Billy and Sally have a romantic night where Billy asks Sally to move in with him and she says she will move in with him if Johnny and Katie say it is okay with them.
Kyle tells Jack that he intends to drive Audra out of town so she won’t continue to ruin his life. Kyle thinks that, if he gets Audra out of town, he can prove to Claire how much he loves her.
Claire gets drunk with Vespers and asks Holden to tell her what happened between he and Claire in Los Angeles. Holden tries to persuade Claire to let Karma handle Audra or let him do it. Claire tells Holden that she can take care of herself and doesn’t need anyone to take care of Audra for her.
Xander finishes a call at the Titan-DiMera office, demanding something gets done as Alex arrives. Alex apologizes for being late but mentions that he ran in to Sarah and they got to talking about Xander.
Sarah and Marlena sit together in the town square. Sarah brings up Marlena having so much going on and says she can’t imagine how hard Kristen’s arrest has to be for her, Brady, and Rachel. Marlena says she’s so relieved that Johnny was acquitted and calls Marlena confessing unexpected and so difficult for Rachel.
Johnny and Chanel sit together at home. Chanel talks about being so relieved that the truth is finally out and feeling like she can breathe. Johnny says he feels so bad for Rachel that her mom is going to prison. Chanel agrees that it’s sad. Chanel asks what Johnny plans to do with his new found freedom. Johnny wants to get things back to normal and says he’s actually looking forward to work tomorrow. Chanel says that’s tomorrow while today is about them as they kiss.
Gabi is at home, recording herself saying that she doesn’t need Steve’s help on a recorder pen. Javi walks in and questions who she is talking to. Gabi says just herself.
Belle and Philip go to the Kiriakis Mansion after riding horses. Belle talks about not realizing how much she needed that while Philip comments that he’s out of practice with a lot of things.
Chanel and Johnny decide to head to the bedroom but get interrupted by Susan Banks arriving at the door. Susan says she doesn’t want to interrupt Johnny’s freedom celebration but she is his Grandma as she hugs him. Chanel greets her, so Susan feels she really is interrupting them.
Xander is not sure he’s thrilled that Alex and Sarah were chatting about him. Alex says Sarah asked how he was doing, so he told her that he missed her. Xander questions why he said that. Alex says it’s the truth.
Sarah still can’t believe Kristen put Johnny and Rachel through that, questioning what kind of person lets their nephew and daughter suffer for something they did. Marlena says that in fairness, Kristen did confess so she ended up doing the right thing in the end. Sarah argues that was only after she exhausted all other options and that Kristen only thinks about herself. Sarah calls Kristen a homicidal maniac and feels she was doing the right thing when she kept Rachel from her initially. Marlena points out that she would’ve also been keeping Rachel from Brady and questions if she would’ve wanted that.
Belle asks what exactly Philip is out of practice with. Philip guesses life in general and talks about rebuilding when he lost his leg. Philip says most people would’ve taken lessons from rehab and applied them to life but he didn’t do that. Belle thinks he’s being too hard on himself since he was dealing with mental illness, pointing out how far he’s come. Philip feels not far enough as he still has a lot of emotional baggage to sort out which Belle questions. Philip states that he’s pathologically jealous of everyone and everything so it’s no wonder he could never handle being in a relationship. Belle asks what about he and Gabi.
Javi remarks that Gabi only talks to herself when things are about to hit the fan. He asks if things are about to blow up at work. Gabi says he could say that. Javi questions how many assistants she’s gone through since he quit. Gabi says it’s not her fault that no one lives up to the standards he set as her assistant. Gabi asks if Javi would consider coming back which Javi laughs off and declines. Gabi asks what if she told him that he could be very rich in a few months and asks if that would change his mind.
Philip tells Belle that what she saw between he and Gabi was far from a relationship and just two adults enjoying their company. Philip adds that even if he wanted to pursue something with Gabi, he couldn’t because he’s her boss so Xander and the board would never allow it. Belle argues that there are things HR can do to keep him safe. Philip responds that he doesn’t trust himself to be in a relationship right now and he would never want to hurt Gabi, just like he’d never want to hurt Belle again either.
Gabi assures Javi that he could be very rich in a few months and asks what he says. Javi questions how could he be very rich in a few months. Gabi says she can’t get in to specifics right now, but it’s likely that she will be in a more powerful position at work soon. Gabi pleads with Javi to just come back to Gabi Chic. Javi says he’ll pass as he likes the life he has now and doesn’t want to give that up. Gabi admits she admired him choosing his well being over money and she’s not sure she could ever be that noble. Javi says he just likes the life he’s built and he loves being a firefighter/paramedic and coming home to Leo every night while feeling good about what he does. Gabi remarks that she’s happy for him even if he’s building a life with someone she can’t stand.
Chanel and Johnny sit with Susan as Chanel mentions being so excited to get back to work without the worry of the trial. Susan talks about feeling the same but she doesn’t understand because she never got the vibe that Kristen was the one who shot EJ.
Sarah apologizes to Marlena for being thoughtless when Brady is like a son to Marlena and is an amazing father. Sarah admits she can’t help but think how much easier Rachel’s life would’ve been without Kristen in it. Marlena acknowledges that Kristen has done terrible things to her and hurt a lot of people, but she does have a maternal side and is a wonderful mother to Rachel. Sarah remarks that she never thought she’d see the day that Marlena is defending Kristen. Sarah asks if Kristen was a wonderful mother when she had Rachel take the stand during the trial, knowing she was the one who shot EJ. Sarah talks about seeing what it did to Rachel when she came to the hospital with stomachaches and it was like no one was putting her first. Marlena says she knows how much Sarah cares about Rachel and that she does too. Sarah apologizes for getting on her soapbox when she’s lucky to have Brady and Marlena. Marlena tells her not to apologize for caring and assures she will do anything she can to take care of Rachel. Sarah tells her to just say the word if there is anything she can do.
Xander tells Alex that he does miss Sarah but he doesn’t want her to know that. Alex guesses he doesn’t care what her response was then but Xander stops him to ask what she said. Alex tells him that Sarah said she still loves him and misses him. Alex declares he will stay out of it now, but he thinks they should get together and talk. Xander says now that Alex is finally in a stable relationship, he doesn’t have to go around to everyone else’s. Xander brings up Stephanie’s advice to permanently install Philip as co-CEO and admits he’s thinking about it. Alex encourages that doing so could save Titan and they would all be out of harm’s way, so it sounds like a double victory to him.
Javi tells Gabi that he’s not taking the bait about Leo and will change the subject instead. Javi says Gabi must be thrilled that Arianna is staying in town and going to Salem U. Gabi says he has no idea and is glad that Will and Sonny gave their blessing. Javi comments that it seems like everything is working out for her, then questions what’s wrong based on her response. Gabi explains that she feels like she’s gotten most of her life back since getting out of prison as she got her career and her daughter but one thing is still missing and that’s love.
Belle tells Philip that what happened between them was a long time ago and they are in a good place now. Philip says that means a lot to him as he likes that he has a friend he can be fully honest with without judgment. Belle remarks that relationships are more trouble than they are worth which is why she’s swearing off relationships now that she and EJ are through. Belle wonders why she even got involved with EJ, talking about knowing all the horrible things EJ did to her family but she still jumped in. Philip says he can relate. Belle adds that even after they broke up, EJ still suggested that she could’ve been the one that shot him. Philip questions that and says she could never do something like that. Belle admits part of her wonders if they’d all be better off now if she had the guts to off that son of a bitch.
Marlena encourages that Sarah has done so much for her family. Sarah says she’s always had her back too. Sarah just wishes she could feel better and that she could figure out a physical cause for Marlena’s symptoms. Marlena jokes about Susan’s last warning but admits her premonitions bother her. Marlena adds that Susan did say she was sick in body, mind, and soul which did concern her. Sarah encourages not focusing on that too much but says it did give her an idea.
Johnny tells Susan that Kristen confessed, so it’s over and he wants to move on with his life. Susan argues that things don’t add up. Susan knows Johnny is out of the hot seat but that doesn’t mean the matter is resolved. Chanel argues that it is over for them.
Xander tells Alex that the Titan-DiMera merger was approved because of Philip being an heir and him saying he approves won’t do much. Alex thinks it will appease the shareholders and drive home the fact that Victor would’ve named Philip and Bo in his will if he knew they would recover. Xander complains that he’d still have to give up half of what was left to him and have Philip as an equal. Alex argues that half of everything is still better than nothing and questions if undoing everything he’s accomplished thus far would feel right. Alex feels it’s better to be safe than sorry. Xander questions why he feels like he’ll be sorry either way.
Javi asks if Gabi is lonely. Gabi admits that she is and she misses having someone to share her life with. Javi feels Gabi is cooking up something big and asks if she believes she has time for a partner. Gabi responds that she’ll make time. Javi asks if she means when the right man comes along or if somebody already has. Gabi admits that there is one guy and she never meant for it to be real or for it to go anywhere, but it could be a dead end just like the other guy. Javi questions there being another guy and accuses Gabi of holding out on him. Gabi explains that she doesn’t know where she stands with either guy as with one guy there’s an emotional connection while the other one is the reason she didn’t come home last night.
Philip tells Belle about trying to practice gratitude lately and he’s feeling a lot of it having Belle as his friend. Belle says she’s grateful too. Belle guesses since they failed as husband and wife, they’ll have to settle as life long friends. Philip points out that they still made great memories and brings up when they went camping on Smith Island which they laugh about.
Sarah asks how Marlena would feel about one more blood test just to rule out the possibility of a tick borne illness. Marlena guesses they haven’t tested for that. Sarah says that Susan’s crazy comment got her thinking so Marlena agrees they should do the test.
Johnny tells Susan that he’d really appreciate it if she let whatever vibe go because Kristen confessed and they’re sad for Rachel but it’s over. Susan guesses whatever she was feeling was nothing. Susan decides she’s taken enough of their time and she’s just happy that Johnny is back home with Chanel, so she then exits.
Marlena says that’s enough about her and asks how Sarah has been holding up. Sarah admits she feels like she’s in purgatory since she and Xander aren’t together, but she can’t move forward. Marlena asks if she’s holding out for a reconciliation. Sarah admits she still loves Xander but she can’t go back to the man he has become. Sarah knows Marlena can’t tell her anything about his sessions, but she hopes that Marlena is helping him get to the source of his rage for his sake and Victoria’s.
Alex gets that Xander doesn’t want to reward Philip for lying to him and he doesn’t blame him, but he’s already working with him to preserve the takeover so it won’t make any practical difference. Xander worries that Philip could stab him in the back when he’s not holding anything over him anymore. Xander believes Victor would be laughing at their misfortune. Alex thinks the only misfortune would be for Philip’s fraud to come to light, so they can either wait for the other shoe to drop or do something about it. Alex believes the only other option besides naming Philip as his partner is to undo the entire takeover, then Xander would be done with Philip and the DiMeras once and for all.
Gabi questions how Javi knew she didn’t come home last night. Javi admits Arianna told him. Gabi remarks that these two guys didn’t just fall out of the sky and they are both very different. Javi comments on variety while Gabi says she’s already shared too much. Javi says he won’t let this go and reminds her that they live with a former gossip columnist, so he will get Leo to get all the details on this. Gabi tells him not to dare. Javi agrees to back off but says he only wants the best for her as they hug and Javi then exits the room as Gabi goes back to her recorder pen.
Johnny and Chanel resume kissing until Johnny’s phone rings. Johnny wants to ignore it but Chanel worries that it could be work or important. Johnny points out that he doesn’t even recognize the number but decides to answer. The call is from a Ms. Collins, who Johnny says he remembers. Johnny says he did apply for that position over a year ago and is surprised they still have his resume. Johnny says he’s flattered but he already has a job. Johnny tells her to send over the details and promises to look it over as he hangs up. Chanel asks what that was about. Johnny says she won’t believe this but reveals he was just offered an adjunct professorship job at Salem U as apparently a professor just quit, the next semester starts next week and they’re willing to work around his Titan-DiMera job. Chanel excitedly says they must really want him and asks if he’s interested. Johnny responds that he’s not sure. Johnny says a year ago, he’d take it without hesitating but he feels like so much has changed since then and he’s on a different career path. Chanel points out that he wanted to get back to some normalcy and she can’t think of anything more normal than Johnny DiMera doing something with his love of film for work, so she thinks he should consider it. Chanel adds that Professor DiMera has a nice ring to it.
Belle wishes they could do this every day while Philip says he’s dreading going back to work because of the ever present misery. Philip says all he wanted was to be CEO but working with Xander as a nightmare. Belle encourages him to just quit. Philip responds that he can’t do that. Belle questions why not and suggests he figure out what he really wants out of life.
Alex gets that the idea of Xander giving everything up as CEO is not appealing but if he’s not going to shield Philip, the only other thing he can do is solidify his position in the company. Xander agrees to think about it. Xander says it’s getting late so he needs to get Victoria and drop her off to Sarah. They decide this is to be continued as Xander then exits the office.
Marlena goes home and then Susan shows up at her door. Marlena asks what brings her by. Susan says she wanted to apologize for upsetting her the last time she was there. Susan says she meant what she said about her troubled body, mind, and soul. Susan then gets startled and says she doesn’t want to upset her again but warns that whatever is going on with her has gotten even worse.
Johnny agrees that Chanel may have a point since his first passion was filmmaking and not corporate communications, so it would be fun to talk about what he loves with college students. Chanel encourages him as they talk about being each others’ cheerleader and they kiss.
Marlena tells Susan that she’s putting her foot down and doesn’t want to hear any more about her vibrations because her doctor tells her that she’s just fine. Susan suggests seeing another doctor but Marlena says that’s enough and shuts the door on her.
Xander brings Victoria to Sarah in the town square and asks her what’s up since she asked to do the handover in person instead of through the nanny, so he thought maybe there was something she wanted to talk about. Sarah says nothing in particular. Xander asks if she’s sure there’s nothing else. Sarah says it seems like there’s something he wants to talk about. Xander informs her that he spoke to Alex, who said she asked him about him and said she missed him and still loved him. Xander thought maybe that had changed and she didn’t feel that way anymore but guesses it doesn’t matter since there’s no way they can smooth over their differences. Sarah doesn’t know the point of this conversation then, so she walks off with Victoria.
Philip tells Belle that he doesn’t know what he wants out of life, but thanks to Belle making him see that there might be an alternative. Belle is glad he sees there are other possibilitys and encourages him to look at his future. Philip complains that he doesn’t know what his future looks like as he always thought he would follow in his father’s footsteps. Belle says maybe that’s not good for him and encourages him to think about what matters most to him and maybe that’s not some supposed birthright. Philip thanks Belle for being honest, caring, and giving him a lot to think about.
Gabi goes to the Titan-DiMera office where Alex tells her that she just missed Xander and asks if he can help her. Gabi says Xander wanted to see a cost projection so she will just leave a note and leave it on his desk. Gabi uses the recorder pen and plants it on the desk, then walks out of the office with a smile.
Alex and Stephanie get up in the morning as Alex questions if Kayla always makes breakfast plans this early, joking that he wouldn’t have minded staying in bed a bit longer. Stephanie assures him it will still be there tonight. Alex then gets a text from Kate, sending him a summary of reviews and social media buzz surrounding Stephanie’s One Stormy Night. Stephanie asks what people are saying, but then decides she doesn’t want to know. Stephanie then suggests Alex reads the worst review first but Alex says there are no bad reviews, the critics love her, and her novel is putting Titan Publishing back on the map. Stephanie doesn’t know what to say and asks if this means she’ll get a bonus. Alex says they’ll do a lot better than that as he has a surprise for her.
Steve and Kayla go to the Brady Pub for breakfast. Steve mentions that he’s starving. Kayla figured he would be since he ran out of the house without eating. Steve says he had a case to solve and that he solved it right before she called, adding that he couldn’t have done it without her. Kayla asks if it’s about the Titan-DiMera case which Steve confirms. Kayla asks what he found out, but Steve says he can’t tell her that. Kayla brings up Steve saying that Stephanie might be in the middle of it and asks if she should be worried. Steve assures there’s nothing to worry about and that his early meeting was with Stephanie where they settled things out. Steve adds that he would tell her if Stephanie was in danger. Kayla talks about being curious with the tidbits of information without the answer. Steve says that’s why his work is so addicting. Kayla jokes that he can just give her a cut for her detective work.
Holly sits in the living room of the Kiriakis Mansion as Sarah comes in and comments on all the bags from Holly’s back to school shopping. Holly talks about Maggie wanting her to get everything she needs. Holly informs Sarah that Arianna has decided to stay and go to Salem U so they are going to be roommates. Sarah is glad they reconnected. Holly talks about wanting a fresh start in Paris before but says it will be nice going to school with people she knows. Sarah says for selfish reasons, she’s glad Holly is staying in town. Holly says it would’ve been nice to be with Nicole but she understood her wanting to stay in Salem where her family and friends are, including Tate.
Brady and Tate go home to Rachel, who is upset on the couch and they bring her pet snake with them. Brady tells Rachel that now that they have her stuff there, she can redecorate however she wants. Tate offers Rachel his Playstation but Rachel remains uninterested and says she just wants her mom.
Kayla asks if Stephanie asked Steve to stop pursuing the case. Steve confirms that they agreed it was best for him to leave it alone. Kayla worries that it doesn’t sound like Stephanie to be up to something shady and questions Steve being so cryptic. Steve responds that his daughter asked him to keep a secret so he has to. Kayla questions how long Stephanie has been keeping this secret since she mentioned something awhile back but then she said the secret got out and was a reason her and Philip broke up. Steve shrugs but Kayla says that much is obvious. Kayla argues that Steve said she helped him solve the case and that was the only information she gave him. Steve pleads the fifth but acknowledges that Kayla is worried about Stephanie and won’t stop until she knows. Kayla responds that it’s her job to worry about her daughter. Steve assures her that Stephanie has the whole thing under control.
Alex surprises Stephanie with a new phone that she can use to portray Anastasia Sands. Alex explains that he talked to the Titan PR department and they are to only communicate with her via text and they are in the process of setting her up on a blog tour. Alex declares that Stephanie has her own secret identity which excites her as they kiss.
