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DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Holly Terror
The shocking twist of Holly (Ashley Puzemis) overdosing on fentanyl-laced pills kicked off an intense and emotional storyline layered with outstanding performances, swift plot turns and a great use of history and past relationships. From the moment Tate discovered Holly unconscious outside The Bistro, portrayer Jamie Martin Mann (pictured) has risen to the occasion as a frightened young man caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Grabbing the bag of pills on the ground to protect Holly, he put himself in the hot seat when a cop caught him holding the evidence. Suddenly, the poor kid was set up as the fall guy for something he played no part in. It's put Tate in the spotlight as a teen hero to root for. Things intensified when EJ arrived on the scene, condemning Tate and resolving to him pay for what befell Holly, reigniting EJ's longtime feud with Tate's dad, Brady. Meanwhile, Nicole's grief over Holly is sure to cause major strife between her and Brady; the tragedy, and their concern over the well-being of their respective children, potentially pits the longtime friends and former lovers against one another. At the same time, the tragedy has brought bickering ex-spouses Brady and Theresa closer, as they stand united in their love and support for Tate. Emily O'Brien (Theresa) has gotten to show a softer side to her usually self-centered character, while Eric Martsolf has been riveting as fiercely devoted dad Brady.

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL
Justice Is Served?
Back in 2019, Xander Avant (Adain Bradley, r.) dated Emma Barber when they were interns at Forrester Creations, which is where they learned of The Great Beth/Phoebe Baby Switch. Thomas threatened Emma into silence and ran her off the road as she raced to tell Hope the truth, trying to send a text along the way. Was Emma’s death the result of texting while driving, or murder? We never knew because it was dropped — until last week, when Xander resurfaced as a patient of Finn’s (Tanner Novlan), spied Steffy’s photo, and spilled his story of her brother killing Emma. Flashbacks reminded us how evil Thomas was back then, cleverly juxtaposed with Thomas sweetly proposing to Hope in the present. Is Thomas a changed man? It may not matter if Xander can prove his accusations. Regardless, Finn thinks he’s “deeply troubled,” setting up great conflict between Finn, Steffy, Thomas and Hope in the new year.