Days Short Recap Friday, January 30, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Leo tried calling Javi, but Javi didn’t answer the phone. He found himself thinking of Dimitri. Dimitri put something together for Stefano’s memorial. He and Gwen ended up arguing. Gwen asked him if he was Peter’s accomplish. Dimitri said it wasn’t him. They realized Vivian was the only one they knew in Alamain was Vivian. Dimitri said Vivian hated the Von Leuschners and him. Leo showed up at the mansion. He said he was determined to get Dimitri out of his system. Gwen showed up and enjoyed the argument. Dimitri said they were both Gwen’s victims. He said he never stopped loving him. Leo stopped him from talking so he could tell him what was wrong with Dimitiri. Sarah ran into Brady and Belle. She told Brady that Kristen wanted her to stay away from him and Rachel. Sarah said everyone was concerned about them. When she included Xander, Brady wondered why it was Xander’s apartment. Kristen wanted to talk to talk to Rachel before she spoke to the judge. Rachel said she liked Dr. Gregory. Kristen told her what to expect from the judge, her lawyer, Belle, her parents, etc. Kristen said once she and Rachel gave their testimony, the judge would drop the charges. Belle said she couldn’t promise what the judge would drop the case. Rachel thought she would go to prison. Belle said that wouldn’t happen. She was certain things would work out. Kristen sent Rachel out of the room so she could yell at Belle. When Rachel came back, Belle left. Xander went to see Marlena She told him that she couldn’t see him anymore. Marlena said she wasn’t getting rid of him. She said she was going back to the hospital. Marlena warned him that she would drop him if he hurt anyone in her family. Xander apologized for hurting Brady. Marlena asked what made him snap. Xander said the divorce got to him. Marlena said he was upset over Brady and Sarah being together. Xander thought they were together to stick it to him. Marlena advised him to focus on Victoria and to stay out of Brady and Sarah’s business. Xander said he would  do the wok. Dimitri let Leo know that he had bad qualities. Leo said he brought out the bad qualities in him. He said Javi made him better. After they talked, Leo left. Dimitri blamed Gwen for what happened and said he would make her pay. Gwen said she had a plan. When Dimitri left, Gwen calked Vivian.

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Days Short Recap Thursday, January 29, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Chad, Melinda, Jennifer, and Justin finished signing the custody agreement. Melinda pulled Chad to the side to tell him it was a bad idea. Chad let her know that he was doing it. When they finished everything, Jennifer said they could repair their relationship. While they were talking, Jennifer and Chad talked about not knowing where Abby’s remains were, but thought it was good that Stefano’s bones were found. Chad felt that knowing that Stefano’s bones were found was liberating. Johnny went to the Kiriakis mansion to talk to Bonnie about her book. When Johnny said he wanted to read it, Bonnie was excited. She thought she would make a lot of money. Justin came home and found out Bonnie’s good news. After Johnny left, they realized that DiMera was the better option for publishing. Chanel went to see Sophia to thank her for giving her baby up. She wanted to show Sophia the pictures. Sophia noticed Chanel holding her stomach as if she were pregnant. She disconnected from Chanel. Chanel apologized to her for all the trouble they caused during the adoption. She told Sophia that she wanted her to be a part of the baby’s life. After Chanel finished talking, she left. When Chanel was home, she told Johnny about her visit with Sophia. Johnny didn’t think too kindly of Sophia. Chanel said that despite everything, Sophia was still Trey’s mother and would be out soon. Sophia sent a text to Melinda telling her to come to Bayview. She told Melinda that she was faking being mute. Sophia said she wanted everyone to underestimate her because she had plans. While Sophia was talking, she told Melinda that Chanel was pregnant and that she and Johnny was going to have their own child. She told Melinda that they didn’t deserve to have a kid. Sophia wanted Chanel’s baby to be taken away and given to someone else. Melinda asked if she wanted it done legally, but Sophia didn’t care if it was done legally or not. She tried to reason with Sophia, but she didn’t want to listen. She said she wanted a better life. Melinda said she didn’t want anything to do with the plan. Before Melinda left, she thanked Sophia for keeping her name out of the adoption.

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BTG Short Recap Thursday, January 29, 2026

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Recap written by Michele & Cheryl

Chelsea was excited that Bill helped her company. He made it possible for Chelsea and Kat to meet Lauren Fenmore. Bill and Chelsea were talking when Hayley arrived. She arrived just as Bill said he used to be married to one of the most beautiful supermodels in the world. Hayley chose not to overreact to what he said. Chelsea left them alone. Hayley tried to seduce Bill, but he wasn’t ready at the time. She became enraged and pulled out her eyedropper and poisoned his drink. Later Bill headed to the club and ran into Vernon. He thought about happier times he had with Vernon. Bill started noticing the effects from the drug Hayley gave him. Vernon remembered being there just before he dumped Dani. He felt like Bill was a disappointment and a liar. Bill admitted to him that he made a mistake by leaving Dani. After Vernon left, Bill received a text from Madison. She wanted to meet with him at the office. Eva noticed that her mother was happy. She wondered what she was up to. Leslie felt like being happy, but Eva wasn’t buying it. She also didn’t like the idea of her using Marcel to get Ted. Leslie was positive that Shanice would be out of the picture soon.

Kat wanted Chelsea to take her side when she talked to her about her mother’s behavior. Chelsea didn’t agree with her. While they were talking, Dani and Izaiah showed up at Uptown. The girls were shocked to see them together. Dani informed them that she wanted him to join her modeling agency. He turned down her offer. Later Kat sat at his table and told him that he should reconsider Dani’s offer. Eva walked into Uptown and saw them together. Dani met with Vernon at the club. They talked about what was going on with the family. Hayley ran into Lynette at the coffee shop. They were talking when Dani walked in the shop. Dani warned Lynette that Hayley would steal something she loved sooner or later.

 

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GH Short Recap Friday, January 30, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

Rocco arrives at the Quartermaine cottage. Danny and Charlotte tell Rocco that Danny was going to take her to see her father at Carly’s, but they got stuck because of the storm. Rocco tells Danny and Charlotte that from now on they won’t keep any secrets from each other. Rocco tells Charlotte that all three of them will figure out how she can see Valentin.

Nathan and Lulu admit that they have feelings for each other, but they won’t act on them because if they did it would hurt Dante and Maxie.

Cody is hurt and angry with Molly because the character in her book that is based on him is a dumb cowboy. Molly explains to Cody that when she first met him she thought that of him, but when she got to know him she knew he wasn’t like that at all. Cody is hurt that Molly would see him that way at all.

Josslynn plays chess with Ross Cullum. Ross leaves and Josslynn finds a book in Ross’s jacket pocket and the woman on the cover of the book looks exactly like Anna. Josslynn asks “Mathew” if she can read the book and he says she can read it to have something to do.

Britt tells Jason that when everyone thought she had died she woke up at the five poppies resort. Ross Cullum who works for Jens Siddwell and the WSB told her that they would give her medicine to slow the progression of her Huntington’s disease in exchange for finishing Faison’s last project on cold fusion . Britt tells Jason that Ross Cullum threatened to send Rocco to Steinmower if she didn’t get him (Jason) out of her life. Britt also tells Jason that Jens Siddwell killed Henry Dalton in front of her. Britt agrees to let Jason help her get away from these guys. Britt says they can’t sea each other anymore because if Ross Cullum and Jens Siddwell find out he and Rocco could get hurt.

Jack almost sees Valentin at Carly’s house but Carly is able to hide Valentin before Jack can see him.

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GH Short Recap Thursday, January 29, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

The blizzard continues in Port Charles.

Charlotte gets a signal on her phone and sends a text message to Lulu telling her that she was at the Quartermaines and that she is with Danny.

Valentin can’t stand waiting anymore and goes out to find Charlotte. Valentin can’t make it off Carly’s property because there is too much snow. Carly tells Valentin that Lulu sent a text message telling her that she is at the Quartermaines with Danny .

Danny makes s’mores and, after he eats them, he and Charlotte kiss for the first time.

Lulu and Nathan play two truths and, after drinking for a while, Lulu and Nathan kiss.

Martin and Tracy have a long talk about how Tracy ruined Martin’s life by causing his breakup with Lucy. Lucy tells Martin he will never find love unless he accepts a woman for who she really is instead of expecting the woman to change for him .

Cody and Molly get stuck at his place and Molly gets a text message from her literary agent that says she loves the book and it could possibly turn into a multi book deal. Molly tells Cody that Kristina probably sent her manuscript to her literary agent without her permission and she wants to keep her hobby writing. Cody waits for Molly to go to sleep and then he finds her manuscript in her briefcase and starts to read it.

Jason finds Britt at the Harbor Master station close to Spoon Island, and she tells him she tried to make it to the mainland and the boat she was in almost tipped over and she almost drowned. Britt and Jason have sex and afterwards Brit decides to tell Jason the truth. Britt tells Jason that people are forcing her to complete Faidon’s final project and if she refuses to work on it they will stop giving her the medicine she needs to stop the progress of her Huntington ‘s disease.

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Y&R Short Recap Friday, January 30, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

Nick tells Phyllis he is done with her taking Newman Enterprises from his family has permanently ruined their relationship. Phyllis tells Nick that it doesn’t matter to her and Nick tells Phyllis that she will be successful in business, but she will end up alone without anyone who cares about her.

Phyllis calls Summer but she doesn’t answer her phone. Summer sends Phyllis a text message that says don’t call me.

Devon and Abby go to Crimson Lights for coffee and they run into Daniel and Tessa. Devon and Abby tell Daniel and Tessa that someone took Dominic and the only thing they found was a scarf. Devon shows Tessa the scarf and she recognizes it as a custon made scarf she gave Mariah for Christmas two years ago.

Devon gets a call from the police station, and they tell him that a little boy matching Dominic’s description was seen at a nearby motel. Mariah tells Dominic it is time to go to the next hiding place. Devon and Abby get to the motel and find one of Dominic’s mittens. The policewoman shows Devon security footage from the motel security camera. Devon tells the policewoman that the people on the video are Mariah and Dominic. Abby decides to call her dad and get his security team looking for Mariah and Dominic.

Cane tells Billy that the takeover of Newman Enterprises is finished and he is now the CEO of Chancellor Industries just like he promised him. Billy tells Cane about Jill ‘s heart condition getting worse and asks Cane not to make an official announcement about him being the CEO of Chancellor Industries because if Jill finds out it could make here condition even worse.

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GH Short Recap Wednesday, January 28, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

The blizzard begins and Nathan and Lulu get stuck in an empty Cafe to wait until the storm passes while they are trying to look for Charlotte who they think has gone to the stables to check on her horse Butterscotch. Charlotte is at the Quartermaine mansion asking Danny to take her to Carly’s house to talk to Valentin. Charlotte tells Danny that she needs to tell Valentin that Nina betrayed him because she tried to get his location from her so she could tell Jack Brenan his location. Danny persuades Charlotte to wait until the storm is over to go to Carly’s place to talk to Valentin.

Carly tells Valentin that Charlote is missing and is most likely coming to see him. Valentin wants to go out and look for Charlote, but Carly persuades him to wait until Charlotte arrives there to see him and she is going to wait there with him.

Tracy is stuck at Drew’s house with Martin who is living there because Willow is living at Nina’s house. Gio and Emma can’t get to Drew’s house because of the storm so they wait for the storm to pass at Anna ‘s house.

Josslynn snoops around the catacombs and Windemere during the blackout. Josslynn goes back to the main house looking for Lucas but runs into WSB Director Cullum who pretends to be the new caretaker named Matthew. Mathew and Josslynn have a glass of wine and get to know each other.

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Y&R Short Recap Thursday, January 29, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

Kyle has a talk with Diane and tells her that he will always love Claire but he has realized that he has to let her go and hope that if is meant to be they will get back together. Claire talks to Nikki about Holden and Kyle. Claire tells Nikki that she has truat issues with both Kyle and Holden and those trust issues involving Audra. Nikki believes in true love and thinks that if Claire and Kyle are meant to be they will get back together.

