Days Update Friday, August 7, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Xander hangs up in frustration as he returns to the table and informs Philip and Gabi that EJ just called in their loan, demanding they pay in full everything they owe by the end of the month. Philip argues that they can’t afford that and they’d lose everything. Alex comes over and questions what he means. Philip informs him that EJ called in the loan. Alex asks why he would do this. Philip guesses he found out they used DiMera money to make the loan payments and this is his revenge.

Stephanie goes to the hospital and tells Kayla that she and Alex had another huge fight, so she really needs her mom right now. Kayla hugs her and says she’s sorry.

Leo and Gwen eat together in Alamainia. Gwen remarks that she wouldn’t put past Dimitri to poison him. Leo points out that Dimitri made it clear that his intention is not to kill them. Gwen says he’s right and that he just wants to punish her and make Leo fall in love with him all over again.

Javi joins Rafe at the Brady Pub and announces he’s here to make their travel plans because he’s going with him to Alamainia tonight. Joy is at a table nearby with Kelsey and suggests they go upstairs to take a nap. Joy then goes to pick Kelsey up but throws her shoulder out.

Dimitri comes in to discuss Gwen and Leo’s sleeping arrangements. Gwen says she’s already familiar with her arrangements but she just tosses and turns all night. Gwen complains that she’s being held against her will. Leo tells them not to fight as there’s no point in turning this in to a warzone. Gwen says that’s exactly what this is. Dimitri offers to show Leo to his bed. Leo argues that he won’t be sleeping long. Leo reminds Dimitri that Chad sent him on the DiMera jet so he knows where he is and why he’s there and he will come looking for him. Dimitri argues that Chad won’t come looking for him and no one else will either because no one cares about Leo like he is.

Stephanie complains to Kayla about Joy wanting to keep her away from Kelsey for 18 years. Stephanie explains that she went to go see her at the Pub, but her emotions got the best of her and she accused Joy of trying to come between her and Alex. Stephanie adds that Joy told Alex before she could, so now Alex is furious with her. Stephanie says she played right in to Joy’s hands. Kayla tells her it’s understandable. Stephanie complains that she keeps screwing things up and doesn’t know how much more she or Alex can take.

Alex doesn’t get it and questions how the hell EJ found out how they made the payment and where they got the money. Xander and Philip admit that EJ came by earlier while they were celebrating and they may have gloated a bit. Alex suggests they should’ve celebrated in private. Xander argues that they had no idea EJ would counter so quickly and thought they were in the clear. Alex notes that Gabi is awfully quiet and asks if she has anything to add to this miserable saga. Gabi informs them that EJ came roaring in to her office after he found out, so she may have rubbed salt in the wound. Alex complains about Philip and Xander gloating while Gabi made the angriest son of a bitch on the planet even angrier and turning him in to a ticking time bomb. Alex asks how hard it is to just keep their mouths shut.

Javi and Rafe go over to check on Joy and Kelsey. Joy mentions a pain shooting down her arm while Javi brings up her recently being in a car accident and says it could be nerve irritation or a muscle spasm. Rafe then calls 911.

Gwen argues that no one gives a rat’s ass about Dimitri while Leo is loved by many, including her. Dimitri calls that odd since he recalls Gwen being happy to throw Leo to the wolves. Gwen says that’s because Dimitri was cheating on her with him. Gwen tells Leo that she regrets throwing him to the wolves because he opened her eyes to the swine that Dimitri is. Gwen complains that Dimitri used her to get his fortune and then seduced her best friend. Gwen argues that Leo deserves better than Dimitri and praises him. Dimitri argues that he loves Leo and used Gwen as bait to get him here. Dimitri knows Leo knows what they had was real and complains that Gwen forced him to write the Dear John letter. Dimitri reminds Leo that he was willing to serve time in prison because he knew he would be able to come back to Leo some day, no matter who was holding him captive. Dimitri knows it’s only a matter of time before Leo realizes they belong together. Gwen questions why Leo would ever consider belonging with Dimitri when he’s holding them captive against their will. Gwen tells Dimitri that if he doesn’t want them to look at him as a villian, he will set them free, which Leo agrees with.

Kayla tells Stephanie that once Alex realizes she had the best intentions, he will come around and understand. Rafe and Javi then arrive. Javi goes to Kayla and informs her that they need her help because Joy’s been brought in by ambulance. Stephanie asks what happened. Javi informs her that Joy nearly collapsed at the Pub. Javi adds that Rafe has Kelsey, so he’s going to make sure she’s okay.

Kayla goes to check on Joy in her hospital room. Joy mentions the pain and numbness. Kayla asks if there’s anyone she wants her to call. Joy says Alex but then changes her mind and says Philip as she remarks that this is about her, not Kelsey, so she’s sure Alex doesn’t want to hear about it.

Alex questions how dumb you have to be to tell EJ how they made the payment as if he’d take the defeat lying down. Philip assures they feel bad enough already. Xander says they knew it was a mistake but EJ was going to find out anyway. Gabi points out it may have been inevitable while Alex suggests maybe if they hadn’t have poked the bear, he wouldn’t have attacked. Philip then gets a call from Kayla, who says she’s calling on behalf of Joy because she’s in the hospital. Philip questions Joy being in the hospital, which Alex hears.

Kayla checks Joy’s blood pressure while Joy asks about the numbness. Kayla says it could be connected to the whiplash from her accident. Joy argues that she was feeling better and started physical therapy. Kayla says there could be delayed symptoms. Joy asks if it’s not that, if it could be something neurological.

Alex goes to the hospital and asks Stephanie where Joy is. Stephanie asks how he knew. Alex explains that Kayla called Philip but he said he would come instead. Rafe and Javi bring Kelsey over, noting they’re sure she’d like to see her dad. Alex thanks Javi and Rafe as they tell him they’ll be on standby if he needs anything. Stephanie asks if they know what’s wrong with Joy. Alex responds that Rafe and Javi just said she nearly passed out at the Pub. Alex says he got to speak to her briefly and she mentioned numbness in her arm, so he should probably go see her. Stephanie offers to stay with Kelsey. Alex thanks her but doesn’t think that’s a good idea, so he walks away with Kelsey.

Kayla tells Joy not to jump to conclusions as she will go see what’s going on. Joy asks if Javi and Rafe could bring Kelsey in to see her, but Alex arrives with Kelsey instead. Alex assures Joy that their daughter is in good hands.

Xander complains that this can’t be happening and tells Gabi that he’s so sorry to her because if they can’t pay back the loan by the deadline, she just gave them all the money for nothing. Gabi points out that it wasn’t her money to begin with and adds that she still has some left. Xander jokes that they’d need $200 million now. Gabi says she doesn’t have that much, but maybe in a few years her Gabi Chic bags will be flying off the shelves. Philip jokes that maybe EJ will leave them some crumbs to buy stock. Gabi then suggests she could buy stock now with her remaining DiMera funds and use her money to make more. Philip says he’s not doubting her business acumen and thanks her for wanting to be kind again by helping out, but points out it would take months to years to get the amount they need and they don’t have that kind of time.

Rafe and Javi return to the Pub as Rafe tells Javi that he’s not taking him to Alamainia. Rafe reminds Javi that he’s a civilian while he’s on an FBI assignment. Javi jokes that he just won’t sit next to him on the plane then. Rafe tells Javi it’s not going to happen, but Javi says it is and he can’t stop him.

Dimitri doesn’t get Gwen and Leo being in cahoots now, reminding Gwen of how Leo betrayed her and reminding Leo of how cruel and vindictive Gwen was when she found out. Gwen admits that Leo’s betrayal stung, but she was eventually able to get over her anger. Gwen adds that she and Leo have a wonderful long history and a bond like that doesn’t disappear overnight. Dimitri tells them that their only hope is a prayer. Leo argues that sooner or later, someone will raise a red flag about them going missing and they will come knocking. Dimitri says that is why he’s going to move them as he made his point by bringing Gwen to the prison she held him in and soon, he will be moving them somewhere will no one will ever find them as he storms out of the room.

Kayla leaves the room while Alex checks on Joy. Joy tells him that she’s so glad she didn’t go back to New York and worries about if this happened while she was traveling alone with Kelsey. Alex tells her not to worry about that. Joy wishes she knew what was wrong and worries about her arm. Alex promises they will figure out whatever it is. Joy says she knows she called Philip, but admits she was hoping Alex would show up as she’s so glad he’s there.

Kayla goes back to Stephanie and tells her that Joy is rattled and she’s sending for some tests while Alex is in with her now. Stephanie mentions offering to stay with Kelsey but Alex said he didn’t think it was a good idea. Kayla is sure he was just trying to honor Joy’s wishes. Stephanie remarks that Joy’s wishes are going to make her life miserable. Kayla questions if Stephanie thinks Joy is faking this. Stephanie calls it hard to tell but finds it convenient that she ends up in dire situations time after time. Stephanie guesses Kayla thinks she’s paranoid. Kayla thinks she’s just in the middle of a very difficult situation and she’s afraid it’s only going to get more difficult.

Xander and Philip finish their champagne. Xander asks if they should order another for their pity party and blames himself for EJ finding out. Philip points out that he wasn’t the only one celebrating. Xander says he’s talking about how they lost the company in the first place and how the lawsuit against Johnny backfired so badly. Xander says this explains why Victor was so happy to keep him as his gardener or use him as his enforcer, because he knew that’s all he’s good for.

Rafe thought Javi and Leo were over, but now Javi is determined to rescue him. Javi says they are over, but knowing that Leo is in danger, he can’t just sit back and do nothing. Javi calls Dimitri pure evil and questions what he will do when Leo gets there. Rafe questions Javi thinking he can stop him. Javi says he has to try because he’d never forgive himself if something happened to Leo and he was just sitting at home doing nothing. Rafe understands he’s worried about Leo and wants to help him, but asks what about his current boyfriend and how Gus will feel about all of this.

Leo talks to Gwen about hatching an escape plan and finding a way to sneak out. Leo brings up how he used to get his mom to let him stay home from school by faking a stomach virus. Gwen declares that’s it and that’s how they are going to get out.

Stephanie asks what Kayla means by things getting more difficult and if there’s something seriously wrong with Joy. Kayla responds that she can’t go in to detail about a patient, but if her symptoms mean what she’s thinking, then it’s going to be a long recovery and Joy’s going to need a lot of support. Stephanie guesses she means Alex’s support.

Alex watches over Kelsey as Joy is taken to get scans. Alex tells Kelsey that once they know what’s going on, the doctors are going to make everything better. Alex remarks that he just wishes he knew how to make everything better because he’s not doing a very good job of it at the moment.

Philip tells Xander to stop roasting himself and that Victor knew he was a very bright, hard working guy. Xander complains that he’s made an awful mess of everything and turned Victor’s empire in to a cautionary tale. Philip argues that he didn’t do it alone since if he hadn’t gone along with the forged letter, the merger would never have been jeopardized. Philip admits that his fragile ego couldn’t handle Xander getting the company as he thought he was the golden child and the rightful heir. Philip calls himself a self-important idiot. Xander says it doesn’t do any good to beat themselves up. Xander adds that regardless of who Victor left the company to, it seems they are destined to lose it.

Javi tells Rafe that he and Gus are good and that Gus completely understood when he told him he had to go to Alamainia. Rafe asks if he’s sure about that since Leo is his ex and Javi still seems to have feelings about him. Javi argues that he’s just worried about Leo being in the clutches of a psycho and that Gus has nothing to be jealous about, which is why he’s okay with him going to Alamainia.

Leo questions Gwen thinking they escape by him faking a stomach virus. Gwen says it will probably have to be something more severe than that, like appendicitis. Gwen argues that once Dimitri sees Leo is deathly ill, he will have no choice but to take him to the hospital. As Dimitri comes back to the room to tell Leo that his bed is ready, he sees Leo doubled over in pain and questions what the hell is going on. Gwen tells Dimitri that Leo needs medical attention immediately.

Javi makes a call to book a flight but is informed that all flights are full. Rafe says he’s not surprised and tells Javi that it’s a sign that Javi should stay home and away from Leo.

Gwen argues that Leo needs a hospital while Dimitri says he will just take care of him here. Gwen insists it’s appendicitis and he could be dead by morning. Dimitri declares that he will remove Leo’s appendix himself then as he learned in his ISA training. Gwen argues against him. Dimitri says he has the tools and the confidence. Leo then jumps up and away from Dimitri. Dimitri mocks their performance and says good night as he leaves the room.

Joy returns to her hospital room and tells Alex that they didn’t tell her much. Kayla comes in, so Joy asks about her test results. Kayla reveals her imaging show spinal stenosis. Joy worries that’s serious. Kayla says many people live very well with it with medication, physical therapy, and slight lifestyle changes. Joy asks what to do now. Kayla says she can get injections to help with the numbness. Joy worries about what if nothing works and asks if she will need surgery. Kayla says she won’t rule anything out and suggests taking it day by day. Alex leaves the room and tells Stephanie that Joy will be laid up for awhile, but Kayla isn’t sure how long. Stephanie asks about Kelsey. Alex says that’s what he wanted to talk to Stephanie about as he told Joy that while she’s in the hospital, he will take care of Kelsey. Stephanie asks if Joy was okay with her being around Kelsey. Alex then reveals that Stephanie won’t be and that he will just be moving in to Joy’s room above the Pub while she’s in the hospital, but Stephanie says no and tells Alex that he will not.

Philip looks up gambling on his phone as Gabi returns to the table and asks if he’s okay. Philip responds that he will be.

Xander goes home to the Kiriakis Mansion and holds one of Victoria’s stuffed animals, wondering how he will tell Victoria that he’s lost her future and he’s so sorry that he failed her. Xander looks up at Victor’s portrait and says he’s failed them both.

 

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Days Update Thursday, August 6, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Xander and Philip have champagne in the town square, talking about how good it feels to celebrate good news for a change. Philip says with EJ off their backs, they can focus on making money again. They toast to getting Titan back in the black. Xander tells Philip that he really deserves the credit since he’s the one that convinced Gabi that they had nothing to do with the counterfeit designs and persuaded Gabi to give them the inheritance money. Philip jokes that he will brag about it and take all the credit. Philip just wishes they could’ve seen EJ’s face when he found out. EJ then approaches their table and says he can’t imagine what they would be celebrating. Philip informs him that they just made a huge loan payment and covered the next year’s worth. EJ is shocked and questions how. Xander remarks that EJ would like to know. EJ tells them to enjoy while it lasts because it won’t. EJ then walks away and calls Rita, asking if she saw the loan payment that Titan made. EJ knows it’s huge and demands she find out where that money came from now.

Gabi is in her office, arguing with her lawyers to sue the supplier of the counterfeit Gabi Chic designs. Gabi argues that there must be evidence somewhere and declares that if they are not going to find it, she will.

At the Kiriakis Mansion, Sarah brings food to Holly in the living room. Holly tells her that she doesn’t have to wait on her. Sarah points out that she’s still recovering and she likes taking care of her. Holly wonders if Sarah is just trying to make up for not believing her when she said she wasn’t taking drugs. Holly says she doesn’t need another apology, but to know that Sarah really believes her and isn’t just pretending to.

Rachel sits in her room, texting Kristen to ask if Grandma is okay and when she’s coming home. Rachel is then confused when she gets a message back, saying that the service has been disconnected.

Brady and Steve meet at the Brady Pub. Brady tells Steve that he’s rarely surprised by anything Kristen does, but this is out of character for her. Steve says he knows a lot about Kristen and most of it’s not good, but he does know that she would never leave her daughter voluntarily. Steve asks if he’s sure the goodbye text was from Kristen. Brady admits that he’s not. Steve brings up the last time they thought Kristen had skipped town, she was kidnapped from prison by Peter Blake, and asks if he thinks she was kidnapped again. Brady says it’s either that or she did write the text and she’s running away from EJ.

EJ storms in to Gabi’s office and asks how dare she.

Philip tells Xander that getting the money from Gabi wasn’t the only thing he accomplished yesterday as he then reveals that he purposely locked Xander and Sarah in the wine cellar.

Sarah questions why Holly would think she doesn’t believe her. Holly talks about how sudden Sarah, Brady, and Tate went from not believing her to apologizing for doubting her which makes her wonder if it’s part of some strategy to see if she’ll confess to deceiving them. Holly insists that she’s not as Sarah repeats that she believes her along with Brady and Tate. Sarah promises they would never trick her like that. Holly apologizes for being paranoid as it just really hurt her that they all doubted her and admits it still does, but she gets it with her history. Holly doesn’t understand why they believe her now. Sarah says they know the pills in her bag weren’t her pills. Holly brings up still not knowing how Coriseal got in her system and not having an explanation, just an idea about the pills. Holly questions what she isn’t telling her.

Xander can’t believe Philip locked he and Sarah in the wine cellar. Philip says he would’ve kept them in there all night, but Kate showed up and spoiled his plans. Xander says he’s grateful for that as it’s probably for the best since Philip coming in stopped what was happening from happening.

Holly argues that Sarah is a doctor who doesn’t believe anything without multiple studies backing it up, so something had to have changed her mind. Holly says now that her head is clear and she’s had time to think, she’s actually more confused than ever. Holly explains that she knows the pills in her bag weren’t hers and feels the belief that someone goes around randomly putting pills in people’s bags is far fetched so it had to be someone who knew what they were doing. Sarah admits she does have a theory. Holly asks her to clue her in. Sarah is hesitant because she doesn’t have the proof to back it up. Holly argues that she had never heard of Coriseal before, let alone taken. Holly calls it terrifying after everything with Sophia and says she’s freaked out about it happening again. Holly asks Sarah to give her theory because it’s her body and she deserves answers which Sarah agrees with.

