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Get ready for a spring to remember in Salem! We already know it’s going to be a big one, full of joy and heartbreak. Bo and Hope are returning to Days of Our Lives, and that’s going to lead into John’s farewell (we have a theory as to how that happens), but new headwriters Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford promise they’ve got a whole lot more planned for us this May — and well into the summer!
When we spoke with the writing duo, we asked what character might have a surprising trajectory this spring. “It’s impossible to pick just one,” they shared. “EJ, Xander, Philip, Leo, Sophia, Stephanie…”
That’s fair enough. Heck, Leo’s already thinking he’s an investigative reporter, which is something we never expected for him or us! Provided Gabi doesn’t kill him before he does any actual reporting, that is.
As for EJ, “The ripple effects” of his shooting are going to continue to wash through town. “This story presented us with the perfect set-up when we took over. Half of Salem was established to have the means, motive, and opportunity. Suspects are eliminated, suspects are added, an arrest is made, all leading to a summer trial that involves and affects many characters.”
Though they’re tight-lipped on who’s going to be on trial, Cwikly and Ford warn that we’ll be seeing “Lovers Belle and EJ facing off in court.” She is, after all, the DA and he committed a litany of crimes before the shooting. No matter who’s arrested for the deed, we’re guessing that this court battle is going to take on a whole new level of messy, as all the motives and shady happenings come to light. Sure, EJ and Belle may have declared their love for each other, but let’s see how that fares when they’re on opposite sides of the law.
Then there’s, “The escalation of Xander and Philip’s war over Titan, which jeopardizes both the company and the family,” Cwikly and Ford teased. Wei Shin just warned Xander that Philip’s fraud can never come out — but we all know that it’s bound to sooner or later. And that could cost the brothers not just DiMera, but Titan, too.
So what next for the company if everything falls apart? We know Arianna is coming to town, so maybe her dads are following her and Sonny can get another crack at the CEO chair. Or how about Alex taking back over? Well, he might have other things on his mind, like “The courtship of Alex and Stephanie that includes him encouraging her to explore a new chapter of her professional life.”
And seeing as how Alex just found a novel Stephanie wrote, we’re going to go out on a limb here and take that “new chapter” phrasing quite literally!
“The teens head toward graduation as Sophia heads toward her due date,” the scribes tease, “delivering complications for Holly and Tate.” That last part might just be the understatement of the year. But since Sophia’s turning 18 on prom day, she’ll be legal by the time she goes into labor — and in theory, her mom doesn’t have a say in who adopts the baby anymore!
Johnny and Chanel may be out for now, but there are always other options out there. Of course, by the time the baby does come along, Johnny may have finally come around and made peace with what happened and his future as a father. But it may be too late for him and Chanel to start their dream family.
And that’s just the start of what’s ahead! As Cwikly and Ford shared when they first took the reins of Days of Our Lives, “Miss a day, miss a lot!”