Claire and Kyle run into each other at Crimson Lights and talk about the situation at Newman Enterprises. Claire asks Kyle out to dinner and he accepts her invitation. Chelsea persuades Adam to tell her Victor’s plan. Adam and Chelsea are summoned to the ranch by Nikki who asks Adam to tell her Victor’s plan. Adam doesn’t want to tell Nikki the plan, but Chelsea tells Nikki the plan. Chelsea tells Nikki that Victor wants Cane to think that he has kidnapped Lily, Mattie, and Charlie so that Cane will give Newman Enterprises back to them. Nikki thinks the only way that the plan will work is to persuade Lily to help them with the plan

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BTG Short Recap Tuesday, January 27, 2026

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Recap written by Michele & Cheryl

Nicole and Kial were at Uptown. They talked about Carlton. He felt like Carlton wasn’t much competition or she wouldn’t be drinking alone. Madison thought she was going to have a difficult conversation about Chelsea’s behavior. Chelsea didn’t want to go back to her partying ways, but she missed it at times. She didn’t want to be judged for missing her old life. Madison would walk away if she’s holding her back from her old life. She didn’t know how to fix the fact that opposites don’t always work. Chelsea accidentally proposed to Madison. Madison felt like she proposed out of fear and not love. She walked away. Joey wanted Lance to go to the back room of his casino. He put Lance on notice about threatening Vanessa. If he said Vanessa’s name, he would kill him. Dani met Vanessa at the club. Bill saw Dani and made suggestive comments about her clothes. He thought she did it to please him. Vanessa thought he was full of himself and pathetic at the same time. She enjoyed watching Bill choke on his regret for leaving Dani. Vanessa didn’t think she should fall for Bill’s behavior. Dani left to meet Andre. Lance’s wife, Lolly, arrived at the club to see Vanessa. She apologized to Vanessa for Lance’s behavior. They agreed to protect each other. Lance arrived at the club, so Lolly ripped into him for what he did to Vanessa. He saw Vanessa so he left the club.

Vanessa met Joey at the casino. He noticed the bruises were that Lance gave her. He didn’t want her to downplay what Lance did to her. Joey said that she would never be hurt by his business again. He didn’t tell her about confronting Lance. Vanessa thought he was the reason Lance ran away from her at the country club. Hayley and Andre ran into each other at the coffee shop. Andre didn’t want to hang out with her. Hayley tried to bond with him, but it didn’t work. He left to meet Dani. Hayley sent Bill a sexy text. Bill was caught up in his memories of Dani. Hayley arrived at home to seduce Bill, but she saw that he was asleep. She was upset about it. Hayley didn’t know that Bill was pretending to be asleep.

 

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Days Short Recap Tuesday, January 27, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

While EJ and Cat were about to talk, Rafe showed up and told him the bones were Stefano’s. EJ was shocked that the bones wee Stefano’s. Kristen walked in and heard about the bones. She was upset that she killed Peter with her father’s femur. Kristen said no matter what Stefano did, she used to love him. Now she doesn’t love him anymore. She said she hated Stefano and EJ. Kristen walked out of the room. EJ accused Rafe of being the last person to see Stefano alive when Hope killed him. EJ left the room leaving Cat and Rafe alone. Chad went to see Theo at the hospital. He told Theo that he would be discharged soon. EJ called Chad to tell him that the bones were Stefano’s. Chad didn’t tell Theo the news. Rafe and Cat tried to figure out EJ’s reaction to the news. Chad showed up at the house when Cat and Rafe were about to leave. Kristen had her suitcases with her. Chad walked Cat out. He told her that he got to keep his kids if he stayed away from her.

Rafe asked Kristen if she knew where Rolf was. Kristen said she didn’t know where he was and asked if he thought about her offer. EJ went to see Rolf while he was working. He asked Rolf what he did with Stefano. Rolf said he was worried that Peter got rid of them. He told EJ that Stefano didn’t die when everyone thought he did. Rolf said Stefano went to a private island while he sent him out to keep him alive. He said he was gone for six months and when he returned, Stefano was dead for real. Rolf said he didn’t know how Stefano’s bones got there when he put them under the crypt. Cat called Andrew to tell him she found the money trail on the person Peter hired to kidnap the DiMeras. The person turned out to be Liam. Rolf told EJ that he had the correct formula. He said he was positive that she would open her eyes again soon.

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Days Short Recap Wednesday, January 28, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Stephanie and Alex couldn’t focus on anything until Steve and Jada informed them about the plan to get Jeremy before he left town. They talked about the evidence they had against him. Jada informed them that JJ was going to watch him. Steve and Jada talked to them about the plan. They were going to set up a website announcing the wedding. The site was going to mention them eloping. They were going to send Alex to the courthouse with a fake Stephanie. Jeremy would arrive at the courthouse, and they would catch him. They didn’t know that the stalker was listening to their plan. Alex wanted to do the plan, but Jada was upset that she didn’t see through Jeremy’s act. Steve noticed a new message from the stalker. The stalker admitted that he already tried to kill Alex. They remembered what happened when Alex was attacked during Halloween. Steve and company wanted to review the footage from the town square. Alex’s drink was poisoned months ago, Stephanie realized that her ex-boyfriend tried to kill Alex for months. She was afraid for Alex’s safety.

Rafe called Abe over to talk about Stefano being dead. He wanted to know what he knew about Liam. Rafe told Abe that Liam seemed to be the one who kidnapped the DiMeras. Abe believed that Liam turned his life around, but he was desperate for money. Liam seemed like a good person who loved his son. If he turned out to be the one who kidnapped Theo, Leo was dead to him. Rafe promised to keep Abe informed about Liam. Jada assured Stephanie that they would do what they could to protect Alex. They didn’t have any other options to keep him safe. Everyone got started on the plan. Stephanie had to hold back tears. Alex told her that Jeremy was the one to blame. The stalker was listening to everything they were saying.

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BTG Short Recap Wednesday, January 28, 2026

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Recap written by Michelle & Cheryl

When Leslie heard Ted ordering flowers, she said she didn’t want to assume they were for her. Ted said they were for Shanice. He warned her to stop harassing Shanice. Later on, Leslie went to the hospital to flirt with Marcel. She ended up seeing the flowers Ted ordered for Shanice being delivered. Leslie picked on Shanice but it didn’t do any good. When Shanice overheard that Ted usually sends flowers to women after sex, she confronted him about it. Ted admitted that he does that. They made plans to meet later. Leslie went to Ted’s room and put her underwear behind his pillow. Jacob asked Naomi why she was researching cancer treatments when she didn’t have the BRCA gene. After Naomi left, Elon showed up to talk to Jacob about the blood case and the progress he made. Elon implied that he didn’t think Jacob could handle the case. Later on, Elon talked to Marcel about Jacob not being able to handle the case. Marcel said everyone was supportive of Jacob. He told Elon he would keep an eye on Jacob.

Jacob met with Smitty. They talked about working together on the case. Jacob was afraid that Smitty’s behavior could put them in danger. Kat talked to Nicole about being with Kial the night before. Nicole told Kat that she refused to be judged by her daughter. Carlton showed up to invite Nicole to dinner. Nicole agreed to go, but she turned down his invitation to go on an overnight date to his niece’s birthday party. Kat went to talk to Anita about her mother. Anita said Nicole was dealing with things her own way. She said Kat had better things to worry about. When Anita agreed to talk to Nicole, Kat left. Kat went to Orphey Gene’s and ran into her father. Things went well for them until he mentioned Eva. Kat walked away from him. June showed up and gave her advice about Eva. She advised Kat not to slam the door so hard that it couldn’t be reopened. Anita wanted Nicole to come over. She told Nicole that she wanted her to step in to take care of the family if things took a turn for the worst. Anita went over everything she needed to know to take over.

 

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Days Short Recap Monday, January 26, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

EJ returned to town and realized that Dimitri was staying at the mansion. Dimitri thought he was involved with Gwen, and his kidnapping. He let EJ know that he hired someone to find out what Gwen did with his money. Rafe and Cat talked about the investigation about the exhumation. They talked about Bo and Hope finding out about Stefano’s body. Stefano was dead for seven years, so the family could declare him legally dead. Gwen wanted answers from Rolf about the project their working on. He said that there has been progress. EJ called Gwen to let her know that he was home. Before she left, Gwen wanted to know if people would pay millions for their research. She asked Rolf if he could revive her if EJ murdered her. Gwen returned to the DiMera mansion to an angry EJ. He was ballistic that she released Dimitri without telling him. EJ exploded on her because they needed Dimitri’s money to fund their project until it made money. Gwen explained that she released Dimitri so they could frame him for the DiMera kidnappings. She was about to explain the plan, but Cat walked in the room.

Kristen warned Sarah that her daughter didn’t need two mothers. She wanted Sarah to step aside. While she was at the hospital, she ran into Johnny and Chanel. Chanel snapped at her because of what happened during Johnny’s trial. After their confrontation with Kristen, Johnny and Chanel got the ultrasound. Sarah told them that things were progressing smoothly. She informed Chanel that the chances of her cancer returning were low. Kristen wasn’t thrilled to see EJ at the mansion. She let him know that she planned to dance on his grave. Later she went to the town square and ran into Dimitri. She reminded him that he owed her money. He reminded her that she couldn’t blackmail him anymore. Kristen felt like Gwen would drive him out of the mansion. Dimitri planned to make Gwen pay for what she did to him. Kristen felt like he was a true DiMera. Dimitri wanted her to prepare for major turbulence. Shane called Rafe to let him know that the bones were identified.

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Days Update Friday, January 23, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Belle greets Marlena at home and asks how Julie’s Book Club was yesterday. Marlena responds that it was rough, surprising Belle.

At the Horton House, Jennifer asks Chad if there’s any word on Jeremy. Chad says not yet but he hoped they would have some news before having to tell Thomas what’s going on. Jennifer says there’s no harm in holding off for now since Jeremy is Thomas’s favorite teacher and his cousin. Chad points out that Stephanie is his cousin too which makes the whole thing weird, trying to figure out how to tell him that one cousin is stalking another.

Alex and Stephanie are at home together. Stephanie doesn’t know how she will get any work done while Alex says he barely slept either. Stephanie can’t believe Jeremy made the website about her. Stephanie admits she was worried Jeremy might cause some trouble, but never thought he’d go this far. Alex declares that Jeremy has been caught now, so they can hope this nightmare is finally behind them.

Melinda Trask joins Jeremy in the interrogation room to represent him. Jeremy thanks her for representing him and says he’s heard a lot about her. Melinda says considering his family, she’s surprised he reached out. Jeremy admits that his go to is generally Justin, but considering he’s being accused of threatening to kill his son, that was out of the question so Julie suggested Melinda and said she’s a shark which is exactly what he needs right now.

At the police station, Julie tells Jada that she knows that she wants to keep Stephanie safe, but she’s harassing an innocent man. Jada knows she’s upset but suggests she go home and get some rest after being there all night. Julie says she is not one to take a nap while her family is in trouble, so she’s not going anywhere.

Marlena explains to Belle that she was there with Maggie and Julie but when it came time to share her feelings, she couldn’t find the words. Belle is sure they understood. Marlena calls it still embarrassing. Belle questions why when she just lost her husband not long ago. Belle asks what Marlena would tell herself if she was her own patient. Marlena responds that everyone grieves in their own way in their own time which Belle says includes her.

Chad asks if Jennifer believes that Jeremy did what they are saying. Jennifer says she doesn’t want to, but doesn’t know what to believe and argues that the idea that Jeremy was living in their house while secretly stalking Stephanie doesn’t even make sense. Chad agrees and points out that Jeremy is great with the kids and seems like a good guy. Chad hopes Jeremy is just being falsely accused and this is all just a giant mistake. Jennifer hopes he’s right.

