BTG Short Recap Monday, July 28, 2025

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

 

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Recap written by Michele & Cheryl

Shanice noticed that Ashley treated her differently since she started seeing Derek. She understood that breakups were hard. Ashley assured her that she was over Derek. She was shocked by how quickly Shanice jumped on going out with him. Shanice never hid the fact that she was into him, but she was willing to step back to make things peaceful at work. She didn’t believe that Ashley was over Derek. Ashley swore that he was in the past. Shanice wondered who helped her get over him. Andre showed up while they were talking. Shanice walked away so they could talk. He was there to visit a friend who had an appointment with Ted. Ashley thought she was probably a gorgeous model. Andre noticed that she seemed jealous. They flirted with each other, and he asked her out. Ashley wondered why someone who works with gorgeous models would want her. He was interested in her. Kat regretted having sex with Tomas. He thought their first time was special, but she thought it was something. Tomas asked her about her feelings. She admitted that it was lovely. He wasn’t happy about her answer, but he couldn’t stay to talk. Chelsea arrived and wanted to talk about work. She noticed the condom wrapper and put two and two together. Chelsea wanted to know what it felt like for her. Kat hated every minute of it. Chelsea explained to her that the first time isn’t great for everyone. Kat said Tomas was a gentleman, but she was the problem. She thought she was broken. Chelsea advised Kat to talk to Tomas about her feelings. If he’s the one, then he would understand her feelings.

Eva and Leslie reminisced about old times. She noticed they were getting along and waited for the shoe to drop. Eva felt like she was getting hustled. Leslie gave her the check and told her that waitressing jobs were hard to come by. She told her that she was fired from her bartender job because they thought she was too old. Eva asked her if she thought about getting a bank loan. Leslie didn’t have good credit. Eva offered to pay for lunch. She was worried about Leslie. Eva thought there had to be something she could do. Leslie told her there was something she could do and then she walked out of Orphey Gene’s. She arrived at Ted’s hotel room and told him about her financial problems. Leslie asked him for a loan and promised to pay him back. She wouldn’t tell Nicole about the loan. Ted immediately turned her down. He never planned to give her a dime. Ted wondered how she was able to afford her expensive wardrobe. The only thing Leslie heard was that he was checking her out. Ted wanted her to get out. She reminded him that she was the one who raised their daughter. He didn’t have to pay child support payments out of kindness. Ted told her that she didn’t do anything out of kindness. He threw her out. Leslie told him that she wouldn’t forget what he did. Ted slammed the door on her. Leslie went home and texted Eva. Eva was nervous and barely had anything to say to Tomas when she saw him at Orphey Gene’s. He wanted to talk about what happened the other night. She needed to take a rain check on it. Eva was upset that Leslie didn’t need anything important. Leslie told her that she was going to ask Ted for a loan since he wouldn’t say no to her. Eva refused to do it until Leslie said she would have to move in with Eva in her hotel room. She changed her mind and agreed to talk to Ted.  Naomi met with June’s sister. She talked to Regina about June, and she slammed the door in her face. Naomi slid her business card under her door. Regina realized she wanted to talk. She wanted to get it over with. Regina didn’t understand why Naomi and Jacob wanted to help June so much. She wasn’t shocked to find out that June was homeless. Her attitude changed once Naomi showed her June’s picture. Regina hadn’t seen the babies in years. The kids would be picking out colleges. They were June’s children until she realized she didn’t want to be a mother anymore. The kids were taken by CPS. Eva went to Ted’s room to ask for the loan. She didn’t blame him for not wanting to give the money to Leslie, but she wanted him to give it to her. Eva promised to pay him back, but he still said no. He didn’t want to enable Leslie by giving her more money. Ted realized that Eva was helping her mother, so he changed his mind about the mother. Regina told Naomi that she hadn’t seen the kids since they were taken away from June. She would never forgive her for letting the kids get taken away. June walked in and saw her sister talking to Naomi.

 

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Days Short Recap Monday, July 28, 2025

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Gabi went to the DiMera mansion to meet with Tony. He wanted to know if she had a plan to get the company back. Gabi said she didn’t have one. Tony said he had a plan. He said to cause fighting within the Kiriakis family. Gabi said she noticed that there was tension between Xander and Philip, but she didn’t know why they were fighting. Tony said someone might know why. She said she liked the plan. He said he was glad she was willing to go along with the plan since she didn’t want to turn on Xander at first. Gabi said business was business and walked out. Kayla went to see Steve at Black Patch. She said she was distracted thinking about John. He said he knew what she meant. Steve told her that Julie got her necklace back. He told her how Julie got the necklace back. Kayla said she didn’t like the idea of Doug stealing, but he did the right thing. While they were talking, Kayla told Steve about Marlena fainting in court. After Kayla left, Gabi showed up to hire Steve to investigate Xander and Philip. Steve refused to take the case. He believed they were shady, but he stayed away from personal cases. Gabi didn’t believe him. Steve said his brother-in-law and nephews were Kiriakises and Stephanie was dating Alex and had a past with Philip. He asked what was in it for Gabi. She said Xander and Philip wouldn’t let her take Gabi Chic so she had to play hardball. After some convincing, Steve changed his mind and said he would take the case.

Marlena went to work. Kayla was surprised to see her. Marlena said she didn’t have any symptoms and was there to consult with Dr. Fuller on a patient. Kayla asked her to wait a few days, but Marlena said she was that patient. Marlena said what was wrong with her wasn’t physical. She thought it had to do with her soul. Kayla asked if she was possessed again. Marlena said she wasn’t. She said there was a time when Stefano used to invade her dreams and would refer to her as his Queen of the Night. Marlena said that left her vulnerable for possession. Kayla said that was a long time ago. Marlena said she hadn’t forgotten how that felt and let her know she had a dream about being the Queen of the Night. She said Susan’s premonition had her worried too. Kayla said Stefano was dead. Marlena knew he was gone. She told her what happened when she read Rachel a story from Arabian Nights and the dream was similar. Kayla said that the story and stress was why she had the dream. Marlena said it could explain the dream. She left for her appointment and would let Kayla know what happened. While Gwen was moving her things, Julie showed up to show off the necklace. Gwen accused her of stealing the necklace. Julie said she couldn’t steal something that was hers. She told Gwen to call the police and file a report. Gwen told her to enjoy the necklace for now. Julie told her that she better not be threatening her. She warned Gwen that she would get what was coming to her if she ever showed up at the house. While they were arguing a man showed up and yelled at Gwen. When Gwen left, Julie thanked Foster. He said he missed her and she said the same thing. They talked about the necklace and his bookstore. Foster told her he was selling the bookstore to be with his family in California. He said he would miss the store, but he missed his family more. Marlena told Kayla about the appointment. She said she had more questions than answers. Marlena said she couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling. She said she didn’t know if she wanted the answers.

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Days Short Recap Friday, July 25, 2025

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Gabi found Doug and gave him a piece of her mind. He tried to stop her by apologizing for what happened. Gabi refused to let him off the hook. She called him out for betraying Arianna and Roman. Doug knew what he did. He wrote a letter for Roman and asked Gabi to give it to him. When he pulled it out the necklace came out with it. Chanel wondered if Johnny heard anything about Marlena. He didn’t hear anything yet. Susan arrived at their place. She hugged Johnny and let him know that she was there to make sure that he didn’t go to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Chanel admitted that she called Susan to help them find out who shot EJ. Johnny wasn’t sure if it was a good idea because everyone didn’t believe in psychic powers, and it’s useless in court. Chanel felt like it was a start. Susan thought they would figure it out. She knew Johnny was innocent from the beginning. Susan began to work her magic leaving Chanel and Johnny confused. Johnny thought they could hire a private investigator and not rely on his grandmother’s psychic powers. Chanel told him they were desperate, and they were out of time. Johnny finally gave in and allowed Susan to figure it out. Gwen was shocked to find out that the necklace was gone. She tried to leave when Julie showed up. Julie served her with legal papers. She let Gwen know that she was being sued. Gwen told her that she couldn’t have the necklace because it’s gone. Julie wanted to know what she meant by that. Gwen accused her of stealing the necklace and used it to cover her tracks. Julie told her that she didn’t have it and wondered who did. She stormed out of the place, and they both threatened to call the police. Gwen left her room and ran into Doug. She put it together and realized that he was the one who took the necklace. Gwen ran into Gabi at the town square. They started arguing about Gabi stealing Jake from her, and Stefan cheating on Gabi. Gabi reminded her about Dimitri cheating on her. Gwen was thankful that she got Dimitri’s money. Gabi wondered if Gwen killed Dimitri. Susan showed up while they argued. She asked Gabi if she shot her son. Susan remembered seeing that Gabi was at EJ’s place the night he was shot, and she confessed to being there. Gwen enjoyed watching them talk. Susan warned Gabi that if she was responsible for EJ’s shooting, then she would be in trouble. She stormed off. Gwen thought it was funny that Gabi was accused of the shooting when she asked her if her if she killed Dimitri.

Julie was upset when Doug arrived. She demanded to know what he wanted. He told her that he was leaving Salem, but Julie didn’t care about it. Doug pulled out the necklace, and she changed her tune. She wanted to know where he got it. He said he stole it. It belonged to Julie and not Gwen. Julie knew Gwen would go ballistic once she found out the necklace was gone. She wasn’t going to tell Gwen that Doug stole it. He apologized to her again. Doug would regret throwing the love that she gave him in her face. He was about to walk away when she asked him to put the necklace on her. Doug put the necklace on her and let her look at it. Wearing it made Julie feel closer to her mother and grandmother. Julie wanted to give him Doug’s pocket watch. He thanked her for the gift. Julie offered to wire him the rest of the money he owed the loan shark once he got settled. His grandfather would want her to help him. Doug promised to pay her back. Julie just wanted him to stay out of trouble. He promised to stay out of trouble and start a new life. Sarah checked on Marlena. She told her that her blood pressure was high. Sarah wanted to run more tests. Marlena told her that she was stressed and tired. Marlena assured Belle that she was feeling okay and that they ran more tests. Sarah would tell her the results when they were done so they headed home. Rachel and Brady were at the hospital to find out about Marlena. They missed her because she left. Rachel showed Sarah the stuffed animal she got. They told Sarah that Sophia had the baby. Brady told her that they baby was fine, but she was gone. Sarah was surprised to find out that Sophia had a girl and had her out of town. Belle and Marlena arrived at the townhouse and talked about EJ’s session. She wondered if EJ was experiencing trauma or if the identity of the shooter was why he blocked it out. Marlena couldn’t say either way. She wasn’t comfortable talking about it with her. Belle didn’t want to press the issue. They talked about their loss of John. Susan arrived at the townhouse to see Marlena. She offered her condolences to Marlena. They hugged each other, but Susan felt uneasy after she did it. She told Marlena that she got a weird vibe from her. Susan said that there was trouble in the body, mind and soul. Marlena wondered what trouble she meant. Belle said it was time for her to go. After Brady left, Sarah decided to check Sophia’s chart. She knew she was right. Sophia was pregnant with a boy. Belle came back inside and saw her mother asleep on the couch. She was relieved. Marlena was dreaming about being the Queen of the Night.

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BTG Short Recap Friday, July 25, 2025

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

 

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

Dani and Nicole met at the country club. Nicole told her that Jacob made Leslie’s assault charges go away. Dani was shocked that Nicole fought someone. While they were talking, Dani told Nicole that she was proud of her for ripping into Bill over what happened with Martin. After Nicole and Dani talked, Nicole met up with Tyrell and Samantha. They wanted Nicole to talk Smitty into letting their father move back in their house. Nicole said it wouldn’t be easy. She said their parents had things to work out. Tyrell said everyone was leaving things out of the story. Dani went home and met up with Pam. She asked Dani about what was going on with Smitty and Martin. Dani said Martin and Smitty would survive. Changing the subject, Pam told Dani that fashion houses wanted to hire her as their spokesperson. Dani had reservations about doing it because she didn’t look the way she used to. Pam told Dani that she didn’t quit because of her age. She said Dani quit because she fell in love with a man who didn’t want her to model. Pam said she put her career second to Bill and it was time for her to put herself first. Dani still didn’t want to do it so Pam called Andre to take pictures of her. Dani gave in and did a photo shoot.

Kat told Chelsea that she didn’t understand why he was all about Eva. Chelsea, thinking she’s talking about Eva and Ted, advised her to accept that Eva wasn’t going away. Kat said she was talking about Tomas. Chelsea was shocked. Kat said Eva has been drawing Tomas into her web since day one. Chelsea told her that she should fight for Tomas because Eva was no match for her. Kat called someone and said they needed to talk. Tomas showed up to clear his name. He told Kat that he didn’t sleep with Eva. Kat told him not to insult her intelligence by saying he didn’t have feelings for Eva. Tomas told her not to make him confess to something he didn’t do. He said he sympathized with Eva. Tomas told Kat that he and Eva were friends. He said he questioned if Kat wanted to be with him for him or because she thought Eva wanted him. Kat said it may appear that way from his point of view. She said he made her feel special and wanted to make their relationship work. Kat said she didn’t want to be in a triangle with Eva. After they finished talking, they made love. Hayley saw Naomi at Orphey Gene’s and asked her if Bill killed somebody. Naomi dodged the question but was surprised to find out that Nicole accused Bill of murder. She told Hayley that she wouldn’t tell her if she knew something. Naomi said if Bill wanted to tell her anything he would tell her. Hayley said it was hard to believe they were friends. Naomi felt the same way. Hayley said Bill wasn’t a criminal to which Naomi said she didn’t know him the way she thought. Naomi said he had secrets buried deep. Hayley asked if she was trying to say that Bill was a murderer. Naomi said she needed to ask Bill. When she was finished talking, Naomi walked away from Hayley. Hayley went to Bill and asked why Nicole was mad at him and how did murder fit in. Bill was evasive with her. Hayley said she could tell that he was keeping something from her. He said it wasn’t his story to tell. Hayley said she believed him and loved him.

 

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Days Update Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Xander plays with Victoria in his office until Sarah arrives, watching from the doorway with a smile.

