Days of our Lives Recap for Wednesday, February 26, 2025: Arnold is down and out for the count

At the DiMera mansion, Kristen stormed into the main room and demanded EJ pour her a drink. She was frantic because her mother was in jail and Ava was likely “singing like she was on stage at the Sydney Opera House.” She grew irritated with EJ, who seemed to be taking the situation in stride. He admitted that he had more urgent business because of his “patient upstairs.” After EJ explained that master “multi-tasker” Rita was tending to Rafe, Kristen compared the scenario to the Stephen King novel Misery.

Kristen recalled how she had feared EJ would be injected with the drug while struggling with Rafe. It frustrated her that they hadn’t been able to get to Ava. Kristen announced her intention to go to the police station to check on her mother, but EJ stopped his sister and warned, “That’s the last thing you want to do.” EJ reminded Kristen that she was most likely a wanted woman.

Kristen didn’t care, since she felt EJ and she owed her mother. Besides, Kristen was confident she had a “get-out-of-jail-free card.” Kristen wouldn’t divulge any more information when EJ inquired about the statement. She wanted to see if her plan worked first.

At the police station, Belle was ending a phone call as Brady entered the station. The siblings commiserated over the developments with Ava. Brady lashed out at Kristen for her involvement and wanted to see the woman. Belle informed him that Kristen wasn’t in police custody. Brady was incredulous that Kristen hadn’t been arrested yet.

Belle reminded her brother about “due process” and clarified she was working on the arrest warrant. Brady hoped she was preparing a warrant for EJ as well. When Belle expressed confusion, Brady gladly told her that EJ had known about Ava’s kidnapping. Belle was skeptical, since EJ wouldn’t have had anything to gain from keeping quiet. Brady filled her in on Ava’s explanation that EJ had left Aremid after he’d had a “side chat” with Kristen’s mother.

Brady guessed that Rachel had some kind of leverage over EJ. Both Belle and he wondered what the woman could have been holding over EJ’s head. After Belle brought up her suspicions about EJ’s involvement in Jada’s predicament, Brady compelled his sister to see if there might be a connection between the two incidents. He further urged Belle to cut ties with EJ while she still could. Brady wished he had the same luxury as Kristen, but he didn’t because of their daughter.

Brady wanted Kristen held accountable and pledged he would not leave until the police “brought her ass” into the station. Kristen arrived in the midst of the declaration and smiled sweetly at Brady. After Belle excused herself, Kristen launched into a speech about how shocked and happy she’d been to see her mother alive. She believed her mother couldn’t be blamed for her actions because she was old and not mentally well. Plus, her mother's heart had been in the right place.

Kristen considered it fate that Rachel running away had reunited Kristen with her mother. Brady scoffed at Kristen’s claims but told Kristen that he would provide a look-out if Kristen wanted to see her mother. When Kristen went into the interrogation room, she found it empty. Brady entered behind her and closed the door. He promised that neither of them would leave until the police came with handcuffs for Kristen.

Kristen responded that her arrest was “the last thing” Brady should want. Kristen attempted to persuade Brady that their daughter had been “the mastermind” behind Ava’s kidnapping and could face real trouble if her role was revealed. Brady blasted Kristen for refusing to be “the adult” in the situation and for abetting her mother’s crimes.

After Brady insinuated that Kristen was throwing their daughter “under the bus,” Kristen got angry and shot back that Brady would be the one hurting their daughter if he continued to pursue justice for Ava. Kristen pressed Brady on what would happen if Kristen was arrested. Brady said he’d get full custody and Rachel would be “better off.” Kristen reminded him of the warning from CPS. If the full truth about Ava’s disappearance came out, both parents would likely lose Rachel.

Upstairs at the DiMera mansion, Rafe laid seemingly unconscious in a bed. Beside him, EJ’s assistant Rita snarked about the Russian novel she had been reading, ironically titled The Double. She tried to rouse Rafe, to no avail. She then instructed him to sleep so the effects of the drug could kick in. Rita hoped that when Rafe woke up, his fiancée and he could “pick up where you left off.”

