Days Update Friday, April 24, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Alex wakes up and greets Stephanie in the living room. Alex informs her that he’s taking the day off from work to spend some time with her as they kiss. Stephanie points out that they are both free, so she asks what he wants to do. Alex responds that he had an idea to surprise her as they kiss.

Xander walks Victoria through the town square. Johnny comes by, having found that Victoria dropped her teddy bear and returns it. Johnny then informs Xander that he will not be settling the lawsuit. Xander says he’s heard and that he’s also heard Johnny’s being telling everyone around town that he and Kate set him up, commenting that it must be easier than admitting his own incompetence. Xander advises Johnny to cease and desist unless he wants to get hit with further litigation. Johnny questions Xander threatening him when he knows exactly what he and Kate did. Sarah walks up and asks what’s going on.

Marlena goes to the Brady Pub, where Brady invites her to join him and asks if everything is okay. Marlena responds that it’s not as she just came from Bayview to try and visit Rachel before her sessions began, but Kristen has barred her from seeing Rachel. Brady is shocked and says hell no.

EJ enters the living room of the DiMera Mansion and greets Kristen. EJ informs her that he is heading to probate court because he learned a codicil had been filed in regards to Stefano’s will by some overseas law firm. EJ says he’s not surprised since it had been years since it was drawn up. Kristen calls it an intriguing plot twist and asks if EJ is worried that Stefano cut him out of his will. EJ says no, but suggests Kristen should be worried.

Alex tells Stephanie that she seems to be doing better. Stephanie admits she slept better and they think it’s because of the gun Steve brought her. Stephanie says it helps her feel like she’s taking control of her life. Alex says now she has to learn how to use it and how not to use it. Alex asks if Steve brought a gun case and a safe. Stephanie confirms that he did and that he’s taking her to the shooting range later, so they’ll have to be back from Alex’s surprise plans before then as they kiss.

Xander tells Sarah that he and Johnny were just discussing business. Johnny says that discussion is now over and tells Sarah it was nice to see her as he walks away. Sarah questions Xander intimidating his competition in front of their daughter. Xander argues that Johnny isn’t meaningful competition and is just a figurehead for DiMera. Sarah points out that DiMera is thriving. Xander questions her being team Johnny. Sarah says she always has been and calls him a great guy, adding that Xander was team Johnny too until he decided to go toe to toe with him. Sarah points out that Johnny is happily married with a beautiful child and another on the way while CEO of his company and remarks that she would call him competition and say that Xander is jealous of him.

Brady tells Marlena that Kristen has no right to bar her from seeing Rachel as they share custody. Brady argues that Rachel needs all the love and support she can get. Marlena suggests giving Kristen a day or two to calm down so they don’t start another war. Brady responds that the war has already begun since Kristen stormed out of his apartment, saying she never wants to see his face again. Brady complains that Kristen puts everything in to her revenge tour instead of Rachel. Brady declares that Kristen is in for a surprise because he’s not going to let her stop Marlena from seeing Rachel and promises to take care of this.

Kristen tells EJ not to get too cocky. EJ says he doesn’t have time for this idiocy. Kristen complains about EJ wearing Stefano’s ring backwards. EJ argues that she’s just jealous that Dr. Rolf gave the ring to him instead of her. Kristen argues that all she wants is access to the entire family home, including the tunnels, so she wants those access codes. EJ argues that the tunnels are not safe. Kristen says they aren’t safe if someone finds out what’s going on down there. EJ tells her that she’s being ridiculous and suggests she worry about getting her own house in order. Kristen asks what the hell that’s supposed to mean. EJ tells her to focus on her daughter facing mental health challenges. Kristen calls him a bastard and argues that everything she does is for Rachel. EJ says they’ve all heard that story again and again, but Rachel is in a nuthouse so maybe it’s time to look in the mirror. Kristen then slaps EJ.

Alex surprises Stephanie by bringing her skydiving. Stephanie says she’s thrilled and talks about not going skydiving in years. Alex recalls doing it one time before a job interview. Dave the instructor comes in and greets them. Dave recognizes Stephanie from her picture in the paper and realizes that she’s Steve’s daughter. Dave talks about hiring Steve one time and calls him a hell of a private investigator. After he exits, Alex and Stephanie talk about nothing ruining their fun and how they can’t wait to skydive together. Alex declares they’ll have a lifetime of adventures to go as they kiss.

Marlena tells Brady that she doesn’t think running Basic Black with Kate is going to work out. Brady asks if it has to do with Johnny’s accusations against Kate and if she thinks Kate set him up. Marlena responds that she doesn’t know, but after hearing what Johnny said, her first thought was Kate wouldn’t do that but then she wasn’t sure. Marlena says she really wants Basic Black to go forward and that it needs to be run by members of John’s family. Marlena adds that if she can’t rely on Kate to run the business part, she’ll have to find someone else. Brady says he’s not part of the company anymore, but he can help and would be willing to do that until she finds someone more permanent. Marlena says that would be amazing and thanks him. Marlena says she’s so grateful that she will call Xander to accept the position.

Xander asks if Sarah is going to continue going on about Johnny and lecturing him or if she has questions about their daughter. Sarah asks Victoria if she’s having fun with her dad. Victoria responds that she’s having the best time. Xander says she slept through the night and when they woke up, they had breakfast together and remarks that she didn’t seem to miss her at all. Sarah responds that what they want is for Victoria to be comfortable with him and with her. Xander then walks away with Victoria.

Kristen warns EJ to keep her daughter’s name out of his mouth. EJ responds that violence is never the answer, but he realizes her suffering as a parent. Kristen argues that he has no idea what she’s feeling. EJ remarks that at least her daughter loves her while for a very long time, Johnny shunned him so he does know the pain of feeling like your child has lost you. Kristen mocks this as a performance while EJ says he was being sincere and apologizes for hurting her feelings. EJ says he does care about his niece and he’s sure she will be released from Bayview soon. Kristen asks if he’s spoken with her doctors. EJ says he’s just speculating, but one thing he’s very sure of is that if she ever lays another hand on him, he will not turn the other cheek. EJ warns Kristen that if she thinks what happened to her mom was bad, she does not want to go to war with him. EJ then storms out of the room. Kristen mutters telling him to bring it on.

Alex and Stephanie return from skydiving and talk about how amazing it was. Alex talks about his adrenaline while Stephanie says it was just what she needed. Alex suggests doing it again and says he loves her so much as they kiss.

Brady texts Kristen, questioning how dare she try to stop Marlena from visiting Rachel and warning that he’ll be happy to have the judge explain shared custody to her. Sarah arrives and apologizes for being late, saying that a run in with Xander made her blood boil. Brady asks what happened. Sarah complains that she walked up on Xander arguing with Johnny in front of their daughter and then had the nerve to say Victoria didn’t miss her. Brady relates to Kristen making him so angry he could punch a hole in the wall. Sarah asks if they should do something about it.

Marlena goes to see Xander at Titan and says she came to talk about joining Basic Black. Xander says he’s heard from Maggie and Kate that she was interested and he calls it a fantastic idea. Marlena informs him that after careful consideration, she’s decided she doesn’t want to work with Kate. Xander doesn’t understand and asks why not. Marlena responds that she has her reasons, but she does want to take the position and that Brady has agreed to consult so they will have him to help until they find someone to replace Kate. Xander questions Marlena deciding that and says he’s the one that decides, so the answer is no.

EJ confronts Sophia in the town square and questions what the hell she thinks she’s doing. Sophia responds that she’s reading a book. EJ questions her showing her face in town after her disruptive sideshow at Johnny and Chanel’s adoption. Sophia remarks that she’s surprised EJ still has a son after what he put them through during Johnny’s attempted murder trial, but guesses he’s back in their good graces after making sure they could raise her baby. EJ tells Sophia to do everyone a favor and get the hell out of Salem. Sophia asks if he’s going to make her disappear if she doesn’t. Sophia adds that she’s not scared of EJ. EJ warns that she doesn’t need to be scared for him to ruin her. Kristen interrupts and asks if EJ has nothing better to do than threaten an 18 year old girl. Kristen asks Sophia if EJ has upset her. Sophia says it’s okay but Kristen says it’s not. Kristen questions EJ intimidating Sophia while she was minding her own business. EJ asks what business it is of Kristen’s. Kristen responds that she knows Sophia well since she and Rachel became friends in Bayview which EJ mocks. Kristen states that when Rachel was in a tough spot, Sophia had her back and helped her out which is a foreign concept to EJ. Kristen warns EJ to stay away from Sophia. EJ reminds Kristen that he won’t be turning another cheek this time while Kristen warns him not to push her. EJ says he doesn’t need to push her as he’ll just stand back and wait for the collapse that always comes. EJ warns Sophia that this is far from over as he walks away. Sophia then remarks to Kristen that EJ is a little bitch which Kristen agrees with.

Sarah brings Brady to the rage room that he brought her too before to unleash her anger, saying she feels like they could both use it today.

Alex and Stephanie ask Dave to go skydiving again, so he goes to check the schedule. Stephanie talks about how Alex has been trying so hard to give her what she needs and she knows it hasn’t been easy, but he never gave up on her. Stephanie didn’t realize that what she needed was this. Stephanie says skydiving should be terrifying but it wasn’t, because she had him there. Alex says they had each other and that’s how it’s always going to be from now on. They kiss until Dave comes back and says he’s at capacity, but he feels they will come up with something to do. They agree as they exit.

EJ goes to the Brady Pub and finishes a call as Johnny arrives. EJ wishes he could stay and chat but he has to get to probate court about Stefano’s will. EJ knows Johnny once said he doesn’t want any of that DiMera blood money, but points out that it can be used for good and to help make sure his beautiful family never wants for anything. EJ hopes Johnny will reconsider his earlier position and eventually accept what is rightfully his.

Marlena questions Xander telling her no. Xander argues that she doesn’t know the first thing about the fashion industry or running a business while Kate is an expert in both. Xander adds that if her decision is based on something said or not said during his therapy session, that would be unethical.

Alex and Stephanie return home. They kiss as Alex jokes that he can’t believe he almost took her bowling. Stephanie says skydiving was perfect. Alex promises her a lifetime of adventures. Stephanie says she can’t wait as they continue kissing.

Brady and Sarah take bats to tires in punching bags to unleash their anger towards Xander and Kristen in the rage room, then they clear off a table of glass and laugh together.

Sophia tells Kristen that she read up a lot on personality disorders in Bayview and EJ checks a lot of boxes. Kristen calls him an arrogant, narcissistic jerk. Sophia says every family has issues but guesses she’s lucky that her parents were overprotective and her brothers were annoying, but they really love each other and she’s really going to miss them so much. Kristen asks if Sophia is going soft on her now. Sophia says no, but that EJ is right that she needs to leave Salem and start a brand new life. Kristen responds that’s exactly what she’s going to do after she completes her mission.

Johnny tells EJ that he won’t have to think about his inheritance for a long time because EJ is alive and well and is going to stay that way for a long time. EJ says he certainly hopes so, but life has it’s own agenda. Johnny says that’s why you have to make every moment count or at least try. EJ asks if he’s alright. Johnny says he’s fine and everything is fine. EJ says they will pick this up later as he exits the Pub.

Marlena asks if Xander is going to lecture her about ethics after what he and Kate did to Johnny. Xander understands her frustration but in order for Basic Black to survive and thrive, she needs to partner with someone who knows what they are doing. Marlena says that’s why she suggested Brady. Xander argues that Brady was very checked out which is why he had to fire him while Marlena argues that he fired Brady for having a relationship with his ex-wife. Xander says if Titan had more leeway financially, he might experiment with Brady again but they don’t. Xander adds that John was a brave and kind man, but he’s knowledge of the fashion world was limited. Marlena calls that not true, arguing that John made Basic Black a success. Xander states that Kate did that and that John made the right decision in hiring her. Xander says he’s now doing the same thing by hiring the same person to do the same for Marlena. Xander calls Kate iconic and perfect for the job, adding that Marlena will do this with Kate or she won’t do it at all.

Alex and Stephanie continue kissing. Stephanie tells Alex that if she didn’t have to go meet her dad, she would have her way with him right here. Alex says he’ll be waiting for her to get back as they resume kissing.

Brady and Sarah talk about feeling better after the rage room. Brady tells Sarah that watching her in there was a huge turn on. Sarah suggests Brady take her back to his place as they kiss.

Sophia asks Kristen when they are going to do it. Kristen responds that when the time comes to pull the trigger, she will let her know. Kristen warns Sophia not to screw this up as she walks away.

EJ returns to the Pub. Johnny notes that was fast. EJ says it turns out his presence was not required in court as it turns out, he’s no longer the executor of the estate, but Theo is. Johnny wonders what else Stefano changed. EJ says they won’t find out until the will reading. EJ adds that Marlena has been added to the list of beneficiaries.

Xander asks Marlena if she will work with Kate or not. Marlena doesn’t like ultimatums. Xander says he’s simply stating his position while Marlena argues that he’s trying to paint her in to a corner which she finds disappointing and infuriating. Marlena declares that she has nothing more to say and walks out of the office.

Alex answers the door at home and is shocked to see Joy Wesley has returned to Salem.

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Days Update Thursday, April 23, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

In the living room of the DiMera Mansion, Gwen is pouring a drink when EJ walks in and reminds her that she no longer lives there. Gwen responds that she came for the rest of her things and decided to pour herself one last drink. EJ asks if something is wrong with the mini bar at the Salem Inn. Gwen responds that it’s empty and it will take ages to refill. Gwen adds that the Salem Inn is also not really private because Leo is her next door neighbor. EJ tells her to ask to switch rooms because the last thing she needs is Leo digging through her trash. Gwen responds that he’s already started digging but assures his secrets are safe. EJ says he hopes so because it’s a very important time for their project. Gwen asks how their patient is doing anyway and when Lexie is going to wake the hell up. EJ informs her that there has been a new development on that front.

Chad goes home to the Horton house where Jeremy greets him and invites him to stay for dinner as they’ve ordered a few pizzas. Jeremy points out that with Chad and his kids, himself and Julie, plus Lani and her twins all being there. Julie walks in and calls it a full house, adding that it’s about to get fuller because Jack and Jennifer can’t wait to come visit their grandkids. Julie then notices that Chad doesn’t look too pleased about that.

Leo runs in to Cat at the hospital and says it was lovely spending time with her and Gwen earlier. Leo says he’s at the hospital to have his head examined from his concussion.

Steve and Kayla go to visit Stephanie at home. Stephanie questions if Alex asked them to stop by to check on her because he’s been afraid to leave her alone since she got out of the hospital. Kayla says they just wanted to visit her. Steve then reveals that he brought her a gun like she wanted.

EJ shuts the doors of the living room and informs Gwen that Lexie moved her arm while Theo was with her. Gwen can’t believe it and exclaims that they did it. EJ tells her that Dr. Rolf is performing tests and calls it a sign that they’ve been waiting for that his sister is about to wake up.

Cat tells Leo that she completely forgot about his concussion. Leo talks about dealing with his breakup and knows Cat can relate after her and Chad. Cat says she doesn’t want to talk about it. Leo encourages that he believes if it were up to Chad, he’d be with Cat in a heartbeat.

Chad tells Julie that he’s fine with Jack and Jennifer visiting and the kids will be very happy to see their grandparents. Julie hopes that Chad can make a fresh start with Jack and Jennifer now that the custody lawsuit is over. Julie encourages that Jack and Jennifer want to see everyone, including Jeremy, pointing out that Jennifer was his biggest defender when Stephanie went missing. Jeremy responds that he’s just glad the truth came out and that Stephanie is safe now.

Kayla talks to Stephanie about the first time she held a gun. Steve wants to make sure Stephanie understands the fundamentals and how to use a gun. Stephanie assures that she’s ready to do whatever it takes. Steve asks when she wants her first lesson. Stephanie suggests right now, so they agree to get started.

Leo apologizes to Cat for going on about Chad. Leo brings up that Chad came back to town just like Javi, but remarks that at least Chad doesn’t have someone else like Javi and there’s only an ironclad contract keeping them apart. Cat decides she should finish work and head home. Leo brings up that Gwen mentioned EJ put Cat in charge of Stefano’s will reading ceremony which she confirms. Leo calls that quite a news story and asks if he can get an invitation.

Gwen tells EJ that this news about Lexie is incredible and questions his mood. EJ informs her that Chad has returned from his trip. Gwen asks why that’s a problem. EJ explains that Chad stopped by for what he thought was a friendly visit, but he accused him of having Abigail in the pod. Gwen questions why he would think that. EJ says the last thing they need is Chad sniffing around to find the truth. Gwen says that she knows Abigail was not in the pod, but brings up that when they started this, EJ told her that there were other people he wanted to experiment on, so she asks if Abigail is one of those people.

Chad stares out the window while Jeremy tells Julie that her support along with Jack and Jennifer meant the world to him. Julie states that now the world knows and Owen Kent is behind bars where he belongs. Julie goes to get Thomas and Charlotte ready for dinner. Chad apologizes to Jeremy for thinking he was guilty. Jeremy says it’s okay as Owen did a good job setting him up. Chad hopes Owen goes away for a long while and asks what the latest is. Jeremy says that Owen is being evaluated to determine if he’s fit to stand trial. Chad asks if he thinks he is. Jeremy responds that he hopes so because he’s looking forward to testifying against him and he knows Stephanie is too because she could really use some closure.