Arianna is home and comments on how much she missed Tesoro while she was gone. Gabi says not as much as she missed her as they hug. Gabi says she has no idea how relieved she is to have her home safe, though she still thinks the hospital should’ve kept her overnight. Arianna assures that she’s fine, but also angry not just at Doug III but at herself. Arianna remarks that she never should’ve got involved with that loser or lied to Gabi about it. Arianna tells Gabi to go ahead and say she told her so. Gabi says all she wants to say to her is that she loves her as they hug.

Holly goes to the Brady Pub where Doug III rushes up to hug her. He says he wanted to come see her as soon as he heard she was rescued, but he wasn’t sure she’d want to see him. Holly asks if he means because her kidnapping was his fault.

Tate asks Sophia where the baby is. Sophia responds that she’s gone. Tate asks what she means and if she didn’t make it. Sophia clarifies that the baby is alive and she shouldn’t have said it like that. Brady comes in and asks how Sophia is feeling. Sophia says she’s good overall. Brady asks if the baby is with her parents right now. Sophia responds that she was just about to explain to Tate that the adoptive parents were with her when she gave birth and they wanted to take her home right away, so she let them, leaving Brady and Tate shocked.

Sarah tells Xander that she knows she didn’t tell him she was coming and she’s not there to take Victoria from him, she just really needed to see her. Xander understands and says she doesn’t need to explain as he hands Victoria to her.

Arianna puts Tesoro to sleep. Gabi then asks what she wants for dinner and offers to make whatever she wants. Arianna asks if they can eat later because there’s something she needs to do first. Gabi guesses she wants to give Doug Williams a piece of her mind. Arianna asks how she knew. Gabi responds that they are a lot more alike than she thinks. Arianna asks if it’s okay that she sees him. Gabi says absolutely, but she’s coming with her because she has a few things to say to him too.

Holly argues that Doug III should’ve told them that the loan sharks were after him again because if they knew they were following them, they could’ve had their guard up. Doug III agrees that he was stupid and thought maybe he could push them away. Holly says it was too little, too late and adds that they don’t appreciate that Doug III tried keeping she and Arianna a secret from each other. Holly asks Doug III to tell the truth for once. Doug III informs Holly that he really likes Arianna but admits that he was only with her because he couldn’t be with Holly.

Tate gets furious as he questions Sophia giving their baby away without telling him, complaining that he didn’t even get to meet the lawyer or the parents. Brady asks Sophia what happened so they can better understand. Sophia claims she went in to labor while meeting the parents and they all just thought it was a sign of how it was meant to be. Sophia says she didn’t even get to hold the baby and she couldn’t. Tate cries that he didn’t even get that chance because she took that from him. Sophia says she’s sorry and didn’t know it meant that much to him. Brady points out that nothing is set in stone as there is paperwork for Tate to sign. Sophia says she brought it with her and her lawyer said it’s all standard. Sophia asks if he wants to look it over but Tate refuses, declaring he’s not signing anything.

Xander and Sarah put Victoria down for a nap. Sarah is glad she got to see her at least. Xander admits that Victoria misses her. Sarah says she is her mother. Xander argues that she didn’t seem to care when she missed him. Sarah doesn’t want to argue. Xander complains that he felt like a stranger to Victoria and they were just getting back to normal. Sarah is sure they will face the same adjustment when it’s her turn again which they need to talk about. Xander agrees, but notes that before he got this time with Victoria, he was ready to go to war with her but now he realizes they aren’t just hurting each other, but hurting their daughter and he doesn’t want that for her. Xander suggests they stop all the fighting and fix the custody situation.

Arianna tells Gabi that she cannot go with her. Gabi argues that she’s not going by herself when Doug III nearly got her killed. Arianna pleads with her that she needs to do this alone and asks her to trust her, promising to give Doug III hell for the both of them. Gabi reluctantly agrees but reminds her that she has eyes and ears at the Brady Pub. Gabi asks Arianna to promise to be safe and adds that after tonight, she doesn’t want her going near Doug III again. Arianna assures that she doesn’t plan on it.

Doug III guesses he was delusional to think Holly might have feelings for him too. Holly admits he wasn’t and that when she and Tate broke up, she thought something might happen between them. Doug III admits he wanted to make a move then, but she didn’t seem ready so he didn’t want to screw things up. Holly remarks that instead he screwed Arianna and kept her in the dark. Doug III says he should’ve been more upfront and repeats that he’s really sorry. Holly tells him that it’s Arianna who deserves an apology. Doug III responds that he’s going to talk to her before he leaves town. Holly questions him leaving town.

Sophia argues that Tate has to sign the papers as it’s what they agreed to do. Brady thinks Tate needs a moment to process everything, adding that they both have legitimate concerns about how things went down. Brady says she was supposed to bring the baby back with her. Sophia says she’s sorry she wasn’t clearer on the phone. Tate argues that they were doing all of this together and questions her going without him. Sophia argues that he was at the lake with Holly. Tate points out that he told her he would only be gone a day and questions that she couldn’t wait until he got back. Sophia says she couldn’t because they were running out of time and she tried to call him, but he didn’t pick up the phone. Tate argues that she knew he wanted to be there but he couldn’t because he was saving Holly’s life. Tate informs her that Holly and Arianna were kidnapped which Sophia questions. Tate calls it a long story and says it’s over now and they are home safe. Sophia says she’s sorry that happened, but all she knew was that he wasn’t answering the phone and she had to give birth in a strange city surrounded by people she didn’t know. Brady says she’s obviously had a very hard day and they can’t imagine how painful and frustrating it’s been. Brady thinks she deserves a bit of empathy and understanding right now. Tate agrees and apologizes, saying he can’t imagine what she just went through. Brady adds that he’s sorry her parents weren’t there but notes they are there for her too. Sophia says she appreciates that. Tate goes over Sophia being wiped out from giving birth, her parents not being there, and he wasn’t picking up the phone so she made a snap decision. Tate brings up that nothing is set in stone so it’s not too late for him to meet his daughter. Tate asks her for the address of the adoptive parents so he can go there, meet the baby, and make sure everything feels good to him before he signs anything.

Sarah tells Xander that she’s totally open to working out a custody agreement with him, but last time they tried, it didn’t go so well. Xander says that was because she tried to entrap him. Sarah says she’s not rehashing that again. Sarah says they need to talk about his anger. Xander questions this again. Sarah says she knows he would never lay a hand on Victoria, but the idea of leaving her alone with a man that could pop off any moment in a blind rage and not acknowledge what he has done, scares the hell out of her. Sarah declares that as far as she’s concerned, that’s the only thing standing in the way of making an agreement with him. Xander swears to her that he will never lay a hand on Philip. Sarah asks about anyone else since before Philip there was Brady and Eric. Sarah questions how she’s supposed to believe that he won’t be violent again. Xander doesn’t know what she wants him to do and says at the end of the day, she’s just going to have to trust him but obviously she’s incapable of doing that. Xander states that they are at a stand still. Sarah says maybe not as she has an idea, but she doesn’t think he will like it.

Gabi goes to the DiMera Mansion where Tony tells her that he heard about Arianna’s kidnapping and he’s so relieved she is okay. Gabi thanks him and says she is her whole world. Tony says family is everything and he appreciates that she came by to see him. Gabi says she was intrigued by his message, saying he had a business proposition for her. Tony informs her that his associate Rita has been keeping him up on Titan-DiMera and identified Gabi as a disgruntled employee. Gabi laughs and says she knew Rita was up to something. Gabi admits she’s very disgruntled and asks for his pitch. Tony responds that he wants to take back his family’s company and in order to do that, he needs information. Tony asks if Gabi could help him dig up dirt on Xander and Philip. Gabi responds that she’s sorry but she can’t do that.

Sophia tells Tate that he can’t see the baby because she needs to bond with the adoptive parents and she promised they wouldn’t interfere. Tate argues that she had no right to promise that and they agreed to an open adoption. Sophia says they did agree to send pictures and it’s all in the contract. Brady reminds Tate that he hasn’t signed anything yet. Sophia worries that they could still back out. Sophia then shows Tate a photo of parents with a baby, claiming that they sent it right when they got home. Sophia says they’ve had so many things go wrong and asks if he really wants to screw it up now.

Doug III tells Holly that it’s better if he skips town so he doesn’t put anyone else in danger and once he’s gone, he doubts the loan sharks will come after them again especially now that they know Arianna’s uncle is in the FBI. Holly sees his point and hopes that he’s right. Doug III says he’s sure that he is. Holly asks if he will tell Julie that he’s leaving town. Doug III says no but that Holly can tell her as he’s sure Julie will be relieved since he betrayed her and broke her heart. Holly thinks Julie will still want closure. Doug III asks if she means giving him hell one more time. Doug III decides that he deserves to let everyone get their licks in one last time. Arianna arrives and asks if that includes her. Arianna guesses Holly had the same idea and asks if she told him that they figured out he was pining after Holly the whole time he was sleeping with her. Doug III confirms that she did and tells Arianna how sorry he is for hurting her and putting her in danger. Arianna responds by slapping Doug III across the face. Doug III admits he deserved that. Holly decides she will leave them to talk as she’s sure Arianna has more to say. Holly says goodbye to Doug III and wishes him the best of luck where ever he ends up. Doug III wishes her the same and says he hopes things work out for her and Tate. Holly doesn’t think he really means that but thanks him anyways as she exits the Pub. Arianna notes that sounding final and asks if he’s leaving Salem. Doug III confirms that he is. Arianna guesses she caught him just in time, because she can’t let him leave without telling her how she really feels.

Tate says he doesn’t want to screw up the adoption. Sophia swears that the baby is in a wonderful home. Brady asks Sophia to tell them about the parents to put their minds at ease. Sophia claims they are both doctors and Christian like her mom wanted, they are very active in the church and volunteer a lot to give back to the community. Brady notes they sound like good people. Sophia says they definitely are. Sophia realizes it didn’t happen exactly how they expected, but she feels the end result is even better than they could’ve hoped because now she and Tate can move on with their lives. Sophia tells Tate that all he has to do is sign the papers. Tate reluctantly agrees, saying that Sophia found a good home for their baby and that’s all that matters. Tate then officially signs the adoption papers.

Xander asks Sarah what her idea is. Sarah informs him that she wants him to do anger management counseling. Xander guesses she’s teaming up with Philip to try and make him look weak and says that’s not happening. Sarah asks what if he saw Marlena, noting that it would be private and confidential. Xander asks if she’s saying that if he did therapy with Marlena, she would agree to a joint custody arrangement. Sarah responds that if he follows through with it and puts in an honest effort, then yes.

Tony questions Gabi not being interested and asks if she doesn’t want to own the rights to Gabi Chic. Gabi says she’s more than interested in that. Tony says that’s what he’s offering her and if they succeed, she’ll own the rights to her company. Gabi argues that it’s only if she agrees to play dirty. Tony argues that Xander and Philip aren’t above that. Tony says he’s heard they are making Gabi’s life Hell and feels she surely can’t be interesting in making them win. Gabi tells Tony if he approached her a few days ago, she would’ve jumped at the chance to stick it to Xander and Philip, but when Arianna went missing, Xander was very kind to her and compassionate, so she wouldn’t feel right turning around and stabbing him in the back. Tony says he’s surprised because Gabi’s never been loyal to anyone but herself. Tony adds that he’s always admired her survival instincts. Gabi says when Tony texted her about a business proposal, she thought he had something more interesting and asks why he doesn’t just get Rita to do his dirty work. Tony explains that Rita doesn’t work for Titan-DiMera as she now works for EJ at the hospital. Gabi suggests he find someone else to be his mole. Tony asks if she would come on board if he sweetens the pot. Gabi questions in what way as they sit down. Tony asks Gabi how she would like to become the next CEO of DiMera Enterprises.

Sophia thanks Tate for being so understanding as she knows it’s all really stressful. Sophia states that she’s made peace with her decision and thinks they can all agree that this is what’s best for the baby. Sophia decides she should get going. Brady offers to drive her but Sophia says her mom is waiting outside. Brady is glad she’s taking care of her. Sophia assures that she’s fine and that it was an easy labor that went by really fast. Brady is glad they are okay. Tate asks Sophia to text him the photo of the baby and any other photos that the parents may send. Sophia agrees to do so and tells Tate that she’s really sorry about all of this. Sophia hopes he doesn’t hate her. Tate says that he doesn’t hate her. Sophia tells him that she’ll see him around as she exits.

Arianna tells Doug III that she knows they kind of jumped in to bed together sort of fast, but she really did care about him. Doug III responds that he cares about her too. Arianna says she did in the past but argues that Doug III never cared about her and was only using her, but then he almost got her killed. Doug III wishes he could make it up to her. Arianna tells him that he can start by never contacting her again, losing her number and her socials. Arianna wishes she could forget ever meeting him and calls him that forgettable as she walks out of the Pub.

Brady asks Tate if he’s alright. Tate says he just thought he’d to get to meet his baby and hold her at least once. Tate feels like something was taken from him. Brady asks if he’s having second thoughts about the adoption. Tate assures that he’s not and that he’s just sad. Brady asks Tate if he needs anything from him. Tate thinks he just needs space. Brady says he’s got it and he’s here if he needs him. Tate reminds Brady that Theresa has no idea that her granddaughter was just born and he doesn’t want to rehash it. Brady agrees to tell her and the other family members as well. Brady hugs Tate as he cries and encourages that it’s alright. Brady then heads to his room. Tate sits down on the couch and gets a call from Holly. Holly tells Tate that she can’t thank him enough for saving her life. Tate is just glad she’s not hurt and that she’s home safe. Holly calls it kind of hot how he kicked the door in and invites him to come over tonight. Tate says maybe another time. Holly asks if something’s wrong.

Gabi questions why Tony would offer her the CEO job and if he doesn’t want it himself. Tony says not really as he likes his life the way it is, traveling the world with Anna. Gabi thinks he’d try to bring another DiMera back from the dead before looking outside the family. Tony brings up Gabi’s marriage to Stefan and says once a DiMera, always a DiMera. Tony talks about the family being more about being loyal than blood. Gabi brings up that he said she’s only been loyal to herself. Tony says as CEO, their interests would be the same. Gabi asks how she knows that he’s not setting her up. Tony asks why he would do that. Gabi brings up working with Anna to oust him from the CEO position. Tony laughs that off as so long ago and says they did him a favor, freeing him from that position and that all has been forgiven. Gabi admits his offer is very tempting. Tony says he knew she would come on board, but adds that he would like to retain some input like a friendly advisor, working strictly behind the curtains. Gabi supposes she could work with that. Tony asks if they have a deal then and if she’s interested in joining forces with him to bring down the Kiriakis Brothers.

