It’s been over a week since Doug’s funeral on Days of Our Lives, and people are still talking about it.
You wouldn’t think that a heartbreaking event like the death of a legacy character would be the most exciting news to hit the soap in a while, but I get it.
Days of Our Lives‘ Doug sendoff included several legacy characters whose stays were all too short, and the way so many Salemites bonded together was a throwback to the show’s glory days.
Doug’s Sendoff And Its Aftermath Were All About Family
Days of Our Lives has suffered the same problem as the rest of the television landscape: there is less focus on families and their issues in favor of crime and medical drama.
But during Doug’s funeral week, everything changed, and even now, there are some remnants of the show that once was.
Characters like Steven, Marie, and Liz fit right back in even though they hadn’t visited Salem in many years, and with few exceptions, their presence gave Juile comfort in the hours and days after Doug’s sudden death.
These scenes were a treat for long-time viewers, but their significance went far beyond resurrecting characters who once had a central spot on the show.
There was a whole different vibe during Doug’s funeral week.
Even though the circumstances were sad, there were plenty of opportunities for humor, drama between people who had held grudges for many years, and families coming together to celebrate the life of one who had been a beacon of light for them for many years.
My favorite was a 60-something Steven continuing to go in and out through windows like he’s one of the teenagers on Girl Meets World.
Julie’s exasperation with him doing that provided some much-needed laughter during these otherwise sad scenes.
The family moments were so strong that I hated that the Days of Our Lives sendoff for Doug was over so quickly and that most of the family went home after only a few episodes.
Still, some of the family is still here, and Doug’s legacy continues. Julie’s loved ones are concerned about how she will get through her first Christmas without her husband by her side.
Fan Reaction to Days of Our Lives Doug Sendoff Shows The Importance of Building On Legacy
Doug’s sendoff during the first week of December wasn’t just about him.
It was timed with a celebration of Days of Our Lives’ 15,000th episode, and if Bill Hayes was still with us, those legacy characters who returned for his funeral probably would have been invited back for another reason.
The time capsule story — and the subsequent theft of Alice’s diamond necklace — would have gone on regardless, and we might have had the same family vibes that we felt around Doug’s funeral.
There’s a reason the reaction to Days of Our Lives Doug sendoff is far more positive than anything else on the show, and it has to do with legacy.
When this soap began, it was about the Horton family. Alice and Tom were adjusting to an empty nest while worrying about their wayward granddaughter.
(This whole thing where everyone assumed Steven took the necklace because people can’t change is silly, considering that Julie was a shoplifter in the pilot episode and Doug was a con artist hired later to trick her!)
The Horton family has not been central enough to Days of Our Lives recently.
While it’s important to establish new characters and families as time passes, the show doesn’t work as well without the Horton family and its descendants being the main characters.
The town of Salem itself is supposed to be the legacy of Tom and Alice Horton. Yet, the Hortons themselves have virtually been erased, with many of them off-screen and newer families becoming more prominent.
I don’t want the Hortons to be the ONLY family in town. I’m thrilled there are diverse families now, such as the Carvers and Hernandezes.
But eliminating most of the Hortons was never a good idea. We have a scant few in town now, which is why I hope JJ, Jack, and Jennifer stay and that Sarah and Maggie embrace their connection to the Hortons at some point.
Can Days of Our Lives Chart A New Path Forward?
After only a few days, Marie and Steven left town and life slowly got back to normal… normal for Salem, anyway.
Days of Our Lives must ensure its veteran characters get strong stories.
Julie’s story with “Doug III” is a good start, though I’m burned out on relatives moving in who turn out to be evil.
Plus, we just had this stupid Fake Abigail story, so we don’t need Doug’s grandson to follow in Doug’s original con artist footsteps.
But we need to continue having people support Julie now that Days of Our Lives Doug sendoff is over.
Additionally, Days of Our Lives must return to the other foundational elements that made it so popular for many years, especially romances.
Get rid of the race to the bedroom and the endless love triangles. Johnny has never had a story that doesn’t involve one, and this latest one is stupid.
We need to fix the Johnson family while we’re at it.
Steve and Jack are brothers but virtually never spend any time together. Steve and Kayla are one of the last remaining classic couples but seem to get siloed into individual storylines more often than not.
Finally, younger characters should turn to older ones for advice and support.
It’s beautiful that the last scene Drake Hogestyn filmed was John supporting Tate; we should have more scenes like that so that new characters don’t feel so disconnected from everything that came before.
Days of Our Lives has had a writing regime change, with new material beginning to air in April. Hopefully, the new head writers will consider some of these ideas.
Days of Our Lives has lasted for 60 years because the family connections and romantic storylines resonated with viewers. It shouldn’t take a heartbreaking event like a real-life death for the soap to go back to basics.
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 this show must-see TV?
Hit the comments with your thoughts.
Days of Our Lives streams exclusively on Peacock. New episodes drop on weekday mornings at 6/5c.
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