Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI (5)

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There’s a new Woman In White, but is she really who we think she is? And is she as dangerous as she seems? Combine that with yet another stalker story for Salem, and Days of Our Lives handed us a pair of potentially lethal mysteries this week. Are they gearing up for February Sweeps (if the show even does that now) or just starting the year off with a bang? And has the show overestimated how invested we are in these mysteries or is there still time to win us over? Let’s find out…

Lady In Red White

So, is this Woman In White, the Woman In White? I can’t tell if the show was hitting us over the head with a history lesson to explain who she is, or to trick us into thinking she’s Kristen and Peter’s mom, Rachel Blake. (Check out a brief refresher of her history here, along with an incredible Days of Our Lives promo from 1995.) It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve pulled that trick. And this woman seems a whole lot more bloodthirsty than the one we met 30 years ago. I’m interested enough to go along for this ride for now. But let’s not draw this mystery out too long.

(Sidenote, I’m one of the few kids who still had a rotary phone growing up in the ’80s and ’90s and I can remember teaching my clueless friends how to use it, much like MaybeRachel did with LittleRachel.)

I’m glad that the show is finally addressing Rachel’s problems in a way that’s not just, “Oh, she’s just precocious and spoiled.” Brady and even Kristen are acknowledging that she’s got emotional and mental issues that they should have dealt with. (Though Kristen’s already walking that back to blame everything on Ava again.) But this episode, plus Kristen’s wish that her daughter would end up more Blake than DiMera, has me thinking we’re going to see an entirely new character when she’s recast in a couple months.

Also, I was going to lay into the show for not having anyone check the tunnels for Rachel, but Kristen finally thought it was a good idea to check the most obvious place by Friday. Until EJ stopped her.

As for Ava… I wouldn’t worry too much about her. I’m not sure what maybe-Rachel-Blake’s plans are for her, but if she does push for outright murder, I could see that being the point where little Rachel realizes this isn’t a game and tries to save her. Also, it would be a shame to kill Ava now. The show seemed to struggle to figure out what to do with her, but I’ve felt like she’s finally finding her groove, from romancing Brady to being a motherly mentor to Sophia. (And I kind of want her to finally snap at Amy and see those two fight it out.)

Sins of the Mother?

Ava just standing watching Sophia and Amy go at it was so awkward. I guess she’s gotta keep informed, though, so she knows what’s happening when she adopts Sophia! (Mark my words, that’s where this is heading, darn it!) But as frustrating as Amy is, she’s a good foil to drive Holly, Tate, Brady, Sophia and Ava (plus us) crazy, and I’m glad they humanized her a bit this week, showing a softer side with the sonogram.

Also, her comments about not needing to put herself in Sophia’s shoes because she’s a sinner has me thinking… Was she a teen mom, too, who got an abortion, then had a come to Jesus moment after? Or maybe she put the kid up for adoption and regrets it. There’s more to her than meets the eye. (Dear God, please let there be more, so she’s not just a one-dimensional cliché.)

Soap Stalker Redux

I don’t know how many folks watched One Life to Live, but their soap within a soap, Fraternity Row, also had a stalker who was going around offing people. And while I’ve been hopeful that this would be the final straw that ends Body and Soul before the writer switch, if it’s modeled after One Life to Live, I don’t count on it. That stalker never stopped Fraternity Row, either.

Alex looks to be the next target, but, unlike the Fraternity Row stalker, I don’t expect Days of Our Lives to commit to actually killing anyone. Except for maybe poor, liability worried Seth. (Sorry, Seth!) There’s really no other Body and Soul crew anywhere that’s expendable since they, you know, use the townspeople as actors, writers, directors and producers and shoot in Salem University Hospital… But I’m not here to wax on about how ludicrous the whole production is. This time.

As for the stalker: We all noticed that the body shape looks more like a woman, right? Right now, the prevailing fan theory is it’s Nurse Whitley, but I’m hoping not because she’s almost as obvious a suspect as Kerry. If you’re curious, we’ve got a list of a few people who could be suspects here. If Kerry’s not the stalker, though, (and I’m pretty certain he isn’t) where is the show taking him? Oh, I know! Once Kate and Abe decide to dump Body and Soul, Superfan Kerry will buy it up, move it back to Los Angeles and it’ll never be heard from again!

Stray Thoughts…

• I get that Bonnie is comic relief, but I still didn’t like the way her hospital scene felt played for laughs with her in traction, struggling to mumble while Justin just talked right over everything she was trying to say.

• So, EJ’s laid out his plan for revenge on Jada. It feels… flimsy. Frame Jada for misdeeds and have RoboRafe expose her? Why does he need Arnold again? To be police commissioner forever as “Rafe?” With that said…
• “I forget that sometimes I’m dealing with somebody who has the IQ of a thumbtack.” EJ and Arnold continue to entertain me.
• Where in the world is Aremid? Ava popped over there in minutes, like the Blake house is next-door to the DiMera mansion.
• I’m almost surprised Leo and Javi even bothered to wait until Kerry left to hop back in bed together. They did not waste a second.

• Philip and Xander mostly tread water this week… but my ears always perk up when they talk about starting a DiMera/Kiriakis war.
• Susan Seaforth Hayes’ performance as Julie finally broke down and accepted help from Marlena, gutted me. Even with as little screen time as it got, it was powerful.
• I’m not sure if they’re teeing us up for John’s farewell in February or were the Steve/Marlena scenes more treading water.