Xander tells Sarah that he will look in to scheduling an appointment with Marlena. Sarah says that’s great. Xander adds that he will need something from Sarah as well. Xander states that as things stand, any agreement they make would be informal and the trust in their marriage is broken, so he believes they do need a formal agreement and the only way they can have that is for them to legally separate.

Tate tells Holly that he wasn’t going to get in to it right now. Holly asks if it’s about Sophia and the baby. Tate confirms that he found out Sophia went in to labor when Holly was at the police station. Holly asks if something went wrong. Tate says that Sophia and the baby are fine, but he found out that she gave birth in Chicago and immediately handed the baby over to the adoptive parents. Tate cries that he didn’t even get to hold her. Holly congratulates him but says she’s so sorry that he missed the birth and asks if there’s anything she can do. Tate thinks he just needs a little time to let it process. Holly says if he wants to talk, he can just let her know. Tate thanks her and says he will see her soon as they hang up.

Sophia goes to the town square and calls Melinda, telling her that she stuck to their story. Sophia adds that Tate was very upset as she expected but he eventually did sign the adoption papers. Sophia notes that Tate wasn’t suspicious but he would totally hate her if he ever found out the truth that she abandoned their baby.

Arianna takes care of Tesoro at home and admits that as much as she loved telling off Doug III, she really did like him and part of her is really going to miss him.

Doug III walks through the town square with his bags.

Gabi tells Tony that she’s not agreeing to anything until she has all of it in writing. Tony agrees to have a contract drawn up right away. Gabi says she will read it thoroughly and then he has a deal. Gabi declares that she will help dig up dirt on Xander and Phillip, and in return, she will become DiMera CEO.

Sarah questions Xander wanting to legally separate. Xander explains that they can’t get a court enforced document unless they do and the way things are now, a separation seems inevitable anyway. Sarah hesitates but admits he’s right that there’s no use putting it off any longer. Xander says he will get Melinda to draw up the arrangement which will include the terms for joint custody. Sarah says she will have Justin look at it when he sends it over. Xander points out that they finally agreed to something which he didn’t think was still possible. Sarah admits she didn’t either but they are doing the right thing for Victoria.

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Days Nitpicks & Flubs For The Week Of July 21, 2025

Nitpicks & Flubs

 

by Michele & Cheryl

Monday

-Tate’s not dating Sophia so he didn’t need her permission to go to the lake.

-Tate and Holly could be heard talking while Sophia was shown.

-Sophia was clearly pointing her diary towards the camera while she was reading her diary.

-Sarah told Xander that Maggie invited her to go to Bermuda at the last minute. She rewrote what happened. Sarah invited herself on the trip to Bermuda.

Tuesday

-It shouldn’t have been so easy for Doug to get a uniform at the Salem Inn.

-Johnny and Chanel could be heard talking while Belle was shown.

-Doug walked up after Gwen left her hotel room, but he knew she was wearing the necklace. She could have taken the necklace off since he she left her room before he saw her.

Wednesday

-Stephanie and Alex could have made out in her bedroom. Did she forget that Jada stays with her? She could have showed up any time.

-Rafe was talking while Chad was shown.

-Thomas called Julie “Aunt Julie.” He needs to look at the family tree. Julie is not his aunt. She is his cousin.

-Did Cat forget about her brother Mark? She talked to Rafe about Aaron and Felicity, but she forgot about Mark.

-Victoria cried like she was a baby and not a toddler.

Thursday

-Tate was talking while Holly and Arianna were shown.

Friday

-Tate rushed Sophia to answer her phone when it barely rang.

-When did Maggie go to Bermuda?

-How did Rafe know that Maggie considered going to Bermuda? Who told him that she was going?

-Sophia cried without any tears.

 

 

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 Opinions For The Week Of July 21, 2025

Opinion Article

 

by Michele & Cheryl

We don’t understand why Gwen was brought back to the show. The actress has been back for a little while so it’s time to talk about her return. We weren’t fans of her character by any means and that didn’t change. She didn’t need to be back on the show. All she does is brag about being rich. We get it. Dimitri’s inheritance made her rich. We don’t need to keep hearing about it. She also keeps talking about how she was abandoned by her family. Gwen already dealt with that trauma when she was on the show before. It’s time for her to move on from that part of her life because she wasn’t worried about it when she was bragging about the money she inherited from Dimitri. The writers were certain we couldn’t have Bo and Hope back permanently, but they were sure we needed Gwen back on the show. It’s safe to say they got it backwards.

Speaking of useless characters, what was the point of Doug? He was on the show for months, and we don’t know any more about him than we did when he joined the show. The writers didn’t bother to flesh out his character. All he did was steal Julie’s necklace, flirt with Holly and sleep with Arianna. At first, we thought his character would have been enough to finally give Julie a storyline. Unfortunately, that story went nowhere. Julie was upset with him and kicked him out of the Horton house. When that storyline didn’t work the writers tried to have him be the interloper in Tate and Holly’s relationship. The writers tried to make him come off like Mr. Romantic when he was the bad guy in the storyline. It didn’t work because we knew that he was a thief. Holly didn’t return his feelings for her so that was the end of that storyline. The writers tried another story by making him fall for Arianna. That storyline didn’t work either because he was finally written out of the cast. They had to find some way to write him out of the show, so Tate told him to leave town. Doug agreed to leave town, so that’s then end of his character. We can’t say that we will miss him because we won’t. It helped that we never got to know the real version of Doug. In our minds, he was a thief who betrayed a woman who just lost her husband. The writers couldn’t do anything to fix his character at that point. They would have been better off making him a villain instead of trying to convince us that he was a thief with the heart of gold.

There is one more useless character that we must talk about. Cat has been on the show for a while, and she hasn’t done anything worth watching. The writers have tried to do things to make this character more likable and interesting, but the attempts have failed. She is hard to watch because she is very annoying. Cat does nothing but flirt with Chad. We couldn’t care less about seeing them bond after the way she schemed against him. The writers wasted their time expecting everyone to forgive and forget her actions. They tried to give her character more life by tying her to the ISA. Suddenly Cat is some great expert in investigating things. No offense, but she doesn’t seem especially brilliant so it’s hard to believe that she’s such a genius that she could work with the ISA undercover. Is this storyline a way to create needless tension between Chad and Cat? Are they starting a triangle with Rafe? She’s definitely beyond boring with Chad. Hopefully she will have some chemistry with Rafe because she doesn’t with Chad.

Was anyone else ready to hit the fast forward button on Stephanie and Alex? Their scenes could cure insomnia. We know the actors are trying their best to put on good performances, but their scenes were extremely boring. Are the writers struggling for ideas? The best story they could come up with was Stephanie getting her book published. We couldn’t care less about her book or whether it gets published. It’s time for the writers to cut their losses with Stephanie and Alex because they don’t have chemistry. Watching Stephanie go on about whether people would know she wrote her book was like watching paint dry.

It was strange to see Melinda helping Sophia. She’s not exactly a nurturing character, but she showed that side when she was talking to Sophia. It was nice to see her be patient with Sophia even though cried about a decision she chose to make. Melinda reminded the audience about her decision to give up her baby. We applaud the writers for including that beat into the storyline. Sophia didn’t want to have the baby, and Melinda talked to her about what she went through when she gave her baby away. The situations aren’t the same, but she found a way to relate to Sophia. It was nice to see them working together when they didn’t interact with each other before. Sophia needed someone to help her, and Melinda was the person who came through for her.

Johnny’s trial started. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a courtroom case on the show. The writers took the time to show EJ and Belle question people for jury duty. Amy and Leo were summoned for their case. The writers didn’t write jury service the way it’s supposed to be, but it was enjoyable to watch. Anyone who suffered through jury duty knows that you wouldn’t get summoned that fast. You must wait for a month to go and must sit in a jury control room in person on a Zoom call. Leo tried everything he could to get out of the case, but it didn’t work. EJ and Belle wanted to keep him on the case. We hope that we get to see the case unfold onscreen. There have been other times when the cases took place offscreen. It would be nice to see one play out on the show.

 

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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BTG Short Recap Thursday, July 24, 2025

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

 

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

Martin went to see Nicole so he could tell her the truth. Nicole asked if her parents already knew about the truth. She was angry that another secret was kept from her, but she wanted to know what Martin had to say. Martin told her that Kenneth was taken care of by Bill, Joey, Malone, and Chief Hawthorne. Nicole said it was a hit. Martin said he and Vernon didn’t know anything about it. Nicole was glad that Martin told her the truth but wondered why everyone thought she was too fragile to find out what was going on. She said no one would have fought harder for him. Martin said at the time of the accident he planned to be president and he knew she would make him face what happened. Nicole advised him to see her professionally. While Naomi and Jacob were at Orphey Gene’s, he told her about Nicole and Leslie’s altercation and that he was investigating it. He said Ted didn’t want to make a statement. Naomi said he better not have believed Leslie and arrested someone else in her family. Jacob said he didn’t arrest anyone yet. He said there was still more to find out about Martin’s situation. Naomi didn’t want to believe that anyone in her family would be involved in something nefarious.

Naomi went to the Dupree mansion to find out the truth. She wanted Anita and Vernon to tell her what was going on. Vernon said it was a legal matter. Naomi thought they weren’t saying anything because she’s married to a police officer. She asked if it was something bad. Vernon said he didn’t want to burden her with all the information. Naomi said she could help. Vernon retained Naomi as a lawyer which would protect everything they say. He told her everything that happened. When Vernon told Naomi about Bill’s involvement, she was shocked. Vernon said he didn’t think there was a line Bill wouldn’t cross, but he was wrong. He said nothing was out of bounds. Naomi said this was the worst thing Bill did. She told Vernon and Anita that Jacob was investigating Martin. She said Jacob didn’t know everything, but he would find out. Naomi warned them that the secret may not stay secret for long. Kat was determined to bring Eva down and tracked her in her hotel room. Eva and Tomas went to her room. When Eva was nervous about being with Tomas, he told her they could pretend the kiss didn’t happen if she wanted to. They kissed on the bed, While they were making out, Eva said if they would be doing what Kat accused her of doing if they went through with having sex. She said she wasn’t that girl. Tomas said he and Kat weren’t exclusive. Eva said Kat didn’t know that. She said she didn’t want to be a side piece. While they were talking, Kat knocked on Eva’s door. Kat was shocked to see Tomas in Eva’s room. Tomas said he was there to get a book, but Kat didn’t believe him. She left the room. Eva asked Tomas why he was upset when Kat left if they weren’t exclusive. Eva asked why he lied about the book instead of telling the truth. She said it was okay if he still liked Kat and was glad they didn’t do anything. Nicole went to see Bill. She accused Bill of being a murderer. Bill wanted Hayley to leave the room. Nicole thought Hayley should know who her baby’s father was just like she deserved to know that Ted had a daughter with his mistress. Bill understood that she was upset, but the only thing he killed was the law. He denied being involved in premeditated murder. Bill said he was being unfairly treated when he was covering up for the Duprees. He said Martin would be in prison if it weren’t for him. Bill said he saved her son and that she didn’t. After Bill explained what happened, Nicole warned him to stay away from Martin and her entire family. Bill said her family always goes to him. Nicole told him to turn them down when they go to him. Jacob confronted Martin at Orphey Gene’s. He asked Martin questions. Jacob said he knew Malone was giving his family extra protection. He asked Martin if he was afraid of the guy stalking him. Martin said he needed to handle it between himself and Smitty. Jacob said Smitty wouldn’t answer any questions which made Jacob suspicious. He said everything was too coincidental.

 

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Days Short Recap Thursday, July 24, 2025

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Belle talked to Marlena about how Johnny’s trial was going to take a toll on her. EJ met them so he could have his hypnosis session. Marlena stressed that she wasn’t doing the hypnosis session for him. She was doing it for Johnny. EJ let her know that he thought Johnny did it too but now he believes he’s innocent. Belle explained to EJ that hypnosis wasn’t admissible in court. EJ knew it wouldn’t be, but he was glad that he started somewhere. Marlena left to prepare for the session. Belle reminded EJ that had to keep their relationship professional during everything that’s going on. EJ didn’t want to do that, but Belle reminded him about how serious their trial was. She pointed out how Johnny was related to both of them, and EJ was the victim. EJ hesitated, but he agreed with Belle. He kissed her until Marlena broke them up. Belle left and they got started. He looked at something, but he couldn’t see what it was. EJ got frustrated because he didn’t know what it was. Marlena stopped the session. He couldn’t tell who it was. Marlena wanted to know if it was because he thought Johnny did it. She let him know that he seemed troubled by his memories. His memories were still blocked. EJ thought his memories could harm him. She thought he was trying to say Johnny was the shooter. Marlena let him know that Johnny was innocent. EJ thought he was innocent too. She’s willing to keep going. They had to unlock his memories. Paulina told Abe that she was nervous about being called as a witness at Johnny’s trial. She was afraid that she would send Johnny to prison. Paulina believed he was innocent. She thought Chanel was innocent too. Abe reminded her that she had an obligation to tell the truth. He believed everything would be okay. She asked him if Johnny had a shot of winning. Abe told her that the evidence against Johnny was circumstantial. Unfortunately, he’s seen guilty verdicts with less evidence.

Johnny and Chanel were getting ready for his trial. He admitted that he was scared because he threatened his father with a gun. Johnny wanted him dead at one point. Chanel told him that he didn’t do it. She said what mattered was that he stopped himself. Johnny said he still looked guilty. Chanel reminded him that his father was defending him, and he might blame her for the crime. He knew that Chanel would never let him take the fall for what he did. Chanel thought they couldn’t wait for the truth to come out. They had to make it come out. Johnny and Chanel didn’t shoot EJ, and they weren’t going down for it. They had to find someone who could remember if EJ couldn’t do it. Everyone headed to the courthouse for the trial. Belle called EJ to find out why he wasn’t at the courthouse. She wanted to know if he remembered something. EJ arrived a few minutes later. He told her that he didn’t remember anything. Him getting shot wasn’t the most traumatic thing that happened. She wondered what could be worse. Belle knew he was dealing with trauma. It’s not something that could be rushed. EJ told her that he had another session scheduled. Marlena hugged Johnny outside of the courtroom. She assured him that she would be there for him. EJ told Johnny that it was time. Everyone took their places in the courtroom. The judge called the jury into the room. Marlena and Abe sat in the gallery. She became woozy and dropped into her chair. Marlena passed out on Abe. Belle called Brady and told him about what happened to Marlena. She begged her mother to wake up. EJ and Johnny watched them helplessly.

