Days of Our Lives/YMMV


 * Alternate Character Interpretation: Marlena and her daughter Belle as selfish cunts who play their romantic suitors against each other so she can have TWO men loving her at the same time is a popular fan interpretation of the character.
 * Badass Decay: In the 1980s, Bo used to be a leather-wearing motorcyle-riding hoodlum who once knifed out his best friend's eye. By the 1990s, he was now a police officer, but of the "I play by my own rules!" variety and he still wore leather. He was a husband and father, but he lived on a boat so he was still anarchic. Now he's a middle-aged police commissioner who lives in a domesticated house and if he wears leather at all, it's rare.
 * In the 1980s-90s, Stefano was the most dastardly villain this show had ever seen. Since his return in 2007, he's been significantly less diabolical. They even gave him diabetes.
 * By the end of Patch's run, the only reason you'd have to suspect that this guy may be a badass is the fact that he's missing an eye.
 * Victor has more in common with Oscar the Grouch than his former arch-villain self.
 * Broken Base: Since Patch's run in the 2000s was generally uneventful, many fans think it diminished the iconic nature of the character to have negated his death, taking him from a 1980s icon unsullied by poorer writing of recent decades to a far more forgettable character. Others were just so happy to have him back, they didn't care.
 * Canon Sue: Marlena.
 * Complaining About Shows You Don't Watch: If one was to visit any Days forum, he would notice a number of people claiming they do not watch the show anymore but constantly complain about its current condition.
 * Complete Monster: Kate Roberts attempted to kill her son's wife, who donated bone marrow to her despite it being a huge risk due to her being a cancer survivor, and tried to frame the doctor that performed the operation, all because of a suspicion.
 * Creator's Pet: Belle, Shawn Douglas, Daniel, and Melanie Jonas.
 * Die for Our Ship: Days couples tend to have very passionate fanbases. The Broe vs. Phloe, Shimi vs. Shelle, Lumi vs. Ejami battles come to mind. And God help you if you think Jennifer Horton should be with anyone other than Jack Deveraux.
 * Or if you happen to despise a pairing because one half happens to be a rapist. Jack and Sami are both rapists, as well as EJ, Tony, and several other characters. But apparently being 'cool', 'good-looking', 'damaged', and/or 'badass' makes the fact that committed, sometimes more than once, such a barbaric, traumatizing act is a-okay.
 * Draco in Leather Pants: Jack Deveraux, Patch Johnson, EJ DiMera.
 * Ensemble Darkhorse: Jack Deveraux was originally envisioned as a typical rich jerk to be a Romantic False Lead for Patch and Kayla as many other couples have had before and after and the character was so destined-for-nothing that they went through three actors in less than a year. Eventually, however, the character found the right actor who provided him with so much depth and humor, that while the couple he was interfering with was gone within the next couple years, Jack Deveraux wound up spending more time on the show than either of them combined.
 * The same can be said of Lucas and Sami. Originally the meddling little siblings of big couple Austin and Carrie (respectively) they wound up lasting longer and becoming much bigger than both of them. Sami's currently the main heroine.
 * Patch was supposed to be a quick minor villain to Bo, he eventually grew to be a hugely popular character and took over Bo's place as the main hero of Days when he left temporarily in 1987.
 * Fan Dumb
 * Internet Backdraft: Mention EJ/Sami, December 29, and/or The Event on any Days message board.
 * Jumping the Shark: When James E Reilly began writing it.
 * Large Ham: Many. Joe Mascolo, Drake Hogestyn, Lauren Koslow, (formerly) Judi Evans, but above all, honey-glazed with a side of biscuits and red-eye gravy, Louise Sorel as the flamboyantly insane Vivian.
 * Magnificent Bastard: Stefano and Victor.
 * Portmanteau Couple Name: Shelle, Ejami, and Bope just to name a few.
 * Rescued From the Scrappy Heap: Chelsea used to be an extremely hated character. She was an arrogant Jerkass, rude to everyone around her (even her best friend Abby), responsible for killing her little brother, and tried to break up Bo and Hope's marriage. When she started dating Hollywood Nerd Nick, she became a much better person. She went from being the most hated character to one of the more popular characters.
 * The Scrappy: Carrie Brady.
 * Taylor, particularly for coming off as such a Relationship Sue for EJ. After two extremely likeable actress failed to sway fans into liking her, she was mercifully Put on a Bus.
 * Willow Stark (so much that she was Killed Off for Real due to the large volume of hate-mail the network received about her character).
 * Super Couple: Mickey and Maggie, Bo and Hope (arguably the most famous pairing of the show's run), John or Roman and Marlena, Jack and Jennifer, Patch and Kayla, and more.
 * Doug and Julie are often cited as daytime's first.
 * Tear Jerker