Days of our Lives Recap, April 8: Tate punches Doug

In the town square, Sophia told Holly that Tate had gone to Holly’s house to talk about their break-up. “Oh no,” Holly said. Holly asked Sophia if she was sure, and Sophia confirmed that Tate had intended to go over to the Kiriakis mansion to make sure Holly was okay. As Holly pulled out her phone, Sophia asked her why she was so unnerved about Tate’s visit. “It’s none of your damn business,” Holly said. Holly stomped off.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Tate opened Holly’s bedroom door and saw Doug III standing next to the bed in his underwear. “What the hell are you doing in here?” Tate asked. Doug assured Tate, “This is not what it looks like.” Tate argued that Doug’s state of dress suggested that he had slept with Tate’s girlfriend. “Except Holly isn’t your girlfriend anymore, is she?” Doug countered. Tate stared daggers.

“You’re right. She broke up with me because of you,” Tate said. With a chuckle of disbelief, Doug said, “You’re blaming me?” Doug reminded Tate that Tate had snitched on him to Julie. Tate argued he had done that to protect Holly. With a groan, Doug argued that Tate had acted out of jealousy. “Of some loser like you? No, not at all,” Tate countered. Doug said that Tate had been upset that Doug and Holly had been getting closer. When Tate pointed out that Doug had stolen from a grieving widow, Doug argued that Tate had added to Julie’s pain.

“By what? By telling her that the guy that she took in, that she treated like family, is a two-faced crook? Is that what it is? Doug, tell me, did you steal something else?” Tate asked. After a moment, Doug admitted that he was partly to blame for the breakup. “Partly?” Tate said.

“Holly and I, when we woke up together this morning, she told me that you’re narcing on me was just the last straw. How did she put it? That your relationship’s been barely hanging by a thread for a while now. Because from the start, it’s been nothing but drama,” Doug said. Tate disagreed. Doug reminded Tate that Tate had gotten Holly’s best friend pregnant. “And I bet you just loved that didn’t you? That gave you the perfect chance to just move in,” Tate argued. Doug shook his head no.

“Holly wanted to be with you, okay? But you kept running off every five minutes to deal with doctor’s appointments and adoption meetings. And when Holly needed someone, I was there for her. And that made you insane. Just admit it, Tate. You didn’t know how else to get rid of me, so you went crying to Julie. But really, what else should I expect from such an insecure little baby?” Doug said. As Holly rushed into the room, Tate punched Doug. Holly rushed over to Doug, who was lying on the floor.

“What the hell is going on?” Holly asked. “That’s exactly what I would like to know,” Tate said. Tate asked Holly if she was sleeping with Doug. “No! I mean Doug spent the night, yeah, but that’s it,” Holly said. “Let me guess. Nothing happened?” Tate said. Holly confirmed that nothing had happened between her and Doug. Holly pointed at the bedding on the floor. “It was completely innocent,” Holly said. Tate looked over at the bedding and frowned..

“I tried to tell him that. He wasn’t exactly receptive,” Doug said. Angry, Tate told Doug to shut up, and he advanced toward Doug. Holly intervened, and she pushed Tate back toward the door. Holly explained that Doug had needed a place to stay after Julie had kicked him out of the house. “And I wasn’t going to let him sleep in the park another night. God, what are you even doing here anyway?” Holly yelled. Tate said he had wanted to make sure Holly had heard about EJ’s shooting. Holly confirmed she had seen the news. “Okay. Then there’s nothing else left to say,” Tate said. Tate walked out.

Doug and Holly sat on the bed, and they talked about the last time he had been punched and had gotten blood on his shirt. “You were so nice to me that day. You hardly even knew me,” Doug said. “Well, I knew you were in pretty rough shape, and that my Aunt Sarah would be cool,” Holly said. With a smirk, Doug told Holly that he needed to stop needing her help. “I don’t mind. You’re my friend,” Holly said. Holly asked Doug if his jaw hurt, but he said he was fine.

“I guess I can understand why Tate would be pissed to find a guy in his underwear in your room,” Doug said. “Still, that didn’t give him any right to hit you,” Holly complained. After Holly had retrieved breakfast for them both, Doug said, “Now that Tate knows I’m here, I probably shouldn’t get too comfortable.” “You think he’s gonna say something?” Holly asked. With a shrug, Doug said that if Tate was willing to snitch to Julie, he likely would talk to Maggie. “I’d like to think he wouldn’t. But then again, I thought he wasn’t going to tell Julie about the necklace,” Holly said. Holly wondered aloud if she knew Tate very well at all.

Amy Choi entered the square, and Sophia greeted her. “Where is Tate?” Amy asked. Sophia assured Amy that he would be there. “What could be more important than the future of your baby?” Amy asked. Sophia assured her mother that Tate was on his way. “Because if you two want me to reconsider this adoption, I need to know this baby is your first priority,” Amy said. Tate jogged up, and he apologized for his lateness. Sophia pulled Tate aside, and she asked if he was okay. Tate insisted he was fine.