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GH Short Recap Friday, July 25, 2025

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

 

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Recap written by Eva

Kristina sees Molly putting sunscreen on Cody’s back and Michael tells Kristina that he thinks there may be something going on between Cody and Molly. Kristina tells Molly that Cody might be trying to seduce her for her money. Molly tells Kristina she thinks Cody has changed and wouldn’t do that to her. Molly tells Kristina that she and Cody are just friends.

Sonny tells Marco that he should go back to Miami and only handle his father’s legitimate business. Sonny tells Marco that Natalia told him that she was sorry that she and her son were estranged and that she loved him very much. Marco lies to Sonny and tells him that he doesn’t believe he was the cause of Natalia’s death. Marco later goes to his father’s house and tells him that he thinks Sonny must go.

Willow talks to Nina in the bride’s room of the church and asks her if she and Drew had an affair. Nina cries and tells Willow that she and Drew had an affair from April until August of last year. Willow feels hurt and betrayed by Nina who knew that she was falling in love with Drew and didn’t tell her about her relationship with Drew. Willow tells Nina that if she had been honest. and told her about her relationship with Drew, she would have left him right away and she wouldn’t have lost her marriage or her children. Willow tells Nina that since she was a coward, and kept silent about the affair, she lost her children and for that she will never forgive her. Willow later sits alone in the bride’s room thinking about all the promises D1rew made to her and wonders what she should do. Willow later stands at the top of the aisle of the Church in her beautiful wedding dress as the wedding March begins to play.

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Days Update Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Alex joins Stephanie at home as she stresses over working on her pitch to EJ on the hospital. Stephanie talks about wanting to help Kayla as she could use all the help she could get. Alex tells Stephanie that he always her her back no matter what. Stephanie assures that she’s very grateful for him as they kiss. Alex hopes she has enough time in her busy schedule. Stephanie says she always has time for him. Alex says that’s good because they have a book launch to do that he wants to be epic.

Kayla is in her office, talking on the phone to Bo. Kayla hangs up as EJ enters. EJ argues that Bo wasn’t a patient at their hospital. Kayla argues that the drug that saved his life was developed here and she thought he’d want to know how it’s doing, remarking that the drug is the only reason EJ got his greedy hands on the hospital in the first place. EJ questions her talking to her superior like that. Kayla complains that he’s not her superior as she is chief of staff and answers to the board. EJ states that as sole owner of the hospital, she serves at his pleasure. Kayla says she is very busy and asks if there’s something else he needs. EJ responds that he needs his own office since he’s the boss. Kayla says they are short on office space so EJ says this one will do just nicely.

Sarah brings Javi coffee at the hospital and guesses his adrenaline must still be pumping. Javi says he’s just relieved they got to Holly and Arianna in time. Javi wonders how they are supposed to bounce back from this without PTSD. Sarah encourages that they have amazing support systems but says it’s crazy to think about all the dangers out there as their kids are growing up.

In Chicago, Sophia worries to Melinda about lying about something this big. Melinda says they had no choice but to keep the birth of her baby a secret and reminds her that she will be here for her through all of it. Melinda encourages that Sophia did the hardest part in giving birth, so if she could do that, she can do anything. Tate calls Sophia again. Sophia complains that Tate sure is trying to get a hold of her now when he couldn’t be bothered to pick up before. Melinda points out that it’s a good thing he didn’t pick up before, otherwise he’d be on his way to Chicago now.

Tate rushes home to tell Brady that they need to go now because Sophia is in labor which Brady questions. Tate explains that Sophia left him a voicemail hours ago that he just checked because he was so worried about Holly after she and Arianna were kidnapped which Brady is shocked to learn. Tate says it was really scary but they are safe now and he really hopes Sophia and the baby are too.

Javi talks to Sarah about how things can get tough even before kids grow up. Sarah relates, telling Javi that her daughter was kidnapped when she was only a few months old. Javi says he’s so sorry. Sarah explains that she was returned to them unharmed and was too young to be traumatized. Sarah asks about Javi’s little one. Javi clarifies that he’s not his as he’s just fostering him. Javi points out that Rafe is the actual foster parent while Sarah notes that Rafe isn’t the one she sees taking care of him all the time with a big smile. Javi mentions how they named him Tesoro and admits he’s dreading having to give him up to a new family as he and Leo have grown really attached to him. Sarah says she understands that too, calling it a very long story but she bonded with a child that she had to give up and it is brutal as it leaves a hole in your heart that you can never fill. Javi apologizes for dragging all of this up. Sarah explains that her daughter is with her father right now and she’s just missing her so much.

Leo is at home on the phone with Chad, complaining that he still can’t believe he’s on jury duty instead of covering the trial for the Spectator. Leo talks about the idea of writing a book about it. Leo acknowledges that they are talking about Chad’s nephew and brother and they probably shouldn’t be talking at all as he hangs up. Leo asks Tesoro if EJ’s own son tried to off him. Leo adds that if Johnny did do it, he hopes he doesn’t have to convict him because then EJ will want to put a bullet in him.

Kayla tells EJ that they are running short on office space but it wouldn’t be any trouble to spruce up a utility closet and suggests one next to the morgue. EJ mocks her wit and sarcasm. Kayla warns EJ that he might own the hospital, but she runs it. EJ remarks that she used to run it and ran it in to the ground.

Brady tells Tate that he will call Sarah but Tate reveals that Sophia is in Chicago and he has to get to her. Tate says if he leaves now, he can be there by 5 but Brady stops him and says he can’t let him do that.

Kayla questions EJ talking to her like that. EJ says it’s just facts with the hospital in debt. Kayla aruges that Seth Burns was in charge of the budget, not her. EJ calls it water under the bridge and says it’s now his responsibility to keep the hospital from going bankrupt. Kayla questions EJ thinking his budget cuts are fixing things when all it’s doing is lowering the staff morale and patient care. EJ says he’s implementing the changes to keep the hospital afloat and Kayla has to comply. EJ warns her to trim the fat and figure it out. Kayla responds that she will not be his figurehead or puppet. Kayla warns EJ to let her run the hospital as she sees fit or she is officially resigning.

Sophia worries to Melinda that Tate will never see his baby and will be heartbroken and suspicious. Melinda encourages that if they just stick to the plan, Tate will never know that the baby she took to the fire station was his son. Sophia questions if she’s sure, pointing out that she knew right away when she ran in to Leo and Javi. Sophia worries about when he grows up and people figuring it out after seeing he’s half-Asian. Melinda tells her that they won’t and she knows how to make sure of it.

Alex talks to Stephanie about setting her up for interivews and podcasts to promote her book. Stephanie reminds him about no one finding out that she wrote it. Alex encourages that all interviews will be over the phone and they will use audio tricks to keep her privacy. Alex assures that he’s taken every precaution to make sure that no one finds out she is Anastasia Sands.

Brady says Tate is way too wired to drive to Chicago, so he will take him. Brady asks where Sophia was admitted but Tate says she didn’t say and she’s not picking up her phone. Brady worries that they won’t get there in time but Tate declares that his baby is about to be born, so he has to try.

Sophia asks Melinda if she’s sure this will work. Melinda says it’s the best shot they have and that she will take care of the paperwork so that everything looks legit. Sophia agrees to do it and repeats that she can’t thank her enough. Melinda tells her to just go out in to the world and live her life to the fullest, knowing that her baby will be placed in a very loving home. Melinda asks if she’s ready to head back home to face Tate and her mom. Sophia says she’s as ready as she will ever be.

Javi goes home where Leo tells him about putting Tesoro to sleep and asks about Arianna. Javi says she’s fine and still being monitored, Leo asks what happens to Doug III. Javi says that he left after questioning. Javi asks Leo to be honest with him as he says he knows that Leo was helping Doug III scrape together money to pay off the loan shark, then asks if he had any idea he would go after Holly and Arianna.

EJ tells Kayla that he doesn’t take too kindly to threats. Kayla says it’s not a threat and that she could just retire early and enjoy her life without all the stress, but she doesn’t because shes cares about the hospital, patients, and staff. EJ points out that she hasn’t turned down her salary. Kayla says she doesn’t do this for the money and she won’t continue if she has to answer to someone she disrespects and despises. Kayla tells EJ that it’s his choice to either accept her resignation or back the hell off. EJ tells Kayla that he will use her office for his meeting and it won’t take long, so Kayla storms out.

Alex tells Stephanie that they gave some advance copies to authors to get some blurbs out to the press which surprises her. Alex says that Stephanie’s book is the perfect one to relaunch Titan’s publishing division. Alex adds that it does need her approval for an exceprt from the book to be used for press junkets which is the main character’s monologue about their forbidden romance. Stephanie says he can’t use that passage and she’s going to tell Kate to take it out of the manuscript altogether. Alex questions what she is getting worked up about. Stephanie says nothing and she just wants that excerpt removed. Alex agrees and says nothing will be done without her approval. Alex then asks why that was so upsetting and if there’s something she’s not telling him. Stephanie says it’s all just happening so quickly and a few months ago, she didn’t think anyone would see her book but now there’s blurbs and press tours. Alex knows it’s overwhelming but encourages that it’s all happening because of her amazing talent and imagination. Stephanie realizes she has to go before she’s late. Alex wishes her luck with EJ and says maybe by the time she gets back, they’ll be celebrating both of her careers.

Sarah calls Xander and argues that he can’t keep Victoria from him and that she was justified when she did it to him. Sarah angrily says screw you and hangs up as Kayla approaches. Kayla asks her what’s wrong. Sarah says it’s everything as Kayla hugs her.

Brady tells Tate that they will get on the road, start driving, and call as many hospitals in Chicago to see if they can find Sophia. Tate then gets a call from Sophia.

Sarah apologizes to Kayla for being unprofessional. Kayla understands she has every right to be furious at Xander. Sarah says it’s not like Victoria was kidnapped, it’s just a custody dispute. Kayla says she can feel how she feels, calling it so painful that Xander is keeping her from seeing her daughter which no parent should ever have to go through.

Stephanie goes to Kayla’s office to see her but is surprised to find EJ and questions what he’s doing in her office. EJ informs her that Kayla graciously lent him her office for their meeting. Stephanie doubts that. EJ guesses since Stephanie didn’t cancel, she has agreed to take on University Hospital as a client. Stephanie responds that she has but under certain conditions and she will not lift a finger to help him unless he agrees to all of her terms.

Sarah thanks Kayla and says it means a lot to have her on her side. Kayla assures that she always will be. Kayla offers to call her brother in law to send an ISA agent to Xander’s house and getting him to see reason. Sarah hopes she can get Xander to back off. Kayla says the way Xander has behaved recently almost makes her regret voting for him to take over the hospital. Kayla talks about the changes EJ wants to make and says as impossible as Xander has been, she thinks he might be the lesser of two evils.

Tate answers Sophia’s call and asks if she’s okay. Sophia says she’s fine. Tate says he’s been so worried about her and the baby. Tate asks what hospital she’s at as he and Brady will be on their way to Chicago. Sophia responds that she’s actually on her way home. Tate asks if it was another false labor. Sophia says no. Tate asks what’s going on and what’s wrong. Sophia informs him that she had the baby already and claims that it’s a girl.

Leo promises Javi that he had no idea Doug III and Arianna knew each other, let alone that they were involved and that he would’ve told him if he knew. Javi says he believes him but he doesn’t understand why he would help some stranger out of a jam. Leo explains that maybe if someone helped him at his age, he would’ve turned his life around sooner. Leo says he sees himself in Doug III and that he needs someone to believe in him like John and Marlena believed in him. Javi says he believes in him too. Leo asks if he does, bringing up how Javi recently found out what he did to Gwen and Dimitri. Leo swears that he’s not that person anymore. Javi says he knows that and he doesn’t have to keep persuading him on it. Leo tells Javi that he has changed him for the better and that they are an open book with each other.

Kayla apologizes to Sarah for saying that. Sarah understands that EJ has been making her life miserable for weeks now. Kayla says EJ doesn’t seem to be backing down and was just trying to take over her office. Kayla adds that EJ already scolded her for not making enough cuts in her budget. Sarah is unsure if Xander would be a better boss, saying his temper has been uncontrollable lately and almost violent. Kayla asks if she’s worried for Victoria’s safety. Sarah says she knows that Xander would never hurt Victoria, but she is worried for anyone else who gets caught in his crosshairs. Sarah tells Kayla that she feels stupid for having a baby with a man who is a ticking time bomb. Kayla says she knows she feels that way now, but reminds her that the decisions she made led to Victoria and she knows despite any regrets, she would never take that back.

Tate tells Sophia that he will see her soon and hangs up. Tate tells Brady that it’s a girl. Brady can’t believe he has a granddaughter. Tate points out that she isn’t going to be theirs for very long. Brady asks how he’s feeling. Tate admits he doesn’t know but he can’t wait to meet her.

EJ asks Stephanie what her conditions are. Stephanie says first, she will not do anything to undermine her mother. EJ says he would never ask her to smear Kayla or believe she would. Stephanie adds that she won’t do anything unethical, no lying, cheating, or stealing on behalf of EJ or the hospital. EJ says she will have no pushback on that and her terms are more than acceptable. EJ asks if they have a deal. Stephanie agrees and they shake hands as Kayla returns and asks what the hell is going on here.

Leo asks Javi if he’s sure he doesn’t mind watching Tesoro until he gets back. Javi assures that he watches him all the time and loves it. Leo worries about Tesoro’s needs then realizes he’s hovering which Javi calls sweet. Leo says he’ll be right back and exits.