Steve brings up Brady telling him that Kristen was worried about Rachel coming home since she thought EJ was a threat to her. Brady says he pressed her on that pretty hard but she assured him that Rachel was not in danger and he believed her as she said whatever was happening between her and EJ was the same old same old and she would handle it, so he figured as long as Rachel wasn’t collateral damage, he would stay out of it. Steve agrees that you don’t want to get in the middle of that mess if you don’t have to. Brady says what’s bugging him is that the last time Kristen saw Rachel, she was very emotional and barely holding it together, so it did seem like she was saying goodbye. Brady adds that Kristen was in Aremid last night, possibly saying goodbye to her mother. Brady says that Kristen could be just being paranoid but declares that if she is in trouble, EJ is behind it. Steve comments on EJ having a lot going on and says that could work to their advantage since EJ is usually good at covering his tracks, but between the Coriseal scandal, his secret experiments, and whatever’s going on with Kristen as Brady agrees that’s a lot of plates to be spinning. Steve adds that sooner or later, EJ is going to drop one and they will all come crashing down.

Gabi guesses EJ heard what she did with her inheritance. EJ argues that she’s not going to get away with this. Gabi responds that she already has.

Rachel questions why she hasn’t heard back from her mom and why she got that weird message when she texted her. Kristen, dressed as Susan Banks, then appears in Rachel’s room and tells her that she has a message from Kristen.

Steve tells Brady that there’s been no activity on Kristen’s credit cards and her car hasn’t been used either. Brady adds that her phone has been disconnected as well. Brady shows Steve the last text he got from Kristen, saying she had to go away. Steve points out that Kristen included “until we meet again”. Brady says that means she plans to come back while Steve says the question is when.

“Susan” hugs Rachel and tells her that Kristen said to tell her how much she loves and misses her. Rachel responds that Kristen is only visiting her mom in Aremid and could be back tonight. “Susan” then informs Rachel that she thought she knew, but that Kristen had to take care of some things and won’t be back anytime soon, which leaves Rachel upset.

Philip asks Xander what exactly was about to happen in the wine cellar. Xander says nothing like what he’s clearly imagining. Philip argues that the point of locking them in was so something would happen. Xander responds that it didn’t happen and isn’t going to. Philip questions why not. Xander declares that until he deals with his past, history is bound to repeat itself which confuses Philip. Xander explains that’s what Marlena told him after he went in and excitedly told her what happened and how he believed that he and Sarah were destined to reconcile, but Marlena reminded him that he has a lot of work to do before a healthy relationship between them is even possible. Xander says he and Sarah could’ve made out there, but then would be back arguing about the same stuff ten minutes later. Xander adds that Sarah is still seeing Brady anyways and declares that for now, he’s going to focus on being the best co-parent he can be. Philip says he can keep telling himself that.

Sarah explains to Holly that they have reason to believe a couple years ago, a pharmaceutical company produced a batch of Coriseal that was contaminated with arsenic that might have killed some people and then they tried to cover it up by illegally dumping the pills on Smith Island which is how it got in to the well water. Holly thought she said there wasn’t Coriseal in the water, just arsenic. Sarah then reveals that she thinks they may have tampered with the test results and that the pills in Holly’s bag was another despicable attempt to cover their tracks. Sarah states that she was asking too many questions and they knew she wouldn’t stop until she found an explanation so they gave her one. Holly questions who they are. Sarah claims not to know. Holly asks if it could’ve been someone who worked for the pharmaceutical company and tells Sarah that she needs to tell her who did this. Sarah tells Holly that she cannot tell anyone, but they think it was DiMera Pharmaceuticals. Holly is shocked that she thinks it was EJ.

EJ complains that Gabi used his father’s money to bail out a rival company. Gabi argues that it was Stefan’s money and now it’s her money, which means she can do whatever she wants to do with it. EJ calls her spiteful for using DiMera money on their enemy. EJ tries to threaten Gabi but he sneezes as Gabi asks what he’s going to do and if he’s going to kill her. EJ warns her not to tempt him. After EJ’s sneezing, Gabi comments that he’s not looking too good and asks if the stress is getting to him. EJ responds that it’s not like she cares. Gabi says she wants him to feel terrible for the rest of his life after everything he’s done to her, her brother, and now Gabi Chic. EJ questions what he ever did to her company. Gabi questions EJ pretending not to know. EJ tells her to enlighten him. Gabi says she learned her lesson about accusing people without proof, so she wasn’t going to confront him yet. Gabi tells EJ about Arianna leaving her bag on her desk while she was doing her internship at DiMera which EJ calls unfounded accusations. Gabi warns that she will find proof because no one rips her off and gets away with it.

Sarah confirms to Holly they think it was EJ or someone who worked for him and she knows that’s hard to hear. Holly argues that it can’t be since EJ has been so good to her lately. Sarah points out that EJ believed Holly because he knew the truth that it wasn’t her pills. Holly guesses EJ never really cared about her and was just pretending to because he felt guilty. Sarah does think that EJ cares about her, but that he cares about himself and his company more. Sarah adds that’s why she was so upset when she found EJ in her room. Holly questions how she could be so trusting when she knew EJ wasn’t a good person and calls him a monster. Holly decides she needs to be alone, so Sarah tells her to call if she needs her as she exits the mansion.

Philip questions Xander being okay with Sarah seeing Brady. Xander says it’s not like he has any say in the matter. Xander adds that he hasn’t been a monk since the divorce as he’s gotten out there. Philip points out that it’s been awhile since he’s taken an extended break, so he asks when he last saw Kristen or Gwen. Xander laughs off that they’ve both ghosted him and says it’s not like he had feelings for them. Philip points out that’s because he’s still in love with Sarah. Xander admits he always will be. Philip tells him that life is short. Xander repeats that Sarah is with Brady. Philip gives that a month tops. Xander argues that he’s spending a lot of money on therapy, so he’d appreciate if Philip didn’t try to obliterate all the progress he’s made. Philip asks what are brothers for.

Brady tells Steve how much progress Rachel has made and how she’s finally home and happy, while now he has to explain to her that her mother just left and abandoned her. Steve says he feels for them and knows it will be tough. Brady worries about how Rachel will react, pointing out that she went to Bayview for a reason and could start acting out again. Steve says not to get ahead of themselves and points out that for all they know, Kristen could be back next week. Steve encourages that until then, Rachel still has Brady, Tate, and Marlena. Steve assures they will get through this and adds that like John would say, that’s a fact.

Rachel questions why “Susan” is crying, but she claims it’s just allergies. Rachel question why Kristen didn’t call her if she was going away. “Susan” claims she ran in to Kristen at the airport and she didn’t say where she was going. Rachel doesn’t understand and continues to question things. “Susan” assures that Kristen will be back as soon as she can be. Rachel says it’s not okay and wants to know exactly when she’s going to see her again, lamenting that she didn’t get to say goodbye. “Susan” gives Rachel a hug, assuring that Kristen will be able to feel it.

Xander says that’s enough about his love life and asks Philip about he and Gabi. Philip says there’s nothing to tell while Xander brings up hearing that they kissed. Philip complains that Alex is such a gossip and insists that he and Gabi just got caught up in the excitement and there was nothing more to it. Xander tells Philip that he can keep telling himself that, but remarks that he’s not any more over Gabi than he is over Sarah. Sarah then approaches their table and greets them, joking that they are having more champagne but this time without a trip to the wine cellar. Philip informs Sarah that he and Xander just made thee loan payment, so they are having a celebratory lunch. Philip then invites Sarah to join them.

Brady goes to Rachel’s room and questions what “Susan” is doing there. Rachel says she came to tell her that Kristen is going away and doesn’t know when she’ll be back. “Susan” says she’s sorry as she thought she knew. Brady can tell what’s going on and tells Rachel that he needs a moment alone with “Susan” and they will be right back.

Amy Choi goes to the Kiriakis Mansion to see Holly. Amy mentions sending flowers to the hospital and not getting an acknowledgment, adding that sunflowers were Sophia’s favorite, so she sent them to remind Holly of what she did to her. Amy wants her to think about it every day for the rest of her life.

Brady takes Kristen to the living room and questions why she’s dressed like Susan Banks and what she’s doing here. Kristen explains that she couldn’t leave town without seeing Rachel one last time and she couldn’t let anyone else see her because EJ has people looking for her. Kristen says she wanted to say goodbye at Bayview, but she didn’t know she was leaving at the time and she deserved a proper goodbye. Brady argues that she couldn’t give him a heads up on any of this and questions her doing this. Kristen says that she couldn’t let Rachel know it was her because she would ask too many questions. Kristen adds that she sent a Brady text to give him a heads up. Brady says he didn’t even know for sure if it was from her and he wasn’t going to tell their daughter that she was leaving again without knowing what the hell was going on. Brady then asks what is going on and why she’s saying goodbye.

EJ questions Gabi throwing away Stefano’s money on a dying company just to get back at him for allegedly stealing her ugly handbag designs. Gabi responds that Titan employs a lot of people, so her investment will be good for the local economy. EJ argues that she couldn’t care less about that and asks what she’s getting in return. Gabi says she gets a seat on the board and a ton of stock options which EJ says will be worthless when the company goes down in flames. Gabi says that’s not going to happen. EJ says they’ll see about that as he storms out of the office. EJ walks outside and calls Rita, saying he needs her to take care of something urgent for him.

Holly tells Amy that she does think about Sophia, more than she knows. Amy doubts that. Holly asks why she’s even here. Amy reveals that she came to let her know that she’s dropping the lawsuit, not because she wants to, but because EJ is a bully like her. Amy states that Holly may not face any legal consequences, but she still holds her liable for Sophia’s death. Amy declares that Holly killed her daughter and one day, she will face God’s judgment for that. Holly wants her to leave. Amy responds that she’ll leave, but Holly will never be rid of her as she will be everywhere from the grocery store to the town square to her nightmares. Amy remarks that Holly has her daughter’s blood on her hands and she will never let her forget that as she then walks out of the mansion.

Sarah thought the celebrated last night. Philip says they are letting the good times roll. Gabi then walks by, so Xander invites her to join them. Gabi says she’ll never say no to champagne and takes a seat. Sarah thanks Gabi and says what she did for her family and Titan really does mean the world. Gabi responds that she couldn’t let EJ bankrupt their company and force them to sell their home. Gabi adds that she has faith in Titan and believes she will see a return on her investment. Gabi says she knows she can’t change the past, but she can choose to do better moving forward and hopes that this was a step in the right direction. Sarah says she is going to run some errands and thanks Gabi again as she walks away.

Kristen tells Brady that she’s in danger and that there’s something going on between her and EJ, so she needs to disappear for awhile. Brady argues that he asked her if she needed him to get involved and she said no. Kristen doesn’t want him anywhere near this. Brady asks if she thought about the impact on Rachel and having to leave again. Kristen argues that all she thinks about is Rachel. Brady tells her to let him help. Kristen says no because she needs him to just accept this and take care of Rachel. Brady says he’s always going to take care of her, but he doesn’t know how to explain this to her, so he needs to know where she’s going. Kristen says she’s sorry but she can’t give him the details for his own protection. Kristen states that Brady is Rachel’s only parent for now and she wants them both to be safe which will only happen if she’s gone. Brady asks when she is coming back. Kristen responds that once the danger has passed, but it might be for awhile so she doesn’t know. Kristen hands Brady a way to get a message to her if there’s an emergency with Rachel. Brady argues that she doesn’t have to do this. Kristen cries that Brady has to promise her that he will tell Rachel every day how much she loves her as she hugs him and then exits.

Xander gets a call and steps away to answer, leaving Philip and Gabi at the table. Gabi points out that they are drinking champagne together like civil adults. Philip toasts to behaving like civil adults. Xander on his call argues that they can’t be serious and there’s no way that’s legal. Xander hangs up in frustration as he returns to the table and informs Philip and Gabi that EJ just called in their loan, demanding they pay in full everything they owe by the end of the month.

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Days Short Recap Friday, August 21, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Paulina and Lani went to Chanel’s room while Johnny saw the blood and told them to get Kayla. Lani got her, and she made them leave the room. Kayla saw the blood and said it was from a minor tear. She said that she was getting transfusions. Abe and Theo wanted to make Lexie comfortable. They were thankful for the time they had with her. Abe left to give Theo some time alone with his mother. Lexie told Theo what happened with EJ and Kristen. She didn’t tell Theo that Kristen was kidnapped. Lexie told him that EJ wanted her to tell the truth, but he respected her dying wish. She told him that her brother wasn’t a saint, but she didn’t want him to blame him for what happened. Jada asked Kayla if Lexie said why she was at EJ’s place. Kayla told her that Lexie didn’t say anything about it, and she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. Jada decided to go to the DiMera mansion to get some answers. EJ was about to go to the hospital to check on Lexie, but Jada was at the door with questions for him. Jada thought EJ was holding Lexie against her will and denied her medical treatment. He scoffed at the idea of doing that. EJ told her to go talk to Lexie about it. Paulina tried to calm Lani down when Eli showed up. Eli took Lani into his arms. Paulina assured Lani that everything would be okay. She suggested they got some air. After they left, Paulina started to break down. Abe walked by while Paulina tried to control herself. He hugged her, and she broke down. Abe assured her that Kayla would take care of Chanel. Paulina broke the hug and asked how Lexie was doing. Before Abe could answer, Johnny told them that there was good new about Chanel.

Kayla told Chanel, Paulina and Johnny that there could be more tearing during childbirth. Since Chanel was on chemo she might hemorrhage so she couldn’t have a C-section. Chanel knew it would hurt, but she could handle it. Kayla said they had to hurry and induce labor. Chanel continued to have more contractions. EJ arrived at the hospital. He didn’t know about what happened with Chanel. He wanted to see Lexie. Abe arrived before Lexie could say anything about Kristen’s kidnapping. He let Lexie know that he ran into Paulina. Lexie was happy that Chanel’s baby would have a loving family including him and Theo. EJ arrived, and Abe because upset. Theo had to calm Abe down after the things Lexie told him about EJ. Abe and Theo gave EJ time alone with Lexie. He struggled to come up with the words to apologize to her. Lexie told hi that it was okay. She was happy that she had time with her family. Lexie informed him that she didn’t tell anyone what he planned to do with Kristen because she wanted him to repair his relationship. She wanted him to be a better man. It’s her last dying wish. EJ started crying when alarms went off. Theo, Abe, and Lexie rushed back in the room. Lexie was stabilized, but he transfusion didn’t work. Kayla informed everyone that it was time to say goodbye. EJ told Lexie that he loved her. He walked out of the room. Abe and Theo sat by Lexie’s side. Chanel pushed until her baby was born. Johnny told her that she had a girl. Theo talked to Lexie about her being his superhero when he was a kid. Lexie sang a lullaby to him one more time. Johnny sang a lullaby to his new daughter. Lexie died after singing the lullaby to Theo. Theo and Abe kissed Lexie goodbye. Kayla tearfully put a cover on Lexie while EJ watched from outside of her window.

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BTG Short Recap Friday, August 21, 2026

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

Dani and Andre were at Orphey Gene’s when Heather showed up. Heather acted as if she didn’t know Andre when Dani introduced them. Randy was watching them at another table. Andre was uncomfortable with Dani and Heather talking to each other. When Heather left, Andre warned Dani to keep a distance from her since she’s Joey’s sister. Later on, Andre went to Heather’s room to let her know that whatever she was doing was going to stop. Heather said she would leave Dani alone if he gave her what she wanted. Before he left, she told him it was a limited time offer. At Bill’s office, Naomi and Tomas got into an argument over Madison’s case because Mike complained about the way she was handling it. When Mike showed up, he said his client wanted to settle. Mike said Bill’s health was a reason why they should consider settling the case. After Mike left, Naomi and Tomas argued over what to do next.

Naomi went to the hospital to tell Bill about Tomas. Bill told her to leave Tomas to him. He warned Tomas to stay in his lane if he didn’t want to get fired. At Uptown, Chelsea got a call from an unknown caller. The person hung up on her. Kat told her it was probably a telemarketer. She noticed that Chelsea was uncomfortable. Chelsea didn’t want to do the live stream of their trip to Tokyo. Kat said she understood that the anniversary of her kidnapping impacted her. She let Chelsea know that she would be there for her. When Chelsea’s phone rang again, Kat answered the phone. The person hung up again. Chelsea believed that Allison was the one calling her. Hayley went to see Bill. He told her he wanted to get out of the hospital. Hayley said she wanted it too. They wanted Ashley to get someone to release him. Bill asked Hayley to go to his office to get his laptop. Hayley found a way to talk to Randy about poisoning Bill. Randy told her it was a mistake to do it in the DMV instead of on their vacation, but she didn’t care. When Hayley went to Bill’s office, Dani showed up looking for Naomi. They ended up arguing with each other.

 

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Days Short Recap Thursday, August 20, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Kayla had more blood for Chanel. Chanel panicked because she wanted to know what happened with her baby. They would monitor the baby as soon as she was born. Chanel had another contraction so Johnny rushed to get her more ice chips. Joy didn’t want to answer Chloe’s call. Kayla walked into her room with bad news. She informed Joy that the treatment didn’t work, and she would need surgery. Kayla explained everything about the surgery and that it had a 90% success rate. Joy wanted to know what the worst case scenario would be for her. Kayla told her that she could face paralysis. After Kayla left, Joy started crying. Theo and Chad hugged at the hospital. He told Chad his theory that EJ hid his mother because the drug failed. Theo told him that Johnny knew about it so he wondered what else he was hiding. He asked Chad to donate blood to help his mother. Johnny saw them together, and they talked about their loved ones. Theo didn’t want to tell Johnny anything. Alex took Kelsey into the blood draw room and saw Stephanie there. He had to leave because Joy was around the corner. Alex promised to come back, but Stephanie was upset that she couldn’t donate blood without it being a problem. Chad arrived, and Stephanie talked to him about what happened with Joy. He wished he could say more, but he thought Joy would come around. Stephanie was upset that Alex didn’t come back and wanted to leave. Chad thought she should tell Alex how she felt.

