Throwback Soap Rivalry! Team Sami vs. Team Nicole! Whose Team Are You On?

Hey family!

We are starting our Throwback Soap Rivalry Series. We have a few ideas. But as you know we always welcome your requests, thoughts and ideas. If you have a request, please let us know!

Our Throwback Face Off Rivalry is Team Sami vs Team Nicole!

In a lot of rivalries, there is usually a clear something. Someone is usually smarter, nicer, more conniving, more something. But in this rivalry, it is a dead heat. Team Samantha Jean Brady versus Nicole Walker. Both iconic characters. Both soap heroines. Both soap divas. Both strong, formidable and smart in their own right. Both one might want to think once, twice, or even more before crossing. Both not to be messed with. Both schemers, who don’t stop until they get what they want. So, what happens when these two cross paths, butt heads, have it out? Explosion after explosion after explosion!

There is a deep-rooted “soap hate” between these two. There have been storylines, times, occasions and situations that would warrant a temporary cease-fire. But rest assured it was always temporary. Thank you soap gawds because these two at each other’s throats, very often literally, has given us epic battles, confrontations, conflicts and fights. These two baddies facing off was always, everything. One of the things we loved about this rivalry in particularly, was that these two never ran out of reasons to dislike each other or reasons to fight. They had stamina. LOL. They never grew tired of going at it. And we never ever grew tired of watching. Another thing we loved about this rivalry was that the history happened on screen; no flashbacks, no retcons, no rewrites. The audience saw it all unfold right before their eyes.

What did these two fight about? It might be easier to list what they didn’t fight about. In addition to their basic disdain for each other, their lives and the people in their lives often overlapped which kept them in each other’s orbits. They have an extensive, complicated history that spanned decades, characters and storylines. Days was smart enough to know when you have two dynamos such as these just put the story on the paper and these Queens would do the rest. We will highlight a few storylines.

Before EJ DiMera their primary interactions/storylines involved; Lucas Horton (both ladies were involved with), Brady Black (Sami’s brother/Nicole involved with), Eric Brady (Sami’s twin brother/Nicole involved with), Brandon Walker (Nicole’s brother/Sami involved with) and Kate Roberts (rivals of both).

The beginning of “Nami” was pretty calm. Sami and Nicole met not too long after Nicole was introduced on screen. Eric crushed on Nicole at first sight. He asked Sami to put Nicole on the cover of Bella Magazine. If you can believe it, there was a time that Nicole helped plan Sami’s bachelorette party. Yep, that was way back in the day. LOL.

Some of the early drama was; Nicole was involved in a custody battle between Lucas and Sami for their son, Will Horton. Nicole agreed to marry Lucas to help him gain custody of Will for five million dollars. But when Victor managed to get the money away from her she went over to Team Sami. Nicole and Sami consistently tried to outmaneuver and one up each other. But it proved challenging because when you are always up to your neck in your own “stuff”, it gives others ample opportunity to use your own “stuff” against you. And as we know, Sami and Nicole wrote the book on being “up to their necks in stuff”. Remember that time when Nicole thought she had the goods on Sami when Nicole found out that Sami was “Stan”, Sami disguised as a man exacting revenge on those who she figured did her wrong? But Nicole had her own skeletons in relation to Chloe’s “death”; so she couldn’t capitalize on it. That’s how it often was, back and forth, back and forth. Their disdain and their rivalry grew.

Days did the soap gawds work and put gasoline on the fire and put Nicole/EJ DiMera/Sami in a triangle. That set this trio on a path that led to soap gold. Sami, EJ and Lucas were in a triangle when EJ and Nicole met. Their attraction was instantaneous just like Sami and EJ’s. Nicole hired EJ as her divorce lawyer when she was divorcing Victor Kiriakis and trying to get half of his fortune. When EJ realized Nicole was the button to press Sami’s buttons that was all he needed to know. He used Nicole to make Sami jealous. It worked. But Sami that time would choose Lucas and EJ and Nicole would grow closer. EJ and Nicole developed real feelings for each other. We think it’s safe to say Nicole’s feelings were stronger than EJ’s. Once EJ called out Sami’s name while having sex with Nicole. Ouch. But EJ did genuinely care for Nicole.

Sami got pregnant for EJ (forced/”raped” whatever you deem occurred) and Lucas at the same time. Nicole also got pregnant for EJ. Nicole knew EJ’s feelings for her wasn’t as strong as she wanted them to be so when she miscarried she panicked. She figured if EJ knew she had lost the baby; he would leave her. Baby switching time. Nicole kept up her faux pregnancy and stole/switched the baby girl that Sami gave birth to (Sydney) with a baby (Baby Grace) she bought from a young pregnant teenage girl. Baby Grace died. When the truth came out? Explosion. And what did Nicole do when she was out on bail after being arrested? Did she humble herself and ask for everyone’s forgiveness? Um, no…..she stole Sydney and went on the run. Yep, she sure did.

You think that was ballsy. Also, when Nicole had a tape, proof that Sami shot EJ, (when Sami found out EJ had Anna DiMera kidnap Sydney from Nicole but let Sami think her daughter was dead) she tried to use the tape as leverage to make Sami let her spend time with Sydney. That’s our Nicole! Nami would continue to fight about Nicole’s on and off again relationship’s with EJ, Brady and Eric. In recent years, they tangled up when Nicole kept proof that Kristen raped Eric from Eric so he would stay with her and not return to the priesthood. But the core of their disdain, soap hate and animosity will forever be that Nicole stole Sami’s baby.

You couldn’t blame Sami for how she felt about Nicole. But as much as we love Sami you couldn’t help but chuckle at her ranting and raving over what Nicole had done to her knowing all that she had done to her very own sisters. But that’s our Sami! Nami, different sides of the same coin. What do they say it’s hard looking in a mirror right? Sami and Nicole each other’s two bits change.

The thing we loved the most about this rivalry is they knew how to throw down. A verbal sparring, good. A slap here and there, better. The clawing of eyes, even better. Throwing an actual punch? Oh yes, please! But an all-out brawl? The best! Nami verbally sparred, slapped each other, clawed each other’s eyes, tussled, choked each other, knocked each other out, threw punches. You name it. They did it. And no place was off limits. They fought at each other’s houses, at the hospital, at the gym, at the morgue, at the Pub, at the wharf, in the Square. Who can ever forget “The Slap(s)”. Sami slapped Nicole until she admitted Sydney was her daughter. Epic.

Before Sami left town after EJ died, Sami and Nicole shared sweet parting scenes. And we appreciated it. But we were so happy to see Nami still had their snark when Sami showed up at Nicole’s doorstep in Nashville last year. Spoilers reveal our Nami will be at it again real soon when Sami comes to town. Even though it is actually Kristen; we will still have Ali and Ari mixing it up on screen! We can’t wait! It will be just like old times!

Here is one of Nami’s most memorable brawls!