DAYS Weekly Recap: Belle and Chad Heat Up as the Stefano Mystery Deepens

Secrets continued to unravel in Salem this week as Joy’s recovery took a frightening turn, Johnny found himself dangerously close to being exposed, and Belle and Chad’s investigation into Stefano’s mysterious clues took them one step closer to the truth.

Meanwhile, Gwen’s plans to purchase the hospital fell apart, Xander struggled with his feelings for Sarah, and Sydney returned to Salem. And, as always, just when it seemed like one mystery was finally making sense, another secret appeared.

Joy’s Future Takes a Frightening Turn

The week began with Joy putting Alex in a difficult position. Knowing she was facing surgery and uncertain about what the future might hold, Joy asked Alex to sign an amended custody agreement concerning Kelsey. Joy wanted Stephanie’s role in Kelsey’s life reconsidered in a year, and she decided Chloe should receive full custody if something happened to her.

Alex wasn’t thrilled about the situation, but he ultimately signed the agreement. Of course, that decision created another problem: Stephanie.

Alex explained everything to Stephanie, leaving her to wonder just how much more their marriage could take. Despite everything that had happened, Stephanie admitted to Steve that she still loved Alex and wanted to fight for their marriage, while Kayla also encouraged Stephanie not to give up.

Unfortunately, Joy’s situation soon became much more serious. After surgery, Joy discovered that she couldn’t feel or move her legs. Sarah tried to reassure her that numbness could occur following surgery, while Kayla explained that spinal inflammation might be responsible.

But no one could promise Joy that the condition would be temporary. Joy desperately wanted to know whether she was paralyzed, while Alex made it clear that whatever happened, he intended to be there for Joy and Kelsey. While Joy faced an uncertain future, another Salem secret was becoming increasingly difficult to contain.

Johnny’s Coriseal Secret Gets More Dangerous

Johnny spent much of the week trying to convince people that everything was under control. Unfortunately for him, Theo wasn’t buying it. Theo became increasingly suspicious of Johnny’s involvement with DiMera Pharmaceuticals and the Coriseal situation. Johnny tried to maintain control, but Theo made it clear that if Johnny was hiding something, he was finished working with him and EJ.

Johnny later admitted to Marlena that he hated lying to the people he loved, but he continued to believe that keeping the truth hidden was necessary to protect EJ and the company. That became harder when George O’Halloran reminded Johnny that he couldn’t simply walk away from the Coriseal mess. Johnny had followed orders, but if everything came crashing down, someone would eventually have to take the blame and Johnny could be that person.

Steve and Brady also continued working to uncover evidence. After enhancing hospital surveillance footage, they discovered evidence that Johnny had planted evidence, and Brady warned Sarah that exposing EJ could also put Johnny in serious danger. Even Xander urged Johnny to think about his family and what would happen to Chanel and the children if his actions were exposed. Johnny wanted to become a better man and wanted his children to be proud of him, but wanting to change doesn’t erase what you’ve already done. Johnny’s past was catching up with him.

Sydney Returns

While Johnny was dealing with his increasingly complicated situation, Sydney was back in the picture, bringing a little DiMera drama with her. Her return was one of the week’s more enjoyable surprises, especially because Sydney is finally old enough to bring her own personality and attitude to the DiMera family. Considering who her parents are, that’s a potentially dangerous combination.

Sydney’s presence also reminded everyone that the younger generation of DiMeras is beginning to take center stage. But Sydney wasn’t the only person connected to the DiMera family creating problems, because EJ had his own growing list of concerns.

Marlena Becomes Suspicious of EJ

Marlena’s troubling memories caused her to look at EJ differently. As the week continued, she became increasingly suspicious of him, while Cat also began to have concerns.

Rita continued carrying out EJ’s orders, but the situation was becoming increasingly complicated. EJ was convinced that someone was deliberately leaving clues for Chad and Belle, and he wasn’t about to sit around and wait for them to figure everything out.

