who says, "This is a very confused man this week. He doesn't know if he wants to tell Marlena and Bo the truth about sleeping with Hope when she was Gina. This guy has issues, including facing Stefano! The man was encore this week. Bravo, Drake!" And I agree wholeheartedly with Gina - Drake Hogestyn has done an excellent job with John's character this week. I particularly enjoyed the scenes with Stefano, although I must say that Drake played the confrontation much lighter than he normally does. His begging Stefano for a favor was much less intense than his previous scenes with him. Drake and Joe play off each other really well, and this scene is proof of that. Drake let us know just from his tone and overall attitude that John knew he would never get anywhere with Stefano, and has chosen this lighter, almost playful manner to pick as much as possible without antagonizing Stefano into shutting down and telling him nothing. But of course, Stefano did still tick John off, and immediately John had to decide how to handle it. Silently slamming the bourbon and walking out was a fantastic, almost eloquent parting shot. Also John has to struggle with this secret he's carrying. Does he tell Bo and Marlena that he may be Hope's baby's father and risk everything or does he keep quiet, knowing that Bo is desperate to believe the baby is not Stefano's? Whew! What a dilemma! On the one hand, if he tells, it could break up his marriage and strain Bo and Hope's relationship, not to mention everyone's friendship. On the other hand, if he does tell, Bo will know that Stefano might not be the father (which would be a relief) but he'd also know all about Hope as Gina. And what would it do to Marlena, to know that her husband was sleeping with Gina on their honeymoon? (Mind control or no mind control - I'd be one pissed off new bride!) Stay tuned - I'm predicting many more excellent performances as this storyline is continued... Erin, DaysCentral ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moment Of The Week: 7/31/00 - 8/4/00 Isabella Black was one of my favorite characters ever on DAYS. I cried the day that she died in John's arms. Now on a soap death is never permanent, but in this case it appears to be. So how do they compensate for this? They bring her back as a ghost, and I for one loved every minute of it. I'll start with the amazing flashbacks that they showed when John received that Annual Report with IzzyB's pictures. It was great to relive some of those memories; from Brady's birth to the incredible last scenes when she died. I was in tears the entire time watching the flashbacks. It brought me back to a time when DAYS was truly the best soap out there, not just one of the lot. I've read a lot of people that didn't feel that IzzyB was the proper person to counsel Eric in his time of need. Well I disagree with that. Isabella played a huge role in Eric's life. She helped John raise him during the years that he thought he was Roman. I remember the scenes when Isabella was playing with Eric and Sami in the park. She clearly loved those children back then and I don't think that would have changed because Marlena showed up alive and John turned out not to be Roman. Eric needed the guidance and Isabella was a calming source for him. I knew she would always look out for the people that she loved and her scenes with Eric proved that I was right. But despite how much she loved Eric and Sami, the people she cares for the most would of course be John and Brady. It was touching how John remembered Brady's birth while praying for guidance. Having Isabella there and then John finally sensing her presence was even more touching. With Brady in the picture now, John is going to have a rough time ahead of him. But we all know that IzzyB will be looking down on her two favorite guys from Heaven and guiding them along the right path. But since this is DAYS we know she'll have to watch them make several wrong turns first. Erin, DaysCentral ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Performer Of The Week: 9/25/00 - 9/29/00 Wow! Wow! Do I need to say it again? Wow! Over the last year we have seen subtle changes in John's hero persona. I don't really know when it started, but it's safe to say that the most recent plane crash was an indication that our beloved John, the "White Knight," is not so pearly after all. In fact, he's a bit more human and even a bit darker. We've seen John as Roman, the Brady family savior. John as a sentimental, passionate husband when he was with Isabella, then of course dealing with her death. John as a cop, a child separated from his wealthy family, a pawn in a twisted man's scheme, a priest, a dad, an art thief, and a mercenary (a doctor and lawyer?) Ha! I'm sorry because it seems so ridiculous! But given his new behavior, it's not. John has been