BTG Short Recap Wednesday, January 21, 2026

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

Carlton told Nicole that they should go on a real date with him. Nicole was flattered but she said she wasn’t ready to settle down with one person. She said she had a good time with Kial, but she wanted to keep seeing Carlton. Naomi talked to Dr. Ahn at the hospital. She told the doctor that she lied about her test results. Naomi said she wasn’t sure how she felt about the results or what to do next. The doctor told her to talk to a genetic counselor and a counselor. Naomi said she wasn’t ready to tell anyone. While they were talking, Nicole showed up and wanted to know what they were talking about. Dr. Ahn lied about what was going on. Kat saw Ted at Orphey Gene’s and wanted to know why he encouraged Eva to support her. She told Ted that she wouldn’t take an organ from Eva if she needed one. Kat compared Eva to cancer. Ted ripped into Kat for the way she talked about Eva. He told her Dana was a mistake but Eva wasn’t. Kat refused to see Ted’s love for Eva. She said she couldn’t look at him. Ted said he couldn’t look at her either. Later on, Kat went to Nicole’s office to tell her what happened. Nicole sided with Ted. She told Kat to move on. At the police station, Jacob noticed that Marcel had lipstick on his collar. He realized that Marcel hooked up with Leslie. Marcel told him to mind his business. Later on, Elon said there was a new case about selling plasma on the black market. Jacob volunteered to do the case. Marcel said Jacob didn’t have enough experience for the case. Elon wanted to give Jacob a chance. He warned Jacob that the case could have a huge impact on his life.

 

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BTG Short Recap Tuesday, January 20, 2026

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Recap written by Michele & Cheryl

The Duprees were celebrating Chelsea and Naomi’s news about their test results. Bill wanted Dani to take care of herself. Hayley sounded insincere when she wanted Dani to take care of herself. Andre arrived at the party and made things awkward for Bill. Bill decided to leave, and Hayley followed him. Hayley spilled a drink on Bill and rushed to get a rag from the bar. While she was getting the rag, she ran into Leslie. Leslie was doing shots and made fun of Hayley. She wasn’t happy that Bill was the one working on Joey’s legal documents for the clinic. Leslie thought they could give her husband a hard time. Hayley talked to her about what was going on with Bill and Dani. Leslie advised Hayley to step up her game before it was too late.

Later Leslie arrived and wasn’t too thrilled to find out that Joey was going to name the clinic after Doug. She confronted Joey, and he showed her footage of something that meant he had control over her. He wanted her to know that he was the one in charge so he gave her the drive. Vanessa told Nicole that her daughter (Deanna) still refused to let her in, and she won’t visit her. Nicole promised her that their relationship would get better. Later Vanessa was confronted by the husband of a client. He called her wanting to know what happened.

 

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Days Short Recap Wednesday, January 21, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Julie, Marlena and Maggie were getting ready for the book club meeting. They talked about how much Doug loved books, and Julie missed talking to him about things. Everyone talked about what they missed about their loved ones except for Marlena. Julie noticed that the therapist was doing the listening. Marlena wanted to leave. Jack, Jennifer, and Chad  were told to that the mediator wanted to meet without the lawyers. Jack liked the idea, but the others didn’t. He convinced them that it was a good idea. The mediator arrived, and Chad said the kids should stay with him because he’s their father. He made a speech about how much the kids meant to him. Jennifer started to cry when Chad talked about Abby. Chad began talking about his relationship with Cat and how Jack and Jennifer turned on him because of it. He mentioned Jennifer’s addiction to painkillers. Jack got upset when Chad mentioned her addiction. He didn’t think he would stoop that low. Chad apologized for what he said. He talked about Cat again. Jack told him that he didn’t want him to make another mistake like the last one that caused Thomas to run into the road. Chad said that he couldn’t promise that he wouldn’t make another mistake. Jennifer told Chad that they loved him but what happened to Thomas changed everything. Chad gave Jack and Jennifer the proposal that he and Melinda drew up. The proposal allowed them to have the kids for a month every summer. They could visit any time they liked, but he refused to give up custody. Jack and Jennifer had a compromise for him. They would drop the custody suit if he promised not to be involved with Cat again. Marlena wasn’t ready for the book club meeting so she left. Foster promised that she would be back. Chad went to tell Julie about the hearing. He believed it went well. Chad told her that they reached an agreement. Jack and Jennifer talked to Thomas about the custody agreement. They let him know that he could visit every summer as long as Chad stayed away from Cat. Thomas didn’t believe his father was telling the truth about that. He lied before and would do it again.

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Days Short Recap Tuesday, January 20, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Sarah let Marlena know she was better. Marlena said she wasn’t feeling like herself. Sarah was concerned but hoped that Marlena would consider coming back to the hospital. Marlena said she might consider it but not full time. Sarah told Marlena that she was glad that she was seeing Xander even if he was being a jerk to her and Brady. Marlena said she knew about her and Brady. She told Sarah that she was worried about Brady. Brady went to see Kristen and told her about what Rachel was doing. Kristen said she wanted to bring Rachel home. Brady said Rachel needed help. He told her that Rachel’s doctor said they should convince Rachel that they weren’t getting back together. Kristen felt like he was blaming her for everything. She said she wasn’t deluding herself or Rachel. They agreed they weren’t right for each other. Kristen told him she knew about Sarah. She said he was being selfish moving on with Sarah.

Leo tried to talk to Javi who pushed him away. Javi said Leo wasn’t committed enough to their relationship. He confronted Leo about kissing Dimitri. When Javi kept ripping into Leo, Leo agreed with him about being a terrible person. Javi wanted Leo to go away. He told Leo he was leaving after he told Marlena not to file the marriage certificate. Javi told Leo that he wanted to be married to him. Leo said he could make it real and handed him his ring. Gwen met up with Dimitri who rubbed it in that she didn’t have any money. They ended up arguing. Gwen said she hated that he ruined her friendship with Leo. She let him know that he wasn’t going to take her peace or her happily ever after. While she was talking, she told him that she saw Leo and Javi kissing. Sarah told Marlena that she and Brady were being cautious. Marlena said she was worried about Brady living at the mansion. Brady said he and Sarah were in the early stages of their relationship. Kristen was upset with him for rubbing his girlfriend in her face. Before Gwen left, she told Dimitri that she was getting revenge. Leo told Javi that he was going to propose again. They declared their love for each other before Javi left.

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Days Short Recap Monday, January 19, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Rafe got a text from Eli about his trip to Alamania. Eli went to confirm whether Stefan was dead. Gabi thought it would give her closure and thanked Rafe for reaching out to him. Holly arrived at Bayview because Dr. Gregory wanted her to help with Sophia’s progress. Sophia arrived and became annoyed when she saw Holly. Holly said that her being there could help Sophia speak again. Dr. Gregory wanted Sophia to let her feelings out so she could heal. Sophia tried to slap Holly, but Dr. Gregory stopped her. Holly and Dr. Gregory were shocked by her behavior. She decided to say what was on her mind. Holly told Sophia that she knew she hurt her when she dated Tate, but she thought that it was time to get over it. According to Holly, Sophia did a lot worse than she did. She was done feeling sorry for Sophia. Holly called Sophia a narcissistic b*tch and left the room. Sophia didn’t seem bothered by what Holly said. Dr. Gregory apologized for triggering her. Sophia wrote down that she hated Holly.

Johnny and Chanel prepared for Trey’s christening. They were glad that they could do it before Javi left. Johnny and Chanel wondered if Leo would show up. Leo was sulking when Javi showed up at the door. Javi told him about the christening. Leo said he would be there, but he wondered why the change of plans. Javi told him that he was leaving town, but Leo didn’t want to accept that was happening. He told him that he had to leave because his father was having bypass surgery. Leo understood once he explained it. He wanted to be there for him. Javi didn’t think it was a good idea after what happened with Dimitri. Leo didn’t want to accept that. Javi started crying and wanted to accept what happened. Leo wanted to know when he would be back, but Javi didn’t think he would be back. Holly met with Arianna and talked to her about her encounter with Sophia. She told Arianna that she was afraid of what Sophia would do if she were ever released. Arianna said that she saw Sophia walking around the night before. Dr. Gregory told Sophia that she made progress by admitting that she hated her. She had to heal by accepting everything that happened. Dr. Gregory told her that using Rachel was wrong, and they needed a break from each other. Sophia clenched her fists while Dr. Gregory talked to her about Rachel. Dr. Gregory asked her if there were any other patients that she wanted to get to know. Holly didn’t think Arianna could have seen Sophia unless she escaped Bayview. She didn’t want to believe that Sophia could have escaped the hospital. Sophia went to her room and found her phone. She texted Melinda letting her know that she needed her.

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Days Update Friday, January 16, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Cat and Mark have breakfast at the Brady Pub. They talk about it being rare for them which Cat blames on Mark always working long hours. Cat points out that EJ is out of town so maybe Mark can take a break and they can take the day off together. Mark doesn’t think he’ll have any time off for the next few weeks and mentions that they are close to a breakthrough in their research.

At the hospital, Johnny talks to Rafe about being glad Theo is on the mend but knowing he has a long recovery ahead. Rafe hopes it won’t be too long since he knows Johnny wasn’t planning on staying on as DiMera CEO indefinitely. Johnny confirms he wasn’t and he’s sure Rafe isn’t thrilled that he is. Rafe says he will support him no matter what. Johnny insists that EJ is not apart of the family business and that he wouldn’t be apart of it if he was. Johnny remarks that he wouldn’t be surprised if Rafe and the FBI were looking into EJ. When Rafe doesn’t respond, Johnny takes that as a confirmation that they are.

Leo goes to the DiMera Mansion while drunk. Gwen answers the door and tells him that Dimitri isn’t there, so he can go on his way. Leo responds that he actually came to see her, but first he needs a drink.

Chanel vists Theo in the hospital and shows him pictures of Trey. Paulina comes in to bring Theo coffee and says she didn’t know Chanel was stopping by. Paulina mentions that Abe is getting breakfast from the Bakery, so she will text him to bring her something too. Theo asks if everything is okay, but Chanel feels sick and rushes out of the room.

Javi is going through the mail at home when Gabi comes in and takes Leo’s mail from him and says he doesn’t need to see that. Javi points out that somebody has to take Leo’s mail to him at the Salem Inn. Gabi responds that someone doesn’t have to be him. Javi thanks her for looking out for him. Gabi says that’s what family does. Javi then gets a phone call from his dad. Javi hangs up and reveals to Gabi that his father needs quadruple bypass surgery tomorrow, which means he needs to get to Texas right away.

Theo asks Paulina if she’s sure that Chanel is okay. Chanel returns and claims the smell of the coffee just made her queasy. Theo suggests she get checked out at the hospital while she’s there but Chanel reveals she knows exactly what it is. Chanel says they aren’t telling people but Theo is family, so she announces she’s pregnant.

Rafe isn’t sure what Johnny wants him to say. Johnny knows he can’t talk about ongoing investigations or tell him about what EJ has done. Rafe says if he felt Johnny or his siblings were in danger, he would let him know. Johnny asks if it has do with the delivery that EJ and Gwen were talking about. Rafe questions what delivery.

