laurisa

In the good spirit of the holiday season, Tony and I would like to take a look back at those characters who made 2008 so great and see how many of them continued their string of awesomness into 2009. So, without delay, here is the best of '08 with an '09 update!

Best New Character

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: Ava Vitali.
’09 Update: Considering Tamara Braun won a well deserved Emmy for her stint as Ava Vitali, I’d say I wasn’t the only one who went crazy for her.


Tony’s 2008 Pick: Ava Vitali.
’09 Update: Even well over a year and a half later, I still miss seeing Tamara Braun on a daily basis. She brought such a great, crazy energy to the DAYS’ canvas as Ava. It would have been interesting to see Ava play a part in the Baby-Swap and what would have happened to her friendship with Nicole if Ava had met Brady (John’s son and her BFF’s ex)! Not to mention they could have tested the Ava/Philip waters, which would have gotten Dimples out of the sandbox. Oh, well, coulda, woulda, shoulda, but didn’t. Moving on...

Best “Special Guest Star/Character”

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: Deirdre Hall as Samantha Evans.
’09 UPDATE: There’s little hope of seeing Samantha return to Salem to haunt someone who doesn’t even live there anymore. But, I do retain the belief that there is a sassy ghost somewhere in the Swiss Alps.

Tony’s 2008 Pick: Patsy Pease as Kimberly Brady.
’09 Update: Looking back to 2008, I still consider Patsy’s stint as a highlight. In fact, I think she needs to make another visit soon – several Salemites could use a good therapist. I think Kim’s sister-in-law needs to step to the front of the line – just saying.

Best Return

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: Stefano DiMera.
’09 UPDATE: I realized that I don’t care how many times he comes back from the dead, Stefano could win this title every year.

Tony’s 2008 Pick: Lexie Carver.
’09 UPDATE: I feel like I didn’t see a lot of Lexie in 2009, but, what I did see, I loved! The scenes between her and E.J. were great. For a long time, we heard about their love for each other, and we finally got to see it this year. Kudos!

Best Recast

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: Eric Martsolf as Brady Black.
’09 UPDATE: Brady is back and it’s a good thing he’s a good one. Because thanks to the unceremonious ouster of the real John Black, someone had to take over Robin Hood duties in Salem.

Tony’s 2008 Pick: Alina Foley as Claire Brady.
’09 UPDATE: What a little cutie! Sadly, we didn’t get to see Claire-Bear this year. Hmm, maybe she and her best pal, John, will return for a visit next year to brighten up our days. Then again, next time we see her, she’ll probably be a teen. Wait! That could still be next year in Salem time, especially if she spends any time in Colorado like her Aunt Sami. See you soon, aloof, angst-filled teenaged Claire!

Best Villain

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: Nick Fallon.
’09 UPDATE: He could be out in June. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail, starting last January. I would totally welcome a slightly kooky/crazy/rehabbed Horton back to Salem. Just something to think about…..

Tony’s 2008 Pick: Trent Robbins.

’09 UPDATE: I’ve been watching Roscoe Born on OLTL and he’s simply a brilliant actor. That makes me think killing him off was a bit premature. However, I still consider Trent one of the nastiest scoundrels of ’08. After all, his reign of terror is still being felt.

Best Brawl
Me-ouch! Be it catty comments or full fledged fist fights, the best battle of 2008.

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: Bo Brady vs. Philip Kiriakis.
‘09 UPDATE: Ahhh…..It’s a good thing I have that good memory because Bo and Philip sure don’t share that many scenes anymore- despite the fact that they are each others’ most prevalent onscreen siblings.

Tony’s 2008 Pick: Nick Fallon vs. Maggie Horton.
’09 UPDATE: It still makes me a bit uncomfortable to look back at that scene. Although I still think it was greatly acted. Bravo!

Best Comedic Scene Stealer
Sure, drama’s nice, but so is comedy and this character always managed to tickle our funny bone!

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: Dr. Rolf.
’09 UPDATE: I didn’t see the guy at all in 2009. And, I’m not happy about it!!

