Days of Our Lives has been a curler coaster this yr, however let’s be actual, there have been some not-so-thrilling storylines. Bo Brady (Peter Reckell), Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein), and Marlena Evans (Deidre Corridor) spring to thoughts as a part of these unhealthy plots.
Stephanie’s Soiled Novel on Days of Our Lives
So, primary, the primary unhealthy plot I wish to speak about is Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein)’s smutty e-book. I don’t have a difficulty with Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson)’s girlfriend writing a horny e-book. By no means. That’s advantageous as a cleaning soap plot. It’s what they did with Stephanie’s e-book that’s insane. In case you have a Kindle pill or the app, you recognize there are actually tens of hundreds of romance novels on there, loads of them as smutty as you’ll be able to think about.
A plot like this might need been form of related again when there weren’t piles of soiled girl books on-line, again like when 50 Shades of Grey first got here out years and years in the past and it was a unicorn. It was a rarity. Nowadays, it’s commonplace. You should buy smutty ebooks for a buck or two or pay $12 a month to learn all of the attractive romance novels you need on Kindle Limitless. No, I’m not promoting for them, however I do have Kindle Limitless, so I understand how low cost it’s as a result of I’m a voracious reader.
Ridiculous Plot to Save Titan onDays of Our Lives
Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson) claiming that Stephanie’s smutfest e-book, “One Stormy Night time,” might save Titan is insane. Like actually insane. But in some way that’s what occurred. Xander Prepare dinner (Paul Telfer), Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier), and Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow) had been all on board with it. The e-book had wild success. After which Stephanie outed herself as Anastasia Sands. And it was this huge occasion.
Then Stephanie modified genres and wrote a thriller e-book that Titan was relying on to maintain them afloat. So we’ve bought a billion-dollar empire that’s crumbling. And it’s propped up by one soiled romance novel. I imply, come on. Even Alex, as fairly as he’s, isn’t dumb sufficient to consider that, proper?
It was truthfully additionally notably gross that Stephanie’s mother and father, Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) and Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans), had been studying her soiled e-book out loud collectively and making an attempt out attractive stuff from it. I bought to inform you, that’s so icky to ponder, particularly since Stephanie was writing about her personal intercourse life. It’s gross. And that’s another excuse it was a foul plot.
Abe Carver’s Controversial Mentorship of His Son’s Bully on DOOL
Second, one other actually problematic plot from 2025 was Abe Carver (James Reynolds) mentoring his son Theo Carver’s (Tyler Joseph Andrews) highschool bully, Liam Selejko (Hank Northrop). We noticed that Theo was tremendous upset when he discovered Abe was going to be giving his time to his tormentor, Liam. However Abe assured his son that he simply wished to assist Liam along with his literacy in hopes of rehabilitating the criminally troubled younger man.
Abe was tutoring Liam as a part of a plea deal after Liam was arrested for stealing a automotive. Then Abe had, I feel, one session with Liam after which he was off within the park making an attempt to steal Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord)’s purse as a result of he’s broke and he has a child. The story appeared to herald Liam, who’s associated to a previous minor character, as a part of a meh storyline for Abe. I assume I don’t know in the event that they had been making an attempt to do some form of soapy PSA for grownup literacy points and the way it ties into criminality.
If that’s what they had been going for, I don’t suppose it’s terribly clear. The underside line is when Abe discovered that Liam had tormented and bullied his son Theo, he ought to have requested anyone else to tutor the man. Or Abe might have swapped Liam out and labored with one other tutor’s particular person and given his particular person over. He’s betraying Theo by doing this. I didn’t prefer it. I discovered it distasteful.
Marlena’s Baffling Lyme Illness Prognosis vs. The Queen of the Night time Thriller on Days
Quantity three on our unhealthy plot checklist of 2025 is all of Marlena’s bizarre moments. The writers introduced again the Queen of the Night time story this yr with a complete bunch of hints. Rachel Black (Alice Halsey) and Marlena had been studying “One Thousand and One Arabian Nights,” the e-book that Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo) used to regulate Marlena’s thoughts again within the day.
Should you bear in mind, she was having desires about Stefano and the entire Queen of the Night time obsession. They did these flashback clips with Marlena. After which there have been all of the hints dropping about Stefano. And so they had Susan Banks (Stacy Haiduk) saying one thing was off about Marlena psychically.