Sarah tells Holly that she’s glad she and Tate worked it out. Holly guesses things are still bad between Sarah and Xander. Sarah says they have had their issues over the years but when they got married again last year, she really thought they would make it work this time. Sarah brings up how just a couple months ago, they were talking about having a second baby. Holly calls it crazy how quickly things can change. Sarah says that as happy as she is for Holly and Tate, she wants Holly to be prepared in case anything does change because she doesn’t want her to get hurt. Holly asks what this is about.
Brady tells Rachel that he knows she wants her mom and that it’s hard to be away from her but she has a lot of people here that love her very much. Rachel complains that her snake wants to stay at her mom’s house. Brady encourages that her snake will come to like living here and sends her to her room to find the snake a spot. Tate asks Brady how long he thinks Kristen will be in prison. Brady says they won’t know until the sentencing hearing but says that she plead guilty and is refusing to get a lawyer to represent her which shocks Tate. Brady says he’s tried to understand Kristen for years so he’s not going down that hole and is just going to concentrate on his daughter because there’s a good chance that she’s not going to see her mom for a long time.
Sophia begins working at the Brady Pub as a waitress and greets Kayla, who introduces her to Steve. Kayla talks to Sophia about all she’s been through and says she’s there for her. Sophia says she’s doing fine and that now that she and Tate gave the baby up for adoption, she’s ready to move on with her life.
Brady tells Tate that their family has had a lot of hard goodbyes and difficult choices lately. Brady assures that he hasn’t forgotten how rough it’s been for him and that he’s there for him. Tate thanks him but says he’s okay now. Brady knows how hard it was for him to have to give away his baby without even meeting her and that the adoptive parents won’t let him meet her. Tate questions why they are rehashing this. Brady says he just wants him to know that it’s okay to feel upset about it. Tate assures that he and Sophia are moving on with their life. Brady understands if he doesn’t want to talk about it. Brady asks Tate for the name of Sophia’s adoption attorney. Tate questions why he’s asking him this. Brady thinks back to his conversation with Sarah about Sophia accidentally referring to the baby as “he” and Sarah reminding him that she couldn’t reveal private medical information. Brady then claims to Tate that someone at Basic Black wanted a recommendation for a good adoption attorney. Tate agrees to text the information to Brady.
Sarah tells Holly that she doesn’t want to interfere while Holly says she obviously knows something. Sarah wasn’t sure if she should say anything but she was talking to Sophia yesterday and got the distinct impression that she wants Tate back. Holly acknowledges that Sophia clearly still has a thing for him and hasn’t been subtle about it, but it doesn’t matter because Tate loves her. Holly adds that it’s not like Tate ever really had feelings for Sophia as they only hooked up. Sarah clarifies that she’s not saying Tate would ever cheat on her, but having a baby with someone bonds you in a way you wouldn’t expect. Holly relates it to Sarah and Xander. Sarah says she’s just trying to share her wisdom so that Holly doesn’t end up getting burned. Holly calls it a completely different situation since Sarah and Xander were married while Tate and Sophia were barely together. Holly adds that it’s not like Tate and Sophia have to raise the kid together and remarks that the baby isn’t even in Salem so it’s not like they’ll ever see her again.
Alex and Stephanie join Kayla and Steve at the Brady Pub for breakfast. They laugh together about Alex’s toga story. Kayla congratulates Alex on “One Stormy Night”, noting that Titan published a book that is climbing the best seller list. Kayla reminds him that she told him it would be a hit when she found the manuscript at the hospital and says that at least three patients were reading it. Kayla calls the book dangerously steamy and says it’s beautifully written. Steve jokes that it sounds like a book he’d like to read. Stephanie says it’s not his type of book but Kayla disagrees and Alex states that if he can enjoy it, Steve can too. Alex adds that he’ll speak to the author about getting Steve a signed copy which Kayla says would be amazing while Stephanie gives Alex a look.
Holly goes to see Tate for breakfast and asks where everyone is. Tate explains that Brady took Rachel to the pet store to get her snake food and that Marlena and Belle are out. Holly realizes that means they have the whole place to themselves.
Brady and Rachel walk through the town square where they run in to Sarah. Sarah asks how Rachel is doing. Rachel cries that she misses her mom as Sarah hugs her. Sarah assures that Kristen misses her too and is thinking about her now. Sarah invites them to join her at the bookstore. Brady says they were actually headed to the pet store. Brady brings up that they talked about having dinner some time. Sarah suggests going to the Bistro since Xander is banned there. Sarah adds that she’s been missing her daughter so spending time with Rachel would cheer her up. Rachel feels the same. Brady then takes Rachel on to the pet store.
Tate confirms to Holly that they do have the place to themselves but decides they shouldn’t tempt fate after last time. Holly jokes that she would die of shame if Belle or anyone walked in on them again. Tate and Holly kiss until Holly gets frightened by Rachel’s snake.
Steve and Alex both say they need to get back to work. Kayla says this was great and they should do it more often. Alex wants to treat them to dinner some time. Alex offers Steve a ride but Steve says he has a short walk. Kayla and Stephanie decide they will stay a little longer. Alex tells Stephanie that he will see her later. Steve says goodbye as he and Alex exit the Pub. Kayla then guesses Stephanie wanted some mom and daughter time as she asks what’s going on at work. Stephanie says not to get her started.
Tate gets Rachel’s snake back in it’s tank. Holly talks about how she was in to Legos and dolls at that age. Tate jokes with her as Holly suggests they go somewhere that’s snake free, so they decide to head to the Brady Pub and exit.
Brady goes to see Steve in his office. Steve mentions hearing that Kristen confessed to shooting EJ. Brady calls it a weird 24 hours. Steve asks how Rachel is doing. Brady guesses she’s the best she can be with the circumstances but it will take some time for her to adjust. Steve says it’s good that she has Brady, Marlena, and the rest of the family to get her through it. Brady talks about wishing John was still around since if anyone could comfort Rachel and lift her spirits, it’s him. Steve agrees that no one was better at that than John. Brady tells Steve that he came by because he needs his help with something.
Sarah runs in to Alex in the town square. Alex asks how she’s doing with everything that’s happened with her and Xander. Sarah says she’s hanging in there. Alex says that’s good and he’s really sorry about how it all worked out.
Stephanie tells Kayla that Alex asked her to step in for Titan-DiMera on top of all her work at the hospital, so she will be running on coffee. Kayla asks about what EJ is having her do. Stephanie says she’s just overseeing their social media but brings up EJ slashing the budget and how complaints have gone up from staff and patients. Kayla complains about what EJ has done at the hospital. Stephanie says normally her job is to listen and make people heard but EJ just wants the complaints handled and not fix anything. Kayla states that EJ can’t take any criticism. Stephanie notes that it’s not making her very popular either and mentions that yesterday, a nurse called her EJ’s personal cheerleader. Kayla feels she doesn’t sound very happy. Stephanie admits it’s been a challenge between two jobs and writing press releases for other clients, she feels like she’s constantly putting out fires. Kayla suggests a solution is to quit the hospital job.
Holly and Tate walk to the Brady Pub and run in to Sophia outside where they are surprised to learn that Sophia now works there along with Tate.
Sarah asks Alex how it’s going at the office, assuming there’s tension between Philip and Xander. Alex thinks everyone is just trying to move forward and make the best of the situation. Sarah guesses they should be thankful for no more fireworks and asks how Xander is. Alex says he seems okay which Sarah says is good. Alex thinks he’d be a lot better if he knew Sarah was asking about him. Alex says it’s not his place but he knows Xander misses Sarah badly. Sarah admits she misses Xander too and still loves him, but with everything that has happened. Alex knows it’s not his business and tells Sarah to take care of herself as he walks away.
Stephanie tells Kayla that she can’t quit her job at the hospital and that she was just venting. Stephanie declares that she’s no quitter and she’s not abandoning her. Kayla assures that she can handle EJ and says his public relations are a complete and total loss. Kayla doesn’t think Stephanie can fix the hospital’s image as long as EJ’s name is attached to it. Stephanie thinks she’s underestimating her. Kayla reminds Stephanie that there’s no shame in reversing course if EJ makes her do anything crazy. Stephanie promises she would run the other way at the first sign of Dr. Rolf. Stephanie then says she has an odd medical question and asks what Kayla knows about ricin poisoning. Kayla questions her wanting to know and if she should be worried. Stephanie claims it’s for a client who is a mystery novelist and came to her for advice on a creative way to kill a character. Kayla responds that with the right dose, ricin can be extremely deadly. Kayla calls it interesting because it mimics a heart attack so it can go undetected if a coroner doesn’t know to look for it. Stephanie calls that good to know. Kayla comments that she didn’t know that Stephanie had any author clients. Stephanie says it’s just one. Kayla suggests Stephanie should see if she could work with Anastasia Sands. Stephanie says she doesn’t know. Kayla asks why not since she already works for Titan and she’s sure Alex could arrange a meeting. Kayla adds that she knows Stephanie’s plate is full but if Anastasia was her client, maybe she could meet her too.
Tate questions if Sophia only applied to work at the Pub because she knew that he did. Sophia responds that not everything is about him and says she applied because her mom said she couldn’t lay around the house feeling sorry for herself anymore. Holly brings up the Bistro. Sophia says with college around the corner, she quit instead of going on maternity leave and then her mom saw the help wanted sign here so she applied. Sophia declares that it looks like she and Tate will both be working at the legendary Brady Pub while Holly looks annoyed.
Brady tells Steve that he’s had a lot of weird interactions lately regarding Sophia and the adoption, so he realized some things aren’t adding up which Steve questions. Brady responds that he’s not quite sure but he has a gut feeling that Sophia isn’t telling them everything that happened. Steve says he’s a big believer in gut feelings and John was too. Brady says that’s why he hoped Steve could point him in the direction of what to do next. Steve says he’s happy to help and asks Brady to start from the beginning with everything he knows.
Interview with J. Eddie Peck of “The Young and The Restless” on CBS by Suzanne 7/24/25
It was awesome to speak with J. Eddie! I used to watch him play Cole on “Young and The Restless” 32 years ago when he first appeared in 1993. I’d been watching the show since 1986, when I was in college. Like many young people back then, I picked up the soap habit in college – between classes or while at home on vacation. He’s incredibly handsome and made a good couple with all of the women they paired him up with, especially Victoria (played then by Heather Tom); her mom, Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott); and Ashley (Shari Shattuck and then Eileen Davidson back then). It was wonderful that they brought him back last year, not only to reunite him with Victoria (now played by Amelia Heinle), but to show that they have a long-lost daughter, Claire (Hayley Erin). Heinle and Peck had immediate chemistry; they’d previously played lovers Jake and Mia on “All My Children” in 2003.
Unfortunately, the powers-that-be on Y&R wrote Cole out by killing him off with Legionnaires’ disease in early July. This was very disappointing to fans of his, and of fans of the couple Cole and Victoria, and their family with Claire. That happens quite often on the soaps, and in TV in general, usually do to cutting costs, or contract negotiations, or because of some other reason – they don’t let us know these things. Peck was originally brought in for a short-term return, so it was great when they decided to keep him around longer and give him story. We wish it had lasted longer! Perhaps one day they’ll bring him back. As they always say, you’re never really dead in the soaps.
We had a very nice, long chat. I hope you enjoy it! There are also quite a few other questions that I didn’t have time to ask, but he kindly answered them via email.
TRANSCRIPT (not finished proofreading this yet)
Suzanne: So it’s great to see you.
JEP: Thank you, Suzanne. It’s a pleasure to be on with you today and I, I appreciate you reaching out to do [this].
Suzanne: Oh, yeah. Well, first off, let me get something out of the way that I’m sure all your fans are asking. Do you know why “Young and the Restless” decided to kill off Cole?
JEP: Oh, wow. That’s, uh. Excuse me. Um, that’s a really good question. Um, well first, Suzanne, it, it, it took me by surprise.
Suzanne: Right?
JEP: Obviously when Cole– (thank you, son) when Cole got sick, or started with the cough, my first thought was, “he’s gonna have this cough. He’s gonna get sick. He might get really sick ’cause it’s lingering for a long time.” I know the fans, fans, viewers, were very, keen to, Hey, we’ve seen this before. I think they’re gonna write this character off. me, on the other hand, I, I really had a lot of faith, that, um, it was working well for Cole and I. Over at the show, I really felt like, it was starting to really click with, Amelia Heinle, who plays Victoria, and the relationship with Claire. I just thought there was a really nice family dynamic that may have been slightly a different tone than some of the other family. Relationships. I just felt like we, we, we had a certain unique uniqueness to us.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And I felt like, all of the goods were there, if you will, all of the history, right….three, you know, good actors, lots of history, lots of stuff to work with. So I felt like this was gonna be something that they were going to utilize to, move Cole into the tack house, which. It seemed as though we were going in that direction.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And then, um, Victoria would nurse Cole back to health and that would, that would quickly speed up their relationship.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: So they could take us to a different place in their relationship.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: And possibly even, you know, remarry, that sort of thing.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: So, uh. Actually that was not the intent and it never really was the intent. That was me, the wishful actor thinking, Hey, this is working. Yeah, for what it really was. Josh Griffin, our executive producer, head writer, he had given me a call and he was so, so kind and gracious and, and and just, just really a very, very heartfelt conversation that we had. And he says, you know, J. Eddie, we only intended on bringing you back for a couple of days. You know, we saw you at the 50th and everybody got to talk and said, Wow, J. Eddie, you look great.
Suzanne: Gee.
JEP: It was a lot of chatter. And, and the fans have wanted Cole to come back for some time and, you know, due to the 50th, they brought a lot of people back for cameos and things. So I looked as though, Hey, we’re gonna stay back for a couple of days. This might be interesting and fun.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And, um. Then he said, but we liked you. You know, we like the dynamic with you and Amelia and Haley. And he said, and we just really liked you. He said, I just, I love what you did and I just continued to write for you. So, and, and so really, um, everything beyond that two days, Suzanne was really a gift. And something, I’m very, very grateful for. And, it’s been really, really nice, you know, at this time in my life to be able to go back and play the role that I love so much. And, so I’m very, very grateful for that. And he did his thing. I think, you know, Josh says, we gotta kill Cole, to take Victoria and Claire where we need them to go.
Suzanne: Ah.
JEP: So I don’t know exactly what that means.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: But I do believe that there’s obviously gonna be a big story, you know, a big setup for those characters. And, and Cole was kind of the sacrificial lamb, I guess, if you will, to propel those characters emotionally, you know, where [it] can take them, so…
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: They’ll do their ride, and I wish that was along for it, but, you know, yeah. Again, I’m grateful for the 20 months that I did get.
Suzanne: Well, even though they did kill him off, they could bring him back because it’s a soap and anything’s possible, right?
JEP: Yeah, yeah, yeah. There’s been, there’s been a lot of chatter , even when, you know, it was first learned, over at the show, I had at least half the directors come to me and say, “Ah, you’ll be back,” but who knows? You know what I mean? Who knows? I mean, that’s fine. I mean, listen, I, I certainly can’t guess any of this stuff.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: And so, yeah, who knows.You know, I mean, Josh is very, very creative. If he ever woke up in the middle of the night, says, you know what? And may, Hmm, that might’ve been a mistake. Let’s bring that cowboy back.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: You know, so, yeah.
Suzanne: And I mean, I could say this because people say that about me, but you don’t look your age at all, so….
JEP: Oh, yeah. Thank you.
Suzanne: I mean, they can easily bring you back in 10 years. You’ll still look great.
JEP: Oh, well, I don’t know about that, but, um, you know, when I went back for the 50th, I made a big mistake, Suzanne, when I went back for the 50th, I was so anxious to take my wife, you know. We were really excited and whatnot, and she says, “You know what? You don’t want to take me. Take Austin” – my son, my oldest son, and really, Austin’s like, “Dad, I’d love to go. This might be my only chance to ever go with you, you know, for something like that. Sure. I’d love to go.” Well, Suzanne — and he’s not in the room so I can say this — My son is six foot seven, and better looking than [me] on my best day in life. So I take this guy that completely upstages me. I mean, if you can look all over the internet, and there’s all these pictures of him at the 50th, and he’s not an actor, you know, he’s kind of a, I hate to say “struggling musician”, but, you know, somewhat of a struggling musician and he is all over the place. ’cause simply because the people are like, my gosh, who is that six?
Suzanne: Is he the one that was wearing the mustache and beard in the picture you sent me?
JEP: Yeah.
Suzanne: Yeah. You know.
JEP: Oh yeah, yeah. That’s him.
Suzanne: He looked a little bit, and I can’t remember the actor’s name. Don um, Don… something… that used to play Brad on “Young and the Restless.”
Yes. He looks a lot like him. yeah. Yeah. He has a bit of, a bit of a bit of that, a bit of that, that, yeah. He has blackness in his black hair. Yeah, he is very dark. Yeah.
Suzanne: So tell us, um. How it came about. Let’s go back a little bit to 2023, when you returned to as Cole after 26 years.
Hard to believe it was 26 years. You see, I’m gonna interrupt you. Oh, doggie. Hi baby. Aww.
Suzanne: There’s your little baby
is a rescue that I’ve had eight months and I just adore him. He is such a sweet boy. I love him so much.
Suzanne: Boy, he’s so cute.
Oh, I’m sorry to interrupt, Chris.
No, that’s fine. You can always interrupt.
You’re just looking up at me. Daddy, you’re ignoring me. You’re not talking with me.
Suzanne: I put mine in the back room because she’ll bark. She might.
JEP: Oh yeah. Well, I’ve got, I’ve got a house full of dogs here. They must, I’m so sorry. Must than mine. You were asking, you were asking me a question. I’m so sorry.
Suzanne: No, that’s okay. How did it come about back in, 2023 when they asked to come on the show?