brainwashed or computer chip-infested to believe he is so many different people that it's no wonder why he's been frustrated. This frustration has blossomed since he realized that he's the father of Hope's baby, and boy does it show! When he finally broke down and told Marlena the truth, he was stunned and annoyed that Marlena couldn't understand. Actually, he was downright pissed off! So many people were discombobulated with his reaction. He said, "I'll see ya, Doc," and flipped his hand up at her and walked out. My first reaction was disbelief, then I just laughed. What's really going on? As shocking as that may have been for all of us, it wasn't half as out of control as the scenes with John at the bar and the following fight with Marlena. John was just belting them down and seemed to enjoy each drink to the last drop. It was almost as if he were doing a commercial! Anyway, John was beyond rude to Maggie and Hattie (although I was on the floor when he told her "would you just shut up?") Then he just blasted Marlena, which made it so much clearer to me how dark John really is and how far Stefano's reach has gone into this man's psyche. Many folks in my message boards are outraged at John's treatment of Marlena, but I'm so much in shock over his extreme change in behavior that I laugh in hysteria! I feel like I'm on one of those floating carpets with nothing underneath me every time Drake is on the screen now. Where is he taking me and why am I feeling so overexposed? That's what this newly evolving storyline has done, completely turned John's character inside out, and hopefully Marlena's too. Right now, there is much for John to think about: his son with that big ol' chip on his shoulder, Marlena, and pretty soon, Hope and the rest of the Brady clan. That piercing stare that Drake gives when John is really thinking about something is ever more present, and for those of you who can't stand it (I know you're out there), get used to it. We'll see a lot of it in the next several months because this story has only just begun. Many thanks to the powers-that-be for turning DAYS on its ear! Erin, DaysCentral ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Performer Of The Week: 11/6/00 - 11/10/00 Has John lost his frigging mind? I must say yes and I love it! I knew that big things were coming a couple of months ago when I last wrote about him, but wow, I didn't realize that this character was going to go this close to the edge. I mean really...he kicked Roman's butt at Tuscany (don't get me wrong, I like Roman) and it was such an enthralling scene, but I was shocked. If I had a penny for every time my mouth hit the floor - I'd be on a tropical island somewhere sipping Mai Tais. It's one thing to stick up for your kid but quite another to punch policemen, insult patrons, and your wife. This is so seemingly out of character for John, but is it? I think that I had mentioned before that some of that dark side of John, the Stefano-programmed side, is seeping into this character's everyday life now. It started with the lying and plotting with Stefano about Hope's baby. We then were fed more of the darkness when John confessed to Marlena about sleeping with Princess Gina then all but blamed Marlena for not getting over it! Now that Marlena has become completely ignorant when it comes to Brady, we're really being treated to some of the darkest parts of John's persona. On the one hand John is a loving man who is protecting his young, and on the other he is this rogue that's out of control and isn't going to take any prisoners. Seriously though, what was with him swinging the handcuffs? I was like, "John please, you idiot, put the cuffs down." Just another jaw-dropping moment! We see that craziness and survival instinct in him but then a couple of hours later (2 days real time) we see him sitting next to Belle, expressing how much he loves his family and relating to her how important love is. Either he needs Prozac or I do! Maybe I should just take a Valium before watching his scenes - I can't take it. There is too much drama and great acting and...and...it's just too much for a show that can be very one-dimensional at times. All this laughing and crying and cheering and booing that I'm doing will lead my neighbors to think that I've lost my damn mind! Thank you, Drake Hogestyn, for doing such a fine job with this storyline and reminding me of why I watch soap operas - drama, drama, and more drama! Erin, DaysCentral ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moment Of The Week: 11/27/00 - 12/1/00 Well, we all knew it was going to happen - the story has been building in that direction for weeks now, so Brady's shooting could have been terribly anti-climactic (remember Eric's car accident?) However, I was thrilled at the way Brady's shooting played out. The