Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI (2), Peacock screenshot (3)

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You know how shows like the Great British Baking Show have a different theme each week? Well, this week, it felt like Days of Our Lives’ theme was Utter Upheaval — both behind the scenes and in them! Philip, Vivian and Ivan are coming back (well, Philip just did today), Stefan’s leaving, we finally met Joy, Chanel and Johnny are in serious trouble and now… Fiona’s a free woman?!

Freedom!

I guess I’ll start with that last thing I mentioned above first because EJ dropping the charges against Fiona was… not where I saw this going. How?! Trask’s argument maybe could have convinced them to release Fiona on bail, but to just drop the charges and give up? What about her trying to murder Sarah??

I’d love for Fiona to stick around more, but how does EJ caving so quickly make sense? I did, though, enjoy how she greeted Sarah in the square sipping a martini. She’s got zero you-know-what’s to give. But she still may not be sticking around. There’s no point. Her only family now hates her. Staying would just keep creating more tension and problems when emotions are raw. Also, flee before they find something more incriminating, Fiona.

But with her free right on the heels of Philip returning to stop Xander from trading Titan for Sarah walking again? This is going to put an even bigger strain on the newlyweds. I’d say it would bring them closer together as they lean on each other for support, but Xander’s been annoying me lately. Again, he railroaded over Sarah’s own wishes about herself, and ignored her asking him not to sacrifice Titan for her being able to walk. Just as he ignored her pleading with him not to kill Brady for her sake.

Xander, grow up and respect your wife’s wishes — especially when it has to do with her!

Prodigal Son

As for Philip, I think we were all expecting he’d be the one who’d challenge Xander. It’s a bit of a turn from Philip wanting nothing to do with Titan after Victor’s death, but as John-Paul Lavoisier explained, he may not have wanted to run his dad’s company, but he doesn’t want to see it destroyed. So he’ll do what he has to to prevent that. Also, he hates Xander. I chuckled at the sneers the siblings gave each other when Philip walked in at the end of Friday’s episode.

But, yeah, working with Vivian is, I’m willing to bet, going to be something Philip regrets. A lot. That woman is way too obsessed with him and treating him as her son. But I cannot wait to see Kate react to the news! Vivian/Kate faceoff, here we come, please!

A Surprise Exit

As for Vivian’s real son, now that we know that Brandon Barash is leaving, his and Gabi’s breakup makes sense. That was honestly the first thought that popped into my head when I learned he was going. “Oh, that’s why they tore ‘Stabi’ apart.” It had seemed to come out of nowhere, but now it’s clear it was written for his exit. It’s a shame because I feel like “Stabi” fans were getting back onboard with them and especially Cherie Jimenez as Gabi in the duo.

All this waiting for Gabi to come home and reunite — after they finally reunited following Stefan’s resurrection — and then the couple’s just dropped. What was the point of bringing Stefan back, then? Why not just let him and Jake go? And to be clear, it’s not that Stefan and Gabi need to constantly be tied together! But the way the show played it, everything revolved around their reunion… and now it’s done.

And while the end of Friday’s show may be worrying about Stefan’s fate, we will see him on Monday yet. That’s his final day. And no, I wouldn’t worry about him dying, since we already know Vivian’s involved — both from Louise Sorel and spoilers on Monday saying she’s the one who stops him from reuniting with Gabi! Vivian’s many things (including, most definitely, a murderer), but she’s not going to kill her own son. But she would keep him from reuniting with Gabi in a heartbeat. I’ve been waiting for revenge for Gabi turning her into the cops for a good year now.

Bad Behavior

My Body and Soul note this week (no, it wasn’t, “I hate this so much”): “Chanel, kick Johnny to the curb.” As far as I’m concerned, they’re done. They shouldn’t be — Johnny’s toxic, fragile male ego popped up out of nowhere — but once “you cheating slut” came out of his mouth, that was it for me. How is this the same couple that just went through losing a baby?

But I loved, loved, loved how after all of Johnny’s, “But this happened and this happened and this happened, and you can see why I thought you cheated” excuses, Chanel pointed out the most important part: It all only leads to infidelity if he already believed she would cheat on him. And if he didn’t bother asking or talking about it. Nicely handled, Chanel.

At least some consequential things are starting to come out of Body and Soul. But is anyone watching to care? When we asked fans how they felt about the soap within a soap, there was no ambiguity about how much hate there was for it. Nor was there for how many people either skip those episodes, or fast forward through the scenes.

As Joseph Anthony Figueroa wrote in Wednesday’s recap comments, “I like the individual performances of Johnny/Chanel, and even Alex/Stephanie. I just wish the context was different than Body and Soul… There has to be another way to achieve the same thing…”

Exactly! And I feel like that’s really underscored when you’re having scenes like Chanel and Johnny having a potentially marriage-ending fight while Leo and Bonnie make comical shocked faces in the background. It works for the Body and Soul silliness, but undercuts the drama we’re supposed to care about.

Stray Thoughts…

• I’m still getting to know Joy, but so far, I enjoy the energy she’s bringing. (And I’m so happy they leaned into history and made it clear she’s got a chip on her shoulder for being the “bonus” baby conceived to save Chloe.) I know they’re playing coy with the, “Did they or didn’t they” between her and Johnny, but I’m willing to bet he just slept off his alcohol in her room, no hanky-panky. But still. Drop him, Chanel.

• Wow, Rafe and Gabi’s cousin Javi is getting a whole lot more set-up than a lot of characters. We got pretty much the entire crash course background of the sibling’s family on dad Eduardo’s side in preparation for him on Monday.
• Does… the hospital just stop functioning when they’re shooting Body and Soul? They’re filming in what seems to be the central, most important part of the hospital and it’s emptied out for production.
• I felt Stephanie so much when she went off on Seth for thinking she was playing Faith after meeting her multiple times. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve introduced myself to the same people who never remember me.