JEP: Oh, well, yeah, that’s a good question. Again, you know, Y&R had its 50th anniversary, and they had a special event.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And, uh. You know, I’d been off the show at that time. I was off the show about 23 and a half years.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And they hadn’t seen me in a long time. Well, I shouldn’t say that. I mean, they, they have invited me back for anniversaries and things like that. They’ve been really nice to me over the years and always invited me back. But they hadn’t seen me at that in that time. I don’t know, maybe in about five years or something like that. So when I showed up and everything, my son and I, we went… my son’s very western… we went wearing our Western gear. Just, you know, let’s just, let’s kind of go, let’s just go being us, you know, I don’t have to dress looking all soapy. And, and I think it just kind brought more attention and just people went, “Well, who…? Oh hey, that’s J. Eddie. Oh, oh my gosh, that’s Jay Eddie.” And, you know, so a lot of the network people saw me and, uh, and this and that, and they kinda got the idea, “Wow, we ought to bring him back for the Blast From The Past event.”
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: So I got a call maybe a couple of months later, and YR was doing their very first Blast From The Past. And I’d asked Kathy Thomas, “Who else is doing the Blast From The Past?” She says, “Well, you’re the first one we called.” I said, “Oh, great. Okay.” So II did that. They brought back alumni from —
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: From B&B, “Young and the Restless”, and by far, I was the longest person to be off the show, so I really– I told my wife, I said, I don’t really know if I want to go to this Blast From The Past. She says, “Well, why?” I said, “It’s gonna be embarrassing,” I said, “because no one is gonna know who I am.” I’d been off the show almost 24 years at that point. And I said, “No one’s gonna know me. It’s gonna be embarrassing.” So Suzanne, when I showed up, thankfully it was amazing how many fans were our fans back in the nineties and were Cole fans back then. And I got a very, very unexpected reception.
Suzanne: Oh.
JEP: And um, so, uh. You know, um, I guess I didn’t know this, but what I was told by another producer is that before that even happened, Josh already said, I wanna bring J. Eddie Peck back for something. I’ve gotta figure out what it is, right? And then about, oh, a couple of days after this Blast From The Past, one of these soap predictors that we see on YouTube – that predicts what’s going on?
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And a reputable one, said, “J. Eddie Peck is coming back to Young and Restless.” And whenever that announcement came out, my phone lit up.
Suzanne: Oh wow.
JEP: And I was like, “Oh my gosh. I hope Y&R doesn’t think that I’m announcing that I’m going back to Y&R.” I hope they don’t think I’m that guy.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: And my phone just looks… I immediately get on my social media, and I said, “Hey, not going back to Young and Restless. I don’t know what the rumor is. I don’t know why anyone would say that. I’m not in talks with Y&R. I’m not going back to Y&R. Not happening, but thanks for asking. You know, thanks for inquiring” and so, about two weeks after that… So, I would say it was around, August 18th or 20th, I get a call. I’m sitting on my patio having a coffee. My son was visiting again, so I’m having a coffee with my wife and my son. And it’s Greg Salmon, casting director of Y&R. He says, J. Eddie. this is Greg. Are you getting my messages?” I said, “No, Greg. What messages?” He said, “Well, I’ve been emailing you, and I’ve left you messages. And he says, “Listen. We wanna bring you back to the show.” He said, “Are you interested?” And I just start laughing. I’m laughing and I, and I’m shedding tears. So I said, “Oh, great. This is hilarious.” I said, “This rumor got out a couple of weeks ago .”I said, “I guess it’s true! I’m the last one to know.” See, here I am, Suzanne. I’m the last one to know that I’m going back to the show, and I’m the last one to know, “Hey, stupid, you’re fired.”
Suzanne: That’s funny. But anyway, there are so many rumors out there, all the time about…
JEP: Yeah.
Suzanne: About soaps and actors.
JEP: Yeah.
Suzanne: Yeah, there are. I mean, I always tell people, Don’t believe anything at all until you see it in a verified publication because you just don’t know, and it’s just speculation most of the time. Even if it turns out to be true, it’s not necessarily true [when you read it] and you shouldn’t depend on it and spread it.
JEP: Well. It’s like you said, oftentimes it’s speculative.
Suzanne: Well, yeah.
JEP: You know, maybe, maybe something is a rumor or a thought, but then, you know, once it gets out there, people may think it’s gonna happen, right?
Suzanne: Yeah, exactly. So, well, so you had a great deal of chemistry with everyone on the show, particularly Haley, who played Cole’s daughter —
JEP: Thank you.
Suzanne: Claire, and Amelia, who plays Victoria, the love of Cole’s life.
JEP: Yes.
Suzanne: Can you talk about working with them?
JEP: Oh, well. Yeah. I will start off with Haley. Haley is — I think she’s about the age or so — she’s somewhere between my two adult sons, and… I don’t have a daughter, but, I mean, for maybe the second day that I worked with her, I just really felt a connection with her in a fatherly way. And I think what that is, is she’s such a special young lady, you know? She’s a mother, a wife. She’s classy, she’s unique. I feel like Haley has a maturity and, almost like a throwback to another era.
Suzanne: Hmm.
JEP: She’s not your typical young lady of her age. She’s not even your typical actor of her age. You know, she has a really wonderful, wonderful quality about her, and I just found it endearing, and I just connected in…when I say connected, I mean, Cole just really connected with what she was giving me [as an actor], and um, I’ve always had in my mind the history of where Cole was, what’s happened in his life, his loves… His disappointments. I knew that Cole never had children over the years. I knew that Cole never had a deep, meaningful relationship when he was gone all of that time. That was truly always the way that I had seen him in my mind. And it was uncanny how the writers picked up on his history exactly the way that I had seen it. And, you know, because they could have easily said, well, Cole was married and divorced and he lost his wife.
Suzanne: Right?
JEP: And, you know, all different kinds of things. I knew that he had never had a deep, meaningful relationship. And, they actually brought that up in a conversation between Cole and Victoria one day. She had said to him, “Well, Cole, you’re a, a professor at Oxford and you must have run across and had a number of relationships and things of that nature,” and he said, “Well, I had a trist or two, but I never really had any deep, meaningful relationship, and that truly is the way I always saw this character. I always saw him… even when he was married to Ashley, [whom] he cared a great deal for, but his true love was always Victoria. And that’s why he went, you know, he went outside his marriage…He, I just, I think so much was just the way I played him, the way that Bill wrote him, that even back in the day, I was always trying to steer it back to Victoria, even when I was working with Ashley.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And, and I really enjoyed working with those actresses, Shari and Eileen… I loved it, and I loved the Ashley character. Wonderful character.
Suzanne: Right. She’s great.
JEP: Yeah. But, um. I felt Cole’s heart was always with Victoria. And so when Amelia took over that role in, [2004], just prior to that, She was on “All My Children” [as Mia].
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And I had several different love interests on “All My Children” for the time that I was there.
Suzanne: Sure.
JEP: But Amelia was my last one. And Cole, or excuse me –Jake and Mia actually got engaged right just before I left the show, so there was a connection there, there was a night, there was a friendship there that Amelia and I had, and I thought we had a really nice chemistry on that show, just from absolutely, from the get go.There was just some nice chemistry there.
Suzanne: So yeah, I watched that one too, so I–
JEP: Oh, good. Oh, wonderful. Well, thank you for even remembering. It was so long ago.
Suzanne: It was a long time ago.
JEP: Yeah, it was, it was long ago. But, but anyway, um, yeah, I absolutely believed that all the goods were there. You know, if they had chose to go more that direction and for a longer period of time, I just really believed that Cole’s relationship with Claire, and the chemistry, that the three of us had, which is, eh, it was fun.
Suzanne: It was, it was unique, I think, and I think it worked.
JEP: The other thing too, Suzanne, is that I hate to use the word designed, but I guess you could say that I saw a path for Cole. Um, his personality, his history, his love and devotion. He’s a hopeless romantic. He has a sense of humor. He’s a strong male who will fight for the deaths for his family and anything he believes in. I knew I had the fire in the belly, if you will, as an actor, just like I do as a father and a husband in real life. And, I knew that I could make that character very, very interesting if I had the opportunity to do more with it. And especially at this time in my life. You know, this time in my life, I’m a very different person
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: Than I what I was 20, 25 years ago. You know, fatherhood and life and ups and downs, and reinventing myself – as I had to do when I left acting. All these kinds of things, you know, have deepened me as a person, and it’s kind of shaped me into a different person than who I was in the 1990s.
Suzanne: Well, that’s, I guess that’s the best of what happens to us as we get older and mature and we–
JEP: Yeah. Fully become better people.
Suzanne: Absolutely.
JEP: Absolutely. And I think that’s what makes it so interesting, you know, for all actors, as we all get, get older, I think…motherhood, for the ladies that I’ve worked with, whether it was Amelia, whether it was Heather Tom, you know. I know, as Heather, whom I worked all those years ago, she was just this young– this young lady with this tremendous amount of talent. I know that she, she’s a different person today. You know, she’s had a very long, successful marriage and she’s a mother and all the years of experience and her close relationship with her mother and things that she had, and all these things really shape all of us. And I think that’s what makes daytime such a dynamic medium is that we see these characters grow and evolve from their youth and through their trials and tribulations to hopefully [become] seasoned, mature, interesting people.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And it’s not just the characters, it’s us, too, [and] that’s what makes the storylines so much more compelling and more interesting in this medium than anywhere else. And that is, that we see and experience the life that these characters go through and how that changes them.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And generally for the better character.
Suzanne: The character development is great… has always been great on soaps. Anyway, is there anything else that you’d like to tell us about working on the show, and if you have any funny behind-the-scenes stories?
JEP: Well, let me think here. Funny and behind-the-scenes…
Suzanne: You know, anything you’re allowed to tell.
JEP: Yeah, exactly. Well, you know, at Y&R, I think I grew up a lot. By the time I got toY&R, even in the nineties, you know. When I was on Days of our Lives, we were stinkers, you know, and especially me. I had to be one of the worst. (Bye honey. My wife’s checking out. ) I had to be one of the worst when it came to just doing stupid pranks, stupid stuff. But my fellow actor buddies on the show. Oh gosh. I hate to even tell some of the stuff I used to do. But anyway, yeah, over there, there was a lot of, you know, we were just young, younger guys and, just a lot of crazy stuff. I know we did have showers in our dressing rooms, and, of course, why not? We always had a shower in the dressing room, so if you choose to shower at work and shower in the dressing room… “All My Children”, we did not have showers in a dressing room.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And at days, most of the time I was there.. actually, I was one of the few people who did have a shower in a dressing room because I had Redd Foxx’s dressing room, which meant you had to walk through a whole ‘nother empty stage to get to the main stage. And a lot of the actors went, “Mike, I don’t wanna walk that far. Just, just gimme one of the close rooms.” And I was like, “Wait a minute. That room’s got a shower, and it’s got a steam. I take it, I want that room. I don’t care how far I gotta walk.” But before I took that room, Suzanne, there was a downstairs area that– most of us guys were downstairs. Most all of us were. And we’d have to shower, you know, down in the community shower and whatnot. You didn’t have a separate stall, but, and I think there was just two showers. There might have been one. I think there was two. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. There was two. And, so when, you know, Michael Easton or Robert Mailhouse, when they would be in their showering or whatever, man, I’d, I’d sneak down there. I’d sneak in there and I’d grab, they’d have freezing cold water. I could get that outside in the hallway, not the tap, but really, really cold stuff. They’d be in their shower and I’d be dousing them with the cold water — just mean, stupid stuff, you know?
Suzanne: Yeah, yeah.
JEP: And then a lot of other funny stuff that I, I really can’t tell, but, we were always cutting up and doing things. What it was at Y&R, you know, for whatever reason, it wasn’t as juvenile as what I was allowed to be on some of the other shows. Again, I was more mature, so where by the time I went to “All My Children,” I wasn’t doing any shenanigans. And then, you know, after I left Days and went to Y&R, there were no shenanigans. I’m trying to think of, if the other folks did stuff.
Suzanne: You know, I heard that the actor that plays Nick, um…
JEP: Oh yeah. He is a practical joke. Nick is, yeah, Josh is, Josh is hilarious. He’s, he’s very, very funny. He’s, he’s a very special individual. Um, I just have so much respect for Josh because I remember when he came in his very first day, and he, Josh, was originally from Oklahoma, and he had been living out in the LA area in the valley for a short amount of time.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And, going to school, playing basketball for our junior college. (And I got Pilgrim saying, he’s just handing me his ball, handing me his bosses. Come on, dad’s ball time.) Hopefully he’ll stop. But anyway, I remember when Josh first came in and. I wanna say he was 19, I think he was 19 years old. He was pretty young. You know, those first scenes, I was doing those first scenes with him. He [played] Victoria’s brother…But I was gonna say, he’s just a great guy with a tremendous sense of humor. All of the younger guys on the show are all super special. I mean, they’re just, they’re great guys. They’re great individuals. Um. Pots of gold. Everybody’s a just a really good person. Everybody’s so solid. I’ve said to my sons, when I look at my cast members, these are people that are fortunate, but these aren’t people who got lucky.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: These are people that are so special and unique. [They] have a multitude of gifts and qualities, which put them in a position to where they could win that special job. And then when they won that special job, they grew from there and they improved and they were professional and they’ve hung on, you know, to those roles. And trust me when I tell you that these are not just lucky people who happen to land on a soap. I think that. Sometimes there were those people maybe 30 years ago or more. But, I really think, especially with our cast over at Y&R
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: These are really talented, deserving, people that have these coveted jobs and roles and characters that we love. You know, they’re wonderful. I’m a huge fan of my cast on that show, as it was every cast that I ever worked with.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: They’re just really special talented people that don’t take anything for granted. They’re professional. People know their stuff. They show up prepared. There’s no slacking, they’re good. I have seen people that, I don’t wanna say slacked off, but maybe weren’t as professional prepared, you know?
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And that’s not slacking. It’s just like some people just have a problem getting that material down, Suzanne. It’s hard to deliver it. Well, and the people I work with are a lot better at it than I am. They’re really, really good at it. And they’re tremendous and, anyway, but funny stories…Let’s see. Do I have anything? I’m sure you know that there are, um. But I can’t. I can’t.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: No, they cannot for anything. You know, I will say that, in the nineties and everything, um, I used to socialize a lot more with a cast.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And, you know, we’d go to the Emmy’s and we’d all go hang out and go out to dinner and go out dancing and all those kinda things and–
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And even over the show, you know, I used to socialize a lot with the cast and, and maybe, I don’t know what it is now, but… This time coming back? I’m friends, but I never really socialized, you know? Probably ’cause most of the people who do the socializing, you know, were younger than me, and I’m that guy that would finish up with work and, say, “Oh my gosh, I’d love to go do this. Or I’d love to go meet a friend for a while. I gotta race home…” Because I was always rescuing dogs, you know?
Suzanne: Right, right.
JEP: Oh, I can’t leave my wife with. 15 million dogs at the house. I gotta, I gotta rush home.
Suzanne: And how long have you been doing the dog fostering and rescue?
JEP: Um, well, my mother had an animal rescue, when I grew up as a boy in Joplin, Missouri. So, she kind of initiated me with that when I would get home from school. If I didn’t have sports after school, then I was, I was racing home to bottle-feed, to clean up after the puppies, or clean the kennels or do something, or, she’d say,” Hey, I need you to go with me. We’re gonna go pick up a doll.”
Suzanne: She trained you and all that.
JEP: She trained me with all that. Exactly. That’s good. But what she really did was that she opened my eyes to the plight of the dogs. You know, we have the same issues today that we did in the 1970s, which is spaying and neutering, educating – get getting people to spay and neuter their animals. We have overpopulation.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm
We have dogs that are going in the shelter situations, and the shelters are overrun all over the country. And obviously, a lot of shelters euthanize, and that’s what we have out here inL.A. You know, most euthanize. And what I try to do is I try to help find the homes, and place, and bring attention to the dogs that are on the 72-hour list. So, you know. My time is limited.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And there’s a lot of things that I want to do at this time in my life. I’m 66 years old, and I wanna make the best use of my time while I have my health and things. But to be honest with you, Suzanne, my wife and I are up every single night, following the plight of these dogs. We get alerts and things of the situations and dogs that are critical. We just can’t– you can’t turn your back on it.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: You know, it’s just not something that I can just walk away from and, oh gee, that’s a bad problem. And I can’t, and I just feel compelled to try to, to do more, to try to help these animals, to educate people more, too. So I am trying to, more so than, “Hey, I’m gonna try to place and find a home for this particular dog,” which I do a lot of, but I’ve exhausted my Rolodex. I’ve exhausted every friend, family [member] — people see me coming, you know, on area over area. So place the dog, can we help it? Can we keep it? Can we foster it? You know?
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: So what I’m trying to do now is, I’m trying to do fundraising. I’m trying to expand more on the education of people throughout my entire area and things. We have a lot of folks in Los Angeles that are from all over the world, and folks from all over the world have different cultures, and different cultures that the way in which they view spaying and neutering and things of that nature. So there’s an educational campaign, that I really think that we need to do. And I’m working with that. I’m working with raising money, particularly for my shelter here in Santa Clarita. I did a fundraiser here about four months ago that, thankfully, I had some really nice people that did the heavy lifting.
Suzanne: Good
JEP: That really did the most of the work for me. But we were able to raise some good money. Then I’m involved with another, philanthropist-type of person here, within my community. And we have a big gala coming up on November 1st.
Suzanne: Well, thank you so much.
Here are the rest of the questions that we didn’t have time for:
Suzanne: How did you get into the Airbnb business? Have you ever booked any soaps fans (either inadvertently or on purpose)?
JEP: I had remodel and resale experience. One son is in commercial real estate, the other has history in residential. At the beginning of the pandemic we set our sights on finding the worst house in a nice neighborhood with a great location. Within a few weeks, we found it: a corner lot with a city view.
My son, Austin, created the interior and exterior design, and I got to work—taking the house down to the studs and rebuilding what we call a rustic mid/century farmhouse—remodeled inside and out, including re-plastering the pool and landscape.
The house is very quiet and private. A nice alternative for those looking to avoid hustle and bustle of Los Angeles while being just 7 minutes from Six Flags Magic Mountain, 25 minutes to Universal Studios and an hour from Disneyland during low traffic times.
Last year the house was booked 92% of the time, and we’ve met some wonderful people from every continent in the world. To your question: Yes, I have been recognized a few times. A few months ago I dropped-in to clean the pool. The female guest walked outside, I waved “hello,” she took a long pause then ran back inside the house. After a few minutes a man comes out and shyly says: “I know this is crazy, but my wife is convinced you’re the actor, JEP on the Young and the Restless?” I think even he was surprised when I said, “Yes.” I was pretty sure they were both wondering why an actor on her show is cleaning the pool? I said, “It’s a family biz and we are very hands on. I’m the guy who fixes everything and does the pools.”
