It was a jam-packed week with some slower moments in between, but overall, a lot went down!
We kicked things off with Johnny confronting his father, EJ, about the sexual assault against his mother, Sami. Johnny called out EJ, stating it was always about power and control. EJ tried to deflect blame onto Kate, but Johnny held him accountable. Grappling with the harsh truth that he is a product of rape, Johnny made it clear that if and when he has children, EJ will not be part of their lives. As Johnny yelled for him to leave, Chanel stepped in to comfort him, while EJ broke down alone in the hallway.
Paulina, still reeling from Belle recusing herself from EJ’s case, shared the news with Rafe and Jada. Jada apologized for interrupting the adoption meeting with Amy Choi, but Paulina reassured her and announced she wants to reinstate her as commissioner. As Rafe and Jada strategized on how to take down EJ, they suspected Rachel Blake may have been involved in the Ava kidnapping, possibly to keep the Rafe/Arnold switch secret.
Meanwhile, Ava and Melinda had a heart-to-heart. Ava opened up about her risky dealings with Rachel Blake and her lack of protection. Melinda handed over a gun—an ominous gesture that likely sets up future drama.
Kristen struggled to keep track of her mother but eventually found her at their old home. There, Rachel Blake was holding a gun, claiming she needed it for protection in case Ava sought revenge. Rafe and Jada soon arrived demanding answers. Kristen managed to get her mother out of the situation, but Jada vowed to return with a warrant, convinced they were hiding something.
Belle and Brady shared a sibling chat about their complicated love lives—Brady still reeling from Rachel's meddling in his relationship with Ava, and Belle struggling to let go of EJ. Later, Rachel joined them for a rare calm moment together.
In Washington, Steve and Marlena arrived in D.C. to track down John. They met with Shane, who initially refused to help. But after Marlena made a personal appeal, Shane revealed that they had lost John. Determined, Steve and Marlena began planning their next steps.
Back in Salem, Theresa and Xander had tense words in Horton Town Square. She apologized for her role in Victoria’s kidnapping and concealing the paternity, but Xander wanted nothing to do with her. Later, Theresa learned from her father that her mother’s cancer had returned.
Stephanie had a dream about Joy being pregnant. Alex comforted her, saying they’d focus on the future. Meanwhile, Joy confirmed her pregnancy with a positive test before Phillip walked in. She shared her insecurities about everything happening with Johnny and Alex. Phillip encouraged her to speak with Alex, but instead of revealing the pregnancy, she quit her job at Titan and left for New York, calling her mom before taking one last look at the positive test.
Roman felt guilty for revealing EJ’s crime to Johnny. He tried to reach out but couldn’t get through. Later, he and Kayla discussed John and their growing worries. Stephanie and Phillip had a private chat, overheard (in part) by Xander, who misinterpreted it as an affair.
Xander later confronted Sarah, telling her he believed Phillip and Stephanie were hiding something. Sarah urged him not to tell Alex, warning it could destroy his relationship with Phillip.
Tate and Brady had a touching conversation about John and the adoption plans for Tate’s child. Theresa arrived with news of her mother’s condition. Though Tate wanted to go with her, she insisted he stay in Salem. They shared an emotional goodbye.
Javi was excited about Leo moving into the Hernandez household, but Gabi was dead set against it. She brought up Leo’s past with Will and Sonny. Javi pushed back, saying if Leo goes, so does he. Gabi relented but set one rule: when Ari is home, Leo has to leave.
Jada updated Paulina, confident she could get Rachel Blake to flip on EJ. Kristen and Rachel had a tense exchange about Kristen never rescuing her from the DiMeras. When Jada arrived, she offered Rachel immunity if she testified against EJ. Initially hesitant, Rachel accepted to protect her mother.
Kate and EJ had a brutal showdown. EJ accused Roman, but Kate revealed she told Johnny the truth about Sami’s rape. EJ turned on her, threatening her sons. Kate fired back, vowing to destroy him if he came for her children.
Rachel later confronted EJ, revealing she knew he planned to inject her with the memory-erasing serum to cover up his crimes. However, she had switched the serum. As EJ vowed to move to plan B, things took a darker turn.
Johnny ran into Rafe and confided in him about the truth of his conception. Rafe acknowledged he knew but reminded Johnny that Sami is still his mother and did what she could to protect him. The two shared an emotional hug before parting.
JJ and Rafe discussed Gabi’s push for justice. Meanwhile, Doug III talked to Julie about his grandfather’s poems and asked for advice about confessing feelings to a girl. They made plans to visit the Bistro, where they spotted JJ. Inside, Julie noticed Melinda wearing her grandmother’s stolen necklace. Melinda used her legal smarts to deflect, noting no police report had been filed. JJ took Julie to the station to finally report it.
Kristen met with Melinda to confirm the immunity deal for her mother. All was in order.
Later, Holly visited Tate to work through the recent bumps in their relationship. They bonded over family issues and the adoption process and spent a heartfelt day together.
After Kristen left, Rafe and Jada shared a quiet moment, hopeful things were turning in their favor. They mention Jada’s missing engagement ring, believing Arnold had it, but were just happy to be together.
Kristen returned home to find her mother missing. She confronted EJ, accusing him of doing something to her, but he smugly denied it. As EJ walked away, Kristen picked up the gun...
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