All right, gumshoes! We have a new caper to solve. "Two Scoops and the Case of the Deadly Door Knock." Salem is less one sleazy, sadistic rapist with more mommy issues than you can shake an hourglass at, and we must deduce who shot Charlie Dale!
Now, this won't be an easy case. Nearly everyone in Salem is looking a little anxious. That could be because almost anyone who knew Charlie had a motive, and most made a threat to him directly or to someone else. Like, lots and lots of threats. I've heard there's even a deleted scene with a thought bubble above baby Henry's head, stating, "Death to daddy!" That might be a rumor I just made up. I guess we'll never know.
Rafe already believes he has someone suspicious in custody, and that someone is Sami! It's always a big, "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" to the return of Alison Sweeney. Within one beat, Ms. Thang manages to jolt the show with a sugar rush like only she can. Rafe even said of Sami's scandalous reentrance, "You can never just come to town to visit, can you, Sami?" Ha! But true. Sami always seems to blow Salem apart, and that's sort of what makes her return remarkable and welcomed.
Okay, before we get back to sleuthing, let's take another short break from our detectiving to continue gushing. This has been a super Sweeps month, for the most part. Some of it has been shocking. Some of it has left us seething. And most of it was downright soaptastic. I'm already excited for March and the march to May Sweeps, as so much potential marvelous has been set up, like the murder mystery, the tease of a possible uneasy alliance between Abigail and Gabi, Allie and Tripp, Philip and Gabi, solving the town's shortage of limes due to a certain Salemite, and so much more. All that and nicer weather? I'm ready to spring forward. Anyway! We have a case to work on, so...
As stated, Rafe has Sami at the Popo Palace. I'll never wish for a second helping of "Safe," but I do love the current relationship between them. Exes are their best look. Sami is free to be her Samilicious self and isn't being shamed into changing for him. Rafe's occasional cockiness doesn't come off as condescending as when he's scolding her into said changes. All in all, it's just better when they're exes. The banter is excellent. We get a delightful blend of snark and sweetness between the two and a lot less exasperation. A win for us all. Well, except Sami at the moment.
To re-restate, Sami's a suspect. She was found at the crime scene. Actually, she was found walking out of the bathroom after having washed her hands at the crime scene. Otherwise, not good. Nor was the flashback she had of holding the gun. Still, if soaps have taught us anything, fellow detectives, it's that the more guilty someone looks, the more innocent they are. Or, well, in Sami's case, the more guilty someone looks, the more not-guilty-of-this-particular-crime they are. So, if Sami's a red herring, who is the killer!?
My first thought was Sami is covering for someone! Sami's biggest challenge at times is not lashing out, especially when feeling cornered. Rafe was winding her up like a jack-in-the-box, and it looked like she was struggling to control an outburst. She didn't blow up entirely. That means she has something important to hide. And I suspect that something hidden is to ensure the safety of a loved one. There's not a large population Sami would place in front of herself, so it has to be someone she really, really loves. Someone like a child, perhaps.
Does that mean I think Allie killed Charlie? Not exactly. Allie's Mrs. White's stance of, "Well, it's a matter of life after death. Now that he's dead, I have a life," was rather curious. Too curious. While I believe she wanted him out of the picture, I don't think she took the eraser to mean old Chuckie. I love her newfound healing and eagerness to look toward a more positive future, but I don't think she could do that with the weight of killing someone on her shoulders. Allie had the angst and motive, but perhaps Henry was enough of a reason for her to not pull that trigger.
If not Allie, then could Sami be covering for one of her other kids? While we assume Will's living large out west, he has access to the Kiriakis private plane, I'm sure. Just saying. Charlie raped his little sister, so, you never know. Then there's wonder twin, Johnny, and little sis, Sydney. What a reintroduction that would be for one of them. Or both!? A duo killing a dirt bag for their sister!? Who knows, but I suspect Sami would cover or clean up for any of them.
How about E.J. Nobody would suspect a marshmallow-headed mummy who's likely still in a coma. Still, Eej adored Allie (when last we saw them interact, at least). He would hate what harm has come to her. As a DiMera and a marshmallow-headed mummy who's likely still in a coma, he could easily get away with murder. Most likely.
Then again, if a stepdad would do it, a bio-dad would do it, too, and Lucas has been known to rage a time or two. Tripp can attest to that. We also don't know where Lucas has been, so, Mr. Horton has a lot of explaining to do.
But if we're on the topic of dads, did Chuckie's pa hate him as much as his ma? We don't know much about this Jimmy Giacomo yet. So, yep. He's a suspect, too. Nope. We've never heard about him until last week or met him. Maybe! Maybe "Jimmy Giacomo" is a cover for some sneaky Salemite we haven't seen in a while. I'm still holding out for it to be Peter Blake. So, he's on the list.