Cat tells Mark that a breakthrough sounds exciting. Mark says he’s already said too much since he signed an NDA. Cat responds that she does have a favor to ask that involves the lab.

Theo tells Chanel that it’s such great news that he will have another niece or nephew. Chanel says hopefully which Theo questions. Chanel explains that it’s considered a high risk pregnancy but they will monitor it and all that. Chanel says it is great news that she’s really happy about, but they still aren’t telling people just yet. Theo agrees not to say a word. Paulina talks about morning sickness until get she gets a call and steps out to answer. Chanel doesn’t care if she’s sick for the next nine months if it means she has a healthy pregnancy as that will be worth it.

Gabi tells Javi that she’ll get him a flight tonight and asks if he will be back in a week or two. Javi tells her to make it a one way trip for now because cardiac rehab is unpredictable, so he wants to stay with his father while he recovers. Gabi asks when Javi thinks he will be back. Javi responds that he’s not sure, considering what’s been going on in Salem. Javi declares that he may never be back.

Gwen tells Leo to state his business and go. Leo says it’s the expose he’s writing about EJ and the hospital. Gwen argues that he’s wasting his time as EJ isn’t up to anything. Leo argues that EJ is always up to something and Gwen knows what it is. Gwen says he has a vivid imagination. Leo talks about not imagining Gwen would take over Dimitri’s fortune, EJ would invite her to live in his house and that they would be conspiring over a mysterious delivery on the night of the gala. Gwen says he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Leo insists that he knows her demeanor when she’s in too deep. Gwen denies it but Leo questions nothing going on with Gwen and EJ.

Cat tells Mark that she wouldn’t ask him for a favor if it wasn’t important but claims that EJ had some important files in a binder in his office that she needs to forward to him. Mark questions what it has to do with the lab. Cat explains that she went to the office and the binder isn’t there but she remembers him going to the lab before he left town. Mark thinks he remembers seeing EJ with the binder. Cat says she can’t just run down there because she doesn’t have the passcode to the lab so it would really help her out if Mark would give it to her, but Mark says no can do.

Johnny tells Rafe that he assumed Leo would’ve mentioned something to him and to forget he said anything. Rafe stops him and says the more they know about what EJ is up to, the better they can protect people and mitigate the damage. Johnny then explains that the night of the gala, Holly was getting B-roll footage for her student film and Leo missed EJ’s speech, so she sent him the video and Leo saw EJ and Gwen in some type of argument in the background, so he came to him about trying to enhance the audio. Johnny says he was able to make out that EJ was raking Gwen over the coals over some delivery being delayed, but they have no idea what the delivery was. Johnny says that EJ was obviously annoyed and Leo thinks it’s important enough to put in his article. Rafe says he will need a copy of that video. Johnny agrees to send it to him when he gets home. Johnny adds that his relationship with EJ is complicated at best, but they almost lost him, so he doesn’t want to be the reason he gets taken away from them again. Rafe gets that but wishes he could make Johnny understand that he’s not responsible for his father. Rafe declares that if EJ ever is brought to justice, it will be because of his actions and the choices he’s made.

Gwen argues that Leo isn’t making any sense. Leo states that he’s sober and making sense. Gwen doesn’t care what he has to say. Leo says she is going to listen and asks if she wants everyone to know what she’s been up to. Leo argues that Gwen and EJ have been up to something for months and no one’s been able to figure it out, but she tripped up by bringing Dimitri back and now people are asking all sorts of questions. Gwen asks if he ever thought Dimitri’s mother could have had him kidnapped. Leo says some people might believe it but he knows what Gwen has been up to. Leo then asks if EJ knows. Leo states that Gwen has got herself in a pickle because he bets that the reason EJ brought her in on his secret plan is because of her money and asks what EJ is going to do when he finds out that she jeopardized all of that to get back at him. Leo warns that EJ will make her regret it. Gwen responds that she only regrets ever befriending him and getting involved with Dimitri, but says at least with Dimitri there was financial gain while Leo brought her nothing but misery. Leo remarks that he holds the key to her salvation. Leo suggests he could spare her the wrath of EJ for awhile if he doesn’t publish his suspicions about what she did to Dimitri. Gwen guesses he wouldn’t do that out of the kindness of his heart. Leo confirms that he wants something in return for his silence.

Johnny goes to Theo’s room and says he didn’t know Chanel would be there. Chanel says she should get going, so she hugs Theo and tells him she’ll be back soon. Theo congratulates her again. Chanel tells Johnny that she will see him at home and exits. Johnny asks Theo what he was congratulating Chanel about. Theo informs him that Chanel just told him the good news about the baby. Theo says he knows they didn’t plan on telling people yet but Chanel had morning sickness so it was pretty hard to hide. Theo hopes that’s okay. Johnny says it is because he’s family. Theo questions if there was some tension between he and Chanel. Johnny admits that unfortunately things are a little strained between them right now.

Gabi tells Javi not to be ridiculous as he will come back to Salem when his father gets better because he has a life here. Javi questions if he does. Javi says he has Gabi, Rafe, Arianna, and his job, but he can’t put his life on hold until Leo figures things out. Gabi says she understands. Gabi encourages that Javi’s father will get better soon and then he’ll come back to them. They both get emotional as they hug.

Cat questions Mark being serious and says she realizes that the lab is off limits but she’s in a jam and trying to keep her job. Mark remarks that he didn’t see the binder last time he was in the lab. Mark says he obviously can’t give her the code but he can take her to the lab and let her look around which Cat says will work.

Gwen argues that Leo doesn’t know anything but she’s curious what he wants in return to stay silent. Leo then instructs Gwen to make Dimitri disappear again.

Mark and Cat go to the hospital where they run in to Rafe. Rafe brings up asking Mark about the missing DiMeras. Cat hopes he doesn’t think Mark had anything to do with that. Mark says it’s alright while Cat argues that Rafe can’t harass the staff at the hospital and will have to follow proper procedures. Rafe mocks the idea of proper procedures being more important than missing people. Cat says she’ll look the other way this time, but all future inquiries about the hospital go through her. Mark says they should get going so he and Cat head to the lab.

Theo questions Johnny not being on cloud nine to find out that Chanel is pregnant. Johnny says he’d rather not get in to it and he didn’t come to talk about his problems, but to see how Theo is doing. Theo says he’s better, especially knowing DiMera is in good hands while he’s out of commission. Theo admits he was pretty surprised when he heard that Johnny agreed to step in. Johnny says he’s just keeping his seat warm until he gets back. Theo talks about still settling in and he’s sure Johnny will be fine. Theo mentions Gabi bringing him a stuffed toy when she visited him.

Paulina finishes her call, saying she’s dealing with a family matter but will be in her office later. Paulina sees Chanel leaving. Chanel says her nausea was kicking in so she figured she would go home and rest. Paulina gets another call so she says she’ll catch up with her later. Chanel turns around and runs in to Johnny, who asks about her morning sickness. Johnny says he’s glad she told Theo, but he hates what’s going on between them. Johnny suggests making it right since it will be weeks before they even know if the pregnancy is viable, so they might as well be there for each other through it all. Chanel agrees but knowing Johnny doesn’t want the baby is hurtful. Johnny argues that he never said he didn’t want the baby, just that he’s scared of losing her. Johnny assures that he does want the baby as long as she and the baby are healthy. Chanel insists that the odds are in their favor but Johnny remains worried. Chanel says she can’t live in the worst case scenario, so she’s choosing to think positively and that’s what she needs from him. Chanel encourages him to have faith that everything will be fine and that the baby will enrich their lives just like Trey has. Johnny agrees to think positively from now on and apologizes for upsetting her with his worries and hopes she can forgive him. Chanel knows his heart is always in the right place and she loves him so much. Johnny says he loves her too and suggests going home. Johnny says his morning meeting got cancelled and she’s more important than any job, so he will always make time for her as they hug.

Gwen questions Leo telling her to make Dimitri disappear again. Leo tells her to ship him off back to where she had him. Leo argues that she would get to keep his money while he and Javi would get their happily ever after so it’s a win-win. Gwen calls Leo more pathetic than she realized and argues that Leo wants to send Dimitri to another continent so he doesn’t have to make a choice. Leo argues that there is no choice since Javi is the man he loves. Gwen points out that Dimitri is the man he lusts for. Leo asks how this is any of her business, reminding her that he despises her but admits he still has a soft spot for her. Leo says every time he looks at Gwen, all the memories of their good times come back. Leo acknowledges that he screwed up and there’s no coming back from the damage. Gwen agrees and says she detests and resents him, but she also has a soft spot for him too and the memories they have together. Gwen tells Leo that he needs to make a decision soon on who he wants to spend the rest of his life with between Dimitri or Javi.

Gabi books Javi on the last flight out tonight and tells him he’s all set. Javi tearfully thanks her, but says there’s one more person he needs to say goodbye to.

Theo falls asleep and has a dream about wanting to kiss Gabi. Theo wakes up with Paulina at his side and says he just had a weird dream. Abe then arrives with food from the bakery. Theo tells Abe that Chanel told him that she and Johnny are having another baby, so they have a lot to celebrate.

Chanel and Johnny go home. They talk about Trey still being with the babysitter so they have an hour to themselves. Chanel asks Johnny for a foot massage but Javi shows up at their door. Javi apologizes for barging in without calling but he’s doing a million things before he leaves town because his dad is having heart surgery, so he’s flying to Texas tonight to take care of him. Johnny asks how long he will be gone. Javi says it could be awhile, so he wanted to come say goodbye to Trey. Chanel says they are sorry but Trey is out with the babysitter, though he should be back in an hour or so if he wants to wait. Javi says he can’t as he has to go pack. Chanel stops him and says there’s no way they are letting him leave town without seeing his Godson.

Rafe goes home as Gabi is finishing a call about a one way ticket to Corpus Christi. Gabi informs Rafe that Javi is leaving town, maybe for good, and it’s all Leo Stark’s fault.

Leo tells Gwen that he doesn’t know what he’s going to do but the waiting period to file his wedding certificate is about to expire. Gwen remarks that his indecision is a way for him to make a decision because if his license expires, Javi dumps him, then he can run off with Dimitri without the guilt. Gwen asks how Leo expects her to send Dimitri off to where he was when she had nothing to do with his kidnapping. Gwen tells Leo that if he wants Dimitri to disappear, he’ll have to do it himself. Leo concludes this was a huge waste of time, humiliating, and depressing. Leo complains that Gwen just wants to see him suffer which she says has been quite satisfying. Leo tells Gwen that it’s over because he’s on his way to being mentally healthy thanks to lots of therapy. Leo declares he is practicing gratitude and goes to leave but Gwen stops him and says he can wait here for Dimitri to come home.

Mark brings Cat to the lab. Cat thanks him again for letting her in to check for the binder. Cat claims she has to respond to a text but secretly uses her phone to record Mark putting in the passcode. Mark then remembers he has to take care of something first. Cat asks him to just let her in first but Mark says that’s not going to happen, so she will just have to wait and try again later. Mark then hurries out.

