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Sitting by John’s hospital bed, Marlena begs her husband not to leave them. Steve enters and says that while Stefano called himself the Phoenix, “he had nothin’ on John Black!” We’re treated to a series of quick-hit flashbacks showing just some of the many wild (and occasionally downright silly) adventures he’s survived. Jungles and explosions and guillotines, oh my! He codes, but Kayla is able to bring him back from the edge of death.
Alone by John’s bedside, Steve tells Kayla that the potential cure has been delivered to Bo. “If he survives, we all have this man to thank,” Steve says. Later, he tells Paul and Belle about John’s heroics.
Xander Vs. Maggie
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Maggie reads Xander for filth, pointing out Victor wouldn’t want him in the house — let alone owning half of it — given what he just did to Philip. Xander says he won’t fight her for the house, but he is going to fight to be in his daughter’s life. Maggie says she’ll support whatever Sarah decides is best for Victoria, reminding Xander “I managed to keep Victor Kiriakis in check whenever he stepped out of line. And I won’t hesitate to do the same to you!”
Xander asks why everyone jumps to defend Philip as being “troubled” or “sick in the head” when he does something bad. Maggie’s having none of it, saying she’s defended him and fought for his relationship time and again. But she’s through giving him chances. Not because of what he did to Philip, but because he broke his promise to both her and Sarah. “You made fools out of both of us,” she declares, adding, “and for that, I will never forgive you.”
Xander, on the other hand, points out that Sarah and Maggie kept him in the dark for months about the forged letter. Maggie claims they were trying to protect Xander from his own darker urges. Ultimately, Maggie has him removed to his old apartment and says he is never to step foot in the mansion again.
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Crossing at the nurse’s station, Sarah and Kayla catch one another up on their individual traumas. Afterwards, Sarah is questioned by Brady, who asks what she knows about what happened to Philip. She’s not ready to talk about that… yet. Her rough day gets worse when Xander enters Philip’s hospital room. Sarah is there, but Philip has been sent for tests. She threatens to call security before filling him in on John’s situation and why she blames him. He, in turn, points out all of this could have been prevented if she’d told him about the forgery.
Marlena Prays John Will Survive
In the chapel. Marlena prays for a miracle. She says John saved not only her lie but her soul. Cue flashbacks to Marlena’s first possession. “John and I have survived Stefano and Orpheus and Kristen… even the devil himself,” she reminds God, begging him to help John fight.
Soon after, Belle joins her in the chapel where she brings up the uncomfortable fact that she has John’s medical proxy. She reminds her mom how awful things got when Marlena was fighting for her life in a similar circumstance. The good news is that the paperwork John had draw Belle up made it clear he wanted to fight until the end. “I think he’s going to come back to us,” Belle says hopefully.
Elsewhere, Paul laments not having had John in his life for so many years. “We hit the damn lottery when we got John Black for a father,” admits Brady. Paul shares that he and Andrew plan to get married in Salem, surrounded by their friends and loved ones. Xander and Belle exchange barbs about his sins and her keeping secrets for Philip and EJ. Steve and Kayla carved out a moment to comfort one another amidst all the trauma unfolding around them.
And as a horrified Maggie realizes that Victor’s portrait is missing, Xander is seen in a dark alley slashing the patriarch’s painting before trashing it.
On the next episode of Days of Our Lives, Sophia works with Melinda to finalize the adoption.
Want to know what’s going to happen on all five soaps this week? Check out the preview-packed gallery below!