“Are you sure? Because when I ran into Holly before, and I told her that you were at her house, like, she got really weird about it. Like she didn’t want you there,” Sophia said. “Maybe that’s because she had Doug Williams holed up in her room,” Tate said. Sophia wanted to hear the details, but Amy was impatient and called out her name. Tate told Sophia not to worry about it, and he guided Sophia back over to Amy for their discussion about the adoption.

“Why do you think that I should reconsider giving Johnny and Chanel your baby?” Amy asked. “I’m sure you’ve heard the news about Johnny’s father,” Sophia said. Amy admitted that she had been praying for EJ. Sophia explained that Amy’s main objection to the adoption had been EJ’s presence in the child’s life. “But now that he’s in a coma, you don’t really have to worry about that any more,” Sophia said. Amy argued that EJ could still recover. Sophia countered that EJ’s recovery could take years.

“Plus, as you know, Johnny and Chanel did move out of the DiMera mansion,” Sophia said. “I know. They’re living with Chanel’s mother. I’m quite fond of her. She is a good Christian woman,” Amy said. “And she’s also the mayor of Salem, so her place has tons of security,” Tate added. Sophia argued that EJ was no longer a part of the adoption question. “It’s worth considering,” Amy said. Amy added that she needed to talk to Johnny and Chanel to ensure that EJ would not be a part of the baby’s life before she made a final decision.

After Amy left, a cheery Sophia told Tate that she thought the conversation had gone better than she had hoped. Tate glumly agreed. Sophia noted that Tate still appeared to be upset about his conversation with Holly, and she asked him for more details. Tate explained that Doug had slept on Holly’s floor, and nothing had happened with Holly. “Do you believe her?” Sophia asked. “I do, actually,” Tate said. Tate told Sophia what had happened when he arrived at the Kiriakis mansion and that Doug had upset him. “I hit him,” Tate admitted. With a sigh, Tate noted that the punch had probably meant the end of his relationship with Holly.

At the penthouse, Brady was wrapping up a phone call with Marlena when he returned home with coffee. A sleepy-eyed Belle wandered into the living room. “Look who’s up,” Brady said. “Yes, I didn’t expect to sleep this late,” Belle admitted. Brady presented Belle with a latte he had picked up for her. Brady informed Belle that he had talked to Marlena, and that they were working on some leads.

“That’s something. I was really hoping to wake up to some news today,” Belle said. “Well, there is some news, but it’s not about Dad. EJ was shot last night,” Brady said. Brady told Belle the known details and that EJ was alive but in a coma. As Belle shook her head in disbelief, Brady explained that Kristen had called him to let him know that Rachel was okay, but she had been in the house during the shooting.

“So then whoever did this was only after EJ,” Belle said. Brady nodded yes. “So how are you feeling?” Brady asked. “I honestly don’t know how to feel,” Belle admitted. Belle told Brady that she should have known that EJ would have realized that she had been wearing a wire. “It was just a very bad plan. And you know what, Brady? I knew that going in,” Belle said. “And you knew that he’d bust you,” Brady added. Belle confessed that a part of her may have wanted him to call her out.

“When I was trying to get EJ to confess, saying that I missed him and that, you know, if he promised he’d never do anything crazy again that maybe there would be a future for us, obviously I was lying. But maybe, I don’t know, subconsciously, I wasn’t. Maybe EJ’s right, and I do want him. And I don’t want him to go to prison because then he would be gone. And then I hear that he gets shot, and I’m upset, and I’m worried about a guy that everyone knows is a monster. I mean, what is wrong with me?” Belle said. Brady assured Belle that there was nothing wrong with her.

“It’s the same dynamic I had with Kristen,” Brady said. Brady noted that despite Kristen’s many shortcomings, he had had difficulty fighting his pull toward her. Brady admitted that he treated his addiction to Kristen like he treated his alcoholism. “And what if no matter how hard I work, I can’t shake him?” Belle asked. Belle admitted that she wished she could celebrate EJ’s misfortune with the rest of Salem, but that she cared about EJ too much. Brady advised Belle not to beat herself up over her feelings.

“Then why do I feel just flooded with shame?” Belle asked. “Because what you had with him was very intense. You can’t just shut it off. Just like your brother can’t shut off his addiction. It takes time. And just because you have these thoughts in your head that you don’t want to have or these feelings or desires that are wrong, that doesn’t mean that you are a bad person. You are my sweet little sister. You are a good girl. And you’re going to get through this,” Brady said. Brady promised to support Belle, and he told her he loved her.

JJ was working on EJ’s case in the conference room of the police station when Shawn entered with two mugs of coffee. “I figured you could use this. You been here all night?” Shawn asked. JJ admitted that he had gone home for a few hours, but he had basically spent most of the night reviewing the case file. Shawn thanked JJ for having let him bend his ear about his troubles with Jada.