Abe and Paulina talk with Theo about the excitement of Chanel’s pregnancy. Theo loves seeing his family get bigger, especially after being in the crypt. Theo admits that it was nice seeing the DiMera side of his family come together. Abe and Paulina say they both just want Theo to be happy.

Rafe tells Gabi that it’s not Leo’s fault that Javi’s dad is having heart trouble. Gabi knows Javi would be going even if he did marry Leo, but the reason it’s a one way trip is because Leo can’t make up his damn mind. Rafe calls it a complicated situation and he thinks it’s best to give Javi and Leo space to figure it out. Gabi declares that the one thing is more clear than ever is that Javi deserves better than Leo and she hopes he finds him.

Javi tells Chanel and Johnny that it’s incredibly sweet but he’s not officially Trey’s Godfather yet if they want to pick someone else since he doesn’t know how long he will be gone. Johnny says no way as they chose him. Javi feels he can’t ask them to put off the Christening until he gets back. Johnny responds that it’s going to sound crazy, but asks what if they make the Christening today and Javi can still make his flight. Javi agrees to do it since his flight isn’t until tonight. Chanel asks if he knows if Leo is free. Javi says he’s not the right person to ask. Chanel apologizes since she knows they are going through something and asks if he’s not comfortable. Javi assures that whatever issues they are having doesn’t change how they feel about Trey. Johnny says it would mean the world to them. Javi says it means a lot to him too.

Cat calls Rafe, who asks if Mark let her in to the lab. Cat says no since he got sidelined but she managed to get the first 3 digits of the code as “118”. Rafe calls that a start. Cat apologizes for lacing in to him earlier. Rafe understands she had to keep her cover and then reveals that he got his hands on Peter Blake’s autopsy, but says he didn’t learn anything interesting as the cause of death was heart failure caused by chest trauma just like they thought. Rafe reveals that he might have stumbled onto another lead while at the hospital. Rafe thinks he may have found out what Leo was fishing for when he called Cat because it seems EJ was caught on video, arguing with Gwen about a delivery, so they just need to figure out what it was a delivery of.

Leo tells Gwen that he does not want to wait for Dimitri to come back. Leo says he thought she was more clever than this as she was able to bring back Dimitri just in time to destroy his life, but in doing so, she more than likely destroyed her own too.

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Days Update Thursday, January 15, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

At the Horton House, Julie talks to Jeremy about being nervous for the mediation over Thomas and Charlotte’s custody. Julie says she just prays that the family can come back together. Jeremy is on his tablet and comes across Alex and Stephanie’s engagement announcement. Jeremy then remarks that he prays for that too.

Jada goes to see Stephanie at home. Jada questions having to find out that her best friend is getting married in the paper. Stephanie apologizes but Jada understands she’s been working 24/7 the past 2 weeks but she’s here now and is so happy for her. Jada congratulates her as they hug.

Brady goes to see Marlena, who asks what’s happening with Rachel at Bayview. Brady says damned if he knows.

Rachel’s therapist Dr. Gregory goes to see her in her room and guesses Rachel knows why she is there. Rachel knows it’s because she pretended to be Sophia at bed check and asks if she’s going to be punished. She says no, but there will be consequences and new boundaries as she needs to know this will never happen again.

Sarah confronts Xander at Titan and asks what the hell is wrong with him.

Brady tells Marlena that the story he got was that Rachel pretended to be Sophia so that Sophia could get to a library in the other wing and catch up on her studies by the time she gets out. Marlena thought Sophia wasn’t talking. Brady says she’s apparently writing which was a shock to the staff as well. Brady says he’s kicking himself because he thought if Sophia wasn’t talking, she couldn’t be much of an influence on Rachel. Brady wishes he would’ve thought there would be other ways of communication and says he’s not sure he buys the story of Sophia going to the library to work on her homework.

Rachel swears to Dr. Gregory that she will not help Sophia sneak out to the library at bed check again. She asks if Rachel is sure that’s where Sophia went. Rachel remarks that she didn’t go with her so how she should know. Dr. Gregory goes over that being where Sophia wrote to her that she was going and asks to see some of the notes that Sophia wrote her. Rachel says she was afraid someone might find them so she got rid of them. Dr. Gregory assumes she threw them in the trash then but Rachel claims that she ate them.

Jeremy looks at Alex and Stephanie’s engagement announcement and then shuts his laptop. Julie asks him what’s wrong but Jeremy says nothing and that he has to get going as he got permission to go see Rachel at Bayview which Julie says is wonderful. Jeremy jokes about it getting him out of grading papers. Maggie comes over and tells Julie that she came for her book for Book Club. Maggie greets Jeremy, who quickly says goodbye and hurries out of the house.

Sarah questions Xander firing Brady from his own father’s company because he got upset over their divorce decree and asks what is wrong with him. Xander tells her to calm down and says it wasn’t because of that as he argues that Brady’s work has been slipping for a long time and he could’ve continued to ignore it if Titan’s future wasn’t on the line. Sarah tells him that’s because his daughter is ill and that Xander told him he would accommodate for whatever is needed. Sarah calls Xander a royal ass which Xander agrees with.

Marlena asks why Brady doesn’t believe Sophia’s story. Brady responds that he didn’t mention it to the Bayview staff, but he discovered all the cash in his wallet was missing. Brady says that Rachel swore she didn’t take it but he doesn’t see any other explanation than Rachel gave it to Sophia because the timing coincides with Rachel pretending to be Sophia at bed check. Marlena questions why Sophia would want the cash. Brady says he has no idea since the staff assured him that Sophia could not have snuck out. Brady wonders if Sophia was saving money so she wouldn’t be beholden to her family when she gets out, but that sounds far-fetched. Marlena asks if it’s possible that Rachel didn’t take the money. Brady calls it unlikely and asks Marlena how to handle this. Marlena asks if he’s sure he wants her advice.

Dr. Gregory questions Rachel eating Sophia’s notes and argues that she’s lucky it didn’t make her sick. She thinks it’s best for now if Rachel doesn’t spend time with Sophia. Rachel is shocked and thought she wasn’t being punished. Dr. Gregory calls it boundaries while Rachel complains that Sophia is her only friend. Dr. Gregory points out that several other patients are closer to her age. Rachel calls them all lame. Dr. Gregory tells Rachel that her goal is to get better so she can go home, so she has to respect that they know what’s best for her. Rachel reluctantly responds that she understands she’s not allowed to be friends with Sophia anymore. Dr. Gregory repeats that they know what’s best for her and tells her that she’s always there for her if she wants to talk as she then exits the room.

Maggie tells Julie that she gathers Jeremy is still upset with her. Julie brings up Maggie accusing him of sending objectionable fan mail to Stephanie, so she asks why he wouldn’t be upset. Maggie clarifies that she didn’t accuse him and just asked because at the moment, she felt that she had to. Julie can’t believe Maggie thinks that Jeremy is the crazed fan. Maggie wishes she didn’t, but points out that Jeremy got so angry when she asked him about it. Maggie calls it a flash of Jeremy’s old self that he keeps saying he put behind him.

Stephanie shows Jada her engagement ring and tells her that Alex totally caught her off guard and she was stunned. Jada says she knew Alex would propose, she just didn’t know when. Stephanie asks if she missed obvious hints. Jada then reveals that Alex asked her to help him pick out the ring. Stephanie says it couldn’t be more perfect and she couldn’t have done a better job pretending she hadn’t seen it before. Stephanie tells Jada that she’s hoping that she will be her maid of honor. Jada responds that she would be honored and accepts.

Sarah questions Xander admitting he’s an ass. Xander says he can admit that the way he handled Brady’s firing wasn’t great and he’s sorry for that, but that’s all he’s sorry for. Xander is sure Sarah heard that Maggie offered Brady his job back, but he turned it down and said he’d be thinking about leaving for awhile so this was just the push he needed. Sarah argues that it still doesn’t excuse him from insulting Brady for no reason. Xander says he didn’t say it did and that he admitted to being an ass, but tells Sarah that he’s not the only one as she should look in the mirror.

Brady knows he asked Marlena not to weigh in on Rachel’s treatment, but that was a mistake because she’s the wisest woman he knows. Marlena asks if he’s convinced that Rachel did not take his money. Brady states that his wallet was in his coat in Rachel’s room and he and Kristen stepped out temporarily, so someone could’ve come in and taken it but they weren’t gone long and no one else was in the room. Brady says it could be possible but he doesn’t want Rachel to be stuck in there any longer than she has to be. Brady argues that she’s just a child. Marlena responds that everyone has to learn to be responsible for their actions and the consequences. Marlena says when Rachel ignores set boundaries, that’s painful but it’s what they have to do as loving parents. Brady notes that’s exactly what Dr. Gregory said and he knows it’s true. Marlena remarks that knowing and doing can be entirely different things.

Jeremy goes to Bayview to visit Rachel. Jeremy tells her that all of her friends at school miss her and want her to get better. Jeremy brought her letters from her friends. Rachel guesses he wants her to answer all of them. Jeremy says she doesn’t have to if she doesn’t want to. Rachel says that’s good because she doesn’t want more homework. Jeremy knows he hasn’t been her favorite teacher but he respects how honest she’s been with him and he hopes she will be back before he leaves her classroom.

Jada talks about being lucky that her and Stephanie’s dads were best friends and now they are too. They talk about how it could’ve gone entirely different because they were both involved with Everett Lynch aka Bobby Stein. Jada says that whole thing was crazy and could’ve destroyed their friendship but they are grateful it didn’t. Jada asks if she still thinks Jeremy is behind the creepy fan letters and posting online. Stephanie says she doesn’t know but Steve is working to track the online posts. Jada mentions that they have now opened an investigation on this and opened department resources to Steve even though she knows he has resources of his own.

Julie tells Maggie that if she was accused of something over and over that she didn’t do, she would show some anger too. Maggie apologizes as she didn’t mean to upset her too. Julie says she really likes Jeremy and that it’s been wonderful having him in the house which has been a very different experience than with Doug III and assures she won’t make the same mistake twice. Julie asks if Maggie has finished reading Stephanie’s novel Write Out. Maggie says not yet, but she’s glad to have the books to take her brain off of Titan. Julie asks how it’s going at Titan. Maggie admits it continues to be very stressful because she’s working with her ex-son in law. Julie asks if Xander is misbehaving. Maggie responds that despite his claims to have his anger under control, he continues to have a very short fuse that is very easily set off. Julie asks what he did. Maggie informs her that Xander fired Brady.