Alex took Kelsey to see Joy. Joy gave him the bad news he received from Kayla. Alex held and comforted her while she broke down. Stephanie walked by and saw Alex hugging Joy. Joy opened her eyes and saw Stephanie so she poured it on thicker for her. She told Alex that she was scared, and he promised to be there for her and Kelsey. Stephanie was upset and ran into Theo at the nurses station and hugged him. Theo wanted to sit down with her. Stephanie put her head on his shoulder. Alex saw them in the background and walked away. Chanel thought her water broke. Johnny went to Chanel’s room and saw blood and not water.

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BTG Short Recap Thursday, August 20, 2026

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

Leslie let Marcel know that she wasn’t living on his boat. She said she would never apologize for wanting more and going after it. While she was talking, she broke up with him. When she was alone, she thought about her relationship with Ted. Marcel went to Uptown and talked to Grayson. Eva talked to Izaiah about her parents’ relationship. He thought about the conversation he had with Joey. They talked about Leslie and Joey’s reputations, but they were loyal to the people they loved. Nicole’s place was a mess so Kial offered to help clean up. While Kial was cleaning, he broke a crystal dish that was a wedding gift for Nicole and Ted. Nicole became emotional over the gift being destroyed which was understandable to Kial. They ended up talking about loss and moving on. Nicole said she had regrets, but she was glad that she and Kial met when they did. Ted went to see Bill at the hospital. They talked about their failed marriages. Bill said Nicole wasn’t over Ted the way she pretended to be. He asked Ted what drew him to Leslie. Ted said Leslie wasn’t always the person she is now. He flashed back to his relationship with Leslie. They talked about Bill trying to stop Ted from seeing Leslie. There was a flashback of Ted taking off his ring and telling Leslie that he loved her. Bill asked Ted about Shanice. Ted said he loved her.

 

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Days Update Wednesday, August 5, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Johnny runs in to Paulina in the town square. Paulina asks how Chanel is. Johnny says the last round of chemo was rough but she’s feeling better now. Johnny then gets a call from Marlena. Johnny says he hasn’t heard from Kristen and asks why. Johnny says he’ll let her know if he does as he hangs up. Paulina joins Lani at the bakery. Paulina informs Lani that she thinks something very strange is going on with Lexie.

Lexie sits in the room where EJ put her and is on the phone with Theo, claiming that she arrived in South Africa and that her mother sends her love. Theo asks if she’s around so he can say hello. Lexie claims he’s breaking up, so she’ll call him back. Theo asks if she will call later today. Lexie says they have a bunch of plans and with the time difference, she’s not sure how much she’ll be in touch. Lexie assures that she’s thinking of Theo and Abe every day. Lexie tells Theo that she loves him and hangs up. EJ then joins Lexie and tells her that she’s making a very big mistake.

Stephanie goes to the DiMera Enterprises office and tells Theo that she glad he called because she has a PR strategy that she’s super excited to pitch. She notes him being distracted and asks if everything is okay. Theo responds that he’s not sure.

Joy comes out of the Pub with Kelsey and runs in to Alex, who says he’s glad he caught her. Joy asks what he wants. Alex says he wanted to say how sorry he is for storming out of their custody meeting as he just needed time to cool down. Joy asks if he expects her to apologize for making unreasonable demands. Alex argues that they share a child so they have to come to some sort of agreement, but Joy says not as far as she’s concerned.

Stephanie questions Theo not being sure if he’s okay and asks if things are still tense between he and Abe. Theo assures they are good now, but it’s his mother. Theo informs her that Lexie took a trip to South Africa and she just said she got there okay. Theo says maybe he’s being overprotective but it’s a big trip to take alone. Theo adds that Lexie was adamant about taking the trip alone. Stephanie encourages that she’s sure she’s fine. Theo feels Lexie sounded off on the phone. Stephanie suggests it’s just jet lag and bets on their next call, she will sound like herself again. Theo asks what’s going on with Stephanie as he can tell that she’s upset and is trying hard not to let him see it, but he does. Stephanie admits that something is bothering her, actually someone. Theo guesses it’s Joy Wesley, which Stephanie confirms.

Joy and Alex go in to the Pub, where Alex insists they have to come up with some sort of agreement. Joy disagrees since she was doing fine as a single mother in New York and only came back to Salem because she thought it was the right thing. Alex insists that it is and that he wants to be part of his daughter’s life. Joy argues that she has been trying but it’s been nonstop drama that she doesn’t need since day one. Joy adds that she also doesn’t need Alex’s support, financially or otherwise, because her parents were helping her before. Alex gets that the situation has become more complicated. Joy calls it disastrous and for her, almost deadly. Alex understands her frustration but says they can do this and come up with a plan. Joy responds that she already has as she tells Alex to forget she ever came back and forget about Kelsey while he goes back to his ideal and uncomplicated perfect life with his wife. Joy asks how’s that for a plan.

Paulina tells Lani that she knows what’s going on with Lexie is not her business. Lani says it kind of is since Abe was her husband. Lani asks what’s going on. Paulina talks about Lexie not letting Abe out of her sight and being protective and territorial while now she decided to go visit her mother in South Africa alone, right before Abe’s birthday. Paulina asks if Lani doesn’t think that’s strange. Johnny then comes over and asks Lani if she has a minute as it’s important.

Lexie tells EJ that she doesn’t appreciate him eavesdropping. EJ is surprised she got any phone signal down here. Lexie says it took awhile and wasn’t good. EJ tells her to think about what she’s doing as Abe and Theo would be crushed to know she is so close by and doesn’t want to be with them. Lexie responds that she does want to be with them more than anything but they had their time together and it was beautiful and perfect. Lexie declares that this way, they will remember her how she wants to remembered and asks EJ not to fight her on this. Lexie doesn’t want to be greedy and asks for more than she already has. EJ asks what he can do for her. Lexie responds that it’s not for her, but for Kristen.

Johnny questions Lani and Paulina not hearing from Kristen. Lani says she hasn’t in a couple of days and asks why. Johnny says Marlena has been trying to get in touch with her but apparently Kristen’s phone has been disconnected which Paulina calls strange. Lani tries calling Kristen, but gets a message that it’s no longer in service. Lani brings up the last time she saw Kristen a couple days ago and it was kind of weird as she sensed that Kristen was saying goodbye like she was going away. Johnny questions why Kristen would leave now when Rachel just got out of Bayview. Lani agrees that it doesn’t make sense as Rachel is more important to her than anything. Johnny thanks them and says he will look in to this as he walks away. Paulina wonders what that was about. Lani admits that now she’s worried as Paulina points out that people are mysteriously leaving Salem.

Theo tells Stephanie that he’s sorry that happened. Stephanie says she should know by now that the best thing she could do is stay away from Joy, but when Alex told her she wanted her banned from Kelsey for 18 years, she confronted her and thought she could get through to her to drop the ridiculous demands, but instead she made everything worse. Stephanie explains that after she laid in to her, Joy told her that Belle made her see that she was wrong so she was going to ease up until she went off on her and now Joy has completely dug in again and doesn’t want her near Kelsey. Theo asks what Alex has to say about all of this. Stephanie admits she hasn’t told him yet.

Alex argues that Joy can’t just take his kid and run. Joy asks why she would stay in Salem when everyone hates her. Alex says that’s not true. Joy argues that if they don’t, Stephanie will make sure they do and she’s not going to live her life like that, so she’s going back to New York. Joy tells Alex that she won’t stop him from visiting Kelsey, but he can’t bring his wife with him ever. Alex tells her that’s never going to work. Joy brings up Stephanie almost shooting her and how she could’ve filed a criminal complaint and put Stephanie in prison but she didn’t, under the condition that she couldn’t come near Kelsey. Alex argues that he didn’t agree to that for 18 years and thought Joy would come to the conclusion that Stephanie isn’t dangerous. Joy responds that she hasn’t and she won’t, especially after what happened yesterday. Alex then questions what happened yesterday.

EJ questions Lexie’s request involving Kristen. Lexie pleads with him not to go after Kristen. Lexie says that whatever Kristen did and however awful it was, separating her from her only child is a bridge too far. Lexie says time is precious and when you reach the end like she has, you see clearly that the only thing that matters is love and honor. Lexie warns that EJ will regret the path he’s on and will find himself empty and alone. EJ responds that he’ll bear that in mind. EJ goes back to his previous concern and asks how long she expects this charade with her family to continue. Lexie says until she’s gone and he sends Abe and Theo her letters. Lexie asks for a pen to write to them while she can.

Lani asks Paulina what reason Lexie gave for wanting to visit her mom alone. Paulina says that Abe said he thought it was strange too and pointed out that she had not booked a return flight. Lani asks why Paulina is telling her this. Paulina hoped she could do some digging. Lani thought she said it wasn’t her business. Paulina points out that she is the Mayor, so if someone’s missing it is her business. Lani argues that she isn’t missing if she just took a trip. Paulina questions why now and why alone, pleading with Lani to find out for her. Lani asks if she’s thinking there’s trouble in paradise and maybe if Lexie’s gone, she and Abe can reunite. Paulina says hell no as she’s no one’s consolation prize, but she still cares about Abe and Theo. Lani isn’t sure what she wants her to do since she’s not a cop anymore. Paulina encourages her to put her detective skills to work.

Theo questions Stephanie not telling Alex what happened. She explains that she was asleep when he got home and he was gone when she woke up, but she’s dreading it because she keeps screwing things up and making things worse. Theo encourages that she wasn’t in the wrong for deleting Joy’s voicemail since she thought she was manipulating Alex. Stephanie points out that she was wrong and that Joy was on the side of the road after a car accident. Stephanie says that all could’ve been avoided if she just stayed out of it. Theo says her intentions were good and suggests telling Alex that. Stephanie isn’t sure he will want to hear it. Theo encourages that Alex is her husband, so they can try to work everything out before it’s too late.

Joy questions Stephanie not telling Alex what happened. Alex says they didn’t get a chance to talk. Joy tells him that Stephanie wanted to have a friendly chat and then completely lost it with paranoid rage and accused her of using their daughter to steal Alex from her. Alex argues that doesn’t sound like Stephanie. Joy says he can go ask her if he doesn’t believe her. Joy adds that she had just spoken to Belle about the custody agreement and she had made her see that maybe she was wrong, but Stephanie’s insane overreaction made her realize that she wasn’t. Joy realizes that Stephanie really didn’t mention any of this to Alex.

Johnny goes to the DiMera Mansion and sees EJ in the living room. EJ calls this a surprise. Johnny asks if Kristen is home. EJ says he doesn’t think so. Johnny asks when he last saw her. EJ asks what’s going on. Johnny informs him that according to Marlena, Kristen is missing, which doesn’t make any sense since Rachel just got out of Bayview. Johnny then questions what EJ did.

Lani tells Paulina that her life’s calling at the moment is her twins and making sure Chanel doesn’t overdo it. Paulina apologizes for offending her while Lani apologizes for getting defensive. Lani isn’t sure looking in to Lexie is a good idea. Paulina argues that it’s not idle gossip, but Abe’s life, and if something is going on that could hurt him or break his heart, she needs to know what it is.

Lexie cries over writing her letters, wondering how to say goodbye to Abe again

Paulina asks if Lani thinks Lexie could be hiding something or maybe she realized she doesn’t want to be here and wants to start somewhere fresh, suggesting whatever EJ did could’ve caused something like that. Lani doesn’t want to speculate while Paulina says that’s why she wants her to look in to it. Lani points out that she’s not part the of the police force anymore so she doesn’t have access to any files and has limited resources. Paulina encourages that she’s very capable and maybe her special agent husband could lend a hand. Lani reluctantly agrees but says there’s no promises as she will just do her best and let her know what she finds out.

Stephanie appreciates Theo’s support but says she’s not going to bail on their meeting. Theo says she is. Stephanie feels that would be unprofessional. Theo argues that her marriage is much more important than a PR pitch. Theo tells Stephanie to go talk to Alex while he will have his assistant reschedule. Stephanie thanks Theo and calls him a good friend as she exits the office.

Joy tells Alex that Kelsey is the only reason she’s in Salem and questions the point in staying if they can’t come to an agreement on custody. Alex says the point is to work it out while Joy calls that impossible with his wife thinking she wants to steal him away from her. Joy says she will set the record straight by going back to New York where she doesn’t have to be subjected to Stephanie’s tirades. Alex reminds Joy that he has parental rights since his name was added to Joy’s birth certificate, so he’s legally her father too. Alex asks if she knows what happens when he puts that in front of a judge, then apologizes for saying that, adding that this doesn’t have to get ugly. Alex believes they can find a solution that works for all of them without the courts involved. Alex gets that Joy had a life without Kelsey before he was in the picture, but he’s apart of it now and Kelsey has his heart. Alex pleads with Joy not to leave and says he doesn’t want them to go.

Johnny asks EJ what happened to Kristen and if he made her disappear. EJ claims he didn’t, but he believes she left town to get away from him. Johnny asks why. EJ says this isn’t going to be easy to hear, but he’s going to tell him to warn him to watch his back. EJ adds that he never wanted Johnny to find out or know this about his aunt. Johnny tells him to just say it. EJ then reveals to Johnny that Kristen is the reason that Sophia tried to kill him.

Theo joins Lani at the Bakery. Lani says it’s so good to see him and asks why he’s not at work. Theo says he had a meeting get rescheduled, so he decided to take a walk and clear his head. Lani asks what’s going on. Theo tells her about Lexie’s trip and going alone. Lani calls it a long trip for someone who just came back to life. Theo says that they wanted to go with her, but she insisted on going alone, and now he’s worried.

Lexie continues writing her goodbye letter to Abe.

Joy tells Alex that if she agrees to stay and work out custody, he needs to talk to Stephanie as she will not tolerate any more of her harassment and if she comes at her one more time, she and Kelsey are gone. Alex agrees to get this all straightened out and promises to find a way to make it work for all of them. Alex says he has to go and tells Kelsey that he will see her very soon. Alex then says goodbye to Joy and exits the Pub. Alex runs in to Stephanie, who says she’s glad she found him. Stephanie then asks what’s wrong. Alex reveals that he just talked to Joy. Stephanie guesses she told him what happened. Alex confirms that she did and asks Stephanie what the hell is wrong with her as she could’ve ruined everything.

Johnny questions EJ telling him that his aunt Kristen is the reason Sophia tried to kill him. EJ responds that Kristen put Sophia up to it because she wanted revenge. Johnny argues that he’s never done anything to Kristen and asks what possible reason she could want revenge for him. EJ clarifies that it was revenge against him, not Johnny, as Kristen believed it was his fault that she was taken to prison and away from Rachel. Johnny shouts that Kristen shot him and asks how that’s his fault. EJ says he believes that in Kristen’s sick mind, he gave her reason to shoot him. Johnny asks if he’s sure about this. EJ knows it sounds crazy and unthinkable, but he’s sure. EJ explains that Sophia knew that Chanel would be at the aquarium with Lani and the kids and that Johnny would be working from home alone because Kristen told her. EJ adds that as soon as he knew, he had to protect Johnny and neutralize Kristen by making sure she stayed far away from his precious children. EJ declares the he almost lost Johnny and he’s never going to let that happen again.

Stephanie tries to explain as Alex tells her that Joy wants to take his daughter to New York for good because of her. Stephanie argues that she can’t do that. Alex says she can try because they don’t have a custody agreement because of Stephanie. Alex knows this isn’t easy for Stephanie and she didn’t sign up for it, but Kelsey is his flesh and blood and didn’t sign up for it either. Alex adds that Stephanie can’t expect him to abandon her. Stephanie assures that she doesn’t. Alex says that’s good because that’s never going to happen. Alex gets that she doesn’t like Joy but she is Kelsey’s mother, so she can’t go around attacking her. Stephanie argues that she only wanted to talk to her and assure her that she’s not a threat. Alex mocks that she did a bang up job. Alex then says he’s late for work and has to go, so he hurries off, leaving Stephanie upset.

Joy tells Kelsey that she thought bringing Alex in to their lives was the right thing to do for both of them, but it’s getting kind of tricky. Joy knows Alex has a wife but admits she can’t help but imagine the three of them as a family. Joy says she can’t let go of the dream of giving Kelsey the life she never had.

Lani asks Theo if he’s heard from Lexie since she left. Theo says she called when she landed but there was a bad connection and it was a “don’t call me, I’ll call you” situation. Theo feels something isn’t right and it’s like Lexie is trying to keep he and Abe at arms length. Theo then get a work call and says he’ll keep her posted as he steps away to answer.

Lexie begins writing her goodbye letter to Theo.

Stephanie walks to the town square and runs in to Theo. Stephanie tells Theo that she was going to tell Alex, but Joy got to him first. Theo hugs Stephanie and tells her it’s going to be okay.

