Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI, Peacock screenshot (3)

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After a pretty so-so week (including the disappointing wedding), Days of Our Lives picked up the pace on Friday, as Steve ran around town trying to solve pretty much everyone’s problems. So let’s just jump right on in. 

Mother!

At last! The show gave us confirmation on Friday that the Woman In White is Rachel Blake, as Kristen came face to face with “Mother.” We all knew it, we’ve all been waiting for it, and it seemed kind of silly to play so coy. But I suppose they wanted the drama of Kristen being the one to declare it. Monday should be the really juicy stuff, though, as Kristen and her mom catch up and we hopefully find out how Rachel ended up back where she started.

My hope? This is going to delve into Rachel’s distant past with Stefano and her connection to the DiMeras more and we’ll get an unexpected family secret or two in the process that ties into Tony’s return as well. After all, he was a part of the original Aremid storyline. Or, rather, André was, pretending to be Tony.

Huge gaps in between episodes aside, I like how briskly this story is moving along. I don’t need storylines to burn through in a matter of days, and I don’t mind longer ones, I just want things to keep moving and not go around in circles. Steve’s already figured out that Ava’s not in Hong Kong (thank you for not dragging out calling Tripp) and Kristen’s found Ava — though I have no doubt she’ll be in on this scheme now that she knows her mom’s alive and helping out.

I’d say that when this all comes out and Ava’s rescued, Kristen will have finally put the final nail in the coffin of her relationship with Brady. But I can’t even type that with a straight face. So while it’s not wrapping up yet, at least it’s moving. Meanwhile…

Throwing In the Towel

OK, OK, I yield. I know a lot of folks couldn’t get past no one realizing Rafe wasn’t Rafe, but I was willing to go along with the RoboRafe stuff, because I was having fun with him. I enjoyed the wedding build up, the parties and, like I said last week, tend to enjoy the writing team’s weddings.

But then we got to the actual wedding on Monday and it finally lost me. “Rafe’s” explanation about why he took a secret job investigating Jada and lied to her about it made no sense at all. No one should have bought that. “Yeah, I love you and hate EJ, but it was easy money, and I lied and have been shady about it from the start, because I figured you’d be innocent.” Worse, the supposed charges brought against her just smacked of “Ah ha! We found fraud!” “What kind of fraud?” “The bad kind of fraud!” Again, no one should have bought it.

Then to have Shawn show up to the wedding with a mysterious dossier that just appeared on his desk was a “What are you thinking??” moment. He didn’t even want to show up late and risk interrupting, but he ran straight there to stop it with an insanely suspicious file. There should have been more people standing up for Jada at her own wedding. And Paulina’s worried about her image if she marries someone who could be a criminal, then installs fake Rafe back in his old position because it’ll cause the least amount of waves?

Actually… that does sound like a politician. OK, carry on.

Anyway, I’m glad the Johnsons are on it and Steve knows this is all concocted by EJ. He just jumped from saving Kayla, to helping Jada, to getting to the bottom of Ava’s trip for Brady. Paulina should have made him commissioner. Or maybe she should step aside so he can be mayor. I’m sure there’s some bizarre Salem bylaw that would allow it.

In any case, everyone should be on top of EJ’s involvement at this point — especially now that it’s clear how shady “Rafe” was being and how involved with EJ this was. As I said last week, no one in this story besides EJ and Rafe were really a part of the first RoboRafe run, but plenty of folks should have at least jumped to brainwashing! They’ve all faced it. Gabi had to deal with Stefan being brainwashed when he returned. Steve had Stefano’s essence chip or whatever implanted in him. And Shawn shot his own father into a coma because his brain had been turned into DiMera soup! OK, time to wrap this up.

In the Rearview Mirror

One thing they did wrap up fast was the Body and Soul stalker story. I know, technically, it’s been going on for months, but suddenly they just flipped a switch and ended it. It felt kind of like the higher ups just said, “Shut it down, now,” and that was that.

I don’t think any of us were surprised by the reveal, and the pacing seemed odd with the big confrontation. So Whitley’s been in there, in her room in Bayview, putting photos with big red “X’s” on her wall and, um, nobody thought to question that? And despite the fact that it was an experimental drug that was used to poison everyone, the hospital just conveniently had an antidote on-hand?

It looks like next week is the soap’s end, as Abe and Kate deliver news of Body and Soul’s fate. I’m left wondering what the point of the whole thing was. Not just the stalker, but Body and Soul. I was pleasantly surprised by the flash of empathy towards Whitley from Abe (and even a number of fans), but that was way too long a tale to explore the nature of fandom and “standom” — when fandom turns into someone’s entire identity to the point of being dangerous.

For a brief second I thought they were going to kill Hattie or Joy, but no. Once production moves back to Los Angeles, all the non-actors in Salem will go back to being non-actors. Alex and Stephanie are back together, but that would have happened already if Body and Soul hadn’t gotten in the way. Johnny and Chanel are right back on the solid ground they started on. So was it all for nothing?

I’m getting Satan flashbacks to the devil just gleefully messing with couples for no reason, then going away and leaving nothing more than “Remember when the devil was here?” stories in his wake. But at the very least, after next week, fans can put Body and Soul behind them.

Stray Thoughts…

• I get the whole love/hate, flirty/horny thing going on between Belle and EJ (and enjoy it for the most part), but I feel like her response to his machinations against Jada was a bit too mild.

• At a certain point, Sarah’s threats to Philip to stay in line, lest she tell Xander the truth about that letter, are going to become empty. Telling Xander will blow her life up, just as much as Philip’s and it can’t take him long to realize that.
• Javi, just tell Jada about Rafe’s affair, already. Please. Then maybe she’ll figure out that Rafe, at the very least, isn’t in his right mind!
• Well, we got about 30 seconds of Cat this week and even less of her interacting with Chad. This isn’t even a slow burn romance, it’s a no-burn. I guess they’ll get back to it once everything else is wrapped up.
• Those Chad and Julie scenes are always so heartbreaking, but sweet. Even just his gentle smile as he understands and gently encourages her to keep going is wonderful. You’ve got this, Julie.