User:Aliveness Cascade/Will Horton/sandbox

Talk about fan reaction!
Here are examples of LGBT character articles which cover fan reaction to the character's death: Notice that the first gives far greater coverage to fan reaction than here at Will Horton, and is categorized as a "good article". The second also gives greater coverage of the controversy around the character's death than here. In all cases, here included, fan reaction is included because it is talked about by professional commentators in notable sources. It is an entirely appropriate area of reception for wikipedia articles to cover. In fact, it would be wrong not to include it here, as professional commentators remark on its significance. To wit:
 * Ianto Jones
 * Lexa (The 100)
 * Tara Maclay

"Fans were outraged in a way rarely seen before in Days history, not comprehending the purpose of killing a legacy character ... who we watched grow from birth in real time onscreen" (Soap Hub 's Hope Campbell)

"To kill the legacy character of Will Horton by having him brutally murdered ... sent a message to the LGBT community, and the viewers, that caused a major negative backlash." (Veteran soap journalist Michael Fairman)"

What's more, the fan backlash is very much part of the real-world story of the character of Will Horton. Ron Carlivati, the new headwriter who is bringing Will back credits the unpopularity of the killing-off of Will as the reason for bringing him back: "it seemed like the death of Will Horton was not a popular decision and was viewed as a mistake. I wanted to take a look at that and see if there was a way to repair some of that damage.” It is therefore essential to include coverage of the fan backlash in the article.

I disagree that the article is written from a fan's point-of-view. I disagree that the article is not written from a neutral point-of-view. Quotes from fans in the article come from edited professional publications (acceptable sources) which have chosen to feature them. It is therefore entirely acceptable and proper to include them in the article. They are not original research. Plus they are also a small part of the reception coverage here. The bulk of commentary in the article is the opinion of professional critics. And as far as I can see the opinion of critics was overwhelmingly negative towards the killing-off of Will. (I think some praised Robert Scott Wilson's performance as the killer Ben Weston, but that is not relevant here as this is an article about Will).

The example articles above (Ianto Jones, Lexa, Buffy's Tara) include views that challenge the negative responses to the killing of the character. This article doesn't because critics were overwhelmingly against the killing of Will! This distinguishes Will from these other characters. The solid negativity towards killing-off Will seems to be for three reasons: (1) Will was a twenty-year old soap-opera legacy character, who was "born on the show" and "grown up on the show", and his importance to the show was widely appreciated; and (2) he had cultural significance due to the highly-praised coming-out story, and being part of the first male-male marriage in US daytime drama history, and (3) the general impact of the Will and Sonny relationship:

"The storyline began to play out in 2012, when few states had marriage equality. By the time the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that same-sex marriage was a right in all 50 states on June 26, 2015, Will and Sonny were already married. DOOL had shown fans how important all types of love stories were and how they deserved representation on daytime TV ...

"DOOL threw away one of their most impactful relationships in soap history for a salacious serial killer storyline." (Krystn Burtt of She Knows)

"Watching Will grow in real time and knowing he was a legacy character (a Horton and a Brady) are exactly what made his death so horrifying for longtime fans – and so unacceptable.That one story arc ushered in a downward spiral for the soap just before its 50th anniversary that never stopped–until now. Welcome back, Will, and welcome back, Sami." (Hope Cambell on Soap Hub)

This article also lacks feedback/reply from the show's producers that the other articles include. That's only because Days didn't give any response the the critisicm:

When Matt Roush in his TV Insider column answered this question, "Does anyone in the TV industry know or care that Days of Our Lives exterminated their iconic gay legacy character and pretty much abolished all things gay on the show, just in time to celebrate 50 years on the air?", he replied: "To address this provocative issue, which I am assured has caused some stir within the industry, I reached out to our resident expert in all things daytime, the great Michael Logan. He informs me that Days ' executive producer and head writer have so far declined to comment on Will's death, or, quoting Logan, "why [they] would agree to terminate such an important and groundbreaking character." If someone is aware of the show's producers making comment about the backlash, I'd like to read it (and see it included in the article)!

In short, reception coverage actually reflects the balance of the sources, and it *is* entirely appropriate, indeed necessary, to cover the backlash.

Language, language!
TV magazines described the scene of Will's murder as "brutal", "violent", "sick", and "graphic". So the article's introduction is taking its lead from the sources in saying that the character was "graphically murdered". The portrayal of the killing was shocking for a daytime drama, and it is right that the lead conveys this.

Murder
Former Days writer Kola Boof, tweeted "I think the killing of Will Horton is one of the biggest dumbest mistakes in Days history. On many levels." Soap Opera Digest condemned the killing, saying it was "sick and violent", and "it got people talking all right, but not in a good way," and whilst realizing the show needed to boost ratings, "killing off a legacy character like Will was not at all the way to do it." They said "Will holds a special place in the hearts of Days viewers", because they watched him "grow up on-screen after his birth in 1995", and "his sensitive coming out tale in 2012" added to his "cherished status". TV Guide Magazine's Michael Logan tweeted "Killing Will is a dumb-ass move. He's not just a legacy character & LGBT icon, this crazy hot mess was storytelling gold. Insane." Logan expanded in his end-of-year review, saying it was "dead wrong" and "idiotic" and "the murder of Days of Our Lives’ landmark gay character Will Horton via brutal strangulation meant the loss of an insanely fascinating fire-starter who had kept the show spinning for years," adding "many are calling the move homophobic."

Michael Fairman labelled the killing as "The Worst Decision" in soaps in 2015, saying "to kill the legacy character of Will Horton by having him brutally murdered ... sent a message to the LGBT community, and the viewers, that caused a major negative backlash." Fairman gave the runner-up for "Worst Decision 2015" to Days not having Will's husband upfront at his funeral, "Will’s husband Sonny was relegated to the second row ... Not cool!" Tony S., a columnist at soapcentral.com, said the family photograph of Will, Sonny and Arianna blowing off Will's grave "came across as a promise from someone in charge to homophobic fans ... as, 'Congrats, you won't have to worry about their kind anymore.'"

James Lott Jr of AfterBuzz TV said Will's murder was a "jump the shark moment", and "I just couldn't believe it!" He said Will was "a character that has been on since pre-birth", and is "related to almost everyone on the show", and "I mean this is really ridiculous to me: to kill Will Horton!" Lott described his experience watching it happen and thinking "you're ruining the show right now - this is the biggest mistake you could have made," and "as the life was coming out of him, the life was coming out of me at the same time, as a long-time viewer." Lott's Afterbuzz TV colleague Tony Moore called Will's death "gruesome" and "hard to watch", and bemoaned "the whole gay storyline is just going to be done away with." He criticized the writing, in that Will didn't run, cry for help, or fight back. Tony S did too, writing "Will was just as fit as any other Salem heartthrob, but was so discombobulated by a toss to the fridge that he couldn't fight back. Alllll riiiggghhhttt", and "he had a child and husband to live for – to fight for – yet the writers seemed like he couldn't die fast enough." Several commentators criticized the lack of repercussions in the story. Laurisa, a columnist at soapcentral.com, wrote "the people of Salem were no more invested in solving this crime than they were before Will's death. " Michael Logan wrote "Will’s death was pretty much forgotten by the people of Salem within days, even by his own mother," and Soap Opera Digest said "the end game" was "nil", and "people were giddily partying to honor Salem's birthday party mere weeks after his graphic murder!"