Steve gets up and greets Alex and Stephanie, saying he hopes they didn’t sleep as bad as he did since he was really wound up. Stephanie points out that now Steve can finally go home but Steve says he can’t. Alex asks why not since Jeremy is in custody but Steve reveals he isn’t because Jada didn’t arrest him, she only brought him in for questioning and can only hold him for 24 hours unless he confesses. Steve declares they are stuck with him for now because he’s not letting his guard down yet and is not going anywhere.

Melinda asks Jeremy to go over why he’s at the police station. Jeremy explains that Jada asked him to come down for questioning because someone has been stalking his ex Stephanie Johnson and they think it’s him because someone made a creepy website about Stephanie and the company who sold the URL said he paid for it, but he swears he did not. Melinda questions why the company says he did. Jeremy insists he’s being setup and she’s got to believe him.

Julie asks Jada to at least have JJ or Shawn question Jeremy if she’s going to hold him. Jada says they are his cousins so that would be a conflict of interest. Julie remarks that’s never been a problem for the Salem police department. Julie argues that if they had this great evidence against him, they would’ve arrested him by now but that proves he didn’t do it. Jada hopes she’s right but if it turns out that Jeremy is the crazed fan, he will be brought to justice.

Chad tells Jennifer that he wanted to talk to her about the custody situation since Julie said Thomas wasn’t on board with what they figured out yesterday. Jennifer says that he is, but he just still has concerns about the promise Chad made to keep Cat out of his life, since he’s broken it before so he’s afraid he won’t be able to keep it now either. Chad insists that he will if that’s what is best for the kids. Jennifer knows that’s his intention but she thinks Thomas needs more than just his word.

Marlena thanks Belle for reminding her what she tells her clients about grief, that they have to be patient with themselves. Belle encourages that the mystery book club meeting will be a lot more low key so she might have a good time.

Steve says they are really lucky to have Jada on their side as she will do everything within the boundaries of the law to keep Jeremy away and now that they know he’s behind the website, he’s filed a restraining order to force him to keep his distance from Stephanie and Alex. Steve adds that even though all the evidence points towards Jeremy, they haven’t proved that he’s the stalker, so until they do, he’s still a threat.

Melinda states that the police have nothing but circumstantial evidence and that creating a website is not a crime, so the odds of charging him with anything are low. Jeremy questions why they are holding him then. Melinda guesses they want to strongarm him in to a confession. Jeremy says he has nothing to confess so Melinda says they will wait it out. Melinda says even if he did, she could get it down to a lesser offense. Jeremy refuses to confess because he’s innocent and saying otherwise would tank his career. Melinda says losing his career pales in comparison to losing his freedom. Jeremy worries that any confession would mean he would never work as a teacher again or be near kids, so his life would basically be over.

Julie tells Jada that she truly believes Jeremy is not guilty. Jada understands that she wants to think the best of her family. Julie explains that a little while ago, Jeremy told her that he was planning to leave Salem because he didn’t think he could ever get a fair shake here since too many people seem unable to forgive and forget the mistakes he made when he was younger. Julie believes that alone should close her case against him. Jada asks why it would do that. Julie calls it obvious that if Jeremy was ready to leave Salem on his own, then he’s not a threat to Stephanie or Alex. Jada responds that she doesn’t see it that way at all.

Marlena tells Belle that she has a talent for saying the right things in the right moment when someone is upset. Marlena jokes that she could’ve been a therapist but says she’s doing very well on her own path and she’s proud of her. Marlena adds that John was proud of her, Paul, and Brady too. Belle asks if she’s heard from Brady and wonders what he will do now that he’s been fired from Basic Black. Marlena says she hasn’t heard from him but she knows he’s trying hard to find his own path. Marlena mentions suggesting to him that this time could be a gift to spend with Rachel. Marlena thinks sometimes Brady is a lot like John in putting other people’s needs before his own and worrying about the rest of the staff at Basic Black while realizing it’s John’s legacy. Belle agrees that someone from the family should carry on John’s legacy and reveals she has a suggestion on who that might be. Belle then suggests Marlena herself.

Chad asks if Jennifer is saying that she doesn’t trust his word and if she and Jack are going to take this back to court. Jennifer says no and just thinks they can revisit the terms to find something Thomas is okay with. Chad argues that Thomas is 10 years old and doesn’t get to dictate their terms. Jennifer worries that Thomas could cause a problem if he feels he’s not being heard and says that all he wants is for Chad to reassure him that Cat will never be a part of his life. Jennifer says it’s not that Thomas doesn’t want Chad to find someone to love again and adds that he just told her he was sad things didn’t work out between Chad and Stephanie. Chad says that ship has sailed.

Stephanie questions if Steve doesn’t think Jeremy is the one who was terrorizing them. Steve says he just thinks it’s safer not to take anything for granted, but adds that it is possible that someone created the website to make Jeremy look guilty. Alex asks why anyone would want to do that. Steve suggests Jeremy could have enemies out there that want to set him up and repeats that it’s unlikely, but they have to consider the possibility.

Jada joins Jeremy and Melinda in the interrogation room and asks if he’s ready to talk. Jeremy responds that he hasn’t been following Stephanie, taking pictures of her, writing about her on the internet, or buy that website domain. Jeremy adds that he has no idea who did any of those things. Jada mocks that not being helpful. Melinda guesses they are done here unless there’s anything else she needs from Jeremy. Jada states that the one thing she needs from him is the truth.

Marlena tells Belle that she can’t run a company as she has no experience doing that and a a few weeks ago, she was about to retire. Belle clarifies that she’s not saying Marlena should run Basic Black, but oversee it while someone from Titan manages the line and she provides input on behalf of the family. Marlena guesses that wouldn’t be too difficult and she could run her practice at the same time. Marlena admits that John’s legacy is terribly important to her. Belle says it is to all of them and asks if Marlena will do it. Marlena agrees to think about it.

Chad tells Jennifer that his kids’ happiness is the most important thing to him but he’s drawing the line at allowing her and Thomas to dictate who he can or cannot be in a relationship with. Jennifer argues that there’s one person they don’t want him with. Chad responds that he’s not involved with that person anymore. Jennifer repeats that Thomas just needs more reassurance. Chad asks if he’s supposed to write it in blood or move to Antarctica to make sure he never runs into her again. Jennifer responds that it’s not even about Cat anymore, it’s about Thomas and being able to trust his father again.

Alex says there’s a lot of evidence pointing to Jeremy, not just buying the domain name. Steve agrees and brings up when Jeremy came back to Salem and his history with Stephanie. Steve says it all fits their theory but it’s not hard proof so there’s still a lot of blanks to fill in. Alex feels it can’t be a coincidence and that they’ve given Jeremy the benefit of the doubt long enough. Stephanie can’t believe Jeremy has this fantasy after all these years. Stephanie states that if Jeremy comes anywhere near her again, he will be sorry.

Jeremy tells Jada that he’s telling her the truth even if she doesn’t want to believe him. Jada says she does want to believe him as it would make her life a lot easier, but she doesn’t believe him. Melinda tells Jada to either press charges or let him go. Jada argues that they can legally hold him for 12 more hours which Melinda says would be a waste of time and money. Melinda says there is no way Belle will press charges against Jeremy with circumstantial evidence and suggests letting him go. Jada warns Jeremy not to leave town. Jeremy points out that he was going to move but Jada repeats for him not to leave town as she exits the room.

Chad tells Jennifer that he will talk to Thomas and do his best to make sure he understands he will keep the promise. Chad adds that Jennifer and Jack can’t be a part of the conversation as it has to be between he and his son. Chad warns that if they are going to weigh in on every decision he makes, he will see them in court. Chad asks if that’s understood but Thomas comes in so they greet him. Thomas thought Jeremy was taking him to school today but he can’t find him. Chad informs him that Jeremy is going to be absent today, so Thomas asks if he’s sick. Chad says he just had some stuff to take care of. Chad brings up that Jennifer told him that he had some worries about their custody agreement and asks if he wants to talk about it before they hit the road. Jennifer decides to give them some privacy and exits as Chad sits with Thomas. Chad asks Thomas exactly what he’s worried about and how he can make him feel better. Thomas responds that he doesn’t know as he was so mad at him but then he was so scared when he was missing and now he just wishes things could be back to the way they were. Chad responds that he does too.

Marlena looks at a photo of her and John as Belle finishes a call and tells Marlena that she has to get to work as apparently Jeremy has been brought in for questioning. Belle says it apparently has to do with Stephanie and he’s already been released, but he’s still a suspect. Marlena worries that Julie must be beside herself.

Julie hugs Jeremy and asks how he’s feeling. Jeremy says he’s exhausted but fine. Julie can’t believe they kept him all night. Jeremy questions if she’s been there all night. Julie says she wasn’t going to leave him. Jeremy thanks her as it means a lot and knows it can’t be easy for her if most of her friends and most of Salem think he’s guilty. Julie responds that she doesn’t as she knows he has a good heart and she believes in him. Jeremy says she may be the only one as he hugs her.

Alex tells Stephanie that if Jeremy is stupid enough to come near her again, all three of them will make sure he’s sorry. Stephanie says she will hold him to that. Jada shows up at their door. Stephanie asks how it went with Jeremy. Jada responds that she’s sorry but she had to let him go because there wasn’t enough evidence. Jada adds that Jeremy claims the website isn’t his and even if it was, it’s not a crime. Alex questions what the hell to do now and if they are just supposed to wait for him to commit another crime and hope to catch him in the act. Steve says they aren’t waiting for him to do anything as there are other ways to force him out. Jada is not sure she wants to know, but first points out that there’s a box outside the door. Stephanie assures she didn’t order anything as she’s been too afraid to have any stranger anywhere near her place. Steve decides he will check it out so he grabs gloves and brings in the box from Ornaments on the Square. Steve opens the card to see who it’s from.

Chad tells Thomas that nothing is more important to him than he and Charlotte as they are his world. Chad states that he can’t be happy unless they are happy and it kills him that Thomas feels he can’t trust him. Thomas says he wants to, so maybe he’ll stay for awhile and move to Jack and Jennifer’s if it doesn’t work out. Chad tells him that’s not an option. Chad wants to find a way to move forward but he can’t threaten to move away every time he makes a decision he doesn’t like. Thomas admits that makes sense. Chad says he’s willing to prove to him that he can trust him. Chad acknowledges that Cat lied when she pretended to be Abigail and he knows she didn’t just hurt him, but Jack and Jennifer and he and Charlotte. Chad calls it fair if Thomas doesn’t want Cat in his life, so maybe there’s a way to give him more than just his word. Chad informs him that he promised Jack and Jennifer that he would never get involved with Cat when they agreed to drop the custody suit. Chad decides he can call Melinda to put it in writing as part of their agreement, so it would be legally binding and the courts could get involved if he goes back on his word. Thomas asks if he could go to jail. Chad says it’s nothing like that, but Jack and Jennifer would be able to petition for custody again and would have a much stronger argument if he didn’t hold up his end. Chad asks if putting it in writing would help Thomas trust him again. Thomas admits that it would a lot.

Julie goes to see Marlena and Belle. Julie tells Marlena that she’s glad she’s feeling better but she’s still sorry about yesterday. Julie says she’s sure that Belle has heard Jeremy has been released. Belle confirms she heard and they aren’t filing charges today but she can’t promise about the future and that’s probably all she’s allowed to say. Julie believes very deeply that Jeremy is not guilty of these shocking things he’s been accused of by people rushing to say he’s guilty. Julie reveals to Belle that Jeremy was planning to leave Salem because everyone with their pitchforks was getting to be too much but Jada told him he can’t leave town and now he’s in limbo. Belle questions if Jada said he couldn’t leave town and doesn’t think it was an order, but a strong suggestion, as there’s no law keeping him in town when he hasn’t been charged with anything. Belle thinks Jada was trying to say that Jeremy would look suspicious if he left Salem. Belle thinks that if Jeremy is innocent, he should stay put and prove it.