Though we should back up to that "Ma" who hates him a bunch. Sheezus, Ava! She's packed like Mrs. Howell from Gilligan's Island, only her "too much baggage for a three-hour tour" was all emotional. Like, lots and lots of emotional baggage being unzipped in Rafe's kitchen before coffee. Too much to even properly cover, and very head-scratching at times, too. There were like three or four versions of the same character all in one scene. Maybe those drugs are still rattling around in Ms. Vitali. In the end, it all boiled down to her basically stating, "I'm glad he's dead." So, there's that nugget. Combined with a bed not slept in, and Ava looks super suspicious, so she's probably innocent.
Grandpa John is looking awfully suspicious, too. Mar Mar agrees. She's spooked as to what her hubby was up to the night Charlie was shot. Though this is another case of the guiltier someone looks, the more innocent they probably are. Unless they're not. Did a certain scandal-prone Salemite who just returned to town help a confused John get away with murder? That would certainly bury the hatchet or, perhaps, pick up the cactus, between them. It would also smooth things over with Belle, too. Unless Sami is helping out 'Tink! Oh. Or they're both helping John. This just got deep. Look away, Shawn-D. Unless you're in on it, too. So much suspicion!
If John was out, that does leave Marlena with some unaccounted-for time. Sure, her style would be more to subdue and psychoanalyze Charlie. Maybe get him to Bayview for their famous hot curler and quickie mental fix combo where you come out looking great and sane. But Marlena was once a faux serial killer, was an actual demon, and did push Kristen out of a window, so Doc does have it in her, but probably not. And, yes, she promised me chocolate cheesecake to take her off this list.
If Grampy John and Grammy Mar are suspects, Roman would be, too. He was riled by what Charlie did to Allie and awfully sorry for his actions against Tripp. Killing Chuck would be revenge and redemption all in one. He also brought up people taking matters into their own hands. Hmm...
Roman is one of the good guys, though. Right? Would he actually take said actions into his own hands if provoked enough? Sami does love him. He's one of the few she might sacrifice herself for. And Roman isn't around all the time, so occasionally seeing him in Statesville wouldn't be a huge change in screen time. Plus, Roman in prison amongst men he put there while on the force would be a crazy interesting recurring secondary storyline. I know Orpheus would agree. So, I repeat, "Hmm!"
Of course, if Allie's other grandparents are suspects, Kate surely is. She's seen the business side of a gun before. Right, Clyde? Kate, though. I dunno. She would, especially if Allie came to her for the gun or she found Allie trying to sneak it, but I don't think Jake would let her if he'd caught them together. Or at least Jake wouldn't let her do it herself. Could he be in on this, too? However, if Kate was in Jake's room and Kate's gun was in hers, it doesn't seem likely she'd catch Allie trying to get it. But, still, no, I don't think it was Allie or Kate, or Kate and Jake, or Jake. Well. Maybe not.
What about Jake's ex, Gwen? Okay, he wasn't desked to death, but Gwen didn't like that he was a skeevy rapist. Maybe Gwen also didn't like that Charlie was a legit contender for the crown of Salem's Little Screwed Up Over Parent Issues Pageant.
Okay, kidding aside, Gwen has had some one-on-one Charlie time lately. While she can commiserate on crappy childhoods with him, she doesn't seem to be a fan. Her amazing stand against his vile crimes was proof of that. Did they have another run-in we haven't seen yet? Did he push her too far in said non-seen run-in? Did he attack her, too? I don't know, but I can see Gwen being the culprit. A dead Charlie and an incarcerated Gwen may clean up some of Salem's less-than-stellar citizens.
And you know, Gwen's O.G. friend in Salem, well, Bayview, was Claire. Did Ms. Rizczech-Deveraux pull the trigger to protect her pal? Again, I have a feeling that scenes we haven't seen are going to make all the difference in this storyline.
Applause, applause to Claire! She tried her best, and it's appreciated. I know she felt disappointed that she couldn't secure Charlie's confession, but I don't think she killed him. At all. Unless she had a psychotic break that we haven't seen yet, as I'm sure there are going to be plenty of flashbacks in play before this caper is covered, Claire's come too far to kill. She still struggles with the gravity of almost killing several people. I don't think she could handle going through with it, despite the desire to help.
Speaking of helping, there's a lot of do-gooders who might have done the dirty deed...
Ben would certainly go after someone who hurt his buddy Claire. Would he kill again, though? I'm not sure. Plus, he was in dreamland, watching Ciara read, so. Yep.
Nicole is very protective of both Allie and Ava. Oh, and Baby Henry! If someone threatened any of them, I'm not sure Nicole would look the other way. Though, with Nicole, it would most likely be a "heat of the moment" crime, otherwise she'd just send Rafe.