Steve walks Stephanie through gun safety, reminding her to always treat it as if it’s loaded, never point it at something you’re not willing to destroy, keeping her finger off the trigger until ready to shoot, and to know your target because there’s no guarantees and never want collateral damage. Steve mentions having a gun safe and ammo in the car. Kayla reminds Stephanie to always have the gun in safe while Steve says to have the ammo elsewhere. Stephanie questions how she will ever stand a chance if the gun is unloaded and locked in the safe.

EJ tells Gwen that he’s not having this conversation with her. Gwen insists that she is because she invested when he needed capital, so she deserves to know who else are in pods. EJ tells her that it’s of no concern to her and that Lexie was the most viable subject for resurrection, so Dr. Rolf needs this to work with her before they can even think about turning to others. EJ then gets a call from Dr. Rolf. EJ says that’s not what he was wanting to hear and to let him know if there’s been a change as he hangs up. EJ informs Gwen that Dr. Rolf confirmed Lexie is exhibiting signs which Gwen says is great news. EJ says yes and no.

Chad asks how Jeremy is doing since the kidnapping. Jeremy says what he’s dealing with is nothing compared to Stephanie as she and Alex got married the day before and then suddenly her whole world gets turned upside down. Chad is still surprised Stephanie and Alex ended up together after he almost cost her the chance to say goodbye to her mother when they thought Kayla was dying. Jeremy questions how he did that. Chad responds that he just made some selfish choices. Chad adds that he wishes Stephanie all the happiness. Jeremy asks if he doesn’t think she’s going to find it with Alex. Chad repeats that he just wishes her all the happiness and that’s all he’s going to say.

Steve understands Stephanie’s concern but says storing the weapon anywhere but a gun safe is too risky. Kayla agrees, bringing up how many people she sees in the emergency room from a gun accident. Stephanie agrees to keep it in the safe and assures she knows the responsibility. Kayla hopes she never has to use it. Steve states that knowing how to use it safely makes all the difference. Stephanie is grateful to them for trusting her with it as she needs to feel safe again and she knows this will help because she has to take her power back.

Cat tells Leo that she will ask EJ that he asked for an invitation to the will reading, but the answer will probably be no since it’s a family event and they won’t want a journalist there. Leo argues that Stefano would have loved the publicity. Leo suggests they should make plans soon and says she’s great to hang out with. Leo talks about feeling connected to her ever since they met outside of EJ’s lab and mentions that he’s still very curious about that pod. Cat then gets a call from Rafe that comes up on her phone as “James Smith” which Leo sees. Cat tells Leo that she has to check in with EJ. Leo reminds her to put in a good word for him as Cat walks away. Javi then arrives and sees Leo. They greet each other as Leo comments on Javi being back to work. Javi asks Leo if everything is okay. Leo says he just has a checkup. Javi says he has to go fill out some paperwork. Leo then stops him to ask how it’s going with his new guy.

Steve says he will get the gun safe and the ammo from the car and be right back as he exits. Kayla checks on Stephanie, who says she’s better now. Kayla asks how talking to Marlena went. Stephanie says it went well after one session and she’s going to start seeing her regularly. Kayla asks how Alex is with all this. Stephanie admits it’s not easy for him as he’s wanting to help her but there’s nothing he can really do, so he just ends up trying hard. Stephanie says it has to be frustrating living with her right now, but she hopes they are finding their way.

Julie returns to the living room and tells Chad and Jeremy about the kids arguing over a cookie. Chad decides he’ll go pick up their pizza and more cookies. Jeremy calls Chad a great dad. Chad talks about the kids keeping him going after losing Abigail and says he’s not taking a moment for granted after the custody suit as he doesn’t know what he would’ve done if he lost them. Chad then exits.

EJ explains to Gwen that Dr. Rolf hoped there would be increased alertness and consciousness but according to him, there’s been no change in Lexie’s brain activity and in his experience, the longer these improvements take, the less likely the experiment is to succeed. Gwen argues that it has to mean something because Lexie wasn’t moving just a few days ago. EJ assures that they are not giving up. EJ declares that if they fail now, it would be like losing his sister all over again. Gwen points out that’s not the only thing he’d be losing as they have put millions in to this. EJ responds that he’s aware of the stakes. Gwen reminds EJ that when they started on this, he told her they could make billions on the black market but now it seems he’s losing his nerve. EJ insists that he’s as committed as ever, but they are not going to put this out in the marketplace without proof of life.

Javi tells Leo that his new guy is fine and they just talked awhile ago. Leo asks if he plans to relocate to Salem or if Javi’s going back to Texas. Javi says they are taking it day by day as he’s not in a position to be making big life decisions and they’re just getting to know each other. Leo remarks that it’s hard to do when not in the same room, much less the same state. Leo quickly apologizes and says he just wants Javi to be happy. Javi thanks him and says he wants the same for him. Leo asks if they could grab dinner sometime just to talk as friends.

Chad bumps in to Gwen in the town square, spilling her coffee. Gwen says she heard he was back in town and welcomes him home. Chad mentions hearing Dimitri agreed to a divorce and congratulates her on being able to move out of the DiMera Mansion. Gwen thanks him, but admits that EJ kicked her out. Chad says either way, she’s much better on her own. Gwen remarks that she didn’t know he cared.

EJ finishes a call as Cat arrives at the DiMera Mansion and asks if he got good news. EJ says he got confirmation for the reading of Stefano’s will. Cat says she got all the invitations out. EJ says he included everyone and asks if anyone responded yet. Cat says that Tony and Anna said yes along with Chad, Kristen, and Rita while Steven Hawk was a no and she got no response from Dr. Rolf which EJ calls no surprise. Cat adds that every known contact they had for Megan ended up being a dead end. EJ says that doesn’t surprise him or displease him. EJ adds that Stefano’s will was drawn up several years ago and was pretty straightforward, declaring that all of Stefano’s surviving direct descendants will split the bulk of his inheritance. Cat asks about the non-survivors. EJ explains that anyone who died without naming a beneficiary, including Peter Blake, Stefan, and Jake, their shares go back in to the estate and are split among the surviving siblings. Cat asks how EJ is feeling with all of this. EJ responds that he is sad, but in a strange way, he’s really looking forward to being with his family. EJ wishes Cat could come. Cat reveals she’s decided to come to make sure it all goes smoothly and jokes that she thinks it could be wildly entertaining. EJ says she has no idea.

Julie and Jeremy look through an old family photo album. Julie asks how Jeremy is really doing. Jeremy admits he’s not sleeping great and keeps having nightmares about what Owen did to them, but insists that he has to be okay. Jeremy declares that he has to find a way to be strong for Stephanie.

Steve shows Stephanie how to load the gun and reminds her to clean it periodically. Steve tells her she did perfect in her first lesson and that the next step is going to the range where he teaches her how to shoot. Stephanie asks if they can go tonight. Steve says they are closed now but he did make arrangements to go with Brady as he plans to join Black Patch. Stephanie didn’t know he was interested in being a private investigator. Steve calls it a recent development. Kayla thinks Brady has been doing some soul searching since John passed away, but feels it’s in his blood. Steve decides he will call the range to make arrangements for all three of them tomorrow afternoon. Steve instructs Stephanie to leave the gun in the safe until she’s ready to go. Stephanie thanks them for everything they are doing to help keep her safe. Steve assures they’d do anything for her as he hugs her.

Leo tells Javi there’s no pressure on their dinner and that he can pick a date that works for him. Leo adds that he accepts they are done as a couple and that Javi has moved on, so this is not a ploy to win him back and he wants them to remain friends. Javi tells Leo that he has to decline dinner because his babbling would drive him nuts. Leo insists but Javi says he appreciates trying to stay in each other’s lives, but he can’t be friends with him as he needs a clean break. Javi then walks away.

Gwen invites Chad to join her for dinner but Chad tells her that he’s picking up pizza for the family and the kids, adding that Lani and her kids are back in town and they are all staying at Julie’s. Gwen remarks that Jack and Jennifer must be jealous. Chad reveals that they are coming back too. Chad admits it won’t be easy as he’s glad the kids will have their grandparents around, but they didn’t part on the best terms. Gwen says at least they are on speaking terms while Jack made it clear to her that he only had room for one daughter in his life. Gwen calls family more trouble than it’s worth. Chad points out that EJ took Gwen in when she married Dimitri while Gwen complains that EJ kicked her out when she was no longer a DiMera. Chad asks if Gwen heard anything about EJ’s research while living at the mansion and if he ever said who was in the pod found at the hospital. Gwen claims that he didn’t and that EJ locks all his secrets in a vault, so she doesn’t know anything about that.

Cat tells EJ that Leo was asking about the will reading, but EJ quickly says absolutely not. EJ brings up that Chad stopped by and mentioned running in to her. Cat asks what Chad said about it. EJ says he just said Salem is a small town, so he has to find a way to deal with seeing her. Cat says she has to figure that out too. EJ gets a call from court that surprises him. EJ thanks them for letting him know and hangs up. EJ then informs Cat that a codicil has been filed with the court in regards to Stefano’s will.

Jeremy talks on the phone, saying that was quick and it’s not a problem as he’ll be there tomorrow morning to pick them up.

Kayla and Steve say goodbye to Stephanie as Steve reminds her that he’ll pick her up for the range tomorrow. Stephanie says she’s looking forward to it as they exit. Steve asks Kayla how she thinks that went. Kayla calls it the calmest Stephanie has seemed in weeks. Steve is glad they could find something to help her feel better. Kayla tells Steve that he can breathe now too and that it was not his fault that she got taken as he did everything he could to help her, just like he is now. Kayla kisses Steve and calls him such a good dad as they walk away together. Back inside, Stephanie retrieves the gun from the safe and loads it before putting in a drawer while covering up the safe. Stephanie declares that she’s sorry but it’s the only way she’s going to feel safe.

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Days Short Recap Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Brady and Sarah were shocked that Sophia committed suicide. He didn’t want to tell Rachel until they found out what happened to Sophia. Sarah said Amy told everyone that Holly was responsible for Sophia committing suicide. Brady said he talked to Sophia’s father and he was upset. Holly and Tate argued over Sophia’s suicide. They ended up apologizing to each other. Tate ran into Brady. He told Brady that things were complicated because of Sophia. Brady wanted him to talk to a therapist. Tate said he might use the Salem U’s therapist instead of Marlena. Holly told Sarah that Amy threatened to make her pay for Sophia’s cyber bullying. Sarah said she hoped Holly learned her lesson about what she put online.

Gabi told Philip about the will reading. She told him that Lexie was alive, but he had to keep it quiet until the DiMeras said it was okay to say something. Gabi didn’t want to mess up her inheritance. Philip said he had samples of Vivian’s handwriting that proved she forged the papers. Gabi said she would share whatever she got with him. Philip refused to take anything. Gabi said it would make her happy if he did. Marlena told Belle about the will reading and how Stefano left her a chess set. She told Belle that she didn’t want anything of Stefano’s in her house. Belle said there was a message in the set. Marlena didn’t care about the message. While they were talking, they talked about Amy wanting to make Holly pay for cyber bullying Sophia. Belle said she should recuse herself after what happened with Rachel. Marlena agreed with her. Tate told Brady that he wanted to talk to Amy, but Brady stopped him. Holly didn’t want to talk to Sarah, but she stopped her. Sarah said she loved her, but she wasn’t going to tell her what she wanted to hear. Holly walked away from her.

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Days Short Recap Wednesday, May 13, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Theo and Abe sat by Lexie’s side when Kayla came into her room. She confirmed that the woman in the bed was Lexie. They knew it because they felt connected to her. Kayla assured them that she was okay. Theo wanted to stay with Lexie while Abe talked to Paulina. Lexie woke up after Abe left and was surprised that Theo was her son. He informed her that she passed away and that it was 2026. Paulina sat alone at the hospital when Marlena noticed her. She talked to Marlena about everything that happened with Lexie. Paulina thought that Abe was going to leave her for Lexie. Marlena tried to assure her that her marriage would be fine, but Paulina wasn’t sure about that. She knew Abe’s love for her was different from his love for Lexie. Paulina knew she lost him. Chanel arrived at the hospital to get Johnny and to get her biopsy. She noticed her mother, and she filled Chanel in about Lexie. Chanel realized that Lexie was the problem Paulina was talking about. She assured Paulina that Abe loved her. Abe arrived and wanted to talk to Paulina. Kayla went to Marlena’s office, and they talked about Lexie. They also talked about the chess set that Stefano left Marlena. Marlena turned it down. She was happy that Lexie was back, but she felt bad for Paulina. EJ wanted Gwen at the mansion to talk about their patient. He told her that she was awake. Lexie was in the hospital because of Leo. Gwen was upset, but EJ was ready for the next part of the plan. He told her that he already received offers for the drug. Gwen reminded him that he was offered billions of dollars for the drug already. EJ reminded her that he was taking the risks for the plan so he should get the majority of the money. Gwen was furious that he felt he should get more money. He told her that she didn’t have a leg to stand on. She had to take what she was offered or get nothing. Abe talked to Paulina about Lexie. He admitted that he was struggling with everything. Abe didn’t know what to do. Paulina told him to support his wife. He had to help her recover. Abe reminded her that she was his wife too. Paulina didn’t think she was since Lexie was back. He said he loved her too. Paulina said she loved him too, but she pushed him away. She told him to be with Lexie.

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Days Short Recap Monday, May 11, 2026

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

The DiMeras toasted to their father when Lexie stumbled out of the tunnel. Abe was speechless so Theo rushed to him. Everyone remained silent until Lexie walked collapsed. EJ caught her to keep her from falling. Tony called an ambulance. Abe tried talking to Lexie. Chad demanded answers, but Theo told him that Lexie was in the pod. EJ was excited that his plan worked. Kristen didn’t believe that she was really Lexie. With the family scrambling over Lexie’s return, Tony approached Gabi about the company. He didn’t want Johnny to run the company. Tony would rather have Gabi run it. EJ yelled for Dr. Rolf. He was upset that he didn’t get the reveal he wanted because Dr, Rolf was hiding from someone. Dr. Rolf was happy that his experiment worked. Kristen spotted Sophia in the garden and freaked out. She had a breakdown. Dr. Rolf found Kristen yelling for Sophia to stay dead. He thought she was talking about Lexie. Kristen said that whoever he and EJ back would cause trouble.

Abe and Theo arrived at the hospital and told Kayla about what happened. Kayla thought EJ was behind what happened. Abe talked about what Theo knew about Lexie when Paulina arrived. Paulina was disappointed when she found out about Lexie being there. She encouraged Abe to be with his “wife.” After Abe left, Paulina admitted to Theo that she knew about Lexie too. He assured her that everything would work the way it should. Theo left to give a DNA sample. Leo was at the hospital ready to get information about Lexie when Chad showed up. Chad told him not to say anything about Lexie until they got more information. EJ and Kat arrived at the hospital. Chad warned EJ that there would be repercussions for what happened. Kayla talked to the family to let them know what happened. She called EJ out for what he did to his sister to make money. Tony said his deal with Gabi would stand. He reminded her that she was the reason why Philip’s family company could go under. Gabi refused to do what Tony wanted and walked away from him. Chad asked EJ if they ever found Abby, could he bring her back too. EJ told him that Lexie was preserved shortly after her death. He wasn’t sure if it would work for Abby. Abe talked to Lexie while holding her hand. He didn’t know if it was really happening. Lexie’s eyes opened while he was talking. She cried as he promised to be there for her. Lexie said she loved him. Paulina watched them from the doorway and heard Abe tell Lexie that he loved her too.

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Days Update Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

At the hospital, Xander sees Sarah frustratingly end a phone call and asks if everything is alright. Sarah responds that she just needed to speak to EJ, but he’s at a meeting in Chicago. Sarah assumes Xander is there to see Marlena. Xander confirms he is and that he’ll be picking up Victoria later to take her to the zoo. Sarah says Victoria is excited about that and she’s glad that Xander is keeping up with his therapy. Xander says it’s a condition of their custody agreement and he takes that very seriously because he’d do anything to keep Victoria in his life. Xander gives his word that he’ll bring her home at the proper time so Sarah says she’ll see him later as he walks away.

Outside of the Brady Pub, Roman tells Johnny that he knows the DiMeras are his family but he really wishes he hadn’t agreed to stay on at DiMera Enterprises. Johnny feels he has to deal with this lawsuit and promises he won’t get sucked back in to the DiMera way as he would resign before letting that happen. Kate walks up and greets them, so Johnny says he has to go and quickly walks away, leaving Kate disappointed.

Brady and Tate sit together in the Pub. Tate tells him about his visit with Rachel. Brady is grateful that Tate visits her as much as he does since it means the world to her. Tate says there’s something else he wanted to talk to him about. Tate informs Brady that he has finally come to a decision about college. Tate announces he’s not going to register for next semester at Salem U.

Xander goes to Marlena’s office for his therapy session. Xander admits he’s eager to get through their session because he’s taking Victoria to the zoo this afternoon. Marlena is glad they are spending quality time together and knows that was a reason he wanted to do therapy. Marlena brings up Johnny thinking that Xander set him up to publish a plagiarized manuscript and asks if that’s true.