acting was superb by all involved; the action was well-paced; and the drama was very exciting. All of this is why Brady's shooting is this week's Moment of the Week. We'll begin with the build-up to the shooting. Roman and Abe chasing a fugitive Brady; John, hot on their heels trying to stop them; Belle's call to John telling him the truth about what happened to her; and Marlena, knowing that she's the one who started the whole thing - not being able to or wanting to stop it. And then there's Brady himself - really no more than a scared kid who's been thrust into a situation that he doesn't know how to escape from - not really knowing who to trust. When Brady was first introduced to the show, all we got to see of him (except his feet) was that he was a sullen, brooding teenager with a grudge. He wasn't a very likeable character at all, and I believed that Marlena was correct to judge him the way she had. Even John had a rough time with Brady. The only character that could break through that cold exterior was his little sister, Belle. They had a sweet, loving relationship, and their scenes together allowed us to see a side of Brady we were never before privy to. We got to see a bit of that same side in the store, when he was playing Cops and Robbers with the two kids. Considering Brady's personality and the situation he was in, I wouldn't have expected him to be so kind to the kids and take time to play with them. I would have expected him to be more self-absorbed and even surly to them, but he wasn't. He let his guard down, and that's part of the reason he was shot. Kyle Lowder was not the only outstanding actor during this scene - all of the actors were fantastic. Drake Hogestyn played John's part beautifully - frightened, angry, frustrated - all the emotions we would expect from John in this situation. Josh Taylor also did a beautiful job as Roman - attempting to do his job, knowing that although technically he is right, his motivations aren't exactly what they should be and also knowing that he's seriously jeopardizing what little friendship with John he may have. And then there's James Reynolds, playing Abe's character to a tee. Abe was just doing his job and under the circumstances that he saw, he was doing the right thing. Based on the information he had, how was he to know that Brady's gun was a toy? It looked real enough through the window, and unlike us watching at home, he had no prior information about the situation. To make it worse, he not only shot an innocent kid, he shot the son of a friend. And compounding his guilt and shame was the angry mob that was so rude and ugly to him. Abe has been vilified for doing what he was trained to do. Shooting Brady, compounded with what happened to Larry will affect Abe's life for a long time, and he will have a lot of re-evaluating to do. The scenes of Brady's shooting were well worth the build-up and wait. And it's not over. The aftereffects of this shooting will rock Salem's finest for a long time to come. This is the type of tragedy that ends careers, marriages and whole families. I'll be looking forward to seeing what effects this one has. Erin, DaysCentral ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moment Of The Week: 12/4/00 - 12/8/00 I have to admit that I'm having a bit of a problem putting together this week's Moment of the Week. Luckily, it's because there were too many great moments rather than my normal problems of not enough good ones. John's confronting Marlena outside Brady's hospital room. John has a tendency to go a little haywire and blow up, but this time he didn't. John never raised his voice to Marlena, nor did he lose his temper. He was very sincere and his words to Marlena accurately depicted a man who has suffered what he feels to be the most devastating betrayal by the one person he least expected. This scene was brilliantly portrayed by both actors - Drake Hogestyn played the part of the concerned father to a tee, and Deidre Hall is taking Marlena in new and exciting directions. John talking to Abe. Brady's shooting is a fantastic storyline and has given us many fine moments so far, but this is one of my favorites. Abe Carver has been one of John's best friends from the beginning, and the thought that their friendship would end because of this terrible mistake is itself a tragedy. When John showed up at Police Headquarters, no one knew what his reaction to Abe would be. I hoped that he would understand the circumstances and why Abe acted the way he did, but John hasn't been terribly rational lately, so who knew? I felt as relieved as Abe when John extended his hand and said that he understood. Abe's going through a tough time of his own, and he needed John's support. I, for one, am glad that he got it. Erin, DaysCentral

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