Johnny asks what EJ did with Kristen. EJ admits that he planned to imprison her on a DiMera private island but she escaped, so they don’t know where she is, which is why he needs Johnny to be vigilant. EJ thinks Kristen has realized she went too far and that Johnny is probably safe, but you can never be too careful. Johnny asks what EJ is going to do with Kristen when he finds her. EJ says he doesn’t know and he has people looking for her, but promises that Kristen will never intimidate or hurt his children or Johnny’s children ever again.

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Days Update Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Brady and Rachel have breakfast at the Brady Pub. Rachel brings up Kristen liking pancakes. Brady notes that Sarah does too and says she will be there soon to welcome her home. Rachel wishes it was Kristen and asks when she is going to come see her.

Xander is waiting in Marlena’s office, thinking back to almost kissing Sarah, until Marlena comes in and greets him. Xander calls it a beautiful morning and says he’s in a great mood since Titan gets to live another day. Marlena congratulates him. Xander calls it a major relief and announces that he also just had a breakthrough with Sarah.

Javi has a nightmare about Dimitri trying to strangle Leo and then wakes up in a panic, yelling out Leo’s name while in bed next to Gus.

Leo arrives in Alamainia, re-reading the text from Dimitri and guesses that he must be holding Gwen in the same house that Gwen held him.

At the house in Alamainia, Gwen complains to Dimitri about the food that she is being fed. Dimitri tells her not to worry about being poisoned, even though that’s what he worried about when she had him held captive here for an entire year. Gwen claims to not know what he’s talking about. Dimitri promises to be a better host than she was as he remarks that she didn’t come to visit him the entire time. Gwen says that’s because she didn’t know where he was. Gwen questions how long he’s planning on keeping her here. Dimitri asks if forever works for her.

Javi apologizes to Gus for his nightmare. Gus asks if he wants to tell him what it was about. Javi claims he doesn’t really remember. Gus then points out that Javi was calling out Leo’s name, so it might have been about him.

Leo sits outside and looks up the address to the house where Dimitri was held. Leo says that it’s like a fortress but then says it’s not so complicated to get in. Leo says he’s got this and walks off with his bags.

Gwen questions if Dimitri expects her to admit under extreme duress that she kidnapped him to acquire his vast fortune, because she did not do it. Dimitri tells her to try that on someone who might believe her. Gwen says if she did kidnap him, he’d have a little bit of proof by now and she’d be in a cell. Dimitri calls the house escape proof and says he didn’t have to change a thing from when he was held there. Gwen argues that his sick twisted fantasy will fizzle out quick. Gwen tells him to enjoy his illusion of control because she’s high maintenance and a force to be reckoned with. Dimitri thinks they both know forces can be eliminated.

Brady encourages Rachel that they will hear from Kristen soon and that she’s just busy. Sarah then arrives so Rachel runs up to hug her. Sarah tells her that she’s so happy she’s home. Brady tells Sarah that he’s glad she could join them. Rachel tells Sarah that she missed her, but points out that Kristen might be joining them as she’s probably coming back soon. Brady points out that they don’t know if she is coming, but even if she was, Sarah would not be leaving. Rachel notes that she doesn’t think Kristen would like it.

Marlena asks Xander what kind of breakthrough he had with Sarah. Xander explains that he, Sarah, and Philip were going to celebrate Titan with champagne, but when he and Sarah went to retrieve the bottle, they somehow got locked in the wine cellar. Xander says while they were in there, their chemistry came roaring back and he knows Sarah felt it too. Xander tells Marlena about the mouse and how Sarah jumped in to his arms and they were about to kiss, but Philip showed up to rescue them before they could. Xander declares that he has hope for the first time in a long time that he and Sarah could be together again. Marlena brings up Xander being involved with other women recently. Xander says that was nothing more than lust as his heart wasn’t in to it with Gwen or Kristen. Xander knows Sarah and Brady are in a relationship and that Brady is Marlena’s stepson. Marlena says what’s concerning her is that Xander might be deluding himself in to thinking that almost kiss meant that Sarah wants back in to a relationship with him. Xander questions if she doesn’t think it’s possible. Marlena thinks he needs to be realistic. Xander argues that he is being realistic as he could see it in Sarah’s eyes. Marlena is sure they had a moment, but it still doesn’t mean she wants back in the relationship. Marlena doesn’t think she should be, until Xander has learned to deal with his anger issues because until then, any relationship he has will end up right back in the same place.

Brady questions why Rachel would say Kristen would be okay with Sarah staying. Rachel doesn’t think Kristen likes Sarah very much. Brady says that’s not okay while Rachel apologizes to Sarah for hurting her feelings. Sarah tells her not to worry about it. Rachel then gets a text from a friend wanting to catch up, so Brady sends her to another booth to call her. Brady apologizes to Sarah for Rachel talking about Kristen like that. Sarah promises it’s okay and she gets it as there’s no surprise that Kristen doesn’t like her or anyone involved with Brady. Brady points out that when Sarah walked in, he noticed a vibe and bit of awkwardness, guessing he didn’t imagine that.

Javi questions saying Leo’s name in his sleep and assumes it’s because he’s worried about him traveling on his own to Alamainia to rescue Gwen from Dimitri, who is obviously a really bad guy. Gus asks if he thinks Dimitri is going to kill Leo. Javi admits that he does.

Gwen argues that Dimitri wouldn’t dare eliminate her because he’s having far too much fun on his power trip, watching her suffer. Dimitri admits that and says after all the suffering he had to endure at her hands and exhausting every legal effort, he finally realized he could turn it around and take justice in his own hands. Dimitri adds that if anyone tries to rescue Gwen, they have no legal right. The doorbell then rings, so Dimitri asks who that could be.

Javi tells Gus that he doesn’t know why Dimitri lured Leo to Alamainia, but he knows Dimitri is trouble which is why he’s worried. Gus reminds Javi that Rafe said he’s going to make sure Leo is okay and nothing bad happens to him. Javi then declares that he knows, but he wants to go with Rafe.

Leo arrives and embraces Gwen, saying he’s there to rescue her. Dimitri guesses Leo found the place with no problem. Gwen questions what is going on and how Leo knew she was here. Dimitri responds that he sent out the call and Leo answered.

Xander tells Marlena that he’s done everything she’s asked for months, including getting in touch with his feelings and the roots of his anger, so he believes he can be right for Sarah again. Xander feels Marlena has to admit that he’s made a lot of progress. Marlena admits she is very proud of how far he’s come, but he has to also look at it from Sarah’s perspective.

Sarah tells Brady that nothing is wrong, but they are getting in to a new phase in their relationship where Rachel is home and needs to be his first priority, adding that there’s also Kristen. Brady acknowledges that Kristen will always be in his life because she’s Rachel’s mother, just like Sarah shares a daughter with an ex. Brady calls those just complications but he always assumed they could work through them, unless she’s saying she doesn’t want to.

Gus questions Javi wanting to go to Alamainia. Javi knows it sounds crazy, but he’s not good at being thousands of miles away and pacing as he feels like he has to do something. Gus says as paramedics, it’s in their nature to take action and not let other people do the job. Gus calls that one of the reasons he dropped his life in Texas and moved here to be with him. Gus tells Javi that he understands and cares about him a lot as they kiss. Gus states that Javi means a lot to him and admits he doesn’t like the idea of them being apart, so he’d be the one pacing the floors if he left.

Leo makes sure Gwen is not hurt then says he knows she can’t be okay. Dimitri assures he’s been the most gracious host. Gwen complains that he kidnapped her in broad daylight and held her against her will. Dimitri tells her that she should be thrilled that Leo is here to rescue her. Leo talks about still recovering from a concussion, but says he’s so relieved to see Gwen. Gwen questions what Leo was thinking coming here with the flight risk of his concussion. Leo calls Gwen his best friend in the entire world and someone who really gets him. Leo says he was worried about her, so he needed to see for himself that she was okay. Dimitri asks if Leo needed to see if he was okay too and if he missed him.

Sarah tells Brady that he knows how she feels about him. Brady then gets a text from Kristen, saying she’s not coming home as she needs to go away and it’s something very important she needs to do. Sarah questions where Kristen is going and what could be more important than her daughter. Brady says that’s exactly what he’d like to know.

Xander questions what Marlena means by he needs to see things from Sarah’s perspective. Marlena brings up that when Sarah lied about Philip’s forged letter, Xander couldn’t forgive her and they can’t just sweep that under the rug. Xander says he’s not angry about that anymore. Marlena says anger doesn’t work like that and he has to confront and deal with it. Marlena then brings up Sarah’s anger as she was very upset when he assaulted Philip. Marlena adds that they went to counseling and decided they couldn’t reconcile. Xander repeats that Sarah almost kissed him and believes she would’ve if Philip didn’t interrupt. Marlena points out that he thinks that, but he doesn’t know. Marlena knows Xander wants to reconcile with Sarah and that there’s a physical attraction between them, but argues that it’s not enough to build a life on. Marlena then gets a text from Brady that he needs to see her now at the Pub as it’s an emergency. Marlena tells Xander that she has to cut their session a little bit short and quickly exits her office.

Marlena joins Brady and Sarah at the Pub. Brady thanks her for coming so quickly. Marlena asks if it’s Rachel. Brady says she’s fine. Sarah says she will leave them to it and to let her know if she can help in any way as she exits. Marlena asks Brady what has happened. Brady informs her that it’s Kristen and shows him the text where Kristen said she had to go away. Brady hoped maybe she could figure out what’s going on.

Gus reminds Javi how he felt when Leo ran off to Alamainia with Dimitri and how that was the final straw. Gus points out that Javi still worries about Leo so much that he’s willing to travel thousands of miles to make sure he’s okay and questions why that is. Javi responds that maybe it’s because he feels so lucky to have Gus and his family, but Leo has nobody. Gus says he gets that Javi loved Leo and went all the way to the altar, so just because the relationship didn’t work out doesn’t mean he stops caring. Javi calls Leo a good person and he doesn’t want to see him get hurt. Gus calls Javi a good person and says he trusts him. Gus adds that if something happened to Leo, he knows Javi would never forgive himself and it would come between them, so he’s okay with Javi going to Alamainia.

Marlena agrees that Kristen’s text is puzzling as she doesn’t understand why Kristen would leave Rachel now. Marlena asks how she can help. Brady needs her to help figure a way to tell Rachel that her mother is gone, that they don’t know why, or when she’s coming home. Marlena agrees to do so, but thinks they should wait a little longer until they have a better idea of what’s going on. Marlena then asks if Brady is thinking what she’s thinking.

Sarah runs in to Xander in the town square. Xander asks if everything is alright. Sarah feels they should probably talk about what happened between them last night. Xander claims he’s not sure what she means. Sarah reminds him of when they were locked in the wine cellar and she was so scared of the mouse. Xander says he was just glad he was there to protect her. Sarah starts to say she didn’t want him thinking, but then says nevermind. Xander asks if there’s anything else. Sarah says no and that they are good, so Xander says he has to get to work and walks off, leaving Sarah frustrated.

Brady tells Marlena that he has been thinking that Kristen’s disappearance is tied in to the fact that she’s been frightened of EJ. Marlena recalls Kristen telling her at Bayview that if anything happened to her, she’d like her to keep an eye on Rachel. Brady knows interrogating EJ would just put him on high alert, so he thinks he should loop Steve in on this and hopes they find some answers.

Gus tells Javi to go help Leo. Javi calls him the most understanding boyfriend ever and promises to be back as soon as he knows that Leo is okay. Gus tells him to be safe as Javi gets up to pack his bag.

Leo tells Dimitri that he came to help Gwen. Dimitri says he understands and that he loves him so much because of his big heart. Dimitri says he’s sorry he had to go to such extremes to get Leo here but he didn’t see any other way. Leo questions how long Dimitri plans on keeping them there. Dimitri says however long it takes for Leo to realize they belong together.

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Days Update Monday, August 3, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Philip goes to the Kiriakis Mansion to share the good news with Xander that Gabi is giving them the money for their loan payment. Xander comments on the irony of paying EJ back with his own inheritance money. Philip jokes that alone is worth celebrating and they decide to pop open some champagne. Xander asks if they should toast to Gabi, themselves, or Stefano since his fortune saved the day. Sarah then walks in. Philip tells her that she’s just in time to join the celebration. Philip declares that the storm has passed so Titan, endures, thrives, and survives along with their family.

Chad joins Belle at Small Bar and says he’s been looking forward to this all day. Chad mentions running in to Rafe and having a chat about what he just did for Leo.

Cat goes to see Rafe and asks about him saying he had an update on the case. Rafe reveals that it turns out EJ did not kidnap Gwen, it was her ex-husband Dimitri.

EJ has a drink at home as he thinks back to Rita telling him that they successfully took Kristen without incident and EJ admitting that he didn’t expect to feel so sad. Rita then returns to the room and reveals to EJ that she just heard from his associate and they have a big problem with the family jet. EJ says it should have taken off by now. Rita reveals that it has, but Kristen is still here, which shocks EJ.

Cat questions EJ not kidnapping Gwen and how Rafe ruled him out. Rafe says he spoke with Chad and that apparently Leo reached out to Dimitri, who all but admitted to taking Gwen. Rafe says that Leo took the bait and is now on the DiMera jet on his way to Alamainia.

Chad tells Belle that Leo should be landing in Alamainia any minute now. Belle questions if Leo will be okay alone like that. Chad doesn’t think there was any talking him out of it as he seemed to think he was the only one who could find Gwen or get through to Dimitri, so he was determined to rescue her. Belle jokes that Leo has a conscience. Chad says Leo certainly cares about Gwen. Chad then reveals to Belle that he can no longer make their planned trip to Italy.

Sarah calls it fantastic that Titan has been saved and says Maggie will be so relieved. Philip says he’ll be out of the doghouse and invites Sarah to join the celebration. Sarah says she had a long day and was just going to bed, but Philip insists that she has to toast with them in Maggie’s place, so Sarah agrees to have a bottle. Philip brings up a fancy champagne in the wine cellar that Victor saved for special occasions and he’s sure Victor would want them to open one. Xander calls that a great idea and says he’ll go get one. Philip suggests Sarah help Xander look while he goes to get the glasses from the kitchen. Sarah and Xander head to the wine cellar, while Philip sneaks back out behind them. Sarah guesses no one has been down there in awhile and bets Xander that she can find the champagne before him. Xander jokes about previous times when Sarah couldn’t find her keys or missing files in her office. They search for the champagne and end up both finding it at the same time. Their hands meet as they both reach for it but Sarah pulls the bottle out and says she won. Xander argues that he saw it too while Sarah asks what she wins. Xander decides she gets first sip. As they go to leave, they discover they are locked inside. Unbeknownst to them, Philip had locked them in the wine cellar together.

Belle questions why Chad can’t go to Italy. Chad says that something’s come up that’s really important to him and he knows she will understand. Chad reveals that there’s a father-daughter dance right in the middle of their trip. Belle understands he has to be there for Charlotte, but thought the kids were in Boston. Chad says Jack and Jennifer are bringing them back early now. Belle says that’s good as she knows he’s missed them so much. Chad was hoping they could push back their trip to Italy but Belle says with her case load, she doesn’t know when she’d be able to get away again.

Cat asks Rafe about Leo going to Alamainia alone and if they’re sure that’s a good idea. Rafe calls it a terrible idea and reveals that’s why he is going there tomorrow. Cat asks what the plan is. Rafe says thanks to Cat, they have a signed confession from Gwen that she and EJ conspired to kidnap Dimitri and hold him hostage, so hopefully they can get Gwen to flip to save her own skin. Cat says all he has to do is confirm that Dimitri has Gwen. Rafe says he also has to free Gwen and then hopes they will have all the ammunition to take EJ down for good.

EJ tells Rita that he doesn’t understand and asks if Kristen escaped. Rita clarifies that Kristen is still in the cargo container but the DiMera jet has taken off without it which EJ questions. Rita reveals that it was Chad who loaned the jet to Leo Stark which shocks EJ. Rita explains that it was something about Dimitri kidnapping Gwen. EJ remarks that at least it takes the heat off him for a crime he didn’t commit. Rita tells EJ that she’s sorry this is happening, but he can’t leave Kristen in that box until the jet returns because it would be cruel and inhumane.

Xander and Sarah realize they have no service on their phones so they are off the grid. Xander remarks that they are worse places they could’ve been stuck than in a wine cellar and there are worse people he could’ve been stuck with. Sarah thanks him and points out that Philip knows where they are and will eventually come find them so they won’t be stuck forever.

Philip sets up the wine glasses in the living room as he thinks back to Xander talking to him about wanting to win Sarah back someday. Kate comes in and says she got his message, so she hopes she didn’t miss all the fun. Philip informs her that she’s just in time for the toast as thanks to Gabi, Titan lives to fight another day. Kate says that’s great and remarks that it’s about time Gabi did the right thing. Philip tells her to be nice. Kate thought Xander and Sarah were joining them. Philip responds that they will be, but they’ve just been delayed. Philip then admits that he locked them in the wine cellar together.

Belle tells Chad that she moved a lot of things around to get this weekend off for their trip, so her docket is full for the next several months. Chad blames himself for screwing it all up. Belle says he had a very good reason. Belle adds that Marlena will be thrilled and wonders if it’s the universe’s way of telling them to back off and let Paul handle it when he’s done with his case, but Chad declares there’s no way they are doing that.

Cat tells Rafe that she wishes she could tag along for the adventure in Alamainia. Rafe reminds her that she has to work here in the background. Cat agrees that it’s not worth the risk. Rafe promises that as soon as this is all over, he will put in a good word for her with Shane because she’s certainly earned it. Rafe adds that she’s also earned an apology from him.