Chanel tells Lani that she’s grateful she showed up when she did because she couldn’t juggle running the Bakery and taking care of Trey. Lani says she’ll take any time she can with her favorite nephew. Lani asks what’s going to happen to the Bakery when Chanel goes on maternity leave. Chanel says she’s working on that and repeats that she’s just glad Lani showed up. They discuss plans to take their kids to the aquarium tomorrow and agree to talk later about when to meet up as Chanel then leaves with Trey. Kristen then comes in to the town square and is shocked to see Lani. They embrace as Kristen can’t believe she’s really there. Kristen says that Lani always shows up at the right time as her heart couldn’t take much more. Lani asks if she means because of Rachel being back in Bayview. Kristen says that’s part of it. Kristen wants to celebrate Lani being back as she asks why and how long she’s here. Lani responds that this is her home now as she and Eli are moving back to Salem. Lani apologizes for not calling sooner but the last few days have been crazy. Kristen tells her not to worry and calls it the best news she’s had in a very long time

Johnny goes home to Chanel and asks how her day was. Chanel says it was fine and that Trey is sleeping after Lani helped her. Johnny says he’s glad Lani is back in Salem. Johnny brings up Chanel saying earlier that she was too busy to make a doctor’s appointment, so he made one for her.

Brady questions Tate not going back to Salem U in the fall. Tate says that Brady said he was okay with that. Brady confirms he is as he’s not going to force him to do anything he doesn’t want to do and he understands a four year degree program isn’t for everyone, but he’s going to have to do something. Brady wants Tate to keep an open mind for his future and reminds him that he can always re-enroll if he changes his mind. Brady asks if Tate told his mother about this. Tate confirms that he called her earlier and she freaked out at first, but since she didn’t go to college, she ended up being supportive eventually. Brady asks what Tate has decided to pursue then. Tate responds that he took a cool exercise physiology class that he loved which made him realize he wants to become a certified personal trainer. Brady relates to having one of those himself and then reveals to Tate that he’s decided to become a licensed private investigator.

Kate and Roman walk to the park as Kate talks about being sorry that Johnny is upset about the lawsuit since she agrees that it’s an unfortunate situation. Kate insists that she did not set him up. Roman points out that Johnny seems pretty convinced that she did. Kate says that Johnny is young and inexperienced, so maybe he’s not mature enough to admit he made a mistake. Roman questions if Kate is saying there would be no evidence linking her or Titan to Johnny publishing that book. Kate confirms that is what she’s saying because there is none.

Marlena reminds Xander that anything he says in therapy remains confidential while Xander argues that it’s manipulative to ask a question like that as therapy when she’s really asking for her own purposes. Marlena feels his answer will determine if the therapy is working, so she asks if he was lying to Johnny, Roman, and Maggie. Marlena reminds him that if he’s lying to her now, it will break the conditions of their therapy. Xander says he doesn’t need reminding so Marlena asks for his answer. Xander responds that he has nothing to say and assumes that means Marlena is dropping him as a patient, but she says no. Marlena points out that Xander has done worse things so this is not a dealbreaker. Marlena decides they will move on by asking how things are going with Gwen. Xander says he believes things are going fine. Marlena notes that he sounds unsure. Xander brings up that EJ kicked Gwen out of the mansion today. Marlena questions how that is relevant. Xander reveals that if Gwen is no longer living on DiMera ground, spending so much time with her isn’t quite as appealing.

Tate tells Brady that it’s so great that he’s taking the job at Black Patch and congratulates him. Brady thanks him and says it means a lot that he’s supportive. Tate says the same of Brady supporting his decision to leave school. Tate adds that he will not be slacking off this summer as he already has a job lined up which surprises Brady as he asks if that means Tate is quitting the Pub. Tate clarifies that he got a second job as his martial arts instructor asked him to help teach at the dojo. Brady says that’s great and he’s happy for him. Tate thanks him and says he’s really lucky the opportunity came up. Brady asks how Holly feels about all of this exciting news. Tate admits that he hasn’t told her yet as he was going to wait until finals are over, but he’s not sure that will be the best time either since Holly has been stressed since Sophia got out of Bayview. Tate asks if there’s any word on the fingerprint analysis. Brady says the lab hasn’t finished analyzing it yet, but with any luck they will be able to bring Sophia to justice.

Roman tells Kate that he hates to question her honesty but he’s confident she would do anything for her family and brings up Philip being her son with Titan as Victor’s legacy. Roman says she works for Titan and questions if she had the choice to protect her family or his. Roman points out that she did it before when her son kidnapped his daughter and she had no trouble keeping that to herself. Kate argues that was not the same at all. Roman agrees that was worse and talks about how Sami was in a situation where she didn’t know if she would live or die and Kate knew but never told him. Kate argues that by the time she found out, Sami was already home, safe and happy with Lucas. Roman says she wanted to protect Lucas so when she had to make a choice, she chose to protect her own family. Kate declares that Roman would do exactly the same thing.

Kristen and Lani sit together in the town square. Lani says she’s done talking about herself and wants to talk about Kristen and Rachel. Kristen talks about Rachel hating being in Bayview and how she’d do anything to get her out. Kristen suggests they get together tomorrow so she can see Lani’s twins. Lani says she would love that but she just made plans to go to the aquarium with Chanel. Kristen asks if Eli and Johnny will be joining them. Lani tells her that Eli is still wrapping things up in DC for a few days while Johnny is working from home, so Chanel wanted to get Trey out of the house. That seems to give Kristen an idea as she comments that Lani and Chanel will have fun.

Chanel questions Johnny making an appointment for her with Sarah. Johnny argues that she had such a busy day and is always taking care of everyone else before herself, but Chanel gets upset and angrily asks why he would disrespect her like that.

Marlena asks if Xander is saying he’s using Gwen and sleeping with her to snoop around the DiMera Mansion. Xander says it’s not only that as he is very attracted to Gwen but snooping around the mansion was a big added bonus. Xander feels like Marlena might not approve, but she completely supports any attempt to bring down EJ and asks if he’s right. Marlena decides they are out of time and can pick that up at their next session. Xander thanks her for her discretion while Marlena thanks him for his honesty as Xander then exits the office.

Roman assumes that was Kate confessing. Kate says it wasn’t, but that Roman is right that she would do anything for her family. Kate points out that they are married so his family is included in her family and she would hope her family is included in his, as they are now one family since they pledged themselves to each other in marriage. Kate asks Roman how she can fix this and what she can do or say to convince him that she only wants the best for Johnny.

Brady calls Sarah and says he just wanted to check in. Sarah says her day is busy as usual but it’s good to hear his voice. Brady asks if she wants to get together after her shift. Sarah responds that she would love that.

Tate walks through the town square. Sophia sees him and starts to walk away but Tate stops her and says they need to talk.

Johnny apologizes to Chanel. Chanel argues that they don’t even know if something is wrong with her while he’s acting like she’s on life support, insisting that it’s common to get breast lumps during pregnancy. Johnny knows she wants to believe her health is perfect, but if something is wrong, the sooner they catch it the better and if nothing is wrong, they can relax. Chanel asks when the appointment is. Johnny says it’s in the next 15 minutes and says they can check on their baby with an ultrasound. Chanel asks about Trey since she just put him down for a nap. Johnny says he’s already called the babysitter and asks if they can just go. Chanel agrees to just get it over with.

Xander goes to the DiMera Mansion where Kristen is pouring a drink in the living room. Xander didn’t realize anyone was in there while Kristen didn’t realize he had free access to stroll around. Xander says that Harold let him in and claims he left an ear bud in Gwen’s room. Kristen tells him that EJ wouldn’t want him snooping around and she doesn’t either. Xander asks why she would think he was snooping around and what ever gave her that idea.

Roman tells Kate that the only way to fix this is to drop the lawsuit against DiMera. Kate responds that she would if she could but it’s out of her hands now, arguing that it would be open season against them if Titan didn’t respond to protecting their intellectual property. Kate says she hates that Johnny is involved but claims the lawsuit is bigger than their personal relations and has taken on a life of it’s own. Kate states that once DiMera published Bonnie’s book, there was no turning back.

Marlena joins Brady at the Brady Pub for lunch. Brady is glad she could join him while Marlena jokes that she has to find him to keep up with all the news. Brady tells her that Rachel loved the card she sent her in the mail. Marlena says she’s so sorry Rachel is in Bayview and wishes things went differently. Brady knows Marlena feels somewhat responsible but says she shouldn’t because it’s not her fault. Brady adds that he has some good news and announces he’s going to be working with Steve as a private investigator to put the Black back in to Black Patch.

Sophia asks what Tate wants to talk about. Tate says it’s more that he’s going to talk and she’s going to listen. Tate tells Sophia to stay away from Holly because she’s making her life miserable. Sophia argues that it’s more that Holly needs to stay away from her and complains about all the horrible things Holly has said about her at school behind her back and to her face. Tate asks for an example. Sophia tells him that just the other day, Holly told ther that she wished she was dead.

Johnny and Chanel meet with Sarah at the hospital. Sarah discusses what the lump could be while Chanel argues that it’s just a normal part of pregnancy. Sarah says they still need to get it checked out, so Johnny asks what they do now. Chanel responds that this isn’t a “we” thing as there’s nothing for him to do here. Sarah points out that Johnny got her here, so he did do something important. Sarah explains that she will order a mammogram and take it from there. Chanel questions if that’s safe with the baby. Johnny asks about the radiation. Sarah says the risks are minimal and the positives outweigh them, assuring they will take care of the baby. Sarah says she’ll order it ASAP so Chanel questions if that’s because she’s worried. Sarah encourages that it’s just taking it safe and asks if there’s anything else she can do. Chanel asks if they can see their baby while they are there, so Sarah agrees to go find an ultrasound tech. Johnny encourages Chanel that everything is going to be okay. Chanel responds that it has to be. After leaving the room, Sarah makes a call to schedule a mammogram as soon as possible.

Kristen tells Xander to cut the crap and asks what he really wants. Xander thinks it’s the same as her and admits it’s to find out what EJ is up to. Kristen asks why he’s so interested. Xander comments on keeping your friends close and enemies closer. Kristen stops him and says they also say “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”, so this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Brady tells Marlena about Tate wanting to be a personal trainer and reveals he wants to drop out of Salem U to pursue that career. Marlena asks if he’s okay with that. Brady confirms that he is, because Tate is passionate about it and he respects that. Brady adds that if Tate changes his mind, he can always re-enroll so nothing is set in stone. Marlena is glad he found something to be passionate about. Brady asks about Marlena’s possible new career path at Basic Black. Marlena responds that she thought it was promising but she’s not sure it’s going to work out.

Sophia asks how Tate feels about Holly now that he knows she’s wishing her dead. Tate says even if Holly said that, it’s not like she actually meant it and questions how he knows she’s not lying. Sophia mocks that while Tate argues that she’s not the victim here. Tate tells Sophia to just stay away from Holly and warns that if she tries to hurt her again. Sophia questions what he will do and asks if he’ll use his black belt skills on her to put her in a chokehold. Tate tells her to stop acting crazy then apologizes for his poor use of words. Tate tells Sophia to understand that he and Holly are solid together and she cannot change that. Sophia asks if he’d be happy to never see her again. Tate says those were her words, not his. Sophia warns him to be careful what he wishes for and walks away.

Brady asks if there’s anything he can do to help with Marlena’s decision. Marlena thanks him and says she will figure it out. Marlena adds that she’ll let him know as Brady encourages that she would be great at Basic Black. Brady says he has to get going to Bayview before visiting hours are over. Marlena sends her love to Rachel. Brady thanks her as they hug. Roman and Kate arrive as Brady exits. Roman tells Marlena that he hears from Kate that they might end up being colleagues. Marlena responds that they are still looking in to that.

Xander runs in to Sarah in the town square. Xander asks if something is wrong since Victoria and the nanny were supposed to be there by now. Sarah says they will just be a little late and brings him some sunscreen for Victoria’s trip to the zoo. Xander thanks her and asks if everything is alright. Sarah responds that she’s just counting her blessings.

Chanel and Johnny go home where Trey is still asleep. Chanel hopes he’s not up all night. Johnny says they’ll deal with it if he is. Chanel says they might take him on another evening stroll. Johnny hopes she’s not still mad at him for making the doctor’s appointment. Chanel admits she’s glad they went but she would like to forget about it for awhile. They look at the pictures from their ultrasound. Chanel says she can’t wait to hold her baby in her arms. Chanel starts to get emotional about possibly having cancer and not getting to raise their kids. Johnny tells her not to even say that, reminding her that Sarah said the odds are in their favor. Johnny promises that no matter what happens, he’s going to be right by her side. Johnny hugs Chanel as she cries.

Sophia returns to the town square and gets a call from Kristen, who says she just wanted to let her know that the time to move on Johnny is tomorrow because Chanel will be gone all day. Sophia responds that it’s so soon and she doesn’t know if she’s ready. Kristen tells her it gets done tomorrow with no emotion and no mess. Kristen declares that Johnny made himself a target, so now they will take the shot, clean, quiet, and permanent.

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Days Short Recap Friday, May 8, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Everyone showed up at the DiMera mansion for the will reading. In the tunnels, Rita told EJ that Rolf was the only one who knew about the codicil. He would be watching Lexie during the will reading. EJ got a call about the Alamainian plane being at the airport. Tony told Theo that he wanted him to run DiMera. He asked Theo what EJ did to make him quit. Theo refused to answer him. When Abe showed up, they went to the family room. Marlena and Kristen ran into each other at the square. They argued over Rachel. While they were arguing, Kristen told Marlena that she hated EJ as must as she did. Marlena reminded her that EJ wouldn’t be born if it weren’t for her. She told Kristen that everything EJ has done was because of her. Kristen brought up the will reading before she left. The rest of the people showed up at the will reading. Theo got the will reading started. Everything was being divided among the children. Marlena didn’t want the chess pieces that Stefano left for her and John. She left the will reading. Stefano wanted everyone to move on and work together. He wanted them to increase their prominence in Salem. Leo saw Cat in the tunnels. He realized Dimitri was right about her being an ISA agent. Leo thought she was investigating EJ. Cat denied being an ISA agent. Everyone toasted the will. While they were toasting, Lexie came out of the tunnels.

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Days Short Recap Thursday, May 7, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Alex went to the Kiriakis mansion to tell Justin that he had a daughter. While they were talking, Justin told him he knew what it was like to be kept from his child and have a wife who accepted the child. Alex said he hoped Stephanie would accept Kelsey the way Adrienne accepted him. Stephanie talked to Jada about Kelsey. She told Jada that she didn’t know how she would deal with the baby when she was dealing with PTSD. Jada suggested that Stephanie tell Alex how she felt. She also told Stephanie to meet Kelsey. Arianna argued with Gabi over Liam. She reminded Gabi about her relationship with Stefan and called her a hypocrite. Gabi told her that Stefan and Liam were different. She told Arianna to stay away from Liam. If Arianna didn’t stay away from Liam, Gabi threatened to do something about it. Roman confronted Kate about what she did to Johnny. Kate told him he was letting Marlena get in his head. Roman said he knew how far she was willing to go for her children. He said what happened to Johnny benefited Philip.

When Johnny woke up, Amy was in his room. She apologized to him for what Sophia did and asked him not to say anything bad about her to Trey. Amy said she didn’t want Trey to grow up hating Sophia. Johnny said he wouldn’t say anything about Sophia and offered to let Amy see Trey. Amy gave Johnny the picture of Trey that Sophia stole. Johnny gave it back to her and said she could keep it. Later on, Amy and Arianna ran into each other at the town square. Arianna offered Amy her condolences, but Amy didn’t care. Amy said she turned her back on Sophia. She told Arianna that she didn’t see how badly Sophia was hurting. Amy said she would get justice for Sophia. Chanel and Joy ran into each other at the square. She didn’t care to talk to Joy and warned her to stay away from her and Johnny. Chanel went to the hospital and told Johnny about seeing Joy. Johnny told her about what happened with Amy. He blamed himself for why Sophia did what she did. Chanel said what Sophia did was her own fault. While they were talking, she got a notification that the biopsy was scheduled for tomorrow.

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Days Update Tuesday, April 21, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Gwen finds her bags packed at the DiMera Mansion and calls out to EJ, who comes down the stairs. Gwen questions what this is. EJ informs her that her luggage is packed because the staff is moving Kristen in and moving Gwen out.

Leo is in his room at the Salem Inn, drinking from a bottle of wine. Leo questions how he’s supposed to write 12 pages when he can’t stop thinking about Javi’s mystery firefighter romance. Leo decides he’s going to dig online to try to find out who Javi’s new boyfriend is.

Gabi exits the Pub with Theo’s journal. Theo then comes back and sees that she found his journal. Gabi says she was going to track him down to bring it to him and here he is.

Cat walks in to the town square and is surprised to see Chad’s daughter, Charlotte. Cat starts to ask if she’s there by herself when Chad (now played by Conner Floyd) and Thomas (now played by Alexander Bond) join her side. Charlotte points out Cat, so Chad greets her.

Gwen questions what Kristen moving in has to do with her staying when there are 20 guest rooms. EJ reminds her that if she continues to live under his roof, people will start asking questions and Kristen has a PHD in snooping. Gwen argues that EJ just can’t stomach the fact that she’s involved with Xander and is taking his resentment of Xander out on her. EJ admits he finds Xander utterly loathsome but says he doesn’t want him hanging around because he would love nothing more than to find dirt to use against him and DiMera Enterprises, so he’d prefer not to give him the opportunity. EJ adds that he’ll also no longer have to start his mornings finding Xander pillaging his breakfast buffet. EJ argues that Gwen should be thanking him because he decided to cover her stay at the Salem Inn for the foreseeable future. Gwen argues that EJ can’t afford to piss her off because he needs her money so badly to get his project over the finish line. EJ questions wasting her day here when she could be enjoying the Salem Inn. EJ jokes that her best perk is no longer having to see his face every morning. EJ then opens the door, so Gwen takes her bags and storms out.

Theo tells Gabi that he should get going, but stops and questions if Gabi read his journal. Gabi thinks back to reading it, but claims to Theo that she would never violate his privacy like that. Theo says he didn’t mean to accuse her. Philip then shows up and greets them. Theo repeats that he should get going and hurries off. Philip asks Gabi what he just interrupted.

