No DNA test is without drama in Salem!
Our TV Fanatics, Jack and Christine, are joined by Trey from MyHourglass, a Days of Our Lives fan forum, to debate Sloan doing the predictable thing, if Dimitri should marry Gwen, Abe’s abduction, and more!
And are Chloe and Xander destined to be Salem’s next couple? Read on to find out what our round table team thinks…
In true Salem fashion, no DNA test can go as planned. Rate from 1 (I hate it) to 10 (I love it) your enjoyment of Sloan swabbing herself and then passing it off as Eric’s sample. And do you think the baby is EJ’s or Eric’s?
Trey: I rate this an 8. Who’s the Daddy stories are a true soap opera story staple. I only gave it a lower grade because I was hoping Sloan would do the right thing and have Eric swab his own cheek.
Up to this point, she’s the only one in Salem who has been doing things by the book rather than manipulating people.
I think the baby will turn out to be Eric’s, but I’m really rooting for EJ and Nicole to have their baby. They’re a good couple who accepts each other’s faults.
Jack: I’m giving this entire storyline a 1. From the moment they chose to make Nicole pregnant instead of giving us a real menopause story, I’ve been at various levels of annoyed.
The only good thing I can say about the DNA swap is that at least it was Sloan providing the wrong sample rather than incompetence or lack of security at the lab.
Since EJ thinks it’s his baby, it’s likely Eric’s, which annoys me even more. Nicole and Eric have had 10,000 chances already, and their relationship has been a dismal failure, each one worse than the last. I also hate the trope of “we have to get back together for the baby’s sake.”
Plus, why are EJ and Nicole taking it for granted that Sloan — who everyone knows hates Nicole and has a vested interest in keeping Eric in the dark about being the father — got a sample from Eric? These two should be smarter than that.
Christine: I’m giving it a 7, which is higher than expected. I do wish Sloan had been honest and gotten a real test. In Salem, that would have been a twist! But the show isn’t about to let us know who the father is this early in the pregnancy, so I shouldn’t be surprised.
I can’t tell you how much I don’t want this baby to be Eric’s. He and Nicole make one another miserable, while EJ and Nicole accept one another for who they are. And EJ and Nicole lost two pregnancies, so maybe this can be their miracle baby.
And check out our preview Days of Our Lives round table to see how many voted for the baby to be Eric’s or EJ’s.
Should Dimitri go along with Megan’s plan and marry Gwen? Will Gwen fall for Dimitri?
Trey: I definitely think that Gwen will fall hard for Dimitri. She so desperately wants to be loved and craves it. Plus, he’s her type, but I don’t believe she’s his type. I understand why he’d go along with the plan, and he probably will. Megan is hard to say No to.
Jack: This is one of the silliest storylines in a while. Having to get married to get an inheritance is a soap staple (see also: Jack and Eve), but the way this is being done is goofy.
I loved Dimitri pointing out that they didn’t even know if Gwen was single in this Days of Our Lives quote:
Dimitri: Yes, Mother, I am aware there is a time crunch. But I’m not turning 40 tomorrow. I’d like to, you know, explore my options.
Megan: What options? You’re not seeing anyone. And that last romantic encounter you had with Billie Reed was al an act. Am I correct?
Dimitri: You don’t see how crazy this is, do you?
Megan: Well maybe a little crazy’s what we need in this fortuitous situation. Dimitri. That inheritance money is rightfully yours. And let me let you in on a little secret. I have big plans, plans that require significant funding, so you need to put a ring on her finger.
Dimitri: But why this woman, Mother? I’ve only known her for two minutes. I don’t know anything about her.
Megan: Well, let me bring you up to speed. She is smart. She is successful. She is beautiful. And she has a delightful accent that will be a wonder to wake up to every morning. What more do you need to know?
Dimitri: Oh, I don’t know off the top of my head. Do you have a priest in mind for the ceremony? Or maybe we go with an Elvis impersonator. Oh, and you know what would be helpful is knowing whether or not the bride-to-be is single.