Alex calls Kate and tells her about Stephanie not wanting to use the excerpt from the book and he doesn’t know why. Alex says it was difficult enough getting Stephanie on board but it’s her book so they have to make sure she still feels in control of it. Alex tells Kate that they will touch base at the office tomorrow and hangs up as there’s a knock at the door. Alex opens the door and finds a box addressed to Stephanie. He picks it up and says that was weird.

EJ informs Kayla that he and Stephanie were just finalizing the terms of their agreement. Kayla argues that she wasn’t aware this was the meeting he needed her office for. EJ remarks that he didn’t know the head of PR needed her mother’s permission. Kayla questions Stephanie not telling her that she ignored all her advice and accepted this job with EJ. Stephanie responds that now Kayla knows. Kayla asks for a moment alone with EJ. Stephanie decides she should go check on things with Alex anyways. Stephanie says she’ll call Kayla tonight as EJ says he’s very much looking forward to working with her as she exits. EJ questions what Kayla’s complaint is now. Kayla says it’s an order as she will not let him corrupt her daughter. EJ tells her that he’s hired her because of her expertise as a publicist. Kayla argues that nothing can make EJ seem noble or altruistic. EJ suggests not underestimating Stephanie or him. EJ then exits the office, leaving Kayla frustrated.

Tate tells Brady that if he needed more proof that he wasn’t ready to be a parent, he can look at how he acted the last few days. Tate calls it crazy to go out to the lake when Sophia was so close to her due date and asks what he was thinking. Brady tells him not to think that way and encourages that if he didn’t go to the lake, he wouldn’t have been able to help Holly and Arianna. Tate questions why Sophia didn’t wait for him to meet with this couple about adopting. Brady thinks she just wanted the whole thing over. Brady encourages that they have their whole lives ahead of them and the sooner the adoption goes through, the sooner they can move on. Tate doesn’t think he’ll ever move on and he will always wonder about his daughter having a good life. Tate wonders if the couple was there when Sophia gave birth and saw the baby before he did. Brady points out that once they adopt the baby, they are her parents. Tate complains that he hates it so much as he’s happy, sad, and scared. Brady tells him that he’s allowed to feel all of it and he knows it can’t be easy. Brady wishes he could take it away but promises to be with him every step of the way. Tate tells Brady that he loves him as he hugs him while holding back tears.

Leo runs in to EJ in the town square. Leo says he was just leaving but EJ stops him and says they need to have a little chat. Leo argues that they aren’t supposed to be chatting at all and asks what he wants. EJ says the question is what he wants. Leo says he just wants to get diapers home to his foster son. EJ says everyone knows that Leo craves self preservation. Leo says that’s who he used to be. EJ argues that a leopard never changes his spots. EJ claims he’s just catching up with an old friend. Leo says they aren’t friends and tells EJ to find someone else to be his stooge because he’s not for sale anymore as Leo then walks away.

Stephanie goes home and informs Alex that she’s now officially working for EJ DiMera, so now she just has to hope that Kayla doesn’t disown her after seeing her and EJ together. Stephanie asks about the box that came in the mail. Alex says it came while she was out with no card or return address and asks if she has a secret admirer that she’s not telling him about.

Kayla goes back to Sarah and tells her that EJ is hiring her daughter to do PR for the hospital and that was the meeting he needed her office for. Kayla says she just worries about Stephanie and all her kids. Sarah brings up her ranting about Xander earlier and doesn’t want Kayla to think she regrets having Victoria. Kayla assures that she knows Victoria is her world. Sarah says what Xander is doing is so incredibly painful and she wishes he could see that. Kayla asks if Xander has ever seen a psychiatrist. Sarah talks about Xander not being the type to open up about his feelings, especially to a stranger. Kayla says she’s not talking about marriage counseling but she thinks if they are going to co-parent, Xander needs to get his anger in check and she knows that Marlena offers intense anger management classes. Sarah asks if she thinks that would work. Kayla responds that if anyone could do it, it’s Marlena.

Leo returns home which Javi notes was quick as Leo watches out the window, saying he’s making sure no one followed him. Leo informs Javi that he ran in to EJ, who tried to bribe him in to acquitting his son but he said no. Javi hugs Leo and says he’s proud of him for standing up to EJ.

Sophia shows up at Tate’s door. Tate questions how she’s back so soon and where the baby is. Sophia responds that she’s gone.

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GH Short Recap Thursday, July 24, 2025

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Recap written by Eva

Willow gets dressed for her wedding at the church. Elizabeth, Lisel, and Nina help her to get ready for the big day.

Drew promises Alexis that he will let Scout get used to her new step-mother before he decides about moving to DC. Alexis takes Scout to the church early so Scout could give Willow a present.

Portia tells Curtis that she is going to resign from the hospital because she will not make Michael seem like he is a addicted to painkillers so Willow can get back her kids. Curtis tells Portia to wait one more day because he doesn’t like that he will have to betray a friend, but he won’t let Drew force her to give up her career.

Lucas and Carly get into an argument because Sonny kidnapped Marco. Lucas tells Carly she should stop keeping Sonny’s secrets for him. Carly tells Lucas that he shouldn’t have gone to the police because he doesn’t know the whole situation.

Michael tells Wiley that his mommy is marrying his uncle Drew today. Wiley tells Michael that he doesn’t want mommy to marry Uncle Drew. “I want mommy to still be married to you.”

Nina tells Ava that she suspects Willow was the person moving baby Daisy to make Sasha believe that Daisy was in danger. Nina tells Ava that Drew did this to Willow and she has finally had enough of Drew.

Curtis arrives at the church and tells Willow that Drew was sleeping with Willow at the same time Drew and she were falling in love and Drew was telling her that she was the only woman for him.

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Y&R Short Recap Friday, July 25, 2025

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

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Recap written by Eva

Billy brings Sally to the room where Nick is being held. Sally cleans Nick’s wound with wine then she uses tea bags and salt to slow the bleeding of Nick’s wound and puts a bandage on it. Sally, Billy, and Sharon help Nick leave the room and head back toward the train.

Nikki tells Amanda she is willing to give Chancellor Industries to Cane if Cane sets Nick and Sharon free.

Chance and Victor persuade Cane that Carter killed Damian because he felt Damian stood in the way of Cane’s happiness with Lily. Cane talks to Carter trying to get a confession out of him while Chance and Victor hide in the Garden maze listening in case Carter confesses to killing Damian.

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Days Update Monday, July 21, 2025

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Javi is at home on the phone with Leo, who sits in the town square. Leo complains about having to be on jury duty for Johnny’s trial because it’s the scandal of the year and he doesn’t get to cover it for the Spectator. Javi encourages that he gets to be front row and can write a book about it one day. Javi tells Leo that Tesoro is eagerly waiting for him. Leo says he will finish up and hangs up. Gwen then walks by in the town square. Leo greets her and comments on her stolen necklace. Gwen says she was heading to the Spectator office to visit her old stomping grounds. Leo asks if she’s feeling nostalgic. Gwen says now that he’s here, he can fill her in on what’s going on at the Spectator. Leo informs her that things are looking up. Gwen laughs at Leo being their star journalist. Leo calls it unkind of Gwen to come back to Salem to flaunt the necklace in Julie’s face. Gwen argues that it’s her necklace now and says that wasn’t her only reason for coming back to Salem. Gwen calls the necklace just the appetizer, so Leo says he dreads knowing what the main course is. Gwen questions Leo not wanting to know. Leo then says if it’s illegal, he does want to know so he can cover it and expose her. Gwen informs him that she has a full course plan but she only intends on telling her close and most trustworthy friends, not the lying wanker who blew up her marriage.

Johnny goes to Titan-DiMera and tells Philip that he’s there to record his statement with Xander. Johnny thanks him for pushing it to today as he really wants to get it done before his trial starts tomorrow. Philip didn’t realize his trial was so soon and asks if he’s spoken to HR about it. Johnny confirms that he let them know that he might miss a couple of weeks. Johnny swears to Philip that he did not shoot EJ, but if Philip feels the need to fire him for PR reasons, he will understand.

Xander asks if Gabi wants to go home but Gabi says she’s not sure anyone is home and she’d rather not be alone. Xander says he understands and asks what she’s thinking. Gabi talks about how excited she was when Arianna first told her that she was coming to Salem as she was so happy and missed her so much, but now she wishes she told her not to come. Gabi argues that Arianna was thriving in Arizona with Will and Sonny, but ever since being here, it’s been misery and chaos as she’s been acting out and defiant, so she feels like it’s all her fault. Gabi declares that she’s a terrible mother.

Arianna complains that there has to be another way out while Holly tries picking the lock to the door. Arianna then looks between some boxes and declares that she may have found their way out.

Tate goes to the alley way where Holly and Arianna were kidnapped and Holly dropped her class ring but someone comes out with a gun.

Javi watches over Tesoro at home, talking about how he had no idea how hard it would be to even think about saying goodbye to him. Javi hopes it won’t be anytime soon. Javi declares that no matter what happens, he will always be in his heart.

Leo tells Gwen that he’d rather not know what her plans are, illegal or not, but if it does involve breaking the law, he will likely uncover and expose them. Gwen mocks him leading the Spectator while Leo argues that ad revenue and subscriptions are up. Leo adds that they will go even higher when he posts a tidbit on Gwen. Gwen questions what that is. Leo says she’ll read about it soon enough. Gwen demands to know what he has. Leo then reveals that he saw Gwen going in to the Salem Inn with Xander the other night, so the burning questions is if she’s really running head first in to that buzz saw again.

Xander tells Gabi that from what he’s seen, she’s a great mother. Gabi thanks him for saying that even if he doesn’t believe it. Xander assures that he does. Xander knows that they have had their differences in the past, but he can see how much she loves her daughter. Xander relates to how frustrating it is to not be able to protect your own child. Xander talks about how scary it was when Victoria was kidnapped, but points out that they got their happy ending and she came home, so he wishes her the same with Arianna.

Philip tells Johnny that no one will be asking him to leave work as he believes he is innocent and that he will beat the charges. Johnny appreciates his faith in him. Philip says he’ll let HR know they spoke. Johnny says he will get his tripod and asks Philip to let Xander know that he’s almost ready to record his statement. Philip agrees to do so as Johnny walks away. Gabi then comes out from the office. Philip greets her but Gabi says she’s in a rush. Philip asks if something is wrong. Gabi confirms it’s something terrible as she hurries off.

Tate is startled by Rafe approaching with his gun. Rafe questions what he’s doing out here. Tate shows Rafe that he got Holly’s class ring which Felicity found outside of the gym nearby. Rafe says he just checked with the owners and found the only two unoccupied warehouses. Tate says he’ll check one while Rafe checks the other. Rafe worries that it’s too dangerous. Rafe tells Tate to stay there and wait for the police, then tell them where he went when they get there. Tate agrees to stay but when Rafe walks away, Tate heads in the opposite direction.

Arianna and Holly discover an air vent behind boxes. Arianna feels they just need to get the grate off and it could be their way out. Holly points out that they don’t know where it leads to. Arianna says she can see daylight so it must lead to the roof or the side of the building. Arianna knows it’s a longshot but says it beats sitting around rotting away and they have nothing to lose, so Holly gives in. Arianna tries the grate but it’s screwed in, so she goes in search of a tool.

Gwen asks Leo so what if she went to the Salem Inn with Xander. Leo reminds her that Xander is a married man. Gwen guesses he’s behind on his dirt. Leo says he’s well aware there’s trouble in paradise but Xander and Sarah always find their way back to each other. Gwen asks what if this time they don’t. Leo says if that’s because of her influence, she would be a fool to go down that road again. Gwen questions him caring. Leo reminds her that he was there before and saw how Xander used her and broke her heart, so he would take no pleasure in watching that happen again. Gwen admits she did hit rock bottom when Xander left her for Sarah. Gwen adds that she has hit rock bottom many different times for many different reasons, but what really broke her heart was Leo.

Philip joins Xander in the office and questions what he did to Gabi because she just ran out in tears. Xander questions him assuming that was his fault. Johnny then returns with his tripod and asks where they want him to setup or if it’s a bad time.

Gabi goes home where Javi asks if she’s okay because he thought she had a big meeting. Gabi responds that it was cancelled and Xander sent her home. Javi asks how come. Gabi then reveals that Arianna is missing as she’s been kidnapped. Javi is shocked and hugs her.

Arianna and Holly successfully get the grate off. Holly asks if she’s sure she wants to go in the vent. Arianna says no but she’s going to. Arianna crawls in to the vent, worrying about spiders and mice, but then fears that she has gotten stuck.

Gwen tells Leo how devastated she was by his betrayal. Leo says if she ever listened to his voicemails or read his messages, she would know it was the biggest regret of his life. Leo says he would crawl through glass and beg for forgiveness if he thought it would make a difference. Gwen says as much as she would love to see that, it wouldn’t make a difference because he put a knife in her back so deep that it can’t be removed. Leo states that when it comes to Dimitri, they both lost big but at least she got his fortune. Gwen comments that it looks like Leo recovered nicely with a sparkly new relationship. Leo states that Javi is a good man and totally gets him. Gwen calls them lucky. Leo decides he needs to get going because Javi needs him to take care of the baby. Leo exits as Gwen mutters about Leo going home to his happy little family.

Johnny apologizes for having to postpone yesterday. Philip says they understood he was dealing with a personal matter. Xander says maybe Johnny starting work here wasn’t good timing which he questions. Philip argues that he just told Johnny that his job is safe and that Xander is the one who hired him. Xander argues that at the time, Johnny was all in on undermining his father, but now thanks to Philip, EJ has the hospital and is on good terms with Johnny again so he’s no longer sure that having Johnny at Titan-DiMera is a good idea.

Gabi tells Javi that Rafe is out looking for Holly and Arianna now. Javi asks if he has any leads. Gabi says she hasn’t heard and she can’t reach him. Javi says he will see if he can find out anything and will call her right away if there’s any news. Gabi thanks Javi as they hug. Javi tells her to hang in there and think positive because they are going to find her little girl.

Tate plans to head to the next empty warehouse when he hears screaming.

Holly tries to encourage Arianna to relax as she panics in the vent. Tate arrives and kicks the door in as he rushes in to embrace Holly.