The B&B business takes a lot of work. When something breaks—and it will, it’s gotta be remedied right away. There are days when I rather be acting on B&B than be the AirBnB biz. But this is about doing business ventures with my sons, and nothing is more rewarding than that.
Suzanne: I saw a video on your Instagram where you said something like, you would like to go to another soap. Are you going out for auditions in general?
JEP: I think what I mentioned was I’d love to work on another soap. It’s hard to beat the daytime medium when it comes to finding roles with depth. So yes, I love to work on any of the daytime shows. Whether it be B&B, GH, reprising my role of Hawk Hawkins on Days, or creating a new one on “Beyond The Gates.”
Suzanne: Some questions from fans:
Monica wants to know what your favorite storyline on Y&R was?
JEP: Without a doubt, my favorite storyline on the “Young and the Restless” was the early days when Cole and Victoria discovered one another, fell in love, only to marry and find out that they were half brother and sister.
I got a call from Bill Bell one night telling me that he loved the chemistry between Heather Tom and I (when Cole and Vic first met in the tack house where Cole lived). I said, “Oh that’s great. I really enjoy working with her, but we are brother and sister.” Bill followed with: “Hey, you don’t worry about that. That’s my job. You just keep doing what you’re doing—I like you two together. You’re the first actor to have chemistry with the kid, and I’ll figure out how to make it work.” Of course, we know the rest of the story, Victor exhumed Cole’s mother (Eve) from the grave, did a DNA test, and as it turned out, Cole was NOT Victor’s so,n and he and Victoria were reunited. That made much of the audience happy and I was glad to be working with such a brilliant young lady. Heather’s depth was far beyond her years, and I loved working with her. Bill Bell’s stories through the 90s were wonderful, and I was honored to be a part of that era.
Suzanne: Eva writes Y&R recaps for our site. She asks if you have any kind of message for the fans that miss you on Y&R?
JEP: When I got the call from Josh Griffith that he was going to kill Cole, it caught me by such surprise that all I could think about was how grateful I was to have the opportunity to come back and play the role for 20 months. And now, after some time has gone by, it’s really hit me on how much I enjoyed Cole’s return and sad to see it end in his death. Reading viewer comments—some of which are fans from the 90s—touched me deeply. It made me feel I’d left some kind of mark on the show, and at the end of the day, that’s what all of us actors are hoping for.
I think I had over 7,000 comments for two short posts that I put out on my departure. I announced I was going to read every one of them, and I did. It took me about 3 1/2 weeks to read them all. So my message to the fans : Thanks so much for your kind, heartfelt words of support that have helped me feel a little better about Cole’s demise. Wishing you and your family the very best! ❤️
Suzanne: Janet asks, “Where does your next adventure take you to?”
JEP: I’m not sure…and it’s kind of exciting not knowing, really, what lies ahead. I do know that whether it’s on another show, a Lifetime movie, or my own YouTube channel—which I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, I promise I will bring heart, depth and worthy content that our Y&R viewers deserve.
Suzanne: Chris wants to know where you would have liked to see the dynamic of Claire, Victoria and Cole go in the future?
JEP: Hey Chris, thanks for your question. Yeah, I would have liked to have seen the story go exactly in the direction that me as the actor and Cole as the character were hoping and pushing for since Cole’s return to GC. Obviously, Cole’s first priority is the health and well-being of his daughter, Claire, followed by his unconditional support for helping Victoria reach whatever goals she was after in her life. As far as Cole, Victoria was the love of his life since leaving Genoa City 24 years earlier. He never forgot about his one true love and was never able to move on and find a fulfilling relationship. As Cole once told Victoria, “Yeah, sure, I had a tryst with a colleague every now and then, but nothing that ever went anywhere.” Cole’s wish was to remarry Victoria and become the family unit that he always wanted with his daughter, Claire.
Suzanne: Chris also asks, “If you have a dream job or role to play, what would that be?”
JEP: Chris, I became an actor because I wanted to tell stories. I wanted to play characters with depth, heart, and passion. Characters that were appealing, unpredictable, within stories that inspire people to hopefully become better people.
I also have a rather deep sense of humor. I like to bring some level of humor to all my characters . Unfortunately, this time around there wasn’t much room for humor, romance or courtship. The depth of Claire’s story, Aunt Jordan, and Victoria dealing with it all, left little opportunity for Cole’s personality to shine. If there was room, I would have brought it, and it would have been a lot harder for them to get rid of me, I can promise you that.
A veteran actor of eight television series; actor, producer, writer, director and host, J. Eddie Peck has both domestic and international appeal. Once known by millions of viewers around the world due to his thirteen-year stint in daytime television as Cole Howard on CBS’s number one daytime drama, The Young and the Restless, Hawk Hawkins on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, and as Dr. Jake Martin on ABC’s, All My Children. In addition, his starring roles on Dallas and Dynasty are still aired throughout the world. In fact, J. Eddie is one of the very few actors to have a front-burner storyline on two primetime series simultaneously.
Peck has also starred in fourteen films and several hit Movies-of-the-Week. One being the major release dance movie, Lambada, a Gene Siskel “top ten” rental pick-of-the- year. The film was an idea J. Eddie pitched and sold to the studio as a writer, and was later cast as the film’s lead. Peck also starred with the Olsen Twins in the lighthearted comedy, To Grandmother’s House We Go, one of ABCs most successful TV movies of the 90’s, and still a holiday classic today.
Eddie recurred as the world’s “second” smartest human in the role of scientist, Adam Baylin on ABC Family’s all-time highest rated series, KYLE XY. Originally hired for a two-episode guest star, the show opted to bring Peck’s character back from the dead enabling him to return in seventeen of the last 27 episodes.
Once voted by “Teen Magazine” as “TV’s Sexiest New Star,” JEP is one of a small few daytime male stars to shoot the cover of “TV Guide” magazine. He also appeared on eleven daytime covers within his first twelve months on The Young and the Restless, as well as over 75 National magazine covers throughout his daytime career.
While at CBS, the network approached the actor about an “at home special” featuring Peck and his family on their California horse ranch. Originally slated for daytime viewing, CBS later decided to air the show as a prime-time special. The show caught the attention of the network’s executives, and as a result J. Eddie was soon hired by the network, and approved by the pageant owner, Donald Trump, to host the Miss Teen USA, and later, the Miss USA, which proved to be the highest rated USA Pageant in CBS history.
Eddie has also been a guest on over 50-television talk shows, including The Today Show, GMA, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Good Day LA, Regis and Kathie Lee, and Donahue. The former disc jockey also enjoys holding the mic, having hosted for E-Entertainment’s Pure Soap and Along for the Ride with J. Eddie Peck, an equestrian lifestyle show which he created and executive produced. In addition, Peck served as guest correspondent for Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Crook and Chase, as well as a celebrity panelist on 22 episodes of the syndicated game show, Match Game.
Eddie’s created scripted and unscripted programming as well. He’s sold or optioned several feature scripts; a one-hour scripted drama, as well as a one-hour pilot for Animal Planet. Currently, he is in development with “Flippin’ The Bird,” a reality pilot featuring an interesting cast of characters and their vintage-aircraft restoration business out of Ozark, Missouri. Also in 2023, J. Eddie co-stars in Bright Ideas, a Ronn Head-directed, independent comedy currently hitting film festivals and expecting a distribution deal within the year.
From the executive level in entertainment, J. Eddie was brought on by TAMD Multimedia Corporation from 2009 to 2010 as Senior VP of Acquisitions. Mr. Peck expanded his executive level work outside the studio realm when he was hired from 2012 to 2016 as the CEO & President of the national financial services company, AmeriPrem LLC. In addition, he served a five-year term as consultant and national spokesman for the healthcare company, AmeriPlan USA.
Outside of entertainment J. Eddie’s lifelong passion for building and remodeling to restoring old cars and trucks, J.Eddie is usually juggling several projects at a time. Most of all, he enjoys doing all of the above with his wife, Sonya, and their two adult sons. The kid who booked a national commercial within his first 24 hours in Hollywood because they liked his “Ozark Twang,” is still the same guy today — only a little less accent, and a few more credits.
In October of 2023, J. Eddie Peck reprised his role of Cole Howard on CBS’s number one daytime drama, The Young and the Restless. Cole’s managed to rekindle his relationship with his former wife and long-time love interest, Victoria Newman, played by Amelia Heinle.
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, the #1 daytime drama for over 30 consecutive years, is a continuing drama revolving around the loves, enmities, hopes and fears of the residents of the fictional Midwestern town of Genoa City.
The series, currently in its 52nd season, airs on the CBS Television Network, and is available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
Cane turns down working with Victor and he tells him he would take his chances when the information about Colin conning the woman out of her money so that Cane could use the money to start his empire. Victor tells Cane he knows that he is working on an AI program that can take over any company’s finical information in order to make it easier to take over any company. Victor demands that Cane team up with him to take over Jabot or Mattie and Charlie will find out that grandpa Colin was a thief.
Claire tells Kyle that she needs time to think about his marriage proposal. Claire tells Kyle that she isn’t sure she can trust him anymore although she knows that he loves her. Claire goes to Crimson Lights and runs into Holden and she decides she wants to get drunk for the first time and wonders if Holden wants to get drunk with her.
Britt finds Josslyn and Vaughn in the room where Pascal has them locked up.
Portia finally tells Trina the truth that Drew has been blackmailing her and Curtis because he found out she altered Heather Webber’s blood test results to keep her in prison.
Kai finds out that Drew asked the insurance commission to investigate Stella when he calls the insurance commission to find out the status of the investigation. Kai later talks to Trina and tells her she was right about Drew and he will do anything to make it up to her.
Danny and Rocco find a body floating in the Port Charles harbor.
Curtis tells Drew that he will see him dead before he sees his Aunt Stella go to prison. Drew tells Carly that she should persuade Michael to give Willow her kids back or he will ruin Michael’s life. Carly tells Drew she will kill him if he does anything to hurt Michael.
Willow tells Elizabeth she knows Drew is a terrible person but he is the only person who is powerful enough to get her kids back for her. Willow tells Elizabeth that she is willing to sell her soul to the devil to get back her kids.
Leo talked to Chad about his time being wasted on the trial. He didn’t like how Kristen confessed to shooting EJ. Leo was relieved that he was free of jury duty. Chad wanted him to cover the story about Kristen’s sentencing. Leo wanted to do the story. He admitted that he thought Kristen’s confession was a little too convenient. It wasn’t like Kristen to confess to anything out of guilt. Chad wondered why Kristen would want to confess and risk losing her daughter if she didn’t do it. Gwen told EJ that she was surprised that Kristen confessed to shooting him. It’s not like her to sacrifice her freedom for someone else. She mentioned that the jury was going to find Johnny not guilty so she didn’t have to confess. Gwen felt bad for Rachel since she had to grow up without her mother. Tate talked to Brady about Rachel. He was willing to stay at the townhouse because of everything that’s been happening lately. Brady wanted him to have the full college experience. Tate had to get ready for work. He let Brady know that Sophia got hired at the pub too. Brady knew things were tense between them because of the baby. Tate thought she wanted to move on with her life. Holly arrived at the pub and wasn’t happy to see Sophia working there. She thought Sophia was there to get closer to Tate. Holly let her know that she wouldn’t let her come between her and Tate again. Tate arrived at the pub, and Holly pulled him into a kiss while staring at Sophia.
Brady went to Steve’s office to find out if he had any information about the adoption. Steve didn’t have any information for him yet. He wanted to know which hospital Sophia went to when she gave birth. Brady didn’t know, but he had a picture of the adoptive parents. Steve believed he could do a search on them. He wanted to use a copy of the baby’s birth certificate. Brady thought it would look suspicious if he asked Tate or Sophia for the birth certificate. They checked on the lawyer that was used for the adoption. Brady called her, and it went to voicemail. He left a message for the lawyer. Steve went to the hospital to see Kayla. He wanted to know if she treated Sophia while she was pregnant. Kayla said she did, but she couldn’t talk it. Steve told her about Brady’s suspicions about Sophia’s pregnancy. Brady believed that Sarah was suspicious about the pregnancy too. Steve wondered if Kayla could do anything. Brady went to the family lawyer. She said she got his message. He said he had questions about the adoption she handled for his son, Tate Black. The lawyer didn’t know who Tate was.
Alex told Xander that he talked to Sarah, and she admitted that she still loved him and missed him. Xander was affected by what Alex told him, but he changed the subject. He admitted that Stephanie’s idea officially announcing Philip as co-CEO. Alex thought it would get them out of harm’s way. He thought it would be better for Xander to have half of something instead of all of nothing. Sarah told Marlena that Kristen should have come forward sooner than she did. Marlena tried to defend Kristen which surprised Sarah. After they talked about Kristen and Rachel, they moved onto Marlena’s health issues. Marlena confided in Sarah that Susan thought she was sick mind, body and soul. Sarah didn’t take Susan’s theories seriously. Susan’s theory gave her an idea. She remembered that Marlena was just in Estonia and it’s a high-risk area for tick-borne illnesses. Sarah wanted to run tests for that. Marlena asked her about Xander. Sarah admitted that she still loved him, but she couldn’t go back to the man he’s become. She hoped that Marlena could help him get to the source of his anger for the sake of their daughter. Susan interrupted Johnny and Chanel’s private celebration. They talked about the trial. Susan never got the feeling that Kristen was the one who shot EJ. Johnny and Chanel told her that Kristen confessed to the crime. Susan backed down and allowed them to go back to their celebration. She left their apartment and had a grim look on her face.
Susan went to see Marlena to apologize to her for what she told her. She felt another chill down her spine. Susan warned Marlena that whatever happened to her has gotten worse. Marlena was interested in hearing her theories. She slammed the door on her. Sarah ran into Xander. He wanted her to admit to what Alex said to him, but she didn’t. Sarah didn’t see a point in discussing it and left with Victoria. Gabi had a fountain pen and didn’t need Steve’s help. Javi arrived, and she begged him to be her assistant again. He didn’t want to do it because he liked his new job. They talked about her life. Javi told her that the only thing missing in her life was love. Gabi confided in Javi that there were two guys that she might be interested in. She admitted that she felt a connection to one of them, and the other was the reason why she didn’t come home last night. After she talked with Javi, she went to Xander’s office. She left a report, and the pen on his desk.
Martin tells Tracy that Stella has been arrested for insurance fraud and they agree to help her separately. Alexis manages to buy Stella some time because the insurance fraud investigators failed to get the warrant signed.
Curtis and Portia have a long argument because Portia thinks that Curtis has always loved Jordan and has never faced his feelings for her because he wanted to make a family for Trina. Portia tells Curtis that if he walks out of the door of her office their marriage is done. Curtis walks out of the door to go to the police station to see his Aunt Stella.
Isiah later walks into Portia’s office, helps Portia take her wedding ring off, and they have sex in her office at the hospital.
Jordan tells Curtis that she talked to her contact at the DEA and found out that someone powerful and influential asked them to open up the investigation on Stella. Curtis later goes to Drew’s office and tells him to stop attacking his family or he will end him. Drew tells Michael that he will give Willow joint custody or he will let everyone know that Sonny paid judge Heron to give him custody of the kids. Micheal later talks to Sonny who tells him they should talk to judge Heron and find out who paid her.
Jens Siddwell is angry with his son Marco for telling Drew about judge Heron and ruining his plan. Jens tells Marco that they need to get to judge Heron before Sonny finds out the truth and retaliate against them.
YPhyllis tells Cane to tell her the details of his plan and she will do everything. She will take the heat and he can keep his hands clean and spend time with his kids. Cane tells Phyllis that he will think about her idea.
Cane later tells Amanda that he is taking a break from his plan so he can focus on his family but, when nobody is watching him, he will take over all the companies in town including Winters Inc. which he told Lily and Devon he wasn’t going to touch.
Nikki promotes Claire to junior executive in the publishing division which Cole used to run and, when she is ready, Claire will run the division too.
Kyle persuades Claire to have dinner with him. Kyle plans to propose to Claire even though Jack and Diane advised him not to propose to Claire right now because it might seem manipulative to her and like he is trying to ignore the fact that he made a mistake not telling Claire as soon as he got home that he kissed Audra in Nice.
Belle gets out of bed and calls Paulina, who is in the town square with Abe. Belle says she knows they have a meeting later this afternoon but asks if they can push it so she can take a personal day. Paulina says it would be no problem at all. Paulina says the trial is over and Kristen has been arrested, so maybe Belle can finally get her life back to normal. Belle responds that she doesn’t know if that’s possible.
Jada comes home to her and Stephanie’s apartment where she’s surprised to find Alex in a towel.
Stephanie joins Xander at the Titan-DiMera office. Xander assumes Alex filled her in on why they were bringing her in. Stephanie confirms that it’s about coming up with a strategy in case Philip’s fraud comes out. Xander says they are hoping that doesn’t happen but want to be prepared if it does. Stephanie tells him that she has a plan but she’s not sure Xander is going to like it.
Steve is in his office, on the phone with Paul. Steve thanks him for getting back to him so soon and says it gave him exactly what he needed to crack this case. Steve says he owes him as they hang up. Steve then declares that Philip is a bad, bad boy.
Philip wakes up in bed with Gabi. Philip admits he thought he was dreaming for a second. They agree this was unexpected. Philip didn’t think agreeing to lunch would turn in to dinner which turned in to this. Philip comments on his history of jumping in to bed without thinking. Gabi asks who says she wasn’t thinking as she then kisses Philip.
Abe and Paulina look through books in the town square in front of the bookstore. Abe notes Paulina becoming distracted as she reads through Stephanie’s “One Stormy Night” novel. They laugh together as Paulina jokes that reading any more of that will make her sweaty. Paulina remembers she has a meeting with Jada and tells Abe that she’ll come back after so they can grab a bite to eat. Paulina then exits and Abe then picks up One Stormy Night.
Alex apologizes to Jada as he thought she already left for work. Jada explains that she did but forgot a file she needed. Alex asks if she has seen Stephanie since she was gone when he woke up. Jada says she was gone when she left this morning too. Alex wonders where she went.