I expect that Dimitri will start off trying to marry Gwen for the money while she tries to make Xander jealous, only for one or both to fall in love for real.
By the way, didn’t we just do this same story with Gabi having to stay married to Li for six months to get the stock shares?
Christine: Well, if Dimitri wants his inheritance, it sounds like he’ll have to go along with this plan. But I wish they’d be honest with Gwen. They could have a prenup that gives Gwen a nice payout after one year of playing the happy wife, and then they both get what they want.
But a fun twist would be if Dimitri married Leo instead. Leo is equally in need of love as Gwen and would also want the money. The only thing that would worry me about such a twist is that it might ruin Gwen and Leo’s friendship which is one of the highlights of the show right now.
Xander turned on the charm with Chloe. Should she resist or dive into this new romantic relationship?
Trey: Chloe and Xander should resist and remain friends. Chloe is not over Brady, and Xander isn’t ready for a serious relationship. Plus, they have a great friendship dynamic. I don’t want to see that ruined because of romantic feelings.
Jack: I wouldn’t mind if Chloe did the intelligent thing and took things slowly. One of my pet peeves is how people in Salem rush to the bedroom the second they decide they’re interested in someone. If Chloe and Xander are to be a thing, I’d love for them to take it slowly and actually go on dates!
Of course, the idea of Chloe dating the man who left her to die at the hands of a Mexican cartel leader is ridiculous, but this is the same show that had a reformed serial killer dating and marrying a relative of all of his victims, so it’s not all that surprising.
And these two have chemistry, plus this keeps Chloe away from Brady. So why not?
Christine: They should take things slow, but what are the odds of that?
Xander and Chloe have unexpectedly great chemistry, but I think Chloe is too high-maintenance for Xander long-term. I’d prefer they stay friends, and she helps him navigate the obstacles he’ll face to be in his child’s life once he learns that Sarah is pregnant.
But either way, if this keeps Chloe away from Brady, I’m all for it. Brady is so controlling and self-centered that he makes falling for the guy who left you at the mercy of a cartel leader sound appealing.
Knowing that Talia was in an emotionally abusive relationship with Colin and is seeking therapy, should she get a more lenient sentence, and should Chanel forgive her?
Trey: Honestly, no! I feel like Talia is an educated young woman who knew what she was doing. Plus, as a doctor, you take an oath to do no harm, which she did by stealing a drug and poisoning the biscuits.
I think they both are equally guilty and both should serve jail time. Colin had a reason to go after Chanel. Talia really didn’t. Plus, she knew she was wrong and did it anyway.
I feel like she’s been given a free pass because she’s Jada’s sister and because she had someone to blame.
Jack: This is a tough one. Talia needs to be held accountable for her actions — we don’t give drunk drivers leniency because they were drunk when they got into fatal accidents, so why should we give an abuse victim leniency because she was acting out of addiction to her abusive partner?
She knew right from wrong and wasn’t incapable of resisting Colin’s demands even though she felt like she was. Yet at the same time, there was manipulation and mental illness involved, and that should be taken into account.
So in some ways, yes, Talia should get leniency, but she should also get jail time regardless, and she absolutely should not get a free pass.
Christine: Talia knowingly drugged people! She needs to be held accountable for that, which should include jail time and the loss of her medical license. But she also needs some therapy in the hopes of getting her life back together.
As for Chanel, she can understand why Talia did what she did but not forgive her. Talia tried to wreck Chanel’s life. At least Colin has the excuse that he believes Chanel killed his mother. Talia just did it because her boyfriend wanted her to!
Kate tried to hire Harris to kill Megan. Were you surprised by this or that Harris turned her down?
Trey: I don’t blame Kate, but of course, he was going to say no. He’s not a hitman. Kate should just send her some of her special apples or brownies as a “peace” offering.
Jack: Not really. Kate has her cold, ruthless side. She’s softer when with Roman, so it’s easy to forget that this was the same woman who poisoned Chloe, but it’s not like Kate has EVER been all sweetness and light.
Harris wants to turn over a new leaf, so it’s not surprising he turned Kate down, though I’m sure it won’t stay that way.
