Carried Away - DAYS's Mike Finally Declares His Love To A Very Married Carrie
By Stephanie Sloane

Other Articles August 19, 1997 September 12, 1997 October 7, 1997 October 14, 1997 November 25, 1997 December 23, 1997 January 13, 1998 March 31, 1998 April 7, 1998 January 12, 1999 February 2, 1999 February 23, 1999

"If we look at this story like a mature love story and you get to a point where you live the characters and you know the point of frustration, the dam has to burst," explains DAYS OF OUR LIVES Executive Producer Tom Langan. And boy, does it ever. After nearly two years of suffering in silence, loser-in-love Mike Horton finally declares his feelings to Carrie. "It was just natural at this point in the story," says Langan. "It didn't have to come out of an elevator crash or the house burning down with her inside; it came out of a real emotional place." "Mike just can't take anymore," sighs his portrayer, Roark Critchlow. "She's there all the time, they've kissed twice and the longing hasn't lessened any. She's way too close and driving him crazy." At last, Mike's frustration gets the better of him: He throws caution to the wind and declares his love. "Carrie is quite stunned that he articulated this and so is he," grins Langan. "In effect, it leads to much more tension between them. Before, everything just seemed like flirtation; now, they have to deal with a very deep emotion - Mike's love for Carrie." But what about Carrie's feelings for Mike? She's married to Austin, but she's hardly been the ideal wife lately. "She loves Mike back, but she can't really say anything," notes Christie Clark (Carrie). "It's a very confusing time for her now. She's married, and she wanted to tell him that she loves him, too, but you can't do that when you're married." Her silence doesn't sit too well with Mike, who basically has put his heart on the line. "Mike is really opening himself up and she says, 'I don't know what to say,'" previews Critchlow. "As soon as she says that, Mike is thinking that he made an idiot out of himself. There was his heart, and she just shredded it." But what Carrie doesn't say is also significant. "She doesn't deny it," he points out. "She doesn't deny that she loves him. She says, 'I don't know what to do, I'm very confused...' He embarrassed her and it's horrible. It's absolute vulnerability. She doesn't have the guts to make the move." Probably because of that little band of gold on her finger. After all, she and Austin have only been married a little over a year. Hardly the time for irreconcilable differences - even in Salem. "She's still in love with Austin," insists Clark. "He's her first love, and she's never known anything different. It was young love, and when you're young you think, 'This is it,' and then you're in another relationship in a year and you're like, 'Oh my God, what was I thinking?' She thinks she should've waited. She keeps flashing back on Mike saying, 'You should wait, you're rushing into this.' And there's a lot of baggage with Austin and it's the same old thing: Sami and Will, Sami and Will. So that draws her to Mike more." But Mike wants to put some distance between them after her ambivalent response to his bold declaration. "He tells her, 'You've got to chill out and give me some room and some space.' And he rattles on that maybe she should quit the job (at the hospital) because he can't take it anymore," says Critchlow. "She says, 'What are you going to do? Fire me?' He says, 'I'm not going to destroy somebody's career that way.' She says, 'So are you asking me to quit?' I say, 'Yeah. It would be better if you did.'" Fatal Attraction So, Mike tells Carrie he loves her. What happens when psycho Nurse Ali finds out? "Keep watching," laughs Roark Critchlow. "It gets worse." Doesn't Mike realize that Ali's going off the deep end? "Mike's gonna think, 'She's a little strange, but I can't blame her, she liked me. But she seems to be readjusting and she seems to be okay,'" says Critchlow. "It's interesting, and Lisa (Linde, Ali) is pulling it off nicely." Executive Producer Ken Corday teases, "Nurse Ali is becoming more and more fatally attracted to Mike, and God knows what she's going to do when she realizes the jig is up and he really only loves Carrie. Stay tuned; it will get pretty intense. If you like boiled rabbits, it's a good one." "If she stayed for a while and really tried to get him out of her head, they could go back to being friends," Clark muses. "But at this point, all they want to do is kiss again and that'll go just a little further - and then they'll be in trouble." Critchlow, on the other hand, doesn't see them going back to the "just friends" stage any time soon. "It's still a love affair," he declares. "There's not even an attempt to be friends. To Mike, it's just a straight-up awareness of what the truth is and then just dealing with it. He's not going to stop loving her and be her friend. He can't. So she's around because he's willing to take the pain of having her there because he's a loser (laughs). Deep down in his heart, he knows she can't begin to feel the love he feels." So, where does this leave them? "This is basically the beginning of an affair," says Langan. "They've kissed twice, she's broken her vows and she should have gone to Austin the first time she kissed Mike and told him. That's what a relationship is all about: honesty and communication. This is going to be a potentially disastrous for all three people." But that doesn't mean all is lost for star-crossed Carrie and Austin. "I still think Carrie and Austin are the long-term rooting couple," says Executive Producer Ken Corday. "They've been put upon by the evil sister (Sami) and she's used all of her wiles to get Austin to really care about Will." However, he previews, "He will risk his love in kind of a not-too-nice way." Uh-oh. Days of Our Lives Recap - A Look Back While decorating the tree, Austin pulls Carrie in for a passionate kiss. She fantasizes that he's Mike. Later, Austin asks Carrie if she would be willing to cut back on her hours at the hospital should Will come to live with them. Is he asking her to quit her job? Carrie wonders. No, replies Austin. Carrie suggests they wait and see the outcome of the trial. Meanwhile, at Mike's place, Ali sneaks into bed with him. He thinks she's Carrie and says he loves her. Ali is thrilled. Suddenly, Mike wakes up and realizes it's Ali. What is she doing in his bed? Mike demands to know. It's a Christmas surprise, she explains, then leaves. Carrie and Marlena go to the hospital...Mike reads the story of Christmas. Mike gives Carrie a golf club. She gives him balls and tees. When they find themselves under the mistletoe, they hug. Marlena shoots Carrie a disapproving look...Ali gives Mike a watch with a romantic sentiment engraved on it... Mail Bag The Mike/Carrie/Austin love triangle on DAYS OF OUR LIVES had fans offering their two cents' worth on the future of the threesome. Most were rooting for the Carrie and Mike pairing, discarding Carrie and Austin like yesterday's news. "I do believe in the sanctity of marriage, but I would love to see Carrie dump Austin in favor of Mike," one shares. Another enthusiast declares, "Mike and Carrie are fun, fresh, sexy and a real treat to watch." Pity poor Austin? No way! Viewers think a rebound romance with Sami will leave all parties satisfied: "Austin is always running to Sami's side. I think he has deep feelings for her than he lets on."