Days of Our Lives Recap | New Head Writers Usher New Era Into Salem - Thursday, April 24, 2025 [SPOILERS]
Thursday's Days of Our Lives full episode recap dishes out all the DiMera drama, fundraiser faux pas, and a million-dollar bachelor twist. EJ’s memory just flipped the script, and Kristen’s out here serving chaos and cocktails—on Xander’s shirt. BTW, Thursday's episode is the first written by new co-headwriters Paula CWikly and Jeanne Marie Ford. It's a new era in Salem and we're here for it!
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| EJ has a memory | DOOL, Peacock |
Chad’s Bachelor Auction Glow-Up, Plus JJ’s Gabi Bombshell
Chad and Cat are out here living their best “power duo at a fundraiser” lives, congratulating each other on a job well done. Chad’s feeling like a rock star. Cat’s just thrilled to be in the orbit of someone not actively trying to kill her. Then JJ strolls up and drops a nuclear-level awkward bomb: he accused Gabi of attempted murder. Sir, you couldn’t have just ghosted like a normal ex?
Cat gives JJ a little motivational speech, sprinkling in forgiveness propaganda and promising that if she got Chad to forgive her, Gabi can absolutely do the same. She then vanishes like a fairy godmother of redemption before JJ can say “my bad” again. He walks into the pub, hunting down EJ for a little Q&A session about that whole “getting shot” situation. Bold move, considering EJ barely remembers his own name right now.
Meanwhile, Maggie’s over here casually saving Chad from being a full-time dad during the carnival by dragging Thomas off to play games, and somehow still has time to talk to every single person in Salem and fix their lives.
Sarah, Xander & the World’s Most Civil Confrontation
Out in the square, Sarah’s trying to keep her cool, even though she just had a run-in with Philip that looked a little too pleasant for Xander’s taste. Xander’s giving her major side-eye, wondering why she wasn’t spitting fire. Sarah claps back and says it’s called “being civil,” and maybe he should try it sometime—for Maggie’s sake, obviously.
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| Maggie, Sarah & Xander | DOOL |
Maggie shows up just in time for the gossip, and Xander drops the “Philip betrayed me” bomb. Maggie’s shocked but still rocking her peacemaker crown. Sarah confesses she’s still unsure whether to come clean about her secrets. Timing, apparently, is everything, and hers was terrible. Maggie doesn’t exactly tell her what to do—because this is DOOL, not a self-help seminar—but she’s clearly worried.
Xander runs off for napkins (because apparently, this is his job now), and Sarah vents to her mom like a teenager in a CW drama. When Xander comes back with Rachel, she and Sarah skip off to play games like it’s all fun and games and not a full-blown web of secrets behind them.
Before Maggie follows, she checks in with Xander one more time—what’s he gonna do about Philip? Xander says he’s keeping it cute for now because, well, DiMera. Maggie hits him with a classic “Victor would’ve wanted you to play nice” guilt trip, but it barely lands. Compassion isn’t exactly Xander’s middle name.
Kristen’s Coma Confusion, Plus a Classic Sibling Standoff
Kristen is not okay. First, she’s begging Rachel to let her leave the fundraiser. But Rachel, being a DiMera child, manipulates her into staying so she can hang out with the other rich kids of Salem. Kristen caves, of course, and heads off to the hospital to visit her favorite pain in the neck: EJ.
She rolls in, demanding to know what he did with her mother—because subtlety is not in her vocabulary—and EJ’s out here playing the amnesia card like it’s his only move. “I have no idea,” he says with big wounded eyes. “But I sure hope you find her soon.” Kristen’s not buying the whole soft-hearted EJ act, chalking it up to his coma-induced epiphany. But it gets weirder.
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| Kristen visits EJ | DOOL |
Turns out, EJ isn’t here for her chaos anymore. He’s doing the whole “I need to do better, be better” speech, like he just walked out of a therapy session with Dr. Phil. Kristen is not having it. She calls him out, and honestly? She’s not wrong. “This reeks of desperation,” she tells him. He claims it’s real, not a con job. Even when he implies she might have shot him, he says he’d forgive her. Who is this man?
Kristen’s over it, but before she can slam the door, JJ and Kayla show up to interrupt the sibling showdown. JJ wants answers from EJ, but poor baby EJ has scrambled eggs for memories. Kayla thinks it’s not the booze but brain trauma. Cute. He vaguely remembers Chanel and Kristen, but everything else is a black hole.
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| JJ questions EJ about his shooting | DOOL |
Kayla tells JJ to bounce, then stays behind because EJ’s suddenly all gratitude and warm fuzzies. She fills him in that Sami and Johnny came to visit, and EJ’s just about ready to sob. As she leaves, JJ gets a text that the bullet from the shooting doesn’t match Ava’s gun, but she’s not officially ruled out. Because of course she’s not. Nothing’s ever simple in Salem.
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| Kayla tells EJ Johnny came to visit him | DOOL |
Kristen Serves a Cocktail—On Xander’s Chest
Kristen struts back into the fundraiser, where Rachel’s showing off the teddy bear she won with Sarah (and Kristen’s not happy about it). Sarah’s all sunshine and playdates, while Kristen’s plotting like a Bond villain in heels.
She corners Xander to offer him... something. Who knows what, honestly. He declines with all the charm of a man who’s absolutely done with the DiMeras, and Kristen reacts like a true queen of petty—by dumping her drink on him. Accidentally, of course. Right.
Cue shirtless Xander, a very amused Sarah, and a suddenly very flustered Kristen. Rachel calls it like she sees it: “Throwing isn’t an accident.” The kid’s not wrong.
Maggie Throws Down a Million—Like a Boss
The fundraiser’s bachelor auction is winding down when Kayla announces Chad’s the last live bachelor. That’s when Maggie—never one to miss a moment—casually throws down a cool one million dollars. The room gasps. Chad's relieved. And then Maggie hits him with the twist: she still expects the full date experience. Wine, dine, the whole nine.
Legend.
A Not-So-Happy Ending... Yet
As everyone wraps up their chaos, Kristen tells Rachel that Cat isn’t Abigail, which earns her a double helping of side-eye. Cat overhears and is visibly shook. Chad doesn’t say much—he just fades into the background like he saw a ghost. JJ, meanwhile, is on the phone with Tripp trying to reach Ava, who apparently ran off to a Tibetan monastery. Because that’s a thing now.
And just when you think Days of Our Lives is winding down, EJ’s lying in bed, looking all moody and mysterious. Suddenly, FLASHBACK! He remembers a device inside a statue—Rafe’s bug. One little memory that could blow this entire case wide open.
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| EJ remembers Rafe's bug | DOOL |
“Oh my God,” EJ gasps.
Yeah, EJ. We’re right there with you.
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