I put a spell on you

Do we need to stop bringing people back from the dead? Is DAYS going too far? What else is in Dr. Rolf's diary? Let's talk about magic in this week's Two Scoops.

As I watched the scene with Kristen and Xander discussing Dr Rolf's skills, I realized this is the hard line in soap fandom. Viewers come down on one side or the other. Some really despise when DAYS does these supernatural storylines, back from the dead, or face swapping. For some, magic is the bridge too far.

But not me. I'm all in on all things Dr. Rolf, who, granted, is more an element than a character. But the very existence of him in our world means that anything is possible. As I've said numerous times, soaps are escapism to me. And they're the best at it. These back-from-the-dead plots are what make for the fun phone calls with my sister, the texts from my mom, or the tweets with you guys.

Plus, on a totally dorky level, I want to escape into a world of magic. It's why, as a little girl, I believed I might be able to jump into a sidewalk chalk drawing with Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins. It's why, as a teenager, I marveled at the stage production of Phantom of the Opera, where an "angel" of music could control a whole grand theater. And it's why, as a grown woman, I planned my whole stinking week around Sunday nights so I could watch Game of Thrones and cheer on the abused orphan girl who grew up to be a queen who rides ever-lovin' dragons! (P.S. I don't care; I still stand with Daenerys!)

Magic is what makes story great. I adore that DAYS embraces it. I love that it's been part of DAYS lore for decades.

Should they just not kill off the characters in the first place? I'm not so sure about that. I don't believe any writer goes in thinking, "I'm going to kill this character just so I can bring him back from the dead and trick fans!" The mechanics of TV-making get in the way. Actors leave. Writers are replaced. Producers change. Budgets are cut.

But a lot of times, those death scenes are powerful to watch. It's not about whether or not we know they're coming back. It's about our care for the other characters in that scene, the living who are left behind to cope with the aftermath. A few months ago, I knew darn well Marlena wasn't dying. But, dang it if those Brady/Black kids parading in to say goodbye to their mom didn't make me blubber like an idiot.

So, I'm okay with the soap death. And I'm okay with the magic that brings them back from the dead.

Now, if you want to criticize the storyline those characters get when they come back, I'm all in. Jack's storyline is pretty rough. I'll take a thousand plastic faces over the election/immigration storyline, please and thank you. But that's exactly my point. The "ripped-from-the-headlines" stories on soaps are rarely good. The magic is what soaps are known for. It's their thing. I say let them do it.

Climbing down off my soap (ha!) box, let's talk storylines from last week.

Xander and Kristen have been partners in this scheme since they both survived the explosion. Xander rescued Ted from the deserted island where Stefan sent him. So, Ted owed Xander. Xander cashed that in for info on Holly's whereabouts. The drug cartel and Hector showing up was just lucky timing.

Xander wants Titan...and possibly Sarah. Kristin wants Brady...and possibly DiMera. I'm completely supportive of the second thing. Give me all the Sarah and Xander.

So, how can this whole thing fall apart? I mean aside from Kristin forgetting to put on her magic Band-Aid that changes her voice? (I know I hate it when I rush out the door and forget mine!) First, Ted could confess to being involved. Hope has a way of bringing out the white knight in guys. But that would only get them to Xander.

Kristen is the big bad here. Maggie saw Kristen and told Brady. He may chalk it up to her being drunk. But I have a feeling Maggie might find an unusual ally in Kate. Kate did see Xander leaving Nicole's room, so she's already suspicious.

Ultimately, Brady and Eric need to work together. "Nicole's" blood/Kristen's DNA is probably on Eric somewhere, but that would be too quick of an end. Kristen can't keep pretending to be Nicole around Eric too much longer. Eric and Nicole share too much history for Kristen to keep up with all the details. That's why "Nicole" keeps starting the same argument over and over again. Eric has to pick up on that.

Plus, Eric has a history with Xander, too. He won't let Xander sneaking that file go. I suspect he'll want a better explanation than what he's got so far.

Finally, Kristen will slip up around Brady eventually. He's her Achilles' heel. When she does, I hope Brady puts his head together with Eric's to crack the case. And, oh, am I looking forward to this reveal!

LOOSE ENDS: We talk about his absence mostly in relation to Hope, but I have to wonder how Claire's life would be different if Grandpa Bo was around more. It's nuts that Claire is on such an island by herself. Even Ben asking Claire's grandma for help and not mentioning he's suspicious of Claire was weird. Claire's related to more people in Salem than any other character in DAYS history, yet she seems to have no family to interact with in any meaningful way. Even Ciara feels more like a friend/roommate than her aunt. The show started laying the groundwork for a mental break storyline with her. But, they'll need support around Claire to pull that off. Here's hoping.

Jennifer may have knocked a memory loose in Jack's thick skull. Good thing she carries a heavy laptop. I adore her tenacity to get Jack's memories back. Please, oh please, keep after it, Jenny Bear!

Will's tumor is growing, which must be stopped. Will can't die -- not when Sonny's finally got new and improved hair!!

Rory! Hey, man! How you been?! I know they're kind of an odd crew, but I always liked how Rory and Bev had J.J.'s back. I didn't really like Jennifer coming down hard on my dude. He risked a lot to help out J.J. -- who, I'm sure, didn't Vemo Rory any money for those passports.

HOT: The sound editing over Ben's hypnosis scene was a delicious bit of TV making. Budgets don't allow for a lot of scenes to be shot, or reshot. We already got one rewrite of a flashback when we saw Claire at the cabin. Shooting another from Ben's point of view was probably a stretch. So, to show it this way -- complete with a stellar soundtrack of fire, screaming, and owls -- was very smart and effective!

NOT: Stop me if you've heard this one before...the police commissioner is going to ignore all rules and law in order to get Ben off the streets for what he did to her kid. Wowza, what an original idea! Sure, it actually makes more sense to have Eve have a grudge with Ben because he killed her daughter. But...but...Eve was such a terrible mom to Paige, it's hard for me to muster up much sympathy for her when she plays the mom card.

LINE OF THE WEEK: Xander: "Brady's many things, but clever isn't one of them." Burn. Fair. But, burn.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Tony and I were texting about this the other day. Not that either of us would want to wish harm upon ourselves, but there's a tiny bit of us that's jealous of the way Will can tell off whoever he wants and then say, "Oops! Sorry! That wasn't me. It was my brain tumor!"

Wow, Kristen referred to her as "saintly Nicole." I'm not sure about that.

I don't think Will would remember Tom. Recognize him or know his legacy? Absolutely. But Tom died before he was born.

I love the throwback photos on the Horton cabin mantel!

I don't think I knew Holly's middle name is Fay, after Nicole's mom. That's great! I miss Fay!

"Nicole's" robe looked so fluffy and comfortable.

I still want to know what else is in Rolf's book of spells!

I want Kristen and Stefan to reconnect. He's got a different face now, too. See, so much in common!

What are your thoughts on ? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.