Days of Our Lives: The Best and Worst of 2025 from John Black’s Death to Who Shot EJ
Days of Our Lives hit the big 6-0 in 2025, and there was much to celebrate about its milestone anniversary year, with highlights such as Bo (Peter Reckell) and Hope (Kristian Alfonso) finally getting their happily-ever-after to the classic “Who Shot EJ [Dan Feuerriegel]?” whodunit. It was also a heartbreaking year, insofar as the show was forced to say good-bye to John Black (Drake Hogestyn), and a year in which not every story was a winner. Keep reading for Soap Opera Digest‘s take on the best and worst of what the DAYS year had to offer.
Biggest Tearjerker: John Black’s Death
DAYS faced an impossible assignment — saying good-bye to John Black, one of the genre’s most beloved heroes — without the man who made him iconic, the late Drake Hogestyn. Following the actor’s tragic pancreatic cancer diagnosis, the show was tasked with crafting a farewell that honored both the character and the actor, and the solution was as heartbreaking as it was fitting. John’s final act of heroism (a life-saving mission to rescue Bo) would also be the sacrifice that cost him his life. As John was recovering from injuries sustained in the explosion, one-by-one, his loved ones gathered in his hospital room to say goodbye as a bandaged actor represented Hogestyn. Through carefully chosen flashbacks, the soap traced John’s extraordinary journey, from Roman to The Pawn to John, while solid performances reflected not just what John meant to Salem, but what Hogestyn meant to DAYS itself. The emotional peak arrived in Marlena’s farewell. “We’ll always hold you in our hearts,” she cried as she climbed into John’s hospital bed with him. As images of their life together played onscreen, John’s voice recited his wedding vows — a promise to grow old with Marlena and love her to death — just as his heart monitor flatlined. John’s memorial service proved to be a poignant, beautiful tribute. The script wove in tender, personal nods to Hogestyn himself (his connection to the New York Yankees, his gifted storytelling) as Salem gathered to celebrate a life well lived. Paul, Eric, Roman, Kayla, Belle, Carrie, Bo and Marlena shared warm stories, which culminated in Steve’s choked-up toast, “To John Black, the finest man I ever knew.” It couldn’t have been easy to film, with Hogestyn’s presence still palpable in the halls of the studio, yet the cast rose to the moment delivering a farewell worthy of both a legendary character and the man who brought him to life.
Best Story Payoff: Bo & Hope’s Happy Ending
In 2023, Bo and Hope’s love story was abruptly cut short when he was accidentally shot by their son, Shawn, and left in a coma. DAYS more than made up for that truncated tale this year, crafting a payoff that honored one of the show’s most beloved duos. Bo’s return was inextricably tied to the sacrifice made by his pal John, whose fatal injuries were sustained by his efforts to obtain the experimental drug that saved Bo’s life. Bo woke up to the faces of the family who had never stopped praying for a miracle, leading to long-awaited, heartfelt conversations with Hope, Shawn and Ciara. The Bradys caught him up on what he had missed — the birth of two new grandkids; the losses of his father, Victor, and father-in-law, Doug — but when Bo learned of John’s fate, he insisted on returning to Salem to honor him. While back home, Bo pulled out all the stops and gave his Fancy Face an emotional vow renewal in the Horton living room. Their special episode unfolded as a love letter to “Bope,” a flashback-rich bubble that revisited decades of memories, from their romantic New Orleans adventure to their landmark 1985 wedding. With Shawn’s help, Bo presented Hope with her mother Addie’s ring. After years marked by deaths, near-deaths, comas, separations and heartbreak, their love came full circle 40 years after it began. Added bonus? They set off to sail the world on the Fancy Face, a tradition that has held up almost as well as their epic love story.
Best Umbrella Story: Who Shot EJ?
