John & Marlena were at the core of DOOL. Between the two of them, they connected to everyone and anyone who’s walked or is currently walking the streets of Salem.
And Steve and Kayla, as you said, so were misused by the writing staff that they didn’t stand a chance. Those of us who knew them from the get-go (Oh, how I love the Oh Look A Bird site — to watch those old clips of their back story) kept watching for references, expressions, etc to warm our hearts but, alas… we were disappointed. Those two actors delivered their best, but the stories written for them were lousy, to say the least.