Mark J Freeman of Afterbuzz TV talked in strongly critical terms about pandering to viewers who dislike seeing gay characters on TV: "instead of just saying 'a majority of middle america doesn't like the gay storyline: let's kill them' ... how about being the change?", And "if someone doesn't like Adrienne—are you just going to kill Adrienne? I mean where is the cut off to what you are going to listen to?  Where are you going to start standing up ... and being the voice of change?" Freeman framed it in an historical context, saying, "there are things in American history, that a majority of people ... thought was right, and it didn't make it right, ... and it doesn't mean that change should not have happened."

Hope Campbell of SoapHub wrote: "Fans were outraged in a way rarely seen before in  Days  history, not comprehending the purpose of killing a legacy character – a Brady AND a Horton who we watched grow from birth in real time onscreen." Fans expressed outrage via social media and letters to Soap Opera Digest. Social media fan reactions were published in Hollywood Life, and 2paragraphs.com, with one fan saying: "Will Horton was a beacon in the face of bullying and persecution. Today, you expect LGBTQ youth to watch his life strangled away". Soap Opera Digest printed a letter saying: "In my 30-plus years as a Days viewer, I have never been more disgusted by a storyline than the violent strangulation death of a gay legacy character ... As the mother of a young son who was struggling with his sexuality, we were able to watch Will come out, fall in love, and get married ... Now I regret ever encouraging him to watch."

In another published tweet a fan thanked Alison Sweeney (who plays Will's mother, Sami Brady) for "voicing our disgust" to the killing of Will. Sweeney told Soap Opera Digest: "I was angry.  I felt betrayed and hurt", and "this particular story point is something that I just don't agree with and I didn't from the moment they told me.  And I don't understand why they did it." Sweeney said: "it breaks my heart that there is no Will anymore."

"I love you so much Sonny. And even if I never get a chance to get back together with you, I have to make this right for you. I love you!"

When Sonny returns to Salem, Will tries to mend his relationship with Sonny. Will also feels insecure about Sonny's commitment to him in light of Sonny's previous relationship with Paul; and because of Paul's success and athleticism, Will thinks he is inferior.

When Sonny returns to Salem, Will tries to mend his marriage with Sonny. On top of his own infidelity, Will feels insecure because of the love between Sonny and Paul, and because Will thinks he is inferior to Paul because of Paul's success and athleticism.

“He’s very passionate about everything he does"

2009 return
After his dad is released from prison, and his mom divorces EJ, Will (now Dylan Patton, and aged 16) returns to Salem in February 2009. His dad is in a new relationship, and Will is stunned when his mom tells him she has adopted a new baby – Grace Brady. Sami is lying though, as she had sex with EJ (breaking her promise to Will's Dad Lucas), and after divorcing EJ, gave birth to his daughter - and the "adoption" is Sami's ruse to keep EJ from knowing. Will meets and befriends Mia McCormick (Taylor Spreitler), who like Will, is a new student at school. Mia encourages Will to accept Grace as his sister. Mia and Will start dating, but Will knows she is keeping secrets. Eventually, it comes out that she herself had a baby secretly after getting pregnant by an ex-boyfriend, Chad Peterson-Woods (Casey Deidrick). She gave her daughter to Nicole Walker (Arianne Zucker), the new wife of EJ DiMera, who intended to pass the baby off as hers and EJ's after miscarrying their own child. However, just after taking Mia's baby daughter, Nicole secretly swapped her with Sami's newborn baby daughter (who she knew was EJ's child), and Nicole is now bringing up Sami's child as her own with EJ − and her name is Sydney. Moreover, Will's new baby "sister" Grace, who Sami thinks is hers, is actually Mia and Chad's daughter! Grace contracts meningitis and dies, and Will and Sami are distraught. Only later is the baby swap revealed, and Will learns that the young Sydney DiMera is really his maternal half-sister, and Mia learns that her daughter is dead. Sami is re-united with her child Sydney. Chad only finds out that he had a daughter after she has died.

Actually Sami slept with EJ, got pregnant, divorced EJ, and gave birth – and EJ, who is now married to Nicole Walker (Arianne Zucker), does not know about the baby!

Coming out story
It's a story that, yes, we've seen before--a beloved character comes out as gay, but never in such a thoughtful, touching, and honest way. And I don't say that lightly. Sami and Lucas' son, Will, a mainstay on the Salem scene since Sami gave birth to him at 16, has recently revealed his true sexuality--not only to himself, but to his friends, family and fellow Salemites. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe how poignant the unveiling (and the subsequent back and forth) of Will's sexuality has been. It's raw, it's touching, and most importantly, it's honest to a core.

In any other actors hands, the story would not carry the same weight. Massey brings a pureness to the role of Will that makes you love him. This is a brilliant young actor who will move you tears based on a look alone. Enjoy him while you can because I foresee a day when every major producer in Hollywood is going to want to cast this young man.

The legendary Ms. Hall could read the phone book and I'd still watch. Just like Massey, she doesn't even need to utter a word for you to get a sense of what she's feeling. Her scenes with Chandler are pure magic, and her portrayal of Marlena is a lesson in how to approach any difficult situation in life.

Head writers Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas Jr. deserve all the credit here. The "Will is Gay" story has been simmering for months, and has never once felt rushed or premature. They developed the character layer by layer, and then bounced him around like a ball in a pinball machine as he had to deal with the 'am I gay?' realization. There was no obviousness right off the bat, no typical, 'I am gay, so let's deal with it,' storyline. Having seen friends go through this before, I've never seen a more honest approach to telling Will's coming out story.

The actors have made this a complete, full-service story. Whether it's Will's friend Sonny (also gay) offering support, ex-girlfriend Gabi wondering why Will couldn't be intimate with her, or dad Lucas afraid that his son's play housing with friend Sonny might draw the eyes of onlookers, everyone has been top notch, and captivating to watch.