Stephanie suggests to Xander that they have to prevent the truth from coming out. Xander asks what if they can’t. Stephanie says she will get on the case and see what she can do. Stephanie talks about Philip’s fraud being able to undercut the deal because he was never a legit CEO but says there is something Xander can do to help and possibly salvage the deal which Xander questions. Stephanie tells him that he can draw up legal papers, officially naming Philip as co-CEO and putting Victor’s wishes to paper, putting this issue to bed once and for all. Xander questions rewarding Philip by signing over half of everything to him. Stephanie figured he wouldn’t like it. Xander confirms that he hates it.
Philip tells Gabi that maybe they can do this again sometime which Gabi says she would like. Gabi brings up that they almost slept together just a few years ago. Philip remembers but says it would’ve been a mistake then since she was hung up on Jake. Gabi says that this time felt right. Gabi kisses Philip and then goes to leave his room right as Belle arrives at the door.
Paulina meets Jada in her office at the police station. Paulina tells Jada that she wanted to talk to her about AI since it was used to doctor the footage of Chanel and EJ. Paulina is convinced that EJ had something to do with it and that he must have paid someone off in the forensics department. Jada says she thought that too so she got a warrant to check the bank accounts of everyone who had a copy of the video to see if there were any unusual deposits but nothing came up and forensics insist it was an honest mistake.
Gabi goes home where Arianna confronts her and questions where she has been. Gabi questions her being up before noon while Arianna talks about being worried sick when Gabi didn’t come home or answer any of her text messages. Gabi apologizes and claims her phone died. Arianna questions her not having a charger. Gabi says she forgets things from time to time. Gabi says she has work to do but Arianna says she doesn’t get to go anywhere until she tells her why she didn’t come home last night.
Philip is sure Belle has questions about he and Gabi but Belle says it’s fine as she didn’t come to gather detail about his salacious sex life. Philip asks why she is here then. Belle responds that she came to warn him that she knows who is looking in to Titan-DiMera and they are getting very close to uncovering his secret. Philip questions how she knows this and who the hell it is.
Steve texts Stephanie that he needs to see her and asks her to come to his office right away.
Xander tells Stephanie that even if he went along with this, it doesn’t mean the deal can’t go belly up. Stephanie feels it might help bolster his defense of the takeover. Xander feels it doesn’t guarantee the deal won’t get nullified somehow and he’d still lose half of everything so he feels it’s not worth the risk. Stephanie points out that if the secret does come out and he does nothing to secure Philip’s position. Stephanie tells him to imagine being in Philip’s shoes and asks what’s to stop Philip from turning Xander over to the police if he did assault him and he’d end up losing everything.
Paulina tells Jada that from here on out, she will make sure the police get caught up with AI technology. Paulina says on a happier note, she’s glad that Chanel is no longer wrongfully accused. Paulina asks if the judge set a date for Kristen’s sentencing. Jada says not yet. Paulina hopes that the judge throws the book at Kristen. Jada says it still boggles her mind that Kristen almost let her own nephew take the fall for a crime she committed. Paulina says that’s just how the DiMeras are and remarks that you’d have to be out of your mind to even trust someone with the last name DiMera, apart from Johnny and Chanel.
Gabi apologizes to Arianna for making her worry but says she doesn’t have to explain herself, reminding her that she’s an adult. Arianna argues against how Gabi reacted and treated her in the same situation, then comes to the realization that Gabi had sex last night. Gabi argues that she’s allowed to have a love life and says there’s a big difference in Arianna being 18 and scaring her family. Arianna says she doesn’t want a lecture. Arianna didn’t realize Gabi was seeing someone. Gabi responds that she’s not and that it just sort of happened. Arianna hopes for this chill vibe the next time it just sort of happens for her. Gabi remarks that as long as it’s not with a sketchy bad boy who owes money to loan sharks. Arianna asks if she wants her to go back to dating boring normal guys. Gabi confirms she would prefer that and so would Will and Sonny. Gabi remarks that Will and Sonny are going to have their hands full when Arianna goes back home. Arianna then reveals that she wants to stay in Salem to go to school which surprises Gabi, who says she would love that. Arianna admits she already enrolled. Gabi calls it the best news ever as they hug.
Philip demands names from Belle as to who has been snooping around Titan-DiMera. Belle thinks back to talking to Steve about his investigation, but tells Philip that she’s sorry but she can’t tell him. Philip questions the point of warning him then. Belle thinks it’s important for Philip to just come forward and admit he forged the letter from Victor if it’s going to come out anyway. Philip argues that it won’t come out if she just tells him who is coming after his company. Belle repeats that she’s sorry but she can’t help him. Philip complains about her not being a friend after all the favors he’s done for her. Belle argues that she was trying to help him. Philip then stops and apologizes for being a jerk, saying he’s obviously under a lot of stress and he feels terrible. Belle says it’s not just about him, it’s everything.
Alex joins Xander in the Titan-DiMera office. Xander informs Alex that he just had a meeting with Stephanie, who said she would see if she could stop the truth about Philip’s fraud coming out and she also said that he should sign over half of the company to Philip because Stephanie is convinced he could defend his role in the takeover. Alex thinks it might be worth a shot while Xander thinks hiring Stephanie was a waste of time and money. Alex argues that Stephanie didn’t want the job in the first place and only took it because he asked her which only happened because Xander forced his hand, so he thinks Xander should show some gratitude. Xander responds that he’ll show gratitude when Stephanie delivers him something other than a half baked idea. Alex argues that Stephanie is amazing at her job and warns Xander about disrespecting her. Xander asks if it’s going to make him quit.
Stephanie goes to see Steve in his office and says she actually wanted to talk to him too. Steve asks if it has to do with Philip. Stephanie assumes he’s continued his investigation. Steve confirms he has and he’s come across some very interesting information. Steve reveals that it turns out that Philip has no legitimate claim to his inheritance or to the co-CEO position at Titan-DiMera, but guesses Stephanie already knew that which she confirms.
Paulina rejoins Abe in the town square and says her meeting was productive. Paulina suggests they get a table at the Bistro but Abe gets a call from his son, Theo. Abe tells him to slow down and tell him what’s wrong.
Arianna finishes a call with Will and Sonny, thanking them for being so cool about her decision to stay in Salem. Arianna hangs up and tells Gabi that they are totally on board. Gabi says she’s so excited that she’s staying. Gabi suggests having weekly girls nights and promises to give her plenty of space. Arianna then reveals that she plans on living in the dorms. Gabi questions her moving out. Arianna says it’s just across town and jokes that Gabi won’t have to worry about sneaking back in. Arianna says she’s going to grab breakfast so they hug as Arianna then exits.
Philip asks Belle to sit down and talk to him. He asks if she’s still upset about her break up with EJ, arguing that he’s not worth a single tear drop. Belle admits she misses EJ even though most of her wants to hate him but part of her still loves him. Philip asks if she’s thinking about getting back together. Belle assures that she’s not and talks about having the trial as distraction from her break up and her father’s death. Philip praises Belle and promises it will get better in time. Philip tells Belle that he will be there to help her through if she needs him as they hug.
Stephanie questions how Steve figured it out. Steve explains that now that Paul is with the ISA, he asked him for access to the original records from Xander and Philip’s court case concerning Philip’s claim on the Titan fortune. Steve says once he had that, he had Paul analyze Victor’s letter and their handwriting expert said if it was a forgery, it was a very good one but the ISA studied the ink formulation and learned that the ink used to write the letter wasn’t commercially available until January of last year, well after Victor died, so he couldn’t have written the letter. Stephanie calls that impressive detective work. Steve states that he’s shared what he knows, so he asks Stephanie to return the favor.
Alex tells Xander that he’s not going to quit, but if he keeps running his mouth about Stephanie like that, they are going to have a big problem. Xander decides they’ll just drop the subject. Alex asks about Xander starting his anger management sessions with Marlena because he hopes that a happier boss could mean a happier work place.
Steve tells Stephanie that considering how many people know about Philip’s forgery, he’s surprised the truth hasn’t come out already. Stephanie says that’s because there’s a lot on the line and if the truth comes out, the entire Titan-DiMera deal could unravel which is why Xander kept a lid on it. Stephanie adds that she’s now asking Steve to do the same. Stephanie asks if Steve even cares if the DiMeras get their company back. Steve admits he doesn’t, so Stephanie asks him to just let this one go. Stephanie points out that besides the DiMeras, no one gets hurt if they keep this on the DL. Steve says that’s not entirely true. Stephanie pleads with him to do it as a favor to her. Stephanie knows it’s asking a lot but says it’s really important to her, so Steve agrees to let it go. Steve calls it a choice between some client and his daughter, so he will choose her every time. Steve knows from experience that a secret like this doesn’t stay under wraps in the long run, so he warns her to prepare Alex for the inevitable.
Abe tells Theo that he loves him and to hang in there as he hangs up. Paulina asks what is up with Theo. Abe says he’s still having a rough time after his break up with Claire. Paulina wishes she could give him a big hug so it’s too bad he lives in South Africa. Abe admits he misses him so much along with Brandon, Eli, Lani, and the kids. Paulina suggests they visit their children soon. Abe responds that if he’s learned one thing from John’s passing, it’s that time is precious. Paulina agrees that they should make a point to spend as much time with their family as they can.
Xander takes Victoria on a walk past the Brady Pub, saying he’s glad to spend time with her and get away from the office. Xander remarks that everyone there thinks he should be nicer to Philip, but he doesn’t think cheating and swindling should be rewarded with kindness.
Belle apologizes to Philip for being such a downer and says it’s good she took a personal day because going in to the office, she would just make everyone miserable. Philip asks what she’s going to do with her day off. Belle thought she would just go home and crawl back in bed but Philip says she can’t do that. Belle suggests drowning her sorrows in ice cream but Philip decides they should play hooky together.
Stephanie goes home and says she didn’t think Alex would still be there as she thought he had a meeting with Xander. Alex responds that he did but thought it’d be nice to work from home today. Stephanie tells him that her home is his. Alex thanks her but doesn’t know if Jada would agree, joking that he accidentally put on a little show for her this morning. Alex guesses they just missed each other at the office as he didn’t know she had a meeting with Xander too. Stephanie says he called her at the last minute and guesses he wasn’t too pleased with the advice she gave him. Alex confirms he wasn’t completely on board but he’s sure eventually Xander will see the wisdom of her plan. Stephanie says as it turns out, she doesn’t think Xander has to worry about Philip’s secret coming out anytime soon. Alex asks what makes her say that. Stephanie reveals that she knows who was looking in to the Titan-DiMera deal and they’ve agreed to drop it.
Steve goes to see Gabi at home. Gabi asks if he found dirt on Xander and Philip. Steve reveals that he came to return her retainer because he’s decided he can’t work on this case any longer, leaving Gabi shocked.
Abe reveals to Paulina that he bought her a copy of “One Stormy Night”. Paulina excitedly says she can’t wait to read it. Abe says he skimmed through it a little bit and jokes that he might have to borrow it when she’s done. Paulina suggests they read it together in bed which Abe agrees to.
Philip clears his work schedule and asks Belle what she wants to do on their day off. Belle reminds him of the time he talked her in to cutting class in high school. Philip jokes that he still can’t believe she went along with it. Philip suggests riding horses again like they did then, so they exit together.
Xander gets a text from Marlena, wanting to confirm his appointment for tomorrow. Xander tells Victoria that if he doesn’t want to lose custody of her, he doesn’t have a choice.
At the Brady Pub, Jada runs in to Arianna, who is reading One Stormy Night. Jada comments that it seems like everywhere she goes, someone is reading that book. Arianna notes that it’s all over social media too and asks if Jada has read it. Jada confirms she has and that it’s pretty racy. Arianna calls the writing amazing and they laugh together about it. Arianna mentions trying to look up the author but she couldn’t find anything on Anastasia Sands. Jada says she understands it’s her first novel. Arianna wonders if it’s her real name.
Alex questions Stephanie as to who has agreed to drop it, who was looking in to the takeover, and how she even figured this out. Stephanie responds that she can’t say. Alex asks if she knows why they were sniffing around in the first place. Stephanie asks him not to interrogate her. Alex argues that this kind of affects him and asks what she can say. Stephanie says that it’s all over, so Xander can rest easy for now. Stephanie asks Alex to just trust her. Alex guesses he doesn’t have much choice and tells her good work.
Gabi questions why Steve is quitting. Steve says he can’t explain and apologizes. Steve advises Gabi to leave well enough alone and then exits. Gabi says like hell she will.
Cat runs in to Gwen at the hospital. Gwen mentions being there to donate blood while Cat mentions being scatterbrained since this is her last day working at the hospital as she lost her job. Gwen asks if that has anything to do with the new owner since she lives with EJ and knows how he can be. Cat then realizes Gwen looks familiar and asks how she knows her.
Javi cooks at home and comments to Rafe that it’s not like Leo will be there to eat with him. Leo then comes home, surprising Javi and Rafe. Javi runs up and hugs Leo, asking what he’s doing there. Leo announces that the trial is over, Johnny is a free man, and so is he as his stint in jury duty is over as he and Javi kiss.
Chad goes to the DiMera Mansion and tells EJ that he just heard what happened at Johnny’s trial, hoping that Kristen didn’t actually come in to confess to shooting him. Chad can’t believe it. EJ says he can’t either.
Marlena goes home with Rachel. Marlena notes that Rachel was pretty quiet on the way home and asks if something is on her mind. Rachel responds that she’s thinking about her uncle EJ. Rachel points out that Johnny won’t be going to jail for shooting EJ but that means the person that did it is still out there. Marlena informs Rachel that there’s something she needs to tell her. Marlena reveals the reason that Johnny wasn’t convicted in court is because somebody else confessed. Rachel asks who it was, so Marlena informs her that it was her mom as Kristen told the court that she shot EJ which shocks Rachel.
Brady goes to see Kristen in her holding cell and questions how she could let their little girl suffer for months because she saw Johnny pointing the gun at his father. Brady complains that Rachel has been terrified and she let her get on the witness stand to testify. Kristen asks him to let her explain. Brady calls this classic Kristen DiMera, arguing that he knew she could be sadistic and cruel but he never thought she would hurt their daughter. Brady declares that Kristen is the monster that everyone warned him to stay away from.
Gwen tells Cat that they haven’t met and tries to leave but Cat identifies her. Gwen guesses she read about her in The Intruder about how she’s a cold-hearted gold digger. Cat reveals that she knos Gwen’s husband. Gwen questions if she’s friends with Dimitri. Cat responds that she can’t stand the son of a bitch.
Leo tells Rafe and Javi about Kristen confessing to shooting EJ and Johnny being off the hook. Rafe says that Sami must be so relieved. Javi is relieved that Leo is back home as they kiss. Rafe tells them that he’s off to work and exits. Javi cannot believe that Leo went through the whole trial without getting to deliver a verdict. Leo complains about what he went through and having to be away from Javi and Tesoro. They joke about Leo learning Spanish as they kiss.
Chad asks EJ if he can’t remember who shot him because his brain doesn’t want him to see his own sister gunning him down in cold blood. EJ responds that it was an accident. Chad asks if Marlena’s hypnosis worked and he remembers what happened that night. EJ says no and that’s just how Kristen described it. Chad questions how he can be sure that Kristen is telling the truth.
Brady says that he thought Kristen stooped as low as she could go but she finds a new level. Brady complains about Kristen letting Johnny suffer for months. Kristen says she’s sorry. Brady questions her having no excuses or explanations. Kristen asks if it would make a difference. Brady says it might make her more human since she shot her brother and let her nephew take the fall for it. Brady then declares that what she did to their daughter is unforgivable. Kristen thinks back to EJ warning her to come up with a way to free Johnny or he would reveal that Rachel shot him. Kristen then tells Brady there is so much he doesn’t understand, so Brady asks her to make him understand by telling him why she did what she did.
Rachel tells Marlena that it isn’t true and she’s lying because Kristen loves EJ and would never shoot him so it must have been someone else. Marlena flashes back to EJ remembering it was Rachel. Marlena tells Rachel that she’s sorry as she knows it’s upsetting .Rachel insists that she knows her mom didn’t do this. Marlena asks how she knows that.
Cat tells Gwen that she shouldn’t have said that about her husband but Gwen says it’s perfectly fine because she hates the son of a bitch too. Gwen talks about Dimitri pretending to be straight and cheating on her with her best friend. Cat says she’s sorry to hear that but Gwen tells her not to be because his money proved to be quite the consolation prize. Gwen asks what Cat’s gripe with Dimitri is. Cat says he didn’t do anything to her personally, but he and his mother hurt a lot of people that she’s come to care about in Salem. Cat then introduces herself to Gwen. Gwen realizes that she’s the person who impersonated her late sister Abigail.
EJ asks Chad what kind of question that is when Kristen raced in to court and publicly confessed to shooting him. Chad argues that it doesn’t add up and questions why Kristen would let Johnny go through the whole ordeal of a trial, just to come in and confess at the last minute as it doesn’t make any sense.
Marlena questions why Rachel is so sure that her mother didn’t shoot EJ. Rachel responds that she just is. Rachel knows Kristen has done bad things before but insists that she wouldn’t do this. Rachel asks if Marlena believes that. Marlena responds that she believes Kristen must have had a very good reason to confess.
Brady asks Kristen why she shot EJ. Kristen brings up finding her mother was alive after all these years. Brady questions what the hell that has to do with any of this. Kristen says that just when they were starting to rebuild their relationship, EJ made her disappear. Brady questions if she shot her brother out of revenge for her mom. Kristen says she was desperate to find out where EJ had hidden her. Brady argues that if Kristen would’ve killed him, she would never have gotten the answers she wanted.