EJ eventually suspected that Rolf might be behind the mystery and ordered Rita to find him, but Rita had a secret of her own. She had pocketed Stefano’s famous ring and lied to EJ about it. That ring was about to become very important. It eventually ended up in the hands of a mysterious man connected to Stefano’s photograph and chessboard. He opened the package and put Stefano’s ring on his finger.

The Phoenix may be gone, but Stefano’s influence clearly isn’t. And that brings us to the investigation that dominated much of the week.

Belle and Chad Follow Another Stefano Clue

Belle and Chad continued following the strange clues connected to Stefano’s past. Their investigation took them to Italy, where their partnership became something more.

The chemistry between them had been building, and this week they finally slept together. But instead of allowing their new relationship to distract them from the investigation, the two continued searching for answers.

They ended up following a mysterious dinner notification they hadn’t made and eventually discovered a location known as “verde la scala.”

Belle contacted Paul for more information, and he discovered that the location had once been a convent connected to the Holy Trinity—and potentially to the mysterious Celtic cross. Then they discovered another important connection.

The property was owned by Dominic Marino, the same man connected to the purchase of the Kiriakis mansion. Suddenly, two seemingly separate mysteries appeared to be connected.

And that was a very nice twist. Dominic wasn’t simply another random name thrown into the story. He was becoming a connecting point between the different mysteries surrounding Stefano, the mansion, and the strange clues Belle and Chad had been following.

By the end of the week, Belle and Chad were determined to learn more, but they weren’t the only ones getting closer to Dominic. And they certainly weren’t alone in Italy.

Gwen’s Hospital Dream Falls Apart

Gwen’s plans to purchase the hospital also took a major hit. She had been preparing to make EJ her silent partner, despite Leo’s warnings that doing business with a DiMera was probably a terrible idea.

Leo tried to convince Gwen to walk away, but she didn’t listen. Rafe, meanwhile, was determined to stop Gwen and EJ from taking control of the hospital. He obtained a letter Gwen had left with her lawyer and presented it to the hospital board.

The result? Gwen’s hospital deal was dead.

Gwen was furious and confronted Rafe, accusing him of deliberately making her look like she was working with EJ and his questionable scientific operation. Rafe wasn’t apologizing. He made it clear that he believed Gwen had become involved in something dangerous and that he intended to continue going after EJ.

Gwen had lost the hospital, but she wasn’t necessarily ready to lose the fight.

Xander Can’t Let Go of Sarah

While Gwen dealt with professional disappointment, Xander was dealing with something much more personal. Sarah and Victoria were settling into their new life with Brady, and Xander was struggling to accept that Sarah might really be moving on.

Maggie tried to help him see how far he had come. She reminded Xander that he had changed and had become a better father, but none of that changed how he felt about Sarah. Xander admitted that he had believed he and Sarah were finally getting closer. Then he heard Sarah tell Brady that she loved him.

SIDENOTE: That hurt me!

Later, Xander found some of Sarah’s belongings while moving into his new apartment, and the memories came rushing back. He considered returning the items to Sarah, but it was obvious that emotionally, he wasn’t ready to let go.

Sarah wasn’t exactly indifferent either. Even while building a relationship with Brady, Sarah continued to have complicated feelings about Xander. The question is no longer whether there are feelings between them—it’s what they’re going to do about them.

Leo and Javi Take a Step Forward

Leo also found himself dealing with unfinished romantic business. He admitted to Javi that he still had feelings for him and suggested that perhaps they could start by simply being friends. Leo even acknowledged that Javi had tried to rescue him when he was trapped in Alamainia. As usual, Leo promised to put aside his usual theatrics and be honest, and Javi eventually agreed to call Leo when he was ready to meet for coffee.

Meanwhile, Leo was also taking on more responsibility professionally. Kate gave him expanded duties after taking over as Jack’s editor, including work on a new podcast and additional reporting. Considering Leo’s ability to stumble into other people’s secrets, that could become very interesting.

