First, I love Ari Zucker (Nicole). She is phenomenal! I can't say enough good things about her. Taking a negative (Nicole being the whipping dog of the writers and of everyone in Salem) and making it a positive...Ari Zucker just nails anything she is given and all that negativity towards her character just allows her to shine even more and gives her juicy, character-driven stuff to work with.
Sonny...he is a breath of fresh air and I love him, root for him.
A bit old news, but I love Victor and Maggie's relationship. It was unexpected and definitely an odd pairing until you see them together.
Jen Lilley (Theresa) is a fabulous addition to the show. She makes Theresa so multi-faceted, in a lot of the same way Ari Zucker does with Nicole. You see the hard outer shell, but those fleeting moments of humanity and vulnerability underneath. I find myself wanting to root for Theresa even if the storyline or situation doesn't bode well for her.
I'm right there with you, Soaphead, on the love for Tony.