Cat tells Gwen that she has every right to be angry at her for what she did to Chad and the Hortons but she can explain the circumstances. Gwen tells her there’s no explanation necessary and that she’s actually quite impressed which Cat questions. Gwen comments on Cat pulling off impersonating someone she never met and says she couldn’t care less about the disrespect because there’s no one she detests more than Abigail. Cat doesn’t know what to say. Gwen knows it’s considered blasphemous to talk bad about Abigail. Cat admits she’s the first person to do it around her. Gwen is sure the Hortons raked her over the coals when the truth came out. Cat is pretty sure she deserved it. Gwen asks what that even means. Cat says she hurt a lot of people who were still mourning and she really does regret it. Cat adds that she wouldn’t have done it but her mother’s life was on the line. Gwen senses they are a lot alike as they both do what they have to do to survive and get what they want. Gwen suggests they get lunch sometime soon since she doesn’t have any friends and could really use a gal pal. Cat accepts and says she would like that. Gwen hands Cat her phone to put her number in. Gwen says they will be in touch and exits the hospital.
Brady brings up Kristen saying on the stand that if EJ died, she may have never found her mother. Kristen calls it an accident and says she wanted to frighten EJ in to telling her where he hid her mother but the gun went off, she was stunned, and ran out of there. Brady questions why she didn’t come clean earlier then. Kristen claims she was frightened that she would be separated from their daughter again. Brady asks what made her finally change her mind. Kristen says it was the trial as she hoped EJ would do such a great job defending Johnny that it would be a clear acquittal but then Johnny fired EJ and it got so dicey that in the end, she couldn’t let their nephew go to prison for something she did. Brady responds that he’s not buying it.
Cat goes to see Rafe in his office as Rafe is finishing a call with Johnny, telling him how happy he is for him. Rafe tells Cat that it looks like she’s feeling better. Cat thanks him for the soup and mentions that they did have a close call, so she’s glad he used his alias on the note. Rafe responds that he knows because he’s a special agent. Cat explains that Chad was helping her and Felicity as they got sick and then they got him sick. Rafe says she doesn’t have to explain to him but Cat feels like she does. Rafe says it’s fine and brings up how she and Chad were thrown together for the hospital fundraiser, stuck in the elevator together, and now convalescing together. Cat calls it a series of coincidences but she’s sure Julie won’t believe that. Rafe asks if the Horton family is still giving her a hard time. Cat says it’s nothing she can’t handle and decides they’ve talked enough about Chad and the Hortons as she has something important to discuss with him about EJ.
Chad argues that Kristen does things for selfish reasons while EJ claims she felt remorse over Johnny going to prison. Chad questions EJ saying that Kristen is capable of remorse. EJ asks what other explanation there could be. Chad questions EJ being so calm about this. EJ feels there’s no point in being hysterical. Chad points out that Kristen almost let Johnny take the fall. EJ responds that right now, all he cares about is that Johnny is free and the legal system can take care of the rest. Chad points out that EJ is free to be with his son while their sister is being taken away from her daughter.
Kristen claims she’s telling Brady the truth which Brady says would be a first. Kristen questions what he wants from her. Brady responds that something just isn’t sitting well with him. Brady says that if Kristen shooting EJ was truly an accident, she never would’ve let it go this far and she knows how easily she could skate since she’s done it before. Kristen argues against trusting Belle, Jada, and the rest of the police to treat her fairly. Brady argues that she’s hiding something and he’s going to find out what it is. Kristen tells him to stop and just let it go. Kristen tells him to go be with Rachel because she needs him since she’s going to lose her mother again. Brady asks whose fault that is.
Rachel cries to Marlena that Kristen can’t go to prison. Marlena knows it will be very sad for her but encourages that she has her, Brady, and her family to be there for her. Rachel argues that Kristen is supposed to be there with them. Rachel cries that she lost her Grandma Rachel and Grandpa John, so she can’t lose her mom too. Marlena hugs her as she cries.
Javi and Leo take Tesoro for a walk through the town square. Leo talks about being so glad to be out of the jury room and tells Javi how much he missed them as they kiss. Javi brings up that Leo hasn’t said what the verdict would’ve been. Leo says he can’t tell him that. Javi asks why it matters since the case is over. Leo jokes that he was going to save it for his tell-all book but guesses he can tell him. Javi swears not to tell a soul. Leo reveals that they were going to find Johnny not guilty, right as Gwen appears. Leo accuses Gwen of eavesdropping. Javi says they should get going. Gwen tells them not to go on her account. Leo complains that she’s ruining a perfectly good afternoon. Gwen asks Leo how it feels to know his time on the jury was entirely inconsequential, just like his time with Dimitri and his entire existence. Javi tells her that’s enough, noting that he knows they have their issues but she doesn’t get to talk to Leo like that. Gwen remarks that they must be in their honeymoon phase but warns Javi that he won’t be defending Leo when he screws him over like he did to her.
EJ tells Chad that Johnny may be free but he wants nothing more to do with him. Chad asks if he can blame him after he tried to frame Chanel and was willing to send her to prison. EJ disagrees and says he never would’ve let it get that far. EJ suggests not talking about the trial anymore as he wants to move forward. Chad questions move forward to what. EJ brings up Chad and Cat spending quite a bit of time together and asks when Chad is going to admit that he was right that he needs to move on from Abigail.
Cat tells Rafe about Marlena taking a break from the hospital. Rafe can’t imagine what she’s going through. Cat says their entire family is going through it right now because of John’s death and because of EJ. Cat adds that this whole ISA investigation got a lot more complicated now that she won’t be working at EJ’s hospital which will make it a lot harder to dig for dirt on his purchase. Rafe guesses they will just have to find another way in for her. Cat responds that she may already have one.
Rachel asks Marlena what is going to happen now. Marlena responds that Kristen is going to have to talk to the judge. Rachel asks if she’s going to jail. Marlena says they don’t know that. Rachel points out that Kristen confessed and can’t take that back.
Leo tells Gwen that he used to wish he could take back what he did to her, so they could be BFFs again, but he has let go of all his regrets because all of his mistakes led him to Javi and Tesoro, so he’s the happiest he’s ever been. Gwen remarks that everyone is so happy, except her friend Kristen and she doesn’t know why she confessed. Javi calls it the right thing to do. Gwen questions the point if Johnny was just going to get off anyway and thanks them for that tidbit. Leo calls that a private conversation while Gwen says they shouldn’t have been having it in public then. Gwen remarks that Tesoro needs to be changed and walks off. Javi asks Leo if this is going to happen every time they run in to Gwen. Leo says until she finds a new target for her wrath. Leo says they have to get Tesoro home for a change and a nap while they are due for a proper reunion, so they walk off together.
Kristen tells Brady that she’s well aware of what her actions have cost their daughter. Brady asks if she would’ve kept on lying otherwise. Kristen cries that she feels awful as it is. Brady tells her that she should. Brady calls Rachel the only good thing to come out of his time with her. Brady says after everything, he thought Kristen loved Rachel but if she did, she would’ve never let Rachel go on the stand, knowing that she shot EJ. Brady declares that he’s done with Kristen. Brady calls Kristen a terrible mother and parent and shouts that she’s not seeing their daughter ever again. Brady storms out as Kristen breaks down crying.
Javi and Leo go home with candles lit in their bedroom. Leo admits he’s still thinking about the trial. Javi asks if he’s not setting the mood, then wonders if Leo is already planning the first chapter of his book. Leo says he loves a good surprise ending but something about this doesn’t feel quite right as he believes there is something off about Kristen’s confession.
Chad repeats to EJ that he and Cat are just good friends as Gwen comes in and asks if he’s talking about Cat Green. Chad calls it a private conversation. Gwen remarks that she’s been hearing that and it’s not her fault that people keep talking where she can hear them. Gwen mentions having the pleasure of meeting Cat today. Gwen knows Cat tricked Chad in to thinking she was Abigail and she gets why he believed her and forgave her as he could do a lot worse. Chad tells Gwen to beat it but Gwen says she lives there. They tell each other to go away. Chad turns to EJ, who says he has enough to deal with without getting in the middle of whatever this is, so Chad then walks out of the mansion. Gwen asks if it was something she said.
Cat tells Rafe about running in to Gwen at the hospital, telling her that she hated Dimitri and she instantly wanted to be her friend. Cat reveals that she knows Gwen is living at the DiMera Mansion which is why she cozied up to her. Rafe advises Cat to be careful since he knows she says that she and Chad are just friends, but Chad and Gwen have history and none of it is good.
Brady goes home to Marlena and Rachel. Marlena confirms to him that she told Rachel the news. Brady says he just came from seeing Kristen. Rachel asks if she’s okay. Brady encourages that she’s strong and is going to be okay. Rachel cries that she won’t be okay and is going away for a long time. Brady says they don’t know that. Rachel calls this a horrible nightmare as she hugs him.
Leo tells Javi that they are meant to believe Kristen DiMera decided to do the right thing out of the goodness of her heart. Javi suggests she cares about her nephew. Leo questions her caring about him more than herself. Javi jokes about Leo spending the night talking about her instead of holding his body as they then kiss.
Cat runs in to Chad in the town square. They both mention stopping at the Bakery. Cat guesses Thomas and Charlotte must be so happy to have him home. Chad confirms they are and adds that Julie was surprisingly zen about the whole thing which Cat calls out of character. Cat repeats that she really is sorry that she got Chad sick. Chad says it’s nothing to worry about and it happens. Cat talks about being out of it that first night and asks if Chad would tell her if she did something embarrassing. Chad flashes back to Cat kisses him, but tells Cat that she has nothing to feel bad about.
Rafe talks to Sami on the phone about Johnny being home safe where he belongs. Rafe understands how Sami feels but advises she not openly threaten Kristen’s life on a phone call. Rafe feels that if the justice system doesn’t deal with Kristen, EJ will.
EJ tells Gwen that he has to get to the hospital for a budget meeting. Gwen says she thought he would want to know how the jury planned to vote, revealing that she overheard Leo talking to Javi. Gwen informs EJ that apparently before Kristen confessed, the jury was going to find Johnny not guilty.
Brady encourages Rachel that they are going to get through this as a family and he loves her. Brady sends Rachel to go get washed up for dinner. Brady thanks Marlena for breaking the news to Rachel and asks how she seemed to her. Marlena says it will obviously be very difficult for her. Marlena asks how Kristen is holding up. Brady responds that he doesn’t care and questions how she could do something like this to EJ, Johnny, and Rachel. Marlena assures they will all be there for Rachel because they are family as they hug.
EJ questions that Johnny was going to be acquitted after all of that. Gwen guesses EJ must have done a very good job defending his son. Gwen decides she’s going upstairs to take a nap and exits. EJ pours a drink and declares that he’s sorry to Kristen, but what’s done is done.
Gio and Marco meet for the first time at the church while they are both lighting candles in memory of their mothers.
Brook Lynn arrives at the church after Marco leaves and she tells Gio she just wanted to leave flowers and light a candle because today is Camille’s birthday. Brook Lynn tells Gio that all she wanted when she gave him up for adoption was that he would be placed with loving parents. Brook Lynn assures Gio that Camila loved him very much and the only reason she didn’t tell him that he was adopted was because Lois asked her to keep it a secret. Brook Lynn tells Gio that he is a lot like Camila and that she passed on her love of music to him.
Alexis and Kristina tell Ric that they, as well as, Ava have decided to keep him prisoner for a month until the bond where he put the stolen money matures and they can get out the money that he stole from them.
Stella gets arrested and Jordan calls her contacts at the DEA to see if they can get her out of this mess. Alexis heads to the police station to help Stella. Jens Siddwell offers to invest money in Deception to keep it afloat since stock in the company has fallen because of what happened to Maxie. Lucy tells Jens she will think about giving him a bigger stake in Deception if he makes an investment.
Willow tells Drew that she will go back to him if he can get her kids back for her. Nina is upset that Willow is being manipulated by Drew again. Nina tells Drew, that if he hurts Willow, she will see him dead. Marco overhears the conversation with Nina and tells Drew he has a way to solve his problem.
Kyle finally tells Claire the truth that he kissed Audra in Nice. Claire is upset that she had to push Kyle to tell her the truth. Claire tells Kyle that she needs time to think about things.
Kyle tells Jack and Diane that he is going to ask Claire to marry him to prove to her how much he loves her.
At the pub, Steve told Kayla that he solved the case but couldn’t tell her anything about it. Kayla asked him about Stephanie. Steve said Stephanie had things under control. Sophia came over to take their order. Kayla took her outside to ask her how she was doing. Sophia said she was ready to move on with her life. Stephanie and Alex showed up at the pub. When they got their food, Kayla brought up Alex’s success with One Stormy Night. Stephanie almost choked on her food when Steve said he wanted to read the book. Alex said he would talk to the author and get a copy. When Steve and Alex left, Stephanie talked to Kayla how hard it was working for EJ. Kayla suggested that she quit working at the hospital, but Stephanie said she didn’t want to abandon her. Brady and Tate tried to comfort Rachel over Kristen but it didn’t work. When Rachel left, Brady talked about how upset he was about Kristen. After they talked about Kristen, Brady mentioned how Tate wasn’t able to meet his child. Tate said he and Sophia were moving on with their lives. Brady wanted to know the name of the lawyer Sophia used. A frustrated Tate wanted to know why he was asking about it. Brady said someone at Basic Black needed an attorney. Tate gave him the information.
Sarah and Holly talked about her staying in Salem. Holly said she wanted to stay because of Tate. Sarah said Sophia wanted Tate back and warned her that babies bonded people. Holly said she wasn’t worried because Tate loved her and barely dated Sophia. She said the baby didn’t live in Salem so they wouldn’t see her again. Later on, Holly and Tate went to the pub and saw that Sophia was working there. They wondered if Sophia was working there because Tate was. Sophia lied and said the Bistro hired someone else after she quit for college. She said her mother didn’t want her laying around the house feeling sorry for herself. When Sarah saw Brady and Rachel in the square, she comforted Rachel. They made dinner plans for the future. Sarah ended up running into Alex who told her that Xander missed her. Sarah said she missed him too but too much has happened. Alex suggested that she take care of herself. Brady went to Steve’s office. Steve asked how Rachel was holding up. Brady said John would have known how to comfort Rachel. He told Steve that he had a feeling that Sophia wasn’t telling them everything about the baby. Steve was more than willing to help. He asked Brady to tell him everything he knew.
Paul gave Steve interesting information about Philip. He called Stephanie and told her to come to his office. She told him that she was with Xander to talk about a PR strategy in case Philip’s fraud was made public. Stephanie was going to do her best to keep it from getting revealed. She advised Xander to get paperwork drawn up to make Philip his co-CEO. Xander hated the idea, but Stephanie thought it would help bolster his defense of a takeover. She thought it would cover him in case Philip went to the police about him attacking him. He would lose everything if Philip went to the police.
After Stephanie left, Alex went to Xander’s office. Xander told him about Stephanie’s plan. Alex thought it was a good idea, but Xander felt like hiring her was a waste. He defended Stephanie to Xander. Alex felt like Xander should go to anger management. Xander was at town square with Victoria. He didn’t feel like Philip should be rewarded for his actions. Xander received a message from Marlena confirming their appointment. Stephanie went to see her father. She found out that Steve discovered Philip’s fraud. Steve figured out that Stephanie knew about it and wanted to know what she knew. She told him what she knew about the fraud. Stephanie pleaded with him to keep quiet about it. He agreed to keep quiet about it. Steve warned her that secrets don’t stay hidden forever. Philip woke up with Gabi next to him in the Salem Inn. They talked about how they ended up in bed together. She enjoyed the time they spent together and kissed him passionately. Gabi was about to leave when Belle showed up at his door. Belle was shocked to see her there. Gabi left so Philip got dressed. He was going to explain himself, but she didn’t want the details about his sex life. Belle just wanted to warn him that someone was investigating the DiMera/Kiriakis merger, but she couldn’t say who it was. Philip was upset about it. Belle opened up to him needing a distraction from her breakup and her father’s death. He promised her that he would help her get through it.
At the town square, Leo told Javi that the jury would have found Johnny not guilty. Gwen showed up and was surprised by the verdict. While Leo and Gwen were talking, they got in an argument. Gwen warned Javi that Leo would screw him over the way he did her. Leo said he used to wish that he didn’t do what he did to her but it led to him being with Javi and Tesoro. He said he was the happiest he has ever been. Gwen walked away from them. Cat went to Rafe’s office to let him know that she was out of a job. She said she wouldn’t be able to get information on EJ since she wouldn’t be working at the hospital anymore. Cat said she might have a new lead in Gwen. Rafe told her that Chad and Gwen had a history with each other and it wasn’t good.
Chad went to the DiMera mansion after he heard that Kristen shot EJ. He told EJ that it didn’t make sense. EJ defended Kristen to Chad. Chad wondered why EJ was so calm about what happened. EJ said the only thing he cared about was Johnny’s freedom. Chad said Kristen was going to be separated from Rachel. When Chad mentioned that EJ was trying to frame Chanel, EJ brought up Chad’s feelings for Cat. Chad said they were just friends. Gwen walked in and started an argument with Chad. When Chad left, Gwen told EJ that the jury found Johnny not guilty. After Gwen left, EJ apologized to Kristen and said what was done was done. Marlena brought Rachel to the penthouse and told her that Kristen confessed to shooting EJ. Rachel didn’t believe Kristen would shoot EJ. She said she lost her grandparents and didn’t want to lose her mother too. Brady ripped into Kristen for letting Johnny take the fall for shooting EJ as well as having Rachel testify against Johnny. Kristen told him what happened, but Brady thought she wouldn’t have let things get that far if It was an accident. Brady said he was going to find out what happened. Kristen begged him to let it go and be with their daughter. Brady continued to yell at her and called her a terrible mother who would never see her daughter again. When Brady went home, he told Rachel that everything was going to be okay. After Rachel left the room, Marlena asked how Kristen was. Brady said he didn’t care how she was. He wondered how Kristen could do that to their daughter. Marlena said they would all be there for her.
Belle runs in to Shawn in the town square. Shawn talks about just getting back from visiting Claire. Belle says she wants to hear all about it but she’s on her way to court as the verdict is in for Johnny’s trial. They talk about hoping for a not guilty which Belle calls unusual for the prosecutor and admits she’s never been this nervous about a verdict.