Fairman called Will's coming out story "excellent", and "emotionally impactful", "powerful", "relatable", and "believable", and credited Days of Our Lives for keeping it "edgy, dark, and very raw". He said the writers and actors did "a subtle, compelling and beautiful job relating the struggles of young man trying to face and accept who he is, and the ramifications he fears it will have for him with his family and society", and he also praised the writing for "addressing what parents fear for their child when they come out", saying "a lot of important points were made throughout the dialog." Fairman also gave the accolade of "power performances of the week" to Chandler Massey and Deidre Hall (playing Will's grandma Marlena, who helps Will come out), and gave Massey his "Best Overall Performance" of a daytime younger actor in 2012, and praised Massey's performance as "remarkable", "fabulous",  and "beyond sensational". Massey submitted the episode where Will kisses Neil and talks to Marlena about it to the Daytime Emmys in 2013, and won for it. Anthony D. Langford of AfterElton.com said Massey and Hall have "terrific chemistry". Rick Nelson of the Star Tribune thought Will's coming out storyline was addictive viewing.

was disappointed that, when Will agrees to go to a party with Sonny's gay friends, the event was not shown, saying "it was a big moment in Will’s life, and it shouldn’t have happened off screen". He wanted to see "Will interacting with other gays", and said "the show built us to a significant point in Will’s life and then turned away from it", and he criticized the storyline for not developing fast enough. He said Will's scenes with Marlena were "nice" because Massey and Hall have

" And in the key and emotionally impactful scenes; Chandler Massey (Will), Bryan Dattilo (Lucas) and Alison Sweeney (Sami) delivered believable performances, none more touching than the Daytime Emmy nominated, Massey!

Kudos also go the former DAYS head writing team of Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas for showing the audience Sami, Lucas, and Will’s point of view, and addressing what parents fear for their child when they come out and how they each grappled with the news. The scenes also deal with Will’s internal struggle and fear of coming out to his parents. And, that is just for starters! A lot of important points were made throughout the dialog."

Gay romance
"How far we’ve come from the days of Matt Fielding and his succession of interchangeable boyfriends on Melrose Place, who never got so much as an onscreen kiss. Not only do Will and Sonny get to make out like straight couples do, but they’re regularly shown in flagrante delicto and basking shirtless in post-coitus afterglow. How often do we get to see that on a major network – and in the middle of the afternoon?!"

"What elevates Will and Sonny to groundbreaking status is their youth, their location (Smalltown, U.S.A., far from the coastal gay meccas of New York, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco), and that their domestic stability (and sex life!) is so front-and-center on Days, which devoted three episodes in April to a gay wedding."

"May it be the beginning of a more balanced presentation of what it means to be young and gay, one that will offer hope that life can do more than get better. It can be better."

Will Horton's romance with Sonny Kiriakis has been generally well received by critics and the audience. TV Guide said that "while it took 45 years for the show to introduce its first openly gay character (Sonny) and another year and a half to have him find a male partner (Will), the wait was well worth it. This steamy, star-crossed saga has had drama to spare (Paranoia! Blackmail! Impossible parents!), but its real success lies in the fresh, easy charm of these two young men." TV Source Magazine named Will and Sonny Best Couple of 2012 in the Days of Our Lives series, saying "One of the most refreshing things about Will and Sonny’s relationship is it's portrayed just as any heterosexual couple would be. Watching them grow from friends to being in love was one of the highlights of the year for DAYS."

"“Jumping into the story where I did really hit home that we aren’t just playing a couple of gay characters on a TV show, we’re blazing a trail,” Wilson adds. “We’re showcasing positive role models in a happy, healthy relationship.”

Wedding
"With gay marriage becoming legal in a growing number of states with more sure to follow, my fantasy as a teen that I knew could never come true can actually come true for young gay people dreaming about that today,

That is why I will be forever grateful to this soap for giving us this episode, this wedding that was filled with love and supportive family and friends.

It’s the way it should be and always should have been."

Characterization and family
Will is the great-grandson of Days of Our Lives original couple, Tom and Alice Horton. Their youngest son, Bill Horton, has an affair with Kate Roberts, producing Will's father, Lucas. When Will is born, Lucas is going by the name of Lucas Roberts, but it is his half-brother Austin Reed who is believed to be Will's father. Will is named after Austin's sister, Billie – and Will starts out as Will Reed. When Lucas finds out he is Will's father, Will is renamed Will Roberts - which is the name of the character for most of his childhood. Lucas later changes both their surnames to Horton.

The Sony Pictures website for Will said his "turbulent upbringing" makes the young Will "moody and suspicious". However, Will also has a streak of optimism, demonstrated in his childhood ambition to get his parents together as a couple, against all odds. Will has a good relationship with his Uncle Austin. When Austin was reintroduced into the series in 2011, Chandler Massey (then playing Will) said the two characters shared a bond: Will sees Austin as a "father figure" and Austin often feels paternal.

Will is also the great-grandson of Shawn and Caroline Brady, the patriarch and matriarch of Days of Our Lives "second family" – the Bradys, and proprietors of the Brady pub. Will's maternal grandfather, Roman Brady, is the Police Commissioner for Salem, the town in which the show is set. Will's mother Sami Brady, is the daughter of Roman Brady and Dr. Marlena Evans, who is a psychiatrist. Will has a close relationship with his Grandma Marlena. She tells Will he is "one of the bravest men I've ever known".

When talking about Will and Sonny, Massey said how Will "being insecure" is used to create drama, but that Will and Sonny were "by far the most stable, most logical and loving" couple on the show.

Will has a long-time best friend in Tad "T" Stevens – played by Brendan Coughlin.

Sexuality
When Dylan Patton played Will, he was characterized as straight. Will (aged 16-17) had a girlfriend in Mia McCormick (Taylor Spreitler), and Patton was unaware of any intention to make Will gay. When Chandler Massey started as Will, he was still characterized as straight, even though Will split up with Mia shortly after. Massey told Afterbuzz TV "It wasn't till later" and "I guess something that I was doing made them think, like, 'this guy should be gay! And this will be great! '". Massey explained: "They sat me down and told me we had this great story for Will – he's going to be coming out – and we want to let you know that's the direction we're going in."

Massey was told this in February 2011, but when Days of Our Lives employed two new producers and a head writer, it cast uncertainty over the storyline. Massey said that while he was not told whether or not they would proceed, he played Will "with his sexuality in mind". In August 2011, Massey told Damon L. Jacobs from We Love Soaps that he did not know if the series was going to proceed with a gay storyline for Will. He claimed he was yet to receive any scripts to suggest that Will would. In November 2011, Lynette Rice of Entertainment Weekly announced the serial was going ahead with Will's gay storyline. Will's story received approval from NBC and Sony Pictures Entertainment, who air the show. Days of Our Lives Co-Executive Producer Greg Meng told Rice "we are excited to have the encouragement and support from both NBC and Sony to tell the inspiring story of a young man learning who he is as he defines and creates his relationships with others." Massey said that he was "thrilled" to play Will in an "empowering way that will show his struggle to accept who he is". He wanted the storyline to help other people to accept themselves for who they are. Amelia Proud from Daily Mail reported that the storyline's inclusion was part of the series focus on attracting a younger audience.