Sarah asks Xander how she is the ass. Xander tells her how sick he is of her lecturing him as if he’s the only person in their relationship that ever made a mistake. Xander argues that he’s self aware enough to know he has issues and is going to therapy to work through them unlike her. Sarah questions thinking she has issues that come anywhere close to his horrible ones. Xander asks if she thinks she’s a posterchild for mental health. Xander accuses Sarah of having a fling with his nephew to get back at him. Sarah asks what the hell he’s even talking about. Xander says she knows exactly what he’s talking about. Sarah responds that she’s free to have a fling with whoever she wants, but assures she is not having a fling with Brady and she doesn’t do anything to get back at him. Sarah argues that if she spends time with Brady or anyone else, it’s because they offer her support, comfort and aren’t toxic to be around. Xander yells at her to go be with Brady then. Sarah decides she shouldn’t have come here which Xander agrees with as she storms out.

Stephanie tells Jada that if Jeremy is sending the letters, it’s seriously disturbing and he is a teacher working with children. Jada points out that one of her officers has a kid in Jeremy’s class and she’s crazy about him. Jada adds that it’s not just the students but the parents and administration all have zero complaints. Stephanie asks if she’s saying that means Jeremy didn’t write the creepy notes to her. Jada states that if they are wrong about this, they could ruin Jeremy’s career and life, so they have to find solid proof before they can accuse him. Stephanie responds that they are working on an idea to get just that.

Sarah goes home to the Kiriakis Mansion where Maggie awaits. Maggie guesses from her look that she went to see Xander. Sarah confirms that she couldn’t let him get away with firing Brady. Maggie reminds her that she told her not to go confront him. Sarah admits she was right, but she wanted to let him know that what he did was vindictive and just plain wrong. Maggie wonders if Sarah was looking for an excuse to see Xander.

Brady tells Marlena that when he put Rachel in Bayview, he persuaded himself that it was the best place for her but maybe she should be in a bigger facility that specializes in children’s mental health. Marlena points out that other places are very far away and Rachel is comfortable where she is, close to home. Marlena adds that Brady is her father so it is his decision.

Jeremy informs Rachel that he’s not going to teach her class anymore as her teacher will be back from maternity leave so soon. Jeremy says he knows she’s happy about that and it’s okay as it’s important to be honest about her feelings. Jeremy informs Rachel that he was in therapy for a long time himself and it did him a lot of good, making him a stronger and more thoughtful person to make better choices. Jeremy says it helped him out a lot, so he knows it will help her too.

Stephanie tells Jada that part of the reason for posting the engagement announcement was to draw out whoever is sending these letters. Jada is surprised that Steve was on board with that. Stephanie clarifies that he wasn’t at first, but she and Alex convinced him that they can’t keep living like this. They agree that it’s not just about creepy letters anymore after the threats towards Alex, so there’s a clear and present danger. Jada wants this guy caught soon and promises she’s doing everything in her power to speed up the process. Jada adds that she has more time now that the DiMeras have been found. Stephanie says thank God that Theo is back. Jada says the last thing she wants is for that same thing to happen to Stephanie. Jada wants to watch Stephanie walk down the aisle and marry the man of her dreams. Stephanie says she has every intention of doing that.

Jeremy encourages Rachel that being in therapy is nothing to be ashamed of. Rachel thanks him for coming to visit. Jeremy says he’ll be thinking of her and hopes she goes home soon as he then exits.

Brady thanks Marlena for listening and giving him advice as he’s always grateful for it. Marlena assures that he always has her support. Brady adds that he does have to talk to her about one other thing about Basic Black. Brady informs Marlena that Xander fired him yesterday which shocks her. Marlena questions why he would do such a thing. Brady feels it wasn’t about him or his job performance, but about Xander getting his divorce decree. Marlena argues that he can’t do that and it won’t stick. Brady then reveals that Maggie offered him his job back, but he declined. Brady repeats that Xander firing him gave him the push he needed to do something different with his life. Brady says he’s been sticking with Basic Black for a long time and it always had a lot do with John. Brady says he was there for John and didn’t want to disappoint him. Brady asks if leaving Basic Black will be letting him down. Marlena says that he’s not and that John would want him to do what’s best for him as that’s all he ever wanted for all of his children.

Sarah questions why everyone thinks she has an ulterior motive when it comes to Xander. Maggie asks what she means. Sarah complains that she thinks she went out of her way to pick a fight with Xander just to see him while Xander thinks she’s doing whatever with Brady just to get back at him. Sarah declares they are both dead wrong.

Marlena asks Brady who will take over at Basic Black. Brady says he’s not sure but Maggie told him he could have a say because he wants it to stay in the family, but there’s no candidates right now. Marlena doesn’t think he has anything to worry about and that it might be a very good time for him to focus on his own path and spend time with his daughter. Marlena advises him to think of it as a gift. Brady decides that’s exactly what he will do.

Rachel returns to her room from therapy and finds a note from Sophia that says she got the phone and to stay tuned for next steps. Rachel then tears up the note and eats it.

Maggie tells Sarah that she didn’t mean to upset her as she knows how hard this has been for her and she’s been so proud of her being so strong. Maggie says her marriage to Xander is over but the feelings don’t just dissolve which is why she wants her to be careful with Brady which Sarah questions. Maggie explains that when she saw them on New Year’s Eve, it seemed like she caught them in a close moment and they are both fragile right now. Sarah responds that she’s trying to decide if she should talk about it because she doesn’t know how Maggie will react. Maggie says whatever it is, she’s here for her. Maggie assumes that there is something between Sarah and Brady. Sarah admits that she might want to be more than friends with Brady, but Rachel obviously has issues with her and any woman that Brady has tried to date. Sarah says no matter her feelings about it, Rachel’s well being comes first.

Xander remains at Titan and calls Marlena. Xander asks if there’s any chance he could book an appointment with her as soon as possible.

Jada tells Stephanie that she’s so glad things worked out for her and Alex. Jada promises they will catch the creepy fan soon, so that Stephanie and Alex can stop worrying and start planning their wedding because she deserves all of her dreams to come true. Stephanie tells Jada the same as they hug.

Jeremy returns home to the Horton house and opens up his laptop still on Stephanie and Alex’s engagement announcement, then shuts it.

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Y&R Short Recap Tuesday, January 20, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

Victoria tells Billy that the AI program has turned on its host and is destroying Newman Enterprises. Victoria tells Billy not to use her as the unnamed source when he publishes his article. Victoria tells Billy that she had a talk with Sally who is worried that he is going to become obsessed with Chancellor Industries again. Billy tells Victoria that Chancellor Industries doesn’t matter to him anymore. Nick persuades Victor to let Matt’s victims have five minutes to tell him what they think of him.

Noah, Sienna, Nick, and Sharon tell Matt what a horrible person he is and why they are glad that he is going to pay for all his crimes. Nick is in a lot of pain from his leg injury and Sharon tells him she can stay in her guest room, and she will take him back to the hospital tomorrow.

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Y&R Raves and Rants #1

Young and the Restless Opinion Article

 

Article written by Barbara 1/18/26

Roger Howarth as Matt Clark on Y&R (photo from Howarth's Facebook page)Having taken a long hiatus from Y&R, I recently decided to start watching it again.

After two weeks of watching the show, here are my initial impressions (just my humble opinions) in no particular order… just random musings:

Love, love, love the great Roger Howarth’s spin on the dastardly character of Matt Clark!

Billy + Sally = one big yawn fest, no chemistry, boring.

nuNoah … I must admit, I was skeptical about this recast because I did not particularly like him as Tripp on Days of our Lives and had been very invested in the previous actor’s portrayal of Noah. However, from the moment I first saw this Noah, I’ve been liking his take on the character very much. I also think there’s great chemistry between him and Sienna.

nuCane … I wish I could say the same about this recast, but it’s basically the opposite. I loved him as Chad on Days, but I cannot buy into him as Cane on Y&R. Watching scenes with Cane, all I see is the actor trying his best to become the character, but not coming through. IMHO, he and the storyline would have been better served if he had been cast as a brand new character with a troubled past connection with Victor Newman and his family, who came to Genoa City to take Victor down.Y&R actors at Christmas from Courtney Hope's Instagram page

I’m enjoying the “womance” between Sally and Audra. It’s so refreshing to see a genuine friendship (BFF’s, bonding) between two women, rather than the usual soap rivalry, bitterness and all that goes with it. The scenes with Sally and Audra at Society on Thursday 1/15/2026 (when Audra gave Sally support and suggestions about Sally’s challenging relationship with Billy) were heartwarming.

Love how Newman sibs Adam, Nick and Victoria are all getting along and united against Cane and Phyllis’s attack on their family legacy.

Shout out to Joshua Morrow – I anoint him my Performer of the Week for 1/12/2026, for his portrayal of Nick. His performances were riveting in many ways, especially how he has been capturing the severe physical pain his character is in (from the breaking his fibula in his recent car accident). It seemed like every time Nick winced and grimaced in pain, I could feel his suffering.

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

 

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Y&R Short Recap Monday, January 19, 2026

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Recap written by Barbara

At Crimson Lights, Chelsea is working on her laptop. Esther brings her a coffee and expresses concern that Chelsea is contagious from the flu she had over New Year’s. Chelsea assures her that she’s fine now and dismisses Esther’s question about Newman Enterprises being under attack.  Esther notices something about it on Chelsea’s computer. After Esther walks away, Chelsea texts Adam to meet her there because rumors are gaining speed.

Adam comes to the Newman Ranch to let Victor know that the Newman IT team thinks it has created an algorithm to trick Cane’s AI program to attack false targets instead of Newman Enterprises, so they need to run a few more tests. Victor tells Adam there’s no time for more testing and directs Adam to give them the go-ahead.

Noah and Nick are in Sharon’s living room discussing Nick’s dogged determination to get rid of Matt for good. Seeing how much pain his father is in, Noah implores him to concentrate on his health, not Matt. Sienna comes down from the bedroom, stands on the stairs, overhears them talking and heads back to the bedroom. When Sharon comes into the living room, Noah fills her in on Nick’s plan to kill Matt.  Sharon makes it clear that as much as she wants to end Matt’s reign of terror, she is not on board with him being killed. She and Noah try to get Nick to go back to the hospital, but he steadfastly refuses.

Sienna sneaks out of Sharon’s house, going straight to Victor at Newman Ranch.  She asks for his help to stop Nick from killing Matt by telling him that Nick has Matt stashed in the trunk of his car. She expresses her concern about what Matt is putting Noah through because of her and tells Victor that she doesn’t want Noah or Nick dragged down any further from involvement with Matt. She also lets Victor know that she’s in love with Noah, but she doesn’t think they have a future because they belong in different places. Victor tells her he appreciates her candor and agrees that perhaps it would be best for her to return home to LA when this is all over.

Victor and Sienna go to Sharon’s place, where Victor tries to dissuade Nick from his plan to kill Matt; he insists that Nick let him take care of Matt. Sharon and Noah chime in. Nick refuses, then pauses and asks Victor what he intends to do with Matt if he hands him over. Victor says it’s better that neither Nick nor any of the others know his plans.

Adam and Victoria meet with Chelsea in Crimson Lights to strategize dealing with the press.  They talk about their concern with the toll the situation is taking on their father. Adam also mentions that he is worried Newman Enterprises is sinking and there’s nothing they can do about it. Victoria insists that will not happen. The three of them agree that they must come up with a way to save the Newman family legacy and protect their Victor by destroying Cane and Phyllis.