“What are partners for?” JJ said. “If there is any way I can return the favor, just let me know,” Shawn said. After a moment’s hesitation, JJ told Shawn that he had been thinking about whether Gabi could have shot EJ. JJ informed Shawn that when he had gone over to Gabi’s house, she had not been at home or work. JJ reminded Shawn that Gabi had almost shot EJ when Rafe had been missing.

“So you’d agree? That it’s not out of the question that she might do it again?” JJ asked. “And risk going to prison? And risk losing Ariana?” Shawn countered. With a shake of his head, JJ noted that before Rafe had been found, Gabi had been obsessed with making EJ pay. “If I hadn’t come in when I did, I think she might have blown EJ away,” JJ said. JJ worried aloud that Gabi had made another attempt, but no one had stopped her.

“Why don’t you just ask her?” Shawn suggested. “I almost did. Last night right after it happened,” JJ said. JJ explained that he had worried that it would destroy his relationship with Gabi to accuse her of attempted murder. Shawn shrugged, and he noted that obsessing over whether Gabi did it was also not good for his relationship. JJ groaned. “I know I got to look into it. I’m just not sure how,” JJ said. “For the record, I don’t think it was Gabi. And she’s not the only one who could have done it,” Shawn countered. Shawn advised JJ to look at other suspects first.

“Well, I could tell you who is at the top of my list: Kristen,” JJ said. JJ told Shawn that he had questioned Kristen at the house, and she had seemed uncomfortable. “I think Kristen knows more than she’s saying. Maybe we should make another run at her,” Shawn suggested. JJ noted that Kristen was unlikely to talk. Shawn suggested a different plan.

Gabi walked into the DiMera mansion and over to the crime scene tape in the living room doorway. Gabi stared at the dried puddle of blood on the floor. Kristen tapped Gabi on the shoulder, and Gabi gasped with surprise. Kristen accused Gabi of having broken into the house, but Gabi noted that she still had a key from when she had lived in the house.

“I’m gonna need that back. But first, why don’t you tell me what you’re doing here?” Kristen said. Gabi gave Kristen her key. Gabi told Kristen that she needed Kristen to sign off on expense reports. As Kristen signed the reports, she admitted that she was running late for work. “As you can see, we had a very eventful evening,” Kristen grumbled. Gabi said she had heard about EJ, and she asked about suspects. Kristen turned the conversation back on Gabi, and she asked Gabi if she knew anything about the shooting.

“Why would you think I know anything about the shooting?” Gabi asked. “Well, because you are dating JJ Deveraux,” Kristen said. Gabi explained that police detectives were not in the habit of sharing case details with civilians. “JJ’s not gonna tell me a damn thing,” Gabi said. “Is that because you’re a civilian or because you’re a suspect?” Kristen asked. Gabi asked Kristen why she would say that. When Kristen argued that Gabi had a motive, Gabi argued that half the town had one. Kristen listed Gabi’s grievances, and she noted that Gabi had been aware that EJ was not going to go to jail for anything he had done to Rafe or Gabi.

“Were you angry enough last night to take out a gun and shoot [EJ]?” Kristen asked. Gabi argued that Kristen’s motive was stronger. “[EJ] sent your mother away to parts unknown so that she couldn’t testify against him,” Gabi said. Concerned, Kristen asked Gabi how she had known about Rachel Blake’s disappearance. Gabi explained she had overheard Kristen talking to Melinda at the office.

“You think I would actually kill the one person who could tell me where she was?” Kristen asked. Kristen argued that even if she had wanted to shoot EJ, she did not own a gun. “But we both know you could easily get your hands on one,” Gabi said. Gabi asked Kristen again if she had shot EJ. “I have to say that accusing your boss of attempted murder isn’t a wise career move,” Kristen said. “I have to say that hurling similar accusations at your employees doesn’t do well for workplace morale,” Gabi countered. Gabi warned Kristen not to antagonize people who were loyal to her.

“After everything that’s happened lately, you’ll have to forgive me. I’m just not in a trusting mood,” Kristen said. “That makes two of us,” Gabi said. With a nod, Gabi walked out. Kristen grabbed her things for work, and she opened the door to leave. JJ and Shawn were on the porch.

“Sorry, detectives. I’m on my way to the office, and I really don’t have time to talk,” Kristen said. “I’m not here to talk. We have a warrant to search your bedroom,” JJ said. Kristen told the men to go upstairs, but she needed to leave for work. JJ and Shawn blocked the exit. “That warrant also covers your belongings,” Shawn said. “Including that bag,” JJ said. Kristen reluctantly set her purse on the table. When JJ looked inside, he saw Rachel Blake’s gun.

In the hospital, a comatose EJ dreamed of the moments before he had been shot in his living room. As EJ slept alone in his hospital room, Belle walked in and she stared sadly at EJ’s sleeping face.

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