It was originally reported Will would be coupled with Sonny Kiriakis (Freddie Smith), a slightly older gay character that was introduced to the show on June 23, 2011, but Smith said Sonny might become involved with another character. At that time, Will was dating Gabi Hernandez (Camila Banus). Nevertheless, Will becomes friends with Sonny, and Massey told Jacobs of We Love Soaps that Will had a close relationship with Sonny. Will looks up to and respects Sonny because he has encountered hate in Salem but remains confident and comfortable with who he is. Massey said Will cannot help but admire these qualities in Sonny as "they are rare to see." The two characters share a "bromance" more than anything else.

When Gabi Hernandez (Camila Banus) ends her relationship with Will, he becomes slightly unhinged. Massey told a reporter from Gay Star News that the scenes were fun to film, but a "challenge to do them convincingly". Massey said that Will's struggle with his sexuality that follows would not be romantic. The character had a lot to deal with and throughout his life "he has put his sexuality on the back burner and hasn't really dealt with it." Massey said that the storyline would reach a "big audience" and hoped that it would promote tolerance.

Massey told Robert Waldron of Soap Opera Digest that Will was keeping his "self-loathing and disgust" over his sexuality to himself, which results in him becoming "tightly wound". Will drinks alcohol to make himself feel "less awkward", and in turn this makes him do something he wouldn't when he is of a sober mind: Will shares a kiss with the character Neil (Jesse Kristofferson), which is witnessed by Sonny. Massey added being caught by Sonny is "one of those moments when Will wishes he could turn invisible". Bryan Dattilo, who plays Will's dad Lucas, told Michael Logan of TV Guide that Lucas is "in shock when he sees Will flirting with another guy". Lucas is worried Will may be persecuted because of his sexuality and fall victim to hate crimes. Datillo said he was proud of the writing, which he said "stayed true to Lucas" as he is a "very loving and accepting guy". He added Lucas would "do anything" to protect Will. Will comes out to his parents when Will is left feeling "vulnerable and exposed" after he finds out Lucas is resuming his relationship with Sami. Will lashes out at Lucas and reveals he is gay. Dattilo praised Massey's performance in the scenes. Datillo previously had only worked alongside Massey on a few occasions before his departure in 2010. He added it was like meeting a new actor because Massey just "rips up every scene".

Casting
The role of Will Horton was originally played by child actors Shawn and Taylor Carpenter from 1995 until 2002. Darian Weiss played the character until 2003, until Christopher Gerse was cast in the role. Gerse told Janet Di Lauro of Soap Opera Digest that he had previously auditioned for Will, and then another part, but had not landed either role. When he was finally cast, Gerse said, "I was so happy to get on DAYS ... I've always wanted to have a recurring part on a TV show." Gerse left the series in 2007 and made a brief return in 2008. In 2009, the character was reintroduced as a rebellious teen with actor Dylan Patton. Soap Opera Digest reported in late 2009 that Patton had finished filming, and the role had been recast to facilitate a new storyline. Chandler Massey, a newcomer to daytime television, won the role. Before he took over the role, Massey watched as many episodes of the series as he could find to familiarize himself with Will. In February 2013, Soap Opera Digest confirmed Massey's younger brother Christian Massey would portray Will in flashbacks.

Identical twins Shawn and Taylor Carpenter first portrayed Will. They were only six weeks old when they started, and they portrayed Will until six years old (1995-2002). In 2002, Days decided they wanted a trained young actor playing Will, and nine-year old Darian Weiss was cast, and the character was rapidly-aged three years. A year later (2003), Christopher Gerse took over as Will. Gerse told Janet Di Lauro of Soap Opera Digest that he had previously auditioned for Will, and another part, but had not landed either. Finally successful, Gerse said "I was so happy to get on DAYS ... I've always wanted to have a recurring part on a TV show." In 2005, Days were again planning to rapidly age Will, and were "actively seeking out a new actor to play the role" – but plans were changed when new storyline for the younger Will "became available", and Gerse was retained to "preserve the believability of Alison Sweeney and Bryan Dattilo as his parents". In the end, Gerse played Will through to 2007, plus a one-episode appearance in January 2008. Will was then written out (by having the character go to live with his Uncle Austin and Aunt Carrie in Switzerland). In 2009, Will was reintroduced as a rebellious teen with actor Dylan Patton, and then in 2010 the role was again recast with Chandler Massey, a newcomer to daytime television, reportedly to facilitate a new storyline. Before he started, Massey watched as many episodes of the series as he could find to familiarize himself with the character. Massey's younger brother Christian Massey was employed to play Will in flashbacks for the episode of February 8, 2013.

In 2009, Will now sixteen, was reintroduced with actor Dylan Patton. In 2010 the role was again recast with Chandler Massey, a newcomer to daytime television, reportedly to facilitate a new storyline. Before he started, Massey watched as many episodes of the series as he could find to familiarize himself with the character. Massey's younger brother Christian was employed to play Will in flashbacks for the episode of February 8, 2013. After Massey's second Emmy win in 2013, he revealed he would vacate the role to return to university after his current contract expired. Executive Producer Ken Corday said, "I wish he would stay. I keep telling him to change his mind, don't go away ... The door will always be open here to Chandler.  We are not going to recast Will, but I wish him well". Massey expressed he would support a recast, saying "I don’t want Will and Sonny to break up. I want them to be together forever and go off and get married", and "if they decide to bring someone else to play Will, I won't be upset and bitter. I want what is best for WilSon!" On August 23, 2013, it was reported Massey had left the show effective immediately, and the show would go ahead with a recast due to the character's current storyline.

On September 12, 2013, it came out that Guy Wilson was cast in the role of Will. His costar Freddie Smith revealed the switch between Massey and Wilson would happen as quick as the news of the recast, saying, "If you blink and open your eyes, you’ll be like, ' Wait, there's a new Will?! ' ... It’s literally just 'BOOM! '" Massey made his final appearance on January 2, 2014, and Wilson made his first appearance on January 8, 2014. Wilson later revealed that when he tested for the role with Freddie Smith, Smith did not know that Wilson was reading for the role of Will, saying "I wasn't supposed to tell him". Wilson said "the whole experience was a soap opera, because everyone knew something that someone else didn't know." Wilson portrayed Will up to his final appearance on October 13, 2015.

Guy Wilson took a brief hiatus on October 30, 2014, as Will accompanies Sami out of town, coinciding with the exit of Alison Sweeney from the series. He appeared on December 1, 2014, and then returned full-time on December 11, 2014. In September 2015, it was announced Wilson had been let go and the role would not be recast.

Freddie did not know that I was reading for that role. They thought I was coming on to be someone who tries to come between them - like a heavy recurring character. I wasn't supposed to tell him that ... there was all these little things ...

The whole experience was a soap opera, because every one knew something that someone else didn't know. Just as I'm sure there was so much going on that I didn't know. Showed up, hit my mark, did my lines, they called me the next day,

Introduction
The character of Will was killed off (murdered) in the episode of October 9, 2015, a month before the show's 50th Anniversary, by new Headwriters Dena Higley and Josh Griffith. This generated major fan backlash, and criticism in the soap press , as well as accusations that Days of Our Lives were pandering to anti-gay sentiment in their audience base.