Cat welcomes Chad home and hopes they had a good trip. Thomas says they did but now they’re back and complains about Cat being the first person they see. Chad tells Thomas not to be rude and makes him apologize. Chad says they should get going as Julie is expecting them. Cat tells them to take care. Chad is sure they’ll see her around as they walk away.

Leo continues drinking wine and searching for Javi’s boyfriend online. Leo then hears Gwen outside and opens the door to see her struggling to open her door across the hall. Leo questions Gwen now being a resident at the Salem Inn. Gwen confirms that she is and that it looks like they’re neighbors.

Gabi tells Philip that he didn’t interrupt anything as she was just grabbing a coffee and Theo just happened to be there, so she decided to check on him since he bolted out on trivia night. Philip wonders what was going on with him. Gabi says he didn’t explain but said he was feeling better. Gabi adds that she’s glad she ran in to Philip because she has a professional proposition for him. Philip brings up her lecture about the dangers of mixing business with pleasure. Gabi says that’s why she didn’t say anything last night since they were focusing on the pleasure part of their relationship. Philip suggests sneaking in more of that before they get down to business. Gabi says she likes that idea as they kiss.

Theo runs in to Cat in the town square. Cat says she’s happy she ran in to him since EJ has her coordinating the reading of Stefano’s will and she might need his help. Theo questions how since he thought only the heirs were included. Cat says it’s heirs and beneficiaries which includes Abe, who has not been returning her calls or messages so she hoped Theo could urge him to do that.

Chad goes to the DiMera Mansion where EJ greets him with a hug and tells him it’s good to have him home. EJ asks where Thomas and Charlotte are. Chad says he dropped them off at Julie’s but he wanted to come by and check in. EJ says he looks forward to seeing them as he’s missed them. Chad says they’ll be around. Chad questions the luggage out front. EJ informs him that Gwen is moving out and Kristen is moving in which surprises Chad, who asks if that means they are playing nice. EJ says he wouldn’t go that far and asks if Chad has seen Cat since coming back. Chad confirms they ran in to her in the town square. EJ asks how Thomas took it. Chad admits he didn’t take it well but insists it will be okay and that Cat will eventually move on. EJ then thinks back to Cat kissing him and encourages that Chad will move on as well.

Leo questions Gwen leaving the DiMera Mansion or if EJ kicked her out. Gwen claims she decided to leave because she’s no longer a DiMera and didn’t need their charity. Leo congratulates Gwen on getting everything she ever wanted. Gwen supposes Leo is partly to thank since he convinced Dimitri to sign the divorce papers. Gwen says it’s a shame things didn’t work out for them. Leo responds that he’s actually relieved as he dodged a bullet. Gwen questions Leo day drinking by himself. Leo points out that he wouldn’t be by himself if he had someone to drink with and that Gwen owes him for getting Dimitri to sign the divorce papers, so he invites Gwen to have a drink with him. Gwen decides she’s feeling generous, so they exit together.

Philip and Gabi sit together at the Brady Pub. Gabi shows Philip her reports on Gabi Chic expanding internationally. Philip is impressed and says it’s more than he can say for Titan’s recent numbers. Gabi says she didn’t show him the numbers to gloat, but to float an idea by him, so Philip says he’s listening.

Theo tells Cat that he knows it will be hard for Abe since he eschews everything DiMera. Cat is sure it would be a sad reminder that Lexie is gone and apologizes. Theo says he has to go. Cat asks him to have Abe call her as Theo hurries off.

EJ informs Chad that he’s asked Cat to handle the logistics of Stefano’s will, but he can have it arranged so they don’t have to interact since they don’t need to add their drama. EJ comments on their family always having a new blood feud and says they’ll just wait for Tony to return from his trip. Chad asks about Megan. EJ says the ISA and FBI would be staked out by their front gate if she showed up, but he did ask Dimitri to pass along the message before he skipped town. Chad figured Dimitri would be making himself at home now that he’s a free man. EJ responds that he probably would’ve have if Leo didn’t give him the boot. Chad says good for Leo. EJ remarks that Leo apparently has a backbone after all while Chad notes that Leo is his friend so EJ apologizes. EJ invites Chad to stay for lunch. Chad declines but says he did want to talk to him about something which is why he dropped the kids off early. Chad says it’s Stephanie’s kidnapping and the pod found in EJ’s lab at the hospital.

Leo and Gwen have drinks in the town square. Cat approaches and greets them. Cat guesses they’ve made up but Gwen says she still can’t stand Leo, though drinking partners are hard to come by. Gwen invites Cat to join them, so she does. Cat asks how Gwen has been. Gwen responds that she’s just wonderful as her accounts are unfrozen, Dimitri signed the divorce papers, and she’s no longer living with the snakes at the DiMera Mansion so life is good. Cat says she’s happy she’s doing well and offers if she needs a place to stay for awhile. Gwen thanks her but says she’s rolling in cash now, so she’ll be designing her own mansion soon. Leo remarks that in the meantime, she’s staying next to him at the Salem Inn. Leo jokes about the staff having to survive that and sarcastically toasts to Gwen being back at the Inn.

Philip tells Gabi that Titan Shipping would love to get in bed with Gabi Chic but they are probably not the most competitive bidder right now. Gabi says this isn’t just about money as she prefers doing business with people she knows and trusts, adding there’s no one she trusts more than him. Philip jokes that she’d be the only person to say that about him. Gabi says the same. Philip assures that he trusts her more than anyone.

Theo visits Lexie’s in EJ’s secret room. Theo says he knows it’s only been a few days but it feels like a lifetime. Theo talks about EJ saying it’s good that he comes to talk to her even if she can’t respond. Theo talks about Marlena suggesting that he start journaling, so he wrote about Gabi and stupidly left his journal at the Pub where she found it and his heart almost dropped, but she claimed not to have read it. Theo says the last thing he wants is to cause problems as there’s too much at stake, especially now that Lexie might come home to them.

EJ assures Chad that he had nothing to do with Stephanie’s kidnapping. Chad wants to believe him but warns that if he finds out that EJ knew and did nothing. EJ argues that he cares about Stephanie and complains about how little Chad thinks of him. Chad says it’s been eating at him since he heard and not just Stephanie and Jeremy being held, but the pod being found. Chad demands EJ tell him who was in the pod or who he was planning to put in it. Chad then asks if it was Abigail.

Gabi asks Philip if he feels like partnering up. Philip thinks she needs to field some other offers since what’s best for Titan might not be what’s best for Gabi Chic and he wouldn’t feel right if their relationship got in the way of her business. Gabi says she appreciates that but she’s already heard other offers. Philip decides they will do this the right way then and he will call his team to put together a proposal. Philip gives his word that they will pitch the best they can offer. Philip asks who else is trying for her business. Gabi claims just a few other companies. Philip guesses that includes DiMera. Gabi admits that Theo came to her with a proposal before she started shopping around. Philip asks how his numbers looked. Gabi says it looked good and she was willing to accept it because she trusts Theo and said that Johnny was willing to honor it. Philip is glad it gave them an opening but says he doesn’t get Theo’s 180 about going back to DiMera and asks if she has any idea what’s really going on with him.

Theo talks to Lexie about Lani and Eli moving back to Salem, then realizes that she doesn’t know who they are. Theo says Lani is like a sister to him and Eli is Julie’s grandson. Theo says it’s nice having family around again, just like it was when Lexie was there. Theo recalls when he and Abe would stop by the cemetery to talk to Lexie when it turns out, she was never even there and was stuck in some pod somewhere. Theo cries that he always thought she was at peace in Heaven and watching over them. Theo says he’s sorry for everything she’s been through.

EJ tells Chad that it wasn’t Abigail and questions how he could think he would go behind his back with something that would affect him so profoundly. Chad brings up Abigail’s body not being in her grave. Chad says they’ve argued about this before, but with everything coming out about him lately, he wouldn’t be surprised if EJ brought Abigail back just to keep her all to himself.

Cat tells Leo that it must be a load off his shoulders at work since Chad is back in town. Leo is surprised to learn Chad is back in town and worries about the lecture he’s going to get from him about deadlines and showing up on time. Leo mentions fleeing the country with Dimitri while Gwen wants no more mentions of him. Leo thanks Cat for the heads up about Chad as he needs to get back to work and start focusing on the pod story. Leo asks if Cat has anything to share from working with EJ but Cat says no. Leo asks what Gwen knows from living with EJ for months. Gwen reminds Leo that she told him that she had nothing to do with lab and had no idea what was going on in there. Leo argues that she was trapped in there for hours during the blackout but Gwen insists that she couldn’t see anything. Leo brings up Gwen being in charge of the important delivery on the night of the gala. Gwen argues that if Leo spent this much time on patching things up with Javi as he does on this story, maybe they’d still be together. Leo responds that there is no patching up because Javi has a new firefighter boyfriend who is probably everything he’s not. Gwen says it serves him right but it doesn’t feel as good as she thought it would. Gwen declares that she got her revenge and her fortune, so she thought seeing Leo lose everything would make her satisfied but it doesn’t at all. Gwen states that she got everything she wanted but it doesn’t mean anything if she doesn’t have anyone to share it with. Gwen toasts to life being empty without true love.

Gabi asks Philip why she would know anything about why Theo left DiMera. Philip points out that they are friends so he thought maybe Theo mentioned something when she followed him out of the Pub last night. Gabi says that Theo just said he wasn’t feeling well. Philip reveals that he invited Theo to join he and Xander at Titan. Gabi says that he never mentioned that. Philip isn’t sure he was in to it, but he thinks it makes sense since Theo has tons of inside knowledge of their biggest competitor and business savvy. Gabi calls it a bad idea since asking Theo to flip on DiMera would be way out of his comfort zone and he’s been dealing with a lot lately. Philip comments that she and Theo have gotten pretty close. Gabi responds that they have as friends. Gabi decides that’s enough talk about Theo and suggests they get back to business. Philip responds that he’s bored with business at the moment and wants a little pleasure as they kiss.

Theo talks to Lexie about his worries of how this happened but guesses they’ll never know unless she comes back and tells them. Theo talks about having a hard time believing this is real because she’s been such a memory and he’s missed her so much. Theo then sees Lexie’s hand move.

EJ tells Chad that whatever feelings he once had for Abigail are long gone and he only feels sorrow that Chad lost the love of his life and that his children are growing up without their mother. Chad says he’s trying to believe that and asks who the pod was for if it wasn’t Abigail. EJ argues that there was no evidence that there was anyone in there and claims it’s nothing more than an experiment in progress. Chad remarks that EJ is becoming more and more like Stefano every day. EJ responds that just like Stefano, he loves Chad with all his heart. EJ adds that Stefano knew Chad was the best of them and always will be. Chad tells EJ to take care of himself as he exits. EJ then shuts the door and pours a drink. Theo emerges from the tunnels and tells EJ that Lexie’s arm moved and he knows it was intentional. EJ excitedly says they need to alert Dr. Rolf for a thorough assessment because he said purposeful movement is the first sign which means Lexie is finding her way back to them and reaching for life.

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Days Short Recap Tuesday, May 5, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Alex got a message confirming that Kelsey is his baby. Stephanie said they knew he was the father. Julie showed up to tell them that Jeremy left town. She thought Stephanie would have known why Jeremy left town. Stephanie said she knew why he left and asked Alex if he could leave them alone to talk. Alex left them alone. Stephanie told Julie what Jeremy did with Joy and the baby. She said Jeremy tried to ruin her marriage. Julie said she didn’t approve of what Jeremy did but it was better that Alex got to know his daughter. Stephanie agreed with her but thought it was bad timing. Julie said things in life tests love but the challenge made love stronger. She let Stephanie know that she went through the same thing. Alex ran into Joy at the pub. He told her about the test results. Alex said he knew she had a life in New York and wouldn’t ask her to stay, but he wanted to spend time with his daughter. Joy said she wanted him to spend time with his daughter too. She let him know that she didn’t have much of a life in New York. While they were talking, Joy told him she was staying in the Salem Inn. Alex said he wanted her to stay. Joy asked how Stephanie would feel. Alex said Stephanie would understand. He said there was a lot going on between him and Stephanie. Alex told Joy about the kidnapping. Joy said she shouldn’t have come to Salem. Alex told her he didn’t want her or the baby to leave.

While Philip and Gabi were in bed, she told him about Liam. She said she didn’t want Arianna to see him again. Philip told her it would be a mistake because Arianna would rebel against her. Gabi told him that he didn’t have kids. Philip was upset and turned his back on her in bed. Gabi apologized for what she said. He said he didn’t raise a teen but he remembered being a teen. Philip told her to put herself in Arianna’s position. He asked how she would feel if her mother tried to control her life. While they were talking, he said he thought Claire was his daughter. He told her he had a child. Philip told her about the child he and Mimi had through IVF. He said they gave the child up for adoption. Philip said he was never the child’s parent but he thought about him. He said he wondered what his son was up to. Gabi apologized for what she said to him and didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. Philip said she did hurt his feelings. At the town square, Holly, Tate, and Arianna looked for Sophia. Brady called Tate that they didn’t find Sophia. It was believed that Sophia was gone. Sophia’s backpack was found. It looked like Sophia jumped. Holly and Arianna were shocked. Arianna brought up the argument she had with Sophia. They wanted to know how Tate was doing. Tate blamed himself for what happened because Sophia wanted to be with him. Holly and Arianna comforted him. Jada brought Amy to the police station to tell her that the police were looking for Sophia. She told Amy that they found Sophia’s shoe and backpack with blood on it. Jada said they needed a hairbrush or toothbrush to prove it was Sophia’s DNA. Amy said she couldn’t understand how her daughter could do this. She blamed Holly for Sophia’s death. She told Jada about what Sophia went through. Amy asked if there was a chance that Sophia was still alive. Jada said there was always hope since they didn’t have a body. She told Amy that the evidence made the chance of Sophia being alive slim. Amy broke down in tears. Later on, Holly told Tate that Sophia did this to herself. Amy showed up and heard what she said. She blamed Holly for what happened to her daughter. Amy blamed Holly and Arianna for what happened to Sophia. Alex let Stephanie know that Joy was staying in Salem. Amy warned Holly and Arianna that she was going to make them pay for what they did to Sophia.

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Days Short Recap Wednesday, May 6, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Marlena visited Johnny at the hospital. He confided in her about Chanel’s condition. Marlena tried to be supportive. Johnny became emotional. He reeled over Sophia committing suicide. Johnny wasn’t looking forward to talking to Trey about his birth mother, but he was thankful that he didn’t have to worry about her hurting his family. Chad found EJ at the hospital. EJ didn’t have any remorse for Sophia committing suicide since she tried to kill Johnny, Chad thought he was being cold about it. EJ thought Chad was upset because he thought he had Abby in the pod. Chad assured him that Theo told him that it wasn’t Abby in the pod. Roman went to the hospital to see Johnny. He thought it was possible that Kate set up what happened to him. Roman offered Johnny a place to stay since their apartment blew up unless EJ did it first. Johnny said that EJ didn’t do that. He assumed that Chanel wouldn’t want to live at the DiMera mansion. Roman agreed that was why EJ didn’t offer them a place to stay. Johnny thought he would be outed as CEO when Tony gets back in town for Stefano’s will reading. Theo met with Cat at the town square. They talked about the will reading. He wondered why she wanted to be there. Theo thought she was going above and beyond for EJ. Cat thought she could ask Theo questions that she couldn’t ask EJ, but she didn’t get anywhere with him. He left to meet with Marlena.

Theo talked to Marlena about his mother. He was concerned about how his mother would be when she woke up. Theo wondered if his mother was supposed to be with God instead of in Salem. A part of him wished that EJ didn’t try to bring his mother back. EJ woke Kristen up from her nightmare. Kristen had a nightmare about Sophia threatening to expose her for what she did. EJ let her know that he heard her talking about Sophia in her sleep. Kristen tried to cover, but EJ was onto her. He knew she was up to something. EJ wasn’t sure if she was paying him back for making her sacrifice Rachel’s freedom for Johnny’s. He smiled and warned her if something happened to his son, he knew who would be responsible for it.

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Days Short Recap Monday, May 4, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Chanel wanted to avoid telling Johnny about her mammogram, but he wanted to know she was at the hospital. She started to tell Johnny the truth when she got interrupted by Paulina and Trey. They visited Johnny until Paulina took the baby. After Paulina and Trey left, Chanel told Johnny that the lump in her breast might be cancerous. EJ was with Cat when Kristen arrived. She wanted to be there when EJ got the news about Johnny. Chanel called EJ to tell him about Johnny. He rushed off to be with him. Kat spotted Kristen and told her that Johnny was in the hospital. Kristen wanted to know if Johnny was dead. Kat was surprised to hear her question. EJ was thankful that Johnny was going to be okay. He noticed Kristen and told him what happened to Johnny. EJ explained how Sophia tried to kill Johnny. Kristen wondered why she didn’t shoot Johnny. They ended up arguing just as Jada arrived at the hospital. EJ and Kristen blamed each other for Sophia’s mental break. Jada received a call that Sophia’s backpack and a shoe were found by the river. Leo rushed to the hospital after he heard about the fire. He wanted to check on Trey. Leo ended up in Javi’s room. He poured his heart out to Javi and told him how he felt about him. Javi felt like they should stop having conversations like that and should avoid each other. He thought they should avoid each other. Cat went to Rafe’s place and talked to him about the case. Rafe didn’t like it when he found out that Cat was with EJ when he found out about Johnny. She assured Rafe that nothing is going on with EJ.