EJ and Rita go to the airfield. EJ notes that as soon as they open the door to the cargo container, Kristen will know that he was behind it. Rita says she would know that anyway. EJ says they will have to get creative with keeping her there until the jet is back. Rita repeats that they can’t leave her in there as it’s not climate controlled or hygienic. EJ says to brace themselves as he has no doubt that Kristen will charge them. Rita prepares her taser as EJ then unlocks the container and opens the doors, only to find Lexie inside instead.

Kate questions Philip locking Xander and Sarah in the wine cellar, reminding him that he’s not in high school. Philip knows it was a bit juvenile because he feels a bit responsible for breaking them up with all of his lies and secrets. Kate argues that Xander beating him up caused that and she knows he’s been covering for him. Philip says he’s just trying to make things right for them. Kate brings up Brady. Philip feels Brady set himself up for failure because anyone with eyes can see that Sarah and Xander are meant to be together.

Sarah and Xander drink from bottles of wine in the cellar while talking about being patient. Xander brings up the club doing a father-daughter dance and says he would love to take Victoria, even though it’s on one of Sarah’s nights with her. Sarah tells him not to worry about that and assures that Victoria would love that. They then toast to co-parenting.

Belle questions Chad being in to the thrill of the hunt and the puzzle of it all now. Chad says he wants to know the deeper connection to his family’s history and adds that what he has loved the most about the mystery is spending time with her as they kiss.

Rafe apologizes to Cat for giving her a hard time about her methods and her motives as he now knows he was wrong to do that. Rafe tells Cat that she’s been doing a great job going after EJ. Cat admits she was wrong about EJ kidnapping Gwen, so she guesses he’s off the hook for that one at least. Rafe declares that EJ is sure as hell not off the hook for kidnapping Dimitri, so he’s going down for that.

EJ questions what Lexie is doing here. Lexie reveals that she overheard EJ and Rita talking about sending Kristen to the island and she thought that she deserved to be warned. Lexie adds that since they didn’t tell the island staff which sister would be in there, she agreed to switch places with Kristen. EJ questions why. Lexie explains that she made peace with dying alone while Kristen wanted to disappear without his interference. EJ asks where in God’s name Kristen is. Lexie admits she doesn’t know as she just let her out and imagines she is long gone by now. Lexie explains that she passed out behind the container and almost missed the window to let Kristen out, but when EJ’s guard went to go look for the jet, she recovered enough to let Kristen out. EJ can’t believe this. Lexie asks how he could do this to Kristen while EJ questions how Lexie could do this to him. Lexie argues that Kristen is family, so she wasn’t going to let EJ hurt her. Lexie declares that what’s done is done, so there’s no need to change course now. EJ asks what that is supposed to mean. Lexie pleads with EJ to send her to the island because she made peace with her fate and said her goodbyes to Abe and Theo because she doesn’t want them to watch her die.

Belle and Chad walk through the town square. Belle tells Chad that the night is still young and she’s in the mood for ice cream. They talk about being a good match as they kiss until Cat approaches and greets them. Cat says she hopes they are enjoying their evening. Chad confirms they are. Cat says she is still on the clock and has errands to run, so she tells them to have a good night. Chad and Belle walk off together as Cat looks back at them.

Philip argues to Kate that this was always going to end in heartbreak for Brady while the sparks between Sarah and Xander could light up all of Salem because they belong together. Kate says that’s not his call to make. Philip complains that she’s no fun. Kate reminds Philip of his track record when meddling with Brady’s love life and says he can’t interfere. Kate orders him to go let Sarah and Xander out of the wine cellar now.

Sarah doesn’t feel she thanked Xander enough for what he did for Holly. Xander says she has and that Holly is family to him, so he’d do anything for her. Sarah feels he went above and beyond in finding the missing DiMera files and figuring out that somebody planted the drugs in her bag. Sarah states that Xander fought for Holly when no one else believed her. Xander is just glad he could help and says it meant a lot to him that Sarah came to him for help. Sarah is glad she did. Xander points out that it’s not over yet since if EJ did plant the pills, Holly deserves to know that so she’s not deluded about EJ’s devotion to her. Xander adds that he’ll be damned if he lets EJ get away with what he did. Sarah assures that she knows they are right.

EJ tells Lexie that he’s sorry but he cannot do that. Lexie questions if EJ would really deny her dying wish and pleads with him, saying she can’t put Abe and Theo through this again. EJ asks Lexie to come home with him then as he won’t let anyone know she’s there and he will take care of her, himself, so she won’t have to be alone. EJ offers his hand and says they will get Lexie home, which she accepts, so they walk out of the airstrip together.

Chad and Belle have ice cream in the town square and talk about having a really good time tonight. They recall initially matching on the dating app. Belle can’t believe it took an app for them to match with how long they’ve known each other as they kiss.

EJ and Rita bring Lexie home to the DiMera Mansion. EJ orders Rita to have their people have Kristen found. Rita says she’s already on it and tells EJ to focus on Lexie. EJ tells Lexie that he will have her settled where no one will find her and promises no one will know Lexie is staying there. Cat then comes in to the mansion, calling out that the door was open and asks if anyone’s home.

Xander and Sarah talk about how long they’ve been in the wine cellar and wonder why Philip hasn’t come to get them. Sarah gets freaked out by seeing a mouse and jumps in to Xander’s arms. They almost kiss until Philip comes in and says he wondered what was taking them so long.

Cat enters the living room of the DiMera Mansion and only finds Rita inside. Rita asks what brings her by at this hour. Cat responds that she was hoping to speak to EJ. Rita says she’s sorry but EJ isn’t available right now as he’s otherwise engaged. Cat says that’s too bad as she eyes the passage to the tunnels.

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BTG Short Recap Wednesday, August 19, 2026

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Recap written by Michele & Cheryl

Dani and Andre were spending time together at home when she brought out the wine that Heather gave them. It made Andre think about his secret. Dani thought about her own secret. She was remorseful about spending so much time with Bill. Andre realized that he should have talked to her about it instead of drinking. Noah couldn’t get on the open mic night so Nicole offered to let him perform at her place. He was able to perform for Anita. Anita loved what she heard and invited him to sit on a recording session. Izaiah went to see Joey at the casino to talk. He thanked him for saving him. Joey considered him the closest thing to a son and thanked him for the impact he had on his life. He was proud of the man Izaiah has become. Vanessa arrived at the casino and was hoping that Deanna’s interest in Noah would keep her out of her business with Joey.

Leslie and Marcel had dinner at Orphey Gene’s. Their conversation got intimate. They didn’t know that Eva was in a booth near them and could hear their conversation. Eva heard her mother talking about wanting to be someone’s person. Marcel asked her to move to the boat with him. Leslie didn’t think that was her scene. Marcel left to go to the bathroom. Eva went to Leslie’s table to call her out for blowing a sure thing for something that wasn’t going to happen. Marcel came back to the table, and Leslie apologized for turning down his invitation. She offered to sing for him in the middle of Orphey Gene’s.

 

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BTG Short Recap Tuesday, August 18, 2026

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

At the hospital, Bill said he wanted to go home. Since he couldn’t go home, he was willing to snuggle in bed with Hayley. Shanice walked in and said hospital beds were for patients. She told Hayley that she wanted both of her feet on the floor at all times when she came to visit Bill. After Shanice left, Hayley went back to hugging Bill. When the alarms went off, Ashley came into the room and told Bill and Hayley the same thing Shanice said. Bill said he was going home. Ashley and Hayley ended up arguing which led to Ashley calling security on Hayley to throw her out. Hayley said she would be with Bill until his last breath.

Eva told Leslie to give up on Ted. She asked Leslie where things stood with Marcel. Leslie said a daughter shouldn’t be giving her mother relationship advice. Eva thought somebody should give her advice. She said Leslie deserved better. After Eva left, Leslie called Marcel to let him know that he needed to do better if he wanted to be with her. Ted showed up to meet Shanice. He wanted to meet her brothers. Shanice said she wasn’t sure if he was ready for that. Vanessa talked to Nicole about Heather. She said she liked Heather, but Joey was weary of her. Later on, Vanessa tried to find out why Joey was estranged from Heather, but he wouldn’t tell her anything. Joey wanted her to let him know if it was a deal breaker for her. Vanessa agreed not to ask anything else about Heather.

 

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Days Short Recap Wednesday, August 19, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Dimitri told Leo about his plans for them. Leo told him that he wasn’t the same man he was. He said he wanted a real life with real love. Dimitri said Javi moved on and wondered why Leo would pine after someone who didn’t want him. Leo wanted him to tell him. He told Dimitri to let him go if he really loved him. Dimitri said Leo chose to stay. Leo told him he stayed so he could let Gwen go. Dimitri finally understood what Leo was telling him. He told Leo that he was free to go and would drop the vendetta against Gwen. Leo told him that he had more to offer than money. He told Dimitri that he would find true love if he searched for the good in himself. Roman saw Kate outside of the pub and wondered why she didn’t tell him what was going on with Titan. He said he cared about her welfare. Kate thought he would enjoy being right since her actions pushed EJ to retaliate against Titan. Roman said he wanted some good to come out of it. He wanted her to move into the guest room. Kate said it wasn’t what she was hoping for, but she would take it as a first step.

Sarah went home and talked to Xander about Lexie. Xander told her that Maggie agreed to sell the estate to an Italian billionaire. He asked Sarah if she had somewhere to stay. Xander said he had his apartment and invited her to stay with him for Victoria’s sake. Sarah said she may consider it. Later on, Brady met up with Sarah. She told him that Xander got a buyer for the house. Brady asked her to move in with him. Sarah said she had to talk to her mother before she made a decision. Gabi told Philip that she wasn’t giving him the money. Philip said it was the only way to save her investment. Gabi said she looked into his poker past and found out he had a gambling addiction. Philip said he beat the addiction. Xander showed up and told them that the house was sold. Philip was upset about the news. Later on, Xander made a call and accepted the offer. He was upset about it. Kate went to the mansion and saw Philip looking at Victor’s portrait. She accepted the blame for what happened. Kate apologized to Victor’s portrait before she left. Gabi showed up and agreed to give Philip the money.

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BTG Short Recap Monday, August 17, 2026

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Recap written by Michele & Cheryl

Andre and Heather reunited. It turns out that they had a past together. He was uncomfortable when she questioned him. Andre was surprised that she was Joey’s sister. He tried to get away from her, but she pulled him into a kiss. Andre pulled away from her and walked away. Heather thought it was only goodbye for now. Andre went to Uptown and started drinking. He had a flashback of talking to someone who warned him about Heather. The man warned him that Heather would go after his loved ones too. Dani arrived and wanted to know what happened, but he told her nothing was wrong. Vernon visited Bill at the hospital. He was happy to see Bill recovering, but he wanted to know what his intentions were with Dani. Vernon wanted an honest answer from him. He asked Bill if he was trying to get back together with Dani. Vernon refused to let Bill ruin Dani and Andre’s marriage. After Vernon finished talking to Bill, he left the room. Chelsea went to see Bill too. She wasn’t happy to see that he was working. Chelsea found it hard to believe that Hayley was doing good deeds.

Tomas found Naomi in Bill’s office again. Dani felt like Tomas should take time off and let Naomi handle things at the office. After Tomas left, Naomi informed her mother that she didn’t plan on taking over her father’s company or working with Bill once he’s better. Later, Tomas and Naomi had another run in. She wasn’t happy that Tomas took files to her father when he needed to rest. Tomas took the rest of the day off and met with Kat. He wanted to spend time with her, but she had to work. Anita was surprised to hear that Chelsea and Kat wanted to name their new purse “The Nikki” since the other name was taken by a rival company. She warned her grandchildren that Nicole wouldn’t be happy that they wanted to name a purse after the name Leslie called her. Kat informed her that Leslie changed after what happened to Eva. She admitted that she might have been too hard on Eva. They weren’t going to be best friends, but she might not be as bad as she thought.

 

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Days Short Recap Monday, August 17, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Chanel went into labor. She was rushed to the hospital. At the police station, Gwen was worried about Leo. Jada came in the room and found out what happened in Alamainia. Gwen said she didn’t want to say anything about EJ unless she got a guarantee that she was protected from him and the courts. Jada said she would talk to Belle. She said she wanted to take EJ down. If what Gwen said was useful, she would get immunity. Gwen demanded her immunity first while Jada and Rafe wanted her to talk. She told Jada and Rafe that she didn’t trust the police to protect her or to take EJ down. Rafe threatened Gwen by telling her that she would go down for Dimitri’s kidnapping if EJ didn’t. Gwen said she knew there wasn’t any evidence to keep her or they wouldn’t need her. Rafe ended up leaving. Jada told Gwen she was free to leave.

Abe saw an unconscious Lexie in the bed. He rushed to her side. Lexie’s heart was beating, but she didn’t wake up. Theo called for help. When they got to the hospital, they told Kayla what happened. Kayla said she wasn’t giving up. While they were waiting, Chanel, Johnny, Lani, and Paulina showed up. Lexie was unresponsive when Kayla went to her room. Later on, Lexie woke up and was upset about being in the hospital. Kayla went to check on Chanel. Paulina was upset so Lani took her out of the room. When Chanel and Johnny were alone, she told him she was worried about the baby coming early and how they weren’t ready for it. Johnny assured her that they would be fine. They talked about baby names to distract her from the pain. Lani and Paulina saw Theo and was shocked about what was going on with Lexie. Kayla showed up to get Theo and Abe. They went to see Lexie. Kayla told them about the blood work. She said Lexie’s body was shutting down. Kayla said they could buy her some time but it wouldn’t do any good. Theo wanted to buy Lexie some time, but Abe wanted to respect whatever decision Lexie wanted. Lexie decided she wanted more time with her family. Kayla went to Chanel’s room and told her that her blood count was low so she had to get a transfusion.

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Days Short Recap Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Holly and Tate talked about everything that happened to her. She swore him to secrecy when she told him that EJ was behind her getting drugged. Tate felt like EJ needed to pay. Gwen called Chad to thank him for letting Leo use the jet to rescue her. She let him know that Leo needed to be rescued. Gwen was leaving the message for Chad when JJ arrived. He welcomed her home and told her that the family tried reaching out to her. She found that hard to believe. JJ realized that something could have happened to her, and he would lose another sister. He wanted to fix things with her before it was too late. Gwen thought the Hortons were trying to butter her up because she was buying the hospital. JJ was shocked to find out that she was doing that. Theo was giving blood at the hospital when Johnny arrived to do the same thing. Johnny thought Theo was donating for Chanel, but he was doing it for his mother. He was surprised that Lexie was at the hospital. Theo was upset with EJ because he believed he was hiding her to avoid admitting his miracle drug was a failure. He thought EJ was denying his mother medical treatment. Johnny defended EJ and that made Theo believe that he knew about it. He told Theo that Lexie wanted it that way. Theo didn’t want to be around him.

Paulina ended up donating blood as well. She noticed that Johnny seemed distracted. He told her what happened with Theo. Paulina called him out for trusting something that EJ said. She couldn’t believe he was keeping secrets because he wanted him to do it. Paulina warned Johnny that he was on a slippery slope. Johnny promised her that Chanel didn’t have anything to worry about. He saw Theo at the nurses’ station and tried to apologize to him. As far as Theo was concerned, it was too little too late. JJ arrived at the hospital and ran into Theo. He wanted to know what he could do to help. Theo let him know there was nothing he could do, but he appreciated it.

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Days Update Friday, July 31, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Leo is on the phone in his room at the Salem Inn, complaining about being put on hold for 49 minutes as he’s trying to book a flight to Alamainia. Leo declares that he needs to get to Alamainia tonight and that it can’t wait as someone’s life depends on it.

Abe and Lexie sit together at home, enjoying their Christmas in July. Lexie is surprised Theo took off before dessert and asks what they were whispering about before he left. Abe claims not to know what she’s talking about. Theo then returns with a Christmas gift for Lexie and says it only seemed right. Lexie opens it to see a necklace with their three birthstones which she calls gorgeous. Theo then helps Lexie put the necklace on.

Javi and Gus walk through the town square with Trey where they run in to Paulina. They tell her about Trey being fussy with his cold. Paulina thanks Javi for babysitting. Javi says he is Trey’s Godfather, so it’s his job to look out for him and he also loves him a lot. Javi offers for he and Gus to keep Trey another night since Paulina is staying at the Salem Inn. Paulina says she appreciates it but it’s been a long week, so an evening with her grandson will do her good.

Kristen joins EJ in the living room of the DiMera Mansion where EJ invites her to have a drink to celebrate Rachel’s return home from Bayview. EJ notes he’s surprised that she’s not with her. Kristen informs him that she just got home from visiting her mother in Aremid and she will see Rachel soon. EJ calls it an odd time to leave. Kristen responds that her mother is sick and she’s her only living child. Kristen adds that Rachel is now home, so she’ll have all the time in the world to be with her.

Javi and Gus go to Small Bar together for drinks. Gus says it feels so good to be off baby duty while Javi says taking care of Trey is one of his favorite things ever. Gus praises Javi being so good with him. Javi says he’s just always loved taking care of kids. Gus asks if Javi could see himself as a parent again one day. Javi says he could and that when he and Leo were fostering Trey, it was some of the best times of his life and that made him think that he could want a family someday. Javi asks about Gus. Gus says he doesn’t know as he doesn’t have the magic touch with kids like Javi does. Javi thinks babies just sense how nervous Gus is and encourages the more time he spends around them, the more relaxed he will be. Gus says he’ll just take Javi’s word for it. Javi questions Gus saying no kids ever. Gus responds that he’s no ruling it out as it would depend on who he’s with.