Holly and Tate Face Trouble

Holly and Tate were hoping for a romantic getaway, but Holly received an unsettling text from an unknown number. The message was simple: “Are you having fun?”

Not exactly the kind of text anyone wants to receive while on vacation, and Holly clearly had reason to be concerned.

Meanwhile, Ari’s problems continued after Gabi asked Kate to revoke her DiMera internship. Ari confronted Mason about his hostility toward Holly, and Mason revealed that Holly was responsible for the death of someone he knew. That revelation could make Holly’s situation much more dangerous.

And then there was Monte Carlo. Gabi and Philip traveled there for Philip’s poker game, where they unexpectedly encountered Sydney. Sydney noticed Gabi’s ring and agreed to keep the fake engagement secret, but with Dante Vitali running the poker game, Philip’s trip was beginning to look less like a vacation and more like a potential disaster.

Friday’s Mystery Deepens

By Friday, nearly every major storyline had another secret attached to it. Joy was facing an uncertain recovery, Johnny’s Coriseal secret was getting closer to exposure, Gwen had lost her hospital deal, and Xander was still struggling to move on from Sarah.

Holly was receiving threatening messages, while Belle and Chad had discovered that Dominic Marino could be the missing link connecting multiple pieces of the Stefano mystery. EJ, meanwhile, was convinced Rolf was behind the clues and ordered Rita to find him. And then there was Stefano’s ring. A piece of Salem’s past had suddenly resurfaced in the hands of someone who clearly knew exactly what it meant.

Belle and Chad were getting closer to Dominic’s secrets, Johnny was getting closer to being exposed, and EJ was getting closer to realizing that someone had been playing him. The mysteries are finally beginning to connect—but that may be the most dangerous part of all.

My Thoughts

It was great seeing Sydney! I’m going to have to make peace with the fact that Will Horton is the only child of Sami Brady that we’re going to see during her teenage years. I had hoped Sydney would dish out some of the drama her mother brought to Salem when she was a teenager.

I do like actress Sydney Makaketh in the role so far. She’s giving me more EJ than Sami, and I actually like that. There’s something about the way she’s playing Sydney that feels different from what I expected, and I’m enjoying it so far.

I also think bringing Sydney back at this point is a good opportunity to develop the younger generation of DiMeras. There’s plenty of history there, and Sydney has the potential to be a fun troublemaker in her own right.

Now, Belle and Chad finally slept together! I really enjoy the chemistry between Martha Madison and Conner Floyd. There were moments watching them where I kind of got some old-school Shawn Douglas and Mimi vibes. I know. 😂 But hear me out!

There’s something about Belle and Chad together that feels fun. Maybe they’re not necessarily a long-term pairing, but right now, I’m enjoying them. Sometimes a soap pairing doesn’t have to immediately feel like the next great supercouple. They can simply have chemistry, create interesting scenes, and shake up the canvas.

And that’s what Belle and Chad are doing for me right now. I’m also happy that we’re finally getting some movement on the mystery. ALSO, very nice touch having Dominic tie into two different mysteries. I really like it when Days connects seemingly separate stories instead of making every mystery exist in its own little bubble.

The Dominic connection makes the Stefano mystery feel more focused, and I’m curious to see where Belle and Chad’s investigation takes them next. I also want to give a shoutout to the DAYS production team. I love how they repurpose sets to fit the story needs!

It may seem like a small thing, but I really appreciate it. Seeing familiar sets transformed to represent another location can make the show feel bigger than it is, and it also shows how creative the production team can be with what they have.

Overall, this was a solid week for Days of Our Lives. We had movement on several stories, some romance, some mystery, a little DiMera drama, and enough unanswered questions to keep me interested. And honestly, that’s what I want from Days.

Give me characters I care about, let the stories move, connect the mysteries, and give me a Friday cliffhanger that makes me want to see what happens next.