Johnny and Chanel sit outside the courtroom as Johnny calls it the moment of truth. Chanel says she’s read that the jury coming back with a quick decision is usually a good sign. Johnny agrees that it can be and he’s heard EJ say that quick verdicts can mean not guilty but he’s also heard him call it foolish to try to predict. Paulina joins them and says she hates to agree with EJ but thinks he’s right on that. Paulina declares that they will all know the verdict soon enough as they head on in to court. EJ and Marlena then arrive behind them. EJ wonders where the hell Kristen is. Marlena suggests that she could already be inside. EJ says she better be and reveals that Kristen told him that she has a fool proof plan to make sure Johnny is not convicted. Marlena wonders what it could be. EJ says it better work or else he will have no choice but to tell the court that he remembered it was Rachel who shot him.
Brady brings Rachel to the Brady Pub and thanks Sarah for waiting, saying he had to pick up his favorite girl. Rachel hugs Sarah and says it’s always good to see her. Rachel tells Sarah about her snake. Brady brings up that they are about to deliver the verdict in Johnny’s case. Sarah says she’s praying Rachel’s family gets the result they are hoping for. Kristen looks through the window of the door before slowly walking away.
Marlena tells EJ that he can’t reveal it was Rachel who shot him. EJ says he would take no pleasure in it but if his only other option is letting Johnny go to prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he cannot take that risk with his son’s life. EJ then heads in to court, followed by Marlena as court resumes and the bailiff goes to bring in the jury. EJ sits wondering where Kristen is. The judge calls for Johnny to stand and asks if the jury has reached a verdict. Leo stands and announces they have.
Brady sends Rachel to go wash her hands before they order. Sarah notes that Rachel seems to be in a good mood and guesses that getting her testimony out of the way was a relief. Brady worries that if Johnny gets convicted, Rachel will blame herself. Sarah encourages that Brady will be there for her either way. Sarah talks about parents intuition. Brady reminds Sarah how they were talking about Sophia before and how she accidentally referred to the baby as a he. Sarah repeats that Sophia has a lot on her mind. Brady says something struck him as strange as he recalls Sarah looking surprised when he first told her that the baby was a girl. Brady felt she seemed uncomfortable then, just like she does now. Brady asks if there’s something about Tate and Sophia’s baby that she needs to tell him.
Leo begins to announce the jury’s verdict but EJ interrupts. The judge warns that he no longer has standing in the case and orders him to take his seat but Kristen bursts in, yelling for them to stop. The judge calls for order as Kristen argues. The judge says she already had her chance to speak and orders for her to be removed but Kristen screams that she is here to confess. Kristen shouts that Johnny is innocent because she is the one who shot her brother, shocking everyone in the court room.
Sarah tells Brady that she can’t reveal any private medical information about Sophia’s baby as she would be violating regulations. Brady feels that means she knows something that she can’t say. Shawn comes over and greets them, mentioning getting back from South Africa last night. Shawn adds that he ran in to Belle, who said the verdict in Johnny’s case is about to come in but guesses they already heard. Rachel runs up and hugs Shawn, saying she’s glad he’s back. Rachel tells Shawn about staying with Brady lately which she thought was because EJ was mad at her for what she had to say on the witness stand. Brady assures that no one is mad at her and they just want what’s best for her. Rachel says she loves him as they hug.
The judge calls for order in the court and calls a recess, saying they will reconvene when she determines the veracity of Kristen’s confession. The judge orders the bailiff to take Kristen in to custody and for Belle to enter her chambers. Chanel excitedly tells Johnny that she can’t believe this. Johnny responds that he honestly has no idea what just happened as Chanel hugs him.
EJ and Marlena exit the court room. EJ says he’s glad that Kristen held up her end of the bargain, but he didn’t expect her to go to such an extreme. Marlena questions thinking this outcome will be any better for Rachel because now she’ll have to deal with the trauma of knowing it was her mother that tried to kill him.
Johnny tells Chanel and Paulina that he still can’t believe that Kristen put a bullet in her own brother. Chanel can’t believe she would let her own nephew go through this nightmare when she knew all along that he was innocent. Paulina talks about Kristen letting Johnny stand trial for a crime she committed and remarks that only a heartless sociopath would do something like that.
EJ argues that this wouldn’t be the first time that Rachel has been through her mother going to prison and she survived those times. Marlena questions the psychological damage this could do for Rachel to see her mother going to prison for a crime that she, herself, committed. EJ argues that it’s entirely possible that Rachel won’t remember what she did and she won’t be hearing the details from either of them. EJ heads back in to the court room. Leo joins Marlena and talks about how he can’t believe what just happened. Marlena says she’s still trying to process it. Leo thought she might be happier since her grandson gets to go home to his beautiful wife while her sworn enemy is about to get hauled off to prison. Marlena responds that she’s worried about her granddaughter as this will be a lot for her to deal with. Leo says it was foolish of him not to realize that, but points out that at least Rachel has Marlena to help her through it, so he knows she will be okay.
Rachel asks Shawn about his time in South Africa and Shawn shows her some pictures of baboons they saw there. Brady asks how Claire is doing. Shawn says her breakup with Theo was tough but she’s doing well now and has a lot of good friends while enjoying her job. Sarah knows they must have been worried being so far away. Brady remarks that no matter how old they get, they don’t stop worrying about their kids.
Kristen questions why they need to go over this as she tells Belle that she shot EJ and asks what else there is to say. Belle questions how she could let her nephew stand trial if she really shot EJ. Kristen says she feels awful about that but never thought he would be held accountable. Belle argues that Kristen testified. Kristen claims she was trying to help him. Kristen pleads with the judge to forget what she said on the stand and listen to what she’s saying now. Kristen asks her to let her explain what happened that night, so she tells her to go ahead. Kristen tells a story that she took a shower, checked on Rachel one more time, and then went to talk to EJ. Kristen claims they argued, she got very angry, saw the gun on the table, and something came over her. Kristen tells them that she pointed the gun at EJ and demanded he tell her where her mother was, then EJ reached for the gun but she pulled away and the gun went off. Kristen calls it an accident and swears that she didn’t mean to shoot EJ, but once she realized what she had done, she wiped the prints off the gun, hid it in a planter outside, and went upstairs until the police came. Belle questions Kristen just letting EJ lay there, bleeding out and asks why she didn’t call for help if it was an accident. Kristen claims she was in shock and then she heard Chad come in. Kristen says she feels terribly ashamed but she is now ready to take full responsibility for what she has done. Kristen offers to write out a full confession and sign it here and now. The judge instructs the bailiff to call Jada and tell her that they need Kristen arrested for attempted murder.
Shawn gets a call from the police station and tells Jada that he’s on his way. Shawn says he has to go as something is going on at the courthouse, so he then exits the Pub.
Marlena hugs Johnny and says she’s so happy for him. Johnny still wonders what happens now. Paulina says the judge will have to dismiss the case. Chanel wonders why Kristen didn’t confess sooner since she swore on the stand that she didn’t shoot EJ. Chanel questions going through all that, just to tell the truth in the end. Marlena guesses she must have had a reason but they’ll never know. Leo comes in, so Chanel tells him that he has to tell them what the verdict was going to be, but Leo says he can’t say until the trial is over.
Kristen writes out and signs her confession, then hands it over to the judge, claiming that it’s the whole truth of what happened that night. Shawn comes in and says he just talked to Jada, so he’s here to arrest Kristen for attempted murder. Shawn reads Kristen her rights and handcuffs her. Shawn escorts Kristen out of the room where they pass by EJ. EJ then returns to the court room as the judge calls upon Belle and officially dismisses the case against Johnny, leading to applause and cheers from Marlena, Paulina, and Chanel. Johnny looks relieved as EJ watches on. The judge calls for order and demands they remain silent. The judge thanks the jury and dismisses them. She then tells Johnny that he is free to go. Johnny goes to Chanel and says he told her everything would be okay. Chanel says she loves him as they embrace and Johnny exchanges a look with EJ.
Rachel asks how much longer they have to wait until they hear about Johnny. Brady tells her that these things take time. Rachel says she’s just praying that Johnny doesn’t go to jail. Brady says that’s what they are all praying for.
EJ tells Johnny how happy he is for him. Chanel calls Johnny over to go home, so they exit together. Paulina and Marlena then follow them out. EJ tells Belle that she must be so relieved. Belle admits she’s never been so happy to lose a case in her entire life. EJ guarantees he won’t gloat about this one. Belle says she’s thrilled for Johnny but she’s sorry it all happened this way. EJ says he is as well, more than she will ever know. Belle then exits the court.
Outside the court room, Paulina says this calls for a celebration and says she’ll call Abe to meet at the Bistro but Chanel says they are tired and just want to go home. Paulina understands they will have a wonderful celebration with just the two of them.
Belle goes to the Brady Pub and announces to Brady, Rachel, and Sarah that Johnny is not going to jail. Rachel is thankful and hugs Belle. Belle asks to speak with Brady for a moment alone outside, so they exit the Pub. Rachel sits back down with Sarah and says now she has her appetite back.
Brady tells Belle that this is good news that Johnny was found not guilty. Belle clarifies that the jury never read the verdict as the case was dismissed because Kristen confessed to shooting EJ, leaving Brady shocked.
Shawn brings Kristen to the interrogation room and asks if she wants to use her phone call but she declines. Marlena comes in and asks for a minute alone with Kristen. Kristen suggests thinking of Marlena as her attorney so Shawn agrees to a few minutes and exits. Marlena tells Kristen that she can’t do this. Kristen responds that she can’t take it back or else it could ruin Rachel’s life, Johnny’s life, or both. Kristen declares that as long as no one knows what she did or didn’t do, it will keep them both safe. Kristen adds that she knows EJ won’t say a word to anyone and tells Marlena that she can’t either to another living soul.
Paulina and Leo walk through the town square, talking about how nobody saw this coming. Paulina is relieved that Chanel gets to take Johnny home and neither of them have to worry about going to prison. Leo talks about going home to his boyfriend and says sequestered living did not work for him, so he’s thrilled to be free. Paulina says that Leo can finally start that book on the case now that it’s finally over but Leo feels it might not be over.
EJ goes home and calls Sami, saying no matter how angry they are at Kristen, they can be happy for Johnny. EJ tells her that he is thrilled, but he’s afraid that he’s lost his son for good.
Johnny and Chanel return home to their apartment. Chanel calls him a truly free man with no more lawyers, court, and fear of going to prison. Johnny kisses her and talks about thinking this day would never come. Johnny calls her his shining light that’s been there for him every step of the way and says he doesn’t know how to thank her. Chanel says she can think of a few ways and offers to show him as they head to the bedroom.
Kristen tells Marlena that she has to promise that no one will ever find out she lied to the judge or else the truth will come out before Rachel is ready or able to make sense of what she’s done. Marlena doesn’t like being in this position but agrees to stay quiet. Kristen thanks her. Kristen says she doesn’t have the right to ask her this, but asks her to please take care of Rachel. Kristen cries that she can’t go away unless she knows Rachel is alright and she knows Marlena will be loving and kind to her along with Brady. Kristen asks Marlena to make sure Rachel gets the help she needs. Marlena agrees to take care of her and get her whatever treatment she needs. Kristen asks if Marlena thinks Rachel will ever remember what happened. Marlena doesn’t know but says if she does, she’ll make sure she gets the help she needs psychologically. Marlena reminds Kristen that everyone is going to think she committed this crime and that she forced her daughter to take the stand and testify just to save her skin. Kristen knows that’s what they will think, including Brady who will hate her for this. Kristen cries that if she can help her daughter, then it’s a sacrifice she’s willing to make. Marlena remarks that she’s never seen her be so selfless. Kristen responds that her daughter means more to her than anything in the world. Marlena admits she knows that and sees that now. Marlena warns Kristen that it’s going to be traumatic for Rachel to learn that she’s the one who shot EJ. Kristen says not as traumatic as the truth.
Belle goes back in to the Pub and rejoins Sarah and Rachel. Rachel questions when Brady is coming back. Belle says he just had to go run an errand. Rachel says she’s just happy that Johnny’s not going to jail, but questions if they’ll ever find out who really shot EJ. Belle claims she doesn’t know and that they will just have to wait and see.
Shawn brings Kristen to her holding cell and says he will have the guard bring her something to eat in a few minutes. After Shawn exits, Brady enters to see Kristen.
Molly tells Michael that she went to the Quartermaine stables to ask Cody out for coffee but she interrupted Cody and Ava who were about to have sex.
Molly tells Michael that Cody admitted that Kristina paid him to break up Ric and Ava. Cody tells Molly that he took the job for her sake because she didn’t want Ric and Ava together. Michael advises Molly to give Cody and Kristina the benefit of the doubt and let them both explain the whole story to her.
Anna asks Jack to stop the mission at the Five Poppies Resort because she knows Josslyn is in trouble. Jack tells Anna not to worry because everything is fine with the mission.
Pascal has Josslynn locked in a room and he asks her why the WSB sent her and Vaughn to the resort. Josslyn tells Pascal that she will consider giving him the information he wants but she wants to make sure Vaughn is okay. Pascal brings Vaughn into the room with Josslyn and begins to hit Vaughn. Vaughn refuses to tell Pascal anything so Pascal threatens to burn Vaughn’s face with a hot iron. Josslynn tells Pascal that the information about the mission is in Jack’s office in a black box. Josslynn tells Pascal the combination to the box and Pascal is happy. Vaughn is upset with Josslynn because no matter what happened ahe wasn’t supposed to give Pascal any information.
Colette calls Pascal to find out If he is handling the Vaughn and Josslyn problem. Pascal wants Colette to talk to their friend and find out if he took care of their other problem. Colette goes to talk to Jens Siddwell later and tells him that Pascal wants to know if he took care of the problem. Jens tells Collete that Pascal isn’t his boss but she should tell their boss that he will soon have control of Deception. Jens also tells Collete to thank their boss for the compound which took care of Maxie and her big mouth.
Ava and Kristina check if Ric has a pulse and he does so that means that he is just unconscious. Alexis walks into her house and sees an unconscious Ric on the floor. Ava and Kristina explain to Alexis that Ava hit Ric on the head with Alexis’ favorite paperweight because Ava was upset that Ric stole her money from her. The ladies decide it would not be a good idea for them to call the police because they could all go to prison. The ladies decide to lock Ric and his car into the garden shed because nobody goes in the shed because there are bats in there.
Phyllis is upset that Cane has decided to forget about his plan to own every company in Genoa City. Phyllis is determined to get Cane to change his mind about his plan.
Nick overhears Phyllis leaving a message for Cane. Nick figures out that Cane has decided to stop his plan but Phyllis doesn’t confirm his suspicions.
Lily watches Cane’s video and cries after she watches the video.
Billy and Sally decide to find out what Cane is up to because they don’t think he has given up on his plan.
Devon and Lily support Nate as he grieves for Domain and also grieves his breakup with Audra
Cane records a long video on his phone explaining to Mattie and Charlie why he assumed the identity of Aristotle Dumas. Cane explains to his kids that he wanted to build a future for them. Cane tells his kids he shouldn’t have lied to them or Lily. Cane tells Mattie and Charlie that he has made a lot of mistakes, and he hopes someday they can forgive him.
Cane later talks to Phyllis and shows her the evidence that Victor has that proves Colin conned an old rich woman out of her money. Colin gave Cane that money to start his company Arabesque. Phyllis tells Cane it doesn’t matter how he started his company; nobody will care about that because everyone lies. Cane remembers that his dad Colin told him that after he has done all that he needs to do, he should bury the identity of Aristotle Dumas and become Cane Ashby again and get back his family.
Tate is at home on the phone with Holly. He tells her to hit him up after she has lunch with Maggie. Tate doesn’t think they should hang out at his place because it would be too tempting and jokes that they don’t want someone walking in on them again. Tate tells Holly he loves her and hangs up as Brady comes home. Brady hugs him and says he feels like he’s barely seen him the last couple of days. Tate explains that he’s been trying to spend as much time with Holly as he can before school starts. Brady assumes he’s excited about it though which Tate says he is. Tate then informs Brady that the adoptive parents won’t let him see his daughter.
Sarah runs in to Sophia at the Brady Pub and says she was hoping they could talk about her and her baby.
Leo stands in front of Adam and the rest of the jury. Leo states that they are at 11 saying not guilty but 1 saying guilty and the jury must be unanimous. Leo complains that they are just one vote away from getting back to their normal lives and that’s Adam. A woman on the jury questions what Adam’s problem is. Adam responds that he’s not the problem and it’s the rest of them who won’t accept the truth that Johnny shot his own father.
Marlena tells Rachel about how the jury must all agree on whether Johnny is guilty or not. Rachel says she’s really worried about Johnny and wishes she could help him. Marlena encourages that she already helped by telling the truth on the stand. Rachel remarks that it would’ve been better if she knew who really shot EJ.
EJ declares that he loves Rachel but he will not let his son go down for something she did, so unless Kristen can come up with a way for Johnny to walk out of court a free man, he will have no other choice but to reveal that Rachel is the one who shot him. Kristen pleads with EJ to be reasonable, asking how she is supposed to keep the jury from convicting Johnny. EJ responds that it’s not his problem and it’s all on her.
Brady tells Tate that he’s sorry as he knows how much he wanted to meet his daughter. Brady adds that if he really wants to pursue it further, there may be some things they can do but Tate says he doesn’t after yesterday when he and Sophia ran in to Arianna with the baby that Rafe is fostering and Sophia got really upset being around another baby. Tate says that all of this has been really hard on him but it’s been way harder on Sophia, so he decided that it’s best if he stops obsessing about meeting his daughter and just let it go.
Sophia sits with Sarah and asks why she wants to talk about her and her baby, worrying that she decided not to keep her secret. Sarah responds that it’s not her secret to tell so if Sophia doesn’t want Tate and her family to know that she left her baby at the fire station, she is ethically bound not to say anything. Sarah tells Sophia that she is very good friends with Brady and she knows Tate is having a really hard time that he hasn’t gotten to meet his child. Sophia wishes she could tell them the truth, so Sarah questions why doesn’t she. Sophia worries that Tate will hate her. Sarah suggests Tate could be grateful and compassionate because he will have known what she went through by giving birth all alone and she will be giving him the closure that he needs.
Rachel states that Marlena looks sad and guesses she’s missing John. Marlena confirms that she is and wishes he was there right now. Rachel says that John always knew how to make things better. Rachel reminds Marlena of them reading 1001 Arabian Nights and they hug.