Leo remains on the phone, arguing with customer service until Chad shows up at his door. Chad questions Leo as he missed the editorial meeting where he was going to pitch the counterfeit bag story, noting that he called him 5 times and thought something was wrong. Leo explains that he was on hold with the airline for 49 minutes. Chad questions where he’s going. Leo asks if he hasn’t heard that Gwen has vanished without a trace. Chad asks if something happened to her. Leo informs him that Rafe said a construction worker found her broken phone on the airstrip which means she’s been kidnapped and taken to parts unknown. Chad asks if he has any idea who took her. Leo responds that at first he was certain it was EJ, but now he knows it was Dimitri, so he has to get to Alamainia tonight.

EJ tells Kristen that he heard she was planning a trip to France. Kristen guesses he spoke with Sydney which EJ confirms. EJ remarks that he hopes she treats his daughter better than his son and suggests she leave the blowtorch at home this time. Kristen tells him not to point fingers and brings up what he put Rachel through. EJ argues that Rachel tried to kill him, while Kristen tried to have his son murdered. Kristen asks if he doesn’t think he deserved that. Kristen then asks how they got here and how things got so bad between them to the point that they are going after each others’ children, using them as pawns and weapons. EJ responds that he wishes he knew. Kristen looks up at the portrait of Stefano and wonders what he would think of them now. She doesn’t think he’d be proud of either one of them.

Lexie says the necklace really is beautiful and thoughtful as she thanks Abe and Theo. Theo points out that it matches Lexie’s new bracelet. Abe says he noticed that and questions where she got it. Lexie thinks back to Kristen giving her the geolocator. Lexie then tells them that it was a gift from Kristen. Theo notes that she has good taste. Abe asks when they leave for the airport but Theo reveals that Lexie doesn’t want them to drive her. Lexie says she already ordered a car. Abe argues that it’s bad enough she’s taking the trip alone and declares that she’s not riding to the airport alone, so he is taking her and that’s final, but Lexie angrily tells him that he can’t.

Javi asks if Gus sees anyone he’d start a family with. Gus jokes with him as he praises Javi’s qualities and they kiss.

Chad asks Leo if he’s called the police since Gwen’s been missing 48 hours. Leo questions what the police are going to do and declares that this started with him, Dimitri, and Gwen, so it needs to end with the three of them as well. Chad asks what makes him so sure it’s Dimitri. Leo shows Chad the text he got back from Dimitri and says that means he’s planning to do to Gwen what she did to him. Leo declares that if anything happened to Gwen, he would not be able to live with himself which is why he can’t wait 24 hours to get to Alamainia. Chad stops him and says he thinks he has an idea.

Abe asks Lexie what’s going on. Lexie apologizes for snapping and says she’s just feeling overwhelmed. Lexie says celebrating Christmas in July made her happy but it also reminded her of how much time she missed with them. Lexie knows he wants to drive her to the airport, but she’d rather say their goodbyes here in their home. Abe says he just wants to make things easy for her. Lexie asks Abe to grab her bag from the bed so he goes to get it. Theo asks Lexie if she’s okay. Lexie claims that she is and hugs him as she cries that she’s going to miss him so much. Lexie tells Theo that her love stays with him always. Theo says he knows that and she’s going to come back really soon. Theo gets a work call that he says might take awhile. Lexie says she’s so proud of him. Theo hugs her and says to call him as soon as she lands. Theo then heads to his room to take the call. Lexie breaks down crying. Abe comes back with her bag and questions what’s going on and why she’s crying.

Kristen tells EJ that it’s ironic because he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her. EJ goes over Kristen pretending to be his mother to give John a baby that wasn’t even his. Kristen remarks that it wasn’t her finest moment but she wishes EJ had been her and John’s. EJ never thought he’d hear that from her. Kristen thinks things would’ve been different between them. Kristen always felt DNA gets too much credit for making them who they are. Kristen remarks that she’s not Stefano’s child by blood, but he made sure she was as much a DiMera as EJ is. EJ adds that she may in fact be the most DiMera of them all. Kristen doesn’t know how to take that, but EJ thinks she does. Kristen calls it a shame and says she better go as she has things to take care of. EJ says he does too. Kristen says goodbye to EJ and walks out of the mansion.

Chad finishes a call and tells Leo that the DiMera Jet is fueled and ready to go for him. Leo excitedly hugs Chad as he thanks him. Chad tells him to be at the air strip in an hour and not be late. Leo tells Chad this is truly the kindest thing anyone’s ever done for him. Chad tells him to just be careful as he hurries him out of the room and they exit.

Lexie tells Abe that she feels silly for getting so emotional, but it’s hard to leave. Abe says it’s hard for him too to be apart from her, so he’s counting the days until she comes home and then they will have so much time together as this is just the beginning. Lexie thanks Abe for accepting her back in to his life as she knows he was happy before and it was complicated for him. Abe assures that nothing could compare to the happiness he felt when he saw her face again. Lexie calls it the most beautiful dream that she never wants to wake up from. Abe says he loves her so much. Lexie says she loves him always and forever as they hug.

EJ looks to the portrait of Stefano as he thinks back to confronting Kristen over trying to murder Johnny. EJ then picks up his phone and makes a call, saying to do it now.

Kristen walks to the park where she is grabbed from behind by a man, so she activates her geolocator bracelet.

Abe tells Lexie to let him know when she’s coming back so he can pick her up from the airport as he will not take his eyes off her for a very long time. Lexie gets the alert on her phone and tells Abe that she has to go. They hug and say they love each other again as Lexie then exits in tears.

Leo goes to the town square where he runs in to Javi and Gus. Javi brings up that Gus said Leo was going somewhere to look for Gwen. Leo responds that Dimitri has her, so he’s on his way to Alamainia. Javi questions Leo going by himself and tells him he can’t do that because it’s not safe for him to go alone, which surprises Leo but concerns Gus. Theo and Abe walk in to the town square where they see Paulina seated with Trey. Theo says they should talk to her, but Abe tells him to go ahead as he needs to text Lexie to make sure she got through security okay. Theo heads on and greets Paulina. Theo asks about Trey as he heard he wasn’t feeling well. Paulina is sure it’s just a cold, so she’s hoping he will fall asleep. Theo offers any help he can and says he’s sure Abe would help too. Paulina thanks him and says they are fine but that’s very kind of him. Paulina then looks back and sees Abe.

Rita emerges from the tunnels and startles EJ in the living room of the DiMera Mansion. She says she just came to tell him that part one of the plan was successful as they took Kristen without incident. EJ thanks her for letting him know. Rita asks if everything is alright or if he’s having second thoughts. EJ assures that he’s not having second thoughts, but he just didn’t expect to feel so sad.

Kristen is brought to a boiler room where the man tells her it won’t be the most comfortable flight, but once she arrives at the island, she’ll be right at home, just without her family. He then shoves Kristen in to a shipping container and locks her inside. Kristen screams for help and then pleads for Lexie, hoping this works.

Abe comes over and greets Paulina and Trey. Theo asks how Chanel is feeling. Paulina says the last round of chemo knocked her out good but she’s a trooper. Paulina adds that it’s the last treatment before the baby is due. Abe asks how she’s holding up emotionally. Paulina says that she’s tough and asks about Lexie. Theo informs Paulina that Lexie is on her way to South Africa to see her mother. Paulina is shocked that Lexie went by herself and calls that strange since she’s been glued to Abe since coming back. Paulina questions why she wouldn’t want Abe with her. Abe says he’s been wondering that himself but it was her decision so he had to respect it.

Chad goes to the Pub to retrieve a bag he left and runs in to Rafe. Chad says he’s glad he ran in to him because he just put Leo on a plane to Alamainia. Rafe questions why. Chad explains that he seems convinced that Dimitri has Gwen. Rafe is surprised as Leo was convinced it was EJ and asks if he has any proof. Chad says he just showed him some texts. Rafe mentions having a message from Leo that he hasn’t listened to yet because he figured it was just another voicemail asking about Gwen. Rafe asks how he’s getting to Alamainia. Chad admits he gave him the DiMera private jet. Chad knows Leo has given them countless reasons not to trust him but he thinks they need to take him seriously now.

Javi argues that it’s not safe for Leo to go to Alamainia to take on Dimitri alone. Leo remarks that it’s not like Javi is going to escort him. Javi tries to argue but Gus says it looks like Leo knows what he’s doing. Leo adds that it’s not like he has a choice. Javi disagrees and says he could just not go.

EJ tells Rita that he doesn’t know why he’s letting it get to him like this. Rita points out that Kristen is his sister while EJ complains that she plotted to kill his son, so sending her to the island is merciful. Rita says he doesn’t have to explain himself to her. EJ remarks that perhaps he is, as always, explaining himself to Stefano.

Lexie finds her way to the boiler room on the air strip and sneaks around to avoid being seen. Lexie hears Kristen calling for help and locates the shipping container. Kristen calls for Lexie to get her out. Lexie says it’s locked so it will take a few minutes to get it open. Kristen suggests looking underneath for the key but Lexie says there’s nothing. Lexie asks if she’s okay in there. Kristen says she’s alive but it almost killed her to miss Rachel’s welcome home party and now she has to leave her. Lexie cries that she’s so sorry and asks if she got to say goodbye at Bayview. Kristen says she did kind of and asks if Lexie was able to say goodbye to Abe and Theo. Lexie confirms she was and says they were both so sweet and unsuspecting. Lexie calls it the hardest thing she’s ever had to do and hopes that someday they can forgive her.

Leo waits for his ride as Javi says he’s worried. Leo says he’s worried about Gwen since Dimitri can be dangerous and unpredictable. Javi points out that Leo is going in to this with no backup or protection. Leo says that Gwen needs her and he owes her. Leo then gets an alert that his ride has arrived. Javi wishes Leo luck and tells him to take care of himself as Leo then exits. Javi complains to Gus that it was bad enough last time Leo went to Alamainia but at least then he had someone looking out for him. Gus argues that Leo knows the risks and made his choice. Javi argues that Leo does things without thinking and he is all impulse. Gus says that’s why Javi is lucky that Leo is not his problem anymore. Javi decides he’s right, so Gus suggests they head home with no babies or exes, just them. Javi says that sounds good so they walk off together. Paulina continues saying she doesn’t get why Lexie would go off by herself like that and says if it were her, it would take an army to pull her away from Abe and Theo. Theo states that Lexie has been through a lot and hasn’t seen her mom in 15 years. Paulina continues questioning going to South Africa, if Lexie is up for that, and how long she’s going to be away. Theo admits they don’t know since she hasn’t booked her return flight home yet. Paulina remarks that she’s sure Lexie has her reasons. Paulina sees that Trey has fallen asleep, so she’s going to try to get him to her room and in to his crib. Theo and Abe say to send Chanel their love. Paulina agrees to do so and says she hopes Lexie has a good trip. Paulina then heads to the Salem Inn with Trey.

Rita tells EJ that Stefano was not one to second guess himself as once he made up his mind, he never looked back. EJ agrees but says it just never should’ve ended this way. Rita says with the path Stefano sent them on, it was inevitable that it would.

Rafe admits to Chad that he was hoping EJ was behind Gwen’s disappearance so they could finally nail him for something. Chad says he doesn’t blame him and won’t defend him, but he’s not responsible for every bad thing that happens in Salem. Rafe says it’s just most of them.

Kristen tells Lexie that even EJ’s henchman thought what he was doing was messed up, but guesses EJ pays well. Lexie works on trying to pick the lock as Kristen urges her to keep going so they can make the switch before the pilot arrives. Kristen adds that by the time EJ finds out Lexie is on the island, she will be long gone and her trail will have gone cold. Kristen asks how Lexie is feeling about all of this. Lexie responds that she’s feeling like it’s what has to be done. Kristen says she’s sorry for all of it, especially being stuck in this container. Lexie is sure it’s more spacious than the pod she was in all those years. Lexie declares that if it will spare Abe and Theo from watching her die again, it will be all worth it. Kristen wishes there was more she could do for her. Lexie says she’s done enough and she’s come to terms with her fate as her time came 15 years ago. Lexie adds that the chance to see Abe again and see Theo all grown up can only be looked at as a blessing. Kristen calls Lexie an amazing person and says she’s so proud to call Lexie her sister. Lexie cries that she just wishes she was better at picking locks. Lexie decides to go look for a crowbar and says she’ll be right back. Kristen repeatedly calls out to Lexie, asking if she’s alright, as Lexie staggers behind the container and collapses to the ground.

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Days Update Thursday, July 30, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Philip is at the Titan office, on the phone with an investor, trying to convince him to give Titan a loan. Philip ends up hanging up and throwing his phone in frustration. Gabi then arrives and picks up his phone, saying she thinks he dropped something.

Alex goes home and tells Stephanie that the custody meeting did not go well because Joy decided to add a condition that she refused to budge from. Alex reveals that Joy wants it stipulated in the contract that if he is going to have any visitation with Kelsey, Stephanie can not be present for the next 18 years of her life.

Joy and Kelsey are outside the Brady Pub. Joy looks over the custody papers and declares that Alex is making things difficult by not signing the papers, but she knows he will come around because he loves Kelsey as much as she does.

Brady, Marlena, Tate, and Rachel sit together at the Brady Pub. Belle and Chad arrive to welcome Rachel home and give her a present. Rachel asks about Thomas. Chad says he and Charlotte are in Boston with their grandparents, so he’s representing the DiMera side of the family. Rachel responds that she’s glad Chad is there, but questions where her mom is and asks if she’s coming. Brady and Marlena assures she must just be stuck in traffic. Rachel questions Belle and Chad getting her a gift together. Belle then informs her that they are kind of dating. Rachel jokes about that making them her double aunt and uncle while Brady jokes that he’ll have to acquaint her with their complicated and crooked family tree.

Philip questions what Gabi is doing there as he thought they said everything they had to say. Gabi thinks she said too much, so Philip asks her to elaborate. Gabi brings up accusing him of knocking off her Gabi Chic handbag and admits she may have jumped to conclusions. Philip questions why she now thinks that. Gabi responds that she spoke to Arianna. Philip asks if Ari convinced her that it wasn’t him. Gabi explains that Ari was her DiMera internship with a bag that she had given her before it was released and when she left it alone, it was gone, then she found it later in a room that she doesn’t even remember being in. Philip asks if she thinks someone at DiMera was responsible for the counterfeit bags then. Gabi says maybe, but she doesn’t have any proof. Philip points out that didn’t stop her from accusing him.

Stephanie questions Joy not wanting her allowed around Kelsey until she’s an adult. Alex calls it absolutely crazy and assures that he’s not going to sign anything as he would never go along with anything that would cut her out of his daughter’s life. Stephanie argues that he has to sign something or else Joy could take Kelsey and leave town. Alex assures that won’t happen and says they just need to let Joy cool down. Stephanie thought they were already doing that as she’s been keeping her distance, trying to prove she’s not a threat. Stephanie questions what if Joy never changes her mind.

Joy enters the Pub with Kelsey and waves to Belle as she walks by their table, so Belle goes to talk with her. Joy then tells Belle that she was going to call her because she needs her help with a legal matter.

Philip argues that Gabi accused him of stealing from her without any evidence, even though he told her repeatedly that he didn’t do it and promised he never would. Philip adds that even after she betrayed him, he cared about her too much to disrespect her work and creativity. Philip complains that he was open and vulnerable which has never been their strong suit. Philip asks if Gabi believes him now that Titan had nothing to do with this. Gabi confirms that she does. Philip asks what that means.

Rachel says she’s texting Kristen but she’s not answering. Tate takes Rachel to refill her milkshake. Belle sits with Joy and asks what’s going on that she needs legal advice. Joy responds that she just had a meeting with Justin and Alex about Kelsey’s custody. Rachel and Tate come over, so Rachel meets her baby cousin Kelsey. Rachel brings up how Tate thought he had a baby but it turned out not to be his. Joy says she’s sorry to hear that as Tate then takes Rachel back to their table. Belle asks Joy further about the custody meeting. Joy explains that she and Alex had the birth certificate amended to add him as the father and they were supposed to sign an agreement on his visitation rights, but he refused to sign it because she doesn’t want Stephanie around her daughter which Belle questions. Joy declares that as long as Alex has Kelsey, Stephanie can’t be present. Tate overhears that and says she can’t do that. Tate argues that she can’t ask Alex to pick between his wife and his kid. Tate warns that when you start using a kid to manipulate somebody, it doesn’t work out for anyone.

Stephanie asks Alex what happens if he doesn’t sign the custody agreement and if Joy will let him see Kelsey at all. Alex says they didn’t really get in to all of that, but he assumes not. Stephanie tells him that she’s so sorry. Alex says it isn’t her fault. Stephanie argues that it’s all because of her that he can’t be with his daughter.

Joy tells Belle that she’s taking Kelsey to the park and she appreciates her time. Belle asks to go talk about this outside, so Joy agrees and they exit together. Marlena and Brady step aside to the counter. Brady asks if she’s heard anything from Kristen. Marlena says she hasn’t, but she assumes she’s on her way because she can’t imagine Kristen would miss her daughter’s homecoming. Brady says that’s why he’s really worried that something’s wrong. Marlena asks if he thinks something happened with Kristen. Brady explains that after Marlena left Bayview, Kristen showed up and she was sad and emotional. Brady says that Kristen said it was just over the time she lost with Rachel, but then she started apologizing to him and thanking him for being a great dad while adding that Rachel would be relying on him more than ever. Marlena calls that very unlike Kristen. Brady notes Kristen hugging Rachel like she didn’t want to let go and that it kind of felt she was saying goodbye to both of them. Brady states that even if Kristen was moving on from him, nothing would tear her away from Rachel.