 

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Days Short Recap Friday, January 16, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Gabi let Javi know that she would take Leo’s mail to him so he wouldn’t have to run into him. Javi appreciated what she wanted to do for him. While they were talking, Javi got a call about his father having quadruple bypass surgery. He said he had to leave and go to Texas. Gabi wondered when he would be back. Javi wasn’t sure considering everything that happened with Leo. Gabi reminded him that he had a life in Salem. Javi couldn’t put his life on hold waiting for Leo. Johnny went to the hospital to check on Theo. He ran into Rafe. Rafe was worried that Johnny was going to turn into a true DiMera. Johnny stressed that EJ wasn’t part of the business. He joked that his father had everyone including the FBI investigating him. Rafe didn’t say anything about it. Johnny took his silence as a confession. The only thing Rafe would tell him is that he would let him and his siblings know if there were any danger. Johnny wondered if the investigation had anything to do with the package his father and Gwen talked about. Rafe asked him about the delivery. Johnny told him about the video Leo sent him to clean up the audio. Rafe wanted to see the footage.

Chanel visited Theo at the hospital. She talked to him about her pregnancy. They talked until Johnny showed up. Chanel left them alone to talk. Theo informed Johnny that he knew about the pregnancy. He wondered if there was tension between the couple. Johnny explained what happened with Chanel. He changed the subject and asked him about his health. Theo thanked him for running the business for him while he was recovering. Chanel saw Johnny leave Theo’s room. They talked about the tension between them. Johnny and Chanel agreed to support each other until they knew more about the pregnancy. Leo arrived at the DiMera mansion to see Gwen. He asked her about the delivery that happened on the night of the gala. Leo told her that her only mistake of planning with EJ was Dimitri’s return. He knew what Gwen was up to. Leo wondered if EJ knew what she wanted to do. He knew that EJ would be upset if he found out that she could have ruined hi cashflow by putting revenge first. Gwen told him that her mistake was befriending him and falling for a fake marriage. Leo was willing to hold off writing the story if she made Dimitri disappear. He told her that making Dimitri disappear meant that she would get to keep his money. Leo wanted to be happy with Javi. Gwen thought he was pathetic for trying to get rid of his problem instead of making a decision between Javi and Dimitri.

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BTG Short Recap Friday, January 16, 2026

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

Kat came home upset about Eva. Chelsea told her that she tested negative for the BRCA gene. She called Naomi to tell her about her results. Chelsea asked Naomi about her results. Naomi said there was nothing to worry about. She invited Chelsea to go to lunch with her and Jacob. At the club, Jacob wanted to find out the results, Naomi brushed him off. Later on, Naomi saw Bill and told him she didn’t get the results yet. When Jacob asked Naomi about the results, she told him she needed to do it on her own time. Dani and Chelsea went to the club to meet with Naomi. Everyone was confused about the test results. Dani asked Naomi if she got her test results. Naomi said she didn’t check the results. She looked disappointed when she looked at the results. Naomi told everyone the results were good. While everyone was celebrating, Naomi looked away. Ted and Shanice made out in his office. When his phone rang, it allowed him to pull away from her. He said he wanted to go on a date with her instead of having sex with her. Derek saw Ashley and Grayson flirting with each other. When Grayson went to the elevator, Derek followed him. Derek told Grayson that he knew Ashley. Later on, Derek met with Jan and told her Ashley was dating someone else. Jan went to confront Ashley about dating someone else. She told Ashley that it was too soon to be dating someone else. Ashley said she was having fun.

 

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Days Short Recap Thursday, January 15, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Sarah barged into Xander’s office and demanded to know why he fired Brady. Xander told her that he didn’t fire Brady because of jealousy. He told her that Brady’s work was lacking because Rachel was sick. Sarah got upset when he said that. She called him an a** , and he agreed with her. Xander admitted that he didn’t handle things well and that he turned Maggie down when she wanted him to give Brady his job back. Sarah was upset that Xander insulted Brady for no reason. Xander told her that he wasn’t the only a**. He said that she should look in the mirror. She was shocked by his comment. He was tired of her criticizing him as if he were the only one who messed up in their relationship. Xander told her that he made mistakes, but he was getting help. He thought Sarah was having an affair with Brady to get back at him. Sarah denied having an affair with Brady. They ended up arguing until she stormed out of his office. Xander called Marlena to have an emergency therapy session. Jeremy noticed how nervous Julie was about the custody hearing for Thomas and Charlotte. Julie didn’t see the way Jeremy reacted when he saw Alex and Stephanie’s engagement on his tablet. He closed his tablet and let Julie know that he was going to see Rachel at Bayview. Maggie arrived at the Horton house, and Jeremy was cold to her. Julie understood why Jeremy was chilly towards her since she accused him of stalking Stephanie. Maggie still suspected him of being her stalker especially after the way he reacted when she asked him about it. Julie told her that she liked having Jeremy around. Maggie changed the subject to talk about what’s going on with Xander. Julie was shocked Xander fired Brady.

Brady went to see Marlena to tell her what happened with Rachel the night before. He wasn’t sure if he believed Rachel and Sophia’s story. He thought that Sophia wasn’t really mute. Brady talked to Marlena about the money that was missing from his wallet. Rachel claimed she didn’t take it, but he couldn’t think of another way that it disappeared. Marlena wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but Brady wasn’t convinced. Seh thought that Brady should talk to the hospital about the missing money. Brady didn’t want to cause Rachel to lose her privileges. Marlena felt like Rachel should learn that actions had consequences. Dr. Gregory met with Rachel and wanted her to reassure her that she wouldn’t work with Sophia again. Rachel promised not to do it again. The doctor wondered if Sophia snuck out to go to the library. She said that Sophia told her that she was going to the library. Realizing her mistake, Rachel corrected herself and said Sophia wrote it down. Dr. Gregory wanted to see the notes, but Rachel said she got rid of them by eating them. The doctor couldn’t believe Rachel ate paper. Rachel had a tantrum when the doctor told her that she couldn’t see Sophia anymore. She told her that Sophia was her only friend. Dr. Gregory said she could make new friend her age.

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BTG Short Recap Thursday, January 15, 2026

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

Hayley interrupted Bill comforting Dani. She sarcastically comforted Dani and wondered why she would see Bill in the middle of the day. When Dani left, Bill ripped into Hayley for twisting the knife about his children possibly having cancer. Hayley apologized, but Bill continued to rip into her. He said they had a reservation for lunch and didn’t want to be late. Kat and Samantha went to check on Anita to see how she was doing and to talk about dress ideas for Samantha’s dress. Vernon thought it was too much for Anita after her chemo. Dani showed up to talk to Vernon. She told him that she needed to let Bill know what was going on with her and their daughters. When Dani and Vernon went with the others, Anita agreed that it was too much for her.

Ted talked to Eva about Kat refusing to get tested. He said he would love for Eva to reach out to Kat, but he would never do that to her. Eva was willing to reach out to Kat. She ran into Kat at Orphey Gene’s and told her she would be there for her if she needed someone to talk to. Kat told her to stay out of her business and family. Eva said she reached out to her because of their father. She warned Kat that when the time comes and she did need her, she was going to throw her words in her face. Jacob talked to Derek about Naomi getting tested for the BRCA gene. He told Derek that he was afraid it would cause Naomi to shut down again. Derek said he knew they would get through anything because they were meant to be. Jacob said he didn’t believe in fate. He said a relationship worked based on trust, communication and the choices you made.

 

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GH Short Recap Friday, January 16, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

Emma tells Gio how much she misses her grandma Anna and how much she hopes Anna will be home soon from her WSB mission. Emma also tells Gio that she has decided to become a veterinarian. Emma also persuades Gio to return to college even though he doesn’t want to major in music anymore. Emma is confident that she and Gio will find his new passion together.

Pascal has a nurse give Anna her phlebotomy treatment and the nurse also gives Anna another treatment that makes Anna hallucinate that Doctor Obrecht was giving her the phlebotomy treatment. Anna also hallucinates that Fasion is telling her he has always been watching over her.

Alexis tells Trina and Kai that they should wait until after the verdict in Willow’s trail is read and then decide what to do with the information they know about Willow. Alexis tells Kai and Trina that Acting District Attorney Turner may consider the information circumstantial evidence.

Michael meets with Willow to tell her that if she is found guilty he will make sure that Wiley and Amelia go visit her. Michael makes it clear that if she is found not guilty she won’t see the kids because he doesn’t want the kids anywhere near Drew. Willow gets a call telling her that the verdict is in and she needs to get to court. The jury foreman reads the verdict of not guilty to the court.

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Days Update Wednesday, January 14, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Holly goes to see Arianna at home. Arianna is going through all of the wedding gifts for Leo and Javi. Arianna tells Holly that Gabi told her to get rid of it all before Javi gets home and guesses she was chosen because she’s the only one who isn’t that depressed that it’s over. Holly asks if she’s sure it is over.

Leo continues drinking at the Brady Pub. Chad arrives to join him and says it looks like he’s having quite the party. Leo tells Chad that he wasn’t by himself as Xander was there earlier. Leo admits it was hard to keep up with him. Chad suggests they pump the brakes on this party and get him a glass of water.

Rachel and Sophia return to Rachel’s room from dinner at Bayview, complaining about the dinner they had being nasty. Sophia remarks that Bayview ruins everything. Sophia suggests they move on to more important matters. Sophia declares that thanks to the bank of Rachel’s dad, they will soon have a new phone. Rachel asks if Sophia has a way to pay Brady back because she hated stealing from him. Sophia says that desperate times call for desperate measures and insists that this was the only way. Sophia adds that Brady’s loaded so he won’t even notice the money is missing. Sophia says they are the ones trapped in this horrible place, not Brady. Sophia says they don’t want to eat this dinner anymore and calls what they are doing the human spirit fighting for it’s existence. Sophia talks about battling hardship and overcoming challenges. Sophia declares that after everything they have been through, they deserve this.

Brady goes to see Tate at Marlena’s. Tate talks about studying while on winter break and getting a head start on his reading list. Brady recalls that he was supposed to read Moby Dick in his freshman year but he bought the cliff notes, so Tate is a better student than he was. Tate points out that Brady turned out okay and ran his own company. Brady then reveals that he lost his job today.

Kristen goes to the DiMera Mansion and surprises Gwen in the living room. Gwen pours a drink and welcomes her home.

Chad gets Leo a glass of water and asks how he’s doing. Leo asks if he really needs to ask. Leo is sorry that Chad being his best man didn’t work out, but says he shouldn’t be surprised that it turned out to be a complete fiasco. Chad encourages that what happened was not his fault. Leo says it sure feels like it. Leo states that if he was told a year ago that Dimitri would come back in to his life and profess his undying love, he would’ve exploded in to cosmic dust, but not now.

