JAYCEE'S WEEK IN REVIEW Salem, March 8,1998 Reactions to
the news of Kristen's "death" ran the gamut among Salem residents, from shock and disbelief to joy and
assuagement. Then there was Austin who looked like he was trying to recall just who the heck Kristen was. In any
event none of those feelings had any importance, as Kristen isn't dead anyway and Susan is in a harem with "Turban
Man". (To prevent further confusion, as if that were possible, until this little charade
is over, Kristen, who is posing as Susan, will be referred to as KSusan and the real Susan will continue to be
referred to as Susan.) The coroner after going back and forth as to the cause of Kristen's death flipped
a coin and decided it was suicide. John blamed himself and Stefano continued his tiresome soliloquies on the heartbreak
of having psycho offspring. Marlena tried to convince John that Kristen had sealed her own fate and that no one
was to blame. She later turned her attention to her upcoming date with Roman. She told Eric that she wants to be
fair to both men and make sure she doesn't have any unresolved feelings about Roman. The only thing that seems
unresolved to me, at this point, is what have they done with Marlena's brain? Carrie told Austin and Eric about her new client, Mike. Austin seemed a little
perturbed by the news but he managed to hide it from Carrie. Billie pushed onward with her pity act on Bo. She told him that while she knows
his heart is with Hope she is glad he is staying with her during the pregnancy. Roman arrived and offered his support
to her. I don't see why he has to put his two cents into this. He should get his own life straightened out before
he goes around dispensing unsolicited advice. Just a thought. Kate went to see Hope to try to do some damage control. She fears Hope will figure
out everything that she has done to keep her away from Bo. She told Hope to let Bo follow through on his commitments
and to give him and Billie a chance to make their marriage work. She also brought up the baby, telling Hope she
wouldn't want to do anything to harm it. She must have gotten all of Kristen's old dialogue with Marlena and studied
it well. Sami almost spilled the beans to Hope about Kate's involvement with Franco. He
got there just in time, as usual, to stop her. Kate wants Franco to stop seeing Sami but he thinks he can control
her better if he keeps her guessing as to what their relationship actually is. Later, he and Sami compared notes
on what they each had to lose if their secrets were ever revealed. These two have a good base to build on, as conspiracy
and manipulation are a staple in every successful relationship. Edmund continued to support KSusan and reiterated his intentions to marry her
but she seemed aloof. Later, Stefano came to police headquarters and assured them that he will not try to take
Elvis away from them. He, of course, did not mention that his plans are to wait until things cool down and then
claim his son. He thinks that one day Elvis will actually want to be known as a Dimera. Yes and leprosy isn't a
stigma anymore either. Edmund, who began to see a change in KSusan, prepared to return to England alone. She knew
she had to act fast and she accepted his wedding proposal. John began Guiltfest 98 and blamed himself for not seeing the signs of Kristen's
turmoil. When he got back to the Salem Inn he found a message from her on his answering machine asking for his
forgiveness and assuring him that everything she did was out of love for him. I guess hotel operators don't take
messages anymore. Eric tried to get closer to Nicole who later got an offer from Sami about modeling
for Titan. He also confronted the person who has been following him for weeks. Doesn't anybody in Salem just come
up to you to talk. Must every new arrival in town be shrouded in mystery? Vivian and Jonesy consummated their marriage and Ivan took it very badly. He
later tried to rescue her from her predicament but Vivian was in heaven with her new husband. It seems Jonesy is
an excellent lover! Will wonders never cease? That's all for this week. JAYCEE'S WEEK IN REVIEW Salem, March 15,1998 Once again
Salemites reinforced our theory that where one of them goes, the rest will follow. This time the convergence was
first at the Penthouse Grill and then at Kristen's funeral. Roman and Marlena got closer on their date and kissed as they danced to "their"
song. Later while walking home they saw a burning house and Roman rushed in to save the inhabitants. Marlena was
impressed with his act of heroism and even referred to him as her husband when the firemen got there. She also
continued to try to reach John who was off somewhere moping around, blaming himself and rewriting the past. He
kept saying that they could have been a happy family if it hadn't been for Kristen's lies. Who is he trying to
kid? How could they had been happy when he was still in love with Marlena and kept calling out her name in the
throes of passion? This guy needs a reality check with a quickness. Ksusan tried to hide her real feelings but it was difficult. She can barely tolerate
poor Edmund. As if that weren't enough she had to stay at the home of her archenemy and pretend to like her. Needless
to say she had plenty of slip-ups but managed to keep her head above water. It was like watching Foghorn Leghorn.
