SOAP SHOCKER: Salem Mourns John Black in Tear-Filled Farewell

SALEM’S DARKEST HOUR: JOHN BLACK’S MEMORIAL LEAVES CAST IN TEARS

The Moment We’ve Been Dreading Is Finally Here

Get those tissues ready.

No, seriously — you’re going to need the entire box. Maybe two. Because next week’s Days of Our Lives episodes are about to deliver the most gut-wrenching, heart-shattering memorial service in the show’s nearly 60-year history. After John Black took his final breath on Monday, June 2nd while saving Bo Brady‘s life, Salem must now face the impossible task of saying goodbye to their greatest hero.

And it’s not just any goodbye. This is THE goodbye.

Cast Members Were “Total Wrecks” During Filming

Here’s the thing that’s making this even MORE devastating — the cast filmed these funeral episodes before Drake Hogestyn passed away from pancreatic cancer last September, but they already knew what was coming. Martha Madison, who plays Belle Black, revealed she was such a mess during filming that she barely remembers any of it. “I was a total wreck,” she admitted. “I forget the acting. I don’t know what it’s gonna look like, but I was snottin’ through the whole thing.”

Snotting. Through. The. Whole. Thing.

When the actress playing John‘s daughter can’t even hold it together on set, what chance do WE have?

Eric Martsolf (who plays Brady Black) painted an even more emotional picture of what went down during those filming days. Everyone was holding hands so tightly their knuckles turned white. Cast members were emotionally exhausted. People were just trying to survive each take. “Oh my God, everyone’s hands were white,” he shared. “Everyone was just trying to get through.”

But here’s what might surprise you — Martsolf promises the funeral episodes aren’t ALL tears. “It has a beautiful celebratory feeling to it as well. Dare I say, even humorous at times.” Because that’s exactly what Drake would have wanted. A celebration of John Black‘s incredible life, not just mourning his death.

What This Means for Salem’s Future

Let’s talk about what happens now. Marlena Evans just lost her soulmate — the man who survived Stefano’s mind control, multiple “deaths,” and literally every obstacle Salem could throw at them. How does she go on? Will she throw herself into ISA work to honor John‘s legacy? Or will grief consume Salem’s most beloved psychiatrist?

And what about Brady and Belle? They’ve already been through so much, and now they have to navigate life without their father. The man who taught them what it means to be a hero. The man who LITERALLY died saving someone else’s life because that’s just who John Black was.

Expect Shocking Returns and Emotional Tributes

If you think this is just going to be a simple funeral service, you clearly don’t know Salem. Word on the street is that we’re getting some major returns for these episodes. Think about all the lives John touched over his nearly 40 years in Salem. All the people he saved. All the villains he defeated. All the loves he had before finding his forever with Marlena.

Who’s coming back? That’s the million-dollar question.

The Preview That Will Break Your Heart

Tonight’s Access Hollywood (Thursday, June 5th) is airing an exclusive preview of the memorial service, and if you want to emotionally prepare yourself (spoiler alert: you can’t), you might want to tune in. Check your local listings because this is one preview that’s going to have the entire soap world talking.

A Hero’s Goodbye

John Black died the way he lived — putting others first. Racing into danger to save Bo Brady‘s life with that miracle drug, knowing full well the risks. He took his last breath with Marlena by his side, bringing their epic love story to its heartbreaking conclusion.

But here’s what’s hitting me the hardest: Drake Hogestyn approved this storyline before he passed. He KNEW this was how John‘s story would end. He wanted his character to go out as the hero we all knew and loved. A final gift to the fans who supported him for four decades.

Will Salem Ever Recover?

Look, we’ve seen a lot of deaths in Salem. We’ve mourned a lot of characters. But this? This feels different. This feels final. This feels like the end of an era that can never be replaced.

John Black wasn’t just a character — he was THE character. The moral center of Salem. The hero who always saved the day. The man who proved that love really can conquer all.

So buckle up, soap fans. Next week’s memorial episodes are going to test us like never before. They’re going to make us laugh through our tears (apparently), but mostly they’re just going to make us cry. A lot. Like, ugly crying that’ll have your family members checking on you levels of crying.

Can Salem survive without their greatest hero? Can Marlena find a way forward without her other half? Will the memorial service bring closure or open new wounds?

One thing’s for certain — after next week, Days of Our Lives will never be the same.