The Killing of Will
Former Days writer Kola Boof, tweeted "I think the killing of Will Horton is one of the biggest dumbest mistakes in Days history. On many levels." Soap Opera Digest condemned the killing, saying it was "sick and violent", and "it got people talking all right, but not in a good way," and whilst realizing that they show needed to boost ratings, "killing off a legacy character like Will was not at all the way to do it." They said that "Will holds a special place in the hearts of Days viewers", because they watched him "grow up on-screen after his birth in 1995", and that "his sensitive coming out tale in 2012" added to his "cherished status" TV Guide Magazine's Michael Logan tweeted "Killing Will is a dumb-ass move. He's not just a legacy character & LGBT icon, this crazy hot mess was storytelling gold. Insane." Logan expanded in his end-of-year review, saying it was "dead wrong" and "idiotic" and "the murder of Days of Our Lives’ landmark gay character Will Horton via brutal strangulation meant the loss of an insanely fascinating fire-starter who had kept the show spinning for years," adding that "many are calling the move homophobic."

Michael Fairman labelled the killing as "The Worst Decision" in soaps in 2015, saying "to kill the legacy character of Will Horton by having him brutally murdered [...] sent a message to the LGBT community, and the viewers, that caused a major negative backlash." Fairman gave the runner-up for "Worst Decision 2015" to Days not having Will's husband upfront at his funeral, "Will’s husband Sonny was relegated to the second row [....] Not cool!" Tony S. of soapcentral.com said that the family photograph of Will, Sonny and Arianna blowing off Will's grave "came across as a promise from someone in charge to homophobic fans [...] as, 'Congrats, you won't have to worry about their kind anymore.'"

James Lott Jr of Afterbuzz TV said Will's murder was a "jump the shark moment", and "I just couldn't believe it!" He said Will was "a character that has been on since pre-birth", and is "related to almost everyone on the show", and "tied to so many people", and "I mean this is really ridiculous to me: to kill Will Horton!" Lott described his experience watching it happen and thinking "you're ruining the show right now - this is the biggest mistake you could have made," and "I was watching it, as the life was coming out of him, the life was coming out of me at the same time, as a long-time viewer." Lott's Afterbuzz TV colleague Tony Moore called Will's death "gruesome" and "hard to watch", and bemoaned that "the whole gay storyline is just going to be done away with." He criticized the writing, in that Will didn't run, cry for help, or fight back. Tony S did too, writing "Will was just as fit as any other Salem heartthrob, but was so discombobulated by a toss to the fridge that he couldn't fight back. Alllll riiiggghhhttt", and "he had a child and husband to live for – to fight for – yet the writers seemed like he couldn't die fast enough." Several commentators criticized the lack of repercussions in the story. Laurisa, a columnist at soapcentral.com, wrote that "the people of Salem were no more invested in solving this crime than they were before Will's death. " Michael Logan wrote "Will’s death was pretty much forgotten by the people of Salem within days, even by his own mother," and Soap Opera Digest said "the end game" was "nil", and "people were giddily partying to honor Salem's birthday party mere weeks after his graphic murder!"

Mark J Freeman of Afterbuzz TV talked in strongly critical terms about pandering to viewers who dislike seeing gay characters on TV : "instead of just saying 'a majority of middle america doesn't like the gay storyline: let's kill them' [...] how about being the change?", And "if someone doesn't like Adrienne - are you just going to kill Adrienne? I mean where is the cut off to what you are going to listen to?  Where are you going to start standing up [...] and being the voice of change?" Freeman framed it in an historical context, saying, "there are things in American history, that a majority of people [...] thought was right, and it didn't make it right, [...] and it doesn't mean that change should not have happened."

Fans expressed outrage via social media and article comment threads  and letters to Soap Opera Digest. Fans claimed that homosexual people and marriage and parenthood were being demeaned by : Days not having Will's in-laws and best friend Tad "T" Stevens at to Will's funeral, and having Will's husband Sonny put in the second row;  by Days having Sonny abandoning his husband's bereft two-year old daughter (whom Sonny had raised with Will) immediately after Will was murdered ; and by Days having Will's cousin Abigail, and his friend Chad, repeatedly refer to Will as one of "those people" who had been murdered. On October 9, fan "Mistress Euclid" tweeted Days of Our Lives, saying "Will Horton was a beacon in the face of bullying and persecution. Today, you expect LGBTQ youth to watch his life strangled away". Soap Opera Digest printed a letter from "Melinda in Philadelphia" saying : "In my 30-plus years as a Days viewer, I have never been more disgusted by a storyline [...] As the mother of a young son who was struggling with his sexuality, we were able to watch Will come out, fall in love, and get married [...] Now I regret ever encouraging him to watch. "

A fan tweeted thanks to Alison Sweeney (who plays Will's mother, Sami Brady) for sharing her reaction to the killing of Will. Sweeney told Soap Opera Digest: "I was angry.  I felt betrayed and hurt", and "this particular story point is something that I just don't agree with and I didn't from the moment they told me.  And I don't understand why they did it," and "it breaks my heart that there is no Will anymore."

Alison Sweeney
What did you think when you heard that they were killing off Will?

Completely honestly, I was angry. I felt betrayed and hurt that they were doing it. I had a crazy reaction that I didn't want to do it and a I didn't want to go be a part of it because I was upset. And then I feel like I went throught the five stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depresssion, then coming to terms with it. Personally, I think it is a big mistake. I am sorry they did it but, of course, I had to go there and mourn. I haven't seen every scene that Will has done that put them in that situation, but I think there are other ways that they could have handled it. It breaks my heart that there is no Will anymore. There have been lots of storylines that I haven't agreed with, but I always understood the motive behind them and the value in getting the audience riled up. I'm a company girl and I've always been supportive of that. But this particular story point is something that I just don't agree with and I didn't from the moment they told me. And I don't understand why they did it.

He's a legacy character, Marlena's grandson. Another child Sami has lost. And he was on the canvas the whole time. A lot of us, like Sami, were aged. She was born in the '80s and was around for a while when she was a kid and then they skipped 10 years. Will wasn't like that. He was born in 1994 and he was always on the canvas. I feel like that makes a difference; the audience grew up with him.

When I got there and I went through it, I could hardly rehearse the scene for the emotion choking at my throat. In fact it's hard to talk about right now, I feel so strongly about it. I know it's just a character, but I feel that I've lost something personally. It's not just me. I looked around for three days shooting these scenes and I could see the crew was affected by it as well. There were tears in back of the camera as well as in front of it. SOD October 19, 2015.

Afterbuzz TV's Dishin Days
Mark J Freeman :

When the new writing started we all discussed killing off the gays and all that stuff - which I don't think - I'm sure there was a meeting and that was what was said

I think someone came in and said "let's kill the gays!"

