DOOL Spoilers: Hot New head writers share shocking news, Marlena & John’s final story
DOOL fans should stock up on tissues now. John Black’s death is imminent after actor Drake Hogestyn passed away in September. The new head writers opened up about Marlena’s gut-wrenching grief over losing her husband.
New DOOL Head Writers Shift Focus Back To Families
Days Of Our Lives viewers generally haven’t been happy with the direction of the show lately. Many fans feel the show is too outlandish, even for soap operas. The new head writers are moving away from supernatural storylines and focusing on the legacy families on the Peacock soap.
Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford were named co-head writers in 2024 after Ron Carlivati’s surprise exit. He had been the show’s head writer since 2017. But due to DOOL‘s filming schedule, Carlivati’s scripts were still airing up until this week.
The new head writers spoke to TV Insider ahead of their DOOL head writing debut. They explained how the show will be different now that they are in charge.
The biggest change is more focus on the Horton, Brady, and DiMera families. What can fans expect to see on-screen in the coming weeks and months?
“We’ll see the fallout from EJ’s [DiMera, Dan Feuerriegel] shooting; ripple effects from the shifting dynamics within the Kiriakis and DiMera clans; an emotional tribute to John Black; and the return of Bo [Brady, Peter Reckell]/Hope [Williams Brady, Kristian Alfonso],” – Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford, TV Insider.
Deidre Hall Opens Up About Filming John Black’s Death
Drake Hogestyn has played John Black, AKA “The Pawn,” since the 1980s. The character has been through many background changes, but one thing always stays the same – his love for Marlena Evans, or “Doc” as he always called her.
John and Marlena are one of the show’s most popular and enduring super couples. Unfortunately, they will soon be separated for good. The character is being killed off this summer after Drake Hogestyn’s death. The actor signed off on the storyline. But that doesn’t make it any easier.
Deidre Hall spoke to Soap Opera Digest last month about the difficult scenes, which were filmed while Drake Hogestyn was still alive. The cast and crew were still hoping that he would beat the cancer and return to the soap. That sadly didn’t happen.
According to Deidre Hall, the acting is the easy part. She said that the writers were the ones with the difficult part. “I think the writers had a bigger challenge than we did. We just had to get through it. They had to create it,” the actress told SOD.
Marlena’s Gut-Wrenching Grief Over John
Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford agreed that it was difficult for them to write. It was one of the first storylines they had to write when they took over.
“It was very hard [to write]. Everyone on the show, including us, loved John and Drake. They were both Superman, and this was not supposed to happen.,” they told TV Insider.
The head writers added, “It was an emotionally fraught situation that involved numerous variables beyond our control. First and foremost, we wanted to respect Drake’s legacy and everyone who loved him.”
Fans are already preparing for actress Deidre Hall to break hearts with her performance. The head writers spoke about how the psychiatrist will deal with her grief while helping others through it, too.
“Marlena will be very busy in the coming months as a mother, grandmother, psychiatrist, and friend. She has counseled many patients on grief and has obviously experienced loss herself, but losing John forces her to re-explore who she is without him,” they said about Marlena’s future storyline.
DOOL hasn’t revealed an air date for John Black’s death and funeral. But it is expected to air sometime in July. The show will celebrate its 60th anniversary in November with several star-studded returns.
