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Everyone who reads this board knows of my love for Sami (and EJ) and the actress who plays her – Ali Sweeney. I started watching DOOL with my Mom as a little boy. DOOL came on before Magic Garden (which as a kid I was obsessed with.) I would trot into the living room usually around 1:30ish b/c I KNEW at 2:00 pm the T.V. was mine. I would ask my Mom a million questions about DOOL (who’s that – what’s she doing – why is she crying etc.) Of course there was no DVR or even a VCR so I sometimes would hold my questions for commercial (after getting the Mom glare look of death LOL.) As I got older (and went to school which meant no more Magic Garden) DOOL became just a school break/summer break casual viewing. Then Carly got buried alive and I was hooked – but when that story wrapped up so did I. Then while home one day I saw Ali’s first episode (as a lurker – not actually seeing her on screen) and I just HAD to know who the lurker was. I asked my Mom to record it every day so I knew what was going on and she did. That’s it – I was hooked!!! I asked for a VCR for Christmas in 93 and I became a daily viewer every since. I think over 21 years I missed a handful of episodes – even binge watching when I come back from vacation.
Sami, to me, was everything!!! She was a teen and so was I. I hated Carrie so it was that much easier for me to LOVE Sami. And as fun as "selling Belle" on the black market was I really fell in love with Sami when she the whole Austin/Carrie/Sami triangle happened. I knew it was wrong but I rooted for Sami every day. She made me "understand" why she was doing what she did. I felt for her. As that storyline carried us through the late 90s it became the fuel for my high school and college conversations with my friends (we ALL watched DOOL.) I, like others, built my college schedule around DOOL and I was totally okay with that. Sure there were other stories I loved (Marlena possessed, Hope/Gina, Susan/Kristen and the Secret Room) but Sami was always the high light for me. Loved her with Austin (albeit the method), liked her with Lucas, loved her with Brandon, hated her with Rafe… And then EJ came along and that was it for me. Someone who understood her, didn’t try and change her. Ali had chemistry with everyone but Sami & EJ were gold. DOOL eventually wrote her from a villainess into a bit of a flawed heroine (debateable but Sami certainly calmed down as she grew up.) Though I felt that was needed or they would’ve wrote her into a corner (Kristen I’m looking at you.)
So when Ali announced she was leaving I was all set for DOOL to do right by her and her character… and they didn’t!!!
Sami WAS DOOL for all the years she was on. Sure we all love "DOC & JOHN" and "BO & HOPE" but as those came and gone Ali was here for the ride and we joined her in her crusade of Sami terrorizing Salem!!! I know Ali wanted Sami to go out "breaking bad" style and I was okay with Sami leaving as a hellraiser since that is who she is/was. But part of me wanted Sami to have a "happy ever after" with EJ. I HOPED that the last scene of the 10/30/14 episode would be her showing up and EJ being there (with her being in on it OR being shocked – either or would’ve been fine with me.) But nope – that didn’t happen. EJ is "dead" – or as "dead" as a soap character could be.
So with all this time the DOOL writers had – why not give Sami a REAL goodbye from Salem. Yes the flashbacks were great and I know the tears were REAL. The actors are saying goodbye to Ali and that manifests itself into saying goodbye to Sami. Why not do "witness protection" – cheesy, but better than Hollywood. I mean Sami JUST lost EJ and she’s giddy five minutes later about Hollywood?!? What a way to step all over the couple that was EJAMI!!!
Why not have her murder Stefano and go to prison? I mean lets face it – Joe M. is not getting any younger and every scene he is in he is sitting down. He obviously won’t be on much longer (and for the record I LOVE Joe/Stefano but c’mon – he’s not the same bad guy he once was.) Let Salem’s BIGGEST bad guy get taken down by the best bad girl!!! Then she can go to prison and go out AT LEAST taking someone out in true Sami style!!!
At this point Sami going off a cliff and not finding the body would have been better than Hollywood. I’m so disappointed and so saddened by Ken Corday and his team not doing her justice!!! They had all the time in the world to make this right…. for Sami, her fans, the viewers, everyone!!! I often wonder if their plan is to just piss us all off and get the show cancelled. I know NBC is not fully invested in the show – is Corday gonna get a kick back from NBC if the show makes it to 50 and gets canned?!? I wonder if that is the plan!!!
I’m going down with the ship for sure! No way i’ll ever quit DOOL on my own terms. However – if this is an attempt to make Theresa or Eve (or an aged Ciara) a bad girl I can root for then they are CLEARLY on the wrong path. Ali brough depth to the character of Sami that no one can bring to their character (at least on DOOL) which made us "love to hate" her – or in my case just love her
Say what you want about James Reilly but had he been at the helm then this storyline would have been HUGE!!! I know a lot of DOOL fans hated him – but he got you talking (good or bad) about the show and delivered ratings that stuck!!! And of course he wrote PURE GOLD for us Sami fans!!! With that said I guess my FF button will get a major work out now but that’s okay. DOOL is still on and for as long as it is I’ll keep on watching!!! I had the pleasure of meeting Ali in 2002 at the NBC store during a signing. She signed a T-Shirt and a flier for me which I still have. She’s as awesome in person as she is on TV. I wish her well with her family and hope she treasures the additional down time she has. Salem won’t be the same without Sami… or Ali!!!
because you and Sami were around the same age. I agree with most of your comments, particularly the lame way she went out. I still don’t see why she couldn’t have been reunited with EJ and his death just have been a setup. Remember Carrie and Mike going off on a horse? I loved that.
In the future I probably won’t even recall how Sami departed Salem.Ali was born in 76 – I was born in 78. So when she started on DOOL in Jan 93 she was 16 and I was 14 – so roughly the same age. Her storyline was relateable to me b/c she was a teen and so was I.
Such a shame that if/when she returns we’ll all be like "how did she leave again?"
with the exception of James Reiley, he was THE WORST!
I remember how unpopular I was when I was rooting for Sami and EJ in the very beginning. I thoroughly understood the "rape" and totally loved the chemestry between them. And the Colleen and Santos story was top notch IMO.
But, by far the worst was her departure. How disappointing when there were SO many possibilities that would have fit any future scenerio they might want to go with.
But, like you, I’ll continue watching until the bow of this ship called "Days" disappears under the waves.
disappears under
But in true AS fashion, she did a great job. I understand her wanting to do other things, more family time, etc, but it sure sucks for us.
I know I am in the minority with Reilly – though it’s odd that even though no one liked him DOOL peaked in viewers when he was in charge. Though I think they drew in my demographic at the time – that’s probably why.
But as I said, had he been in charge than AS deparature would have been EPIC (weird and bizarre with him in charge but still EPIC.)
I agree that Sami’s send off was flat. This is Sami Brady! She should have gone out in a flurry! You don’t just wave bye and go to LA. Even if that were the story, there should have been more to it. I’m hoping Ali changes her mind and comes back soon so we can have either some real closure to her and EJ or at least something more.
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