"I think it's a big mistake. I get that you do your research for the show - you know your demographic, you know what people like, you know what people are not liking - I get that, and I get that it's a money-maker, but instead of just saying 'a majority of middle america doesn't like the gay storyline: let's kill them,' and I know it's not 'let's kill the gays', I get that, but at the same time - here's my thing - instead of keeping your show and catering to these people that don't like the storyline, how about being the change, how about being the person who says 'you know what, I get it middle america, I get that you may not a lot of gay people or they're not out to you because they're afraid of you because that's the attitude you have, but why don't we as adults and human and people who are working around gay people on a regular basis take a stand and say 'you know what, I get that you don't like it, but this is America today, this is the world today, and I don't care that you don't like it, you're going to see it, and here it is and I don't care - I just ... it is starting to get to me now, because I'm like : be the change, be the person that stands up, and not just have, you know ... oh and again, it was kind of like Freddie was saying about, that Sonny became just a character - not the gay character - and it's like, no one is saying that they have to be like the head storyline, no one's saying that they have to be on air seven days a week, but if someone doesn't like Adrienne - are you just going to kill Adrienne? - I mean where is the cut off to what you are going to listen to - where are you going to start standing up and representing and being there and being the voice of change instead of being the person who says "well...", we talked about this a little bit on the way here too, there are things in American history, that a majority of people didn't - that thought was right, and it didn't make it right, but just because a majority of America thought it was right, doesn't make it right, and it doesn't mean that change should not have happened. So I'm done, I'm stepping down off my pedestal. (laughs)

JLJ = "Everyone in the chatroom agrees with you!"

Tony Moore : "Here's the that annoys me : (is that) we have given them so much credit for how beautifully they have handled the storyline"

Mark : "No!  We are giving credit to the people that wrote that!  These aren't the people who wrote that!  Let's get that straight!  Because if they're going to this, then they're going to get  (Tony interrupts :"At some point in time other people will be able to ..."  (all laugh) "I'm not giving credit to people who don't deserve the credit.  I'm giving credit to the people who actually wrote that storyline.

Tony : I'm not saying these writers in particular. I'm saying Days as a show, whoever the writers were at the time, did a wonderful job with the storyline and of Sonny and Will, and have given us the same type of drama that they would with any other supercouple that has been on the show - that everything wasn't going to end in roses - and even with the cheating and everything like that I thought they handled it beautifully. With that being said, the death of Will - I think this is the first time I watched something and felt it was so gruesome and so like - it was kind of hard to watch -

Mark : And it was the only one that they showed, as it happened.

Tony : Well I think because,  back then we didn't know who the killer was, we now know who the killer is.

Mark : Yeah, but even the flashbacks of the other girls, you didn't see that much of it.

Tony : But it was just as, when they did show how it happened, it was just as gruesome, as this one, but now this is like one we're watching in real-time. And just how it played out, it was such a heart-wrenching thing because I even felt like Will felt like something was about to happen. Now - if I was Will, my white gene would have kicked in - I would have like - I would have been like "help me please", doing something, to like, to get out, but to see how cuckoo-for-coco-pops that Ben now is and I just feel like there isn't a rhyme or reason why he's killing people, I feel like - I feel like it was a meeting where it was : we need to revamp the show, so we're going to do this, and I don't feel like there's .... There's so many different ways they could have played that whole finding the tie in the trash can, and to Will he wasn't even bothered by it - it wasn't until Ben grabbed it, and he's twisting it, and doing all this stuff, that it dawned on Will like, ermm, yeah, you're the killer - got to go! - but he couldn't leave in time - and I mean, I don't know, it was just, it was such a, and then to see the body being wrapped up, and then going to Will's house to stage it, it was kind of like - okay this is where you guys are taking us and I'm not sure how I feel about it - and then, especially knowing that the whole gay storyline is just going to be done away with.

After, and you know, we didn't like some of the things that previous writers did, but that was one of the things that I think they handled really well, and now it's just gone.

So, James ... You now get a ten minute rant!

James : How do I follow those to things. Okay, no, here we go ... For me as a long ... I think I've watched Days the longest out of the three of us (I'm only a few years younger than Days of Our Lives - I'm forty-six), but no ...

James : For me I looked at it - the ways you looked at it - but I looked at it also from a character standpoint. The character of Will is a legacy character - is a character that has been on since pre-birth - the whole Sami, Austin, Carrie storyline - Lucas - I mean this Will character is tied to *so* many people - I did a look-who's-related - he's related to almost everyone on the show. And for me it came across as a jump the shark moment (if you don't know what jump the shark means, it means when you do something that takes it over the edge, and kind of ruins a show almost). I watched that death, and as I'm watching it happen, I'm going "I think you're ruining the show right now - this is the biggest mistake you could have made" ... I just, I just ... even beyond the gay stuff, I was going by the Will part - he's Will Horton! I mean this is really ridiculous to me : to kill Will Horton! I just couldn't believe it! I was watching it, as the life was coming out of him, the life was coming out of me at the same time, as a long-time viewer - and as you fans know, I'm a big character person : I love all the characters and family tree and stuff, ... (11.57) you're killing of a major part of the family tree - that was so weird - that was so weird to me - so I completely agree .. I disagree ...     I totally agree with that "Big mistake!", shouldn't have done it  ... I just, I don't know ....    Ken Corday, yes, is the head of all of this, so of course it starts from the top, and then goes down to the writers ... And the fans, they, you know .... Soaps are scared right now, erm .... General Hospital - their new Head Writing all of a sudden .... The soaps know that the writing's on the wall, in a way, but they have to be careful in how they make their decisions, because,

Tony : Okay, and I get that they're trying to bring back the way Days used to be, but, in my opinion, the world has progressed, since those days of John and Marlena, Bo and Hope, Kayla and Steve, you know ...  We've progressed so much, just as a society .... so why not embrace change and face the fact that these characters ... they haven't been together so why force them together just to re-kindle, you know, what the show used to be. I feel like we've been on this journey, good or bad, where we've dealt without Bo for an amount of time, and we've seen Hope move on ... we've dealt with Kayla not being with Steve, you know, we've dealt with so much, and I feel like we need to progress instead of moving back, because I feel like they're taking us back, and then they're going to move us forward, and I'm not know if I want to be moved forward using the past formula. Does that make sense?

Mark : I agree 100%,

James : But for me, I don't mind both, so you have got to find the balance, so i agree with what you're saying, but there needs to be a balance, there should be an inter-generational balance. You can have the newer characters, you can have then younger characters, and the older ... there's a way to do it! That could really work!

Mark : One of the things that was mentioned in these articles about re-vamping the show, was that they wanted to get back to the "romance" of Days of Our Lives, and the families of Days of Our Lives - so how is Will Horton not family, and how is that storyline not romance! Yet you're going to .... so you're not doing what you say you're going to do ... so, whatever!