DAYS crafted a classic whodunit that seamlessly pulled together multiple families, generations and long-simmering conflicts. The setup was perfect: EJ had no shortage of enemies, but the most powerful motive belonged to his son, Johnny, who had just learned that his own conception was the result of EJ raping Sami. As the cops zeroed in on Johnny for the crime, Sami came to town and confirmed his complicated origin story, a conversation more than 15 years in the making. That revelation became the emotional backbone of the mystery, especially when Johnny’s arrest derailed his and Chanel’s plans to adopt Sophia’s baby. Once the case went to trial, EJ, convinced of Johnny’s innocence, acted as his son’s attorney, while EJ’s lover, Belle, prosecuted the case. The inherent conflict — EJ as victim, father and defense attorney — set the trial spiraling into chaos. With the shooter still on the loose, EJ’s memory was triggered when Marlena scolded Rachel, leading him to recall that it was his niece who accidentally shot him that fateful night. Marlena diagnosed Rachel with dissociative amnesia and Kristen took the fall for her daughter, bursting into the courtroom to spare the innocent Johnny by falsely confessing. But the story didn’t end with the reveal. Kristen went to prison, Rachel remembered what happened and was sent to Bayview, and Brady’s trust in Marlena was shattered, prompting him to move out of the penthouse. Even now, the fallout continues, with much of Salem still unaware of who really shot EJ and the consequences touching nearly every corner of the canvas.
Best Use of History: The 60th Anniversary Celebration
Veterans, flashbacks, surprise visits and A-listers — what better way to honor a soap opera reaching the remarkable milestone of 60 years old? DAYS wisely anchored its celebration in story, centering the event on Salem-ites past and present gathering for the opening of the new free clinic named for Dr. Tom Horton at University Hospital. A parade of familiar faces returned, including Aunt Marie, Lani, Eli, Eric, Paul, Andrew, Will and Mike Horton. But the biggest highlight came courtesy of Sami Brady, whose combustible scenes with exes EJ and the also-returned Lucas instantly reminded viewers why she remains of one daytime’s most enduring forces. Equally powerful were the rare, richly curated flashbacks from the show’s early years that revisited the messy Maggie/Mickey/Laura/Bill saga, the volatile Doug/Addie/Julie love triangle, and Tom and Alice as the perpetual calm in the storm. The speeches at the hospital bash brought the celebration home, illuminating Tom’s compassion and legacy while also acknowledging the show’s present-day grief. Belle’s revelation that John Black had bequeathed money for cancer research was a particularly poignant note. The anniversary episodes also launched the next chapter by kicking off three new arcs — Jennifer’s plan to take Chad’s kids, Marlena’s heart trouble, and the mysterious DiMera disappearances, beginning with Kristen and Tony — because like sands through the hourglass, the stories must always go on.
Worst Use of History: The Return of Arnold
Nobody ever needed to see Rafe’s icky doppelgänger Arnold Feniger again, but somehow, DAYS decided to bring him out of mothballs. The scummy double’s ill-advised revival kicked off at the end of 2024 when Arnold — who the DiMeras paid to get plastic surgery to look like Rafe 13 years ago to ruin Rafe’s marriage to Sami — returned from the dead wanting money. EJ made him work for it, ordering Arnold to impersonate Rafe again and sabotage Rafe’s impending wedding to Jada. With the real Rafe safely locked in the basement, his jerky impersonator dumped Jada at the altar, sending her into an emotional tailspin. The damage didn’t stop there. Armed with “evidence” planted by EJ, Shawn accused Jada of cutting corners in police investigations as commissioner, and she lost her job, too. Stretching credulity even further: Paulina hired Rafe’s dopey double as Salem’s new police commissioner, which had been EJ’s goal all along. The lone voice of reason was Steve, who recognized EJ’s “filthy fingerprints” all over it, but it was Gabi who finally sniffed out the truth about Arnold after he gave her such an un-brotherly hug that she pulled a hair out of his head for a DNA test. Just as the scheme was about blow wide open, EJ injected the real Rafe with a memory-erasing drug and returned him to his regular life, effectively wiping the slate clean. It was a convoluted tale that had little payoff, and we wish we could erase it from memory as easily as Rafe did.