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Days Update Monday, April 20, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Theo sits at the Pub, writing in a journal as Marlena suggested. Theo writes that he had a good session with Marlena but he couldn’t stop thinking about the other situation, though he didn’t get around to talking about Gabi and the feelings he’s been having for her ever since he had a dream about her which he thinks back to. Theo continues writing, questions why he dreamed that when Gabi is in a relationship with Philip, so he shouldn’t think of her that way. Gabi then enters the Pub and greets Theo.

Chanel is working at the Bakery, on the phone with Johnny, assuring that she will make an appointment with Sarah soon but she’s busy right now. Chanel says they’ll talk soon and hangs up as Alex approaches with Trey. Chanel greets Alex and says she wasn’t expecting to see them so she asks if everything is okay. Alex says everything is fine and they just needed to get out of the apartment. Chanel asks if it’s because Trey was being fussy but Alex says that wasn’t it at all and just that Stephanie wanted some peace and quiet.

Stephanie remains at home and wipes her tears as she then picks up her phone and makes a call, asking if they are busy right now and if they could come over.

Cat goes to see Rafe, who asks if she has any new intel on EJ. Cat says unfortunately no and thinks they will have to try another tactic. Rafe says he’s already ahead of her and has someone on the inside who has been in the DiMera secret room. Cat questions who the inside person is. Rafe reveals it’s Kristen DiMera, surprising Cat. Cat questions Rafe actually trusting Kristen. Rafe says of course not, but he does trust Kristen to do EJ dirty so she will let him know if she finds anything. Rafe notes that Kristen unfortunately didn’t find anything in the secret room. Cat hoped they would find Dr. Rolf or the pod occupant. Rafe says it appears Dr. Rolf is in the wind. Cat says the identity of the pod occupant will also remain a mystery for now then but Rafe says maybe not.

Gabi asks Theo what he was writing. Theo claims it was just a to do list and nothing important. Gabi says she came for her morning coffee before heading to the office and decides to join him. Gabi says she meant to call Theo to check on him as she knows last night was a lot for him. Theo says it was mostly just embarrassing. Gabi says it shouldn’t have been as something upset him and they’ve both been there. Gabi asks if he’s feeling any better today. Theo responds that he’s feeling much better now.

Stephanie answers the door to see Jeremy and thanks him for coming. Jeremy asks her what’s going on. Stephanie tells him that Alex and her parents try so hard and she’s started talking to Marlena. Jeremy stops her and says they talked about before that she just needs someone who understands how she’s feeling. Stephanie says that’s why she called him.

Alex tells Chanel that Trey barely fussed at all but he realized that he should’ve checked with Stephanie before agreeing to babysit as she saw how happy he was with Trey and thought he was dying to have a kid of their own. Chanel asks if he is. Alex admits he does want to start a family but Stephanie isn’t sure if she wants to have kids ever, then remarks not with him anyway.

Jeremy tells Stephanie that they can talk any time she wants, but suggests maybe not here. Stephanie tells Jeremy not to worry about Alex coming home because he’s babysitting Chanel’s little boy. Jeremy questions Alex babysitting. Stephanie explains that Trey’s nanny was sick so Alex offered to babysit without asking her first, which made her irrationally angry so she kind of flipped out on him and now she feels terrible. Stephanie wonders what is wrong with her. Jeremy encourages that she’s still recovering from what happened and says he is too. Jeremy notes that he flipped out on Julie for pampering him and accused JJ of sneaking up on him, so he’s a hot mess. Stephanie is glad she’s not the only one. Jeremy assures that she’s not alone.

Chanel encourages Alex not to take it to heart because Stephanie is obviously still recovering from the trauma of what happened. Alex thought bringing Trey around might cheer her up but it only made her more on edge. Chanel asks if they ever talked about starting a family. Alex confirms they did not long ago but Stephanie wanted to wait because her writing career was taking off. Alex points out that now she’s decided to stop writing and that timeline has stretched to never, so he can’t help thinking that maybe it’s him and if she’s thinking he’s not the right guy to have children with. Chanel insists it’s definitely not him. Chanel thinks that Stephanie probably doesn’t want to bring a child in to a world she doesn’t feel safe in. Alex says he also thought that but also that maybe he’s not father material. Alex brings up his past and how he spent years running away from responsibility and commitment. Chanel suggests they stop speculating and let Stephanie explain. Chanel says she’ll take her baby and tells Alex to go home, get to the bottom of this with his wife, and work it out with her.

Gabi tells Theo that she’s glad he’s feeling better as she was really worried about him. Theo thanks her for her concern and for being there last night. Theo says there was just a lot going on, so all he could think to do was get out of there. Gabi understands that Theo has had a lot going on lately. Theo responds that she doesn’t know the half of it. Gabi asks if he wants to talk about it. Theo decides that he does.

Stephanie tells Jeremy that she was talking to Alex about how she feels and said she wasn’t as sure as she used to be about wanting kids. Stephanie says it wasn’t about him but he took it the wrong way, she got defensive, and the whole thing escalated quickly. Stephanie calls it a total 180 from where Alex was last year when he thought he got Joy Wesley pregnant and he was so relieved that it was a false alarm. Stephanie points out that they weren’t in a serious relationship, but Alex said then he wasn’t ready to be a father. Stephanie argues that when she says she’s not ready to be a mother, he takes it personally. Jeremy says he doesn’t know what’s going on in Alex’s head, but if he were him, he’d want badly to fix this for her and it would kill him if he couldn’t do that.

Rafe tells Cat that since EJ nor Mark will tell them what his research is about, he resorted to talking to Kate since she was held in a pod by Megan with Marlena, Kayla, and Bo where they were in a similar state between life and death. Cat asks if they think Megan had something to do with the current pod situation. Rafe doubts it since she and EJ despise one another, so this definitely appears to be a Dr. Rolf special. Cat says it’s too bad they’ve been unable to track him down. Rafe points out that they know the pods were used to revive the dead and the pod they found was empty, so they conclude it stands to reason that a dead DiMera is on their way back.

Theo tells Gabi that this isn’t easy for him, but he’s pretty sure he blew things last night with Jada. Gabi doesn’t know if that’s true. Theo thinks she does since they are friends and feels Jada must have confided in her about it. Gabi then admits that she did and told her that she got the vibe that Theo’s not really in to her. Gabi imagines the whole situation with Shawn doesn’t help. Theo admits that threw him off a bit, but he wasn’t really feeling a romantic connection with Jada even before that. Gabi questions if Theo doesn’t find Jada attractive. Theo responds that she is beautiful, smart, and kind but there’s just not a spark there. Gabi remarks that you can’t force chemistry.

Alex argues that Chanel can’t take Trey while she’s working. Chanel says she owns the Bakery so no one is going to complain and she can multi-task. Chanel is sorry if she and Trey caused problems between he and Stephanie. Alex promises that they didn’t and says she helped him a lot by urging him to open up to Stephanie and reminding him that it’s something they’ll have to work through together. Chanel says they are rooting for them and thanks Alex for watching Trey for a couple hours as they hug. Alex says goodbye and then walks away.

Stephanie tells Jeremy that she knows Alex is just trying to help and she hates that she hurt him, but he doesn’t seem to get that what she went through has made her re-evaluate her life and how she sees her future. Jeremy guesses it goes back to not understanding having been through it. Stephanie asks if he’s also been re-evaluating his life. Jeremy says definitely since he was preparing to move away from Salem, but now he feels like sticking around to figure things out if that’s okay with her. Stephanie tells Jeremy that he doesn’t need her permission as Salem is his home and if he wants to stay, he should. Jeremy appreciates her saying that. Stephanie appreciates him dropping everything to come here because talking to him has helped a lot, though she does feel a little guilty about it because she’s sure Alex would be upset if he found out. Jeremy says he never has to know he was there. Stephanie says she’s not usually in the habit of keeping secrets from him, but they agree it might be for the best in this case. Stephanie assures Jeremy that she won’t get in the habit of calling him every time she’s about to lose her mind. Jeremy tells her that he’ll always answer if she does and he’s there if she needs him.

Cat asks Rafe if he has a theory of who the resurrected DiMera could be. Rafe points out that there are plenty to choose from, most recently Stefan and Jake. Cat notes that EJ has been working on this long before Stefan’s death and never cared much for Jake. Rafe says normally his first guest would be Stefano, but his bones were positively identified so he doubts the Phoenix will be rising from the ashes. Cat asks who they think it could possibly be then. Rafe then brings up Abigail.

Alex goes home and asks Stephanie how she’s doing. Stephanie says she’s better. Alex says he’s glad. Alex mentions running in to Chanel in the town square and she thought it would be best to leave Trey with her while they work things out. Stephanie hopes that didn’t mess up her day. Alex assures that it’s fine and acknowledges that he was wrong to bring Trey without talking to her. Alex apologizes and says he was just looking for a way to cheer her up while he didn’t mean to upset her. Stephanie responds that she didn’t mean to upset him either. Alex feels he overreacted. Alex says they are newlyweds so they can talk about having a family another time when she’s ready as all he wants is to be there for her, however she wants him to be. Stephanie thanks him for understanding as they hug.

Theo tells Gabi as she’s the last person he should be asking for advice about this since they hardly know each other. Gabi says maybe he’s heard about her track record when it comes to romance and worries that her advice would send him down the wrong path. Theo says he’s not that sound in the romance department and feels that it must be awkward since Gabi is Jada’s friend. Gabi argues that makes her the best person for it. Theo then asks Gabi how to break it off with Jada without her hating him for it.

Chanel takes care of Trey at the Bakery when Lani shows up to surprise her and they hug.

Jeremy goes home and greets Julie, who asks him to help her pick up the toys from her great grandbabies. Jeremy says he didn’t know Lani and the twins were coming by. Julie says she didn’t either but Lani likes to make a surprise entrance. Jeremy asks if she’s upstairs. Julie tells him that she went to visit her sister Chanel, so she got to babysit and now the twins are taking a nap. Julie talks about playing games with them. Jeremy asks if she needs a nap too but Julie says she’s too excited. Julie talks about having Jeremy and Lani back in the house, saying it fills it and her with love.

Cat tells Rafe that she didn’t consider the possibility of Abigail being in the pod. Rafe says she seems like the leading candidate, pointing out that her body was taken from her grave so it must have been for a reason. Rafe guesses Cat doesn’t want it to be Abigail. Cat insists that she does and that it would be a miracle, asking how could she not want that for Chad and the kids. Rafe suggests maybe Cat is still in love with Chad. Cat says her feeling for Chad don’t matter because she can’t be with him, so she wants him to be happy because he deserves that and is such a great guy. Rafe mentions hearing that Chad and the kids are coming back to town. Cat assures that she won’t say anything about this and that she would never tell Chad that his wife might be alive again ever.

Chanel tells Lani that it’s wonderful to have her back. Lani says she missed her while Chanel says she can’t wait to see Jules and Carver. Lani comments on how big Trey has gotten and tells her that Jules and Carver are with Julie. Chanel thought they weren’t moving for a few more weeks. Lani says that was the plan but they got a crazy offer on the house. Lani adds that Eli is staying in DC for a few more weeks, so she decided to come early and stay with Julie until they find a place. Chanel asks if Paulina knows she’s back yet. Lani says not yet as she planned to stop by her place next. Chanel says she will be thrilled and hugs her, repeating that it’s so great to have her back.

Julie talks about how Jules and Carver will miss having Doug around. Jeremy is sure they have wonderful memories of him. Julie remembers when her son David was a kid and how she lost so much time with him that she didn’t even know Eli until he was a grown man. Julie feels lucky and blessed to have Eli and his family in her life. Jeremy says they are to have her as well and he is too. Julie encourages Jeremy to treasure every moment with children when he has a family of his own because it goes by pretty fast.

Alex tells Stephanie that he’s been trying way too hard to give Stephanie what he thinks she needs and he’s been getting it all wrong. Stephanie says she’s been getting it wrong too because she doesn’t know what she needs yet either and still needs to figure that out. Alex promises to give her all the time she needs to do that. Stephanie says there is one thing she knows she needs right now and that’s him as they kiss.

Gabi asks Theo why Jada would hate him for breaking up with her. Gabi is sure Jada will be hurt as it’s never fun to be rejected, but it’s not like he led her on and she doesn’t think she’ll be surprised since it’s been a long time since their first date and not much has progressed. Gabi encourages Theo to be honest and respectful, then all will be okay. Theo decides maybe she’s right. Gabi knows he’s worried about breaking up with Jada, but feels it seems like something else is going on like he’s carrying a lot. Theo wishes he could talk about it but he can’t. Gabi understands and says she’s here when he’s ready to talk about it. Theo says he has to go take care of some things but he’ll see her later. Theo then exits the Pub. Gabi then turns around and sees that Theo left his journal behind on the table.

Lani asks Chanel how things are going with Johnny and Trey. Chanel talks about Johnny being a wonderful dad and loving the experience as much as she is. Chanel says they are excited about becoming a family of four. Chanel mentions feeling the baby move for the first time the other day and acknowledges that last time, she didn’t get this far along. Lani asks if she’s doing alright health wise. Theo then walks by and is surprised to see Lani. They hug as Lani says it’s so good to see him and asks what’s going on in his life that she might have missed. Theo realizes he forgot his journal and says he’ll see them later as he rushes back to the Pub. Chanel guesses it was something important.

Gabi picks up Theo’s journal and reads his entry where he wrote that he couldn’t stop thinking about “G” and the feelings he had for her after his dream about her.

Alex and Stephanie continue kissing. Alex stops to ask if she’s okay. Stephanie assures that she wants this and wants him, so they head to the bedroom.

Jeremy calls his dad and says he needs a phone number.

Cat walks in to the town square and is surprised to see Chad’s daughter, Charlotte.

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Days Update Friday, April 17, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Xander and Gwen kiss on the couch in the living room of the DiMera Mansion until EJ walks in and questions them doing this again. Gwen tells EJ that she and Xander can’t keep their hands off each other and starts to talk about how Xander came over late last night, but EJ says he doesn’t need details. Gwen tells EJ that they are celebrating because Dimitri granted her divorce and offered to leave town. EJ asks them to celebrate upstairs or for Xander to at least put on a shirt. Gwen asks if Xander’s physique makes EJ feel a little lacking. Kristen then walks in and says she hopes they saved some champagne for her.

Stephanie wakes up to find Alex in the living room, babysitting Trey. Alex tells her that he’s sleeping while Stephanie questions why Trey is there.

Belle meets Paulina at the Brady Pub for breakfast. Paulina tells Belle that there are a few things they need to get straight. Belle notes that she did send an apology to the judge. Paulina says the damage has been done. Belle questions if she’s asking her to resign.

Theo goes to see Marlena at her office and thanks her for letting him come by on such short notice. Marlena asks how he is. Theo responds that he’s a total mess and he needs her help.

EJ asks what Kristen is doing there. Kristen jokes that she’s interrupting Salem’s edition of Love Island USA. EJ says he just asked Gwen and Xander to take their party elsewhere, but Kristen asks them to stay for her big announcement which EJ questions. Kristen then announces she’s moving in.

Alex explains to Stephanie that he ran in to Chanel yesterday and told her to reach out if she ever needed a hand with Trey, then she ended up texting this morning that she had an emergency at the bakery and the nanny called out. Alex talks about how Trey was fussy at first but finally dozed off. Stephanie calls that really nice of him to help Chanel out, but tells him that this is honestly the last thing she wants to be dealing with today.

Paulina tells Belle that she’s not resigning, but she’s still on the judge’s bad side which could present trouble for both of them. Belle thought Paulina supported her plan with Rachel. Paulina says she did support keeping Rachel out of the system, but never withholding information from the judge. Belle talks about that not being her intention and questions handing off her entire fate to someone else. Paulina assures she knows what she means.

Marlena asks Theo what’s going on. Theo says it’s hard to verbalize but last night, he had a meltdown as he was at the Pub with some friends and started freaking out, so he ran out. Theo mentions that Gabi tried to help him. Marlena asks if it was the atmosphere of the Pub. Theo says there was a lot going on, but he was on edge before he even got there. Theo admits it’s been killing him that he hasn’t been able to talk to anyone about this and that’s why he’s been on edge. Theo makes sure that Marlena can’t say anything to anyone if he tells her and says part of him doesn’t want to put this burden on her, but he’s going to lose his mind if he doesn’t talk to someone about it. Marlena assures him that it’s a safe space and asks what it is. Theo then reveals to Marlena that his mother Lexie is alive.

Alex tells Stephanie that she doesn’t have to deal with Trey since he’s the one who volunteered to watch him. Stephanie questions Alex not having to work today. Alex reveals he took the day off before Chanel called because he thought he and Stephanie could spend the day together and do something fun, suggesting a picnic in the park or a walk along the river. Stephanie questions having the baby. Alex says he can come along. Stephanie isn’t sure she has the energy and says babies are a lot of work. Alex suggests Stephanie go back to sleep for awhile while he and Trey stay out of her hair. Stephanie says she doesn’t mean to be a bummer but wishes he hadn’t sprung this on her. Alex says he can see it was a bad idea but he’s trying to find ways to make her happy and clearly it’s not working.

Paulina informs Belle that she spoke to the judge and persuaded her not to file a complaint with the state BAR, but warns that she is still under a microscope with zero room for error so she should steer clear of her court room. Belle argues that she doesn’t control what cases she gets. Paulina comments that she can’t afford any more problems. Belle asks if she’s okay. Paulina says far from it, so Belle asks what’s wrong. Paulina tells her it’s EJ DiMera and that she would not believe what he has done now.

