Days of our Lives Recap for Wednesday, December 11, 2024: Catharina takes a deadly shot

In Horton Town Square, Brady argued with Kristen over the phone about seeing Rachel. Brady was exasperated after the call ended. Ava approached and took note of Brady’s demeanor. He explained that he had made plans to take Rachel to a play, but Kristen had already taken the little girl. He believed Kristen was “screwing” with him as a form of punishment.

Ava made a face and said that she might have to take some of the blame for Kristen’s behavior. She updated Brady about her testy exchange with Kristen and apologized for breaking Brady’s confidence. Brady understood and commiserated with Ava about his own recent harsh interactions with Kristen. He took Ava by surprise by stating that he thought Kristen’s erratic actions were driven by her belief that Brady was interested in Ava romantically.

Ava admitted that Kristen had attacked her about going after other women’s men, and she conceded that Kristen had a point. Ultimately, though, she did not want to worry about Kristen’s “delusions” and deemed the notion of Brady and her together “far-fetched.” Brady wondered if it was such a far-fetched idea that two single people who enjoyed each other's company could be interested in each other. Ava questioned if Brady was insinuating that Kristen’s “delusions” weren’t so crazy after all. Brady reaffirmed Kristen’s delusional nature and chided Ava about her implication that she could never be attracted to him.

Ava quickly denied Brady’s assumptions and clarified that while she could see them moving beyond friendship in the future, they didn’t know each other that well yet. Brady suggested that they change that. He invited Ava to the production of The Nutcracker, which he had originally wanted to see with Rachel, and asked Ava to dinner as well. Brady said he’d understand if Ava didn’t want to deal with Kristen’s “wrath.” Leaning closer to Brady, Ava breezily replied that she didn’t scare easily and accepted the invitation.

At the hospital, Marlena ended a call and sent best wishes to someone from John. Leo breathlessly raced up to her and begged for an impromptu therapy session. He wanted to talk about “the malicious machinations of that whistling wench,” Lady Whistleblower, but more urgently, he wanted to talk about how he’d blown it with Javi. As Marlena and Leo took seats in the waiting area, Leo began rambling about a “new wrinkle” in his life, and he didn’t mean his “frown lines.” Marlena got Leo back on track, and he reminded her about his previous meeting with Kerry and how he hadn’t felt a “spark” with the man.

When Leo mentioned that he’d encountered Kerry again, a confused Marlena tried to follow along and assumed that Leo had renewed interest in Kerry. Leo clarified that Kerry had been “sparking” with someone else, and Marlena’s eyes grew wide as she realized Leo meant Javi. Leo asked Marlena to help him fix the messy situation. Leo then ranted about how “a hookup hooking up with another hookup” could “rip a hole in the space-time continuum.” He pondered if the cricket he’d seen in his room had really been a locust and a bad omen.

At Rafe’s house, a shirtless Javi fielded business calls for Gabi. He got fed up with explaining Gabi’s absence and told a caller that Gabi had “gone with her ex-boyfriend to Vancouver to pose as her dead frenemy.” He then told the caller that Gabi was in the process of tracking down a “homicidal hick.” When the caller hung up on him, Javi huffed and expressed his hope that Gabi’s “cover story” was working better than his own.

Just then, someone knocked on Rafe’s door. Javi answered, and Kerry made it clear that he wanted to see Javi again. The men exchanged a smile. Kerry expressed what a great time he’d had on their date and invited Javi for another date. Javi ignored an incoming phone call and told Kerry he was ready to go out immediately.

Later, Javi and Kerry lightly bantered about their favorite singers as they shared a meal at the Brady Pub. Leo walked inside and was in the midst of leaving a message for Rafe when he spotted Javi and Kerry laughing together. When Leo approached the table and asked about the date, Javi grabbed Kerry’s hand and told Leo that he hadn’t wanted to make “another mistake.” Kerry and he intended to “take it slow.” Javi derided Leo for being nosy and intrusive, but Leo insisted he just wanted to be able to tell his shrink that Javi had forgiven him.

Leo bemoaned that he’d ruined a “good thing” and declared himself a funnier guy than Kerry. Javi took offense at Leo’s insults toward Kerry, and Kerry responded that at least he had “excellent taste.” Kerry then threw shade on Leo’s writing of Body and Soul. Leo defended his writing, but Kerry responded that no one would need to tune in soon thanks to the “new and improved Lady Whistleblower.” Leo eventually stalked off and watched Javi and Kerry from the bar.

At the Vancouver strip club, Chad whispered to Cat that they had to make their ruse “look good” and shoved his gun into her side. When he called out for Clyde, the door opened. Chad and Cat turned to it, and a woman brandishing her own gun stepped inside. A stunned Cat referred to the woman as “Mom.” As the woman watched them with a frightened expression, Cat confirmed to Chad that the woman was her mother, Catharina.

Catharina pointed the gun at Chad and Cat and scoffed that she would recognize her own daughter. Cat tried to explain that she looked different because of the post-accident plastic surgery, but Catharina refused to believe her. She said “he” had told her the duo would lie to her. When Chad — who had pointed his gun at Catharina — guessed that Catharina was referring to Clyde, she confirmed it. Chad told her that Clyde was a pathological liar.