Worst Story Payoff: Sophia’s Baby Is Really Aaron’s
When Sophia announced she was pregnant with Tate’s baby, the stakes seemed high for a teen tale about consequences, trust and love lost. What followed, however, was none of that. For starters, Sophia’s plan never made sense. If her goal was to keep Tate to herself and push Holly out of his orbit, the most effective way to do that would have been to actually keep the baby. Instead, she opted for adoption, lining up Johnny and Chanel as prospective parents, a move that collapsed when Johnny learned the truth about his traumatic conception and had second thoughts. Sophia then gave birth alone in her bedroom, abandoned the baby — a boy — at the firehouse, pretended she was still pregnant and enlisted Melinda Trask to help cover it up. She then fabricated an entirely different outcome, claiming she’d given birth to a girl in Chicago who was immediately adopted by a mystery couple. As a confused, devastated Tate demanded answers, Brady’s suspicions mounted, and the story finally hinted at momentum. As her lies began to unravel and Brady’s dogged, months-long investigation brought him closer to the truth, Sophia completely broke down, targeting Holly, as well as Johnny and Chanel, whom she blamed for waffling on their original decision to adopt. Viewers were primed for a reveal that would mean something. Instead, the whole narrative blew up. The baby wasn’t Tate’s after all — it was Aaron’s, who conveniently forgot to mention that he slept with Sophia, too. Sophia’s obsession with Tate and her desperation to best Holly suddenly felt beside the point. In the end, everyone landed exactly where they should have been from the start: Johnny and Chanel got the baby, Holly and Tate reunited, and Sophia was shipped off to Bayview. After months of lies and manipulation, nothing fundamentally changed. A storyline this long and convoluted needs to either go somewhere or have a big payoff. This one did neither.
Worst Character Pivot: Cat goes From “Abigail” to ISA Agent
We’re used to DAYS retconning characters as the story changes (after all, John Black was Roman, The Pawn, a priest, and Forrest Alamain in addition to being an ISA agent). But Cat’s metamorphosis from a woman posing as the cherished Abigail Deveraux to an ISA operative who shares a past with EJ is missing the elements that would make that transformation work. She was introduced in 2024 as a mystery woman who might have been Abigail who had been abducted and held prisoner by Clyde Weston. A DNA test “proved” it. Chad was delighted to have his wife back, but Jennifer didn’t buy it (mother knows best!). Chad took “Abigail” to Paris, where she suggested they remarry, but her lies were exposed and Steve swooped in with a real DNA test to prove she was a fake whose real name was Cat Greene. Chad was devastated that anyone could be so cruel, yet he inexplicably started to fall for the fraudster. Fast forward to late 2025 and it turned out both Cat and EJ have memories of her reading Wuthering Heights to him when he was bandaged in Italy and, oh yes, she’s really an ISA agent working undercover to investigate EJ’s shady hospital dealings. The problems are many, but the fact that Cat could hurt Chad, Jack and Jenn the way she did makes rooting for this character very difficult. And if she’s such a smart ISA agent, how was she busted in Paris by the teenaged Holly who overheard “Abigail” talking to her “brother,” who wasn’t JJ? New characters need a kernel of believability and heart to make them viable. We’re still waiting for Catherina “Cat” Greene’s to emerge.
Worst Exit: Doug III
If you’re going to retcon a relative for one of your longest-running and most beloved characters, you’d better have a plan. DAYS did not when they introduced a grandson for Doug Williams in 2024 and had him steal a valuable necklace from Julie on his first day — during Doug’s funeral. Doug III’s story got no better when he sold Julie’s necklace to pay off bad guys, pursued Holly despite her relationship with Tate, had a vapid sexual relationship with Ari, and was the cause of Holly and Ari being held hostage by the loan shark. During all his dishonest dealings, Julie showed her late husband’s new family member nothing but love, sharing stories of his namesake grandfather and inviting Doug III to live in her house. The truth came out after Holly and Ari’s kidnapping; Doug III apologized and said he was leaving town to keep them safe. His last act was returning Julie’s necklace by stealing it from Gwen (who claimed to have bought it) with an apology about how sorry he was that he had lied to her and broken her trust. They shared moving scenes, with Julie giving Doug III a watch that had belonged to Doug in WWII and saying she hoped it would bring him the same luck it brought his grandfather. She also offered money to pay off the loan shark because no matter what he had done, he was still a member of her family loaded with “wonderful DNA.” The scenes were touching and lovely, but waaaaaay too late. Why create a legacy character, make him a rotten thief, and then show he had a spec of decency on his very last day? Doug Williams deserved better — and so did his faithful widow.
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