Marlena questions Theo saying his mother is alive. Theo clarifies that alive might not be the right choice of words as she’s in a limbo between life and death, but EJ thinks she will wake up soon. Theo reveals that over the past year, EJ has preserved Lexie’s body in a pod and now has this new drug. Theo calls the whole thing unbelievable. Marlena remembers an empty pod being found at the hospital. Theo informs her that EJ moved Lexie to a room under the house where she’s in a bed with monitors. Marlena asks if he’s seen her. Theo confirms that he has and that it is her mother, but he doesn’t know how this is possible. Marlena doesn’t know how far advanced the technology is. Marlena asks how Theo feels about his mother possibly being back with him. Theo responds that he can’t help but wonder if she will be the same. Theo says it would be a miracle obviously but it would cause so much upheaval in his family, especially for Paulina and Abe. Theo adds that EJ said he can’t talk to them about it so he doesn’t get their hopes up in case it doesn’t work. Marlena questions EJ putting that burden on him. Theo explains that EJ made him see that his mother would hate if she woke up and he was the CEO of DiMera, so he wanted to give him the opportunity to step down. Marlena questions that being so EJ’s son could step in.

Gwen welcomes Kristen home. EJ comments on them seeming to have this confused with the Salem Inn. Kristen declares that now that her legal troubles are clear, she is taking back her life and questions allowing EJ to live there when part of the estate belongs to her. EJ responds that they’ll see who it belongs to when Stefano’s will is read. Kristen tells EJ to stay out of her way until then. EJ asks if she’s going to shoot him if he doesn’t as Gwen and Xander excitedly watch on. Kristen tells EJ that he can leave but EJ says he’s not going anywhere.

Stephanie apologizes to Alex and hates that he feels like he has to walk on eggshells around her. Alex says it’s okay and he just thought Trey would be a fun surprise to cheer her up a bit. Stephanie responds that it’s sadly just putting her on edge. Alex questions why when he’s just a sleeping baby. Stephanie says nevermind but Alex insists, so Stephanie tells him that it makes her edgy because he’s mentioned more than once wanting to start a family with her, so she feels like he’s trying to manipulate her in to getting on board with that which she’s not sure she can do.

Theo asks if Marlena is saying EJ had selfish motives by telling him about his mother. Marlena asks what he thinks. Theo says he always knew EJ wanted Johnny to be CEO, so him stepping aside works in his favor, but Lexie would hate if he’s working at DiMera and was adamant that he stay away. Marlena says maybe it’s not just that but points out the DiMeras always being after money and power. Theo doesn’t think that’s the full story since EJ loved Lexie. Theo explains that it was Stefano’s last wish to give Lexie back the time she lost, so he had Dr. Rolf secretly freeze her body. Marlena is sure that Stefano would’ve done anything after what he did to her. Theo questions what Stefano did.

Gwen says she is delighted to have Kristen back. Kristen thanks her and questions if Xander is living there too. Gwen responds that Xander is her guest. EJ complains about Xander breaking beds and helping himself to the buffet. Kristen tells EJ to leave Gwen alone as she’s been through a lot with Jake and Dimitri, so he should let her enjoy her company. Kristen says she will send for the rest of her stuff and just wanted to give EJ a heads up about her return as she then exits. Gwen says the more the merrier while EJ feels it’s the fewer the better.

Marlena tells Theo that she meant all the things Stefano didn’t do as after all the times he cheated death, it must have been crushing to him that he couldn’t save his daughter. Theo knows how special Lexie was to Stefano even though they didn’t always see eye to eye. Marlena is glad they were able to have this conversation as it’s a lot for Theo to carry alone. Theo admits it’s been good to talk to somebody about it as it’s been hard with everyone asking him why he walked away from DiMera and he’s not good at lying. Marlena is glad to be his confidant. Theo prays that Lexie comes back and is herself and that she’s okay, but he knows that it won’t be happy news for everybody.

Belle asks Paulina what EJ has done. Paulina asks what hasn’t he done and complains that it’s one headache after another since he took over the hospital. Belle points out that EJ at least did let the police search the lab which led to Stephanie being found. Belle brings up the empty pod and how Jada thought they could find more at the house but the judge wouldn’t issue a search warrant. Paulina thinks back to arguing with EJ about that. Paulina then tells Belle that it is unfortunate. Belle calls it ridiculous and questions the odds of EJ using his power for the good of humanity.

Gwen suggests to Xander that they head upstairs before the DiMera siblings come back for round two. Xander says he’d love to but he has to get to the office. Gwen says that’s too bad as she hoped he’d stick around and make up for falling asleep on her. Xander says that had nothing to do with her as he had a really long day and too much to drink. Gwen questions what that was about that got him so hammered. Xander responds that he just learned something that threw him for a bit of a loop as it appears Sarah and Brady have gotten serious. Gwen asks if that bothers him. Xander asks how can it not since she’s the mother of his child and Brady’s such a tool, so he can’t get the image of them out of his head. Gwen offers to help him with that as they kiss.

Theo tells Marlena that he can’t stop thinking about all the lives that this could affect. Marlena wants him to focus on himself and how he might be affected if his mother returned. Theo says that’s easier said than done. Marlena encourages that there are lots of ways to express his feelings besides therapy and suggests journaling. Theo says he considered it when he thought Claire was having an affair but he was scared someone would find and read it. Marlena feels it can be a big stress reliever so Theo agrees to give it a try. Marlena adds that they can continue to talk and tells him that he can make an appointment with her assistant. Kristen then walks in and says she needs a word with Marlena. Theo says he was just leaving and thanks Marlena as he exits. Marlena tells Kristen that she doesn’t have time for this but Kristen declares she is going to hear what she has to say.

Alex swears to Stephanie that there was no ulterior motive to bringing Trey other than trying to help a friend and hopefully make his wife happy. Stephanie questions him not being eager to start a family. Alex says it’s not something he was going to start working on tomorrow, but it’s something he looks forward to in the future. Alex admits he was afraid they might not have a future when she went missing, but she’s back now and that’s all that matters. Alex assures her that there is no rush for them to have kids and she just needs to heal, so he wants her to take all the time she needs. Stephanie responds that she may never be ready.

Belle tells Paulina that she has to get back to the office. Paulina thanks her for letting her to vent while Belle thanks her for not making her resign. Paulina is grateful to have a district attorney that cares about getting justice, but warns her to be careful going forward. Belle thanks her for setting the bar so high and says it’s an honor to work for such a competent and ethical mayor as she then exits the Pub.

EJ walks through the town square and calls Rita, telling her about Kristen moving back in and he thinks they know why. EJ is aware that Kristen can no longer access the tunnels because they changed the codes, but if she gets too close, they will have no choice but to take other measures. EJ then hangs up as Belle approaches and asks what he can do for her. Belle says he can’t do anything for her but she did want to thank him for his help with Trey’s adoption hearing. EJ says he’s happy to help. Belle remarks that his timing couldn’t have been more perfect, almost like he arranged to swoop in to come to Johnny and Chanel’s rescue. EJ says it’s nothing like that and just good fortune. Belle questions how he knew he was going to walk in to announce he was taking over their case and feels it was almost like someone tipped him off, arguing that it wouldn’t be the first time a DiMera had a judge in their pocket.

Kristen blames Marlena for Rachel being back in Bayview. Marlena says she’s not going to have this conversation. Kristen argues that Marlena can’t face the fact that she betrayed her own granddaughter. Marlena argues that if anyone is to blame, it’s Kristen for pulling Rachel out of Bayview against doctor’s instructions and forcing her to testify. Marlena questions if Kristen thought she was going to lie. Kristen complains that instead of protecting Rachel, she saw an opportunity to punish her and ripped her daughter out of her arms when she needed her the most. Kristen declares that she will never forget this and storms out of the office.

Xander and Gwen continue kissing on the couch until Theo walks in.

Alex tells Stephanie that months ago, they were having drinks with Chanel when Trey spit up on her and Stephanie commented that she liked babysitting because she could give the baby back so he thought she didn’t want to be a mom, but then she later insinuated that she did. Alex asks if that’s changed. Stephanie responds that a lot has changed. Alex says last time they talked about this, she wanted to focus on her writing career but now she’s taking a break from that. Stephanie argues that she has a ton to think about so she’s in no place to start a family and isn’t going to rush to fill a hole or make things normal. Alex says he was just asking but guesses he shouldn’t have. Stephanie complains that she doesn’t have answers and all she has is questions. Stephanie says she doesn’t recognize herself in the mirror and doesn’t know who she is, what she wants, or what’s important to her, so she has to figure all of that out all over again. Stephanie adds that she always thought she would have kids, but now she’s not so sure. Alex then remarks that Stephanie couldn’t wait to have kids with Chad and asks if she’s saying she’s not sure she wants to have kids or she’s not sure she wants to have kids with him. Stephanie argues that Chad already had two kids when they were dating. Alex argues that if they got married, she would’ve wanted more. Stephanie says there was a point she did but it was for all the wrong reasons. Stephanie questions why they are talking about Chad as whether she wants to have a family has nothing to do with Chad or Alex. Alex argues that he’s her husband and he’s really trying, but he doesn’t know what to do now as he doesn’t know how to help or if she still loves him. Stephanie insists that she does but the woman he married who had confidence, clarity, and certainty is not her as she’s not the same person she used to be. Alex responds that he’s not either as he was a player and now he’s talking about wanting to be a family man. Alex declares that Stephanie changed him. Trey wakes up, so Alex decides he’s going to take him for a walk and then he’ll take him back to Chanel so they can give her some space. Stephanie asks him not to leave and to talk to her, but Alex says he has nothing else to say as he walks out with Trey. Alex tells Trey that he’s sorry but he can’t seem to do anything right as they walk away. Stephanie remains inside and breaks down crying.

Marlena goes to the Pub and sees Paulina, who says she looks like she’s already had a day as she invites her to sit down. Marlena says she was just grabbing a coffee to go as she has to get back to work. Paulina asks if she’s sure she can’t sit for a minute. Marlena says maybe another time. Paulina suggests they put brunch on the books which Marlena agrees to.

EJ tells Belle that he’s sorry she got a slap on the wrist from the judge, but he couldn’t buy her even if he wanted and if he had her in his pocket, he would’ve had her dismiss the case against Johnny. Belle guesses he’s right. EJ says luckily he was there to help his son and he read the room quickly, so he sprung in to action. EJ tells Belle that he’s also a parent and he only wants what’s best for his child and the people he loves. Belle admits she thinks he’s being sincere right now, so she hopes for everyone’s sake that he did just get lucky. Belle hopes that if EJ does get a second chance with Johnny and his family, that he will cherish and nurture it. Belle tells EJ to think about the possibilities as she walks away.

Theo apologizes for interrupting Gwen and Xander and says he’s looking for EJ. Gwen says she’s afraid he just missed him. Theo says he’ll catch up with him later then and walks back out. Gwen decides she’s going to shower and doesn’t want any more interruptions. Xander says he’ll be right behind her after he has a little bit more coffee. Gwen tells him to hurry as she heads upstairs. Kristen then returns, so Xander questions why she’s really moving back in. Kristen says she told him. Xander thinks back to overhearing EJ on the phone, saying he caught Kristen sneaking out of the tunnels. Xander tells Kristen that there’s more to it than that and guesses she’s looking for something. Kristen responds that she’s looking for inner peace and lasting happiness. Xander thinks Kristen is spying on EJ. Kristen claims that’s ridiculous while Xander questions if it is. Gwen then calls down for Xander to get a move on, so Xander tells Kristen this is to be continued as he exits.

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Days Opinions For The Week Of April 27, 2026

Opinion Article

 

by Michele & Cheryl

Alex and Stephanie from Days

Alex must really love Stephanie to put up with her attitude when it concerns having children. She didn’t care that Joy dropped the bomb that she had his baby. We all get that Stephanie doesn’t want to have kids, but she acted like Alex was supposed to walk away from his child. You would think that she would be okay with the child since she wasn’t the one who had to have the baby. Alex got what he wanted with a child and she got what she wanted by not being a mother. It would serve her right if Alex left her to be with Joy. Stephanie is doing everything in her power to push him away so it would serve her right if he left her for Joy. 

We’re already sick of Joy acting like she’s innocent when it comes to Alex. She knows she wants to be back with Alex, but she acted as if she was just doing the right thing when it comes to the baby. It will be a matter of time when she uses her daughter to get back with Alex. We can start the countdown because we know she will use Kelsey to her advantage no matter what she says. 

Why did Stephanie have to run to Jeremy when she needs someone to talk to? She has family and friends in Salem that she could run to with her Alex problems. It didn’t have to be Jeremy. He is the same person she thought stalked her but the first chance she got, she went running to him. She made it easy for Jeremy to come between her and Alex. Stephanie gave him all the ammo he needed to break them up. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he tried to kiss her since she kept going to him when she wanted to rant about Alex. 

We were shocked that Stephanie had the Salem brain when she realized Jeremy was the one who got Joy to confess that she had Alex’s baby. A secret like that doesn’t usually come out that easily so we were surprised that she discovered right away that he talked to Joy. It didn’t take much to put two and two together that he talked Joy into coming back to Salem. If Jeremy wanted to pull that plan off, he should have had her come back later. 

The writers must love making Johnny and Chanel suffer. They have been going through it lately. We understand that they are being written off the show, but they didn’t have to give them one tragedy after another. Sophia attacked Johnny and tried to kill him. Chanel ended up with a tumor. What more do they have to suffer through before they leave the show? We have a feeling that the writers are going to make Chanel decide on whether or not she wants to get chemo or save her baby. This decision will be one more thing they have to go through. 

 

Johnny and Chanel from Days

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 April 27, 2026

Nitpicks & Flubs

 

by Michele & Cheryl

Gabi from Days

Monday

-Gabi could be heard knocking on Philip’s door while Arianna was shown.

-The music playing in Stephanie’s scene could be heard while Philip and Gabi were shown kissing. 

-Why would Philip and Gabi make love in the office when they could have been at home? Anyone could have walked in on them. 

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

-Steve could be heard talking to Brady and Stephanie while Gabi was shown.

Tuesday

-Abe could be heard talking to Theo while EJ and Cat were shown.

-The music playing in EJ and Cat’s scene could be heard while Theo was shown. 

-Chad could be heard talking to Marlena while EJ was shown.

-Joy wasn’t watching Kelsey while she was talking to Jeremy. 

-Stephanie could be heard talking to Alex while Jeremy was shown.

Wednesday

– Alex could be heard talking to Sarah while Sophia was shown.

-Stephanie could be heard talking to Jeremy while Alex was shown.

-Chanel could be heard talking to Johnny while Lani and Julie were shown.

-Kristen barged in Sophia’s room. Who let her in the house?

-Jeremy could be heard talking to Stephanie while Alex and Sarah were shown. 

Thursday

-Chanel could be heard talking to her phone while Marlena was shown.

-Johnny’s eyes weren’t red from the pepper spray Sophia sprayed in his eyes.

-Marlena could be heard talking to Brady while Sophia was shown.

-Jada could be heard talking to Shawn while Marlena was shown.

-Shawn could be heard talking to Brady while Sophia was shown.

Friday

-Sophia could be heard reading her suicide note while Holly and Tate were shown kissing.

-Sophia cried without any tears.

-Johnny could be heard talking to Chanel while Sarah was shown.

-If Chanel was so concerned about Johnny not reaching out to her, why didn’t she call someone to check on him?

 

Sophia from Days

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 Update Thursday, April 16, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Kate goes to see Xander at Titan and says she was waiting to get him alone because this thing with Johnny has gone off the rails and they have to do something.

Johnny and Chanel continue kissing in bed, but Johnny stops when he worries that he might have just felt a lump on Chanel’s body. Chanel argues that he just keeps thinking something is wrong with her. Johnny asks her to see if she can feel it, which she does.

Leo is shocked to see Javi in the town square and asks what he’s doing in Salem. Javi explains that his leave of absence from the fire department is ending so he’s back. Leo asks if he’s back for good. Javi says they’ll see.

Brady and Sarah finish binge watching a TV series at Brady’s place. They talk about spending time with Victoria at the park. Brady talks about missing when Rachel was that age.

Kristen sits alone in the park and thinks back to visiting Rachel at Bayview. Sophia then arrives to meet Kristen. Kristen declares that she’s tired of waiting on justice to give EJ what he deserves, so they are going to make that happen through Johnny. Sophia thought she said the less she knew, the better. Kristen says if they are going to work together, she has to bring her in to the fold. Kristen says that she must know she can trust her and warns her about what will happen if she tells anyone what they have discussed. Sophia asks what they are going to do to Johnny. Kristen responds that they are going to kill him, shocking Sophia.

Leo asks Javi about his dad. Javi says he’s doing better and he got him on a cardio program which Leo says is great to hear. Leo asks how Javi is doing. Javi says he’s really good and guesses he’ll see him around. Leo stops Javi and brings up that he called him before but obviously he doesn’t want to talk to him. Javi doesn’t think they have anything else to say. Leo says he has something to say, but Dimitri interrupts. Dimitri guesses that while stabbing him in the heart, Leo forgot to tell him that Javi was back in town.

Sarah encourages Brady that Rachel will be home soon and come out stronger. Sarah talks about dreading handing Victoria over to Xander for his first solo custodial visit tomorrow. Brady thinks they could both use a big distraction tonight as they kiss.