Johnny admits that he and EJ are on better terms but assures that he is loyal to them and the company. Xander remarks that loyalty can be fickle. Philip asks Johnny to give them a minute so he steps out. Philip tells Xander that he can’t be serious about firing Johnny just because he made nice with his father, arguing that it would be a PR nightmare they can’t afford right now. Philip adds that Johnny’s skillset is useful here. Xander questions what exactly his skillset is. Philip says that he has great ideas for the brand and a knack for telling stories, so he thinks they could use someone like him. Xander questions if he’s just there to whitewash Philip’s lies and betrayal. Johnny comes back over and says he doesn’t want to cause any problems, so if Xander wants him to resign, he will. Philip stops him and says he’s not resigning and that they should just get going on recording the video. Xander reluctantly agrees but Victoria wakes up crying. Philip remarks on Xander saying they don’t let personal matters interfere in the workplace. Xander dares Philip to say another word about his daughter.

Gabi sits at home with Tesoro and talks about when Arianna was that little. Gabi talks about not being there as a mother and says no matter how old Arianna gets, she’ll always be her little girl. Leo comes home and tells her that Javi just texted him about Arianna. Leo says he’s so sorry and can’t even begin to imagine what she’s going through. Gabi gets a call from Javi, who announces that he just heard on the radio that Rafe found Arianna and Holly. Gabi is relieved and asks if Arianna is okay. Javi says he doesn’t know the details but they are at some warehouse and he’s on his way to see her. Gabi thanks him and asks him to call as soon as he has eyes on her. Javi says he will and tells Gabi that he’s really happy for her. Gabi says she has no words as they hang up. Gabi tells Leo that her baby has been found, so she and Leo hug.

Rafe joins Tate with Holly. Rafe tells Holly it’s so good to see her and asks about Arianna. Holly explains that she got stuck in the vent. Rafe asks Tate to take Holly out and call the paramedics. Holly calls in to Arianna that she will see her when she’s safe. Arianna yells that something’s happening and screams as a crash is heard.

Tate gets Holly outside. Holly remains worried about Arianna. Tate hugs Holly and tells her that she’s safe now and it’s okay. Holly responds that she’s only safe because of him.

Rafe tries calling out to Arianna through the vent but she is now unconscious after the crash inside the vent.

Johnny films Xander and Philip saying that they are united in their efforts to stabilize and grow Titan-DiMera together. Johnny calls it very convincing. Xander argues that Philip didn’t stick to the script and was ad libbing. Philip argues that he was just trying to be natural. Victoria starts crying again so Philip questions why she’s not with a nanny. Xander says he’s spoken with HR about starting a daycare in the building. Philip suggests letting Victoria go home to her mother until then instead of trapping her in a portable crib that looks like a tiny prison. Philip tells Xander to get over himself and think about what Victoria really needs.

Leo says that Tesoro is going to go down for a nap while he’s going to call someone who may have been a very bad boy. Leo calls Doug III and says he just heard about Arianna and Holly’s kidnapping and questions if he and his friends had something to do with it. Leo can’t believe Doug III didn’t tell him that the other girl he was involved with was his boyfriend’s cousin. Leo worries about Gabi finding out that he knew Arianna could’ve been in danger.

Holly tells Tate that the paramedics checked him out and she’s okay, but she remains worried about Arianna. Tate encourages that she has Rafe and others to help her. Holly worries about when they are going to get her out.

Javi joins Rafe, who explains that he was barely able to get Arianna out after she tried to escape through the air vent that collapsed.

Holly tells Tate that he’s a hero and the reason they were rescued. Tate tells Holly that she is everything to him and he can’t ever lose her. They almost kiss but are interrupted by Gabi arriving, asking where Arianna is.

Javi gets a breathing mask on Arianna as she regains consciousness and asks what happened. Rafe informs her that she was in an air vent that collapsed. Gabi then rushes in, relieved to see Arianna.

Gwen returns to her room at the Salem Inn and removes her necklace, placing it inside a safe. Gwen declares that her two faced husband might be missing, but thanks to his fortune, she’s still present and accounted for and she’s just getting started. Gwen remarks that Salem really is in for a rip roaring good time.

Johnny tells Philip and Xander that he will edit their statement and send it back for review. Philip wishes him luck tomorrow as Johnny exits. Xander complains that it’s a nightmare just being in Philip’s presence. Philip tells him that he’s not quitting. Xander then suggests sending Philip to the Hong Kong office as it’s the furthest place he could think of. Philip thinks that would be perfect for Xander and he’s sure Sarah would agree. Philip then exits the office. Xander comments to Victoria that Philip is trying to get under his skin. Xander declares that if they can’t live with him or smother him with a pillow, they will just have to come up with a more creative solution.

Leo takes care of Tesoro at home and talks about thinking if he was ever a dad, he thought he would screw up his kid the way he was screwed up, but says Tesoro brings out the best in him and he’s starting to think he’s not so bad at parenting after all. Leo admits he does feel overprotective and he can’t even think about anything bad ever happening to Tesoro. Leo vows that he would protect Tesoro with his life.

Javi notes that Arianna’s oxygen levels have returned to normal but he wants to take her to the hospital as a precaution. Arianna cries to Gabi that she’s so sorry. Gabi says it’s not her fault and she loves her so much as they hug.

Rafe rejoins Tate and Holly outside to tell them that Arianna is going to be fine. Rafe adds that Shawn asked him to bring Holly to the police station to make a statement. Rafe guesses they will be in touch to hear from Tate as well. Holly thanks Tate for being her hero today and says she will call him as soon as she’s done. Holly then leaves with Rafe. Tate then sees he got a voicemail from Sophia and learns that Sophia said she was in labor.

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BTG Short Recap Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

 

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Recap written by Michele & Cheryl

Nicole was on the phone with Dani. They talked about Martin’s situation. Kat arrived to rant to her about Eva. She overheard her mother talking about keeping secrets from the family. Kat waited for some answers. They stopped talking when Jacob arrived. He was there to see Nicole. Jacob told her that he was there to follow up about a claim made by Leslie that she caused her trauma and bodily harm. Leslie told him that Naomi attacked her at Orphey Gene’s. Nicole admitted that she argued with her and that they had a run in, but Leslie was just as responsible for it. Jacob wanted to know if she choked Leslie. Nicole wished she succeeded. Kat was surprised to hear her mother’s comment. Nicole said it was hyperbole. She wondered if the policed looked at the security footage. Since there wasn’t any footage, they had to rely on witnesses. Jacob wasn’t ready to arrest anyone. After Jacob left, Kat wanted to go back to their conversation before he showed up. Nicole didn’t want to talk about it for now because she had to take care of something. Eva and Tomas stopped kissing and wondered if they went too far. She couldn’t believe what she did. It was inappropriate because Tomas said that they were friends. Tomas didn’t want her to be so hard on herself because he enjoyed the kiss. He said that Kat wasn’t always nice to her so she shouldn’t feel bad about what she did. Eva told him that Kat was right about her in the beginning. Tomas thought Kat had good instincts, but it gets her in trouble. He said that he and Kat don’t have sex. Eva was shocked to find out that Kat was a virgin. She didn’t think there was anything wrong with it, but Kat walks around like she’s worldly. Tomas felt like he was on Kat’s “to-do” list which was why he stopped her when she wanted to have sex with him. Eva thought he stopped her because he wanted to focus on what he wanted to happen next. He said he wanted to keep talking to her. Eva admitted that she didn’t have the same flow with anyone else. She didn’t want to manipulate him, but Tomas felt like he was in the driver’s seat. He placed his hand on hers and thanked her for being herself. Tomas also thanked her for giving him what he hasn’t been getting. After they talked, she told him that she was ready to go. Tomas suggested going with her. He made it seem like he wanted to make sure she got home safely.

Ted was stressing out about Kenny when Leslie showed up at his hotel room. Leslie knew he didn’t like surprises. Ted didn’t mind surprises from his wife or his daughter but not her. She took off her scarf and showed him the bruises on her neck. Leslie told him that Nicole attacked her at Orphey Gene’s. Ted was there, but he didn’t realize that Nicole grabbed her that hard. He beat himself up for his mistakes. Leslie advised him to move on even if he had to do it without Nicole. She asked him to treat her bruises, but he wanted her to stop being dramatic. Leslie told him that Nicole would cause her to have panic attacks. She told him that she was proud of Eva for finding her way around Kat’s trap at her job. Ted wondered if Kat had anything to do with Eva’s mistake. Leslie told him to ask Kat about it. She started flirting with Ted, and he struggled to resist her. Leslie walked out of his room. Jacob arrived at the hotel to question him about Leslie getting attacked. Ted refused to talk about Nicole because he wanted to save his marriage. Chelsea advised Allison to leave Craig since he’s abusive. Allison thought it proved that Chelsea still cared about her. Madison heard them talking in the doorway. Chelsea didn’t think abuse was okay. Allison knew Chelsea cared about her. Chelsea wanted to call her father to find out about her legal options, but Allison stopped her. Allison got upset that Chelsea tried to overstep in her problem. Chelsea said she was trying to help a friend. Allison told her that she didn’t care about her. She only cared about Madison. Later, Madison wondered if Allison was being abused. She told Chelsea that she got a glimpse of her relationship with Allison. Madison thought the timing was convenient. She thought Chelsea should know that something was off when she refused to take Bill’s help. Nicole went to Leslie’s apartment to confront her. She wanted to see the bruises for herself. Leslie took off her scarf to show her the bruises. Nicole realized that she was just wearing makeup. Leslie said that she would tell the police that the bruises healed up. Nicole thought her plan was going to fail.

 

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Days Short Recap Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Xander was playing with Victoria. Sarah showed up to see Victoria. Xander let her see Victoria. When they put Victoria down, they talked about what they were going to do about her. Xander said he didn’t want to hurt Victoria and suggested they deal with it head on. Sarah said she was willing to figure things out, but they needed to talk about his anger. She said she knew he wouldn’t hurt Victoria, but leaving her with a man who could snap so easily scared her. Sarah said that was what was holding her back. Xander said he wouldn’t hurt Philip. Sarah told him that he hurt other people. Xander said if she didn’t trust him, they were stuck. Sarah said that wasn’t true. She advised him to take anger management counseling. He asked if she would agree to joint custody if he did. She said she would. Xander agreed to get counseling. He said he wanted a formal agreement and the only way to do that was to get separated. Holly went to the pub. Doug was happy to see her. She said it was his fault for not saying that the thugs were after him again. Holly was upset that he kept her and Arianna from each other. Doug said he was only after Arianna because he couldn’t have her. Holly said she thought something would happen between them but that was over. Doug apologized to her, but she told him to apologize to Arianna. He said he would do it before he left. She asked if he was leaving town. He said he didn’t want anyone else to be in danger and didn’t think the loan sharks would come after anyone else when he’s gone. Holly asked if he was going to talk to Julie to which he said he wasn’t. She told him he could give Julie closure. While they were talking, Arianna showed up and slapped Doug. Doug said he deserved that. Holly left the pub. Arianna said she cared about him and he almost got her killed. She said she wanted to forget about him and left the pub.

Tate asked Sophia where the baby was. Sophia said she was gone. She told Tate and Brady that the adoptive parents took the baby. Tate asked if she gave his baby away without asking him. He was furious and started yelling until Brady told him to calm down. Sophia said she and the parents being together when she went into labor was a sign that it was meant to be. She gave Tate the paperwork to sign, but Tate refused to sign them. Sophia said he had to sign them, but Brady said Tate had concerns about what happened. He said he did too. Tate yelled at Sophia for doing this without asking him. Sophia said he was at the lake. She said she tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. Tate said he was saving Holly’s life. He told her what happened. Sophia said giving birth in a strange place was scary for her. Tate apologized to her. He asked for the adoptive parents’ address so he could meet his daughter and would sign the papers. Sophia said he couldn’t do that. She said she promised the parents that they would have time to bond with the baby. Sophia said it was an open adoption, but they could back out. She took out her phone and showed him pictures of a couple holding a baby. Sophia said they struggled with the adoption and asked if he wanted to ruin it. Brady wanted to know something about the parents. Sophia lied about the parents. She said they could move on with their lives once he signed the papers. Tate agreed to go along with it. Gabi met with Tony at the DiMera mansion. She said she was intrigued by his business proposition. He said he wanted his company back and needed information. Tony said she could get information on Xander and Philip. Gabi refused to do it. Tony said he would give her the rights to Gabi Chic. Gabi said he would only do that if she did what he wanted. She said she would have done it before, but Xander has been nice to her and she didn’t want to betray him. Tony said she was never loyal to anyone and he admired that about her. When Gabi was about to leave, Tony offered to let her run all of DiMera Enterprises. Gabi wondered why he would do that for her. She thought he would want a DiMera to do it. Tony said she was a DiMera. He said he wanted input and would work behind the scenes. Gabi agreed to do it.

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BTG Short Recap Tuesday, July 22, 2025

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

Tracy and Sharon went to see Anita who wanted to know why she ghosted them. Sharon reminded Anita that she was the one who invited them to do the tour. She said they were minding their own business until she came around and got them dreaming again but the second things didn’t go the way Anita wanted them to, she left them. Anita said she opened the door, but they refused to come through it. She said they never gave her or the group a chance. Tracy refused to apologize to Anita. Vernon gave them advice about what to do. Tracy said they haven’t been acting their age. She said they made good points. Vernon said they couldn’t turn back the clock but they could start over. He said Barbara wasn’t there with them but they should honor her. Vernon suggested they start with smaller venues instead of a reunion concert. The Articulettes agreed to do it. Chelsea talked to Kat about Allison stalking her. While they were talking, Allison showed up with blood on her head. Chelsea took Allison to the hospital. Madison was surprised to see them together. Shanice and Ashley took care of Allison. Chelsea let Madison know that she loved her, not Allison. Madison told Chelsea that she thought Allison was pretending to be hurt. She asked Chelsea why she was with Allison. After Allison was checked out, Chelsea tried to joke about why she was with her, but Madison didn’t find it funny. Chelsea told Allison that she loved Madison, but she didn’t want to rub their relationship in her face. Allison told Chelsea that she didn’t fall down. She said Craig pushed her down and that’s why she left him. Chelsea asked why she went to Orphey Gene’s instead of the hospital, Allison said she wanted to be with her. Madison walked in and saw them holding hands.