Chad calls Melinda to make an adjustment to the mediation agreement and put in formal writing that if he pursues a relationship with Cat Green, then Jack and Jennifer can revisit the custody agreement with Thomas’s permission. Melinda doesn’t think it’s a good idea to give away leverage. Chad explains that he’s not doing it to protect himself but to build trust with his son. Melinda agrees to write something up and e-mail it to him. Chad thanks her and says he’ll be in touch as he hangs up. Chad asks Thomas if he’s happy. Thomas says that he is. Chad says he’s happy if he’s happy. Chad adds that Thomas will have to meet him in the middle because Salem is a very small town so they will run in to Cat from time to time, so he doesn’t want him to jump to conclusions every time he says hello to her or helps her with a heavy bag of groceries. Chad says that they can’t pretend Cat doesn’t exist, but if Thomas doesn’t want her in his life then she won’t be. Thomas thinks he can live with that. Chad sends Thomas to go get Charlotte so he can take them to school.

Steve reveals the package was an engagement congratulations from EJ. Stephanie is surprised while Alex questions how EJ even knew. Stephanie guesses he saw their blurb in the Spectator and had Rita send something. Steve remarks that at least their planted announcement got someone to take action, just not the someone they wanted.

Unbeknownst to Stephanie, Alex, Steve, and Jada, the delivered package was bugged with a recording device. The mystery stalker is sitting at a desk wearing a leather jacket and black gloves as they listen in to the conversation where Stephanie asks Steve about drawing the stalker out. Steve responds that the good thing about Jeremy being cut loose is now they can set a trap for him.

Stephanie says if they need to use her as bait, she’s all in but Alex says no way. Alex brings up that the message board post said he wanted to get rid of him to have Stephanie all too himself, so he will be the bait.

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GH Short Recap Tuesday, January 27, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

Tracy decides to use her key to Drew’s house to go and get the family heirlooms that Drew stole from her back even though there is a blizzard on the way. Tracy had hired movers, but they didn’t want to work because of the oncoming storm. Tracy tells Gio that Edward his great- great grandfather had a painting that featured stringing musicians that she thought he might like to have when he finds his own place to live. Emma and Gio decide to help Tracy take her family heirlooms back from Drew’s place.

Josslynn tells Brick that she has a school project and needs to know how to turn off the power on Spoon Island. Brick tells her how to do it and Josslynn goes to Spoon Island and shuts off the power to the whole island.

Ava, Jens Siddwell, Lucas, and Marco decide to leave Spoon Island to wait out the storm. Charlotte wants to go check on her horse Butterscotch at the stables but Lulu thinks it is dangerous because they don’t have a policeman guarding them because their guard was called into the police station to help with the storm. Charlotte gets away from Lulu and when Lulu can’t find Charlotte she thinks Valentin took Charlotte.

Brick tells Jason and Sonny that one of his reliable sources told him that the person who tried to kill him twice is someone inside the WSB, but Brick doesn’t think it is Jens Siddwell.

The voice of Faison continues to torture Anna and when the lights go out on Spoon Island someone wearing a wig of white hair comes into the room where Anna is and she thinks that it is Fasion.

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Y&R Short Recap Wednesday, January 28, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

Sally tells Audra that since Billy is leaving Abbott Communications and, she can’t talk to Jill, she has made the decision to hire her to take Billy’s place at Abbott Communications and talk to Jill about it when she is feeling better.

Sally tells Victoria that Billy left Abbott Communications and Victoria figures out that Cane offered Billy the job of running Chancellor Industries. Sally confirms that is why Billy left Abbott Communications and also tells Victoria that she is worried that Billy will return to his old bad habits.

Devon and Abby search the Chancellor Mansion property three times and Abby finally persuades Devon that someone kidnapped Dominic. Devon calls the police to report Dominic missing. A guilt-ridden Mariah takes Dominic to the hotel room where she is staying and tells him that they are playing hide and seek with his mommy and Daddy and they have to keep changing places to keep going with the game. The hallucination of Ian Ward keeps telling her that sometime soon she will have to tell Dominic that Abby and Devon don’t love him anymore and they don’t want him anymore. Mariah doesn’t want to do what the hallucination of Ian Ward tells her to do because she can’t bear to break Dominic’s heart.

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Days Update Thursday, January 22, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Gabi sits at Theo’s side in the hospital as Theo tells her jokes and they laugh until JJ walks in.

Julie goes home while on the phone with Marlena, apologizing again for joking at the Book Club but Marlena assures there’s no hard feelings. Julie says she’ll check back with her soon as they hang up. Julie then heads in to the living room and greets Jeremy, who is working on his laptop. Jeremy asks how the Book Club went. Julie says it went and asks where everybody is since it’s so quiet. Jeremy informs her that Jack and Jennifer took the kids out for pizza as they thought it would cheer Thomas up. Julie questions Thomas needing cheering up. Jeremy responds that Thomas apparently was not too happy with the details that Jack, Jennifer, and Chad agreed to at mediation.

Stephanie and Jada sit together in the town square. Stephanie says it’s been a blast wedding shopping with her even if it is part of their plan to bait the stalker. Jada agrees that she’s having a lot of fun too. Jada hopes that creep reveals his identity too so she can actually do her maid of honor duties rather than constantly looking over their shoulder. Jada adds that they did have plain clothes officers with them on the lookout which shocks Stephanie as she had no idea anyone was following them. Stephanie worries about how much that’s costing the police department but Jada reveals it’s actually not costing a cent.

Alex joins Philip at Titan and questions that he just found out Xander sacked Brady and argues against not being included on major decisions. Philip says he would’ve liked to have been included too but it wasn’t exactly a pre-meditated firing. Alex asks if he’s saying this was just a Xander temper tantrum right in the middle of an all hands on deck crisis for the company. Alex argues that Titan doesn’t need more bad press but Philip clarifies that it’s not being presented as a firing, but as a mutual decision. Steve comes in behind Alex, so Philip asks if he can help him with something but Alex says he’s with him as he introduces Steve as his future father-in-law and personal bodyguard.

Julie tells Jeremy that she just saw Chad and he said the mediation went well, so she asks if Thomas is unhappy to stay in Salem and live with his father. Jeremy explains that from what Jennifer said, Thomas is still having difficulty because of the whole Cat Green situation and trusting Chad. Julie calls it a mess for a child to have to deal with all these unresolved issues. Julie asks if he thinks this will affect the outcome of the agreement. Jeremy says her guess is as good as his.

JJ apologizes for interrupting and says he can come back later but Gabi says it’s okay and Theo says the more the merrier. JJ brought burgers from the Brady Pub. Gabi then announces she can’t stay long because she has a date with Philip.

Philip remembers seeing Alex and Stephanie’s engagement announcement and says he’s really happy for them, but questions why Alex needs a bodyguard when he thought they were worried about Stephanie. Alex responds that there’s been recent developments which Philip questions. Steve reveals that the stalker threatened to kill Alex which in his crazy mind means having Stephanie all to himself.

Stephanie questions how having police officers follow them around isn’t costing the department anything. Jada reveals that Alex is paying for her to have around the clock protection. Stephanie notes that Alex didn’t say anything to her about it, meanwhile he’s the one with a target on his back after the stalker posted on the message board that he wanted to murder Alex. Stephanie is starting to wish she never wrote her book.

Theo tells Gabi to enjoy her date with Philip and thanks her for coming to see him again. Gabi hopes next time she sees him, he’ll be out of the bed and running. Gabi says bye to JJ and exits. Theo tells JJ that he couldn’t help but notice his reaction when Gabi said she had a date with Philip and asks if there’s any reason for that.

Julie tells Jeremy that Thomas needs to trust his father again and asks Jeremy to talk to him. Jeremy says he will if Chad thinks it’s a good idea. Julie asks how Thomas is doing in school. Jeremy says he’s doing good and always does his homework. Julie asks how Jeremy is doing now. Jeremy reveals that he turned down continuing to be a substitute teacher in the district and announces he’s leaving Salem for good.

Jada questions Stephanie wishing she never wrote One Stormy Night even after her success. Stephanie admits at first it felt like a dream come true and she got caught up in the glamour and attention of it all, but if that started all this then it wasn’t worth it. Stephanie worries about something happening to Alex. Jada assures that nothing will happen to either of them on her watch or Steve’s.

Philip says he’s sorry to hear this guy isn’t just a nutty fan but apparently homicidal and asks if there’s anything Titan can do to help. Steve says he’s got it covered. Philip asks who is watching Stephanie. Steve responds that she’s with the police commissioner today while Alex adds that she also has plain clothes police officers watching her. Philip asks how long they think this will go on and if there’s a plan in place. Alex assures they have a plan which Steve notes it’s confidential. Philip argues that he needs to hear it since Alex and Stephanie are very important to Titan and to him, so if they are in danger because of a book his company published, he needs to know what’s being done to rectify the situation. Steve agrees and explains that they think the guy will be eager to act now that the engagement announcement is out, so they hope to lure him in to a trap. Philip worries that it’s dangerous considering the guy is poised to kill. Steve responds that he doesn’t like provoking the guy but doing nothing could be a lot more dangerous.

JJ claims to Theo that he didn’t realize he had a reaction to Gabi having a date and guesses he was just disappointed she had to leave so soon. Theo is impressed that JJ remembered his burger order and says it’s really good to see him. JJ responds that it’s really good to see him awake and admits he was really worried and that seeing him unconscious brought back a lot of tough memories. JJ says he was pacing the halls and praying that Theo would come back to them. Theo appreciates his prayers and says he’s sorry for how he came after JJ when he decided to go back to the police department. JJ thanks him but says he has nothing to be sorry for because he was right that he shouldn’t have gone back without talking to him first. JJ reiterates that he took his concerns seriously and has been continuing his training that emphasizes de-escalation. JJ hopes he’ll never have to reach for his service weapon again.

Alex and Steve eat together at the Brady Pub and talk sports. Alex wishes they could’ve bonded like this under less trying circumstances and he hates that Steve had to put his life on hold to protect him and Stephanie. Steve assures that nothing is more important to him than them. Steve adds that he has been doing other work like helping Rafe with the Peter Blake case. Alex didn’t know that Black Patch worked with the FBI. Steve calls this more personal and says in his line of work, trust is everything. Steve knows that Rafe, Bo, and Hope trust him. Alex asks if they have any leads. Steve says he can’t say much but reveals that Bo and Hope are heading to Alamainia to do some leg work which is a big help because there’s no way he’s leaving town when Alex and Stephanie are his first priority.

Julie tells Jeremy that she tried to talk him out of leaving Salem but she sees now that he’s made his decision and he’s determined. Julie says she’s going to miss him terribly and she’s sure the children will too, if they even stay in Salem after Thomas’s reaction to the mediation. Jeremy knows there’s a lot up in the air but he doubts the kids will move to Boston. Jeremy says Thomas is dealing with complicated feelings but he loves his dad, has his friends here, and they adore Julie. Julie says they’ve been a great comfort to her. Jeremy encourages that Thomas will come around in time. Julie asks where Jeremy will be moving on to. Jeremy responds that he hasn’t decided yet, so he might just leave town and see where the wind takes him.

Stephanie tells Jada that she’s glad the town square is quiet right now. Jada knows this situation must be bringing up scary memories for her. Stephanie says she wants to be brave which is why she’s putting herself out there as bait. Stephanie adds that she could never admit it to Alex or Steve, but she is terrified.

Philip and Gabi meet in the park. Philip wishes he could do more for Stephanie and Alex but says it sounds like Steve and Jada have it covered, so he suggests that he and Gabi just try to stay in the moment tonight. Gabi says that sounds like a plan. They come across a game of Cornhole with an ad for Saxton’s spring campaign. Gabi worries about Gabi Chic not being ready for their spring campaign. Philip points out that she can compete in the bean bag toss or he wins by default. Philip jokes that he loves that she hates losing as they kiss.

