Days of Our Lives Weekly Recap: Is Dominic Marino Really Marlena’s Son?

Salem was rocked by secrets, betrayals, family drama and even more questions surrounding Dominic Marino this week on Days of Our Lives. Philip returned home with enough money to save Titan only to learn he was too late to save the Kiriakis mansion, Sarah found herself fighting to protect her career, Johnny finally began pushing back against EJ, and Marlena came face-to-face with a shocking piece of her own past.

By Friday, the Dominic Marino mystery had taken a turn that could change everything Marlena thought she knew about her life.

Philip’s Victory Comes Too Late

Philip Kiriakis returned to Salem riding high after his incredible gambling victory in Monte Carlo. With enough money to save Titan, Philip couldn’t wait to tell his family that the Kiriakis legacy had been rescued. Unfortunately, that celebration did not last very long.

Philip arrived at the Kiriakis mansion and discovered that the estate had already been sold to Dominic Marino. Despite finally having the money to save the property, he was too late to stop the closing. The mansion was gone, although Titan could still be saved. His good fortune also brought Philip and Gabi Hernandez closer. The two celebrated his winnings while rekindling their romance, and Gabi even offered Theo Carver a possible position at Gabi Chic after learning that he had quit DiMera Enterprises.

Meanwhile, Sarah Horton’s troubles continued to escalate when Destiny Rowland’s parents filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against her and the hospital. Brady and Xander agreed to work together to protect Sarah from EJ’s retaliation, while Joy continued trying to avoid medical testing and searching for ways to fake the results. Stephanie already had questions about

Joy’s paralysis, and chile, Joy was not exactly helping herself. But the biggest question continued to be Dominic Marino. Who was this mysterious man who suddenly owned the Kiriakis mansion, and why did his story keep leading back to Stefano DiMera?

Sarah Becomes the Target

Philip and Xander eventually went to Maggie with the news that Titan had been saved, but Maggie was not exactly throwing confetti. She immediately wanted to know where Philip had gotten the money, and once she learned he had gambled for it, she was furious.

Philip insisted it had been a desperate, one-time decision. Maggie, however, saw it as a dangerous relapse. She briefly considered walking away from Titan altogether before deciding to remain involved because of how much the company meant to Victor and their family.

Holly also finally confronted Mason, who admitted that he blamed her for Sophia’s death. He explained that Sophia continued struggling after leaving Bayview and had reached out to a mental-health hotline. In Mason’s mind, Holly’s treatment of Sophia contributed to her pain. Holly tried to explain herself, but Mason had already made up his mind.

At the same time, Brady and Steve continued digging into Dominic Marino. They still had very few answers, but the similarities between the Marino and DiMera names only made the situation look more suspicious.

Then Sarah’s nightmare got even worse. Rita arrived at the hospital and announced that an investigation into Destiny’s death was underway, with Sarah as its focus. Rita suggested Sarah take a leave of absence, but Kayla immediately defended her.

Sarah wasn’t only worried about the lawsuit. She was terrified that she could lose her medical license, and it was becoming increasingly obvious that someone wanted her to take the fall.

A Shocking Connection

The Dominic Marino mystery soon became much more personal for the Brady family. Belle received information from Paul about Dominic’s past and discovered that Dominic had attended boarding school with Dante Vitali, the man currently engaged to Sami Brady. Sydney was stunned because Dante had never mentioned his connection to Dominic, and Belle immediately found the coincidence disturbing.

Marlena shared her concerns, especially considering everything they had already uncovered about Dominic and Stefano. If Dominic Marino and Dante Vitali were once roommates, exactly how much does Dante know about this man?

Meanwhile, Johnny and EJ’s battle reached another level when Johnny discovered Theo’s resignation letter and confronted

his father. Johnny was tired of lying and covering for EJ, reminding him that he was the CEO of DiMera Enterprises and no longer willing to let EJ dictate how he ran the company.

EJ, naturally, was not ready to surrender control. George reassured him that Sarah could be made to look responsible for the Coriseal scandal, while EJ warned George that if their plan failed, George would be the one taking the fall. Typical EJ — always making sure there is somebody else standing closer to the bus when it comes speeding down the street.

Theo later told Abe that he had officially quit DiMera because he could no longer trust Johnny. Abe encouraged his son to follow his conscience, while Theo considered Gabi’s offer to join Gabi Chic.

EJ Pushes Cat Too Far

EJ’s growing paranoia eventually turned toward Cat. He questioned her loyalty and made it clear that he remained suspicious of her history with the ISA, but Cat refused to sit quietly while being accused of betraying him. After EJ pushed too far, she quit and walked away.

