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Days of Our Lives started the week with fireworks and ended it with a trip to the grave — well, two trips, actually. We may finally be moving on the Abigail mystery, Rafe may have investigated his last case, Connie and Bobby are proving a surprisingly unhinged duo and just about everything is now in place for Nicole’s exit! So let’s jump in and do our best to unwind this week…

 

 

Murder One… and Two?!

So how about that Connie twist? Now that we’re getting more details about what happened, honestly, anything’s better than what the temporary writers did with Gil. I know Li’s death was so long ago, a lot of fans have moved on, but making his murderer someone who was already dead and gone was just… lame.

 

 

At least this way we get to see something play out and Connie does make sense from an utterly bonkers, psychotic, unhinged point of view. That true crime obsession thing set it up pretty well — not that everyone who loves true crime is a murderer! I love it, but I would not go on a date with someone because I thought he actually was a killer.

And now, it looks like Connie may have put Rafe in the grave, too. I wouldn’t count him out, though. (But killing him in a graveyard is a much smarter kill than running around town with blood on your dress, talking to yourself like Connie did with Li.) We’ve gotten no hint that Galen Gering or Rafe are leaving. And how cruel would it be to kill him just as Gabi came back and lost her only family in town? Still, even if he doesn’t die, I wouldn’t be surprised if Connie at least tried to put another Salemite or two into the grave to protect her secret.

“Beverett” Forever

I was half expecting Connie to kill Bobby, but as he pointed out, she was on every camera in that place. That would’ve been just plain dumb. I’m actually surprised he went there, though, and agreed to keep quiet for Rafe’s murder. I thought he’d been pulled back from a super dark, evil guy when Ron Carlivati and the writing team returned, but now he’s, at the very least, an attempted murder… accomplice? I don’t know, it’s not a good look for him.

Blake Berris, though, is doing great with the material. Bobby’s a lot more interesting than Everett, and Berris’ performance of Bobby, pretending to be Everett, but just being slightly, subtly off could not have been easy to do. I’m kind of hoping that when they’re integrated, their personalities merge a bit and Everett gets some of his alter’s edge. But if anyone should have seen through it, it should have been Bobby’s ex-wife and his shrink — especially after he insisted he be released!

What now, though? Bobby is going to pretend to be Everett so he doesn’t have to tell Jada about Connie, but now he can’t try wooing her again, because then people will know he’s Bobby. He painted himself into a corner. But then, that’s what we always think on soap operas and there’s always an out.

Gabi’s Game

I had so much fun with Monday’s episode and Gabi’s press conference. Dan Feuerriegel did a great job switching between rage with Stefan and Gabi one minute, then looking like a wounded puppy the next whenever Nicole unleashed her anger on him.

And the Holly and EJ scenes were surprisingly touching. She’s ticked at him, but she also kind of understands his desperation. As much as a teenager can. But I was also surprised at how much Nicole seemed to understand it too. I was expecting a lot more rage from her. She didn’t even throw his rings back in his face, she just handed them over.

As for what’s going to happen with Nicole and Eric, I pondered that very thing earlier in the week. We’re in, as I said in the headline, Nicole’s endgame. There’s just two weeks left and I don’t know how they’re going to end up. If anyone has a theory about who’s leaving and if/how folks like Eric and Holly are staying when Arianne Zucker leaves, I’m all ears. If she hadn’t specifically said Nicole’s not dying, I’d start to wonder if the show would keep everyone but her in place by having Connie kill her for overhearing or seeing something she shouldn’t have!

I’m still trying to figure out what Gabi knows, though. Stefan’s point that she didn’t pull the press conference stunt just because she feels bad for Eric, but also because she loathes EJ was valid. But I still can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to this. She’s being way too nice to Ava, even offering her a job and all. Is she just toying with Stefan and Ava before throwing what they did in their faces?

If she doesn’t know, I have a feeling that’s going to be part of EJ’s revenge. He’ll find out what happened somehow from Kristen or Ava talking about it, then lob that bomb into “Stabi’s” midst and hope it destroys them.

Hello and Farewell

OK, Abigail isn’t in her grave. That’s potentially a mark for the AnnaLynne McCord’s mystery woman really is Abigail column. But Clyde could have just swiped the body. But it sounds like there really was no plan to bring Abigail back until the strike material started the story, per Billy Flynn, so I feel like that’s a mark for the she’s not Abigail column. I just don’t know, and I even spoke with McCord about it — but of course, she wasn’t telling!

It may be some time before we find out, but one thing I do know is I wish they weren’t spreading this so thin. We’re getting a drip of the story each week. Hopefully it’ll speed up once McCord’s actually on our screens.

I didn’t think Doug’s final scenes on the show would hit me like they did. But I’ll be damned if I wasn’t tearing up. There was just so much to that last conversation between him and Julie, talking about their love that’s lasted decades that was so clearly an echo of Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes’ real life. As Julie’s portrayer said, they had a feeling it would be the last time Doug appeared, and that was clear with every drop of emotion they put into it.

 

Meanwhile, at the Kiriakis Mansion…

I was a bit worried that Aaron was leaving town for good, but I’m fairly sure he’ll be back. He’s really grown on me. But I don’t see any way that he’ll actually be gone all summer, because Tate and Holly’s plan can’t work for long. And where is Tate living? The folks here at Soaps.com were pondering everything from the DiMera tunnels, to hiding in plain sight in one of the empty mansion rooms (though it may be the Kiriakis mansion since I imagine Holly won’t be living with EJ for long).

I get why they’re doing the double wedding — I feel like Xander’s mom will show up just in time to surprise everyone, expose Theresa and blow everything up in grand fashion — but it still feels more plot pointy than character driven. Using Maggie to talk about her own double wedding with her daughter and pointing out that this could be a way for Xander and Alex to grow closer as a family was clever… but Xander and Theresa still HATE each other.

This isn’t just butting heads like Xander and Alex. Neither of them would agree to this, and I don’t see how any of them would want this just because Bonnie thinks it would be fun.

Stray Thoughts…

• The scenes of Justin talking to Xander and explaining how understanding he is of Alex’s boorish treatment of him were sweet — but I wouldn’t be able to put up with it. I’m glad Justin still doesn’t buy that Alex isn’t his son, though.

 

 

• I loved how Nicole just waltzed into the terminal where Eric was about to board with a baby stroller. Airport security be damned.
• Those poor guys who dug up Abigail’s empty grave then were just dismissed had to be so confused. “What the hell did we walk into now?”
• I can only ever hope that my love will be as enduring as the Hayes’ and Julie and Doug’s. “Our love outlasted time.” Yes, yes it did.
• On the one hand, Leo gave us a good example of how consent can be withdrawn at any time. That’s always important. On the other hand: Leo, you fool! I know you’re being a better, less shallow person, but I hope you at least got Kerry’s number. That man was so into you.