Arianna admits to Holly that it hasn’t officially ended between Leo and Javi, but she really hopes it does. Arianna hates that Javi is heartbroken, but says it was bound to happen sooner or later because Leo is a human wrecking ball at relationships. Holly doesn’t think Leo is all that bad. Holly admits Leo doesn’t have the best track record, but he’s always been nice to her. Arianna argues that’s probably because he wanted something from her. Arianna remarks that Javi was like a consolation prize until Dimitri came back and now Javi is heartbroken. Arianna points out Gwen getting them an expensive Italian knife set as a wedding gift. Holly questions Gwen getting them a gift. Arianna complains that it’s all too convenient that Leo and Gwen’s ex just happened to show up at Leo and Javi’s wedding. Holly asks if she thinks Gwen was behind this. Arianna responds that she has no idea, but if she was, she thinks Gwen did them all a favor.

Gwen tells Kristen that she’s sorry for everything she went through, being held captive in the crypt and with Peter. Kristen responds that she’s just focused on moving forward and being there for her daughter. Gwen mentions hearing Rachel was at Bayview. Kristen goes along with the idea that Rachel thinking Kristen broke out of prison is what caused her breakdown. Gwen encourages that Rachel will recover in no time that Kristen is back home.

Sophia and Rachel go over using their same plan as before where Sophia sneaks out the side door, Rachel pretends to be Sophia under the covers in her bed and then back to her own room, before letting Sophia back in.

Tate questions how it’s even possible for Brady to lose his job when Basic Black was his company. Brady says it’s Xander and tells Tate it’s okay because he fired him before he had a chance to quit since he’s been thinking about a career change for quite some time now. Tate questions what he’s changing to. Brady says he doesn’t know and that just because he’s not running Basic Black, he still wants it in the family and to be Tate and Rachel’s legacy, so he talked to Maggie and she said she would make that happen. Tate says that’s good to know but questions who is running it for now. Brady says right now his second in command Amira is running it but Maggie is going to want someone more permanent. Brady points out that Tate is a business major and asks if this is something he’s ever thought about down the line, to run a company. Tate responds that he doesn’t know. Brady explains that he would start with an internship and learn the ropes of the business. Brady asks what Tate says to that.

Gwen tells Kristen that she’s really glad she’s back as she could really use a friend in the mansion. Kristen says she’s really flattered but she doesn’t plan on staying long. Gwen questions why not. Kristen responds that the last thing she wants is to live under the same roof as EJ. Gwen calls EJ a handful. Kristen points out that since EJ is out of town, she could drop for a few days. Gwen encourages that they will have so much fun. Gwen jokes that it could be like old times when they were cellmates in prison.

Rachel asks Sophia to stop at Buddy’s Burgers again while she’s out. Sophia agrees to see what she can do as she goes to sneak out of Bayview.

Tate tells Brady that he’s really honored that he would ask him and that he thinks that highly of him, but running a company is not something he ever envisioned himself doing. Brady repeats that he would start with an internship and work his way up. Tate admits it’s not something he’s interested in and he doesn’t think he’d be good at it yet, so he’d be afraid that he would be letting John down. Brady is sure that he wouldn’t but says he gets that he needs to follow his passion. Tate thanks him for understanding. Tate then asks who else Brady can ask to take on the company. Brady calls that a good question.

Arianna and Holly continue going through wedding gifts until Holly announces her plans to rush a sorority. Arianna mentions hearing that can be intense and stressful. Holly then tells Arianna that they are going to do it together.

Chad stops Leo from drinking more tequila and gives him the glass of water, saying he’s a friend that doesn’t want to see him circle the drain. Leo reluctantly gives in but mocks the idea. Chad asks if Leo wants to talk through this very tough decision he’ll have to make. Leo calls Javi kind and loyal and makes him want to be a better person while Dimitri is none of those things. Leo then admits he wishes he didn’t still have feelings for Dimitri. Leo complains that he spent his entire life lying and strategizing to try and protect himself and avoid being abandoned, but it didn’t work. Leo repeats that he still has feelings for Dimitri.

Arianna tells Holly that rushing isn’t really apart of her game plan. Holly encourages her that it will be a blast. Arianna doesn’t think she will have time when her internship at DiMera starts. Holly guesses that comes first. Arianna asks how her job is going. Holly says it’s not that great as she didn’t really have work over the holidays and admits she’s been kind of bored. Arianna asks if she wants to go to Small Bar. Holly points out that she doesn’t have a fake ID. Arianna decides they need to fix that.

Chad says it’s good that Leo is being honest with himself as that takes courage and it’s also good they didn’t file the wedding certificate if he’s still figuring out his feelings. Leo states that he does love Javi with his entire heart and before he met Javi, he didn’t know what true love was, but then he started to get it. Chad asks if it isn’t the same with Dimitri. Leo says he doesn’t know but he was dreaming about him last night. Leo talks about feeling self loathing and shame. Leo questions loving two people at the same time. Leo then asks Chad if he’s ever been in love with two people at once. Chad says he has not. Leo brings up that Marlena has. Chad tells Leo no more drinking or wallowing and to go home to sleep, then figure this out in the light of day.

Kristen questions Gwen bringing up prison. Gwen thought she’d enjoy the humor now that she’s free and clear. Kristen responds that she’s out on bail but time will tell if she’s free and clear.

Tate apologizes for letting Brady down. Brady assures that he understands and he’ll just have to find someone sooner than later, but that’s his concern and not Tate’s. Brady tells Tate to just worry about being a college student and studying. Brady calls it a special time in his life. Tate remembers the game is about to start, so Brady decides to order a pizza but finds that all the cash in his wallet is gone.

Rachel pretends to be Sophia in her bed during bed check but the nurse comes in to take a closer look.

Leo asks where Chad would live if he could live in any American city and guesses it would be Denver. Chad repeats that they should get him home. Leo complains about his sad little room at the Salem Inn. Leo asks Chad about his custody mediation being tomorrow and how he feels about it. Chad responds that his guess is as good as his.

Holly tells Arianna that even if she wanted a fake ID, she can’t. Holly reminds Arianna that she set their dorm on fire and she promised Maggie that she wouldn’t do anything to get them in trouble. Arianna points out that she’s rushing a sorority. Holly says she’s not saying she’ll never drink again but she doesn’t want to get arrested for trying to get in to a bar. Holly adds that she and Tate have plans tonight anyways. Arianna says big surprise. Holly questions what that means. Arianna admits that she’s a little tired of being their third wheel, but it’s not her fault that she’s terminally single. Holly encourages that she just hasn’t met the right guy yet and asks if she will go on dating apps. Arianna refuses to do that but says she will go to Small Bar. Holly reminds her not to hook up with a random stranger and asks if she’s sure. Arianna tells her not to worry as she’s a big girl.

Gwen calls Kristen’s response a very cryptic answer to a simple question. Kristen says that’s all she can say at the moment. Gwen says she will respect her privacy. Kristen says she’d love to stay up and drink but it’s been a long day and she’s very excited to crawl in to bed which Gwen calls understandable. Gwen then informs Kristen that Dimitri is staying there as well.

Tate questions Brady’s money being gone. Brady says he just went to the ATM so it doesn’t make any sense. Tate advises him to try and retrace his steps. Brady says he stopped and got coffee before going to Bayview. Tate asks if he thinks someone might have taken it while he was there. Brady thinks back to Rachel wanting them to look at her drawing and says he’s afraid he does. Brady then gets a call from Bayview and says he’ll be right there. Tate asks him what’s wrong. Brady says he can’t talk as he has to deal with Rachel as he then rushes out of the house.

Leo calls Chad the best father any kid could ever ask for. Leo says Thomas and Charlotte hit the lottery. Leo asks what he can do and if Chad wants him to come to the mediation. Chad says he can’t do that as it’s not a hearing but it’s them trying to hash things out. Leo goes over that Jack and Jennifer want to take the kids to Boston while Chad wants to keep them here and questions how they hash that out, feeling it doesn’t make sense. Chad decides it’s time to get Leo home. Leo agrees that maybe he’s right. Leo tells Chad that he’s been his human version of a blanket fort in the storm. Chad tells Leo to lean on him as he walks him out of the Pub.

Holly goes to see Tate and asks if he’s busy. Tate informs her that he and Brady were supposed to hang out but Bayview called. Tate guesses Rachel must have gotten in trouble since Brady seemed upset and just took off. Holly encourages that it’s nothing too serious. Tate feels it has to be and says he feels terrible for Brady as it just seems like one thing after another. Holly asks if there’s anything she can do as they hug.

Brady goes to Bayview where Rachel says she can explain. Brady says he just got an earful from the doctor, who told him that Rachel pretended to be Sophia at bed check. Brady questions what is going on. Rachel says she’s sorry. Brady bets she’s sorry because she got caught and says what she did is very serious. Brady asks where Sophia is but Rachel says she doesn’t know. Rachel claims that Sophia asked her to pretend to be her at bed check but didn’t tell her why. Brady calls that really funny because he believed that Sophia couldn’t talk.

Sophia sneaks out of Bayview and walks through the town square in a hoodie. Arianna calls out to Sophia, asking if that’s her but she keeps on walking.

Chad walks Leo out of the Pub and tells him that he can come in late tomorrow. Leo calls Chad one of his best friends and says he really hopes that everything goes his way. Chad thanks him and hopes everything goes his way too as he hugs him. Leo says if only he knew which way that was.

Tate asks Holly if she was hanging out with Arianna later. Holly says Arianna wanted to go out but she didn’t, so she just told her that she was hanging with Tate. They kiss until Holly says she doesn’t want to distract him if he needs to study. Tate tells her not to worry as he’s actually crushing it in both classes with A’s. Holly is proud of him and wants to celebrate. Tate suggests midnight bowling so they agree to go to Alleycat’s and exit together.

Kristen questions what Dimitri is doing at the DiMera Mansion. Gwen explains that he is back in Salem to reclaim his fortune from her. Gwen adds that Dimitri claims he was being held captive in Alamainia. Kristen says after what she went through, she can believe it. Gwen argues that Dimitri wasn’t being held against his will and now he’s back with his tail between his legs, groaning that he’s going to divorce her and take everything that is his. Kristen asks if Gwen is going to let him do that. Gwen says not on her life.

Rachel tries to tell Brady that Sophia can’t talk and she meant that she wrote her a note. Brady asks if she’s kidding him right now. Brady demands Rachel start telling him the truth right now. Brady accuses her of stealing money out of his wallet tonight which Rachel denies. Brady guesses she then gave the money to Sophia. Brady says to forget about the money for now and focus on finding Sophia because she might be in danger. Sophia then appears in the doorway, so Rachel points out that she’s right there.

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Days Update Tuesday, January 13, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Cat and Gwen have drinks together in the town square. Gwen thanks Cat for inviting her while Cat is glad she could make it. Gwen says she was glad to get out of the DiMera Mansion because everything has been boring and lonely with EJ gone. Gwen adds that her whole life is rather boring and lonely because no one in this town will give her the time of day, except Cat. Cat asks about Gwen’s husband. Gwen calls Dimitri the lying, miserable cheat who humiliated her and broke her heart. Cat knows she’s not thrilled that he’s back.