She kept pitchin' them and Marlena kept missin' them. Franco arranged for Sami to get a makeover at Titan. She picked out a dress that
looked like something Toucan Sam might have suggested. He continued to romance her and it looks like she might
be falling for it. Lucas, who got sloshed, called her a slut and Franco decked him. Roman questioned Franco as
to his intentions with sweet, innocent Sami but he assured him that he's trying to get over "Ope". Later
they made out in the limo. It looks like Franco has her right where he wants her. Carrie and Austin wondered what was going on with Sami and Franco. While he hoped
that it was a genuine relationship, she thought that it was another one of Sami's ploys to get his attention. The
Brady girls had words in the powder room. Carrie called Sami delusional and Sami fought back using the one word
that always manages to sting Carrie lately, Mike. Lucas pressed Kate to stand up to Sami. He suggested that she tell Roman that
his little peanut is now dabbling in blackmail. Later Lucas and Sami had it out again and he threatened her with
suing for full custody of Will. Bo took Billie to the funeral but his thoughts, as usual, were with Hope. He
decided that he is going to help her fill in the blanks regarding her past. Laura was elated by the thought of seeing Kristen in a casket. So much so that
she wore red to the funeral. She sparred with Stefano who is still suspicious of her. Lexie continued to reach out to Stefano as he worried about losing her if she
ever found out about his involvement in Celeste's malady. Jonesy died, for real this time. Viv mourned losing the best lover she ever had
and Ivan stayed loyal to his Madame. They returned for Kristen's funeral. The identity of Eric's stalker was revealed. It was Jed Fox, a former schoolmate,
who got into trouble with the law for slipping some Mescadil in a girl's drink and then raping her. He wanted Eric
to lie for him and take the blame for the crime. Eric showed him the error of his ways and sent him back to Colorado
to face up to his actions. If only the other story lines would move as quickly. Susan's looks disturbed Turban Man who feared what the Sultan would do to him
for bringing such an ugly woman to his harem. He put a veil over her head and hoped for the best. She danced under
duress until the veil fell off shocking the Sultan who immediately ordered her death. That guy is meaner than "Kristaan". Other tidbits: Jack was exonerated and Jasper came out of his coma. Salem, March 22,1998 Salem almost
lost another resident last week. Stefano, after blaming everyone in the church for Kristen's demise, collapsed
from a heart attack. Almost everyone in the church got up to do a happy dance but then they decided that it would
be in poor taste. John thought that the person in the casket might not be Kristen and he felt her
face for a mask but there wasn't one. This leaves us with a very important question; Who the heck is in the casket? Marlena and John went back to his place after burying "Kristen" in
what looked like the Dimera Mansion's backyard. After rehashing their situation for the millionth time they began
to make love but alas were interrupted by a frantic call from Laura who was in dire need of her tranquilizers.
Marlena was tempted to prescribe a case of the pills but decided to meet her at the hospital instead. Laura announced Malibu Ken and Barbie's (Jack and Jen) engagement at the Brady
Pub. Everyone, except John and Marlena, went there instead of Kristen's burial. I guess they couldn't stand the
thought of putting another innocent bystander into the ground. Bo followed Hope around like a Cocker Spaniel but she did not relent. She once
again reminded him how he could have used protection in Rome. It's strange she mentioned that as in Salem, a lot
babies seem to be conceived inadvertently. Bo was frustrated that he could not get through to his Fancy Face and
he wished, out loud of course, that Billie weren't pregnant. Billie, who just recently completed a course called,
"Stalking Your Man Into Submission" overheard him and realized she needed to get a plan together, pronto.
She came up with the idea of leaving town, knowing that Bo would follow her out of guilt. She never left though,
as Hope tried to stop her and then she called Bo. He and Billie argued and she almost fell down the stairs. He
insisted that she stay and he promised to try harder to be there for her. She reminded him that his promises have
as much value as a three-dollar bill but she stayed anyway. She thought to herself that the plan was working better
than she had anticipated, thanks to Hope. Franco paid Austin's former boxing coach to try to entice him back into the ring.
I don't know why he thought such a sophisticated plan was needed. I would have tied a glove to a string and led
him to the gym although, quite frankly, I don't think Austin can afford any more blows to the head. Mike and Carrie were inseparable. She kept saying she was there to see him in
action but it was becoming obvious that she enjoys being with him. Austin walked in on one of their frequent hugs
and he seemed a bit perturbed. He told Carrie that he hopes their marriage is the most important thing to her.
