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On today’s Days of Our Lives, Leo tells Joy about the script changes keeping her and Chanel apart. She fearfully asks if this will end up in Lady Whistleblower, then runs off. Leo heads out and runs into Javi, wishing him a happy New Year. Javi asks what happened when Leo says Lady Whistleblower cut close with the latest column jab — it was about him.

She found out about how Leo ruined things with Javi, then went after his professional life. The writer’s not Javi, it’s not Hattie and Leo only knows someone is out to get him. Javi brings up Rafe tracking down the identity of Lady Whistleblower and assures Leo that his cousin will get to the bottom of it soon.

Leo apologizes again to Javi for what he did and explains how much he was hurt and how much he should have recognized that Javi is different. Rafe’s cousin tells him to stop feeling bad, he moved on and Leo should too. When he mentions being alone on New Year’s without many friends, Leo smiles and says he could be his friend.

Javi tells Leo he doesn’t hate him and he’s over being called a thief and liar. In fact, he’s glad to see Leo and he would like to be friends. They shake on it just as Kerry strides over. After looking shocked, Javi greets his boyfriend with a smile. Kerry notes Javi was looking chummy with Leo and is told they put everything behind them.

Kerry shrugs it off and says he’s fine with that, then they head back to the house for lunch. Javi says goodbye and Kerry pats Leo on the shoulder.

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Stephanie is reading Lady Whistleblower and it mentions Joy and Alex spending the New Year together. Abe knocks on the door, ticked at the latest column. The two finish it together, reading through it attacking the show, Abe’s producing skill, Kate’s role and even his time as mayor. He demands Stephanie shut down Lady Whistleblower immediately.

If they don’t end it, Body and Soul will be over. Steph assures Abe she’s on it. He thanks her and heads over to the office (where Chanel and Johnny are fighting), dreading any new problems. Stephanie gets a burst of inspiration and heads over to the Hortons to see Chad.

She asks who Lady Whistleblower is, or she’ll get Body and Soul canceled. Chad says he can’t and won’t tell her — the person is anonymous and he wants to respect their wishes. Stephanie tells him this could tank her show, but Chad wants to be even-handed. He’s backing his columnist. “Oh yeah? What about your friends?”

This isn’t a First Amendment issue. His employee is going after them with malicious intent. She finally gets him to agree to look into it.

Bonnie is also reading Whistleblower, bashing her acting skills — and her. She tosses the tablet aside in disgust, just before Hattie enters wishing her a happy New Year. Hattie says she just walked in the unlocked front door and Bonnie demands to know what she wants. After some struggle, Hattie says she wants to… apologize!

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Bonnie thinks she’s admitting to being Lady Whistleblower, but that’s not it. Bonnie begrudgingly admits Hattie’s not really capable of writing a column. Instead, Hattie’s apologizing for trying to get her best friend fired. And she acknowledges that getting shoved down an elevator shaft was “comeuppance.”

Bonnie’s reluctant to forgive, but Hattie insists she learned a lesson and misses her. They both miss each other and, after a few compliments thrown her way, Bonnie agrees to wipe the slate clean and be friends again. They pull in to hug. Bonnie then tells Hattie they should go talk to Leo and get her back on the show. They left an opening for her to come back, which Hattie didn’t realize. They head out to Leo.

In the Body and Soul offices, Chanel tells Johnny she quits, but he tries talking her out of it, saying she loves working on the show. She did, but that changed with him and Joy. She’s done with the show… and him. Johnny asks what happened and Chanel tells him about her run-in with Joy.

She tells him once she quits, she will go back to her first love. Sweet Bits, not Allie. She’s got a boyfriend. She throws a few disgusted barbs at his lying face and tries to leave, but Johnny stops her and tells her he and the show need her.

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Abe shows up, asking if he’s interrupting. Chanel tells him her decision and she’s officially quitting Body and Soul, immediately. “The hell you are,” Abe growls. She signed a contract, and Chanel throws back, “You’re not seriously going to sue your step-daughter for breach of contract!”

Abe apologizes and says he won’t, but she’s got to stay. She’s part of one of the show’s most possible couples. And there’s no way they can recast her. The fans will rip the show to shreds. Johnny tells her that he’ll quit instead of her.

Joy’s despondently reading the column on her phone in the Brady Pub and Alex pops in to pick up his order. They see each other, she hands him the phone and he shrugs, “At least they’re talking about us.” Joy then tells him about her encounter with Chanel. Alex assures her things will get better with time, but Joy doesn’t see how Chanel will forgive her or they’ll ever work together.

She’s not thinking of quitting, she insists, but she does feel terrible. Alex says she needs to forgive herself, move on and start fresh. Joy agrees: New Year, new positivity, no matter how much Chanel hates her.

Abe isn’t happy about that, either, but Johnny insists it’s better to lose a director than a star. Chanel, though, would still have to work with Joy. She’s done. Chanel stomps out.

In the show’s final moments, Leo’s trying to write in his room when Bonnie shows up at his door with Hattie. Now that they’ve made up, it’s time to bring Charlemagne back. Leo points out it’s not his decision, but they figure having him onboard would make it easier. Leo agrees, pulls out the show bible with a ribbon on it and makes Hattie swear on it that she’s not Lady Whistleblower. Great! Pending approval, he’ll write her back to life.

Alex is glad Joy took his advice, and she heads out to learn her lines. Chanel shows up after she leaves and Alex notices she’s upset. “Are you OK?” He apologizes for not saying anything, but he didn’t want her to get hurt. “A lot of good that did.” She tells him her marriage and career are both over; she quit. She starts crying and Alex pulls her in to comfort her.

Johnny apologizes for any trouble this will cause them. Abe just prays that Stephanie can get to the bottom of Lady Whistleblower before the show blows up. Over at the Horton house, Chad sees they’re paying Lady Whistleblower through an LLC account in Rochester, New York. But that’s it.

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Kerry demands to know why Javi wants to be friends with Leo. He just shakes his head when Javi says everyone deserves a second chance. Javi wants to talk about something else, then says he wants to hear all about Kerry’s time in Rochester. He goes to take a shower and Kerry slyly pulls out his phone, writing as Lady Whistleblower that he’s just getting started.