Rafe goes to the DiMera Mansion to see Dimitri. Dimitri remembers him as the police commissioner while Rafe informs him that he’s now an agent with the FBI. Dimitri guesses Rafe is here to finally investigate his kidnapping but Rafe says that is not why he’s there.

Brady meets with the therapist at Bayview and thanks her for allowing Rachel’s day pass for Christmas. Brady asks her to tell him about Rachel’s progress. She says that Brady is doing everything right by visiting Rachel and letting her know that she’s loved and supported. She wishes all of her patients had the kind of family support that Rachel does. Brady wants her to start feeling like herself again. She asks if Brady has any questions about the treatment she’s received at Bayview. Brady responds that he does have a concern with her friendship with Sophia Choi.

Sophia joins Rachel in her room at Bayview and compliments her drawing. Sophia informs Rachel that she’s planning another outing tomorrow night and asks if she wants to help her out again. Rachel says definitely, but asks where she is going.

Sarah checks on Kristen in her hospital room. Kristen says she’s been released on bail and her daughter needs her. Kristen adds that she can’t stand being in the hospital where her brother died another minute. Sarah says she’s sorry. Kristen doesn’t want her sympathy, she just wants her to discharge her now. Sarah tells Kristen that they had a very hard time knocking out her infection. Kristen says she feels fine now. Sarah would feel better if she stayed on the IV for another day. Kristen argues against it. Sarah then clarifies that as a doctor, she’d like her to stay, but as a mother she understands her wanting to go see Rachel. Kristen asks if she will discharge her then. Sarah agrees to write her a prescription for a very strong oral antibiotic and has Kristen promise to come back if her symptoms worsen. Sarah asks Kristen to give Rachel her love when she sees her. Kristen calls that very kind of her and says she’s sorry for what Rachel did to her. Sarah notes that Rachel apologized so they are all good.

Brady tells the therapist about his family’s history with Sophia. She understands why Brady would be wary but notes that Rachel has been calmer and happier since befriending Sophia, adding that it helps her be more open which Brady says he certainly wants. She says if Sophia helps Rachel feel more connected, she wouldn’t discourage it. Brady understands but he’s quite sure that Sophia will not have a positive influence on his daughter…

Sophia informs Rachel that she needs to slip out to buy a cell phone because she feels so disconnected to the outside world, but she doesn’t have any money to buy one and that’s where Rachel comes in.

Dimitri complains to Rafe that he was held against his will in a foreign country and tells Rafe that his captor was obviously Gwen. Rafe questions Gwen holding him captive until she was ready to bring him back to blow up Leo’s wedding to Javi. Dimitri says it was to steal his money and he needs Rafe to do something about it. Rafe points out that the crime was outside of the US. Dimitri tells him to take it up to the ISA. Rafe brings up how he scammed them, so they won’t be likely to help. Dimitri questions why the hell Rafe came to see him if he’s not willing to help him. Rafe responds that he’s curious what he knows about the DiMera crypt kidnappings.

Cat asks Gwen about Dimitri crashing Leo and Javi’s wedding. Gwen clarifies that it was after the wedding but says the real bombshell came after when he said he plans to divorce her. Cat jokes that it couldn’t be a complete surprise since she does hate him, so she asks what she’s upset about. Gwen complains that Dimitri is going to freeze her out of his assets. Gwen calls it unfair because she worked so hard to gain access to the family money and argues that she kept it safe while he was gone. Cat asks if Dimitri explained where he had been all this time. Gwen responds that he claims he was held against his will at some Alamainian estate and that she was his kidnapper. Cat jokes that if she was, it would be pretty badass. Gwen says she can’t take credit for that because it would put her assets in litigation limbo. Cat guesses the only way Dimitri could take her assets is away if if he could prove she was guilty which Gwen says is not happening.

Rafe informs Dimitri that they found a hidden camera in the crypt so someone was watching the DiMeras the entire time they were in there and they traced the camera’s transmission signal to Alamainia, where Dimitri just admitted he had been. Dimitri questions if Rafe is insinuating that he was Peter Blake’s accomplice.

Abe’s tutor student Liam brings his son Gage to the hospital where Sarah comes in to check him out. Liam explains that Gage’s throat has been bothering him and he hasn’t been able to get him to eat or drink today. Sarah examines him and Liam asks if she found something wrong.

Sophia brings up to Rachel that Brady is coming to visit her and he’s rich. Rachel argues that she can’t just ask him for a phone. Sophia says they don’t need a phone, just the money to get one. Sophia then asks who said anything about asking. Rachel questions her wanting her to steal from her dad. Sophia calls it more like borrowing. Sophia encourages how much fun it would be to have a phone to play games and watch videos. Sophia adds that it will take her mind off all the things stressing her out and she’d be so much happier. Rachel complains that the phone would be Sophia’s, not hers. Sophia assures that she would share it. Kristen then comes to visit so Rachel runs up to hug her.

The therapist promises Brady that she will keep his concerns about Sophia in mind as they continue to treat Rachel, but the reason she called this meeting is what she thinks is triggering Rachel’s behaviors and that’s that she is desperate for her parents to be reunited. Brady says he’s aware of that and told her that’s not happening. The therapist worries that Rachel is not getting the message and she’s afraid she’s not going to get better until this matter is resolved. Brady questions if she’s telling him that in order for Rachel to get better, he has to get back together with Kristen DiMera. She clarifies that she would never recommend they reconcile purely to fulfill Rachel’s wishes. Brady says that’s good because that’s never going to happen. She needs him to be just as clear with Rachel. She says his number one job is to make sure Rachel and Kristen know there is not even a slight chance of them getting back together.

Sarah tells Liam that she thinks Gage has strep throat, so she will have a nurse come in to check on him and get some medicine to feel better. Liam stops Sarah to make sure this isn’t going to cost anything since times are tough and he can’t afford it. Sarah assures that as advertised, the Tom Horton Free Clinic is free of charge. Liam thanks her as Sarah exits the room.

Gwen asks how Cat is faring with her new reality now that she cannot be with Chad as it must be hard. Cat admits it has been and talks about when Chad was missing. Gwen asks if Cat is just pining over him or if she’s found a new way to pass her time. Cat asks what she means. Gwen remarks that she might have heard she had a private dinner with EJ before his kidnapping. Cat assures there was nothing romantic about it and it was all business. Cat says she has to go but the drinks are on her considering Gwen’s current financial situation. Gwen thanks her but says next time, it’s on her after she puts Dimitri in his place.

Dimitri can’t believe Rafe thinks he had anything to do with the kidnappings, arguing that he is the victim here. Rafe asks if he has any evidence of his kidnapping since his word doesn’t mean much. Dimitri says he was held at a mansion in Alamainia but he doesn’t know the name or the address. Rafe asks if he was alone. Dimitri says there were servants but doesn’t know what he expects. Rafe thinks he’s said enough and asks if he would believe a story like that from a suspect.

Rachel introduces Sophia to Kristen. Rachel claims that Sophia doesn’t talk while Kristen says it’s lovely to meet her. Sophia then exits. Rachel can’t believe Kristen is here and not in handcuffs. Kristen says that means she can give her as many hugs as she can handle. Rachel asks if it’s over. Kristen says she still needs to go to court and get the charges against her taken care of. Rachel declares that Kristen is home now and she doesn’t ever want her to leave again. Kristen says now they need to work on getting Rachel home and tells her how much she missed her. Kristen asks how it’s going here and what the doctors are saying. Rachel says they just keep asking questions about everything that happened and how she feels about it. Rachel adds that she tells them that she didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially Sarah who has always been nice to her. Kristen questions why Rachel gave Sarah the pistachio ice cream when she knew she was allergic if she didn’t want to hurt her.

The therapist explains to Brady that from what they’ve learned in sessions, Rachel feels she can only be happy when her parents are together and that this isn’t the first time that Rachel has acted out in response to a woman being in Brady’s life. Brady says this is definitely the most extreme. She points out that the women in Brady’s life after Kristen are no longer involved, so in Rachel’s mind her behavior is working but she needs to learn that is not the case, actions have consequences and Brady’s personal life is his to decide. She notes that it won’t be easy by any means. Brady agrees, considering recent developments because he has someone in his life now that he cares about a lot and he wants to see where it goes.

Dimitri says if Rafe refuses to look in to his kidnapping then they are done here. Rafe agrees to pas on his statement to the international authorities. Gwen comes home and greets Rafe. Rafe says they will be closing the loop on Dimitri’s impossible connection to Peter, so he’ll be back if there are further questions. Dimitri tells him to call ahead next time. Rafe warns him not to leave town and exits. Gwen then asks Dimitri what that was all about.

Kristen tells Rachel that she’s not mad at her for what she did and is just trying to understand why she did. Kristen asks why Rachel would want to hurt Sarah if she likes her like she says. Rachel explains that seeing Sarah with Brady freaked her out and then she found out about Sarah kidnapping her when she was a baby. Kristen says that was a long time ago and Sarah wasn’t well. Rachel says she was so upset that she felt she needed to punish her but she’s so sorry and is glad Sarah is okay now. Kristen says she is glad too, which Rachel questions.

Brady asks if the therapist thinks his relationship with Sarah is a threat to Rachel’s recovery. She says no and that cutting off his relationship with Sarah would only reinforce that Rachel can dictate his life. Brady talks about other than that one incident, Sarah gets along great with Rachel. She advises Brady to set clearer boundaries. Brady says this thing with Sarah is still too new to introduce in to Rachel’s life. She says they can work together on breaking the news and help Rachel develop strategies to help Rachel cope with moving forward in her own life like Brady is doing with his.

Gwen asks Dimitri about Rafe thinking he was involved in the kidnapping of EJ and his family. Dimitri calls Rafe an idiot. Gwen says that’s one thing they agree on. Gwen talks about all the time Dimitri spent away planning his revenge. Dimitri argues that she has no idea what she’s talking about. Gwen points out that now Dimitri is in EJ’s house, but his plan didn’t go as he hoped as he assumed by now, he’d be the only heir to the DiMera Mansion. Dimitri calls Gwen a kidnapper and repeats that he is the victim, questioning why won’t anyone believe him.

Cat goes to meet Rafe at his home. Rafe tells her that Javi is at work and Gabi is with Philip but they should make this quick to be safe. Cat asks about his visit to Dimitri. Rafe says that Dimitri swears he was held captive at a mansion in Alamainia and that he had no part in the DiMera kidnappings. Rafe says he doesn’t believe a word Dimitri says. Cat tells Rafe that she had drinks with Gwen and swears she had nothing to do with Dimitri’s kidnapping. Rafe says they aren’t dealing with straight shooters here. Cat feels they have to assume Vivian was Peter’s accomplice. Rafe thinks he knows how to get to the bottom of this.

Sarah returns to Liam and Gage, confirming the strep throat diagnosis. Sarah gives Liam the discharge papers with instructions for Gage’s meds. Sarah notices a cut on Liam’s hand and asks what happened to his hand. Liam says it’s nothing while Sarah questions if that’s a knife wound.

