I have a huge task this week, friends. That is to cover the "Wilson" wedding for @LaurisaDays. Sadly, she was denied entry to the festivities because her dress didn't contain enough sparkle or shine. Who knew there was a thousand sequin minimum!? Take that those who laughed at me for going to Elton John's yard sale all those years ago. I knew it would pay off someday. Don't feel too bad for Laurisa, though. She hung out at the service entrance and got to see everyone who snuck in and out. Plus, I paid Henderson to keep her plied with champagne, and I snuck her some wedding cake. Everything is good.
In fact, everything in Wilson Land is better than good. It's fantastic. It's grand. Dare I say fabulous? And they achieved a rare feat in Salem -- their wedding went off without any major snags. True, that could be due to the lack of any videos played at the ceremony. Way to learn from Brady and Kristen, guys. In addition, there were no back from the dead former lovers that showed up, no one got cold feet, and even Nick stayed away. Yep, the Wilson wedding was pretty smooth sailing. I give the marriage six months. I kid. I kid. So, in honor of that happy day, I'm going to count down my top ten favorite moments of the Wilson Wedding.
10. Wilson wedding having wonderful wardrobe? Check! This is a superficial reason, but is one nonetheless. I love big group scenes, especially when everyone is dressed to the nines. The men looked dashing, and the ladies looked lovely. Sure. Sure. Most of the ladies seemed to break out more sparkly clothes than are present at most drag shows, but it was a celebration, and I say go on with your bad, err, spangled selves, gals. Of course, as much as I agree with Rafe and Abe that Maxine looked marvelous (and I love seeing her step out of her scrubs), my personal nod goes to Hope. Granted, it doesn't take much, or, well, really anything at all, to make Kristian Alfonso radiant, but she simply rocked her outfit and looked classy while doing so. I just hope she doesn't get any icing on it, because you know chocolate-loving Hope is going for that cake!
9. Celebrating diversity. I read that some folks thought the festivities focused a bit much on the fact that it was a "gay wedding" and less on the couple themselves. I respectfully disagree. Until recently, gay and lesbian couples couldn't legally marry (and still can't in most states -- what's up with that, 2014!?). Whereas it's still unclear if Will and Sonny's marriage is recognized by the state of, well, um, Salem, U.S.A., I thought the picture tribute was a nice nod to the folks who pioneered the way for them and countless others to publicly recognize their commitment to each other. To say that's not a part of who Sonny and Will are is a little naïve. They wouldn't be there without those brave folks vying for equality. Just ask poor Roger and James.
8. Simply celebrating Sonny and Will. Sure, the entire event was about them, but the little touches went a long way. From Maggie decorating the mansion (and Kate inspecting it) to J.J.'s guitar playing, everything was done out of love, which is the message, I've heard. I was even glad to see Rafe there, as he and Will were once rather close. And it was especially epic that E.J. rode to the rescue, a perfect homage to his and Will's long history. E.J. adores the lad and proved once again just how far he'll go for the people he loves. And trust me, talking to that guru guy was plenty painful, I'm sure.
7. Will and Kate's stolen moment. I feel that Kate gets the short end of the grandma stick when it comes to Will. Mar Mar is his confidante (a relationship I adore, no doubt), but Kate is Salem's Cher. She's its Madonna. She's fierce. The gays flock to her, and I have a sworn testimony from her former assistant Chris corroborating that. So, I was a little disappointed at first the fab Kate Roberts was reduced to a backburner guest, not the glam granny that she is. Granted, that still didn't stop me from crying along with her when the camera panned to her (Lauren Koslow did an amazing job conveying Kate's joy without any lines), but I digress. Then Will made it a point to steal a few minutes with her, and I was thrilled.
6. Marlena's mediating. As mentioned, I enjoy the close bond between Marlena and Will. She's been front and center as a loving support system for him since day one, and it's only appropriate that she was front and center for his big day. And who else is better versed on marriage than the Reverend Doctor Marlena Evans North Craig Brady Bradford Black Black Black Black? Wait. What was my point again? Right. Mar Mar and Will are tight. Love it.
5. The best man! It's no surprise I'm a sucker for T. He's the most loveable goofball since Joey Tribbiani. His presence at the wedding and surrounding festivities was greatly appreciated, dear writers, so thankyouverymuch. First, there was the hilarity of his stripper mix-up. Second, I kept cracking up as he body-guarded Will before the wedding. He surely took those responsibilities seriously. Well, as serious as T can take anything. Finally, and most touching, was his toast to Will and Sonny. It was honest and heartfelt with the right dashes of humor, especially the part about Victor scaring him straight, um, scaring him gay-friendly, perhaps. It was also a great use of history to showcase T's growth from asshat to accepting friend. He called Will and Sonny "manly," but T's actions were pretty manly, too. L'chaim, T!
4. Mother and son moments. I'll even include Sami and Adrienne's co-toast in this, as that was hysterical. More so, I'm glad each groom got to spend time with his mother. Sonny and Adrienne's time was especially cute because as much as she suggested her son was humoring her, you could tell he wanted her there (great job, Freddie and Judi). Will and Sami also got several sentimental moments. Yes, they made me cry, too. In fact, Alison Sweeney killed me throughout the entire event. She crushed the part of a proud mother with regrets. A job well, well done, Ms. Thang!
