It’s been over a week since Days of Our Lives’ Doug’s funeral and people are still talking about it.
You wouldn’t think something as heartbreaking as the death of a traditional character would be the most exciting news to come out of a soap opera in a while, but I get it.
Days of Our Lives’ Doug sendoff included several legacy characters whose time was too short, and the way so many Salemites banded together harkened back to the show’s glory days.
Doug’s farewell and its aftermath are all about family
Days of Our Lives suffers from the same problem as other TV shows: less focus on families and their problems in favor of crime and medical dramas.
But that all changed during the week of Doug’s funeral, and even now, there are still some vestiges of what it once was in the show.
Characters like Steven, Mary, and Lizzie, even though they hadn’t been to Salem in years, fit right in and, with a few exceptions, appeared just a few days after Doug’s sudden death. Hours and days brought comfort to Jules.
These scenes are a treat for long-time viewers, but their significance goes far beyond resurrecting a character who was once central to the show.
During the week of Doug’s funeral, the atmosphere was completely different.
Despite the sad circumstances, there were plenty of opportunities for humor and drama between people who had feuded for years, and the family came together to celebrate the lives of those who had been their beacon of light over the years.
My favorite is Steven who is in his 60s and continues to come in and out of the window like one of the teenagers from Girl Meets World.
Julie’s anger at him doing this provides some much-needed laughs during these sad scenes.
The family moments were so strong, I hated that Doug’s Days of Our Lives sendoff ended so quickly, with most family members going home after only a few episodes.
Still, some family members remain here and Doug’s legacy continues. Julie’s loved ones are worried about how she will spend her first Christmas without her husband.
Fans react to ‘Days of Our Lives’ Doug Sendoff reveals importance of carrying on legacy
Doug’s send-off during the first week of December wasn’t just for himself.
It was celebrating Days of Our Lives’ 15,000th episode, and if Bill Hayes were still with us, those traditional figures who returned for his funeral might have been invited back for another reason.
Regardless, the story of the time capsule—and the subsequent theft of Alice’s diamond necklace—will continue, and we’ll probably feel the same family atmosphere as we did at Doug’s funeral.
There’s a reason why the reaction to Days of Our Lives’ Doug farewell episode has been far more positive than anything else on the show, and it has to do with legacy.
When this soap opera started, it was about the Horton family. Alice and Tom adjust to an empty nest while worrying about their wayward granddaughter.
(Everyone thinks Steven took the necklace because people can’t change, and the whole thing is stupid, considering Julie was a shoplifter in the pilot and Doug was later hired to trick her fraud!
The Horton family hasn’t been prominent enough on Days of Our Lives lately.
While it’s important to build new characters and families over time, the show wouldn’t work as well without the Holden family and their descendants as protagonists.
The town of Salem itself should be the legacy of Tom and Alice Horton. However, the Horton family itself has been effectively erased, with many of them leaving the screen and the new family becoming more prominent.
I don’t want the Hortons to be the only family in town. I’m glad there are different families now, like the Carver family and the Hernandez family.
But eliminating most of the Horton family is never a good idea. There are very few people in our town now, which is why I hope JJ, Jack, and Jennifer stay, and that Sarah and Maggie accept their connection to the Hortons at some point.
Can our lives carve out new paths?
Just a few days later, Mary and Steven left town and life slowly returned to normal…normal for Salem, anyway.
Days of Our Lives must make sure its veteran characters have strong stories.
Julie’s story with “Doug III” is a good start, although I’m tired of relatives who move in turning out to be evil.
Plus, we just had this stupid fake Abigail story, so we don’t need Doug’s grandson following in Doug’s original con man’s footsteps.
But now that the Days of Our Lives Doug sendoff is over, we need to keep getting people to root for Jolie.
Additionally, Days of Our Lives had to return to other fundamental elements that have made it so popular over the years, especially romance.
Get rid of the scramble to get into the bedroom and the endless love triangles. Johnny never had a story that didn’t touch on that, and this latest one is silly.
We need to address the Johnson family as well.
Steve and Jack are brothers but almost never spend time together. Steve and Kayla are one of the last remaining classic couples, but often seem to be stuck in their own storylines.
Finally, younger characters should look to older characters for advice and support.
The last scene shot by Derek Hogestyn with John supporting Tate was fantastic; we should have more scenes like this so the new characters don’t feel disconnected from everything that’s come before.
Days of Our Lives’ writing regime changed, with new material starting to air in April. Hopefully the new lead writer will consider some of these ideas.
“Days of Our Lives” has lasted 60 years because its family relationships and romantic storylines resonated with audiences. Soaps shouldn’t have to go back to basics when something as heartbreaking as a real-life death happens.
Over to you, Days of Our Lives fanatics. Do you agree that Days of Our Lives’ Doug Sendoff was so successful because it had everything that once made the show must-see TV?
Hit the comments with your thoughts.
Days of Our Lives airs exclusively on Peacock. New episodes air weekday mornings at 6/5c.
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