DAYS' Philip and Stephanie:The Couple Who Got Me Over GH's Liason (VIDEO)
By Jamey Giddens on July 03, 2009
Just when I thought the days of a soap opera couple stealing my heart, sucking me in and making me— for a second— look beyond all the back stage shenanigans that are generally much more interesting than anything we're seeing on our screens these days, comes a couple like Days of Our Lives' Philip (Jay Kenneth Johnson) and Stephanie (Shelley Hennig).
Just when I thought the days of a soap opera couple stealing my heart, sucking me in and making me— for a second— look beyond all the back stage shenanigans that are generally much more interesting than anything we're seeing on our screens these days, comes a couple like Days of Our Lives' Philip (Jay Kenneth Johnson) and Stephanie (Shelley Hennig).
My love for this couple certainly didn't happen over night. In fact it has rather taken me by surprise. I'm sure many Daytime Confidential readers and podcast listeners remember me uttering TV Guide Canada's Nelson Branco's trademark phrase "hair model" in the same sentence with Hennig's name on more than one occassion over the past year and a half, and are currently experiencing jolts of anticipated carpal tunnel as they rush to log in to tell, er type me so, but what can I say? Opinions change.
As for Johnson, while I adored him during his first stint on DAYS as teen Philip, I have been highly critical of the Marlon Brando-meets-Maurice Benard style he had been employing to show how good an angry, little Abercombie mobster Phillip could be. All of that began to change around the time Stephanie was kidnapped by the DiMeras.
To pay the Kiriakis clan back for abducting his family's patriarch, Stefano (Joe Mascolo), EJ (James Scott) paid off the seemingly-simpleton Kiriakis gardener Owen (Wes Ramsey) to snatch and grab poor Steph and keep her hidden until Victor (John Aniston) and Philip decided to give up Stefano. A viable feud, not to mention a starcrossed love story was born.
In the grand tradition of DAYS heroines before her, Hennig gave good distressed damsel as Stephanie played physical and mental games with Owen, her twisted–yet–childlike tormentor. I actually believed Stephanie was terrified for her life, and possessed the Kayla Brady-inherited smarts to try to best Owen on her own terms. Even though she failed, Stephanie earned my respect, as did Hennig. For the first time since the actress took over the role, Stephanie Johnson truly felt like Patch and Kayla's daughter.
Johnson, meanwhile wisely reigned in the over-the-top performances he'd been showcasing while trying to establish Philip as some menacing, boy Don. He let Philip's true feelings for the woman he loved come to the surface and fuel his every action, which made the character all the more lethal when dealing with EJ and later Owen. More crimes are committed every day due to that pesky emotion called passion, than over stolen fuels projects. By rooting Philip's wrath in his love for Stephanie, as opposed to corporate shenanigans, DAYS finally began making the Kiriakis vs. DiMera feud Appointment TV.
With Stephanie popping pills and bonding with her cousin Sami (Alison Sweeney) over DiMera hateration, and Philip desperately trying to keep Steph from finding out just how dirty the Kiriakis can get, this storyline has me glued to the tube, and to You Tube as it were. Check out this MVID, courtesy of bfred1963, set to "Me and You" by Kenny Chesney. Who's come a LONG way since "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" I might add!
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Comments
1 June 2008
1 hour 27 min
Are you giving up on Liason?????????
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
17 February 2009
11 weeks 4 days
Do you really like them or are you just happy that Stephanie finally realized that having the same last name doesn't classify someone as your soulmate?
22 January 2008
31 min 53 sec
GH Lover I will never give up on Liason, but I've basically gotten to the acceptance phase in my grieving process. LOL Watching the show last week and seeing Greg and Rebecca doing their best to sell their characters inorganic reunion, I realized Frons has won for now. Maybe if the ratings go low enough it will change, but I am doubtful.
INeedaHugandMed I am GENUINELY loving them!
20 September 2008
25 weeks 3 days
eh, i don't mind them.... Although i liked Philip better with Belle (martha Madison)
22 April 2009
14 weeks 1 day
I love love love Phillip and Stephanie. Shelley's acting has been phenominal, and she was really never a hair model. As for Jay, i have always loved him--great actor and drop dead gorgeous. Also, am I the only one who thinks that Jay looks like a young Don Johnson (more so when Jay's hair was blonder)? Dimples and incredible charm and they are both from Missouri!
30 October 2008
4 weeks 6 days
Mel is next then. Soon you will be loving her. Yikes. Glad you have a couple that is working for you though.
3 December 2008
2 weeks 4 days
Really? I find them bland together.
1 June 2008
1 hour 27 min
Yeaa You are right But when I saw Jason looking at Liz I still feel their love!!
Maybe now it won't be But in the future when they will see and If Steve won't leave I think LIASON will be .......
DON'T GIVE UP IF YOU WILL I WILL ALSO LOSE MY HOPE ..
12 June 2009
5 weeks 5 days
i'm sorry Jamey... I love you like the rocksteady crew, lol, but these two are nowhere near a Liason subtitute/replacement.
4 May 2008
3 weeks 4 days
I thought you guys stopped watching Days when John and Marlena left.
25 December 2008
12 hours 25 sec
eehh, I don't see it, then again I don't think Liason is all that either.
22 February 2009
1 week 1 day
Eh, Their okay to watch but not even close to having the type of magic that Liason has. If I were to pick a couple that has helped me get over losing Liason it would be Jake and Amanda on AMC. I still will never give up on Liason but until Frons leaves I think Liz will stay on the back burner with Lucky and their reunion which we never really saw happen will just be a plot point for other couples like Jasam and NEM.
Its really ashame too considering Greg and Becky have chemistry together but their storyline is so forced and overdone and its obvious tptb do not value them that I couldnt really get behind them even if they were front burner.
22 January 2008
31 min 53 sec
Alistair Crane, I didn't even make a month. LOL I will watch DAYS until Ken Corday takes his nine iron to the hourglass. A 30 year habit is hard to break.
4 May 2008
3 weeks 4 days
30 years? Ahh. It's less than 20 for me, but I weened myself off Days well before their exit, and now this show no longer exists to me!
2 January 2008
44 min 36 sec
phillip and stephanie ugh.I will forever be a phloe fanatic from the last blast dance days.Im a forever phloe fan
3 July 2009
35 weeks 4 days
I love Philip and Stephanie. Ever since Steve and Kayla went to the attic or Bora Bora or wherever they went, Philip and Stephanie are what I tune in for. Thanks for using my mvid.
3 July 2009
35 weeks 4 days
I love Philip and Stephanie. Ever since Steve and Kayla went to the attic or Bora Bora or wherever they went, Philip and Stephanie are what I tune in for. Thanks for using my mvid.
27 January 2009
1 day 13 hours
Shelly has been doing well lately. Being all shook up from kidnapping and taking pills. Makes the couple a bit more interesting to me.
22 January 2008
31 min 53 sec
30 years? Ahh. It's less than 20 for me, but I weened myself off Days well before their exit, and now this show no longer exists to me!
***
I'm rounding up. This summer I will turn 32, and I have watched the show my entire life. My family watched since the first airshow in 65. Twenty-six years would be more accurate in terms of storylines I actually remember seeing myself.
26 February 2009
3 days 13 hours
Did Patch and Kayle just disappear?
It helps that Philip and Stephanie actually have love scenes, and he takes his shirt off.
11 April 2009
10 hours 31 min
Carol2,
Yep. Patch and Kayla were on the show one day and then gone the next with no explanation. They're somewhere in Salem.