Ashley overheard Shanice telling Derek that she was making her jealous. She confronted Shanice about what she was doing. Shanice reminded her that she was doing the same thing when she was flirting with Andre. Bill and Joey were on the phone and talked about their victory over Kenneth. He told Joey that Vernon better not start trouble for them. Tomas showed up with Hayley’s sonogram in an envelope. Hayley said the hospital sent it over after there was a problem with the ultrasound machine. Bill said he needed it to get out of the mood he was in. Hayley said he was working too hard especially for the Duprees. Bill said he wasn’t Vernon’s favorite person. He said he wanted Tomas to keep an eye on his kids. Hayley didn’t like the idea of him keeping tabs on his kids. When Bill left to make a call, Hayley called someone. She asked the person if they were okay and asked if they needed anything. Hayley said she would keep in touch. Kat got a text from Ted to meet him at the hotel room. When Kat got there, she found out the text was from Eva. Eva apologized to Ted for lying, but she had something important to say about the mixup. Kat was worried that Eva was going to expose her, but Eva said she fixed the problem and it was going to get fixed. Kat tried to downplay Eva’s solution, but Ted didn’t want to hear it. Ted said Eva deserved a break. He told Kat that she should be impressed that Eva was able to fix the mistake. Ted told her that hating Eva wouldn’t change what he did and that Leslie was the one who went after the family. He said Eva didn’t do anything. Kat told him that he was living with Eva in a hotel and that she was running his business. She said Eva had her hands in everything in her life. Kat said Eva was going after Tomas. Eva and Tomas ran into each other at Orphey Gene’s. She told him that Kat set her up. Tomas couldn’t believe Kat would do that to her. He asked why she didn’t expose Kat to which Eva said she didn’t want to cause any trouble. Tomas said he was glad he didn’t sleep with Kat. While they were talking, they kissed.

 

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Days Short Recap Tuesday, July 22, 2025

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Sarah and Javi were at the hospital and talked about what happened with Arianna and Holly. While they were talking, they mentioned Tesoro. He admitted that he wasn’t looking forward to giving up the baby. Sarah knew how he felt because she lost Rachel and now Victoria. Kayla was on the phone with Bo when EJ walked into her office. He thought it was a personal call. Kayla told him that he should want to know how the drug was doing. They went back and forth about the drug. EJ told her that he needed an office. He decided that he wanted her office. Kayla told him that he could use the morgue. EJ laughed and reminded her that she didn’t run the hospital because he’s in charge. He was the reason why it’s not bankrupt. Kayla wasn’t happy with him and yelled at him about what’s happening at the hospital. EJ told her to make it work. She warned him to get it together or she would resign. Kayla would have resigned, but she cared about the patients. She told him to accept her resignation or back off. He asked her if he could use her office for his meeting. She walked out of the room. Sarah called Xander and yelled at him for keeping Victoria from her. He didn’t cave so she told him off. Kayla overheard Sarah yelling and wondered what happened. Sarah told her about her issues with Xander. Kayla joked that she could have her brother send ISA agents scare Xander.

Sophia expressed to Melinda that she was worried about lying about the baby. Melinda assured her that she would remain by her side through everything. Tate called Sophia, but she wouldn’t answer. she thought he would be heartbroken. She was worried that Tate would see Tesoro and realize that he’s their baby. Melinda assured her that no one would find out the truth about Tesoro. She was going to take care of the paperwork. Sophia had to remember to do her part. Melinda advised her to live her life. Tate told Brady they had to leave because the baby was coming. He told Brady about the kidnapping. They also talked about Sophia and the baby. Tate wanted to go to Chicago immediately. Brady stopped Tate and told him that he would drive. Tate didn’t know what hospital Sophia went to. He was determined to find her. Sophia called Tate before they left the townhouse. She told him that she was on her way home. He was shocked, but she told him that she had the baby. The baby was a girl. Tate got off the phone with Sophia and told Brady the news. Brady was excited about becoming a grandfather. Tate told him that he wouldn’t be a grandfather for long. He wanted to meet her. Tate said he wasn’t ready to be a father. He knew that he was going on a trip near Sophia’s due date. Tate wondered why she didn’t wait for him. Sophia arrived at the townhouse. Tate wanted to know how she was back in Salem so fast and what happened to the baby.

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GH Short Recap Wednesday, July 23, 2025

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Recap written by Eva

Lucas finds Marco but someone dropped off an envelope with directions of where to find Marco along with a key to open the door of the room where Marco is being held. Marco later goes to the police station and tells everyone that he got lost on the way to his mom’s and he had a flat tire and had no cell service.

Portia is shocked that Willow thinks that, since Michael isn’t being fair, it is okay that Drew wants to make it seem like Michael is a drug addict in order to get back Wiley and Amelia. Portia later tells Nina about her conversation with Willow, and she thinks Willow has really changed and she isn’t the person she used to be.

Jason tells Carly he thought that he saw Britt at the airport while he was on his way back to Port Charles. Jason asks Carly how Britt died. Carly tells Jason that Britt saves Josslynn from Hesther Webber’s hook and Britt got hooked by the poison hook and died in Lisel’s arms. Jason decides he needs to talk to Lisel.

Rocco tells Dante and Lulu that he emailed Lisel with questions about Britt, and she came to Port Charles to talk to him. Dante and Lulu tell Rocco to stay away from Lisel. Rocco tells his parents that he understands why they hate Britt and Lisel, but he doesn’t hate them.

Nina tells Drew that Michael gave permission for Sasha to leave town because someone was targeting Daisy. Nina thinks that Drew was targeting Daisy, but he says he would never hurt a baby. Drew later asks Willow what she did on the 4th of July. Willow tells Drew that she went to watch the fireworks, and she got home late and since she was tired she went to bed.

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Y&R Short Recap Thursday, July 24, 2025

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Recap written by Eva

The entire episode takes place in Nice (pronounced niece), France.

Jack tells Diane he is considering cutting Billy out of his life. Jack also tells Diane that he thinks he needs to stop being Billy’s enabler even though he loves him very much.

Sharon picks the lock of the room where Cane has them under house arrest and then has a fight with the guard at the door. The guard gives Nick a deep cut on his left side and then Nick knocks the guard out. Sharon leaves to get help and finds Billy and brings him back to the room where Nick is. Billy tells Sharon Nick needs a doctor or he won’t make it. Sharon tells Billy there isn’t any medical personnel at the Château. Billy tells Sharon they need to find someone who knows first aid to help Nick.

Chance and Victor question Carter and tell him that somebody saw him plant the bloody knife in Nick’s sleeping car. Carter tells Chance and Victor that he is loyal to Cane because Cane got him out of poverty, but he would never plant a bloody knife under the sink in Nick’s bathroom. Chance and Victor never told Carter that the knife was found under the sink in Nick’s bathroom. Chance and Victor ask Carter if he framed Nick to protect Cane. Cane arrives and asks Chance and Victor to let him talk to Carter alone so he can find out the identity of the person who killed Damian.

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GH Short Recap Tuesday, July 22, 2025

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Recap written by Eva

Jens Siddwell tells Sonny that he is going to get what he wanted but he must let Marco go. Jens Siddwell tells Drew and Jordan that Sonny kidnapped Marco and, in order to set him free, he must withdraw his funding from Measure C. Jordan later tells Laura what Jens Sidwell told her and Drew. Jordan tells Laua that it is time she face the fact that Sonny is just as bad as Jens Sidwell.

Martin tells Tracy that Jens Sidwell has pulled his funding from Measure C so, Tracy agrees to step in and fund the measure because she wants Sonny to leave Port Charles.

Lucas reports Marco missing and Justine Turner overhears Lucas talking to Chase and she calls Sonny into the police station to give him a warning. ADA Turner warns Sonny that she will arrest him if Marco doesn’t appear in 24 hours.

Portia tells Isiah she is leaving General Hospital because, although she would like to stay, she isn’t willing to compromise her medical ethics to do it. Isiah tells Portia that, if she is going to go down, she should go down swinging. Portia tells Willow that Drew is forcing her to make it seem like Michael is addicted to pain killers so she can get back Wiley and Amelia.

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Y&R Short Recap Wednesday, July 23, 2025

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Recap written by Eva

Kyle tells Victor that he knows that he helped fund Audra’s new company, Vibrante, in exchange for Audra seducing Kyle and breaking up him and Audra. Kyle tells Victor that Audra failed because he loves Claire and would never hurt her. Kyle tells Victor that he is done trying to get his approval and he and Claire will move in together as soon as they get home.

Nick and Sharon find pictures of the former owners of the Château inside the room where they are being held. Nick looks at the pictures and thinks they are the de Leon family who used to be famous wine makers from the area. Nick thinks Cane must have bulldozed over the winery.

Cane tells Amanda that Victor already thinks he put Nick and Sharon under house arrest to use them as leverage to get Chancellor Industries. Cane tells Amanda that Victor gave him a good idea and he is going to hold Nick and Sharon hostage until Victor gives him Chancellor Industries.

Chance tells Victor that a groundskeeper told him that Carter came to get him after Damian was murdered and told him that there had been an accident inside the garden maze. Chance also tells Victor that Carter told him that he didn’t know about Damian’s death until he and Cane got him out of bed and told him about it. Victor tells Chance that Carter might have killed Damian because Cane ordered him to do it so Cane could say that he was innocent of the murder.

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Days Update Friday, July 18, 2025

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Xander reads Victoria a story at the Titan office. Xander talks about them both having a long night and states that Gabi’s right that they need to get to know each other again because they haven’t spent much time together lately. Xander promises that’s all about to change because things are going to be different from now on.

Rafe informs Gabi that Shawn is starting an investigation and he’s putting an APB out on Arianna and Holly. Rafe adds that Shawn is having the security footage from the town square pulled which might take about an hour. Rafe encourages Gabi to stay calm and not panic. Gabi questions how she can not panic when her daughter has only been in Salem for a few months and this is already the second time she’s gone missing. Rafe points out that she came back the first time so he’s sure she’ll come back this time too. Gabi wishes she could be sure.

Chad and Cat run in to each other outside.

Tate tries calling Sophia from the town square but she ignores the call. Tate leaves a voicemail that he just ran in to her mom, who told him that she’s in Chicago meeting a couple who might adopt the baby. Tate questions why she wouldn’t tell him this and asks her to call him back.

Sophia checks her phone and sees that Tate left a voicemail, then she puts the phone back down.

Cat tells Chad that she was just dropping Felicity off at gymnastics camp where she will be a counselor. Chad mentions that he also just dropped his daughter Charlotte off at camp. Felicity says she will help her which Chad says would be amazing. Felicity says she’ll see them later and walks away. Chad talks to Cat about it being Charlotte’s first time at camp. Chad says he’s glad Charlotte will have a friend in Felicity as her counselor. Cat offers to give Charlotte a ride home when she picks up Felicity. Chad thanks her but says that’s not necessary. Cat remarks that she couldn’t expect Chad to trust her with his kid.

Xander tells Victoria that he’s sorry it’s so boring for her to be stuck in the office with him all day but promises it’s only temporary. Xander declares that when Victoria is living with him full-time, he will set up the most fantastic nursery. Xander promises to be home with her every night because she’s more important than anything else in his life.

Gabi talks to Rafe about Arianna first running off with a random guy and now being kidnapped. Rafe encourages not going to the worst case scenario. Gabi cries about her missing and asks if Holly’s family knows. Rafe points out that Nicole is in France and Maggie is in Bermuda, so he thinks they should wait until they know more. Rafe adds that does still leave Marlena and the rest of Will’s family. Gabi doesn’t want to tell them yet either since they’ve been through enough lately. Gabi adds that if Arianna and Holly don’t turn up soon, they will have to tell Will and Sonny. Gabi asks what to do now, complaining that she can’t just wait around until they hear something. Rafe knows it’s hard but says right now there is nothing they can do. Rafe thinks Gabi should try to distract herself by staying busy with work. Rafe reminds Gabi that she said she had an important meeting today. Gabi cries that nothing is important to her right now other than finding her daughter. Rafe agrees that it’s pointless to tell her to stay calm. Rafe admits that he’s worried too. Gabi thanks him for admitting that. Rafe agrees not to tell her not to panic and says she’s totally entitled. Rafe tries encouraging her to remain positive. Gabi says she will try and talks about how they will find Arianna soon. Rafe reiterates that he’s positive they will find them soon as he hugs Gabi.

Melinda returns to Sophia in their hotel room and apologizes for how long it took. Melinda asks Sophia what’s wrong. Sophia responds that Tate just called but she panicked and didn’t answer. Sophia tells Melinda that she doesn’t think she can do this.

Tate meets Doug III at the Brady Pub and informs him that he has the money. Doug III explains that the loan shark should be there in ten minutes and they will hand him the money in a takeout bag. Doug III tries to promise Tate that he will pay him back but Tate says he doesn’t want his money. Tate argues that if Doug III would’ve asked for help weeks ago then Holly and Arianna wouldn’t be in danger. Doug III wishes he could go back and change what he did but he can’t. Tate agrees that all he can do is get the hell out of town when this is all over, so he doesn’t hurt either of them again. Doug III repeats that he would and tells Tate to get out before the loan shark gets there but Tate declares that he’s staying right here to make sure he doesn’t screw this up.

Chad tells Cat that what he meant was that he gave Charlotte his word that he would pick her up and she doesn’t react well to plans changing. Cat tells him that he doesn’t have to spare her feelings. Chad asks if this is about not inviting her to play catch with he and Thomas. Cat assures that he doesn’t owe her any explanations and that she will see him around. Chad stops her and invites her out for coffee while they wait for the kids which she accepts, so they walk off together.

Melinda tells Sophia that if she wants to go home and tell Tate and her family the truth about leaving her baby at the fire station, they can do that. Melinda assures that she fully supports whatever Sophia wants to do. Sophia responds that the problem is she doesn’t really know what she wants to do. Sophia informs Melinda about how she ran in to Leo and Javi with her son. Sophia cries about seeing her baby boy again and she just wanted to hold him while something deep inside of her was saying to take him back because he’s her baby.

