Farewell to Sami Brady

#Allison Sweeney is leaving Days of our Lives after two decades of playing #Sami Brady.  I don’t watch DOOL like I used to (loyally, every day, without fail…) anymore but it’s still on my DVR.  Every few weeks or so I’ll watch part of an episode or all of one to see what’s going on.  So I know that EJ cheated with Abigail and that Sami has been exacting revenge ever since.  EJ is leaving, as well — together? Who knows.  I know “#Ejami” has a huge fan base, but for me, I’ve always been a fan of Sami.

When she was at her worst, she was entertaining.  Behind the schemes, the manipulations, the drugging of men, and all the other many, many, many things Sami Brady has done over the years, she’s still remained one of my favorite soapy characters.  I think every character in soapville goes through good and bad,  out-of-character writing and dull stories.  Through it all, there were some fundamentals truths about how Samantha became who she was and things that would never change.  You have to admire that.

Jeannie’s favorite Sami stories

Sami discovers Marlena and John

Sami’s discovery of finding Marlena having an affair with John is one of the defining moments in this character’s history.  It built Sami into the schemer she became, but more than that, it built her into a woman who was desperate to believe in love and also completely incapable of trusting it at the same time.  Sami’s actions for years were rooted in the devastation this storyline caused.

The Carrie/Austin/Sami/Lucas quad

I am a big fan of Lucas and Sami (#Lumi).  To me, they will always have that spark, that knowledge, that understanding and that solid friendship that she didn’t have with anyone else.  I would have loved to see Sami end up with Lucas.  I also accepted that EJ/Sami have been the staple of the show for years now.  But it doesn’t change how I feel.

I loved watching Lucas and Sami scheme for Carrie and Austin. I loved watching them implode when the truth about Will being Lucas’s child was discovered. I loved watching them fall in love.  I loved every minute of their relationship, good, bad, and ugly.

The Sami/Carrie rivalry

I was always a fan of watching the rivalry between these two sisters.  They shared men like other women share water bottles.  And their good girl/bad girl contrast was fascinating…even later on when Sami became the heroine of the show, her interactions with Carrie brought out the worst in her.

Jeannie’s Favorite Sami Pairing: Lucas

Lucas is the one Sami was meant to be with, from this fan’s perspective.  They began their manipulating and scheming together, in an attempt to break apart Carrie and Austin.  From that moment on, Sami and Lucas were two halves of a whole— both with good and desperate sides, but through everything they did to other people and each other, they always knew and understood exactly who the other person was.  I was thrilled when they finally got married and I have long since been saddened by the complete lack of connection on screen we see between these two.

I understand that Sami was moved on to EJ/Sami (EJami) – a couple I’ve never been behind.  But I am hoping that somewhere before Sami leaves the show that we’ll get to see goodbyes with Lucas, that we’ll get to honor their decades of friendship and love.

I don’t watch Days every day anymore — I haven’t truly since EJ and Sami became the leading focus of the show.  But Sami is a character that has been around almost since I began watching, and Sami—and Allison Sweeney will be truly missed.

What has been your favorite Sami storyline and/or pairing?