James : Now the other problem (?you have a problem?). One problem was a technical problem I had, and someone else had brought this up on twitter [ Mark interrupts with a joke about the open refrigerator and the food ]  No the thing that got me was suddenly, was it me, but wasn't it like the lights were on when they were talking, and suddenly, in the middle of it, it got super dark, and that red light was on [outside - Mark interjects]. Where did that come from? They made it so ... They were shooting it from different angles - is this an episode of criminal minds all of a sudden? It was trying to be all angle-y. It was really weird to me, and I was like: that transition was kind of weird!

Tony : Here's my thing. I've never been choked before, thank god! [Mark - I'll show you! I got this! ] But I feel like with Will - I would have liked gouged an eye out - because his hands were loose - I would have [ wacks his arms about ] I would have kicked him in the, in the ...

James : But Ben's kind of hunky though

Mark : Will's not a little scrawny thing

James : ... but crazy strong ... strong and crazy at the same time!

Tony : There would have been quite a struggle. I wasn't going to .... Ehhuh ... You wouldn't take me out without a ...

Mark : It's a daytime death ...

Tony : I get it. But then to see it from his point of view, and to see his eyes get clouded, and then just ....

I will say, I will give a little kudos to this : in the fact that we saw a bit of remorse from Ben. In which he realized what he did, and he ... I think there was a moment when he's like : he felt I can't keep doing this, I don't know why I am doing this. You know what I mean? I felt like that from him, for a moment, as he lay there next to Will's lifeless body. And again, I don't get - you have, first of all, you have that much hatred for Chad that you will now kill people so that Abigail will be with you? That makes no sense to me, and you have still yet to reveal to Abigail that you know that her and Chad have been together. Maybe you should release that, and then maybe you can release cuckoo-for-coco-pops that is inside of you.

James : It is kind of weird. (16.34) We don't really know the motivation. He's never dressed up, so he's never wore ties.

Tony : But he's got a whole collection of red ties.

James : Yeah, I'm like, I just ...

Mark : Did he not throw away ... pull everything out and throw it away, and yet there's still one tie. I could just ... whatever ... it's just ... I dunno, I don't even want to give it more air-time 'cause it's stupid.

Tony : Everyone's like trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Abigail's still running around to Chad - secret meetings and stuff.

Mark : And she knows the way through the secret passage now! [ James : that's right! ] (17.15)

....

I hope that we will see the Brady Pub. It's not gay-owned so it should be fine.

Outtakes
Tony S. of soapcentral.com put the killing of Will as his "Worst shocking 'what the &%$#?' moment", saying "Seriously. Lemme get this straight. Will -- a groundbreaking legacy character whose parents are Sami Freaking Brady and Lucas Horton; whose grandparents are Marlena Evans, Roman Brady, Kate Roberts, and Bill Horton; who had half of his siblings as part DiMera; and who was married to a Kiriakis/Johnson heir -- was murdered because he was essentially in the wrong place at the wrong time while waiting for the cable guy as a favor to his indecisive cousin!? Lemme repeat, 'Seriously!?'", and "Ugh. I barely have the energy to go into the fact that Will was just as fit as any other Salem heartthrob, but was so discombobulated by a toss to the fridge that he couldn't fight back. Alllll riiiggghhhttt. Out of all the victims to that point, he had a child and husband to live for -- to fight for -- yet the writers seemed like he couldn't die fast enough. His entire death was the time and place where besties 'Insult To' and 'Injury' met and fell in love."

SOD also labelled Will and Sonny as the Worst Marital Conflict of 2015, commenting on the inexplicable decision of Days to tear Will and Sonny apart: "Sonny left Salem, and Will was then murdered. When Will and Sonny tied the knot it was a ground-breaking moment based in love, which is why it is impossible to comprehend why the show spent the best part of the last two years trying to unravel this historic union." SOD, December 21, 2015

Jim Halterman commented "With Sonny off the canvas and Will dead, that only left Paul on the show as the sole gay character. Sadly, his scenes have been few and far between" and "the fact that the LGBT presence (which has brought the show accolades over the past few years) is dwindling is definitely disconcerting."

Jim Halterman of Xfinity commented : ""the fact that the LGBT presence (which has brought the show accolades over the past few years) is dwindling is definitely disconcerting."

Numerous fans claimed that homosexual people and marriage and parenthood were being denigrated by : Days showing Chad and Ben fighting vigorously, but Will barely fighting back;   and Will's family showing little interest in finding out what had happened to Will, despite Will's grandpa Roman Brady being the police commissioner.

; and by having Will's husband and family show little or no interest in finding out how Will had been killed.

and it signaled the end of "this groundbreaking soap opera couple".

Hope Campbell of soapshows.com wrote that Will's death left a "gaping wide hole in Salem’s heart."

Storyline
For Will, the experience serves to affirm that he is gay, and the next day he apologizes to Gabi, and comes out to her. Will also comes out to his parents, and he begins a relationship with Sonny. Gabi then discovers she is pregnant by Will. Her new boyfriend Nick Fallon (Blake Berris) is keen to raise the baby as his own, and Gabi wants this, and Will reluctantly agrees, and they keep the baby's real paternity secret.

Will's mom and dad do not get back together, largely because Sami had consummated her forced marriage to EJ (which resulted in Will's new youngest sister, Sydney DiMera). Will becomes resigned to his parents not re-uniting, and he accepts Sami's new relationship with the respectable Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) as a better choice than EJ.

Characterization and Family
In the show, the character is first named William Reed. "William" is after his aunt Billie Reed (Lisa Rinna), who is both the sister of Austin Reed (who's believed to be Will's father when Will is born), and half-sister to Lucas (Will's real biological father). When Will's real paternity is publicly revealed two years later, Will's surname is changed to Lucas's. As Lucas is using his mother's surname of Roberts, Will becomes Will Roberts. Several years later, Lucas changes both their surnames to that of his father, Bill Horton. Will is the great grandson of Days of Our Lives original couple, Tom and Alice Horton.

Murder
Former Days writer Kola Boof, tweeted "I think the killing of Will Horton is one of the biggest dumbest mistakes in Days history. On many levels." Soap Opera Digest condemned the killing, saying it was "sick and violent", and "it got people talking all right, but not in a good way," and whilst realizing the show needed to boost ratings, "killing off a legacy character like Will was not at all the way to do it." They said "Will holds a special place in the hearts of Days viewers", because they watched him "grow up on-screen after his birth in 1995", and "his sensitive coming out tale in 2012" added to his "cherished status". TV Guide Magazine's Michael Logan tweeted "Killing Will is a dumb-ass move. He's not just a legacy character & LGBT icon, this crazy hot mess was storytelling gold. Insane." Logan expanded in his end-of-year review, saying it was "dead wrong" and "idiotic" and "the murder of Days of Our Lives’ landmark gay character Will Horton via brutal strangulation meant the loss of an insanely fascinating fire-starter who had kept the show spinning for years," adding "many are calling the move homophobic."

