Now That We Know When Nicole Is Leaving, Days of Our Lives’ Plan to Give Her Baby Back Has Come Into Focus

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I know things are still moving along without a ton of action on Days of Our Lives, but we are getting forward momentum on some of the biggest stories. In fact, there was quite a lot of movement when it comes to Eric’s search for the truth and “Beverett!” So let’s pick up the pace a bit here. Also, I really, really hate to say it, but there may be repercussions for the snowstorm fiasco after all…

Revelations

The second Eric said, “I think I’m starting to realize what is actually going on,” earlier this week, I rolled my eyes. Because that is always code for “I’m going to make up something in my mind that will divert myself from the truth and save you the trouble.” And sure enough, he went straight to “Affair.” Which, to be fair, is more likely to pop into someone’s head than, “My wife stole my baby from my ex and is being blackmailed by someone to keep their mouth shut about what she’d done.”

Although, this is Salem, and Eric’s been around the block enough that it really should have popped in his head. But I digress, because that didn’t last long once he realized Leo was getting the money. I’m glad for once that his reaction to that song and dance Sloan and Leo did by the end of the week wasn’t, “Oh, OK!” He doesn’t quite buy it, so I really need him to keep digging for the truth.

Though he may not have to if Dimitri, as a panicked Sloan realized, gets out of prison and comes back to Salem! Yeah, he was a jerk, but I’d welcome his return. We’ve been so focused on all the possible ways that the Jude truth could come out, we never even thought about the possibility that Dimitri would come back to blow it all up. He’s got to be ticked at Sloan for that maximum security stay.

And I just realized by the end of today’s episode that they’re putting Nicole and Eric on a collision course at The Spectator. Naturally! We now know when Arianne Zucker is leaving this summer (she shared the news here) and it’s clear that whatever Eric believes or doesn’t believe, there’s now a wedge between him and Sloan.

So the point of all his digging into finances may not have been to have him figure out the truth, but to push him away from Sloan and towards Nicole. They can start growing close for when the truth does come out, which, fingers crossed, is not right before she leaves. There might be a revolt if this drags on until then. (There almost was when I suggested awhile back letting it breathe for a few years could be fun. Sorry/not sorry.)

But the show should give folks some time to enjoy a happy Nicole with her baby and his father before sending her off into the sunset. Note to Days: She better get a happy ending.

Eating Crow Snow

I may have to bite my tongue after last week’s snowstorm diatribe. Or, as EJ referred to it, the Smith Island Snowstorm — meaning a blizzard just hit a single island?? OK, maybe I’m not biting all of my tongue. But it looks like we could get repercussions out of it after all.

So yes, I still feel it was contrived, but Chanel’s sudden tiredness at the end of Friday’s episode and the look on her face make it clear something was wrong. She checked out as being OK after Paulina exposed her to radiation, but there might be someone else who was more vulnerable to it. Because what if that glimpse we got of Chanel’s tiredness at the end of Friday means she’s pregnant… and the radiation exposure puts the pregnancy at risk?

If there’s been one through line since Chanel and Paulina showed up, it’s that their mother/daughter bond is incredibly strong. But if Paulina put Chanel’s hypothetical baby at risk, that could upend everything between them.

And then there was the EJ/Paulina faceoff, which made it clear that he’d rather oust her than risk giving up his own DA power. And using her radiation fueled rescue as a means to do that is a little odd, but if there ends up being a problematic Chanel pregnancy because of this, then EJ’s going to have some vicious fuel to feed into the fire. So yes, the big snowstorm was insanely contrived… but maybe not entirely pointless. Maybe.

Kon Artists

Alex and Kristen are a lot steamier than I expected them to be. I know Kristen’s reasons for hooking up, but I don’t quite get what Alex is getting out of sleeping with her since Theresa’s currently doing everything she can to re-seduce him. But if nothing else, he gets to have wild sex? That’s on-brand for Alex.

But the Rachel foreplay was, um, odd. I laughed out loud at Alex’s, “So your plan involves traumatizing your child?” But then he kept going and saying Rachel’s too smart to fool with fake sex, so they have to make sure she knows they had real sex! No, no she doesn’t! Um… Brady? Come get your child!

Konstantin, though, is getting more and more brazenly bonkers. There’s no way anyone would go along with a double wedding with him and Maggie and Alex and Theresa, and pushing for that is just stupid. And this may be a bit too extreme for all the anti-Kon folks, but if they really don’t think Maggie should marry him, don’t let her. I’m no expert on Green Card marriages, but I feel like the feds interview folks to make sure the relationship is real.

All it would take is Xander or someone to tip them off that this is just to keep Konstantin in the country and that’s the end of that. Yes, it would infuriate Maggie (and land her in hot legal trouble), but everything is forgivable in Salem, and she’s got the money and power to keep out of serious trouble.

Will the Real Bobby Please Stand Up?

OK, I’ve been unsure in the past if we were getting glimpses of Bobby here and there, but we definitely met him this week. He responded to that name, even though Jada used it mockingly, ignored Stephanie in favor of his wife, tossed the divorce papers and liked Bobby’s same coffee order. Already, he just seems a whole lot more cocky and smarmy than Everett ever was. So I’m curious about just how bad he really is. Is he just a cad or is he a really bad person?

I feel like this has got to put to bed the theories that Everett’s faking not knowing who Bobby is, right? He wouldn’t change his mannerisms like that and suddenly respond to the name he doesn’t want anything to do with if he was faking. But darn it, Days this story had so much momentum awhile back and now it’s being doled out in dribs and drabs and I know a lot of folks have lost interest.

Please make this story explode in May Sweeps. I know May Sweeps doesn’t have to be a thing online since ratings aren’t the same, but it’s still a fun tradition to have months here and there where stories kick into overdrive — not that there should ever be a time when they slow to the point of boring us. But Days of Our Lives really needs a kick like that right now. And if any story did, I think it would be the “Beverett” one, because while I may be wrong, I think this is temp writer invention.

Odds & Ends

Johnny told Chanel this week that “I am an aspiring filmmaker after all.” Really? I haven’t seen you do diddly with that since… TR? And then, lo and behold, EJ offered him a job! Which Johnny turned down so he can continue living off his family’s fortune. “Johnny marches to the beat of his own drum,” Chanel said. I think she left out the “dead” part in front of “beat.”

So Ava’s having living troubles since Kayla went off on her and Roman kicked her out of the pub. He may have begrudgingly let her back until she can find a place, but it’s clear it’s not permanent. But I’ve a feeling she’ll be moving back into the Rotating Apartment sooner rather than later if Wendy’s talk with Tripp has lasting consequences after all.

Stray Thoughts…

• I know it was just deflecting Eric’s questions, but Sloan’s not really wrong about her making all the money and footing all the bills, while he just goes through her finances and demands to know what she’s doing with it. I mentioned that last week.

• Did anyone else enjoy Kate threatening Harris to get Lucas out of witness protection? “I suggest you do a deep dive into who I am and what I’m capable of, especially when it comes to my children.” I miss dangerous, edgy Kate. But um, is a monastery really worse than prison?
• I can’t tell if John is Captain Obvious or Captain Oblivious. He told Steve, “Doc thinks my anxiety is because of Konstantin and the return of The Pawn.” No kidding!
• Getting a job in Salem is the easiest thing in the world. “Why no, Chad, I don’t have a resume or cover letter or print experience.” “You don’t? Great, you’re hired!”