Xander tells Kate that he’s aware the lawsuit hasn’t gone as planned. Kate didn’t think Johnny would want to go to court and thought they would have the money by now. Xander says he thought the same, but he still made the latest payment. Kate mentions that Maggie told her. Xander guesses she gave her an earful. Kate adds that Maggie implied he was cagey about where the money came from. Kate doesn’t want to know and feels sometimes it’s better not to know. Kate wants to talk to strategy. Xander suggests staying the course as he doesn’t think it will go to trial. Xander wants to ramp up the pressure on DiMera, feeling if they make things uncomfortable for Johnny, it could still go their way. Kate questions at what cost.

Kristen asks if Sophia has a problem with their plan to kill Johnny. Sophia argues that she wants Johnny to suffer, but she didn’t sign up to murder anybody. Kristen declares that Sophia signed up to do whatever she tells her to do.

Chanel admits to Johnny that she did feel something but she’s sure it’s nothing. Johnny worries that she should at least get checked out. Chanel says she will at her next appointment in 2 weeks but Johnny feels that’s too far away. Chanel stops him and asks why he’s so determined to find something wrong.

Leo tells Dimitri that he had no idea Javi was back in town but Dimitri says he’s not that dumb. Leo knows how it looks and he’s sorry he’s finding out this way but Dimitri doesn’t believe him. Dimitri warns that Leo’s not sorry about any of this, but he will be, as he then walks away. Javi asks what that was all about. Leo reveals that he walked away from Dimitri after telling him that he only loves Javi.

Brady decides he’s taking Sarah out for dinner. Sarah jokes about how she came over for a quick visit and it turned in to spending all day together. Brady points out that it doesn’t have to stop at all day. Sarah says they’ll go to dinner and see where that takes them.

Johnny tells Chanel that he’s sorry if he upset her. Chanel knows he didn’t mean to but feels it’s like all he’s done since she got pregnant is worry, so if he keeps worrying, she’s worried that he is going to will in to existence. Chanel acknowledges that the next day is never promised. Johnny insists on doing every precaution to make sure it is. Chanel refuses to live scared and feels they have to enjoy their lives. Chanel assures that she’s doing all she can to stay healthy but not at the expense of enjoying and appreciating the miracle inside of her, especially after all they have been through. Johnny states that he knows this baby is a miracle, so Chanel tells him to just enjoy it and try to be happy, but then Chanel feels a pain.

Kate tells Xander that the situation is different for her since she’s married to Johnny’s Grandfather. Xander reminds her that setting him up was her idea. Kate goes over how she thought it would get him out of DiMera and Roman would be happy, but Johnny doubled down to fight the lawsuit and the worst part for her is that he told Roman they set him up. Xander hopes Kate didn’t confess. Kate confirms she denied everything and Roman said he wants to believe her. Xander declares that whatever they believe, nobody can ever prove anything. Kate hopes not since this involves her marriage. Xander argues that he tried to warn her, but she insisted she could cover her tracks. Xander adds that Titan still needs the money and DiMera is going to pay one way or another.

Javi tells Leo that he doesn’t know what to say. Leo asks Javi to just sit with him and let him explain what he’s been thinking and how he’s been feeling. Leo acknowledges that he screwed everything up from the wedding night, how he handled Dimitri’s return, and lying about going to Alamainia which he says was in a journalistic capacity. Leo admits he was mostly there as a friend. Javi says that Rafe told him the whole story and he knows Leo was there to help Dimitri clear his name, not as a couple. Javi asks Leo to get to his point. Leo tells him that his point is that after their phone call, he figured they were over and he had lost him forever, so he was going to just give in and be with Dimitri, but when it came time to pull the trigger, he couldn’t do it because he realized he didn’t want to be with Dimitri, he wanted to be with Javi. Leo tells Javi that it was always him, but he couldn’t tell him that because he wasn’t there, but now he’s here.

Sophia asks Kristen what if she says no to her plan. Kristen warns that it’s a terrible idea to say no to her and reminds her that she wants Johnny out of Trey’s life, so this is the only path that will ensure that happens permanently. Sophia argues that there has to be another way but Kristen repeats that this is the only way. Kristen says they have had to fight for everything they deserve, because people are always trying to tear them down and take away their power, like EJ and Johnny. Sophia worries about getting caught. Kristen tells her to stick with her and she’ll get away with murder.

Xander tells Kate that for what it’s worth, he hopes she and Roman can move past this Johnny situation. Kate says she hopes so too because Roman is the best thing to ever happen to her. Xander imagines Roman is a fairly forgiving guy. Kate agrees that Roman has had to accept a lot being married to her and he hasn’t bailed yet, but sometimes she wonders if one day, he will say she went too far. Xander says he can relate since that’s what happened to him.

Brady and Sarah eat together in the town square. Sarah tells him a story about one of her patients as they laugh together.

Johnny asks if Chanel is having cramps and if they need to call the doctor but Chanel reveals it’s not a cramp, but that she can feel the baby moving and has Johnny feel it too.

Leo knows Javi came back for his job and not for him. Leo adds that he also hurt him badly so maybe he’s not ready to forgive him, but he wanted him to know that he and Dimitri are done. Javi remarks that it seems Dimitri didn’t take it too well. Leo admits that Dimitri can be scary when he doesn’t get his way and calls him a very bad person. Leo says that’s the kind of person he used to be and is trying not to be again. Javi is glad he’s working on being better and he’s proud of him. Leo asks if Javi would consider taking him back and if they can give it another try.

Sophia argues that Kristen didn’t even get away with attempted murder and was just in jail. Kristen says that was by choice and calls it extenuating circumstances and points out that she’s free now. Sophia realizes Kristen saying she went to jail by choice means she didn’t do it and that day was the day Rachel went to Bayview. Sophia recalls Rachel telling her there that she almost killed two people and guesses that Rachel was the one that did it. Kristen warns her to never say that again.

Xander comments on being surprised that Theo is stepping down from DiMera. Kate points out that if he hadn’t, Johnny probably would have left the company. Xander asks if she has any idea why Theo is backing away. Kate says she doesn’t know, so Xander suggests she could try to find out from Abe. Kate doesn’t want to risk another relationship, but agrees to do it if Xander tells her what he’s looking for. Xander suspects EJ had a hand in it since Theo’s out and EJ’s son is in, but questions why Theo agreed if EJ pushed it. Xander thinks EJ is holding something over Theo’s head, so the question is how they use that to their advantage. Kate agrees to see what she can find out from Abe. Xander says he’ll work another angle since thanks to Gwen, he’s able to be inside the DiMera Mansion. Kate asks if Gwen knows he’s using her. Xander feels they’ve been very clear about the nature of their relationship. Kate says that sounds familiar but Gwen always wanted more than he could give. Xander insists that they’ve evolved and understand each other. Xander assures that he has his eyes peeled for warning signs and is fully prepared to end things if Gwen gets clingy. Xander adds that he’s told Gwen that after Sarah, he’s not willing to give his heart away to anyone ever again. Kate asks what if Sarah gives her heart to someone and how he’s going to handle that. Xander guesses she’s asking about Brady and thinks back to Sarah telling him that they weren’t in a relationship. Xander tells Kate that he doesn’t think that’s serious. Kate says if he says so, but the last thing they need is Xander being sidetracked by a vendetta against his family. Xander tells Kate that his days of jealousy are over.

Brady and Sarah go back and forth asking each other questions and end up joking about going out for karaoke.

Sophia promises Kristen that she won’t tell anyone what Rachel did, but she’s surprised because Rachel seemed so sweet. Kristen argues that she is sweet and she’s just a kid. Sophia says she’s sorry. Kristen complains that everything that happened to Rachel is because of EJ’s lies and selfishness because if EJ just left her mother alone, Rachel wouldn’t have picked up the gun. Sophia questions Rachel being sent to Bayview for trying to save Kristen’s mom from being kidnapped. Kristen mocks the justice system and says men like EJ can do whatever they want. Sophia questions if Kristen really wants to go to war with her own brother. Kristen responds that she obviously does or they wouldn’t be sitting here planning his downfall. Kristen declares that there is nothing EJ could do that would hurt her as badly as seeing what’s happening to her daughter. Kristen thinks back to Rachel begging her not to leave her in Bayview. Kristen remarks that EJ took her daughter away from her, so now she’s going to take his son away from him.

Chanel tells Johnny about the baby moving inside her, which he calls amazing. Chanel says it’s finally starting to feel real to her.

Javi comments to Leo that no one’s asked what he’s been up to the last few months. Leo apologizes and asks him. Javi says after all that time taking care of his dad and waiting for Leo, he called and found out Leo was in Alamainia with Dimitri. Javi says that he knows Leo lied but the truth hurt more because what hurt the most is that Leo would fly across the world for Dimitri. Leo argues that he would do the same for Javi while Javi complains that while Leo was in Alamainia, he was dealing with family issues of his own. Leo points out that Javi told him not to go with him and realizes that he should’ve gone anyway. Leo apologizes for not being there when Javi needed him. Javi reveals that he figured Leo moved on, so he was free to do the same and he did.

Johnny promises Chanel that he is excited while Chanel feels he doesn’t seem excited, but afraid. Johnny says he’s only nervous because of how important it is to him and how much he wants this for them. Johnny apologizes if he’s made her think that he’s any less crazy in love with her and their growing family. Chanel asks him to stay hopeful and positive. Johnny assures that he is, but that doesn’t mean he’s not always concerned about her. Johnny asks Chanel to give the doctor a call which she agrees to do. Johnny thanks her and says he loves her so much. Johnny calls her and their babies the best thing to ever happen to him as they kiss.

Sophia tells Kristen that she said she would work with her, but it seems like Kristen needs her as much as she needs her. Kristen agrees that they need each other. Sophia states that she wants to help her, but what she’s asking comes with a lot of risk. Kristen guesses Sophia wants something in return. Sophia says that seems only fair. Kristen remarks that she reminds her of herself and asks what she has in mind.

Brady suggests ice cream for dessert while Sarah suggests going back to his place. They kiss as Xander walks in to the town square, sending a text to Gwen that he’s done and asks if EJ is done with his tantrum or if he needs to sneak in through her bedroom window. Xander then looks up and sees Sarah and Brady together. Leo questions Javi saying he moved on. Javi then reveals he’s in another relationship. Leo says that was fast. Javi clarifies that it’s with someone he knew before at the firehouse. Javi says he wasn’t ready to fully commit and admit who he was and what he wanted, but he is now. Javi tells Leo that being with him helped him realize that he wants to be in a loving, committed relationship, so he’s grateful to him. Leo remarks that he’s glad he could help. Javi tells Leo that he’s sorry but he’s so glad he finally figured out what he wanted. Leo guesses it’s too late which Javi confirms. Leo asks if Javi is truly happy now. Javi responds that he is. Leo holds back tears as he tells Javi that he’s happy for him and just wants what’s best for him. Dimitri then walks by and says to himself for them to enjoy while it lasts. Javi and Leo tell one another they will see each other around as Javi then walks away. Xander hides nearby as Sarah tells Brady that she doesn’t have an early shift tomorrow and Victoria is already asleep. Brady invites Sarah to spend the night with him. Sarah says she thought he’d never ask as they walk away together, leaving Xander staring on.

Johnny and Chanel continue kissing in bed.

Sophia tells Kristen that she’s on board with her plan, but Johnny is not the only one she wants revenge on as Holly still needs to pay for what she did to her. Kristen asks how she will pay. Sophia reveals she has a plan to set Holly up for a major fall, but she may need additional resources. Kristen is sure they can make that arrangement.

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Days Short Recap Friday, May 1, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

It turned out the explosion in Johnny and Chanel’s apartment was a fantasy. Johnny was still tied to the chair. Chanel was at the hospital waiting for the results of the images the radiologist wanted. Javi and his co-worker found out about the gas leak in Johnny and Chanel’s apartment. They broke in and saved Johnny. Sarah went to see Chanel. When Chanel saw the look on Sarah’s face, she knew it wasn’t good. Sarah said they had to do a biopsy because the tumor in her breast looked malignant. Amy and Sophia had a nice moment together. She let Sophia know that she made a lot of mistakes. Amy let Sophia know that she had a bright future thanks to all the changes she made. Brady and Jada showed up to take Sophia in for questioning. When they went to Sophia’s room, they saw that she went out the window. They found Sophia’s suicide note. Tate talked to Holly about dropping out of school. While they were talking, Sophia showed up. She ripped into Holly for the things she said about her online. Sophia denied messing with Holly’s meds. While they were talking, they got into an argument. Holly told her that she was glad Johnny and Chanel took her baby from her. She told Sophia that she shouldn’t have been taken out of Bayview. Holly said she wished Sophia was dead. Sophia called her horrible and blew a kiss at her and Tate. When Sophia left, Holly and Tate talked about her.

Kristen and Sophia met on the bridge. Sophia threw the gun in the water. Kristen thought Sophia killed Johnny. She told Sophia that before she gave her the money, Sophia had to jump in the river to make it look like she committed suicide. Kristen said it needed to look like suicide. Sophia said the suicide note she wrote made it look like Johnny and Holly drove her to it. While Sophia was talking, she said she was going to miss her family. Kristen told her how to make it look like she committed suicide. While Kristen was showing her how to commit suicide, she ended up hitting her in the head. Kristen asked Sophia if she thought she was going to let her get away with what she did to her daughter. At the hospital, Johnny told Sarah that Sophia tried to kill him. Brady told Tate and Holly about Sophia’s suicide note. Sarah called Jada and told her what Johnny said. Chanel went to Johnny. While Javi was talking to Sarah, he passed out. Kristen had two people throw Sophia in the water.

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Days Short Recap Thursday, April 30, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

When Johnny woke up, he found out that Sophia had plans for him. Her plan involved a candle, nail polish remover, gas, and an explosion. She blamed him for everything that had gone wrong in her life since the adoption. Stephanie talked to Marlena about Jeremy. She blamed herself for leading him on as well as other failed relationships. Marlena told her not to blame herself for other people’s mistakes. Stephanie told Marlena that she didn’t think her marriage will survive him having a child with Joy. She said she knew Alex wanted a baby, but she wasn’t ready to have one. Stephanie was afraid that Alex would want to be with a woman who could have a child as opposed to one who doesn’t. Later on, Brady went to see Marlena to tell her that she could see Rachel. He got a message letting him know that Sophia’s fingerprints were on Holly’s pill bottle. Brady went to Shawn’s hospital room. He told Jada about Sophia’s fingerprints. Jada said it wasn’t enough to arrest Sophia, but she could be brought in for questioning. Chanel was waiting for the results of her mammogram. Sarah came in the room and told her that a radiologist wanted a closer look at her left breast. She assured Chanel that it didn’t mean she had breast cancer. Chanel tried to call Johnny but couldn’t get through to him. When Sarah came back to Chanel’s room, she was gone. Chanel went to her apartment and found Johnny tied up. Johnny told her to get out. Sophia was in her room. She wrote a suicide note. When Chanel went closer into the apartment it exploded.

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Days Short Recap Tuesday, April 28, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

EJ told Cat about Stefano’s will and that Marlena and Theo were in it. He texted Marlena to come over. EJ wanted Cat to take him out of the house because he was uncomfortable with Kristen being there. While they were talking, EJ asked Cat out to dinner. Marlena and Chad talked in the town square. Chad was shocked when Marlena told him that Kristen blocked her from seeing Rachel. He offered to talk to Kristen. Marlena talked about the good DiMeras and brought up Lexie. She said no matter how much she hated Stefano, he was part of her history. EJ asked Marlena to come to the mansion. Marlena went to the mansion. They talked about Cat. While they were talking, EJ asked Marlena to help him recall his memories. Chad ran into Theo at the pub. He asked Theo about stepping down from the CEO position. Chad said he thought EJ pushed him out. When Theo got offended, Chad stopped talking. While they were talking, Chad brought up Abby being resurrected. Before Theo could say anything, Cat came in.

Alex told Stephanie that he had a daughter with Joy. Stephanie was upset that Joy was back in town. She was upset that Joy ambushed him with the child. Stephanie didn’t believe Joy’s intentions about the baby. While they were talking, Stephanie yelled at him. Alex told her he couldn’t walk away from his daughter. Stephanie realized he was right. She said Joy gave him something she wasn’t sure she wanted to do. Stephanie ended up leaving. Jeremy and Joy met at Small Bar. Joy said she was glad she listened and came back to Salem. Jeremy told her how he figured out Alex was the father of her baby. Joy said she didn’t tell anyone who the father was because her mother would have used it to get money out of the Kiriakis family. She said she hoped she didn’t cause problems for Alex and Stephanie. Later on, Alex ran into Joy in the town square. He told her he wanted a paternity test done on the baby. Joy agreed to the test. Stephanie ran into Jeremy and told him what happened with Alex.

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Days Short Recap Wednesday, April 29, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Johnny tried to make Chanel feel better so they cuddled together. Chanel got a call that her mammogram could be done immediately. EJ showed up to see Johnny. He gave Johnny an update on the plagiarism lawsuit. Justin was willing to protect Bonnie from being mincemeat by the tabloids by trying to make the lawsuit go away. They agreed to make plans before the reading of Stefano’s will. Sophia read the nasty comments the group chat made about her. She grabbed her head and went crazy. Sophia believed that she wasn’t an evil person. Kristen arrived and gave Sophia a gun. She had instructions for her to kill Johnny. Sophia didn’t want to do it because it would prove the kids at school were right about her. Kristen said the best thing for Sophia to do was kill Johnny, get revenge on Holly and move on with her life. Kristen considered leaving town too after she destroyed her brother’s life. Sophia could do that by making sure EJ felt pain and loss.

