Days of Our Lives Exclusive: ‘Classic Soap Storytelling’ Returns as the Search for John Begins

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It’s the moment we’ve been waiting for for nearly six months, and with one emotional phone call, Days of Our Lives let us know that the time had finally come. We’ve known we’d be saying goodbye to John ever since Drake Hogestyn passed back in September, and executive producer Ken Corday told us that they had given John a grand farewell.

And now, here we are. But while Shane’s call to Marlena is kicking off John’s farewell storyline, it’s not just a one and done hit and farewell. Instead, the show’s using this to hearken back to John, Marlena and Steve’s adventure days.

When Martha Madison talked to Soaps.com about all things Belle, she touched a bit on the storyline, sharing, “This is just the beginning of a sort of adventure/mystery trying to find John. It puts Marlena more into the hero position, looking to go off and find answers about her husband. ‘Where is he? What’s happening? Is he safe?’”

As we see by the end of the week, Marlena turns to Steve for help and the two set about getting to the bottom of where John disappeared to in, “an engaging mystery, unfortunately with a sad ending.” But, Madison adds, “that whole period of time, as we say goodbye to Drake [Hogestyn], I think it’s very beautiful.”

John’s story began with Steve and Marlena, something we’ve been reminded of as Days of Our Lives revisited (and rewrote a bit of) John’s Pawn origins. And then, as Marlena received news from Shane that John was MIA, she flashed back to her tearful “reunion” with John on the pier, back when we all thought he was Roman.

Yes, over the years, actors and characters left and died, and John and Marlena broke up and got back together, but it always comes back to those three. So it’s only right that Hogestyn’s Salem tale ends with Steve and Marlena off on one last John Black adventure. Even if, sadly, we know how it has to end.

But one thing we can take heart in is that this story is just one part of a shift as the show moves into its 60th anniversary celebration and gets back in touch with its roots.

“I just think this whole year of shows that are coming up,” Madison shares, “it’s going to remind the world of classic soap opera storytelling. I think that’s really what this show feels like, again. I’ve been a longtime Days of Our Lives fan, and so much of what we’ve done over the last year or so feels so reminiscent of old school days. And I think the fans will really love it.”

And the end of the day, “You’re supposed to feel an array of emotions and can’t wait to tune in the next day, and I think that’s really what’s on the way.”