Steve tells Alex that he’s sorry to say he struck out on tracking the IP address of the psycho stalker from the message board. Alex feels that means he’s going to great lengths to hide his identity which Steve calls another red flag. Alex asks if he still thinks it could be Jeremy Horton. Steve says he’s not ruling it out and hopes to be proven wrong. Steve then gets a text from Hope, revealing she found another website which he shows to Alex. Alex remarks that it’s like a virtual shrine to Stephanie and that they even posted their engagement pictures. Steve says they just need to find the name of the person who purchased the URL domain, so thanks to Bo and Hope, they may not have to wait for the guy to make a move after all.

Jada tells Stephanie that she’s sorry this is so hard on her and reminds her that she doesn’t have to put herself at risk but Stephanie says she does. Stephanie complains that the stalker has taken her sense of safety, so she’s taking it all back. Stephanie wishes the guy would make his move. Jada feels it won’t be long now.

Theo tells JJ that he’s glad he’s taking classes but questions it being realistic that JJ thinks he’ll never use his gun again. JJ states that most officers go their whole career without firing their weapon, outside of the shooting range. Theo says he doesn’t need to hear how difficult the idea of using his weapon again is, but that he’s prepared for high stakes situation and making the split second decisions. JJ promises to do the work and not let fear compromise his brain. Theo is glad they talked about this as he knows how traumatized JJ was after his shooting, so much that he tried to take his own life. Theo admits he’s been hard on him lately, but no matter how angry he got, he never stopped believing that the world is a better place with JJ in it. JJ thanks him and says it means a lot as he’s grateful for his friendship and for Gabi’s since she talked him out of it. Theo asks if JJ’s sure he wasn’t upset when Gabi said she had a date with Philip. JJ admits that Theo knows him well and he wishes it didn’t but it did bother him. JJ explains that when he got back to Salem, he and Gabi started seeing each other again and he was really hoping it would work out this time. JJ wonders if they would still be together if he hadn’t gone back to the police force.

Philip asks how Gabi is doing with the whole Stefan thing. Gabi says she’s doing as good as can be, so she’s okay one minute and then not the next. Gabi explains that Rafe is heading to Alamainia to question Vivian and find out if Stefan is really dead. Philip asks if Stefan is alive, would Gabi want him back? Gabi assures that she would not as she wanted nothing to do with Stefan before, so this wouldn’t change anything. Philip remembers Gabi being surprised by how the news affected her. Gabi admits she loved Stefan, but he broke her heart and shattered the illusion of what she thought they had. Gabi adds that one of the last things she said about him was that she wished he were dead which haunts her. Gabi hopes he isn’t dead, but that doesn’t mean she wants him back.

Julie knows Jeremy had a hard time with people accepting he was a changed man, so she hopes he’s not being run out of town. Jeremy admits his reputation played a factor but he knows it’s the right decision for him. Jeremy assures that he’ll miss teaching, the kids, and being here with Julie but he should’ve known he has too much baggage. Julie then asks if his decision was influenced by Stephanie’s engagement to Alex. Jeremy insists that it doesn’t and that he didn’t come back to Salem to win Stephanie back. Julie believed there might have been a sliver of hope that they would reconcile. Jeremy admits when he read Stephanie’s book, it crossed his mind that maybe she was trying to communicate something to him, but as soon as he found out she had a long term boyfriend, he backed off. Julie asks if his feelings backed off. Jeremy admits that no matter where he is, he will always feel like Stephanie was the one who got away or the one he pushed away with his own bad behavior. Jeremy says he tried to make amends with Stephanie but at some point he has to respect people’s boundaries. Julie tells him that she’s so sorry. Jeremy says he’s just glad Stephanie is happy because she deserves it.

Alex tells Steve that he will be so relieved when this is over. Stephanie and Jada come in and join them. Steve gets another text and asks to speak to Jada in private so they step aside. Stephanie sits with Alex and tells him that Jada just told her about Alex paying for 24 hour security for her out of his own pocket and asks why he didn’t tell her. Alex responds that he didn’t want her to worry about the cost because peace of mind does not have a price tag. Stephanie is glad Jada told her so that she can tell him how grateful she is. Alex is surprised she’s not mad at him because she said she didn’t like people making the decisions for her. Stephanie says she can make an exception in this case and admits it was really sweet of him. Stephanie adds that knowing how protective he is of her means more than he knows. To the side, Steve asks Jada if this is enough. Jada responds that since Hope confirmed who owns the URL, it’s more than enough and she’ll take it from here. Jada then exits the Pub as Steve looks worried back at Stephanie and Alex.

Theo tells JJ that he did not know he and Gabi got back together again after he came back to Salem. JJ says it wasn’t for long since Gabi didn’t take too kindly to him bringing her in for questioning during the who shot EJ investigation. JJ remarks that it seems like Gabi and Philip are happy. Theo doesn’t think it’s going to last. JJ asks why he says that.

Philip tells Gabi that he knows relationships can be complicated, but if Stefan didn’t want her, he was out of his mind. Philip says he’s sorry that Stefan hurt her so badly. Gabi thanks him and says she’s sorry for going on about her reportedly dead ex. Philip says he’s the one who brought it up. Gabi understands it affects him too. Gabi adds that speaking of breaking hearts, she could kill Leo for breaking Javi’s. Philip asks what she thinks is going to happen there. Gabi responds that Javi is in Texas and she’s talked to him every day, but he’s shattered. Philip says they were so close to happiness before Dimitri showed up, comparing it to the film The Graduate which Gabi calls one of her favorites. Gabi guesses Philip will connect that to Stefan but assures that even if Stefan were alive, she would not ride off into the sunset with him. Gabi tells Philip that if she had to choose, she would choose him in a heartbeat as they kiss. Philip jokes that he may come across as full of himself at times, but it’s to mask his deep insecurities. Philip calls it a very welcome ego boost to hear someone as special as her would choose him. Gabi declares that Philip is the only man she has eyes for and she only wants him. They kiss until Philip suggests taking it back to his room but first they agree to one more game of Cornhole.

JJ asks Theo again why he doesn’t think Gabi and Philip are going to last. Theo thinks back to Gabi admitting to him that she planted the bug in Xander’s office to help Tony get DiMera back and agreeing to keep it between them. Theo calls it just a feeling but says nevermind.

Steve reveals to Stephanie and Alex that Jada just took off to bring in a suspect for questioning in Stephanie’s stalker case. Stephanie calls that great while Alex asks if he’s going to tell them who it is.

Julie and Jeremy eat pizza together until Jada shows up at the door, demanding they open up. Julie is shocked while Jeremy says he will handle it and answers the door. Jada informs Jeremy that she needs him to come down to the police station. Jeremy asks what for. Jada thinks he knows. Jeremy says he doesn’t and asks if he’s under arrest. Jada asks if he would like to be because they can make that happen if he refuses to come. Julie says it must be a misunderstanding. Jada responds that she’s sure it’s not as someone has been stalking and threatening Stephanie and Alex online and they have evidence that person is Jeremy.

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Y&R Short Recap Tuesday, January 27, 2026

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Recap written by Eva

Sally tells Billy that she talked to his Uncle Snapper, and he told her that Jill’s condition has taken a turn for the worse. Billy later calls his mom and tells her he will go visit her when she feels better. Billy remembers when Jill told him that Chancellor Industries was his legacy.

Cane and Phyllis go to Newman Enterprises to tell the Newmans they must leave the building. Victor tells Phyllis to enjoy being on top because she will fall very soon. Victor tells Adam to go through with their plan and Nikki and Victoria are upset when Victor won’t tell them what he is planning to do.

The hallucination of Ian Ward persuades Mariah that the only way that she will be happy is to kidnap Dominic and raise him as her own child. Mariah goes to Abby and Devon ‘s house and kidnapped Dominic while Abby is in the garden shed getting a bucket to help Dominic make a snow man. Abby goes back inside the house and tells Devon she can’t find Dominic. Devon and Abby think Dominic is playing a game of hide and seek and they start to search for him.

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Y&R Short Recap Monday, January 26, 2026

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Recap written by Barbara

Harrison plays a trick on Claire and Kyle with a fake emergency to get them both to come to the Abbott mansion. As soon as they arrive, he lets them know it was a false alarm and says that he needs their help with a school project. He gives them index cards and pens, asks them a few basic questions and has them write down their answers. Harrison is thrilled when most of their answers match and admits that he modified what was a school project to show them how much they have in common. Claire gets a text from Holden asking her to meet, but she tells Kyle and Harrison that she has to go to see her mom. In the foyer before Claire leaves, she and Kyle talk about the situation at her family’s company and Harrison’s sweet attempt at matchmaking. When Kyle returns to the living room, he admits to Harrison that he misses Claire.
A cheerful Sharon brings Nick back to her house from the hospital. His leg is on the mend and the doctor cleared him to go home with new pain meds. He is also now sporting a cane instead of the crutch.
Noah and Sienna come to Sharon’s house from a meeting with Michael Baldwin. Nick apologizes to them for how poorly he treated them right after his car accident when he was in excruciating pain. Sienna tells Nick and Sharon that since she and Matt were married under false pretenses, it will be easy for their marriage to be annulled. Nick and Sharon look uneasy. Sienna tells them that Victor was able to have all of Matt’s financial assets put into her name, except for the Shadow Room club. Noah adds that he enlisted the help of his grandfather, who had ownership of the club transferred to Noah. Sharon and Nick exchange glances of discomfort. Noah explains that he is planning to run the club remotely from Genoa City, to their relief. Sienna announces that it is time for her to go back to LA. Noah tries to talk her out of it and settle in Genoa City with him, but she insists that she has to return to LA.  He winds up offering to go there with her, telling her that they can run the Shadow Room there together. Nick and Sharon look dismayed.
Victor is in his office, staring at his portrait, when Victoria comes in and gives him a hug. They discuss what to do to save their company. He assures her that he will not give up the fight for it and tells her how proud of her he is. When she asks what the plan is, he tells her that he reached out to Jill for help, but her health has gotten worse, so her assistance is not an option He also informs Victoria that he prefers not to tell her and Nikki about the plan he has come up with. Adam walks in, asks Victor what he contacted him about regarding the plan, and Victoria stomps out, angry that Victor chose to bring Adam in on the plan, not her. She meets up with Nikki at Society and vents to her mom about Victor. Nikki is okay with Victor keeping them in the dark because it’s to protect them, but she worries about possible ramifications of whatever the plan could be.
Victor tells Adam he needs him to find Lily and the children.  When Adam asks if that would involve putting them in harm’s way, Victor assures him that he would never do that. He explains that he wants  them to make Cane think that Lily and their kids are in danger, in order to lure Cane back to the bargaining table.

 

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Days Short Recap Friday, January 23, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

Belle asked Marlena about the book club. Marlena said she couldn’t talk about her feelings and was embarrassed. Belle told her to give herself a break. Marlena understood what she was saying. When they finished talking about book club, they talked about Brady and Basic Black. Belle said Marlena could provide input on behalf of the family. Marlena said she would think about it. When Belle checked her messages, she heard about what was going on with Jeremy. Jennifer and Chad talked about Thomas. She said she needed more than his word that he would do the right thing. Jennifer said they had to revisit the terms to make Thomas feel better. She said it wasn’t about Cat. It was about helping Thomas trust him again. Chad said he would talk to Thomas, but he wanted them to stay out of it or he would take them to court. Thomas came in the room. Chad wanted to talk to Thomas. Thomas said he wanted things to be the way they were. Chad said he would do whatever it took to gain his trust. He promised to stay away from Cat and was willing to put the promise in writing.