Kristen tells EJ that there’s nothing anyone can do as the jury is already deliberating. EJ argues that they haven’t come back with a verdict yet so there’s still time. Kristen says it’s not like she can bribe the judge at this point, so the best thing to do is sit back and wait to see what the jury decides. Kristen points out that EJ already tossed blame on everyone with a pulse in Salem, so there’s no way they will convict Johnny. EJ wishes he shared her confidence but he feels Johnny threw the case away when he fired him and decided to represent himself. Kristen says worst case scenario if Johnny gets convicted, he can file an appeal while they figure out what to do about Rachel. EJ refuses to risk letting Johnny rot away in a prison cell. EJ declares that he’s sorry but he’s not willing to take that chance.
Sophia tells Sarah that she’s wrong and that Tate won’t be grateful that she lied to him about when and where their baby was born. Sophia worries that Tate would think she’s a terrible heartless person and so will the rest of his family. Sarah argues that she left her baby in a perfectly safe place which is why the drop off program exists. Sophia argues that she’d still have to worry about her mom forcing her to take the baby back. Sarah reminds her that she is 18 now so she doesn’t get a vote. Sophia argues that she lives with her mom and is dependent on her, so if she doesn’t do what her parents want, she could risk screwing up her future even more. Sarah knows this is incredibly difficult. Sophia states that she wants what’s best for her son, but the fact that she keeps seeing him all over town is like torture. Sophia explains that she saw him with her mom, who said the baby looked just like her brother did when he was born. Sophia hopes that when her baby does get adopted, it’s by someone who lives far away from Salem.
Brady tells Tate that he’s proud of him for considering Sophia’s feelings, but if he wants to fight to see his daughter, he wouldn’t necessarily need to involve Sophia in that. Tate says he’s starting to think that Sophia was right all along that meeting his daughter would’ve made it much more difficult to let go and move on with his life. Tate decides no more fixating on the baby or finding a way to see her because it’s not good for Sophia or him. Brady says he’s so proud of him and calls it a tough situation for him to be in, so he respects that he made a thoughtful and mature decision about it. Tate thanks him and calls it the right decision. Tate says he will message the adoptive parents back to ask for pictures and occasional updates, then he will let them know he will stop pressing them to meet his daughter in person. Tate declares he will just let go and move forward with his life.
Marlena tells Rachel that her hug made her feel better. Rachel brings up that John always gave good hugs and she misses him so much. Marlena calls it a comfort to talk about John and tell stories about him. Marlena thinks it’s really important to talk about memories even if they might make them feel sad or they might be scary. Rachel responds that she doesn’t like to remember sad or scary things because they always make her stomach hurt.
Kristen tells EJ that both of their children’s lives are at risk which is why they shouldn’t rush in to anything. Kristen says they should take time to figure out a plan to save both of them. EJ says not to pretend that they trust each other and bets Kristen is already coming up with ways to run off with Rachel and leave Johnny holding the bag. Kristen says she would never do that. EJ says even if he could trust her, Johnny’s been through enough and he will not leave him carrying the weight of this accusation. Kristen argues that Rachel is just a little girl who happens to be EJ’s niece and a fragile child. Kristen begs EJ to give her time but EJ complains that they don’t have time. EJ warns Kristen to take action before the jury comes back with a verdict which could happen at any moment.
Leo argues that Adam must not be paying attention to see that there is no proof that Johnny shot EJ. Adam goes over Johnny pointing a gun at his father and questions everyone just believing him. Adam remarks that it’s not so unusual for a son to want his father to fall off the perch. Adam says he won’t muffle himself just because everyone else wants to get out of here. Adam calls this doing their civic duty as a citizen of their beloved nation. Leo acknowledges that Adam has a point that they have all been tasked with this enormous responsibility so they can’t rush through the process just because they want to get out of here. Leo states that a man’s life is on the line so they have got to make sure justice is served. Adam declares that the only way to serve justice is to vote to convict Johnny DiMera and send him to prison.
Sarah knows Sophia just wants this all to be over, but she’s concerned with her living with this secret. Sophia assures that she can handle it and now that Tate is accepting it, they can both move on with their futures. Sarah asks Sophia what her plans are for the future. Sophia responds that next is college and she had her heart set on going to the University of Chicago but the pregnancy messed everything up, so she was able to get in to Salem U. Sophia adds that with Tate going there too, it will give them a chance to get closer. Sarah reminds Sophia that she is Holly’s aunt. Sophia admits she forgot they were related. Sarah points out that Tate and Holly are still involved. Sophia remarks that’s for now as they are always on and off, so it won’t be long before they are off again.
Brady states that Tate has had to make more big decisions in a year than most people do in a lifetime. Brady hopes he will now get a fresh start to be young after all he’s been through. Tate says he’s not wanting to go back to being completely without responsibility, so he was thinking about getting a job. Brady asks what kind of job he wants. Tate admits he hasn’t gotten that far. Brady points out he will need something flexible with his college classes. Brady reminds Tate that he liked working at the Brady Pub before. Tate is sure that Roman could use the help now that Doug III is gone. Brady mentions having lunch there with Sarah and invites Tate to come with, so he can talk to Roman about it and fill out an application. Tate accepts and they leave together.
Leo calls for the jury to take a quick break, adding that they need to put in their lunch orders. Leo stops Adam and says they need to have a little chat. Leo reminds him of the conversation they had about personal space. Adam tells Leo that he likes him but he’s not going to let him bully him in to changing his vote. Leo argues that he just wants to be practical about this so they can reach a verdict. Leo asks if he doesn’t want to get back to his wife and kids. Adam argues that they understand he has a job to do and that’s putting a criminal behind bars. Leo argues that isn’t going to happen and all that will happen is they’ll have a hung jury which means they will have all wasted an entire month of their lives. Adam says it won’t come to that because he can convince the rest of them, comparing it to Law & Order. Leo argues that’s a TV show and this is real life. Adam brings up an episode where a cop was killed by his own son and says it’s not so far fetched. Leo gets upset and yells at him to shut up. Leo then apologizes for losing his temper. Adam remarks that he knows showbiz people have short fuses so he won’t take it personally, but he’s not changing his vote and declares he will convince the rest of the jury to see things his way if it’s the last thing he does.
Rachel wonders what’s taking Kristen so long. Marlena thinks she’s still talking to EJ. Rachel is tired of waiting and wants to go downstairs to tell them they’ve talked long enough. Marlena says no and thinks they should stay here. Rachel asks why and questions if something is going on.
Kristen argues that what EJ is asking her is impossible. EJ asks how, saying if they come forward with the truth that Rachel shot him on accident, she’s a child and won’t do hard time. Kristen argues that Rachel has blocked the memory because it’s too traumatic and could scar her for the rest of her life. EJ orders Kristen to figure something else out then. EJ remarks that she’s been scheming her whole life and could put that talent to good use for once. EJ tells her to find a way for both of their children to not have to suffer. Kristen questions how she’s supposed to do that exactly, asking if she’s supposed to find an innocent person to pin the crime on. EJ asks why not since it’s already pinned on an innocent person in Johnny.
Adam speaks to the jury, bringing up how Rachel saw Johnny pointing the gun at EJ and later heard the gunshot. Leo argues that she never saw Johnny shoot the gun and brings up that Marlena is sure that EJ remembered the shooter being a woman. Adam speaks about not believing in hypnosis while another woman on the jury admits that she doesn’t buy in to it either. Adam argues that even if they did, EJ could easily be lying to protect his son while Marlena would go along with it to protect her grandson. Leo gets offended and defends Marlena while Adam insists that Marlena could be part of the conspiracy that ties back to EJ. Adam remarks that EJ probably remembers Johnny shooting him and is covering it up with the whole family in on it. Adam complains about the rich and powerful in Salem thinking they are above the law and declares they can’t let them get away with it.
Kristen asks EJ who she can possibly say shot him. EJ suggests Ava Vitali. Kristen points out that she’s been missing for months. EJ says she won’t be there and won’t have to do any time. Kristen asks if that means he will come forward and claim he remembers Ava shooting him. EJ responds that he won’t risk committing perjury. Kristen questions how it’s any worse than what he’s asking her to do. EJ admits it’s not but calls it her problem not his and that he’s just trying to help her brainstorm out of the kindness of his heart. Kristen asks if she’s supposed to say she was sitting on evidence the whole time that Ava shot him and how she’s supposed to explain to the judge why she hadn’t come forward until now. EJ tells her that she’s clever so he’s sure she’ll think of something.
Sarah thinks Sophia needs a fresh start and maybe that means moving on from Tate. Sophia appreciates her advice but says after everything she’s sacrificed this year, she’s not willing to give up on Tate. Brady and Tate then arrive and greet them. Brady apologizes for keeping Sarah waiting while Sophia asks if Tate is grabbing lunch too. Tate says he’s actually there to apply for a job and goes to do that. Brady mentions to Sophia that the adoptive parents refused to let Tate see his daughter. Sophia says that’s too bad and slips up suggesting that maybe one day they will let Tate meet “him”, which Brady questions. Sophia tries to cover by saying she just misspoke and meant to say let Tate meet her. Sophia then goes to get her takeout order. Brady tells Sarah that was weird. Sarah says that Sophia just has a lot on her mind. Sarah goes to get them some menus. Brady flashes back to when he and Rachel told Sarah about Sophia’s baby being born where Sarah seemed surprised when he told her it was a girl.
Leo reads the votes of the jury and they are now 50/50 with six picking to convict Johnny and six saying not to. Adam remarks that if Leo wants to get back to his boyfriend, he could just change his vote so they could get out. Leo brings up reasonable doubt and talks about hearing from other people throughout the trial. Adam argues that Johnny went out of his way to prove the video was fake because he knows it wasn’t Chanel since it was him. Another member of the jury agrees with him.
Marlena tells Rachel that she thought they could just spend a few more minutes together but Rachel accuses her of hiding something. Marlena questions why she would think that. Rachel asks if she’s in trouble. Marlena says of course not. Rachel brings up EJ being so upset when she broke his glass paper weight and asks if he’s mad at her. Marlena says he’s not, so Rachel questions what the problem is. Marlena claims there’s no problem so Rachel asks to go downstairs. Marlena asks her to give it ten more minutes which Rachel agrees to. Rachel decides she will feed her snake, but claims the snake got out and asks Marlena to get it. When Marlena turns her back, Rachel runs out of her room so Marlena goes after her.
Kristen tells EJ that even if she agreed to frame someone, it can’t be Ava since she hates her because of what happened with Rachel Blake and if she finds out she’s trying to pin the murder on her, she’ll be on the first flight back to expose her lie. EJ admits he sees her point, so she needs to come up with a better idea where both of their kids come out unscathed. Rachel then bursts in and asks if they are keeping a secret from her.
Tate turns in his job application at the Pub as Sophia rejoins him. Sophia points out that it’s his family’s Pub while Tate says he wanted to do things by the book. Sophia wishes him luck and invites him to join her for lunch but Tate says he can’t since he’s going to hang out with Holly. Tate says he’ll see her and exits. Sophia then approaches the counter and also asks for a job application. Brady sits with Sarah and tells her that he can’t stop thinking about Sophia’s slip of the tongue. Brady finds it odd that she would just mistakenly refer to the baby as a boy.
Leo reminds the jury that this is not an episode of Law and Order, so what they decide has real life consequences so they owe it to not end up in a hung jury. Leo suggests approaching the next vote with an open mind. Adam promises to consider everyone’s arguments.
Kristen asks why Rachel would think they were keeping a secret from her. Rachel explains that Marlena was trying to keep her from coming downstairs and she had to trick her to escape. EJ explains that he and Kristen were just talking about how to help Johnny. Rachel asks if he’s mad at her for telling the truth in court. EJ says no and that she did the right thing as he shouldn’t have asked her to lie. Rachel says she really wanted to help Johnny and she hopes he believes her. EJ says that he does. Marlena then comes in with a text from Belle that the jury has reached a verdict.
Kristen saw Brady and Rachel together at the pub. Brady sent Rachel to wash her hands while he talked to Sarah. He wanted to know about the way Sarah reacted when she found out Sophia’s baby was a girl. He told her that she was uncomfortable. Brady wondered if Sarah had something to tell him. Sarah reminded him that she couldn’t violate HIPPA regulations. Brady thought her answer meant she was hiding something. Shawn interrupted Sarah and Brady to let them know that the jury reached a verdict. They already knew the verdict was in. Rachel ran into Shawn’s arms. EJ let Marlena know that Kristen was on her way to the courthouse with a foolproof way of getting Johnny off. He warned her that he would tell the judge the truth about who really shot him if she didn’t show up. Court began, and the judge wanted Leo to read the verdict. Leo stood up and puffed out his chest before he began to talk. EJ interrupted Leo which upset the judge. She reprimanded EJ for his interruption. Kristen burst into the courtroom to interrupt the proceedings. She demanded to be heard. Kristen was there to confess. She said she was the one who shot her brother. Everyone in the court let out big gasps. The judge wanted a recess and demanded that Kristen be taken into custody. Marlena told EJ that she didn’t think Rachel would fare any better with her mother in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. EJ told her that Rachel didn’t remember that, and he didn’t plan on telling her. He went back to the courtroom.
In the judge’s chambers, Kristen tried to convince Belle and the judge that she snapped and grabbed the gun. She demanded that EJ tell her where to find her mother. Kristen said that he reached for the gun, and it went off. She didn’t mean to do it, but she wiped the gun clean and hid it. Kristen didn’t call for help because she was in shock, but now she wants to take responsibility for her actions. The judge wanted Sean to arrest Kristen for attempted murder. As Kristen walked out of the room, she looked at EJ. EJ went to the courtroom where Johnny’s case was dismissed. After the court was adjourned, Johnny and Chanel shared a tender moment. Johnny ignored EJ’s attempts to congratulate him on the dismissal. EJ left to allow Johnny to celebrate his victory. Belle told EJ that she was happy for Johnny. She was sorry it happened that way, and EJ agreed with her. Belle left him alone in the courtroom. Rachel asked Sarah and Brady how long it would take for the verdict would come in. She prayed that Johnny wouldn’t be found guilty. Belle arrived at the pub to tell them the good news about Johnny. Belle pulled Brady aside to let him know that Kristen confessed to shooting EJ. Shawn cuffed Kristen to the chair at the police station. Marlena arrived so Shawn left the room. She told Kristen that she couldn’t confess. Kristen thought it was the only way to keep Rachel and Johnny safe. Marlena promised not to say anything to take care of Rachel. She wasn’t sure if Rachel would remember what she did, but she would be there for her. Kristen knew Brady would hate her for what she did. She had to make the sacrifice. Marlena was impressed with her selflessness.
Tate told Brady that the adoptive parents wouldn’t let him see the baby. He didn’t want to make a big deal about it because of Sophia. Brady told him that he could find a way to see his daughter without involving Sophia. Tate knew he could do it, but it would make it hard to move on from her. Brady respected his decision. Tate told him that he wanted a job. Brady invited him to go to the pub with him since he was meeting Sarah there. He thought he could talk to Roman about getting his job back at the pub. Sarah ran into Sophia at the pub. She advised her to tell Tate the truth about their baby so he could get the closure he needed. Sophia didn’t want him to hate her. She thought her mother could ruin her life by making her raise the baby. Sophia looked forward to her future at Salem University with Tate. Sarah reminded her that Tate was with Holly. Sophia thought it was only for now. Sarah advised her to make a fresh start and move on from Tate. Sophia didn’t plan on doing that. Brady and Tate arrived at the pub. Sarah stood by Brady’s side and brought up the baby to Sophia. Sophia slipped and called the baby a boy, and Brady heard it. She walked away to check on her food. Brady thought her actions were weird, but Sarah dismissed his concerns. Brady flashed back to Sarah questioning him when he told her that Sophia had a girl. Leo couldn’t believe the jury couldn’t come to an agreement because Adam was the hold out. Adam believed that Johnny was guilty and was determined to convince the other jurors to side with him. Leo called for another vote. The vote turned out to be split.
EJ wanted Kristen to make sure that Johnny was found innocent, or he would turn Rachel into the police. The siblings started arguing. Kristen wanted more to, but EJ said the jury was deliberating so she didn’t have any more time. Kristen couldn’t bribe the judge so she wondered what she was supposed to do. Did he expect her to frame an innocent person? EJ thought it was fine since an innocent person was being accused now. He demanded that she find someone to pin the crime on. EJ suggested that she frame Ava, but she didn’t think that would work. Marlena tried to keep Rachel in her bedroom. She tried to keep her distracted, but Rachel lied about her snake escaping its cage. Rachel slipped out the room and went downstairs. Marlena went after her while she went downstairs. Rachel wanted to know if her mother and uncle were keeping something from her. She wanted to know if EJ was upset with her for testifying at Johnny’s trial. EJ assured her that she didn’t do anything wrong. Marlena got a text from Belle. The jury reached a verdict.
Molly has a talk with Michael about her feelings for Cody. Michael persuades Molly to have coffee with Cody and get to know him and see if she likes him.
Cody tells Ava that he was trying to break up her relationship with Ric because Kristina paid him since Molly didn’t want her to use Ric. Ava tells Cody that she doesn’t like the Davis women and she will get revenge against all of them especially Molly because she is the worst of the three of them. Cody has sex with Ava to try and persuade her not to seek revenge against Molly. Molly arrives at the Quartermaine stables and sees Cody and Ava having sex.
Pascal asks Gretta to distract Mr. Moore otherwise known as Jason. Pascal tells Britt that the WSB has infiltrated the Five Poppies Resort. Greta goes to see Jason in his room.
Willow asks Kristina to testify for her at the custody hearing. Kristina tells her no because she is a terrible mother.
Elizabeth later has a talk with Kristina and reminds her that she showed her grace by not going to the police and telling them she cut the break lines of Ric’s car. Elizabeth asks Kristina to show Willow the same grace.
Willow calls Drew and tells him she will need his help getting her kids back for her.
Laura tells Lulu that Maxie never gave up hope that she would wake up from her coma and she encourages Lulu to do the same for Maxie.
Josslyn arrives at her room looking for Vaughn but finds Pascal pointing a gun at her saying that he would be more then happy to reunite her with agent Vaughn.
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