She agreed but seemed distracted. The toxicology report on Kristen was in and it revealed a large amount of Placidin
in her system. Roman wondered how she could have gotten her hands on such a carefully controlled medicine. Wake
up man, this is Salem remember? You could probably purchase Agent Orange at the hardware store. Hope went to see Stefano at the hospital and when he came to, he called her Gina.(Are
they going to start that again?) She is convinced that the secret to her past is right there in Salem. KSusan also
visited him and almost smothered him with a pillow but was interrupted by Lexie who kept a constant vigil over
him. Speaking of Lexie, The New England Journal of Medicine picked her as the strangest case of amnesia in the
history of soaps. She seems to have forgotten all the terrible things Stefano has done and nothing heavy has fallen
on her head recently nor had she had any other traumatic experience, which would explain her memory loss. Turban Man was able to get the Sultan to spare Susan's life. She must, however,
dance for him again, as he seems to fancy her body. Susan refused and she explained that all she knows how to do
is twirl a baton. He told her that was not good enough and suggested she take some dance lessons and drop a veil
over her "sour puss" if she wants to keep her neck in one piece. He sent a girl named Maya to help Susan
with her dance style, which so far looks like waves of nausea followed by epileptic seizures. Celeste was still "tripping" at the convent and she feared that more
terrible things were in store for Salem. How much more can this town take? Oh well, they haven't had a potato famine
yet. Maggie and Caroline planned a surprise for KSusan and they needed Edmond's help
to get her to stay in town. Later, Vivian and Ivan invited Edmond and KSusan to the townhouse. She wondered why
Vivian is living there. Roman questioned John about the time he spent with Marlena. John politely told
him to back off and let Marlena be with the man she really loves, him. Roman says he can't do that as he and Billie
are in a contest to see who can be the clingiest person in the Western Hemisphere and he doesn't want to lose because
one of the prizes is diction lessons. Later, Roman went with Marlena to the Blake house, as she wanted to check
out something. I thought the Salem PD had gone over the house with a fine tooth comb. Doesn't anyone have any confidence
in the law in that town? Never mind, it was a rhetorical question. That's all for this week. JAYCEE'S WEEK IN REVIEW Salem, March 29,1998 It was "Gang Up On Laura
Week" in Salem. It started with Marlena grilling her like she was the chief interrogator for the Gestapo.
She confronted Laura with the bottle of Placidan Roman found at the Blake House and questioned her again about
her whereabouts on the night of Kristen's death. Laura finally admitted to being there that night but she said
that she never saw Kristen. Of course she neglected to mention that she fired three rounds at her, while looking
the other way. Property values in that neighborhood must have hit an all time low. Can you imagine trying to walk
your dog at night? Roman told Abe about how he tampered with evidence and let his ex-wife conduct the investigation
into a possible homicide, just to gain brownie points with her. Abe was so delighted at the thought of finally
getting back at Laura that he overlooked all that and reopened the case. Marlena told John about her conversation with Laura and she let it slip that she thought Laura
might have had something to do with Kristen's death. Abe and Roman arrived at the penthouse to question Marlena.
They all had a meeting of the mindless (Sorry, I meant to say of the minds) and proceeded to ponder how things
might have played out that night. Marlena, whose guilt began to kick in, suggested that maybe Kristen stole the
pills from Laura then committed suicide and framed her. John brought up the suppressed memory theory, saying that
maybe Laura can't remember what happened. Abe plowed on, saying that Laura had opportunity and motive. KSusan was
listening to all of this and decided she better get out of town before Laura finds out she rubbed out the wrong
person. Poor Laura, will all this pressure make her snap like a cheap rubber band? Hope decided that while Stefano is recuperating from his heart attack, she would look into her
past. She obviously hit a nerve with him as he tried to leave the hospital to make sure she didn't uncover anything.
Bo wanted to help her but she reminded him once again that he has other responsibilities now. Earlier, he and Billie
saw their baby for the first time. Dr. Bader reminded Bo that Billie's pregnancy is high risk and that she should
be spared any undue stress. Sound familiar? Austin overheard Kate threaten to take Will away from Sami. He disapproved of the idea and said
Sami is a good mother. Kate of course did not reveal the real reason behind her threat and Lucas reminded him that
he has no say in anything that has to do with Will. This of course sent "Boxing Boy" running back to
the punching bag. He hit that thing so many times last week I could have sworn I saw it hit back. Darryl showed
up at the gym again to give Austin his old boxing gloves. This guy is as subtle as a canker sore. Even Austin marveled
at the coincidence of running into him every fifteen minutes. KSusan, desperate to be in John's arms again, asked him to teach her how to dance. She fantasized,
as usual, about them being together. One thing lead to another and she kissed him. John questioned her and she
said that she thought he was Edmond. She asked John not to say anything to Edmond. He told her not to worry as
his lips were sealed just like they were during the kiss. Eric and Nicole got closer. They will be working together as Sami wants him to be her photographer
for the New Faces campaign and Nicole will be one of the models. Franco convinced her to put together a presentation
that Kate cannot refuse. Unless the presentation comes with a loaded gun I don't see how that is going to happen. Craig Wesley, Mike's old rival, arrived in town to vie for the Chief of Staff position. He got
right to work courting all the board members and trying to diminish Mike's qualifications. He was particularly
pleased to know that Mike is still single. He plans to use that in his campaign. All this made Carrie more determined
than ever to get Mike the job. Laura came by to see how things were going and she warned Mike not to use her name
in his campaign. That's a no brainer! Other tidbits: Copyright © 1998, w3PG, inc.
3/9/98
3/15/98
3/22/98
3/29/98
March 2-6
Celeste sought help from Sister Mary who told her prayer and faith are the only things that can save her. How about
the serum? It helped Peter.
March 9-13
A poll: What did you find more annoying last week?
1. John's little walk through memory lane.
2. KSusan's constant audible thoughts.
That's it for this week.
JAYCEE'S WEEK IN REVIEW
March 16-20
March 23-27
Vivian and Ivan made themselves at home at the townhouse.
Jack and Jen returned from Green Mountain Lodge.
Susan convinced Maya to help her escape.
Edmond continued to plan his "surprise" for KSusan.
That's all for this week.