At the police station, Julie demanded that Jeremy be released, but Jada refused to listen. She told Julie about the conflict of interest having Jeremy’s cousins interrogate him. Jada said Jeremy would be brought to justice if he was a danger to Stephanie. Julie said Jeremy wasn’t a threat to Stephanie since he was leaving town. Jada said that made him a bigger threat. Melinda showed up to represent Jeremy. Jeremy told Melinda what was going on and said he was innocent. Melinda told him to wait it out because the police had nothing on him and just wanted to confession. Jeremy said he had nothing to confess. Jada came back. Jeremy gave his statement and said he didn’t stalk Stephanie or threaten Alex. Jada wanted him to tell the truth. She said he did it and wanted him to confess. Melinda called her bluff. Jada warned Jeremy not to leave town. Stephanie and Alex were shocked that Jeremy made the website about her. Steve said he wasn’t going anywhere because Jada couldn’t arrest Jeremy yet. He said Jada could only question him. Steve said there was still threat until they could prove who was the stalker. He said Jeremy could have been framed. Jada showed up and told them they had to let Jeremy go because they didn’t have enough evidence. She noticed a box outside the door. Steve checked the box. The note said it was a gift from EJ. It was a picture frame. Someone was shown listening to their conversation and heard Alex say he was going to be bait.

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BTG Short Recap Friday, January 23, 2026

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Recap written by Michele & Cheryl

Anita went to chemotherapy with Sharon. While she was at the hospital, Anita’s thoughts became dark. Sophia tried to lighten her mood. Anita wanted to talk about her situation with someone other than her family. She informed Sharon that she was planning her funeral. Anita was worried about what would happen to Vernon when she died. She thought he would be brokenhearted and die after her. Sharon promised to keep Vernon going. Later Anita and Sharon returned to the Dupree mansion. Anita collapsed after they made it to the mansion. Naomi almost told Jacob that she had the BRCA Gene. Izaiah joined them, and they talked about his relationship with their father. Jacob let it slip that he was going undercover. Naomi was shocked to hear that. Later Naomi went to the hospital and told Ashley that she tested positive for the BRCA Gene. She didn’t want to tell Jacob because she didn’t want to distract Jacob from his undercover assignment.

Bill told Dani that Tomas saw them kiss each other. They talked about their marriages and kissed again. It turned out that Bill was thinking about the second kiss. Tomas snapped him back to reality. He promised not to tell anyone about seeing them kiss each other. Bill rewarded him with a junior partnership. Pamela was worried that Dani would get burned by Bill. Dani tried to downplay their kiss by saying they were caught up in memories. Bill opened her eyes, and she was in love with Andre. Leslie talked to Eva about getting back together with Ted. Shanice told Ashley that she had a great night with Ted. Eva let Leslie know that Ted was getting closer to Shanice. Leslie wasn’t happy to hear that. She stormed off to confront Shanice. After she arrived at the hospital, Leslie warned Shanice to stay away from Ted. Shanice stood her ground with Leslie. Leslie threatened Shanice. Shanice planned to have her dragged to the psych ward. Leslie decided to leave, but she threatened her before she left.

 

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BTG Short Recap Thursday, January 22, 2026

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Recap written by Michele & Cheryl

Ted took Shanice to the country club. He wanted to show her a good time. Ted assured her that she wasn’t a rebound for him. Nicole and Carlton were heating things up at their table at the country club. Ted and Nicole were with their dates, but they couldn’t take their eyes off each other. Tomas talked to Bill about Lynette’s case. It was late so Bill wanted Tomas to think about his personal life too. Tomas reminded Bill that he was working after hours too, Bill wasn’t happy about it. After Tomas left, Dani arrived at Bill’s office. She showed up with Bill’s favorite foods to celebrate their daughters’ good health. Hayley agreed to suggest that Bill and Tomas take Lynette’s case pro bono, Lance grabbed Vanessa and blamed her for destroying his marriage. Randy arrived in time to save her. He called Joey to let him know what happened to Vanessa. Later Randy met with Hayley. Since Bill’s life insurance will pay regardless of the death, Hayley was ready to step it up. She let Randy know that if the tea didn’t work, he had to kill Bill himself.

Elon went to see Joey at the casino to warn him against being in the red market blood plasma game. Joey heard about someone named “the Impaler” running the ring. He wanted him to warn Jacob that “the Impaler” isn’t someone to mess with. Jacob bought Smitty a drink to thank him for the tip about the blood plasma ring. He felt like it would help his career to solve the case. Smitty wanted to help with the investigation. Kat and Chelsea approached them and wanted to know what they were talking about. Jacob and Smitty didn’t let on what they were talking about. Kat didn’t believe them. Nicole realized that she hadn’t been with anyone since she broke up with Ted. She pulled Carlton into a passionate kiss. They flirted with each other in front of the fireplace. Ted and Shanice went to his hotel room and ended up in bed. Bill and Dani talked about her possibly getting cancer. Dani was afraid that she would lose Andre if she lost her looks. Bill didn’t think Andre would be the type of person who would leave her because she had cancer. Dani agreed with him, but she was afraid he would pity her. Bill assured her that her light would never dim. She leaned in for a kiss. Dani pulled back and felt guilty. They agreed to keep it between them. Bill noticed that Tomas was lurking in the window.

 

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Days Short Recap Thursday, January 22, 2026

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Recap written by Michele and Cheryl

JJ went to see Theo at the hospital. They apologized to each other for what happened. JJ told Theo about his training and only using his gun as a last resort. Theo was happy about the news but wanted to make sure he was prepared for high-risk situations. Jeremy told Julie he was leaving town. Julie thought he was leaving town because of Stephanie’s engagement. Jeremy said he wanted to make up with her, but he respected her boundaries. Jada and Stephanie pretended to shop for the wedding to lure the stalker out. Stephanie started to regret writing the book. She was scared of playing the bait, but she wanted to end this for Alex and her father. Alex went to Philip’s office to talk about Brady’s firing. Philip saw Steve in the hall. Alex and Steve told him about the stalker. Philip wanted to know about the secret plan. Steve told Philip how they were trapping the stalker.  Later on, Alex and Steve went to the pub. They talked about who could be stalking Stephanie. Hope texted Steve with website full of pictures. Stephanie and Jada showed up. Steve told Jada about the website. Jada said she would take it from there. Later on, Steve let Stephanie and Alex know that Jada was bringing in a suspect. Jada went to the Horton house. She told Jeremy that she wanted him to go to the police station. Jada let him know that the evidence pointed to him.

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Days Update Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Days of Our Lives Update

 

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Update written by Joseph

Julie and Foster prepare for the bereavement book club meeting. Julie talks about being anxious. Foster says there’s no need to be as it’s just a trial run with her close friends. Julie clarifies that it’s not just that but her family is in a custody dispute that has her on edge which Foster says is understandable. Foster asks if she wants to postpone but Julie thinks it will be a good distraction and says she just has to pray the mediation is going well.

Jack finishes a call at home with Justin and informs Jennifer that the mediator suggested they meet without lawyers. Chad arrives and says he heard the same from Melinda. Chad and Jennifer both say they think it’s a terrible idea.

Marlena walks through the town square and finds Cat seated at a table. Cat asks how she is. Marlena says she’s doing well. Cat says she’s really glad to hear that. Marlena asks if she’s here alone. Cat says she’s waiting for her sister Felicity. Cat adds that she would usually be at work but her schedule is more flexible with EJ out of town with Sydney. Cat asks how Sydney is. Marlena says by all reports, she’s doing well. Cat is glad to hear and asks if that means EJ will be coming home soon. Marlena responds that she hopes not.

Maggie joins Julie and Foster at the Book Club. Maggie admits she hadn’t finished the section they are going to be discussing today in the book but she got halfway through. Foster asks what she thought. Maggie says the author’s experience hit close to home as she’s also been widowed twice, so she could relate to that. Julie suggests waiting for the discussion until Marlena gets there and wonders what’s keeping her.

Cat tells Marlena that she knows everyone hates EJ but he’s been kind enough to her. Marlena warns that it’s only a matter of time before that kindness turns in to something else. Marlena reveals that’s why she has a proposition for her. Marlena informs Cat that she’s thinking of going back to work at the hospital, so she wondered if Cat wanted her old job back.

Jack remarks that Jennifer and Chad already agreed on something while Jennifer points out that Jack doesn’t agree since he thinks they should meet without lawyers. Jack says it’s worth a try and nothing is official in writing while all they are doing today is talking. Jack thinks they would be less constrained and more free to express themselves without lawyers. Jack adds that they all have the same goal here. Jennifer and Chad decide they are okay with it then.

Cat tells Marlena that she was so kind to hire her to begin with and she loved working with her. Marlena guesses she’s afraid that EJ would be upset. Cat confirms that EJ did a lovely favor in hiring her and he’s come to rely on her so she wouldn’t feel right about leaving him. Marlena admires her loyalty. Felicity joins them and greets them. Cat invites Marlena to join them for ice cream but Marlena says she promised a friend a favor.

Maggie is surprised Marlena is late. Julie mentions texting her but there was no reply. Foster says he’d like to wait for her, but they only have an hour so he suggests they get started.

At the mediation, Chad talks on the phone with Melinda and gets that she doesn’t want him to go to the meeting without her but no decisions will be made today. Chad hangs up as Jack and Jennifer enter the meeting room followed by the mediator, Agnes, who introduces herself to them. Agnes says the purpose of this is for them to reach an agreement that best serves the interests of Thomas and Charlotte. She says she is a neutral party to help them and hopefully guide them to a workable resolution. She recognizes it’s a sensitive matter and emotions can run high but says there is greater success if they remain civil and respectful. They decide they are ready to begin.

Jeremy sits at home with Thomas, going over his math work. Thomas complains that he can’t concentrate. Jeremy asks if he wants to talk about it. Thomas doesn’t know what to say as he just feels like everyone is mad at everyone else and it’s all his fault.

Agnes starts with Chad, asking how he proposes they resolve this custody dispute. Chad believes his kids should remain with him because he is their father and no one loves them more than he does. Chad says he rocked them to sleep as babies, changed their diapers, held them when they were sick, took them go games and recitals. Chad says he’s always been with them and they need him close right now because he’s the only parent they have left as his wife Abigail was murdered a few years ago. Chad asks how do you tell your kids they are never going to see their mother again and calls it the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. Chad adds that right after Abigail was killed, he was barely holding it together and one day, he snapped at Thomas and lost his temper with him. Chad says he confided in Jennifer how he messed up and how badly he felt and she said he would never forget it, noting that you just have to be there for your kids. Chad says he apologized to Thomas and they agreed they were just mad at the world for taking Abigail from them. Chad recalls not knowing what to do about it and Thomas saying they could make each other feel better. Chad talks about moving forward together and how his kids were thriving. Chad says he was very proud to see his kids happy. Agnes says it seems he’s come a long way. Chad admits it hasn’t always been perfect but they’ve come far and he’s been there every step of the way which Jennifer said was most important. Chad declares that he has to be with his kids. Agnes notes that Jack and Jennifer’s position has clearly changed and asks Chad to tell her why that is. Chad calls it a long and complicated story but explains that Cat Green impersonated Abigail and made them believe that she hadn’t really died, but they found out that Clyde Weston forced her to do it or he was going to kill Cat’s mother if she didn’t follow his orders. Agnes asks what happened when Chad found out Cat wasn’t really Abigail. Chad says they were all furious as what she did was cruel but Cat didn’t do it on her own and told him how sorry she was over and over again. Chad says he believed her and came to believe she deserved forgiveness just like the rest of them. Agnes asks him to elaborate. Chad brings up Jennifer’s addiction to painkillers which Jack argues is irrelevant and has nothing to do with this. Jack decides this was a bad idea and declares the meeting over.

Maggie talks about the book they read and relating to the character’s clashing with her second husband’s adult children. Marlena arrives and apologizes for being late. Julie says it’s okay and they are just delighted she’s there.

Felicity comments to Cat that Marlena seemed sad. Cat agrees and guesses Marlena is missing her husband. Felicity notes that Cat seems sad too. Cat asks why she would be sad. Felicity guesses she misses Chad.

