DAYS OF OUR LIVES Head Writer Ron Carlivati reveals what he has planned for Salem.
Gwen/Chad/Abigail/Jack/Jennifer: “By New Year’s, Gwen sets the stage for Chad and Abby’s marriage to implode. But the big question going into 2021 is, why is Gwen doing this? So, coming off of what happens on New Year’s, we will find out exactly what that is, and it will not only have big consequences for Chad and Abigail’s family, but for the whole Deveraux family. And then, of course, the next chapter grows out of that.”
Ciara/Ben: “Ben, who is really at this low point, has some scenes with Claire and admits what he’s afraid to say out loud to anybody else. He says, ‘As much as I’m trying to move on, the reason that I really can’t is that deep, deep down, I think Ciara’s still alive. I think she could be out there somewhere and she needs me, and what kind of person would I be, what kind of husband would I be if I didn’t do something about it?’ But as the audience will soon see, it may not be as totally crazy as he thinks it is.”
Charlie/Claire: “As some people have suspected from the outset of his arrival in Salem, he, in fact, is the rapist. It’s really sort of tragic for Claire because she always feels second-best to Ciara, and now she feels like, ‘Okay, I finally met somebody. I come first with this person,’ and we know she will soon find out that he’s not such a great catch, after all, and we fear for Claire’s safety. So while that’s brewing under the surface, John and Steve join forces to try to clear Tripp.”
Allie/Tripp: “Tripp gets to Allie and shares this theory that his father has, that maybe there could be this other person who did it. So she starts to have this little question in her mind and ultimately goes to Marlena and asks her grandmother to try to hypnotize her to remember this night. So the stage is set for her to have the memories of what really happened.”
Lani/Eli: “From the moment we see the twins in the hospital, we see a mysterious somebody watching and seemingly interested in these babies. When they’re finally ready to take the babies home, we see this mysterious person taking the babies out of the nursery, so the new year does not get off to a good start for Eli and Lani when they realize their babies have been kidnapped. Everybody really rallies together; this is not just two parents but two cops, and they’re determined to get to the bottom of who’s doing this.”
Kristen/Chloe/Brady/Philip: “On New Year’s Eve, Chloe overhears a phone call of Philip’s and she’s really on to what he’s doing with Titan. She brings Brady into the situation, so it becomes less about money laundering and more about the romantic stakes between Philip, Chloe and Brady. Also on New Year’s Eve, Brady and Chloe end up at this party together and when midnight rolls around, they share a platonic New Year’s kiss. Unfortunately for them, it’s published in the newspaper and Kristen in prison sees it and jumps to all sorts of conclusions. Kristen, not being the most rational person in the world, really starts to be fixated on Chloe, which can’t be good for anybody, especially Chloe.”
Sarah/Xander: “Xander and Sarah ultimately get the goods on Philip, and Sarah wants to proceed with caution, and Xander is more of a hothead. He blows up the situation and he starts a chain reaction. By doing that, that pulls the mob into it and leads to some pretty deadly consequences.
Jake/Kate/Gabi: “The truth about Jake and Kate comes out, and just as they’re going public as a couple, Gabi returns to Salem and she’s ready to pick up where she left off with Jake. But Jake is like, ‘I just went public with Kate and we’re in an actual relationship,’ and Gabi is having none of that. So I think it’s going to be a little bit more challenging than Gabi thought, but the sparks fly immediately between Gabi and Jake.”
Ava/Steve/Kayla/Rafe/Nicole: “Ava is in a very different position than everyone else [in the Allie/Tripp story], so how she will react and what she will do when this comes out remains to be seen. But she really ends up being threatened by Charlie, so she is in this dangerous pickle in the moment and it’s actually Nicole that suggests to Rafe that he should take Ava in, that he should protect Ava until this crisis has passed, and he’s a little reluctant to get involved at that level. We have this friendship between Rafe and Nicole, and Nicole is trying to broker police protection for Ava, so it’s early days, but you have to sort of see how that will develop.”