Christine: It’s not surprising. And I liked how Kate described the difference between her and Roman. Her morality is situational, whereas his is absolute.
Megan tried to kill Kate, and Kate isn’t about to sit around and give her a second crack at it. It might be wrong, but I can respect that. And Harris Michaels, played by Steve Burton, is the obvious person to get the job done.
Does Abe’s abduction feel more like high drama, comedic camp, or lame filler?
Trey: I like Abe’s abduction storyline. James Reynolds is knocking it out of the park with his confusion. It’s only a matter of time before he starts to remember, especially since he saw the news report.
A nod to Days for adding that (since we have had to endure “breaking news” stories for years before the move to Peacock.
Jack: This story is goofy and has a lot of plot holes. Some parts of it, like the fake soap opera, are decent comic relief, but I’m beyond ready for Abe to regain his memories and escape this situation.
I also don’t like that we have no real motivation yet for Whitley. While I think they are going for a Misery-like obsession, it’s not clear why Whitley is doing what she’s doing, which contributes to the story falling flat.
Christine: As much as I like anything that gives James Reynolds more screen time, this falls someone between lame filler and comedic camp.
I’m hoping we get to the point where Abe realizes he’s in danger and tries to make his escape, hopefully without losing a fit, a al Misery.
What annoyed the heck out of you this week in Salem?
Trey: I’m disappointed that Talia is getting a free pass for what she’s done. Rafe seems to be super friendly towards her, and Leo didn’t put her story in the paper. To me, she’s not likable enough to redeem.
Jack: Rafe is the most incompetent police officer ever, and that’s saying a lot. He heard the TV on, so he had to know someone was home, and he just walked away from the door. Not to mention he didn’t find anything suspicious about Whitley’s behavior when he questioned her.
I was also annoyed by the DNA swap, even though I expected it. It was predictable, and I can see where this is going, and I don’t like it.
Finally, this Megan story is silly. I think Megan is a great villainess, but this story is not worthy of her, and are we ever going to learn her plan beyond her desire to rule the world?
Christine: Jada getting in Sloan’s face was annoying. Jada needs to realize that her sister is just as guilty as Sloan’s brother. And Rafe shouldn’t allow Jada anywhere near this case as it’s a clear conflict of interest for her.
What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline in Salem this week?
Trey: I like Nicole finally putting EJ and Eric in their places and telling them to stop bickering and support her high-risk pregnancy. I also liked Kristen watching Megan scheming. You can tell her wheels are turning, too.
Jack: I loved Abe realizing he was the mayor! I hope this is the beginning of the end of this story.
I also liked Jada supporting Talia and reassuring her that there was nothing wrong with her, and encouraging her to seek therapy, especially this:
Jada: How’s your arm? Do you need any meds?
Talia: Can you stop worrying about me, please? I’ve caused you enough trouble already. Honestly, I don’t know how you even let me stay here.
Jada: How many times do I have to tell you? You are my sister. I love you. What did this guy Colin do to you to make you feel so bad about yourself?
Talia: What did he do? Nothing.
Jada: Talia, he messed with your mind.
Talia: Yeah, because I let him.
Jada: But as soon as you realized what he was going to do, you turned him in. You should be proud of yourself. Even the newspaper is calling you a hero. You know, I really think that’s going to help your case.
Talia: No! Jada, I am not a hero. I was scared of him. He was furious with me. Even for that one second, when he asked me to go away with him, my heart, it was pounding. And I thought maybe he might forgive me for turning on him. And I was relieved. I was so relieved I got, like, this adrenaline rush, you know? In that moment I was scared, in that instant, I almost went with him. What is wrong with me?
Christine: I loved Gwen and Leo supporting one another. These two are the best, most entertaining friendship in Salem, and I hope that doesn’t change any time soon.
Okay, now it’s your turn, Days fans.
Did Sloan using her own DNA surprise you? Does Talia deserve a second chance? Do you hope that Dimitri marries Gwen…or Leo?
Hit that SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON below to let us know. Then check out Jack Ori’s Days of Our Lives review here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.