Michael Fairman labelled the killing as "The Worst Decision" in soaps in 2015, saying "to kill the legacy character of Will Horton by having him brutally murdered ... sent a message to the LGBT community, and the viewers, that caused a major negative backlash." Fairman gave the runner-up for "Worst Decision 2015" to Days not having Will's husband upfront at his funeral, "Will’s husband Sonny was relegated to the second row ... Not cool!" Tony S., a columnist at soapcentral.com, said the family photograph of Will, Sonny and Arianna blowing off Will's grave "came across as a promise from someone in charge to homophobic fans ... as, 'Congrats, you won't have to worry about their kind anymore.'"

James Lott Jr of AfterBuzz TV said Will's murder was a "jump the shark moment", and "I just couldn't believe it!" He said Will was "a character that has been on since pre-birth", and is "related to almost everyone on the show", and "I mean this is really ridiculous to me: to kill Will Horton!" Lott described his experience watching it happen and thinking "you're ruining the show right now - this is the biggest mistake you could have made," and "as the life was coming out of him, the life was coming out of me at the same time, as a long-time viewer." Lott's Afterbuzz TV colleague Tony Moore called Will's death "gruesome" and "hard to watch", and bemoaned "the whole gay storyline is just going to be done away with." He criticized the writing, in that Will didn't run, cry for help, or fight back. Tony S did too, writing "Will was just as fit as any other Salem heartthrob, but was so discombobulated by a toss to the fridge that he couldn't fight back. Alllll riiiggghhhttt", and "he had a child and husband to live for – to fight for – yet the writers seemed like he couldn't die fast enough." Several commentators criticized the lack of repercussions in the story. Laurisa, a columnist at soapcentral.com, wrote "the people of Salem were no more invested in solving this crime than they were before Will's death. " Michael Logan wrote "Will’s death was pretty much forgotten by the people of Salem within days, even by his own mother," and Soap Opera Digest said "the end game" was "nil", and "people were giddily partying to honor Salem's birthday party mere weeks after his graphic murder!"

Mark J Freeman of Afterbuzz TV talked in strongly critical terms about pandering to viewers who dislike seeing gay characters on TV: "instead of just saying 'a majority of middle america doesn't like the gay storyline: let's kill them' ... how about being the change?", And "if someone doesn't like Adrienne—are you just going to kill Adrienne? I mean where is the cut off to what you are going to listen to?  Where are you going to start standing up ... and being the voice of change?" Freeman framed it in an historical context, saying, "there are things in American history, that a majority of people ... thought was right, and it didn't make it right, ... and it doesn't mean that change should not have happened."

Fans expressed outrage via social media and letters to Soap Opera Digest. Social media fan reactions were published in Hollywood Life, and 2paragraphs.com, with one fan saying: "Will Horton was a beacon in the face of bullying and persecution. Today, you expect LGBTQ youth to watch his life strangled away". Soap Opera Digest printed a letter saying: "In my 30-plus years as a Days viewer, I have never been more disgusted by a storyline than the violent strangulation death of a gay legacy character ... As the mother of a young son who was struggling with his sexuality, we were able to watch Will come out, fall in love, and get married ... Now I regret ever encouraging him to watch."

In another published tweet a fan thanked Alison Sweeney (who plays Will's mother, Sami Brady) for "voicing our disgust" to the killing of Will. Sweeney told Soap Opera Digest: "I was angry.  I felt betrayed and hurt", and "this particular story point is something that I just don't agree with and I didn't from the moment they told me.  And I don't understand why they did it." Sweeney said: "it breaks my heart that there is no Will anymore."

Characterisation
Amnesiac Will is shocked to learn that he cheated on his husband, and hates thinking he is the type of person who would do that. Wanting to understand, he seeks out Paul to find out how it happened ... and finds himself "super attracted" to the athletic young man. Amnesiac Will wants to be the person he is today, and he really likes that Paul accepts him as he is, and he spontaneously kisses Paul on two occasions. Will then realizes "he has no business being married to anyone", and in March 2018 he divorces Sonny, whom he does not remember at all. Will and Paul become a couple – who are named "Horita" by fans (mash-up of their surnames, Horton and Narita).

Amnesiac Will is shocked to learn that he cheated on his husband, and hates thinking he is the type of person who would do that. Wanting to understand, he seeks out Paul to find out what happened. ... and finds himself "super attracted" to the athletic Paul. Amnesiac Will wants to be the person he is today, and really likes that Paul accepts him as he is, and he spontaneously kisses Paul on two occasions. Will then realizes "he has no business being married to anyone" and divorces Sonny, whom he does not remember at all, in March 2018. Will and Paul become a couple, known by fans as "Horita" (a mash-up of their surnames, Horton and Narita).

GlobalTV:

As viewers know, Massey’s character is not likely to feel the same about all the reunions! In fact, thanks to Will’s memory loss, the whole thing is sure to be a bit overwhelming. “Will’s not sure how he ended up with all these weirdos as his family,” the actor previews with a laugh. “There’s so much pressure right off the bat and he doesn’t handle emotional situations very well. Sami and Will’s personalities aren’t exactly conducive to calm and collected conversation!”

"Though Will doesn’t quite know his own history, Massey hasn’t forgotten who his character is. “It was kind of nerve-wracking, walking this fine line,” he admits. “I definitely had some anxiety about it, because I watched all of Guy Wilson’s scenes and what happened to Will when he played him. But with his memory problems, it was almost like starting with a blank canvas again. Amnesia’s often associated with some pretty drastic personality changes, so it was a chance to completely recreate Will’s personality in some sense… and yet I also tried to stay faithful to the kind of things that might be hardwired into his body.”

Afterbuzz:

"The first scene I got to yell at her, like tear into her for, I guess, having EJ around in the apartment was fun. Because before Will was always being lectured, and he was like, ' yeah, I'll do it, because I'm a good guy ', and this time he's like 'No! ' The evolution of becoming the worse son ever was fun"

PGN:

The actor notes the importance of the show having three contract players playing gay roles.

"It's more representative of the world," he said. "When we have Donald Trump, a champion on exclusionism, in the White House, we need more shows, more books, more music to spread messages of love."

""He has grown up to be very much like his mother Sami, which is fun to play. Will can be bitchy, like Sami." "Audacity can be very entertaining"

Dominique Digital:

"I love how mad Will can get sometimes! And I love that Will can yell at people. And I love that he is fearlessly protective of Ari, his daughter. And he's not afraid to confront and embrace confrontation. In real life that's discouraged – yelling at people is largely discouraged – but on Days of Our Lives that's how people thrive! I like being able to explore Will's wide range of emotions, and really being able to go there in ways that you can't always in real life."

and fans