Days of our Lives cleared the calendar on a few outstanding legal issues in Salem this week, including Rachel coming clean on shooting her Uncle EJ. There was screentime for both Lorelei Olivia Mote as Rachel and Karole Foreman as Judge Dabney, who oversaw her case. Soap Central is finding both actresses “guilty” of delivering powerful scenes, earning them our Performers of the Week for DAYS honors.
Days of our Lives, Performers of the Week Karole Forman and Lorelei Olivia Mote
Unlike some soaps where legal matters are swept under the rug or even ignored, DAYS made sure that Rachel Black, who pumped lead into her uncle EJ (Dan Feuerriegel), had to answer for her actions. There was also the matter of her mom, Kristen (Stacy Haiduk), being cleared of shooting EJ, as she had confessed to the action to keep her daughter out of the big house.
Nobody’s fingers in this case were clean. Kristen had committed perjury. Belle Black (Martha Madison), Rachel’s aunt, knew of her niece’s guilt (after the fact) and kept mum.
Foreman’s Judge Dabney took a no-nonsense stance. She demanded accountability from everyone involved, not just from Rachel and Kristen, but Belle, too. She wasn’t going to gloss over things and let the DiMera clan walk free as it had so many times when Stefano (Joe Mascolo) pulled his shenanigans (no pun intended — IYKYK).
Kristen could have found herself going back to prison for committing perjury, and Rachel could have been sent home with her dad, Brady (Eric Martsolf). Neither of those things ended up happening, but we couldn’t tell what Dabney’s ruling was going to be until she made it. Foreman brings a great poker face to her role, which builds anticipation.
Melinda Trask (Tina Huang) advised Kristen to quiet herself as Judge Foreman stated that she could easily send the DiMera villainess back to the big house for committing perjury. Too often, we see on soaps characters commit crimes all for the sake of the greater good, only to watch them face zero repercussions. Not in Foreman’s chambers, that’s for sure.
Here comes the judge and the Foreman
Judge Dabney didn’t just hold Kristen and Rachel accountable for their crimes. She turned her stern ire towards Bell, pointing out that she should have a problem with Kristen making a mockery of her case against Johnny (Carson Boatman). “Since when are you on the side of those who break the law?” Dabney quipped, reminding folks she had the power to impose the maximum penalty on perpetrators.
Dabney objected (pun intended) to Kristen’s dramatic outburst. “If a return ticket to Statesville appeals to you, Miss DiMera, I can make it happen,” Dabney stated. Forget about Judge Judy! Don’t. Mess. With. Judge. Dabney!
Foreman brought levels to her character. When the judge turned to question Rachel, she realized she was dealing with a child, one with issues, too. “Miss Black, why don’t you tell me what happened?” she asked, not with the aggressive tone of a prosecutor, but rather with the concern of someone interested in getting to the heart of the matter so that justice could be handled, and if warranted, tempered with mercy.
Mote is relatively new to DAYS, and her predecessor played out the crimes that Mote’s Rachel is having to answer for; however, Mote has absorbed all the backstory in a way that gives the impression that she’s been in the role for some time.
“I have something I have to say,” Rachel told the judge, standing up, which emphasized her resolve. “It was an accident. I swear, I did not mean to shoot my uncle,” Rachel continued.
Lorelei Olivia Mote is in the Black
Mote walked the fine line of still being both a believable child and someone who knew that she had done a very grown-up thing, and a bad one at that, when she accidentally shot EJ.
“I’m worried about you, Mommy,” Rachel said, knowing that her mother’s sacrifice had impacted her freedom.
“I’m really sorry, Uncle EJ,” Rachel told the man she had shot in the hallway. Mote infused her delivery with sincerity. We’ve seen Rachel with ulterior motives in the past, but she didn’t have one this time.
Foreman commanded her chambers by holding all parties accountable and even grilled Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) for her professional opinion as to Rachel’s care and what she happen next.
Few people get the last word in on Kristen, but Judge Foreman did when she proclaimed, “My ruling is final,” regarding Rachel receiving continued inpatient therapy at Bayview.
Foreman got to show that Judge Dabney isn’t simply strict and stern. She brought joy to her role for the happier occasion of Johnny (Carson Boatman) and Chanel (Raven Bowens) adopting little Trey.
Finalizing Trey’s adoption started simply until birth mother Sophia (Rachel Boyd) made an appearance. Foreman showed compassion to an emotional Sophia as she shared her story. But that did not stop her from ruling that Johnny and Chanel were now legally Trey’s parents.
There needed to be believable stakes in these stories for viewers to be invested. Foreman raised those stakes. And Mote’s sincerity shone through as Rachel was truly sorry for her actions. Mote delivered believable tears as Rachel learned she was on her way back to Bayview.
Brava to both Foreman and Mote for their performances in these legal dramas. Both actresses were charged with stepping up their game and playing with many of the show’s heavy-hitters on DAYS. They’re both “guilty” of delivering solid performances!
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Edited by Michael Maloney