Alex repeats to Stephanie that this is not her fault. Stephanie disagrees, complaining that Joy is punishing him because of what she did. Alex says it’s just messy right now and that custody arrangements are never easy. Alex insists they will figure it out and that in time, Joy will see that having Stephanie in Kelsey’s life is only going to make it better, just like she made his life better. Stephanie thanks him for saying that. Alex tells Stephanie that he loves her and that Kelsey will too. Alex is sorry for interrupting her work and says he’ll let her get back to it as he has to check in at the office anyway. Alex says he will call her in a little while and he wants them to do something tonight to get their minds off this. Stephanie says that sounds good as they kiss and Alex then exits. Stephanie then grabs her phone and calls Roman to ask if Joy is around. Stephanie says she will head to the Pub soon then as she hangs up and exits.

Belle tells Joy that Stephanie made a terrible mistake that she deeply regrets, but she would never let that happen again. Joy argues that she doesn’t know that. Belle talks about Stephanie being through something deeply traumatic and thought Joy was breaking in to her home. Joy argues that it demonstrated poor judgment for Stephanie to pull out her gun and shoot at her. Belle repeats that Stephanie went through a horrible ordeal and was traumatized. Belle argues that Joy worked with Stephanie at Body and Soul, so she knows what kind of person she is. Belle has no doubt that Kelsey would be perfectly safe in Stephanie’s care. Belle thanks Joy for hearing her out as she heads back in to the Pub.

Gabi informs Philip that she will release the funds that she promised him, confirming the amount they agreed on from Stefan’s inheritance will be hitting his bank account by tomorrow morning, so he’ll have plenty of time to make the loan payment. Philip admits he’s relieved as he thought they were going have to start selling the furniture to pay the electric bill. Gabi jokes that it wouldn’t be the worst idea as they could start over with some Gabi Chic decor. Philip admits he can’t thank her enough for this as she saved Titan and his family, so he then hugs her and they end up kissing until Alex walks in. Alex jokes about Philip getting some work done while Gabi says they had some business to discuss. Philip informs Alex that Gabi rethought her decision and is giving them the money from her inheritance. Alex asks if they’re serious. Gabi explains that she realized she jumped to the wrong conclusion about Philip and the company, so she wants to make up for what she did. Alex can’t believe it as Gabi confirms they can make the loan payment. Alex excitedly thanks Gabi and hugs her.

Joy sits outside with Kelsey and asks if she’s being unreasonable. She decides maybe she is as she pulls up Alex on her phone. Stephanie then approaches and asks if they can talk.

Rachel gets a text from Kristen, saying her mother isn’t feeling well so she went to take care of her in Aremid, but that she’s happy she’s home and she can’t wait to see her. Brady says that’s great and that they will check in with her later. Rachel asks for some fries, so Tate takes her to the kitchen. Marlena comments to Brady about the good news about Kristen, but Brady doesn’t buy the story as it’s the first he’s heard about her mother being sick and Rachel Blake has a caregiver, so there’s no reason Kristen should’ve gone to see her mother when she could’ve made her daughter’s homecoming. Marlena suggests giving her a call, so Brady steps away as Belle and Chad return to the table. Belle asks if everything is okay. Marlena says Brady is just checking on something and asks about their trip to Italy. Belle says they will be going to Rome and Milan. Marlena knows Belle always has an exact plan. Belle says they’ve decided to relax about this trip and see where things lead. Marlena then questions what is going on here and what they are keeping from her. Chad tells Belle that she’s on her own, so Belle admits to Marlena that it’s about Stefano’s chess board.

Gabi says she should get going and that the money should be in their account by tomorrow morning. Philip repeats that he doesn’t know how to thank her for this as she knows what it means to him and his whole family. Gabi responds that she’s really glad she could help. Alex thanks her again as Gabi then exits the office. Philip dances in celebration as Alex questions what just happened here. Philip tells him that Gabi agreed to save the company. Alex asks if that was before or after he started kissing her. Philip says it was after, so Alex asks if it was a thank you. Philip says it just happened as he impulsively hugged her, they got caught up in the excitement, and that’s all.

Joy assumes Alex told Stephanie about the custody agreement. Stephanie says that’s why she wanted to come talk to her as she hoped they could come to an agreement between them, so Alex won’t be forced to choose between her and his daughter. Joy says she’s not asking him to choose, she’s just saying that she doesn’t want Stephanie around her daughter which hasn’t been a problem so far. Stephanie argues that it’s only been a short time while they are talking 18 years. Stephanie tells Joy that she and Alex are married, so they are a package deal. Stephanie says she either wants Alex in Kelsey’s life or she doesn’t and asks which one it is.

Marlena thought Belle was going to let Paul handle the investigation. Belle argues that it’s not really an ISA case while Marlena worries that with Stefano involved, everything is dangerous. Marlena warns that Stefano and every one in his family are a threat to them, excluding Chad. Belle knows Marlena doesn’t want to be involved but says that she and Chad have made some real progress which Marlena questions. Belle explains the missing pawn and the Italian Lire inside a hidden department in the chess board which may be a clue. Marlena guesses that’s why they are heading to Italy which Belle confirms. Marlena declares that she cannot condone this as they have no idea what they will find and it’s far too dangerous.

Joy argues that Stephanie pulled a gun on her and could’ve killed her. Stephanie knows that’s her rationale for her decision even though she has told her that she deeply regrets everything that night and made it clear it will never happen again. Joy believes that she means that, but says she can only go with her gut and she would spend all of her time wondering that something else might set Stephanie off and she can’t live her life like that. Stephanie is starting to think this has nothing to do with what happened that night and nothing to do with Kelsey at all. Stephanie thinks this is Joy’s way of trying to come between her and Alex, because she wants Alex to herself.

Rachel wants to start taking karate lessons at Tate’s gym which Brady says is a great idea. Tate jokes they can be in the same class. Brady says it’s so good to have his kids together again. Rachel asks if he thinks Kristen will be back from Aremid tomorrow. Brady says he hopes so. Belle promises Marlena that they will be safe while Marlena argues that they can’t make that promise on the trail of Stefano DiMera. Belle promises to call Paul if anything sketchy happens while Chad says they would call DiMera Security if they face any trouble. Marlena knows she can’t forbid them from going while Belle doesn’t want to make her unhappy. Marlena says she has to remind herself that they are adults, able to make their own decisions. Belle thanks her, so Marlena asks her to promise to keep her in the loop on every single moment which she agrees to do.

Gabi walks through the town square and stops to think back to kissing Philip. Gabi smiles and pulls out her phone. She makes a call and says to make the transfer.

Alex asks if Philip has told Xander about this. Philip says he’s the first person he’s seen since Gabi broke the news. Alex excitedly tells him to get Xander on the phone and call Kate and Maggie. Philip wonders if they should wait until the money hits the account tomorrow. Alex asks if he thinks there’s a chance it might not. Philip assures that he does believe Gabi. Alex jokes that she sealed it with a kiss, so it seems legit. Alex tells Philip to relax as this is a good thing and hugs him. Philip agrees they can finally sleep tonight as things are definitely looking up.

Joy tells Stephanie that she’s not trying to come between her and Alex nor does she want him to herself. Joy adds that the way Stephanie is acting is not projecting stability. Stephanie accuses Joy of acting neurotic since coming back to Salem and using her mistake to her advantage to freeze her out, so it’s her, Alex, and Kelsey with 18 years. Stephanie brings up Joy calling Alex at the hospital and telling him that she had an emergency when it was just her insurance and then calling with a flat tire. Stephanie argues that Alex went running every time while she said nothing as they are doing everything they can to keep Joy happy in hopes that she will let Alex be a good father, but instead she just doubles down on her insane demands. Stephanie argues that Joy knows what she’s doing is wrong and selfish. Joy responds that before Stephanie showed up, she had actually changed her mind as Belle convinced her that maybe she had gone too far and that Stephanie was just a good person who made one bad mistake, but now having her attack her like this and calling her a homewrecker, liar, and neurotic, it’s clear that Stephanie is as mean and unhinged as she thought. Joy then declares that she is never letting Stephanie near her baby.

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Days Update Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Leo is in the town square with his bag packed, on the phone talking about booking a flight. Leo admits he hadn’t thought about where he’s going. Leo talks about recovering a concussion and acknowledges that maybe he shouldn’t be flying, but his dear friend is in deep trouble. They tell Leo to call back when he’s got his head on straight. Leo asks what if that never happens as they hang up on him.

At the DiMera Mansion, EJ calls Johnny and tells him that it appears the Titan loan buyout is working exactly as planned. Johnny guesses that serves them right. EJ says that’s spoken like a true DiMera. Johnny thanks him for the update and says they’ll talk later as he hangs up. Chanel calls Johnny over, worrying that Trey feels warm and could be sick. Johnny takes Trey away and reminds Chanel that she had chemo this morning, so the last thing she needs to be around is a sick baby while her immune system is compromised. Chanel says it’s fine and argues that she’s not just a cancer patient, but a mom too. Johnny encourages Chanel to focus on staying healthy and says they have a village of people willing to help them, so he thinks it’s time to call in reinforcements. Johnny then calls Leo and asks if he’s free to babysit Trey since he’s come down with a cold and Chanel can’t get sick right now. Leo says normally he’d say yes in a heartbeat but he has something important to take care of. Leo recommends his friend Denise but Johnny says it’s okay and not to worry about it as he’s sure they will find someone. Leo asks Johnny to tell Trey that he says hi and he hopes he feels better and that he loves him very much, which Johnny agrees to do as they hang up.

Lexie is at home on the phone with Kristen, confirming she is wearing the geolocator now and when the time comes, she will drop everything. Lexie then hangs up as Theo enters and questions what’s going on and what she means by dropping everything when the time comes.

EJ is surprised at home by his mother Susan Banks, who says she’s here on a mission to stop him from making a baker’s dozen of mistakes.

Johnny tells Chanel that Paulina is in a meeting, Lani is holding it down at the Bakery, and he left a message for Javi. Johnny says if all else fails, he can take Trey to the office with him. Chanel argues that he can’t take their sick baby to work while Johnny argues that he can’t stay there with her. Javi then shows up at their door and says he’s sorry he missed the call as he just finished his shift, but he’d be more than happy to watch Trey if they still need a babysitter.

Rafe is on the phone with Cat at home, saying that’s not good news for Gwen but it does give them something to jump off and a reason to question EJ which he will enjoy doing personally. Rafe hangs up and goes to leave, right as Leo arrives. Rafe tells Leo that Javi isn’t home and he has something urgent to attend to. Leo asks if it’s more urgent than life and death, so Rafe asks what it is. Leo informs Rafe that he believes Gwen was kidnapped by EJ and asks him to show concern for his friend. Rafe responds that he didn’t realize they were still friends after Gwen blew up Leo’s marriage to Javi. Leo admits that hurt like hell, but he hurt Gwen deeply too, and says they are all capable of mistakes. Rafe tells him to get to the point. Leo points out that Gwen has only been missing for one day and he was going to start looking for her himself, but he realized he doesn’t have the slightest clue where to start, so he pleads with Rafe to help him.

Susan tells EJ that there is some very bad energy surrounding him and questions what has gotten in to him. Susan argues that she told him the wickedness of Stefano is inside him, but she didn’t know he could be more cruel.

Rafe doesn’t think it’s a good idea for Leo to go out looking for Gwen. Leo argues that somebody has to and asks if Rafe is going to look for her. Rafe reveals that a case has been opened. Leo questions this being a case and says he’s not letting this go until Gwen is home safe. Rafe responds that they are not out looking for Gwen, but that could change soon. Rafe agrees to tell Leo what he knows but it has to remain strictly off the record. Leo promises not to breathe a word of this as he just wants to find his friend. Rafe tells Leo to start by telling him what he knows. Leo asks Rafe if he’s familiar with the concept of a dead man’s switch.

Lexie claims to Theo that she was speaking to a customer service rep at a new rideshare service to take her to the airport. Theo says she could’ve just asked him as he’d be happy to give her a ride. Lexie says she’s sure the airport traffic is crazy and she already ordered the car. Abe then comes home and greets them. Lexie says she’s glad he’s home as she was hoping they could have some family time tonight before she goes on her trip to visit her mother. Abe then reveals that he just got off the phone with Celeste, who said she had no idea Lexie was coming. Lexie is shocked that Abe talked to her mother. Abe says he wanted to say hello to her and remind her not to let Lexie overdo it. Lexie then claims that she wanted to surprise her and that’s why she didn’t know she was coming. Abe apologizes for ruining the surprise. Lexie says it’s okay as he didn’t know. Abe asks if she can forgive him. Lexie assures that she does and appreciates that he cares so much. Lexie tells Abe and Theo that she loves them with her whole heart and that they mean everything to her. Theo asks if she’s okay. Lexie talks about getting this time back with them and seeing the man Theo has become. Lexie says it’s been truly a gift. Lexie tearfully tells Abe that she will miss him.

Javi checks on Trey and says he’ll do everything he can to make sure he’s feeling better. Johnny says they can’t thank him enough for doing this. Javi says he couldn’t be happier to do it, adding that they can video chat every hour if they want and advises Chanel to call her doctor if she starts to feel sick. Javi then exits with Trey.

Susan grabs EJ’s hand and removes Stefano’s ring from his finger, saying that’s where the wicked energy is coming from.

Abe tells Lexie that he will miss her too but she won’t be gone long. Lexie suggests they have a goodbye dinner. Theo offers to cook but Lexie reveals that she already ordered takeout from the Bistro which should be ready, so she asks them to go get it. Theo says it doesn’t sound like a two man job but Lexie insists that she ordered a lot, so Abe and Theo exit together. Lexie then goes back to her phone and makes a call, saying the coast is clear.

Leo tells Rafe about Melinda going to open the file that Gwen left for him, only to find it blank which means EJ must have hacked in to it or had it deleted. Rafe calls that an interesting theory as Leo asks what he has. Rafe informs him that the police did a wellness check and found that Gwen’s hotel key hasn’t been swiped in 48 hours and there’s been no activity on her credit cards. Rafe then reveals that a construction worker just turned Gwen’s phone in and it was found smashed at the air strip.

Lexie brings out a box and staggers, saying not yet as she pleads for just a few more days.

Theo and Abe walk through the town square as Theo questions what’s going on because Abe hasn’t said a word. Abe responds that he feels awful for ruining Lexie’s surprise for her mother. Theo encourages him to stop beating himself up because Lexie forgave him. Theo asks if something else is bothering him. Abe admits that he doesn’t understand why Lexie took this trip without him. Theo points out that it’s been 15 years, so he’s sure Lexie wants to spend some alone time with her mother. Abe says that has to be the reason, but it’s been an overwhelming time for Lexie so maybe spending time alone with her mom might be what she needs right now.

Leo questions Gwen’s phone being found on the air strip. Rafe notes the DiMera private jet has been stationary but he knows EJ isn’t stupid enough to use his own plane. Rafe adds that he did some digging and found that only cargo planes have been through there in the time since. Javi then comes home with Trey. Rafe guesses Javi is doing some babysitting which he confirms. Javi explains that Trey has a cold and Johnny and Chanel didn’t want to risk Chanel catching it, so Trey’s going to hang out with them until Paulina can take him. Rafe says he’d love to stick around but he has to go as duty calls, so he tells Leo not to do anything stupid as he exits. Leo comments on Johnny and Chanel asking him to babysit and he wanted to say yes but he had to talk to Rafe about a big story. Javi then questions if Leo was there to talk about something crime related with Rafe or if he was just hanging around, hoping he would show up.

EJ asks Susan to give back the ring as it means a great deal to him. Susan responds that she will give it back when it’s safe. Susan warns EJ that he’s going down a very bad path and reminds him that he is not Stefano. Susan declares that she will not let him be that monster. EJ says that he hears her as Susan then exits with the ring.

Leo tells Javi that he didn’t come hoping that he would show up as he’s not that stalker-ish anymore. Leo adds that he’ll prove it by getting out of his hair and says he’ll see him around. Gus then comes out of the bedroom and questions what’s going on here.

Johnny tells Chanel that Trey’s blankets are all in the wash and he’s wiped down every surface in the apartment. Chanel thanks him and says she understands why they have to be cautious, but feels it’s silly to do all this over their son having a cold. Johnny says it’s better to be safe than sorry. Johnny adds that not only do they have a squeaky clean apartment, but they have it all to themselves. They start to kiss until Chanel apologizes and says she’s just not feeling it.

Rafe goes to the DiMera Mansion and asks EJ if Gwen is there. EJ responds that she’s at the Salem Inn. Rafe informs him that she’s not and that she hasn’t used her key card in over 48 hours. Rafe guesses EJ already knew that.

Abe and Theo return home with food from the Bistro and can’t believe what they come home to.

Rafe goes over how Gwen proposed buying the hospital out from under EJ, giving the board an opportunity to oust him and then she suddenly disappears. EJ calls it circumstantial and claims he had nothing to do with Gwen’s disappearance. EJ tells Rafe to get the hell off of his property but Susan comes over and asks what’s going on. EJ tells Susan that it’s nothing to worry about. Susan informs EJ that she performed a cleaning ritual on his ring. Susan asks if Rafe was there on business and what seems to be the trouble.

Leo tells Gus that he was just leaving, so he exits. Gus questions Javi as to what that was all about. Javi explains that he just got home and Leo was there to get some sort of quote from Rafe about a big news story and only stuck around to say hi to Trey. Gus hopes that news story can get Leo a job at the Chicago Tribune and he can leave them be. Gus then says he didn’t know they had a play date today. Javi says it was a last minute thing to help out Johnny and Chanel. Gus tries to play with Trey but he starts to cry, so Gus apologizes and says babies aren’t really his thing. Javi tells him not to worry about it and sings to Trey.

