Days of Our Lives hit us with emotion, betrayal, heartbreak and triumph. Plus we got a few doses of revenge, some amazing performances, psychic crumbs and a killer cliffhanger! In short, it was a darn good week! Though those crumbs were a tad much…
Once More, With Feeling
I’ll start with what I loved this week before we get to the cliffhanger. Because there were some stirring moments that warmed my heart during the day. My God, that’s how you make a soap opera. Chloe’s admission to Xander, their subsequent parting, then his showdown with Sarah. It was a painful and bittersweet breakup. As Xander and Chloe handled the news with grace and grief, Nadia Bjorlin and Paul Telfer both did outstanding work. And Chloe’s tears were so well-deserved when Xander finally acknowledged that they couldn’t continue acting like nothing had happened and ran off to locate Sarah. Although their relationship could never last, they managed to make me care about it. And that’s quite incredible.
And then Xander and Sarah’s showdown ratcheted things up even more. I know some (OK, I saw a lot of) folks were annoyed with Sarah, while others cheered her on, but regardless, Linsey Godfrey did great. As did Telfer, especially when Xander pulled out the third person and went off on Perfect Sarah.
“You can list every sin ever committed, right down to my unpaid parking tickets, but that doesn’t give you the right to disqualify me as a father.” I will happily take a knockdown, drag out fight between Xander and Sarah. Let’s get this custody battle going. Maybe with Justin as Xander’s lawyer and poor Maggie caught in between.
But enough, Rex. Enough. Bow out, give it up and just annul the marriage. I rolled my eyes when he told his parents that Sarah wasn’t in a real relationship, but he was.Relationships don’t operate like that. You both aren’t in it if one of you isn’t there in person. The Philip and Chloe material was wonderfully done, but I don’t like how they crammed it in there and minimized what we had just seen with Xander. “I realized all this time, I still love you,” said Chloe. See, I understand. She always seemed to be holding something back with Xander, and Brady was certainly another area where this was apparent. But instead of pushing her to go with Philip, I wished we had more time to give her space to process her heartbreak. Because based on the upcoming week, I’m very certain that’s where they’re going.
A Broken Family
Even if Alex turns out to be a misdirection and Xander ends up being the actual son (I will not stop crossing my fingers for that), the performances between Wally Kurth and Robert Scott Wilson this week kind of make it worth it. We’re getting great material as Justin deals with losing a man who was like a father and a son in a short period. When Justin cried as Bonnie held him, just like he did when Victor died, oof. That hurt.
And Alex… I actually felt for him as he had his family turned upside dowThe performances by Wally Kurth and Robert Scott Wilson this week kind of make it worth it, even if Alex turns out to be a ruse and Xander is shown to be the real son (I won’t quit crossing my fingers for that). Justin’s struggle with losing a man who was like a father and a son so quickly is providing us with some excellent fodder. Just like he did after Victor died, Justin sobbed as Bonnie hugged him. I was hurt.n and his life was a lie spent away from his real father. Yes, his wallowing did get a bit self-indulgent, but that’s why they sent in Sonny. I feel like Alex was speaking for the audience when he was telling Sonny how everyone respects Justin, but not him. Everyone loves Sonny, but not him. Alex was introduced very… strongly, and this, I have a feeling, is a way to reset him, rather than just adjust his trajectory.
Maybe this is the last piece needed to nudge Alex into being a good person (and a decent character)… or tip him the other way and decide to embrace Victor’s darker roots? But seriously, let’s hop on that DNA test, folks. As for the rest of the will, Maggie’s evicting Vivian was so, so satisfying. And she had some killer lines, like when Vivian tore up the will: “Well that was very dramatic, but extremely useless. Just like you.” Go, Maggie, go!
Sex, Lies and Betrayal
Oddly enough, I found Vivian shooting Dimitri in the back also sublimely satisfying. But Maggie’s the real hero here. She kicked Viv out just in time for her to catch Dimitri trying to shoot Stefan and Gabi.
Gwen’s pie in Leo’s face was a bit on the nose, but I still want to see her unleash on him. Gwen is best when she’s being vicious and her and Kristen’s toying with Dimitri proved that for me. But not too vicious. Honestly, I might not have minded if the ladies did decide to kill Dimitri, but I’m glad they didn’t go through with it.
Vivian is just the right shade of bad to pull the trigger.
I’m not sure what will happen to Dimitri. Although I don’t believe they are killing him because he appears in previews for the following week, attempted murder is nothing to laugh at. I have some theories about where Dimitri and Gwen will wind up based on the preview, but that is all. Even if Dimitri is released from prison, he has already reentered the villainous world, and if he is coupled with Leo, his future looks very hopeless.
We haven’t been getting nearly enough “Stabi,” but that moment that Stefan put himself between the gun and Gabi was such a sweet reminder of why they were popular. They have got to get more story before Camila Banus leaves.
Phenomenal Cosmic Powers?
I don’t know why I enjoyed Rafe’s shrugged, but also snarky, “I lied,” so much as he hung up on Tripp, but I like when he’s got some sass to him. And being with Jada has really helped to bring that out. His police work on the other hand…
“We just assumed [Susan] was incinerated.” Er, I don’t think assumptions are good police procedure, Rafe. I’m also far from an expert, but even I know that the amount of heat needed to burn bones is extreme. That’s not going to happen in a car fire. I’m not even sure it happens during cremation without some extra help. It might’ve been better to just gloss over not finding a body instead of trying to explain it.
Susan’s psychic powers keep growing! Visions, telepathy, astral projection with Ava, telekinesis moving those crumbs around, electro-magnetic pulses disrupting electricity (or causing the accident that knocked out the power, either way) in the DiMera mansion. Soon she’ll be unstoppable and go full Carrie on Edmund! Mwahaha! No but seriously, it’s a lot.
Also: What’s going on here? Bringing Edmund back (with original actor Adam Caine!) to reintroduce Susan 25 years after their romance is kind of a neat call to history. But they were wacky and sweet and their love (offscreen) was one of the most enduring relationships on Days of Our Lives for a time. And now they’re revisiting it by making Edmund just another jilted ex who’s gone off the deep end? I kind of wish they’d have brought him back as a valid love for her again.
He’s Not Worth It
We finally returned to Li and Melinda, and I was simply wondering what had happened to them. the separation. Fortunately, Melinda was fired, and I have a hunch her morals will begin to deteriorate as well, which would make her an even better match for Li. Regarding how they played each other and the outcome, they were both obviously at odds.
As for what her and Sloan working together might mean, I had an idea you can read here.
And Eric? Agreeing to move in together is one thing, but just moving out of your place and into Sloan’s without notice and barging into her home with your bags without checking with Sloan is sociopathic behavior. What the hell? “Hi, I’m here with all my things so I can back you into a corner where you’re uncomfortable saying no!” Run away, Sloan. Run. Away. This man is so not worth destroying your life for.