Thoughts you, no one wished that plot both. They didn’t wish to see Marlena as Queen of the Night time. They didn’t wish to see her demon-possessed. After which out of nowhere, Marlena is identified with Lyme illness. I imply, it’s severe, yeah, however not as dramatic as previous trauma with the Phoenix.
Days of Our Lives: Pink Flags in Each Path
And likewise meaning all that buildup with all these crimson flags and hints dropped was both for nothing and Marlena’s not at risk from some new model of Stefano, or the Lyme illness is a few form of waypoint on the way in which to attending to that plot.
If that’s the case, then Days of our Lives is dragging it out method too lengthy, particularly for a storyline that no one wished. The issue is that they’re working 10 months forward of what’s airing. So meaning something that followers hate, oh properly, too unhealthy. There’s not an opportunity to pivot in any respect as a result of it’s all been shot, nearly a yr’s price.
The Stefano 2.0 Tease: A DiMera Storyline That Went Nowhere
Talking of Marlena, that brings us to a quantity 4 horrible plot for 2025. And that’s Stefano (Joseph Mascolo) 2.0. There have been so many hints dropped that they’re bringing again some model of Stefano, somebody along with his reminiscences, perhaps like they did with Steve-ano after they had Patch along with his reminiscence implanted and the bionic eyeball and all that. So, it was hinted that EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) and Dr. Wilhelm Rolf (Richard Wharton) had been engaged on a brand new model of EJ (Dan Feuerriegel)’s depraved father.
There have been hints of Stefano. They intensified round summer time, July and August 2025. They form of hit this excessive level. As I discussed earlier than, Marlena was having Queen of the Night time desires. We had the Arabian Nights stuff. Plus, there have been a ton of mentions of Stefano from his household in addition to Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) filling in Cat concerning the Phoenix. Then there was that Susan stuff the place she was on the home saying that she sensed Stefano’s presence there.
Then they form of abruptly modified course. And we’ve bought what appears to be a lady in that thriller tube. Now I don’t know if Ron Carlivati was planning on a brand new Stefano after which he bought fired and the brand new writers stored it going for some time as a result of the scripts had been performed after which they shifted gears. I’m advantageous with them not bringing again any model of Stefano. However what I’m not okay with is them losing our time pretending that it’d occur.
Bo and Hope’s Return to Days of Our Lives: A Disappointing Plot Gadget for John Black’s Tragic Exit
For me, the very worst plot of the yr was bringing again Bo and Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso) solely as a software to kill off John with out giving us a significant return. Writers had been introduced, I perceive, with a major problem due to the real-life terminal sickness of Drake Hogestyn after which his demise. He succumbed to pancreatic most cancers in September of 2024. However due to the present’s superior taping schedule, they really filmed John Black’s demise on Days of our Lives when Drake was very sick however nonetheless alive, however he green-lit the storyline. After which, in fact, the character’s passing aired on June 2nd, 2025, properly after the actor handed away.
True to John’s loyal character, he died from accidents from a drug lab explosion when he went in to get that drug Versix to save lots of Bo’s life. Hope was there with John to assist get the drug, nevertheless it was him that was fatally injured. They’d had Bo lingering in a coma since 2023 with no urgency or curiosity in bringing him out. Then abruptly, they gave him sepsis actually unhealthy.
Bo Goes Darkish
That was irritating as a result of should you bear in mind when Bo got here again after waking up on the spin-off “Past Salem,” we had been promised a Hope and Bo reunion. They did PR on it. They did promos for it. After which we bought no reunion as a result of Bo had misplaced his Kiriakis thoughts. Then Shawn Brady (Brandon Beemer) shot Bo when he threatened Hope at gunpoint. After which we lastly bought that reunion however solely as a plot machine to result in John’s demise, and Bo and Hope didn’t stick round.
Bo and Hope did get remarried in a personal ceremony in June of 2025. That was a few weeks after John died. It was form of a bit of cringe for me to tie the Bo and Hope romantic reunion to John’s demise. After which it was irritating for longtime followers that they zoomed out of city proper after that. However on the identical time, loads of followers had been advantageous with it. So, form of divisive on it. I simply didn’t prefer it as a result of the reunion appeared solely to have ever manifested to make John Black’s demise occur.
We’ll see what occurs in 2026 since by now all of Ron Carlivati’s plots ought to be lifeless and gone and never resurrected like different characters. I’ll say I actually loved his writing on Normal Hospital, and I did on Days of our lives for fairly some time, however then it simply began to get actually unhealthy actually quick. Then he’s gone.