Chanel apologizes to Johnny as she was just complaining the other day about wanting him to make love to her more often. Johnny says it’s okay as Chanel mentions feeling a little nauseous with a little bit of lower back pain. Chanel adds that she’s missing Trey already and questions why he had to get sick today of all days. Chanel says Trey would distract her from how awful she’s feeling as she can already tell this time the side effects will be worse. Chanel decides she’ll just have to focus on how lucky she is to have great doctors, a loving family, Trey, a baby on the way, and most importantly Johnny.

Abe and Trey enter their home to find it decorated for Christmas as Lexie comes in with a Santa hat, calling it Christmas in July. Abe questions when she did all of this as they weren’t gone that long. Lexie reveals that she had some help from the DiMera Mansion staff. Lexie says she has missed so many Christmases and asked why wait all those months when they could just have it now. Theo agrees that she deserves two Christmases as they hug and wish each other a Merry Christmas. Abe calls it the first of many more that they will share together.

Rafe informs Susan that EJ is involved in some very shady stuff. EJ reminds Rafe that he asked him to leave. Susan tells EJ not to be rude and agrees with Rafe that EJ is involved in very shady stuff. Susan says she knows because of EJ’s ring, which she says has a dark, mystifying energy. Rafe wonders if that ring would confirm that EJ kidnapped Gwen. Susan argues that he must have it all backwards because EJ would do no such thing and she would feel it if that were true. EJ says they’ve taken up enough of Rafe’s time as he was just leaving. Rafe warns EJ that this isn’t over. EJ calls that an empty threat. Rafe insists it’s a very real threat and that he’s taking it all the way until EJ finally gets what’s coming to him. Rafe then exits.

Johnny decides he will take the rest of the day off and not go to work, but Chanel insists that she’s fine. Johnny says he will at least get her set up on the couch with snacks and a romantic comedy. Chanel decides she wants to video chat with Trey first. Chanel is sure Javi is doing great, but she wants to reassure him. Johnny assures that Trey sees and feels her love. Johnny promises someday, all of this will just be a distant memory and says they have a lot to look forward to. They hug and end up feeling the baby kick.

Lexie suggests they take turns saying what they are thankful for. Lexie starts by saying she’s so grateful to have this day, this meal, and this precious moment with her loves. Lexie talks about being blessed to have so many years with Abe and says she couldn’t be prouder of Theo. Lexie emotionally declares that she’s beyond grateful to be alive in this moment with her family.

Leo goes to his room at the Salem Inn and makes a call, trying to get flight records from the air strip. Leo thanks them and hangs up as he gets the records. Leo goes over the flights and finds one flight to Alamainia.

Gus tells Javi that he’s surprised Leo is still in town since he ran in to him earlier and he said he was leaving Salem to go look for Gwen as she’s apparently missing. Javi says he had no idea. Gus figured Leo would have filled him in. Gus adds that Leo also told him to tell Javi goodbye in case anything happens. Javi wonders if that’s what he was talking to Rafe about and why he didn’t just tell him directly. Gus asks if he wanted Leo to write him a love letter or something. Javi says no and that it’s all just really strange. Javi declares he’s done trying to figure out what’s going on in Leo’s mind which Gus says he’s glad to hear.

Leo texts Dimitri, asking if he happens to know where Gwen is. Dimitri texts back “Turnabout is fair play”

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Days Opinions For The Week Of August 3, 2026

Opinion Article

 

by Michele & Cheryl

8/3/26 – 8/7/26

We decided to change things up with this column. The idea came through Facebook. Someone from a soap opera group wrote a very funny and interesting article about the characters on a different show. We decided to pick up the baton and do our own version of it. We’re going to write about the idiots of the week. This column focuses on the characters who do idiotic things. Hopefully there’s enough space because there are plenty of them to go around. We can’t write about everybody so the challenge will be narrowing it down to a specific number of people. The characters won’t be in a particular order. It’s a random drawing. 

Our first idiot award goes to Javi. He’s picked because this guy didn’t hesitate to dump Leo because he felt like he wasn’t over Dimitri. Javi didn’t want to be with him and told Leo to move on since he did with Gus. Fast forward, and he wanted to help Leo while he was in Alamania. He had a dream about Leo and called out his name in his sleep. Javi is in a relationship with Gus, but he’s focused on Leo. He’s an idiot because he was free from Leo, but he wanted to circle in his orbit again. You would think he would mind his business instead of finding ways to bring him up like he’s on a juicy soap you can’t stop talking about…oh wait a second…LOL

Our next nominee is Paulina. This woman has become a little too concerned about Abe’s situation with Lexie. She was the one who chose to do the dumping before she got dumped, but she was a little too excited to find out Lexie left Abe to see her mother. Paulina practically drooled over the idea that Lexie left around Abe’s bday. Side note: Paulina remembered Abe’s birthday, but Lexie didn’t. Lexie wanted to recreate Christmas, but she didn’t think about Abe’s birthday. He should feel about as wanted as a jury duty letter. Paulina should focus on running Salem instead of playing buttinsky with Abe’s marriage. She’s an idiot because she is poking her nose in Abe’s business just to rub it in that he hooked up with someone who left her. She clearly doesn’t have enough to do in Salem, or she wouldn’t be playing amateur detective. 

We have a three-way tie for this spot. Xander, Philip, and Gabi got a little too happy that they beat EJ. Like most idiots, they couldn’t help bragging about their little victory. They couldn’t keep quiet about the loan to save Titan. EJ got upset and decided to find out where they got the money. He found out through Rita (the busybody of DiMera Enterprises.) that Gabi let Xander and Philip take her inheritance. Things hit the fan quickly when he found out what Gabi did. EJ pulled a fast one on them and sped up the time they had to pay for the rest of the loan. Needless to say the celebration stopped for the trio. The knuckleheads shouldn’t have jumped at rubbing it in that they beat EJ. They are idiots because they chose to be smug to EJ as if they didn’t have anything to lose. Xander, Philip, and Gabi found out the hard way that they were no match for EJ. Thanks to their smugness he went after them. We cheered Alex on when he told them that they should have stayed quiet. If they did that, they wouldn’t have made our list.

The last person to make the idiot list would have to be Stephanie. She isn’t last because she is the least idiotic. As we informed you earlier, the list is in no particular order. If we did the article in order, she would have made the top of the list. Stephanie decided to loan out her brain. For some reason, she decided not to tell Alex about her run in with Joy. The woman used being asleep as an excuse for why she didn’t tell Alex about it. Are you serious? She makes it so easy for Joy to come after her man. Stephanie felt it was the right thing to do to tell Theo but not the man she promised to spend her life with. We thought that was stupid too. Joy didn’t hesitate to tell him about it. Needless to say, she made it seem like Stephanie speared her like she was WWE star Roman Reigns. (If you watch WWE, you know who he is. If you don’t watch it, then you can overlook that reference.) Alex gave her a small piece of his mind about not telling him what happened. We enjoyed him finally ripping into her about her wrongdoings. She doesn’t get called out enough so it was refreshing to see it. If Stephanie continues to make stupid decisions like that, she will have a permanent spot on the list of idiots.

There you have it. We have our idiots list completed. It was a hard choice to narrow it down, but we were able to do it. If the characters continue to do idiotic things, there will be another list ready.

 

 

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

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Days Nitpicks & Flubs For The Week Of August 3, 2026

Nitpicks & Flubs

 

by Michele & Cheryl

Monday

-EJ’s flashback could be heard before it was shown.

-Why would the Kirakis family have alcohol at the mansion when Maggie is an alcoholic?

-Philip’s flashback could also be heard before it was shown.

Tuesday

-Dimitri was talking in Leo’s flashback before it was shown.

-The house in Alamania looked like the Kirakis mansion. 

-Marlena left Xander in her office when she went to see Brady. He could have done anything while she was gone.

Wednesday

– If Joy didn’t need anything from Alex, why didn’t she stay in New York?

-Lani referred to Abe by his first name instead of “dad.”

-Theo was in the office one minute and with Lani the next.

Thursday 

-Holly could be heard talking while Xander was shown. 

– When did Susan become Rachel’s aunt? Rachel called her “Aunt Susan.” She’s not related to her at all.

– The waitress served Steve and Brady coffee twice. They didn’t finish the first cups they had. 

-Sarah was talking to Holly while Xander was shown.

-Rachel should have heard Brady and Kristen yelling in the apartment. They weren’t whispering to each other. 

Friday

-Joy didn’t say anything about doing physical therapy before.

-Kayla was talking to Joy while Stephanie was shown

-Xander and Philip drank an entire bottle of champagne as if they could afford to pay for it.

 

 

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

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Days Of Our Lives Best Lines For The Week Of August 3, 2026

Days of Our Lives Best Lines

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Best Lines by Michele and Cheryl 

8/3/26 – 8/7/26

Leo: OH Gwennie. Oh, thank God I found you.

Gwen: OH, my God, Marty, what are you doing here?

Leo: I’m here for the world-famous Alamainian Tchotchkes Fair. What do you think I’m doing here? I came to rescue you.

 

Dimitri: I take it you found the place without too much trouble?

Leo: Well, Maps actually sent me to a nightclub called Laut und Lustig, which I learned is German for “ Loud and Fun.” Not the most creative name, but I suppose you do know what you’re in for. 

 

Dimitri: And I see you brought your meandering anecdotes with you. 

Leo: No, just a personal item and one carry-on. Traveling light.

 

Leo: Gwennie, you’re not hurt or anything, right? You’re okay?

Gwen: Oh, yeah, you know. I’m just swell, just taking this all in, having an “Eat, Pray, Love” moment. No, of course I’m not bloody okay. 

Leo: Yeah, of course not. Of course not. I mean, how could you be? They’re feeding you gastronomic atrocities. Is he not letting you shower? Do you at least have a cozy pillow?

Dimitri: I assure you, I have been the most gracious of hosts.

Gwen: Oh, yes. You’re so very gracious. You’re just ripe for a five-star dazzling review, if you hadn’t kidnapped me in broad daylight and held me against my will. 

 

Dimitri: Gwen, you should be on cloud nine right now. The cavalry has arrived to rescue you.

Gwen: I’m, yes, my knight in shining armor. 

Leo: Speaking of, those dudes must have been schvitzing up a storm in those cranking metal vests, ugh.

Gwen: Leo, now is not the time, please.

Leo: Yes, yes, of course not. I know. Listen, and I just want to say, even though it was a very long and very turbulent flight, and I couldn’t sleep at all and all I ate was one tiny bag of cashews, and I am still recovering from a concussion so I’m kind of seeing the world as, like, abstract art, just being here with you right now, I am so relieved, I could break out in song period. I won’t, but I could. 

 

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Days Short Recap Friday, August 14, 2026

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Theo burst into the DiMera mansion and caught Chad up with what happened to Lexie. Rita tried to intervene, but Theo didn’t want to hear from her. He let her know that he and Chad didn’t believe that she would tell the truth. Rita tried to stop them from leaving, but they pushed past her to get to the tunnels. She saw Devlin and realized that the memory eraser she gave him worked because he didn’t remember her. Devlin overheard people talking about a woman being hidden in the tunnels because a miracle drug didn’t work. Rita offered to take him home since he didn’t seem well. Devlin didn’t know about that since he didn’t recognize her. Rita tased him, and he went down. Johnny and Chanel waited for Paulina to show up to babysit Trey. Chanel insulted Lexie for leaving on Abe’s birthday. Johnny tried to defend his aunt, but it didn’t do any good. Paulina arrived with a gift for Abe. She explained that Marlena talked her into getting it, but she was being funny about it. Chanel wondered if Johnny knew what his grandmother was trying to say. They were about to leave when Chanel had Braxton’s Hicks. She said she was fine so they left. Lani arrived for Abe’s party. Abe didn’t feel like celebrating after finding out that Lexie was missing. Lani felt like the party would be good for him. She and Theo believed that Lexie went somewhere to get treatment. Abe wished Lexie had be honest with him in the first place.

Theo found Lexie in the tunnels and rushed to her side. He asked Chad to get Abe. Theo got Lexie some water and promised to get her help. He didn’t give Lexie a chance to speak because he ran upstairs to get his father. Chad arrived at Abe’s party to get him so he could see Lexie. Abe rushed to see Lexie. Chad explained to everyone what happened. He saw Cat at the square and yelled at her because he believed she knew Lexie was dying. Chad didn’t want to hear what she had to say. He said that she sounded like EJ and called her a liar. Rita took Devlin to a room with a pod. Devlin woke up and wanted to know where he was. EJ showed up in the room. He was upset to see Devlin, but he was excited to see him. EJ wanted Devlin gone permanently. Rita assured him that she would take care of it. She wanted to give him the flu medication first. Rita gave EJ a memory erasing pill without him knowing. She sent him upstairs so she could take care of Devlin. Johnny and Chanel went home with pizza for Paulina. They told her what happened at the party. Paulina thought it had something to do with Lexie. Chanel went into labor. Theo ran into Abe and took him to see Lexie, but she was unconscious.

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BTG Short Recap Friday, August 14, 2026

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

 

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

Joey called someone and told the person to make it happen. Someone ended up grabbing Heather and took her to Joey’s place. Joey wanted to know what she was doing with Vanessa. Heather said Vanessa wasn’t her pawn. She reminded him that they were family. Joey said he adored her but that was a long time ago. He said there were things he couldn’t unsee when he looked at her. Joey reminded her of what she did as the Impaler. He said there was a limit to what he would do but he couldn’t say the same for her. Joey said that was where the problem was. Heather said the difference between them was she was willing to get her hands dirty or bloody while he had other people do it. Joey threatened to kill her if she did anything to Vanessa. Andre called someone and asked if the person had eyes on their mutual headache.

Andre talked to Smitty about attracting certain people when he was at his lowest. He let Smitty know that Dani changed him. Andre said he was afraid that his past was catching up to him. Later on, Andre got a text from the mystery person telling him to meet at the Bowman Hotel. When he went to meet the person, it turned out to be Heather. Dani met with her family so they could tell her what they have been saying about her. She wanted them to tell her their concerns about Bill. Dani told them nothing was going on with Bill. They let her know they would be there for her if she needed them.

 

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Days Short Recap Thursday, August 13, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Gwen wanted Rafe to rescue Leo since he helped her. Rafe didn’t seem that interested in helping Leo. He said that Leo was free and could go if he wanted. Rafe had a signed confession so he wanted her to worry about herself. He wasn’t interested in putting her in jail. Rafe wanted her to help him get EJ, and she would be free. Gwen wanted to go after EJ, but she wasn’t leaving Leo. Rafe informed her that it was her once chance to get away from Dimitri and take EJ down. Dimitri tried to get Leo to be with him, but he didn’t think he should be with someone he’s forcing to stay with him. Stephanie went to the hospital to give Joy flowers from Kelsey. She wanted Kayla to give them to her. Kayla thought it was a good thing that she wanted to try to work things out with Joy. Stephanie didn’t know what she would do if Joy never let her be part of Kelsey’s life. She was afraid her marriage wouldn’t survive it. Kayla let her know that there wasn’t anything she could do about it now. She let her know that Joy was in the middle of a medical crisis. Stephanie left to go to Jada’s place. Alex met with Steve at the pub to plan a surprise party for Stephanie. Steve was blunt with him and told him that Joy was taking advantage of him so she could spend time with him. He said that Joy needed boundaries. Alex said he didn’t have any interest in Joy other than co-parenting.

Paulina and Marlena caught up with each other at the pub. She talked to Marlena about it being Abe’s birthday. Paulina knew she shouldn’t care about Abe’s birthday, but Marlena thought she didn’t have to try so hard to stop caring. Marlena gave her advice about Abe. Paulina left after their conversation. Abe wasn’t enjoying his birthday after the news Theo gave him about Lexie. He thought Lexie went to see Dr. Rolf. Abe assured Theo that Lexie would come back to them. Later Theo ran into Marlena so she took him to her office. Marlena thought he should look at the DiMera mansion for his mother. She told him that his mother wasn’t just sick. Lexie is dying. Marlena told him that Lexie didn’t want her family to watch her die. Theo rushed to the DiMera mansion to find his mother in the tunnels.

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BTG Short Recap Thursday, August 13, 2026

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

At the hospital, Bill thought Andre was there because he was jealous. Bill said he asked to see Dani and she went to see him right away. He told Andre that no matter how hard he tried, Dani wouldn’t stop thinking about him. Andre said Dani had memories of him because their relationship was in the past. He told Bill that their relationship was going to stay in the past. Andre ripped into Bill for taking pride in the idea of Dani having feelings for him after what he did to her. While they were arguing, Bill’s heart started racing. Ashley came in and told Andre about stressing Bill out. Andre got a text from the person who has been texting him. Dani talked to Vanessa and Heather about Bill and Andre.

Later on, Dani went to the hospital and found out about Bill and Andre’s argument. Dani went into Bill’s room and threatened him if he ever told Andre what they did. Hayley showed up. Dani left the room. She asked Bill if she and Andre should be worried about him and Dani. Andre went to Uptown and got another mystery text. The person said they were at the bar. Andre got a call from Dani. Someone watched him while he was on the phone. Vanessa went to see Joey who wasn’t happy about her spending time with Heather. Joey thought Heather was after something. He thought Heather wanted to merge their businesses and wondered how far she was willing to go to get what she wanted.

 

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