Gabi finally ran into Jake, Holly called Eric “Daddy,” while Lani helped Kristen escape in order to find Sarah and the baby!
Our TV Fanatics Jack Ori and Christine Orlando are joined by Andy from MyHourglass a Days of Our Lives fan forum to debate if Jake is Stefan, Zoey’s plan to accuse Rafe of murder, what will happen when Sarah and Kristen come face to face, and more!
Do you think that Jake is really Stefan?
Jack: God, I hope not. I enjoy Jake, and I did not enjoy Stefan one bit even though I like Brandon Barash as an actor.
Plus, what possible reason would Rolf have for brainwashing Stefan into thinking he’s an auto mechanic with a shady past?
I’m hoping that Jake turns out to be Stefan’s twin brother, who was kidnapped at birth and sold/given to some other family that raised him differently.
Andy: I do think Jake is really Stefan and a product of Rolf’s meddling. And while I don’t mind having the last version of Stefan back because he had good chemistry with Gabi, the whole back from the dead and/or mistaken identity storyline is so, so tired.
Christine: I hope so, only because I love the chemistry between Brandon Barash and Camila Banus.
Having Gabi fall for Jake feels weird, even weirder than having Stefan come back from the dead, which tells you something about what this show has done to my sense of normal!
Nicole, Holly, and Eric appear to finally be a happy family. How do you feel about this turn of events?
Jack: Well, it’s better than Eric berating Nicole endlessly for something that wasn’t her fault, which is what I expected to happen when she found out that Mickey wasn’t Eric’s baby.
However, I think Holly calling Eric Daddy was glossed over too much. There should have been some drama over that.
Andy: They’re cute together, it was sweet that Holly wants to call Eric “Daddy.”
This will definitely help Eric cope with losing Mickey, but probably going to make things that much harder for Sarah seeing that he gets to move on with his new family while she continues to grieve alone.
Christine: A year or so ago, I would have loved these scenes, but now I barely care. Yes, it’s nice to see them all happy, but they’ve brought Nicole and Eric together and pulled them apart so many times that I just can’t invest in them anymore.
Zoey plans to tell the jury that Rafe could have killed Jordan. Will it be enough for Christian to go free?
Jack: It shouldn’t be, but this is Salem, so…
It would make more sense for Zoey to suggest that Rafe is covering for the real killer and that Ben really is guilty after all (or that Ciara did it). Rafe has a history of covering for family, and she could argue that he would do anything for Ciara.
Andy: I think it’s ridiculous, but knowing Salem, it will probably be enough for the judge or jury to decide Christian isn’t guilty beyond doubt. If anyone buys Rafe as the murderer though, I’ll be very annoyed.
Christine: It’s ironic because I was recently watching a rerun of the legal drama The Practice, and the defense attorney’s frequently used a “Plan B” defense where they pointed the finger at someone else, even if it was utterly far-fetched.
If they can’t use Christian’s confession and all they have is circumstantial evidence, who knows? This could work.
Do you think Sarah will ever forgive, Maggie, Xander, or Victor for what they’ve done?
Jack: I think she will forgive Maggie, especially if (as many of us suspect) it turns out Maggie didn’t actually cause the accident after all. I mean, Maggie is her mother!
I hope she forgives Xander, but it’s going to be a long time coming if ever. I don’t know if she will ever forgive Victor, but Maggie probably will, and then Sarah MAY follow suit. We’ll see.
Andy: I think eventually Sarah will be more willing to forgive Xander, believing his actions were done out of love and to protect her and Maggie.
I don’t see her putting much effort either way with regard to Victor.
Maggie is going to be the hardest one, as long as she is seen as the direct cause of the baby’s death.
Christine: I agree with Andy. Sarah never liked Victor to begin with, so there’s little reason for her to forgive him now.
Sarah does love Xander, and Xander was trying to protect her and Maggie, so I think there’s hope for a reconciliation, eventually.
Maggie is a tougher case. Yes, alcoholism is a disease, but Maggie chose to drink and drive and caused an accident that killed Sarah’s child. I don’t think that kind of pain ever goes away.
The only hope is, as Jack pointed out above, that Maggie somehow didn’t actually cause the accident. I hope that’s the case for all of their sakes.
It’s your turn, TV Fanatics! Who will Sarah forgive first, if anyone?
What do you hope will happen when Sarah and Kristen come face to face?
Jack: I hope Kristen 1) frees Rex and 2) gets in Sarah’s face about what a hypocrite she is.
Sarah has been going around saying kidnapping the baby is right because “Kristen is a lunatic who would be a terrible mother,” but what has she done that is any different?
I also hope that Lani follows the guys to Paris because I think she can talk Kristen out of anything crazy as well, if not better than Brady.
Andy: Hopefully, Kristen doesn’t stab Sarah too…I’d be fine with a bit of a catfight, maybe a good slap from one or both of them.
I’m really torn on this because I do think Sarah should give Mickey back to her parents, but I struggle with the parent being Kristen!
Christine: The drama I want to see is an actual conversation between these two women about the grief Kristen has endured over believing her baby is dead, and the pain Sarah is going through knowing that MacKenzie/Rachel isn’t hers.
That type of scene, one where they look at one another and realizes the kind of torment they’ve both been put through, would keep me glued to the screen in a way that a catfight fight or a lot of screaming could not.
What was the most disappointing or frustrating thing to happen this week in Salem?
Jack: I may be the only one, but I feel that Lani and Kristen have insane chemistry, and I wish the show had gone the route of Lani helping Kristen because she secretly has feelings for her instead of because she understands what it’s like to lose a child.
There were several scenes where I felt like it would have been natural for them to kiss, and of course, they didn’t.
I also found it frustrating that nobody has found a way to shut Gabi up yet and that the idiot neighbor couldn’t tell that a tied up Rex was not Chad with a cold. Talk about a stupid plot point! That was an insult to viewers’ intelligence.
Andy: Sarah tying up Rex was ridiculous, and then the nosey neighbor thing was beyond.
I was also a little disappointed in Gabi and Jake’s reunion. I thought it would be more emotional for Gabi instead of just her being angry. Wasted opportunity.
Christine: Oh, that stupid, half-blind neighbor is horrible! What a waste of screen time.
Was I the only one who felt that Marlena was actually trying to make Kayla jealous under the guise of helping her understand her feelings?
And how can so many people in Salem say that Jake can’t be Stefan back from the dead when half of the darn town has died and come back at least once!
What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline from this week on Days of Our Lives?
Jack: I was shocked by how much I enjoyed Lani’s scenes this week since usually, I can’t stand her. I liked her standing up to Eli as well as her scenes with Kristen.
I also liked Jack supporting Jennifer as they dealt with Abby’s illness or poisoning or whatever it is.
Andy: I’m glad Maggie finally learned the truth, and her reaction felt real and heartbreaking.
And even though I’m not super excited about another storyline around Abigail’s mental illness, the hallucinations in the hospital were very effective.
Christine: I loved that Victor didn’t backtrack on his support for Xander and encouraged him to go after Sarah. Even if their methods are highly questionable, I enjoy Victor and Xander working together to protect their family.
Also, Abigail went from being one of the most boring characters in Salem to one of the most interesting. It’s amazing what a few hallucinations can do!
Want to chat more about the happenings in Salem? Then check out Jack Ori’s Days of Our Lives review here at TV Fanatic.
Don’t forget to hit that BIG, BLUE, SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON down below to share your thoughts on this week’s Days of Our Lives!
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.