3. Victor Kiriakis! How do they get us to love Victor even more? That's easy. Let him be the swashbuckling yet humble hero who slayed the evil bigot dragon on Wilson's wedding day! I think the look of pride on Maggie's face said it all. But add in the fact that he and Sonny shared a touching moment later that day, and I'm right there with you, Big Red. Victor is pretty swoon-worthy when using his powers for good.
2. The speeches! Holy Kleenex and Puffs combined, Batman. I kind of lost it during the speeches (and toasts). The moms got their tender moments with their sons, okay, I kind of welled up during those, too, but I was glad to see Justin and Lucas have time to shine as well. Justin is simply the poster boy for proud fathers who adore their sons, and Lucas uses his self-deprecation like a weapon, which only makes me adore him more. And then there was Caroline. Her speech had everyone worried at first. And then it snowballed into a magic moment played perfectly by Peggy McCay.
1. And the vows! To backtrack, Will took an early lead in the romance department by tucking that letter into Sonny's tux pocket. It was adorable. Just as heartstring-tugging were the vows. While talking about the wedding to Nick, Gabi explained it as "sweet and romantic." That easily describes the vows they wrote for one another. Both grooms gave sincere oaths to one another that not only highlighted their individuality and personal journeys, but their bonds as a couple. Will's were great, no doubt, but Sonny's kind of outshined his new hubbie's (a bit). Sonny's were dripping with the sincere, sentimental stuff that makes one swoon. I get why Will quickly said, "I do!"
HOT
I've literally watched DAYS all of my life. Before I began elementary school and during summer vacations, snow days, and holidays, I can't remember a weekday afternoon while growing up that we didn't stop our daily activities to have lunch and watch my mom's "story." It became a part of my life. It became my story, too. As such, I can only imagine what kind of impact Sonny and Will's wedding would have had on a young me. As a child and young man, I looked at epic romances between supercouples such as Bo and Hope, Roman and Marlena, and Kimberly and Shane with magical wonderment, yet knowing I'd never exactly be like them. Of course, I knew the show was fantasy, but the underlying message was there. That message was love, but not exactly the type I knew I'd ever experience. So, as much as I enjoy those couples, I always felt like an outsider peeking into an unfamiliar world. And now the old me sees the gift the cast and crew at DAYS gave to young gay and lesbian viewers -- they gave them hope, love, and something to relate to. For that, dear writers, I say thank you. Simply, thank you.
NOT
This is more of a semi-Not than a real one, but I was a tad disappointed the writers didn't pen a few lines about Sonny's brothers wanting to be there but being unable because fill in the most appropriate soap excuse. Heck and OMG! Roman even mentioned that Austin and Carrie wanted to attend, but the baby was sick. Yes! I said baby. This almost made my "Hot." Still, we're not sure if it's a girl or boy, but recognizing its existence was special enough (sorry, Rex and Cassie). I digress. Siblings trump uncles and aunts, so the rest of the Kiriakis clan should have been mentioned in passing. Just saying. Bonus points if the writers had mentioned Bill Horton, too.
(CLASSY) LINE OF THE WEEK
Marlena (to Wilson): "May the love you share be the bond that brings you strength and comfort and joy all the days of your lives."
I mean, really! It isn't a DAYS milestone moment without the title being thrown into a toast, and I am all for tradition all the days of my life.
(SASSY) LINE OF THE WEEK
Jeannie-T (to Brady, on picking a dress for the wedding): "Let's see if I can find something red and low-cut."
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Hmm, Julie wasn't at the wedding. Funny, she loves and supports Will so much. Oh, wait. I said Will. I meant to say Nick. My bad. I'm not surprised she wasn't there. I'm not sure she really considers Will a Horton, unlike Nick Fallon, whom she would attend the opening of an envelope for. Ugh.
Have you ever noticed there are a large number of people who have broken into Dr. Dan's apartment? He should probably invest in some better security.
Oh, Nick and Gabi. It's so cute when crazy and idiot reunite and do all the same crazy idiotic things over and over again. I'm setting my DVR now.
A fight over a checking account!? I think Dannifer has lowered the bar even further.
Aiden sure is judgmental. Are we sure he's not a Horton?
I saw the way you were looking at T during his toast, Abigail. Just go there. I'll support you.
Paige may be a lovely girl, but I fear she's not too bright.
Ten minutes of Mary Beth Evans a week is not enough.
I loved seeing that vintage picture of Kim and Shane. They need to come around again soon!
Oh, Ben! Don't be too hard on yourself. I get tongue-tied all the time around hotties. Call me. I'll help you through your issues.
PARTING THOUGHTS
So, friends and fellow DAYS fans, that's Two Scoops for the week of April 7. I'm off to kick off my dancing shoes and snack on some Jordan almonds that I took from the reception. As Laurisa is going to be in "Chicago on business," I'll be back next week to cover all the post-Wilson wedding wonders, the pre-EJami wedding wildness, and all of Liam's lunacy. And, "That's a fact!"
As always, thanks for reading!
Tony
Need more Two Scoops? Head over to read blogs by Laurisa or Tony for more ranting, raving, and all-out randomness
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