Cat implored her mother to lower the gun, but Catharina was unwavering. She claimed that Clyde wanted both of them dead. Cat appealed to Catharina to ignore Cat’s face and to listen to her voice instead. She explained how the family had believed Catharina had died in the accident and how happy they were to discover that she had survived. Cat affirmed that she could take her mother home and that they could all be a family again.

Growing emotional, Catharina declared Cat’s assertion impossible. When Chad asked her why, Catharina insisted that she had to do everything that Clyde said. Cat assumed that Clyde had threatened Catharina, but Catharina firmly stated that Clyde was her friend and had been trying to protect her. Cat was incredulous and told Catharina that Clyde had been promising to kill her. Chad realized that Catharina had been brainwashed.

Catharina started shaking and grew more unstable as she insisted she had to “do this.” Chad rushed Catharina and tried to take the gun. Cat screamed in distress as a shot rang out. Chad managed to tackle Catharina and secure her with ropes to a chair. Cat marveled at the reality that her own mother had attempted to kill her.

Chad got an SOS message from JJ on his phone and told Cat they needed to go. Cat didn’t want to leave her mother behind, so Chad cautioned Cat to stay vigilant and handed her his gun. After Chad left, Cat vowed to her mother that she would make things right. Catharina pronounced that she wouldn’t believe a word Cat said. Cat began reciting things that only Catharina’s daughter would know, such as the nickname “Kitty Cat” that Catharina had given her and a special song Catharina had sung for Cat.

When Cat revealed a birthmark on her arm, Catharina looked at her more intensely. “You’re really Cat?” she asked, her voice breaking. Cat nodded as she stifled a sob. Catharina tearfully apologized for trying to hurt her, but Cat insisted that she understood. Catharina expressed joy at seeing her daughter and asked Cat to untie her so that she could give her a hug.

Cat obliged the request and gladly hugged her mother. Catharina said she was sorry and pulled the gun from Cat’s waistband. She announced that she had to stop Clyde and rushed out of the room despite a shocked Cat’s protests. Cat urgently tried to reach Chad by phone.

In Vancouver, Gabi and JJ searched Clyde's apartment. JJ got on the computer and tried to crack Clyde’s password. Gabi suggested the names of Clyde’s exes, and JJ hit paydirt when he used the name “Nancy.” While JJ was busy browsing through the computer files, Gabi turned and came face-to-face with a gun-toting Clyde. Gabi’s startled gasp drew JJ’s attention, and he was alarmed when he saw Clyde pointing the gun at Gabi.

As JJ made a motion toward Clyde, the criminal grabbed Gabi and warned JJ to stay put. He snarkily called JJ “Chad” and chuckled. Clyde goaded JJ and Gabi and remarked that she looked a “little different” than what he remembered. She shot back, “You’re just as ugly as I remember.” Clyde reminded Gabi of what had happened when her husband had crossed him. Looking at JJ, he proclaimed that he’d have to teach Gabi’s “new husband” the same lesson.

JJ held Clyde’s glare and told him that they could settle their differences privately, as Gabi had nothing to do with it. Clyde begged to differ and held tightly onto Gabi. He spun a tale about how he would shoot Gabi and JJ, then call the police and claim that the couple had broken into his home. JJ said the ruse wouldn’t work and suggested that Clyde save them all the trouble and reveal what he had done with Abigail’s body. Clyde balked and declared that he “held all the cards.”

Gabi hissed that she could take Clyde down “like a rabid dog” in a fair fight. Clyde reminded her that life wasn’t fair and that JJ was as “helpless as a kitten” as long as he needed to play hero. JJ retorted that he was calling Clyde’s bluff. He pulled a gun from his jacket and pointed it at Clyde, who cautioned JJ not to get “cocky.” JJ hesitated when Clyde brought up his shooting of Theo. Clyde warned that if JJ shot him, he would reflexively shoot Gabi.

Clyde ordered JJ to kick the gun to him. JJ complied, but he secretly sent Chad a message with a device hidden in another pocket. Clyde mused that he only needed one hostage. While he thought it cruel to take another child from Jack and Jennifer, he shrugged it off. “Them’s the breaks,” he coldly said as he pointed the gun at JJ. Before Clyde could pull the trigger, Chad rushed up behind him and knocked him out.

Later, Clyde roused to find Chad standing over him and Gabi and JJ both holding guns on him. As Clyde rubbed his head, Chad informed him that his plot to have Catharina kill Chad and Cat had failed. Clyde admitted to making use of Catharina as a “spare assassin.” Chad added that Catharina and Cat had been reunited. He urged Clyde to tell him the truth about Abigail’s remains.

Clyde admitted that he’d lost this round and agreed to tell Chad everything about Abigail. “But you ain’t gonna like it,” he warned. “Abigail is –” Clyde began before a gunshot suddenly sounded from the doorway. Chad, JJ, and Gabi looked in stunned disbelief at the bullet wound in Clyde’s chest. When they turned to the door, they saw Catharina, smoking gun in hand.

Stream new episodes of Days of Our Lives on Peacock.