Stephanie let Jeremy down easy. She informed him that she was grateful for his help but nothing could happen between them. After what happened between them in the past, they could never be together. Stephanie blamed herself for what happened because she let the lines get blurred. While they were talking, Stephanie realized he was the reason why Joy was in Salem. She struggled with her emotions. Jeremy tried to kiss her. She pulled back from him. He was surprised that she was upset and confused. Stephanie informed him that she didn’t want to kiss him. He thought that he was doing the right thing. Stephanie informed him about her feelings. She didn’t want him in her life in any way. Jeremy understood and said goodbye. Later Jeremy went home to let Julie know that he was leaving town. He wanted to look for someone he could have instead of pursuing someone who didn’t want him. Stephanie went home to tell Alex about her conversation with Jeremy. Alex was making arrangements for the paternity test. They agreed to get through it together. Kristen ran into EJ and told him that she was looking forward to tomorrow. Sophia arrived at Johnny’s place. She sprayed mace in his face and knocked him out.

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Days Short Recap Monday, April 27, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Alex was shocked to find Joy at his door with a baby. Joy introduced Kelsey to him. She admitted that she lied about the pregnancy test results. Alex thought she might be lying about the baby being his. Joy understood how he felt and was willing to take a DNA test. Joy told him that she didn’t need anything from him. He wondered why she was back in Salem. She let him know that she found out through a mutual friend that he was ready to start a family. Alex melted when he held the baby. He realized that he had to talk to Stephanie about the baby. Joy told him to let Stephanie know about the DNA test. She didn’t have any intention of coming between them. Gabi and Philip met at Titan to go over the deal. She looked over the offer and thought DiMera’s deal was better. Gabi decided to work with Titan because she didn’t want it to go under after she moved into the mansion. She didn’t want to lose her home. Steve took Stephanie and Brady to the gun range. He gave them shooting lessons. Stephanie thought about her kidnapping and it made her aim off. She was ready to give up, but Steve talked her into trying again. Stephanie thought about Owen and was able to shoot the gun.

Later Brady met with Philip to talk about Marlena working at Basic Black. Philip wouldn’t help him out. Kate had to be involved or there was no deal. Sophia created a fake social media account so she could get into Holly and Arianna’s group chat. She posted nasty things about herself in the chat. The rest of the people in the group chat jumped on insulting Sophia. Stephanie arrived home and was excited about what she did at the shooting range. Alex had a surprise for her. He told her that he was a father. They weren’t too happy about the news. At Small Bar, Joy told Jeremy that he was right about Alex.

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Days Update Wednesday, April 15, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Theo and Jada go to the Brady Pub where Roman greets them and welcomes them to trivia night. Roman notes that it looks like they will have quite the crowd. Jada praises Theo as a trivia master while Theo seems less enthused. Roman tells Jada that he visited Shawn earlier and that he’s doing better. Roman adds that Shawn mentioned he’ll be going to Jada’s when he’s discharged to recover which Roman praises as being above and beyond the call of duty, but Theo seems put off by hearing that.

Gabi and Philip arrive outside the Pub. Gabi apologizes for postponing their romantic dinner but promises that they will have fun tonight. Philip agrees that they can have that dinner anytime and declares that they will go kick butt at trivia as he kisses her.

Johnny joins Chanel in their bedroom but Trey wakes up crying, so Johnny says he will go take care of him while Chanel gets ready for bed but Chanel decides it’s too early. Chanel talks about having more energy in her second trimester and suggests they take Trey out for a stroll while getting the gelato she has been craving.

At the DiMera Mansion, EJ presents Gwen with her divorce papers drawn up and reminds her that Melinda is itching to take this to court, so he advises her to take the settlement and run before Dimitri changes his mind.

Leo and Dimitri run in to each other in the town square as Dimitri then walks away from him. Johnny and Chanel then come through with Trey. Leo calls them one of the best looking couples in Salem. Leo looks over Trey and comments on he and Javi loving him so much as he flashes back to taking care of Trey with Javi and talking about being a family someday.

Dimitri goes to the DiMera Mansion. Gwen tells him that she’s surprised to see him by all himself as she’s sure he’d bring Leo to witness the spectacle of their divorce. Dimitri pours himself a drink and then informs Gwen that Leo dumped him.

Gabi and Philip practice for trivia outside the Pub. Gabi mentions moving in to the Kiriakis Mansion tomorrow and that Rafe and Javi will be helping her. Philip is surprised to learn Javi is back in town and says he’s happy for her since he knows she missed him. Gabi adds that since she’s moving out, she knows Rafe can use a sweet roommate who is also a fantastic cook. Gabi tells Philip that she’s also bringing over some artwork. Philip encourages her to make her mark. Gabi says that’s what she does everywhere she goes which Philip calls one of the many things he loves about her as they kiss.

Jada sits with Theo in the Pub and hopes he’s not upset that she’s helping Shawn with his recovery. Theo says of course not. Jada explains that Shawn needs someone to look out for him awhile, so she volunteered since it’s an unwritten rule in the police force that they take care of their own. Jada says that Shawn’s a good friend so she wants to be there for him, but Theo points out that Shawn used to be more than just a good friend. Jada assures that was awhile ago and they quickly realized it was a mistake and they were better off as friends. Philip and Gabi then enter the Pub and greet them. Philip hopes they are ready for some Kiriakis vs. DiMera trivia. Jada says they are while Gabi says may the best team win.

Leo apologizes to Johnny and Chanel for getting emotional and talks about not realizing how much he misses Trey until he’s in his presence. Chanel encourages that Trey misses him too. Johnny reminds Leo that he’s more than welcome to come visit him any time. EJ approaches and says he heard Leo was back in Salem. Leo talks about having no patience for EJ and says he’ll be on his way, so he exits. Chanel then informs EJ that she and Johnny were just about to get some gelato, so she invites him to join them. EJ says he’d love to.

Gwen is shocked to hear Dimitri say that Leo dumped him. Dimitri remarks that she can’t hide her glee. Dimitri talks about Gwen bringing him back to ruin Leo’s life, only to see them live happily ever after would’ve been her worst nightmare. Gwen just wants to get this over with, but Dimitri says he doesn’t know, reminding her that Leo wanted him to be free of her so they could move on with their relationship while now there is no relationship, so he questions why he should sign the divorce papers.

Gabi talks about her and Jada also having a fiery competitive streak. Leo enters the Pub and sits at a table nearby. Philip jokes that Leo would only be interested in trivia if he was the subject. Gabi steps away while Jada decides to go get drinks. Gabi approaches Leo and asks if he’s there for trivia night. Leo confirms he is and hopes it helps in his recovery from concussion. Gabi assumes Dimitri will be joining him but Leo reveals that they have ended things.

Dimitri asks Gwen why he should sign the divorce papers. Gwen responds that if he doesn’t, she is going to be an absolute thorn in his side. Gwen says she will insist they live together and have kids if he wants to stay married and she will make sure he never leaves her sight. Gwen adds that she’ll talk about his weird and annoying habits on social media. Dimitri warns that he doesn’t take kindly to threats. Gwen calls him an ex-spy con fugitive who came this close to blowing up the world and asks if she struck a nerve. Dimitri tells Gwen that she’s not worth it.

EJ thanks Johnny and Chanel for letting him spend time with them and his grandson. Chanel says she’s really glad they ran in to him and repeats that they are forever grateful for everything he did to help with Trey’s adoption. EJ says nothing gives him greater pleasure than seeing them happy and fulfilled. Chanel brings up EJ usually having an ulterior motive, so she wonders if he had one when he helped them with the adoption. EJ admits that he did.

Gabi admits that she’s surprised and questions why Leo broke it off with Dimitri. Leo responds that he realized that Javi is the man he loves and hurting him the way he did is the greatest regret of his life. Gabi says it should be and remarks that she looks forward to whipping his ass at trivia. Gabi then joins Jada at the bar. Jada says she’s just waiting to order drinks and she could sure use one right now. Gabi asks her what’s wrong. Jada responds that she thinks this might be her and Theo’s last date. Roman comes back to ask what he can get for them. Gabi orders two vodka on the rocks, so Roman goes to get a bottle for them. At the table, Philip tells Theo that he heard he’s not returning as CEO for DiMera and he’s sure that wasn’t an easy call. Philip jokes that Titan would pay him to spill some secrets and asks what’s next for him. Theo responds that he’s just going to focus on family. Philip jokes that someone has to keep the DiMera dysfunction in check, then apologizes and admits the Kiriakis family aren’t much different. Theo says that they all have their own brand of chaos. Leo joins them and suggests starting trivia night by questioning Theo as to why he up and quit as CEO of DiMera Enterprises. Jada tells Gabi about being surprised by Theo being bothered about Shawn. Gabi guesses Theo is jealous and thinks it could lead to something. Jada says she assured him it won’t. Gabi thinks something is going on with Theo that doesn’t have anything to do with her and something to do with DiMera. Jada is shocked to learn that Theo is leaving DiMera since she’s been busy and they’ve barely talked. Leo continues to question Theo as to why he left DiMera. Philip tells Leo that it’s not the time or place while Leo argues that it affects a lot of people so the public deserve to know. Theo tells him that it’s none of his damn business, so he tells him to shut the hell up and leave him alone.

EJ declares that his ulterior motive was wanting to be a hero in his son’s eyes. EJ talks about spending nights thinking about when they were a family under the same roof and says he so wants to be apart of the lives of his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Johnny comments on Chanel starting to show. EJ says he couldn’t be happier for them and promises to not let them down ever again. EJ declares that family will always be his priority. Johnny promises to learn from his mistakes too, so he can be the man his family needs him to be. Chanel says those are powerful sentiments from both of them and she will hold them to it. Chanel decides they should get home snice it’s past Trey’s bedtime. EJ thanks them for a lovely evening and says it meant so much to him. Johnny and Chanel then leave with Trey.

Jada and Gabi return to the table and ask if everything is okay. Philip says everything will be fine. Leo wishes them luck with trivia and goes back to his table. Roman comes over with beers for Philip and Theo. Theo says he wants a clear head but Philip insists, so Theo chugs his whole glass of beer.

Gwen questions why Dimitri wants to stay in this farce of a marriage if she’s really not worth it and asks if he wants to spend the rest of his life in anger. Gwen reminds him of when they first got together and how there were moments when she believed he had feelings for her. Gwen adds that she certainly did love him and remembers thinking how lucky she was to have him in her life. Gwen asks Dimitri to try to remember those moments too and have some compassion and want the right thing for both of them. Dimitri then tells her to give him the damn papers, so she does.

Roman hosts trivia night and asks what is the smallest country in the world. Leo guesses Brazil which Philip points out is massive. Jada encourages that Theo knows this while Gabi says she’s stumped. Philip realizes it’s Vatican City and is correct. Leo says he should’ve known that and asks to switch to a category where he stands a chance. Roman announces the final category of the round is film. Jada encourages that Theo’s got this. Roman asks who the first deaf performer to win best actress in 1987 was. Leo incorrectly guesses Cher. Theo declares it was Marlee Matlin for Children of a Lesser God which is correct. Jada tries to praise him but Theo seems to pull away.

Dimitri signs the divorce papers, but warns Gwen not to think of it as a reward for her treachery and vows to find proof that she kidnapped him and when he does, she’s in for a world of pain. Gwen calls that highly unlikely. Dimitri tells her that she may have gotten everything she ever wanted, a bank account filled with cash, destroying what he and Leo could’ve had, and getting away with a federal crime. Dimitri warns Gwen to be careful because karma’s a bitch. Gwen calls that interesting because karma has been quite ladylike to her so far. Dimitri guesses maybe she likes liars and backstabbers then. Gwen states that Dimitri has taken his parting shot and can now get out. Dimitri kisses her on the cheek and goes to leave as EJ comes home. EJ questions him leaving without goodbyes.

Roman calls for round two of trivia and the category is automobiles. Roman asks what the first mass produced car in the world was. Gabi and Jada both answer so Roman awards them both half a point. Leo complains about having no points and decides to go home but Roman announces the next category is pop music which stops him. Roman asks which pop artist had the biggest selling single of the 80s. Leo correctly answers it is Kyle Minogue and then says he’s off to conquer bigger questions as he exits. Jada asks if Theo is okay. Theo thinks he’s just over stimulated and decides to follow Leo’s lead and call it a night as he exits.

Johnny and Chanel go home and put Trey to sleep. Chanel says she’s too wound up to sleep and comments that their time with EJ was nice. Johnny thanks her for making it happen and being so great about it. Chanel says she just wants him to be happy. Johnny says he wants the same for her and suggests finding a good way to put her extra energy to use as they kiss in bed.

Leo walks through the town square and calls Marlena, leaving a message that he survived trivia night and that he’s feeling a lot stronger about Javi and about life thanks to her. Leo then turns around and sees Javi seated at a table.

Jada feels like she should go talk to Theo but Gabi says she’s known him since high school so she hopes he’ll confide in her, so Gabi exits the Pub. Philip asks Jada what that was all about. Jada wishes she knew and hopes Theo is okay.

Gabi exits the Pub and finds Theo sitting outside, so she asks what’s going on. Theo calls it just too much at once. Gabi reminds him that she’s his friend and always there for him. Theo says that means a lot, but right now he just needs to be alone, so he gets up and walks away.

Dimitri questions EJ caring if he stays or leaves. EJ admits he doesn’t care, but he is curious when he will be departing Salem. Dimitri says immediately which EJ calls wonderful. EJ adds that Dimitri’s mother is invited to the reading of Stefano’s will, but Dimitri declares that they are just fine without the DiMeras and they don’t need their blood money or anything else. Dimitri then exits the mansion. Gwen informs EJ that Dimitri just signed the divorce papers, so she’s officially no longer Mrs. Von Leuschner and it’s over forever. EJ is skeptical that Dimitri went a bit too quietly.

Gabi returns to the Pub and says that Theo said he wasn’t feeling well, so he decided to go home. Jada thinks she should go home too since she can’t do trivia night without a partner. Gabi invites her to join their team. Roman asks if they are ready to resume. Gabi urges Jada not to leave. Roman reveals the next category is true crime, so Jada decides to stick around.

Johnny and Chanel continue kissing in bed, but Johnny stops when he worries that he might have just felt a lump on Chanel’s body.

Leo is shocked to see Javi in the town square.

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Days Short Recap Friday, April 24, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

While Xander was pushing Victoria in the town square, Johnny gave Victoria her teddy bear. Xander and Johnny threatened each other while they were talking. Sarah showed up while they were talking. Johnny ended up leaving. Sarah told Xander that he was intimidating Johnny in front of their daughter. She accused him of being jealous of Johnny. Marlena met Brady at the pub and told him that Kristen kept her from seeing Rachel. Brady thought Kristen was spending too much time getting revenge instead of caring about their child. He said he would take care of the situation. Marlena let him know that she didn’t want to work with Kate at Basic Black. Brady said he would help until she found an alternative. Marlena went to Xander’s office to accept the offer for Basic Black. She let him know that she didn’t want Kate to be a part of it. Xander turned her down and let her know that Kate was the expert. He thought it would be unethical of her not to work with Kate based on what she heard in therapy.

Before EJ went to probate court, he got into an argument with Kristen. Kristen was upset that he was wearing Stefano’s ring. She demanded access to the tunnels. EJ ripped into her for what’s going on with Rachel. Kristen ended up slapping him. EJ said he understood how she felt because Johnny hated him for a while. He told her Rachel would be back soon. EJ warned her that he wouldn’t turn the other cheek if she ever hit him again. When EJ left to go to probate court, he ran into Sophia. EJ ended up telling her off. Sophia let him know that she wasn’t scared of him. When EJ threatened her again, Kristen showed up. She told him to stay away from Sophia or else. Before EJ left, he warned Sophia that it wasn’t over. Kristen told Sophia not to screw up the plan. Xander let Marlena know that she would do the job with Kate or she wouldn’t do it at all. Marlena walked out of the office. After court, EJ told Johnny that he wasn’t the executor of Stefano’s will anymore. He said Theo was and that Marlena was one of the beneficiaries.

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

EJ told Gwen about Theo’s discovery of Lexie. He told Gwen that Lexie was back. EJ was concerned about Chad trying to find out the truth. Gwen didn’t know who else they were going to be working on and asked if Chad was right about Abby being one of the patients. EJ didn’t tell her who the others were. Rolf called and told him that Lexie was moving, but she was still unconscious. Julie, Jeremy, and Chad had a reunion. Chad apologized to Jeremy for accusing him of stalking Stephanie. When Jeremy mentioned Alex, Chad told him about his history with Alex and Stephanie. Jeremy was interested in the story. Later on, Chad ran into Gwen. He asked her if she knew anything about EJ’s research. While Leo was getting his head checked for his concussion, he talked to Cat about getting an invitation to Stefano’s will reading. Cat said she would talk to EJ about it. She had to take a call from Rafe and excused herself. Javi walked in. Leo asked Javi about his new relationship. When Leo invited them out to dinner, Javi turned him down. Steve and Kayla went to see Stephanie. They gave her a gun. Kayla told her about the first time she handled a gun. Steve told Stephanie what she had to do to handle a gun. Stephanie said she was ready to handle the gun. She didn’t want an unloaded gun in a safe. When Steve went to get the safe. Stephanie told Kayla about her problems with Alex. Cat and EJ talked about the will reading and who was going to be there. While they were talking, EJ got a call from probate court telling him that a codicil for Stefano’s will was filed. Jeremy told someone on the phone that he would pick her up. Steve told Stephanie a few things about the gun and said he would take her to a shooting range. When Steve and Kayla left, Stephanie loaded the gun.

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