Kristen asks Rachel why she would be mad at Sarah when she helped her get better while she was sick and she just let her out of the hospital to come see her. Rachel points out that Sarah was hugging Brady. Brady then arrives, so Rachel runs up to hug him. Brady thought Kristen was still at the hospital. Kristen informs him that she was discharged and is feeling better. Rachel calls it amazing that they are both there. A nurse comes in to tell Rachel it’s dinner time. Brady guesses it’s already time for them to leave. Rachel argues that he just got there and she wants to show them her new drawing. Kristen says they will go while sending Rachel to get ready for dinner. Brady tells Kristen that it’s good to see her on her feet. Brady adds that he had a really productive meeting with one of the doctors and that she’ll probably want to talk to Kristen too. Kristen says she would like that as they exit the room together. Brady left his jacket behind as Rachel sneaks back in and steals the cash from Brady’s wallet. Kristen and Brady come back and tell Rachel about seeing her drawing. The bell then sounds for dinner so Rachel guesses they have to leave. Kristen and Brady promise to come back tomorrow. Kristen hugs Rachel, who says she’s so glad she is feeling better. Brady tells her to have a great day as he and Kristen exit. Rachel pulls out the stolen cash from under her pillow.

Liam claims to Sarah that he cut his hand while slicing carrots and it’s no big deal. Sarah offers to check him out but Liam says it’s fine and he just wants to get to the pharmacy. Sarah insists that he should get checked out since he’s already at the hospital. Liam repeats that it’s fine and thanks her as he exits with Gage.

Rafe tells Cat that Dimitri claims he was locked away in Alamainia while the video from the crypt traced to Alamainia. Rafe declares that he will travel to Alamainia to question Vivian and hopefully find the mansion that Dimitri claims he was kept at. Rafe adds that Cat will stay here and hopes she can find something at the clinic while EJ is away, like what Mark knows and what they are hiding. Cat agrees to try to get what she can out of Mark, but feels she would be of more help if she went with Rafe. Rafe disagrees and argues that as soon as she’s seen with him, their cover would be blown and they’d never find out what’s going on in the lab. Cat worries that it could be dangerous for him to go alone. Rafe then informs her that he never said he was going alone.

Dimitri tells Gwen that he knows it was her that held him captive and stole all his money and he’s going to make her pay for it as he then storms out. Gwen remarks that maybe she’ll just prove that he did kidnap his family members, whether he did it or not.

Sophia returns to Rachel’s room and asks if she’s ready for dinner. Rachel excitedly tells her that she got the money. Sophia is thrilled and calls her a superstar.

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Y&R Short Recap Friday, January 16, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

YBilly and Sally argue because Sally thinks that, if Billy decides to run Chancellor Industries, he will be making the biggest mistake of his life. Billy insists that he hasn’t decided what he is going to do yet. Sally tells Billy that if that if he decides to run Chancellor Industries she will not be happy.

Nick persuades Jack and Kyle to give him Matt Clark and in exchange he guarantees that Newman Enterprises won’t use the AI program to get control of Jabot. Nick takes Matt to the Newman Ranch and hides him somewhere on the property. Noah finds Nick outside and sees blood on Nick ‘s hand and he asks Nick if Matt is dead. Nick tells Noah that he made a deal with Jack and Jack gave him Matt. Noah asks Nick what he is going to do with Matt.

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GH Short Recap Wednesday, January 14, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

Alexis apologizes to Sonny for making the jury think that Michael shot Drew even though she thinks Willow is guilty. Alexis explains that she had to take Willow’s case so Drew would let her see Scout. Alexis also explains that, if Willow is found guilty, Drew will not let Scout see her, Kristina, or Molly again. Sonny understands and tells hiding Alexis that she must protect Scout. .

Valentin makes Ava think that he has been hiding at Wyndermere since he escaped the prison transport van. Ava tells Jens that she saw Valentin at Wyndamere. Carly shows Valentin what she found in Jack’s room. Valentin tells Carly that he thinks Jens is hiding something important on Spoon Island.

Anna makes it out of the room where she is being held but a man catches her and gives her a shot to make her unconscious. The man later talks to Jens and tells him that they must get rid of Anna before Britt arrives to work in the secret lab. Jens tells the man not to worry because Britt can’t tell anyone if she sees Anna. Anna awakens and worries when she gets a nosebleed since she hasn’t had her phlebotomy treatment.

Jack gets a visit from WSB Director Cullum. Director Cullum tells Jack that they have lost Anna. Director Cullum is the same man who was talking to Jens earlier at Wyndamere. Director Cullum also stopped Anna from getting away.

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Y&R Short Recap Thursday, January 15, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

Cane offers Billy Chancellor Industries to run, and Billy tells him he will think about it and have an answer for him soon. Billy tells Sally about Cane offering him Chancellor Industries.

Nick asks Phyllis to stop the takeover of Newman Enterprises, or she might lose Daniel and Summer once they find out that she and Cane took over Newman Enterprises. Nick tells Phyllis that he is going to grind her and Cane into dust and enjoy doing it.

Nick later calls Summer what Phyllis did to Newman Enterprises. Cane gives Phyllis one last chance to get out of their business partnership so she won’t lose the respect of Daniel and Summer but she says Daniel and Summer will understand what she did so she is going to burn down the Newmans.

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Days Short Recap Tuesday, January 13, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Gwen at Cat were at the town square together. She felt like her life was boring since no one wants anything to do with her except for Cat. Cat asked her about Dimitri. Gwen talked to her about her divorce. Cat figured it wasn’t a surprise since she hated him. Gwen told her that Dimitri wanted to take all the money. She worked hard to get the money and keep it safe. Cat wondered where Dimitri was all this time. She laughed and told her that Dimitri accused her of the kidnapping. Cat thought that would be bold if she were the kidnapper. Gwen couldn’t take credit for kidnapping him, but it would help her if she did it. She wanted to change the subject. Rafe went to see Dimitri to talk to him. Dimitri was happy someone was investigating his kidnapping. Rafe told him that he wasn’t there for the kidnapping. Dimitri was furious that he didn’t care that he was held against his will in Alamania. He asked him if he wanted to know who kidnapped him. Rafe knew it was Gwen. They went back and forth about why she kidnapped him. Dimitri wanted him to do something about it. Rafe let him know that the kidnapping happened outside of the U.S. Dimitri demanded to know why he was there. Rafe talked to him about what happened in the crypt. Dimitri wondered if he was trying to say he was Peter’s accomplice. He reminded Rafe that he was the victim. Rafe wondered if he had proof that he was kidnapped. Gwen came back home, and Rafe told him that he would be back with more questions. Dimitri told Gwen about Rafe’s visit. He called Rafe an idiot. He couldn’t understand why no one would believe that he didn’t work with Peter. Dimitri vowed to make Gwen pay for kidnapping him and stealing his money. After he stormed out the room, Gwen was going to prove that he kidnapped his family.

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BTG Short Recap Tuesday, January 13, 2026

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

After her chemo, Anita found out Nicole tested negative for the cancer gene. She also found out Dani tested positive for the gene. Naomi and Chelsea waited to find out their results. Carlton was there for Nicole while she dealt with Dani’s situation. Vernon tried to keep Anita calm, but she didn’t want to stay home while her family was in need. Anita and Vernon went to Dani’s house. When Anita went to Dani’s room, Vernon told Andre to take care of Dani so no one else would. Anita apologized to Dani for passing on the gene to her. Dani said that was foolish because no one knew about it when she and Nicole were born. Nicole told Carlton that she was supposed to be the family fixer. He wanted her to be real with him. She said she was terrified. Carlton wanted to take Nicole back to her place. When they got home, he tried to keep her from going out of control. He let her know that he wouldn’t let her drink alone. They danced and kissed until she passed out.

 

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BTG Short Recap Wednesday, January 14, 2026

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Recap written by Michele & Cheryl

Vanessa went to see Nicole. She thought that Nicole was disappointed to see her and not Carlton. Nicole explained to her what happened with the BRCA gene testing. Vanessa understood how she was feeling. She thought Nicole was the best person to help the family. Vanessa wanted her to find something constructive to do. Nicole thought Carlton was a nice guy. Vanessa felt like everyone deserved happiness. She talked about moving on with Joey. Nicole wanted to introduce her to single doctors, or she could be single. She felt like Vanessa found the most dangerous person to make her feel safe. Vanessa said that Joey trusted her the way Nicole used to. She wanted Nicole to stop predicting bad things and be happy for her. Nicole promised to do better. Vanessa wanted to go on a double date with Carlton and Joey. Nicole wasn’t sure if Carlton wanted to see her after what she did the night before. Pamela showed up at the club and saw Dani. She had pictures of Anita and Dani from past events. Dani talked to her about the results from the BRCA test. Pamela was surprised she told her about it there and not somewhere like a club. Dani wondered if her time in the spotlight was over and if it meant that she had to go in a different direction. Pamela told her that the only difference was that she was at a higher risk of getting cancer. She can be prepared for it by having knowledge. Leslie met with Joey. He wasn’t happy about being summoned. Joey told her that everything was finished with the clinic so their business was done. Leslie informed him that they were just starting. She wanted to change the name of the clinic so her name would be in the title, but he didn’t want to do that. Leslie thought he was trying to please Vanessa. He informed her that he had people killed for comments like that.

 

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Days Short Recap Wednesday, January 14, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Leo drank his sorrows away at the pub. Chad showed up and saw Leo. He told Chad what happened with Dimitri. Chad wanted to talk things out. After they talked about Leo’s situation, Leo asked Chad about the custody mediation. Instead of answering, Chad took Leo home. Rachel told Sophia that she felt bad about stealing money from her father. Sophia told her about getting over adversity. They went over the plan. Sophia put on a hoodie and left the room. Rachel went to Sophia’s bed. A nurse noticed something was off. Brady talked to Tate about losing his job. He told Tate that he was ready for a change. Brady said he wanted Basic Black to be a legacy for him and Rachel. He suggested that Tate run the company at some point since he was a business major. Tate said he wasn’t interested. Brady understood but he didn’t know who else would do it. When they decided to get pizza, Brady realized his wallet was empty. He thought about Rachel rushing him out of the room. Brady got a call from Bayview and left.

Gwen welcomed Kristen home. She comforted Kristen over Peter and what happened in the crypt. Kristen said she wanted to move on. She said she wanted to move on from the house. Gwen was disappointed not to have one of her friends around. Kristen said she wanted to be away from EJ. She told Gwen that she would stay while EJ was out of town. When Gwen mentioned Statesville, Kristen was upset. Kristen wanted to go to bed. Gwen told her Dimitri was there. Kristen was surprised that he was there. Gwen said Dimitri was lying about the kidnapping and how he was trying to get her money. Kristen said she knew Gwen wouldn’t let him get away with it. Brady wanted to know what was going on with Rachel. He asked her where Sophia was. Rachel said she didn’t know where she was. While she was talking, she let it slip that Sophia could talk. Brady said he knew she stole the money and gave it to Sophia. He demanded to know where Sophia was.

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