EJ Manipulating again! (Read 485 times)

[susala]

Good grief...he is almost a master of manipulation, and I don't mean that in a good way. Today, as EJ sat sweetly having a power breakfast with Johnny, he began to plant the seeds of doubt in poor Johnny's impressionable young mind. To mention that he didn't want to see what happened to Allie happen to Johnny (sort of implying that Allie got sent away, which is like punishment, due to having problems with the way Rafe treated her) he was doing his child a very mean disservice. What EJ said really sounded like a cleverly worded veiled threat, so that Johnny will be afraid of being sent away, afraid of bad guy Rafe being mean.

It didn't work right away, but it wasn't the kind of conversation I would find as appropriate to have over breakfast with my child. Seeds of doubt. EJ = A..hole.

[Pallison]

I was going to post the same thing about EJ's manipulation of his son but I saw if from a slightly different angle....I thought he was manipulating Johnny to merely dislike Rafe....Johnny is telling EJ he saw Rafe, he misses Rafe, he likes Rafe, he wants to see Rafe again.....EJ let's him know that Rafe was mean to Allie....that Rafe is a bad guy....I didn't think of the threat to Johnny of being sent away....2 birds so to speak...he's very clever isn't he...?? What an ass......

[DancingDays]

It's interesting you say that, because I didn't see it that way at all. When he was talking about Allie, what I heard him say was "She didn't like Rafe, but didn't feel like she could tell Mommy. If you (Johnny) don't like him, it's ok to tell me." THAT was what happened with Allie. At least that's how I heard it. And I would think a conversation with your child over breakfast is a great time to find out how they REALLY feel about things/people. With no one else around, the kids feel free to say what they want.

Of course, I like EJ, so I saw nothing sinister in his conversation with Johnny. I think he was just trying to suss out what he actually saw out his window, and how he (Johnny) feels about Rafe. I agree that EJ is crazy jealous of Rafe (and I agree that there's an awful double standard that his kids can't have a step-father, but a step-mother is ok) and I feel like he's going about this all wrong. However, I still like him and I don't think he's the devil. I don't think anyone on the show is the devil. Misguided? Yes. Sinister? Perhaps. Evil? Nah. But hot as hell? Oh yeah!!!!!

[susala]

I see your point, to a degree, about a calm, personal connection over pancakes with your child. However, saying that Allie didn't like Rafe (which she used to) and couldn't talk to her mommy wasn't exactly the truth. It still came off to me as a veiled warning. EJ could have asked Johnny how things were going at Sami's house, with stepdad Rafe, or even how he felt about Allie leaving. That could have opened the same door for conversation that you mention, but without any subtle (or not so subtle) coersion.

Saying "If you don't like him..." is also like putting words into Johnny's mouth. He isn't asking, he is semi predicting... at least that is how I see it. Adults often try to help kids express emotions by helping them find the right words to use instead of crying or having a tantrum. This was VERY different, but suggesting "If you don't like him..." It's setting up problems.

[DancingDays]

I totally agree about the predicting what he's gonna say part. It would have been better to have an open ended question (How do you feel about him?) kind of thing, but something tells me the writers aren't that aware. They probably don't even know the difference between an open and closed ended question. I wish they could have a "viewers' write the week" thing. Can you imagine what people would do if the fans could write the show for a week??? Talk about publicity! Man, who can we contact about our great idea??

[Pallison]

It was a blatant manipulation of Johnny....it was written that way and it was acted that way....Mr. Scott played it well....watch the scene again and listen to the dialogue....I would post it here but my transcript site is down this week...of all times...!!! I will watch the episode tonight though and post the dialogue of the scene....there is no question that EJ was letting Johnny know he should not like Rafe just like Allie doesn't like him. EJ is not worried about Nicole with the kids or he wouldn't have married her so she could raise his children for him, and that is the only reason he married her.....whether you like watching the character of EJ or not, whether you like Mr. Scott the actor or not, it is the way it is....Days dialogue writers know what they are doing...they are top notch...note I said dialogue writers.....there's no poo on them......

[DancingDays]

Maybe I did miss something. I would go back and watch it, but I already deleted it off my DVR. I think I was even checking this board while it was going on, so maybe I was distracted. I just interpreted the part I know I DID hear differently that how you and susala did.

If there are different levels of writers (storyline vs dialogue) then that is something I was not aware of. Most of the converstations on the show ARE good. Ocassionally I look at my TV like Scooby Doo (I don't think I can adequately type the sound Scooby makes when he's confused, but I think you get what I mean). Did he/she really just say that? Know what I'm saying?

I'm still a bit fuzzy on why EJ doesn't want Rafe around the kids, other than jealousy over Sami, which I'm pretty sure that romance has fizzled. I think the Ejami fans have even moved on from it (I know I have). I understand Sami's reluctance (to say the least) to have Nicole around, but even she's gotten over that. What has Rafe done (other than get with Sami) that makes EJ hate him so? It all just seems petty to me.

[ghoulgirl]

I felt horrible that he was manipulating Johnny that way. Leaving the poor little guy to doubt himself. He is so young and impressionable. Ugh. I despise EJ. But yes Dancing Days, he is grrrrreat to look at!

[Pallison]

DancingDays...I laughed out loud at your Scooby comments....!!! Priceles...!!!

And ghoulgirl, you are so right....that poor little boy has been through so much...you would think the people that love him would just want to wrap him up and keep him safe and warm and happy....you would think......

[addictedtodool]

I think EJ sees the writing on the wall so to speak. He knows that Rafe2 is off the charts and Stefano is wanting the real Rafe killed asap too. I think that despite their original intentions to enjoy the game of drive Sami and Rafe apart, EJ knows that being with the whack job imposter is not good for his son. After he saw how violent Rafe2 truly is, I think he is trying to speed up the process a bit. Of course he's going to manipulate Johnny. That's part of how EJ loves people, he controls them so they don't leave him of their own free will. He hated the idea of Johnny loving Rafe so much that they did this whole let's make everyone hate Rafe doppleganger thing. So of course he's going to lead Johnny in that direction. I do think that using Allie in the convesations takes it to another level. Allie has expressed her dislike of the new Rafe often and it is one of the reasons Sami sent her to be with Lucas, out of respect for Allie's feelings about Rafe's behavior. Obviously Sami can;t just kick him out, so sending Allie to be with Lucas was a way to care about them both. I think Sami is acting very maturely given the situation. Too bad she doesn't remember she lives in Salem and that EJ is actually Stefano's son and ThePhoenix has a thing for Dr Frankenstien tactics.