Let's not forget from those lengthy flashbacks and prison visits, we learned that Special K and Ava were gal pals. Kristen's freely roaming around Salem at the moment. Did she do her shorty a solid!? Plus, Kristen has the best alibi, as she's in Stateville, sort-of-not-really, but she would have likely been dressed as Susan, so either way, Kristen could get away with things.
Okay, this list could go on (and on), and Laurisa will positively ponder more suspects next week, so let's end this with a Titan. That is Victor. He recently returned from Philly, having patched things up with the Vitali family for Philip's sake. Was eighty-sixing Charlie part of the deal? While I wouldn't cross Cousin Angelo off any list just yet, maybe he's old school and won't kill a family member. Again, maybe.
I wouldn't imagine Victor doing it himself, either, but he has plenty of henchmen at his disposal, or maybe Victor called in a favor himself. Say, from a dying deadbeat. Maybe Victor forced Summer to expire Charlie, as her own expiration date is due any day now. Some would say long overdue, but I digress. Perhaps he figured she could pay his debt to the Vitali family and send Summer the Bummer out doing a dastardly deed for the greater good. Perhaps.
Then again, as we super sleuth this case together, there are also two big things to keep in mind. Even though we'll miss Mike Manning's magnificent performances, maybe Charlie will end up with a twin like Stefan and Jake. There's also always *whispers* Resurrection by Wilhelm. So, you know, maybe we haven't seen the last of the dastardly Charlie Dale, after all!
A final thought to take a shot at: perhaps we're looking at this all wrong. Charlie was killed after someone knocked on his door and shot him. Brady was nearly killed after someone knocked on a door and shot him. Is there a random "Knock and Shoot" serial killer on the loose in Salem!?
LOOSE ENDS:
And it's a deal! Team Rejected Duo has been formed. That's Philip and Gabi, if I wasn't clear. I'm totally into seeing where this one goes. I'm already in if, for no other reason, Philip wasn't scowling for an entire episode. That's progress!
I also enjoyed Kristen and Vivian striking up a deal, but I feel Auntie Viv should have set herself up with a sweeter pot. Simply asking Special K to keep Kate away from Jake is a little lackluster. Her accepting Kristen's response of basically stating, "I'll try," made it worse. Maybe asking Kristen for help with an escape plan or at least setting her up with a sly lawyer like Cass Winthrop from Bay City would have been better. Much, much better. Aim higher, Madame. You're worth it!
I could have done February Sweeps without Kristen's How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days meets The Parent Trap fiasco. Which one is stupider: Special K for coming up with such a shoddy scheme or Susan's excitement for a sundae bar!? This storyline hurts my head.
Bad blood between them and all considered, Sami wouldn't let E.J.'s mother starve. I'm sure Ms. Banks has plenty of, well, bank for bowls and bowls of Ben & Jerry's. Sami would see to that. So would Roger. I'm sure he makes plenty -- I'm sure he makes some as an Elvis impersonator. If not enough for elaborate sundae spreads, I'm sure enough for the occasional banana split down the local ice cream shoppe. Yes, "shoppe." You know Roger would be classy and take her to a place with the extra "pe."
So, yep. Brady is being duped by Kristen, who is holding her Susan schtick together by a thread and some dinged-up dentures. She needs to get it together and scheme smarter. Last time she hatched a plan, she spent months in preparation and wore a latex Nicole mask. This time, she's basically winging, err, wigging it. I get her insecurities, though. I would not want to be in a love triangle where my heart's desire has to pick between me and his kindhearted ex-wife who looks like Nadia Bjorlin and sings like her, too. That's daunting. Nevertheless, Kristen's lack of faith in Brady is bound to blow up in her face -- again. He's had to 'splain that to her before. He's tired of it. We're tired of it. It's just tiresome.
Speaking of said stupidity, Susan sundae-ed herself into the pokey, and it doesn't even have a sundae bar night! Kristen lied. Go figure. I'm with Vivian when she lamented, "Oh, for God's sake. I can't be in here with this nut job." I'll bring you some Champagne with a file hidden in it, Madame. Meet be behind Statesville in an hour. Bring the rest of the bubbly. Please!
Still, all worries might be quickly over within one visit from Lani. She can be extra at times -- a lot of times -- but the one thing Ms. Price-Grant has going for her is that she's a damn good detective. Use the force, Lani. End this storyline. Do so, and I'll make sure Julie only visits once a month while you're not home. Deal!?
Ben and Ciara continued their slumbering psychic Reading Rainbow connection. Kristen posing as Susan did nothing to help. Thank goodness for Clyde. He's the only one grounded in reality trying to reunite these two dreamers. He and Shawn-D, of course. My money is on them.