Rafe gets a call from Shawn, who informs him of bad news as they found footage on the town square, confirming that Arianna and Holly were abducted from the park at gunpoint. Shawn asks if Rafe knows of any trouble that Holly and Arianna were in. Rafe says he has nothing concrete but he has some ideas so he’ll be in touch. Rafe asks Shawn to keep him updated and hangs up.

Tate sits at a table at the Brady Pub as the loan shark appears outside the door. Doug III takes the money and goes outside to meet with him. Doug III informs him that he will hand over the cash as soon as he knows that Holly and Arianna are free.

Chad and Cat have coffee in the town square. Chad says he’s sorry they haven’t found time for their make up dinner with Felicity as he still wants to do it. Cat tells him not to worry about it as she knows how busy he is. Cat adds that she’s been busy and hasn’t had time to socialize anyway. Cat talks about teaching Felicity to drive.

Melinda tells Sophia that she understands how confusing the situation can be and brings up how she left her daughter Haley back in China while constantly wondering if she made the right decision. Melinda talks about having to try hard to stop imagining holding her baby and after awhile, she persuaded herself that Haley was better off without her and she was able to shut down her feelings of heartache to get on with her life. Sophia asks how long it took to stop the heartache. Melinda wishes she could tell her, but says she really doesn’t remember. Melinda encourages that Sophia is strong and resilient. Melinda reminds Sophia that she has 14 days to reclaim the baby if she changes her mind. Sophia assures that she does not want to do that. Sophia worries that if Tate and her mom find out about the baby, they will be first in line to take him back from Leo and Javi and she would be forced to raise him which she’s not ready for. Sophia cries that her baby deserves parents who would be able to raise him and admits she didn’t how how hard it would be to see her baby again and walk away from him a second time.

Xander tells Victoria that they are giving up on waiting for Gabi and will go for a stroll. Gabi arrives, apologizing for being late. Xander tells Gabi to save her excuses and that she can rearrange with his assistant as he’s going to spend the rest of the evening with his daughter. Xander then notes Gabi being upset and asks what’s wrong. Gabi says everything as she reveals her daughter is missing.

Doug III orders the loan shark to call his boss and tell him to let Arianna and Holly go, but he says not until he gives him his money. Doug III then hands over the money. The loan shark says he’s going to count it to make sure but Rafe approaches. The loan shark warns Doug III that he told him no police and runs away. Tate then runs out from the Pub and yells for Rafe to go stop that guy as he’s got Holly and Arianna so Tate and Rafe chase after him.

Melinda understands Sophia is overwhelmed after being through a terrible ordeal. Melinda encourages that she is strong, pointing out that she gave birth all by herself with no one there to help her and she can’t imagine the courage that took. Melinda adds that it took a tremendous amount of courage to leave her baby at the fire house and on top of that, she’s keeping this very big secret from everyone she loves. Sophia admits it’s been hard for her not to tell Tate and her mom. Melinda promises that she’s not alone and that she will help her through this. Melinda says she’s here for whatever she needs.

Xander sits Gabi down and asks if he can get her anything. Gabi says she’s good and thanks him for being so nice to her. Xander says he’s a father and a missing child is a parent’s worst nightmare. Xander brings up how little Victoria was when she was kidnapped. Xander asks when Gabi last saw Arianna. Gabi says yesterday, she was going to the lake on the Salem High senior trip but never got there. Xander questions what Gabi is doing here then.

At the police station, Rafe informs Tate and Doug III that Shawn is in the interrogation room with the loan shark, hoping to get information on where Arianna and Holly are. Doug III argues that if he just let him pay him, he would’ve told them where they are. Rafe questions how he doesn’t know he wouldn’t have just taken the money and run. Rafe adds that if he had just been honest in the first place and told them or just stayed away from Holly and Arianna, none of this would’ve happened. Doug III says he’s sorry. Rafe responds that sorry doesn’t bring the girls back. Tate asks what to do now and how they get the girls back. Rafe says they are going to do whatever it takes to find out where they are.

Shawn is in the interrogation room with the loan shark. Shawn informs him that they have him on video taking the girls and warns that they have enough evidence to put him away for a very long time. Shawn says if he wants to make things easier for himself, he will tell them where the girls are.

Doug III shows Rafe the photo of Holly and Arianna that he was sent but he has no idea where it was taken. Rafe thinks he knows someone who can help them and says he’ll be right back.

Chad gets a call from Leo, informing him about his jury duty. Chad laughs off the idea of writing him a letter to get him out of it and says they’ll just send another reporter to cover the trial. Chad tells him to have a nice day and hangs up. Cat then gets a call which Chad sees as from “James Smith”. Cat steps away to answer the call from Rafe, who says he sent her a picture and with her ISA resources, she can pin point where it was taken. Cat asks if he needs this right now. Rafe confirms it’s an emergency. Cat goes back to Chad and tells him that there’s something she has to take care of right away. Cat asks if Chad can pick up Felicity when he picks up Charlotte and bring her back to the Bakery for her shift. Chad says no problem. Cat says she owes him one and she will be there to pick her up when she’s done at the Bakery. Cat thanks Chad and walks off, leaving Chad confused.

Melinda encourages Sophia that she did nothing wrong and can’t let anyone else make her think otherwise. Melinda says she made a difficult choice in a terrible situation and adds that she’s here for whatever she needs. Sophia doesn’t know what she would do without her. Melinda recalls wishing for help when she was pregnant with her daughter, so it would do her heart good to be that for Sophia. Sophia cries that she can’t thank her enough. They agree to eat, watch a movie, and think about something else for a while.

Xander tells Gabi that he knows he can be a tough boss, but her daughter is missing so she didn’t have to come in today. Gabi says that Rafe told her to stay busy, so she figured she needs to stay out of the way while the cops do their job. Xander complains about the cops in Salem and questions relying on them to find her daughter. Xander thinks Gabi should be out kicking down doors and demanding answers. Gabi admits it’s taking everything in her not to charge in to the police station, but she trusts her brother and she knows Rafe is as determined to find Arianna as she is.

Rafe tells Tate and Doug III that hopefully they will have a lead on Arianna and Holly’s location soon. Shawn comes out from the interrogation room and tells them that the loan shark is not talking. Rafe threatens to go in and jog his memory but Shawn stops him and says he can’t do that as he’s too emotionally involved. Rafe argues that he’s holding people he cares deeply about. Shawn says they have to do it by the book and to let him do his job. Tate questions waiting around. Rafe argues that Tate could’ve tipped them off while Tate argues that he said no cops and Rafe is FBI, so he could’ve hurt the girls. Rafe agrees and tells Tate the best thing he can do is go home. Tate agrees since he has somewhere to be and asks Rafe to call him if he hears anything as he exits the station. Shawn then tells Doug III to come with him. Doug III asks if he’s arresting him.

Xander asks Gabi why she doesn’t just go home. Gabi won’t feel any better doing nothing. Xander encourages her to rest while he puts together a reward for information on Arianna’s whereabouts. Gabi is surprised that he would do that and thanks him, saying that’s very kind of him. Xander tells Gabi that he’s happy to help and to let him know anything he can do. Gabi cries that she just wants her daughter back and she can’t lose her daughter as she hugs Xander.

Shawn tells Doug III that he’s not arresting him but warns him not to leave town. Shawn then takes Doug III to give his statement. Rafe gets a call back from Cat, who reveals that she got a location on the girls. Rafe tells her to text it to him.

Sophia and Melinda finish their movie and dinner. Melinda tells Sophia that now it’s time. Sophia declares she needs to call Tate back and tell him the cover story. Sophia asks what if he doesn’t believe her. Melinda encourages that he will and that she can do this.

Chad brings Felicity and Charlotte back to the town square. Chad thanks Felicity for taking care of Charlotte. Chad offers them frozen yogurt but Felicity says she has to get to work. Felicity tells Charlotte that she will see her tomorrow and heads to the bakery. As Chad walks off with Charlotte, Tate comes through the town square, so Felicity rushes up saying she needs to talk to him.

Sophia calls Tate but he doesn’t answer, so she leaves a voicemail saying she’s sorry she missed his call and she just wants him to know that she’s in Chicago and she’s in labor.

Tate tells Felicity that he’s sorry he can’t talk as he has to go somewhere but Felicity reveals that she found something of Holly’s while she was at gymnastics. Felicity presents Tate with Holly’s class ring and asks him to return it to her.

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BTG Short Recap Monday, July 21, 2025

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Recap written by Michele & Cheryl

Nicole arrived at Ted’s hotel room. She yelled at him about keeping more secrets from her. He didn’t know what she was talking about, so she was specific about the secret. Ted knew how it felt to want a devastating secret to go away. He told her the self-pity thing was beneath her. She let him know that his lies kept her from being there for her son. His actions made her question who she married. Nicole put him on notice that any chance of them getting back together were destroyed because of him. Ted was surprised that she used Martin’s secret as an excuse not to get back together with him. He only kept the secret from her to keep her safe. Nicole didn’t want to hear anything else from him, so she left his room. Jacob expressed to Naomi his feelings about Smitty. He believed that Smitty was covering up for Martin. Naomi didn’t think it was possible for Martin to commit a crime. She advised her husband to give Martin and Smitty some space. Naomi knew something else was wrong. Jacob confessed that he believed his father was involved in what happened to Martin. Questioning his father made him feel like he was betraying him. Naomi felt like he might regret stirring the pot. Jacob felt like her response was a typical Dupree answer for him to stand by his family even when he knew they did something wrong. Naomi warned him to let Marcel, and his father handle the case. Dani and Andre were in her bed, and she brought up his date with Ashley. She told him that he could sow his wild oats. Andre couldn’t wait to make her eat her words. Their conversation was cut short when Dani was summoned to go to the Dupree manor.

Chelsea stormed into her father’s office to find out why he would put the family in danger. Bill wasn’t sure what she meant by that. Chelsea told him about the lawsuit her company was facing. Bill apologized for not being on top of things. He reminded her about the stroke he had and that she didn’t come to him for help. It’s been a long time since she needed him. Bill was fine with Tomas handling her case. Chelsea didn’t want any more secrets between them. It’s okay to keep secrets from others, but they shouldn’t do that to family. Vernon and Anita informed Dani about what happened two years ago. Dani couldn’t believe the racism ad violence that Vernon and Martin had to endure. She was grateful that Vernon and Martin survived. Martin wondered if he overreacted and attacked the brothers too hastily. Vernon told him that he defended him. Dani was glad Martin was there to protect Vernon. Nicole arrived at the Dupree Manor. She hugged Martin and assured him that she had him. Nicole wanted him to get rest. They would work on mending the broken pieces tomorrow. The Duprees assured Martin that his family would forgive him in time, but Martin wasn’t sure about that. He sent Smitty a text to make sure things would be fine with him. Dani and Nicole made up after their argument. She wanted to put the issues with Nicole behind them. Dani reminded her that their family wasn’t perfect, but they weren’t the enemy. She told Nicole that she needed them. They could help her heal. Dani advised her to stop pushing them away. The sisters hugged each other and made up. Bill went to see Ted and told him what Nicole knew. He also told Ted that Kenny was dead. Ted wanted to know what Bill did. He thought it was convenient that Bill and Joey had the same alibi for the night of Kenny’s shooting. Ted thought they were lucky that Jacob wasn’t investigating the case. Bill agreed that they didn’t need him involved.

 

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Days Short Recap Monday, July 21, 2025

Daytime Soap Opera Short Recaps

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Leo and Gwen ran into each other at the town square. Gwen asked him about the paper. Leo said it was going well. He said she was being vindictive and petty about the necklace. Gwen said she had other reasons for being back in Salem, but she wasn’t telling her plans to a backstabber like him. Leo was okay with her not telling him. He said if she was doing something illegal, he would expose her. Gwen found his threat laughable. Leo said he could uncover scoops like her going in the Salem Inn with Xander. She didn’t care if he exposed it since Xander and Sarah were having problems. Leo said Xander and Sarah always found their way back to each other. He said she shouldn’t go after Xander again. Leo said he didn’t want to see her get hurt even though she hated him. Gwen said she hit rock bottom with Xander, but Leo was the one who broke her heart. Leo understood that he hurt her and said he was trying to apologize to her. He said he would do anything to get her to forgive him if it would help. Gwen said it wouldn’t. Leo said it was okay and that Dimitri screwed them both. Gwen got money and Leo moved on. She said Leo and Javi were lucky to have each other. Leo ended up leaving. At Titan, Gabi told Xander that she didn’t want to go home yet. She said she was happy that Arianna wanted to come home but now she wished she didn’t since Salem has been horrible for her. Gabi blamed herself for what happened to Arianna and called herself a terrible mother. Xander let her know that she was a good mother. He said he was able to see how much she loved Arianna. Xander said he and Sarah went through the same thing when Victoria was kidnapped.

Johnny told Philip that his trial started tomorrow and he might have to miss work. He told Philip that he would understand if he wanted to fire him for the company. Philip said he knew Johnny was innocent and would be back at work. Johnny thanked him and got recording equipment for Philip and Xander’s statement. Gabi left the office and told Philip that she had to leave. He went to Xander’s office and wondered what he did to Gabi. Xander was upset that Philip accused him of being the reason why Gabi was upset. Johnny came in the office. Xander said hiring Johnny was poor timing. He said Johnny was hired to undermine his father, but thanks to Philip, Johnny and EJ were closer than ever. Johnny said he was loyal to the company. Philip wanted to be alone with Xander. He told Xander that he couldn’t fire Johnny because he made up with his father. Philip said they needed to unite for the good of the company. Xander and Philip recorded the statement and continued fighting. Holly tried to pick the lock with a bobby pin but it didn’t work. Arianna noticed an air duct and was able to see daylight. The girls opened the air duct and Arianna crawled through. Arianna ended up getting stuck. Tate was at the alley where Holly and Arianna were taken. Rafe showed up and wondered why Tate was there. Tate showed him Holly’s class ring and suggested they split up and look through the warehouses. Rafe said it was too dangerous. He wanted Tate to wait for the police while he searched the warehouses. When Rafe left, Tate went to one of the warehouses and called out Holly’s name. Tate got to the door and heard Holly. He kicked the door open. Rafe showed up and sent Tate and Holly out so they could tell everyone where they were. Rafe called out to Arianna and heard her screaming. When Rafe called out to Arianna, she didn’t hear him because she passed out. He ended up rescuing Arianna.

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