Tony’s 2008 Pick: Anna DiMera.
’09 UPDATE: The good news is that I still smile every time I think of the hilarious Anna DiMera. The bad news – memories are all we have left. Boo, writers! Bring back Anna in 2010! Think about it – Anna, Kate, AND Vivian – now that would be awesome!

Best Dressed

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady)
’09 UPDATE: We didn’t get to see Sami in as many fabulous get-ups because rather than hanging around the DiMera mansion- a place that I’m CONVINCED has a stylist at the door- Sami was a stay-at-home mom. Good for the character, not so great for the wardrobe. Oh well….one out of two ain’t bad.

Tony’s 2008 Pick: Arianne Zucker (Nicole Walker)
’09 UPDATE: Arianne definitely has that beautiful “pregnancy glow,” but I wasn’t feeling a lot of her pregnancy-hiding outfits. I know the wardr0obe department was working overtime to be creative, but sometimes I think all-black or hiding behind a potted plant is better than gaudy jewelry and seeing someone wrapped in scarves and layers of sweaters. I’ll still give them an “A” for effort, but there’s still room for improvement the next time an actress is expecting.

Best Babe, DAYS' Hottest Female Eye Candy

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe Lane)
’09 UPDATE: Shawn Christian is no slouch in the looks department. But, the amount of steam during those Danloe love scenes was all Nadia Bjorlin. And, TPTB knew it too. Why else would they have those love scenes air during John and Marlena’s last week? Because they knew casual viewers who tuned into see Jarlena off would be tantalized to stay around.



Tony’s 2008 Pick: Sandra Robinson (Dr. Charlotte Taylor)
’09 UPDATE: Hmm, it seems like a lot of my selections from last year are no longer on the show, and Sandra’s another one of them. Nevertheless, I stand behind this choice. Even though Charlotte turned madder than a hatter, she looked good while doing it, and that’s all that counts.

Holy Hunk, DAYS’s Hottest Male Eye Candy

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: Jay Kenneth Johnson (Philip Kiriakis).
’09 UPDATE: I spoke way too soon. Jay is still a total dream boat, but even those super dimples can’t save Philip from looking like a sleazy bag chasing a teenager’s skirt around Salem.

Tony’s 2008 Pick: Darin Brooks (Max Brady).
’09 UPDATE: Aw, Maxie! He’s another one gone, but not forgotten…*sigh*…sorry, I forgot what I was saying – yes! I still think he “has the goods.”

Most Improved Character

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: John Black DiMera.
’09 UPDATE: Honestly, I’m not that thrilled that old John came back in ‘09. It happened way too fast and was surrounded by the cloud of suck that was Drake and Deidre’s firings. I would have much rather seen the transition back into “old John” be stretched out further so that fans could actually enjoy the change. But, last time I checked, TPTB don’t consult with me. Fools.

Tony’s 2008 Pick: Shawn Douglas Brady.
’09 UPDATE: Poor Shawn-D! I think his parents have mentioned him once since he left. But, don’t feel bad, Sailor Man, we still remember you. And so does Carly!

Most Likely to Succeed

Laurisa’s 2008 Pick: Stephanie Johnson.
’09 UPDATE: Stephanie started out great. She was poised to be part of a power couple. She didn’t let herself get addicted to pills. She mentioned her parents! And then…..she decided to get all self-righteous again. So, she dumped Philip. Decided to pursue Melanie’s boyfriend (to either land him or just best Melanie- Steph will really take either). And, now she’s basically the secretary who is trying to lock people in a vault. I guess the saying is true: The higher they are…..

Tony’s 2008 Pick: Brady Black.
’09 UPDATE: Well, Brady has a ways to go before he reaches that “on top” status I mentioned last year. And he certainly didn’t resist the aforementioned “certain femme fatale.” But he’s still a work-in-progress, and I still think he was a solid pick (when he stays away from Nicole, that is).

There's more holiday goodnes where all that came from.....keep reading part 2 of our review!