Agnes asks Jack if what Chad said is untrue. Jennifer confirms it’s not. Jack remarks that they didn’t think he would stoop so low. Agnes feels Jennifer’s addiction is relevant to being fit for custody. Chad agrees it’s not and apologizes for saying anything. Chad states that Jennifer has been clean for years, so his kids are perfectly safe with her as they are with him. Agnes goes back to Cat and her part in this dispute. Agnes asks how Chad explained the impersonation to his children. Chad admits he didn’t and wasn’t going to but a friend at school told Thomas, so he told him that he and Cat were in a relationship. Chad knows it will sound strange but when Cat was pretending to be Abigail, she developed genuine feelings for him and he had feelings for her from thinking she was his wife and the feelings don’t just go away. Chad says he and Cat started spending time together, became friends and eventually more than friends. Jennifer points out that Chad kept that a secret and when Thomas asked if they were more than friends, he lied to Thomas. Jack says that’s until he couldn’t cover it up any longer and had to come to clean. Jennifer continues that Thomas was obviously upset that Chad would date his mother’s impostor. Chad assures that he broke it off the next day. Jennifer points out that Thomas was so upset that he asked to go live with her and Jack in Boston. Jennifer says they said no as Jack explains that they didn’t think Abigail would want her children taken away from their surviving parent as they thought Chad ended his relationship with Cat. Chad insists that he did. Jennifer talks about Chad giving his word that Cat would stay out of their lives and their relationship was over which turned out to be another lie. Chad asks to explain. Agnes asks why Jennifer says it was a lie. Jennifer explains that days later, she and Thomas saw Chad and Cat with their arms around each other in the town square and Thomas got so upset that he ran in to traffic and got hit by a car. Chad argues that Thomas misunderstood what he saw as Cat had just gotten bad news about her mother, so he was trying to comfort her but he realizes now that was a mistake. Jack asks how he can promise he won’t make another mistake. Chad argues that he can’t promise his kids will never get angry at him for something he did, but he can promise he loves his kids more than anything else in the world and he would do anything for them. Chad declares that he will always put them first. Agnes asks if Jack and Jennifer have a response. Jennifer responds that she doesn’t believe Chad.

Jeremy asks why Thomas thinks it’s his fault that everyone is mad at each other. Thomas goes over getting mad at Chad for being with Cat, which made Jack and Jennifer mad at Chad, and then Chad got angry at him for saying he wanted to go live with Jack and Jennifer. Jeremy asks if Thomas still wants to live with them but Thomas says not anymore. Jeremy guesses that when Chad went missing, Thomas got scared he might never see him again and that got him thinking if he really wanted to go to Boston or if he was just angry at Chad. Thomas confirms that is right but he told Jack and Jennifer that he did mean it and now they are trying to make it happen. Jeremy encourages that he still has time to tell them that he changed his mind. Thomas feels like even if he does, everyone will still be mad at each other.

Chad doesn’t know what else he can do to make Jennifer believe him. Agnes asks why Jennifer doesn’t believe that Chad will prioritize his children. Jennifer prefaces by telling Chad that we love him and know how much he loves their grandchildren and how much Abigail loved him. Jennifer says they wouldn’t consider taking Thomas and Charlotte away from him which Jack says was until the car accident. Jennifer recalls the doctor fixing Thomas’s dislocated shoulder and he wanted her there but not Chad and that’s when she changed her mind about wanting the children to live with them. Jennifer recalls telling Chad to be there for his kids and he wasn’t no matter how many promises because he was still with Cat and Thomas could’ve died. Jennifer says she told Chad that they don’t trust him so she was going to honor Thomas’s wishes and take them to Boston. Jennifer adds that if Chad tried to fight them, they would sue for custody and that’s exactly what they did.

Julie talks about how Doug would’ve loved the book they read and how they would read together. Julie recalls a discussion they had about music which Doug was passionate about and she misses those conversations. Julie gets emotional talking about Doug. Foster says his wife has been gone for 15 years and he still imagines conversations with her. Maggie relates to feeling Victor and Mickey responding to her. Foster asks if Marlena read the book. Marlena says she did but she has nothing to add and will just listen.

Cat reminds Felicity that she and Chad can’t be together because he wants to do what’s best for his kids, but admits she was thinking about Chad because she happened to find out he had a really important meeting today, so she’s really hoping it went well.

Agnes asks to hear from Jack. Jack reiterates that they never dreamed that they would need to take Thomas and Charlotte away from their father, but Chad has broken their trust again and again. Chad argues that hugging Cat was not romantic. Jennifer argues that he can’t seem to stay away from Cat which means he obviously still has feelings for her. Chad complains that they both just want him to be alone and not have feelings for anyone or be with anyone but Abigail. Jack says that’s not it all, pointing out that Cat wasn’t the first person he dated since Abigail. Jennifer says they would like nothing more for him to meet someone to spend the rest of his life with, someone kind and caring who Abigail would love to help raise their children but that person is not and will never be Cat Green.

Jeremy tells Thomas that he knows it’s hard feeling like everyone is mad at each other and will never make up. Jeremy brings up the mediation being today. Thomas says Chad tried to explain but it was confusing. Jeremy explains that they both disagree on where Thomas and Charlotte should live, so they sit down with someone to try and reach a compromise that works for everyone. Thomas asks if he thinks that’s possible. Jeremy says he really hopes so.

Julie jokes about Marlena always listening as a psychiatrist. Marlena wonders if maybe she shouldn’t be here and thinks she should go.

Cat knows Felicity wishes she and Chad could be together, but sometimes it’s just not possible. They then go to get ice cream.

Agnes pauses the mediation to take a breath. Agnes asks what made Jack and Jennifer agree to mediation after initially going to court. Jack explains that Justin suggested it and they didn’t think it was a good idea. Jennifer adds that Chad was then kidnapped and when they first heard, they worried that they needed to get Thomas and Charlotte as far away from Chad’s family as possible to keep them safe. Jack adds that their feelings changed because Thomas cried himself to sleep every night, afraid that he would never see his father again. Jennifer says miraculously and thankfully, Chad was rescued and they saw how relieved Thomas was to have his father back, so they realized they were going about the custody dilemma all wrong and they just need to find the solution to agree on. Jennifer promises they aren’t trying to punish Chad, but trying to think of every way possible to keep the kids safe. Chad says they have the exact same goal then. Chad reveals that he and Melinda have come up with a proposal which Jack questions.

Jeremy tells Thomas that in baseball, both teams want to win but Chad and Jack and Jennifer are trying to work together for what’s best. Thomas brings up that Chad still lied to him a lot, so he doesn’t know if he will ever trust him again. Jeremy says when someone breaks trust, it takes a long time to fix it, but he can’t fix it with Chad unless he gives him another chance. Thomas agrees to try.

Chad admits Jack and Jennifer are incredible grandparents and he knows his kids love spending time with them. Chad says he and Melinda thought they could go visit every summer for a month and that Jack and Jennifer can come visit anytime they want, but he retains full custody and he is not budging on that. Agnes asks if Jack and Jennifer have a plan as well. Jack responds that their plans changed as when they first brought up the lawsuit, Thomas was really upset and insisted that he did not want to stay with Chad, but after Chad was kidnapped, they realized how much Thomas loves Chad and wants to stay with him. Jennifer declares that their only sticking point in all of this is Chad’s involvement with Cat Green. Jack states that if Chad would promise to never have a relationship with Cat ever again, they would drop the suit for custody. Agnes asks if Chad agrees with that. Chad says he does and gives his word. Jack adds that they would like to have two months with the kids. Jennifer suggests revisiting the custody issue if Thomas changes his mind and didn’t want to live with Chad but Chad says no and calls that completely unreasonable. Jennifer asks why it’s unreasonable to listen to Thomas. Chad argues that Thomas is still a kid and he’s not going to allow him to hold this over his head anytime he enforces a rule he doesn’t like. Chad says Thomas also should not control where Charlotte lives. Jennifer agrees that he’s right. Agnes asks if they have an agreement. Jack, Jennifer, and Chad say that they do as they join hands.

Maggie asks Marlena not to go while Julie says she didn’t mean to upset her. Marlena says she knows that but it was difficult for her to come and she just thought she should, so she forced herself to come but now she sees she’s not ready for it. Marlena then exits. Julie worries about what she has done. Maggie insists it’s not her fault, it’s just too soon for Marlena. Foster states that Marlena just wasn’t ready to be there, but she read the book and she listened, so she will be back.

Jennifer and Jack go home. Jennifer thanks Jeremy for watching Thomas. Jeremy says it was his pleasure as he exits the room. Thomas asks how it went. Jack didn’t think they would beat Chad home, so they will wait until he gets home to talk about it. Thomas pleads with them to tell him now. Jack says the mediation went well and Jennifer says she really thinks they can to an agreement. Jennifer informs Thomas that Chad will keep custody of he and Charlotte, but they will get to visit every summer for two months and that Chad promised to never start a relationship with Cat Green ever again. Jack asks what Thomas thinks.

Chad goes to Book Club to see Julie, which she calls a nice surprise. Chad tells her that mediation went well and he’s cautiously optimistic that they reached an agreement they can all be happy about it. Julie calls that great news as she hugs Chad.

Jennifer asks what Thomas thinks about the agreement. Thomas responds that it’s not good enough. Jack asks what he means. Thomas argues that Chad lied about Cat before and asks how to know he won’t do it again.

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Days Update Tuesday, January 20, 2026

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Update written by Joseph

Sarah sees Marlena at the hospital and tells her how good it felt to give her a clean bill of health. Marlena calls it a great relief to feel like herself again because there were times she felt that was never going to happen. Marlena tells Sarah that life is so different now without John, so she sometimes feels disoriented, like she doesn’t feel like herself sometimes. Sarah can’t imagine how much she must be missing John. Marlena can’t believe he’s not going to come walking through the door after one of his missions and she’s never going to see his face or hear his voice. Marlena cries that she dreams about John all the time and guesses the best way to honor him is to live the best life she can and take good care of their family.

Brady goes to see Kristen at the DiMera Mansion. Kristen talks about never knowing how much you miss life’s pleasures until being deprived of them. Kristen adds that she would go back to prison if she had to for Rachel. Brady responds that Rachel is why he’s here because she needs to know something before they go see her. Brady then informs Kristen that Rachel got in to some trouble last night.

Gwen goes to Book Club and greets Julie. Julie responds that they reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Gwen argues that they can surely get over a misunderstanding over her necklace. Gwen remarks that it looks like Julie can use all the business she can get. Gwen is buying the book “The Art of Getting Away With It” which Julie jokes that Gwen wrote. Gwen tries to purchase the book but her card is declined.

Dimitri sits at the Brady Pub and gets an alert on his phone about Gwen’s card being declined which makes him laugh.

In the town square, Javi says Leo wanted to talk so they have to make it quick as he has a plane to catch and he’s terrible at goodbyes. Leo responds that he has no intention of saying goodbye. Javi says he has to go because his dad needs him. Leo says he loves him for being a caring and devoted son. Javi tells Leo to stop being selfish and let him go.

Brady explains to Kristen that Rachel was found in Sophia’s bed, covering for her during bed checks because Sophia apparently snuck out. Kristen questions why Rachel would do this. Brady says he doesn’t know but he also thinks Rachel stole money from his wallet. Kristen asks if Sophia put her up to it. Brady says that’s what he’s thinking. Brady says he confronted Rachel and she denied it, then Sophia just showed up but was still not speaking. Brady adds that Sophia is apparently writing notes to Rachel and claimed to have snuck out to go to the library but he didn’t believe it. Brady says he didn’t tell Dr. Gregory about the money because he didn’t want to get Rachel in more trouble, especially when he wasn’t sure. Kristen feels that they have to do something. Brady says the staff have taken steps to separate Rachel and Sophia. Kristen suggests taking a step by getting Rachel out of Bayview now.