Johnny was also feeling the pressure of running DiMera while trying to keep his father’s influence under control. Sydney gave her brother some blunt advice: he was the CEO, not EJ. Johnny needed to decide whether he was going to keep following his father’s orders or finally stand on his own.

Paulina, meanwhile, remained determined to help Lani despite objections from Chanel and Lani herself. She pursued the possibility of a pardon and even encouraged Lani to appear on Leo’s podcast. Lani finally agreed, while Leo and Javi cautiously began testing the waters of their relationship again.

Belle and Chad continued investigating Dominic and Dante’s connection before their afternoon took a much more romantic turn at the Salem Inn. But while Belle was worried about Sami, Marlena was about to become the center of this entire mystery.

Marlena’s Past Comes Back to Haunt Her

Philip and Gabi ended the week on a happier note by deciding to give their relationship another chance. After losing the Kiriakis mansion but managing to save Titan, Gabi became one of the few bright spots in Philip’s increasingly complicated life.

At The Spectator, Chad welcomed Kate Roberts to the team, while Sarah and Kayla compared notes about the circumstances surrounding Sarah’s legal troubles. Something clearly did not add up, and the two began to suspect foul play.

Then came Marlena. Another disturbing dream continued the strange memories and visions surrounding Stefano and Dominic Marino. At the same time, Steve received startling news from Bo and Hope involving Dominic’s mysterious birth certificate, finally giving him another major piece of the puzzle.

And whew, what a piece it was. Dominic Marino’s birth certificate reportedly lists Stefano DiMera as his father and Marlena Evans as his mother. Yes. Marlena. If the document is accurate, Dominic may not simply be another mysterious figure from Stefano’s past. He could actually be Marlena’s son, suddenly giving her dreams, the Stefano connection and all those strange memories an entirely different meaning.

My Thoughts

I am not sure how I feel about Marlena having a child with Stefano. I KNOW we are nowhere near the end of this story, so I am trying not to judge it too quickly, but this is also the same creative team that brought Lexie back only to kill her again. So naturally, I have questions!

There is clearly much more to the Dominic Marino story, and I am hoping there is a bigger explanation behind Marlena’s connection to him before we get the full picture. I am intrigued, but my expectations are staying firmly in check.

Speaking of questions, it certainly seems like Abe could be dealing with some memory issues, and I am very curious about where that storyline is headed. There are a lot of moving pieces in Salem right now, and Abe’s situation could become much more important as these stories continue to unfold.

I am also happy that Johnny finally kind of told Chanel the truth. It may not have been the most complete or straightforward confession, but at least he is starting to understand that keeping secrets and trying to protect everybody is only making things worse. Their relationship has already been through enough.

And I cannot wait for Leo and Lani’s podcast! Greg Rikaart and Sal Stowers together in that setting has the potential to be such a fun combination because you already KNOW Leo is going to have plenty to say. Lani agreeing to participate could also force her to address a few things she might rather avoid, so bring it on.

Now, Sarah being shocked by EJ? Girl, you KNOW this man is capable of great evil! I understand being surprised by how far someone is willing to go, but Sarah has known EJ long enough to know that when he wants revenge, he is not exactly sending a strongly worded letter and calling it a day. The possibility of Sarah losing her medical license makes the story much more serious, and I am interested to see whether she and Kayla can figure out what is really happening before EJ’s plan succeeds.

One of my favorite parts of the week was Maggie loving on Philip and Xander. Those scenes were so touching. Maggie has been through so much with both of them, and seeing that genuine motherly love come through was a wonderful reminder of the emotional heart of the Kiriakis family. Even when they drive her completely crazy, those are still her boys.

That said, I do NOT think things are going to go smoothly for Philip now that he is getting a history lesson about his family’s involvement with the Vitali family. Whenever Salem starts digging into the past, somebody’s secrets usually come flying out, and Philip may be about to discover something he would have preferred to leave buried.

As for Gabi standing beside a gambling addict, I am not convinced that was the greatest choice either. Philip’s gambling problem is not exactly some tiny character flaw she can ignore. At the same time, I really do like Philip and Gabi together. There is chemistry there, and after everything these two have been through, I understand why they keep finding their way back to each other.

Overall, this week left me with A LOT of questions, and that is exactly what a good soap should do. Dominic’s possible connection to Marlena and Stefano, Abe’s memory issues, Sarah being targeted by EJ, Philip’s ties to the Vitalis, Johnny trying to come clean and Leo and Lani’s upcoming podcast all have me ready for what comes next.

BRING ON THE DRAMA!