Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI
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Days of Our Lives pulled off a rare feat as it said farewell to Doug: It made almost everyone happy. Don’t misunderstand us. We don’t mean anyone took pleasure in Doug’s passing or the loss of him and Bill Hayes, of course. But fans have seemed pretty darn happy in how it was done, the respect paid to Hayes and his character, and the history that the show brought back, from the flashbacks to the veteran returns.
In fact, when we asked about how folks would feel about one of those returns — Stephen Schnetzer’s Steven Olson — sticking around, the response was overwhelming and unanimous!
“Yes,” Cathy Cole replied, “he would be a breath of fresh air. Julie needs her brother now!! He’s a great actor, Another World, Days!!”
“Absolutely bring Stephen back,” Benjamin Glenday exclaimed. “NBC’s Another World was in the time slot right after Days Of Our Lives. Many longtime Another World fans still watch DOOL, and Stephen brings an energy to the show that is reminiscent of AW.”
And Carole J. Rose wants him back ASAP, writing, “He was terrific and gave a big lift to the show. I loved him as Cass Winthrop. Please bring him back to stay.”
We’re hopeful that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Stevne. And the show did drop a breadcrumb of hope for us! His mention of son Spencer to Leo was far too pointed to just let go. It seems virtually unthinkable that Steven’s got a son and Julie a nephew and the show doesn’t bring him on soon — especially since he’s a Horton!
And that would give Steven plenty of reason to come back from time to time. But if one thing has become clear the past couple days, it’s that the fans want more — a lot more! And if Days of Our Lives could find a reason to bring Steve back full time, they’d be more than happy. (Though having two unrelated Steves on the show might get a bit confusing. Luckily, one of them has a built-in nickname!)
The comments didn’t stop with Steve, though, with folks clamoring to see more familiar faces stick around. Lucas, of course, is a no-brainer and the most likely option — especially since Sami is going to be back, too. Those two need to have a confrontation now that Lucas is out of prison for kidnapping her!
Though Gloria Loring didn’t mention coming back permanently, she did tell Soap Opera Digest that she’d be up for quick returns from time to time to “stir something up.” And do you know what would make that more likely? Bringing Liz’s children to Salem!
Her daughter Noelle should be just about the same age as her half-sis Sarah, and it would be lovely to see the siblings together and bonding. Then there are Noelle’s two brothers, since Liz mentioned having sons. No word on who their father is, but the sky’s the limit on that. Once upon a time, Liz had an affair with Don Craig. And we never found out what happened to him after he mailed that letter and vanished. Maybe he moved to California, reunited with Liz and had two kids with her!
Sadly, Days of Our Lives pruned back Marie’s part of the family tree when it drove Nick crazy and killed him off — twice. But that doesn’t mean she can’t come home more to spend time with her family. Doug’s death could prompt her to realize how important family connections are and push her to stay in closer touch with everyone.
Family and history are the twin bedrocks of daytime TV. Days of Our Lives gave us both with Doug’s funeral and the show’s 15,000th episode. And they can keep going by bringing these beloved characters back — and their families!