Gwen tries another card but it’s declined too. Gwen says that makes no sense. Julie asks if she’s having financial difficulties. Gwen insists she’s fine and tells Julie to just keep the book as she storms out. Foster comes over and asks Julie what that was all about. Julie calls it karma.

Leo asks Javi not to lash out at him. Javi apologizes and reminds him that he’s not good at goodbyes. Leo tells Javi that he’s not saying goodbye without knowing that Javi is coming back when his father is doing better. Leo declares that his life will be on hold until then. Javi questions if it will. Leo assures that it will and asks why he would even ask him that. Javi then informs Leo that he ran in to Dimitri yesterday. Leo guesses that Dimitri told Javi that he kissed him. Javi adds that he said they both felt something and if Leo respects him, he will show him the courtesy of not lying. Javi asks if what Dimitri said is true. Gwen then walks by and stops when she sees them. Leo then admits to Javi that it’s true.

Marlena tells Sarah that she owes her recovery to her because she never gave up on finding the right diagnosis. Sarah says she was just doing her job and praises Marlena being patient through it all. Sarah tells Marlena that they all loved seeing her back at the hospital for Christmas and the story reading as they’ve missed her a lot. Sarah adds they all hope she reconsiders coming back to her practice and asks if there’s any chance of that.

Julie tells Foster that she really enjoyed seeing Gwen’s credit card get refused and asks if that’s wrong. Foster calls it human. Julie says usually she doesn’t want to see anyone’s feelings hurt but Gwen came back to Salem, flaunting her wealth. Julie asks Foster if he’d like to sit down and relax for a few minutes. Foster says he will if Julie does the same. Julie says she’d be glad to. They sit together as Julie asks Foster what it’s like working part time at a business he used to own. Foster says he loves it, joking that he gets all the perks and good books while leaving all the stressful parts to her. Julie admits she’s enjoying the challenge but she’s very glad he is back with her. Julie mentions having a trial run of the bereavement book club with Marlena and Maggie. Julie asks him for some advice. Foster advises her to not do it.

Gwen walks away as Leo sits with Javi and tells him that he loves him and wants to spend his life with him. Leo admits there are some unresolved things with Dimitri. Javi says that’s just it. Javi declares that Leo may want to be with him, but he doesn’t want to be with Leo if he’s not 100% committed to them. Leo argues that he didn’t say he wasn’t committed. Javi reminds Leo to be honest. Leo then admits that Javi’s right that he’s a fickle, unsubstantial person because if he was 100% committed to Jav, he wouldn’t have kissed another man. Leo says he hates himself for it and has been beating himself up since it happened, but he can’t change the fact that it did happen. Leo decides it’s time to stop deluding himself and declares that he doesn’t deserve to be with Javi.

Brady tells Kristen that taking Rachel out of Bayview was his first instinct too but Marlena pointed out that Bayview is close, so putting her somewhere else would mean they wouldn’t see her as much. Kristen clarifies that she wants to bring Rachel home. Brady brings up Rachel shooting EJ and poisoning Sarah which are big issues. Brady says they’ve tried to deal with her issues and it’s done nothing. Kristen questions if the solution is to lock her away and have her corrupted by Sophia. Kristen argues that Rachel doesn’t need more doctors, she needs her mother while Brady argues that she needs structure and boundaries. Brady mentions talking with Dr. Gregory and declares their priority is making sure Rachel understands that there is no universe where they get back together.

Gwen goes to the Pub and confronts Dimitri over her credit cards declining. Dimitri confirms he got an alert on his phone about it. Gwen calls him a sadistic son of a bitch and says she despises him. Dimitri responds that he’s thrilled that he’s getting his life back while her revenge plot is blowing up in her face.

Julie questions Foster thinking a bereavement book club is a bad idea. Foster apologizes for overstepping but Julie wants his opinion. Foster explains that it’s based on his own experience. Foster thinks the book clubs are a great idea and would be a big success, but he tried bereavement when his wife died and he was a mess. He doesn’t want Julie to go through that but says maybe she’s in a better position and can handle it. Julie admits she hadn’t given it much thought until now.

Marlena tells Sarah that the hospital has been a second home to her for as long as she can remember. Sarah encourages that everybody would love to have her back there. Marlena says a couple weeks ago, she would’ve said no as she felt responsible for everything with Rachel and like she let her down, so it made her doubt herself. Marlena points out that now, she and Brady are in a good place while Rachel is getting the help she needs. Marlena says she likes helping people which is what she’s trained for.

Kristen questions Brady about Dr. Gregory’s advice being about their relationship. Brady explains that they need a unified message and Rachel needs to hear from them that they are over. Kristen argues that she has heard that from both of them and she made it very clear. Kristen tells Brady to stop trying to pin Rachel’s problems on her. Brady argues that he’s just trying to move forward and declares that Rachel needs to understand that her idea of them being a happy family is not going to happen. Brady says he needs her to stand with him on this.

Gwen eats Dimitri’s fries and calls him a lying, cheating bastard with no friends. He says she has no friends either which Gwen blames him for. Gwen declares that she will never forgive him for how he betrayed her. Gwen adds that more than anything, she despises him for destroying her friendship with Leo as it was the most important friendship she ever had.

Leo calls Javi the best thing to ever happen to him. Leo says he would do anything to make his feelings for Dimitri go away and he’s working on it. Leo states that Javi is the only man he’s ever truly loved, but he can’t just suddenly feel nothing for a man he once cared about. Javi takes that as Leo admitting he’s not over Dimitri. Leo argues that when he got the letter from Dimitri, his life was turned upside down only to find out that Dimitri only wrote the letter so he wouldn’t be hurt and everything he thought was true wasn’t, so he’s sorry. Javi thanks him for his honesty. Leo asks Javi to just give him time to process it. Javi argues that time won’t change anything for him. Javi declares that before he leaves, he will follow through with Marlena to not file their marriage certificate.

Marlena tells Sarah that if she does come back to her practice, it wouldn’t be full time as she has other thing she wants to do like travel and reading. Marlena mentions signing up for Julie’s book clubs. Sarah thinks that’s great. Marlena admits she does miss seeing her patients. Sarah is grateful that Marlena continued to see Xander during her hiatus and says she’s so sorry that he fired Brady after everything she did for him. Sarah adds that it’s pretty clear that it was done to get back at her which Marlena guesses is because of her relationship with Brady.

Julie tells Foster that since losing Doug, she never knows when a wave of grief will come over her and now she’s scheduled to host this meeting. Julie admits maybe she should call it off but Foster says he wasn’t suggesting that, but getting someone else to lead it. Julie asks who in this hour. Foster reveals that he would be honored to do it. Foster admits he’ll never get over the loss of his wife, but it’s not so raw anymore, so he agrees to a trial run. Julie thanks him and accepts his offer.

Kristen questions how Brady can ask her to stand by him in this, arguing that she already has. Kristen insists that she’s no longer deluding herself about a possible future with him because that ship sailed a long time ago. Kristen expects them to work together to help Rachel have a really great future. Kristen laughs off the idea of clinging to a dream of being with a man who treated her for disdain for years. Brady is glad she’s seeing they were toxic as a couple and now needs her to convince Rachel of that. Kristen asks if that’s because he thinks it will help Rachel heal or he thinks it will give him permission to be with Sarah.

Dimitri argues that Leo didn’t care enough about Gwen to not sleep with her husband. Gwen blames Dimitri for seducing Leo while Dimitri says he can’t help that they were so attracted to each other that it just happened again and again. Gwen calls him a wretched human being and questions how she ever fell in love with him. Dimitri mocks her venting about something that happened so long ago and says it doesn’t matter anymore. He begs her to let him eat in peace. Gwen tells him that he will have no peace nor will he have his happily ever after. Dimitri decides he will leave then. Gwen asks if he doesn’t want to know where Leo is now. Dimitri asks how she would know. Gwen reveals that she just Leo in the town square with the love his life, Javi Hernandez. Gwen then claims they were locked in a passionate kiss.

Leo questions Javi wanting to pretend their wedding never happened all because of a kiss. Javi argues that Leo should’ve told him instead of having to hear it from Dimitri. Leo agrees and apologizes. Javi cries that more than anything, he wanted to be Leo’s husband and start the life they dreamed of together, but that dream died. Javi then offers Leo the ring back.

Sarah asks Marlena if Xander talked to her about this at all but then apologizes, saying she knows she can’t ask her about that. Marlena says Xander didn’t have to as she was here and saw how she and Brady looked at each other at Christmas. Sarah didn’t realize it was that obvious. Sarah says it’s new and she doesn’t even know what it is. Marlena clarifies that she’s not judging. Sarah knows she must be concerned about Rachel. Marlena says she’s concerned about Brady too since it’s been a very tough year for him from losing his father, all the trauma with Rachel, and losing his job, so she doesn’t know if he can take any more heartbreak. Sarah says that makes two of them.

Brady tells Kristen that this isn’t about Sarah. Kristen argues that Rachel made sure she knew that she saw Brady and Sarah hugging and thought she would flip out, but she stayed perfectly calm, said nice things about Sarah and moved on. Kristen says he can ask Rachel if he doesn’t believe her. Kristen adds that she doesn’t care what he and Sarah do, but calls it pretty damn selfish to pick now to move on with another woman.

Gwen says she can see Dimitri is worried now and tells him to embrace his insecure nature. Dimitri responds that he doesn’t believe her. Gwen says he can see for himself while Dimitri feels she would say anything to hurt him. Gwen responds that he hasn’t even begun to hurt yet. Gwen remarks that Leo and Javi could have heated up to the bedroom already by now.

Leo tells Javi that he’s not taking his ring or taking his off. Javi says he will respect his decision and hopes Leo respects his. Leo then reluctantly takes the ring because he loves and respects him. Leo says he cannot wait for the day he puts the ring back on his finger.

Julie asks Foster if he’s sure about hosting the bereavement meeting. Foster assures that he’s a man of his word and only hopes he can do a good job. Julie encourages that he will be great. Foster knows he can be controlling and tells her to let him know if he’s ever too hands on.

Sarah promises that she and Brady are being cautious for their sake and for Rachel as they would never want to set back her recovery. Marlena is glad to hear that but admits she’s also concerned that Rachel will need stability and a place to call home which is why she’s glad Brady is looking for his own place because she doesn’t believe Rachel would find any stability living with Brady at the Kiriakis Mansion.

Brady tells Kristen that he and Sarah haven’t labeled anything yet. Brady says there’s no reason to introduce the relationship to Rachel yet when they don’t even know what it is yet. Kristen argues that he’s going to hide it from her while Brady feels if it does become something, it would be a great opportunity to show Rachel boundaries and that she can’t control or manipulate his life. Brady argues that he’s trying to handle this and figure it out. Kristen asks if Dr. Gregory prescribed how long it would take for Brady to get Sarah in to bed. Brady says he wanted to have a rational conversation while Kristen accuses him of flaunting his new girlfriend in her face. Brady says he’ll see her at Bayview and walks out while Kristen throws a glass against the wall in frustration.

Gwen offers to walk Dimitri out there to Leo and Javi so he can see what real love looks like. Dimitri remarks that it’s not like she has any idea. Gwen calls Dimitri an arrogant swine who wouldn’t have a cent if it wasn’t for him using and abusing her. Gwen vows that she will have her revenge one way or another. Gwen then dumps a drink on Dimitri’s head and his plate of fries onto his lap as she then walks out of the Pub.

Leo promises Javi that one day soon, he will get back on one knee and ask Javi to marry him again. Javi says he will hold him to that promise, but he has to go now to catch his flight. Leo tells Javi to take good care of his dad and to let him know how he’s doing when he gets a minute. Javi agrees to have Rafe give him updates. Javi tearfully says goodbye to Leo and to take care of Trey for him. Leo tells Javi that he loves him. Javi says he loves him too as they hug. Javi then exits the town square as Leo holds back tears.

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