Allie and Tripp, huh? Lots of smiles and lots of blushing. Lindsay Arnold and Lucas Adams have some sweet yet crackling chemistry. My money is on them, too. I'm excited to see what's in the future for these two.
Sometimes there seem to be such simple solutions to situations. Like, Xander doesn't really want to marry Sarah at the Kiriakis mansion. He's doing it because she strong-armed him via Maggie's request that it would mean SO much to her. Now, both Sarah and Xander adore Maggie and are sad she can't be near for their nuptials. Maggie's in Vegas with -- UGH! -- Summer the Bummer, who's still somehow freakin' alive. I mean, if this is about pulling a plug or something, I'm clumsy and might accidentally trip on a cord or something if someone gives me some kind of go-ahead, if you know what I mean, but I digress again...
Maggie is a major reason Xander and Sarah are "Xander and Sarah." I fully understand that there are real world reasons that are likely preventing actors from coming together for such an on-screen event, but I'd rather see Sarah and Xander fly to Vegas -- where I hear a wedding or two are performed each second -- and marry off-screen or wait for an on-screen shindig when it's safer for more of the cast to be together. Or they could simply splice reaction shots of Maggie into the wedding footage. I don't know. It just doesn't feel right to have a Maggie-less "Xarah" marriage. Damn you, Summer.
HOT
Charlie might be the worst, but Mike Manning is the best! Talk about a spectacular swan song. Mike did an outstanding job creating certifiable hot mess Charlie and did so while going up against nearly every heavy hitter in the cast, and those are some epic heavy hitters. Yep, I'll say it again, DAYS fans are the luckiest ones around as we're sincerely spoiled by such tremendous talent both, on- and off-camera! More, please.
NOT
Summer the Bummer is still alive? Seriously!? Cue Mr. Roman for a giant, "Wud 'da hell!?" I mean, how? Why? Wwwhhhyyy??? Will that suckage ever go away? Doesn't, like, an angel lose its wings every time she's brought up? Aren't there enough videos of DAYS fans with forlorn faces accompanied by sad Sarah McLachlan songs out there to prompt an end to this madness? Though, seriously, what a bummer. Summer really does ruin everything.
LINE OF THE WEEK
Sami (to Rafe, while being questioned at the station): "Okay. Well. It sounds like you have everything under control. You don't need me, right?"
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Okay. I didn't know there was an option of Marlena coming with chocolate cheesecake. This sweetens the pot, as it were. You can make me your next house call, Doc-- just don't forget the cheesecake.
Suspect storyline aside, Stacy Haiduk is crushing the duality of a role within a role times two! The nuances are especially impressive.
Sunset Beach once did a murder mystery where mainstay Richard slayed sultry, shady Francesca. It was a bold move for the show! The shooter was a main character who'd been on the show since day one. Wowza! Will DAYS be that brazen?
Rafe must really like Nicole. Not only did she set him up with a boarder he didn't want, but she also stole cookies.
Drats! I was kind of hoping Claire was live-streaming Charlie's confession to her social media followers. Follower. I'm not sure how many she has left these days, but that would have been an awesome twist!
I am all for having breakfast with Ava. She knows what she's doing in the kitchen. I'll even bring vodka and sugar so we can change some of those lemons into limoncello.
Clyde and Orpheus scenes are superb! Two top actors acting terrifyingly terrible!? Yes, please.
Holy horndogs, Batman. Someone needs to get the bottle of cold water to spritz Steve and Kayla with. I kid, I kid. Have at it, newlyweds! Just not at the pub.
I wouldn't mind catching up with Susan's hunk-a hunk of burning love, Roger. He was very kind to her as well as Will. Maybe he'll perform in Salem soon!
Confession! "Susan's" knit poncho looked super cute and comfy. It would be a total "wear around the house" guilty pleasure for sure.
I'm such a sucker for Steve and Tripp scenes. They are among the best DAYS dad/son duos ever.
After all this detectiving, I was really looking forward to making margaritas tonight after Two Scoops. Sadly, when I went to the grocery store, there were no limes left in Salem. I guess that's another caper that may never be solved, right, Nicole?
PARTING THOUGHTS
So, friends and fellow DAYS fans, that's it for March 1. As I'm in the market for a new pad and Charlie may not need his anymore, I'm off to see my real estate broker! I figure if an intern who worked sporadically can afford such an absolutely perfect place, I should be fine, too. Then again, he did have Vitali money. Okay. I'm off to see Ava then my agent. Okay, I'm off to get Brady Pub fries, then to see Ava then the agent. While I'm doing all that, Laurisa will be back next week to wonder, "Whodunnit!?" As always, thank you for reading, and "That's a fact."
What are your thoughts on Days of our Lives? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
