Days of Our Lives Goes for a Gut Punch as It Dangles Hope In Front of Us One Last Time — Plus, Xander’s Descent Is Just Getting Started

The Long Goodbye

As callous as I think I can be, it’s been tough getting through this week without letting Days of Our Lives tug at my heartstrings. There was the way Marlena and Carrie clung to each other as Marlena sobbed. Kayla and Steve’s tears by John’s bedside. Eric, Will, Paul, Belle, Brady — all of them sitting vigil by John and thinking back to important moments in their lives.

Those scenes are all the more powerful because of how real they feel. While Drake Hogestyn couldn’t be with them to film those final scenes, I can’t imagine how difficult it was to get through John’s death, knowing his portrayer was fighting for his own life.

And while it stings a bit to have to say goodbye to John bandaged up and unrecognizable, honestly, it comes full circle. That’s exactly how he first appeared, nearly 40 years ago, as we saw in Steve’s flashback.

My stomach dropped a bit on Friday, though, after Marlena delivered the happy news about John’s recovery and sent the kids home. I know what’s coming. We all do. And saying he’s on the road to recovery just before his death feels almost cruel. It’s like watching a movie or reading a story you know well, and that you know will end in tragedy, but still hope irrationally that somehow, this time it will be different.

A Return to Form?

EJ’s shooting (did you know he first appeared in Salem on this day, 19 years ago?) was shunted to the backburner while John, Bo and Xander’s attack on Philip all came to the fore. That’s been a bit annoying as it just stalled. But then they wove them all together with EJ and Xander vying for the hospital, and finally have started getting back to the shooting.

My money’s still on Rachel. There’s a reason she felt even more sick after telling her mommy about Johnny and EJ. I’m guessing that’s because she’s still holding the most crucial part in: That she shot Uncle EJ.

And now that Kristen’s blackmailed EJ into giving her mom back, I imagine he will be none too happy if it comes out Rachel did do it. It could even be enough to finally push him to drop the whole “morals” thing once again. Let’s face it, he’s already teetering there as it is.

No Going Back

Xander and Maggie’s confrontation was incredible, though all the more heartbreaking because even when Sarah wavered over the years, Maggie always had Xander’s back. Until now. And while we can certainly debate whether she was too forgiving and enabling of Xander, their break is huge.

They look at each other differently. They talk to each other differently. They threaten each other differently. Then there was the way Xander destroyed Victor’s picture. (Which, good. Now get a Victor painting that has nothing to do with Konstantin.) It’s a violent act to begin with, but he drove the knife in like he was stabbing someone. It was chilling

And while Sarah’s months of lying may have driven me crazy and she has a hand in things going so very sideways, I’m not in the “Sarah’s just as bad as Xander” camp. Xander’s actions are his own. Hypocrisy isn’t equivalent to violent rages. He tried to murder Brady and Philip before Sarah kept anything from him. And he didn’t stop himself either of those times — other things stopped him.