Later, EJ came upstairs to check on Rafe. Rita confirmed with EJ that when Rafe woke up, he wouldn’t remember anything past the time he had encountered Arnold. Rita pondered what EJ would do about “two Rafes running around.” EJ replied that he’d need to “dispose of” Arnold “posthaste.”

EJ told Rita his plans for Rafe and Arnold. He hated that Arnold had put him in the position to have to make the switch, but Rita assured him he’d “made the best of a difficult situation.” EJ officially relieved her of “babysitting duties” and sent Rita to take care of Arnold. EJ then sidled up to Rafe and declared it Rafe’s “lucky day.” As long as Rafe remained asleep for a bit longer, EJ could “take care of" things, including still potentially getting his job back.

Later, Belle stormed upstairs into the bedroom, where EJ was alone. She was quick to accuse EJ of being complicit in Ava’s disappearance. EJ denied all the allegations. Belle pressed him on what he was hiding.

“Nothing at all,” EJ defended. While EJ continued to profess his innocence, Belle beat herself up for not heeding everyone’s warnings about him. She lamented how EJ’s duplicity had “come back to bite me in the ass so fast.”

At Rafe’s house, Gabi came In and demanded “Rafe” get rid of the stripper. As he prepared a sandwich, he coolly reminded Gabi it was his house and told her that the “exotic dancer” was already gone. Before “Rafe” could leave the room with his snack, Gabi stopped him and announced she knew what was wrong. “Rafe” smirked, until Gabi declared that he wasn’t Rafe. She commanded him to tell her what he had done with her brother.

Arnold tried to blow off Gabi’s claim, but she insisted that while he might have the same face and haircut, he wasn’t her brother. “You’re Arnold Feniger,” she firmly stated. Arnold balked and deemed it impossible, since “Arnold Feniger is dead.” Gabi retorted, “Yet here you stand.” She told Arnold that she knew about him hitting on Stephanie, who had a boyfriend. Arnold claimed he wouldn’t have made a pass at Stephanie if he had known.

Gabi also recounted a moment before the wedding when Arnold had given her a less-than-“brotherly" hug. She remembered how the hug had made her feel “the ick,” and then exclaimed “You were creeping on me, too!” After labeling Arnold a “son of a bitch” and an “imposter,” she reared her hand back to slap him. Arnold grabbed her arm and said in a more menacing tone,” I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” When Gabi demanded he let her go, Arnold backed off and asked that she stop calling him by the wrong name.

Gabi tested Arnold by speaking in Spanish. He hesitated, so she told him she had said something about “Tia Hilda” being in the hospital. When Arnold made a play of recognition, Gabi revealed that “Tia Hilda is dead.” Arnold suddenly clutched his head in seeming pain and claimed that the coma had given him “memory lapses.” Gabi switched tactics and pointed at Arnold’s head, gasping, “There’s something in your hair!”

Arnold recoiled and told Gabi to get the thing out of his hair. She eagerly complied and yanked a strand of hair from his head. “Got it,” she said with a satisfied smile. Arnold rubbed his head and asked Gabi what she had done. Gabi announced she had the DNA she needed to get answers from a lab; she made a beeline for the door before Arnold could stop her. The door slammed, leaving Arnold to conclude, “EJ’s gonna kill me."

Later, Rita strolled into Rafe’s house and announced that she had come on behalf of EJ. Arnold said people were onto him, but Rita assured him that she had the means to “whisk you away.” Arnold complained about all of the places he didn’t want to relocate and then vowed he would "sing like a canary" if the police apprehended him.

Arnold did not intend to go down for EJ’s crimes. Rita reassured him again and began pulling items out of a black bag, including a passport for Arnold, some money…and a taser she plunged straight into Arnold's neck. Arnold crumpled the floor, and Rita flippantly apologized. She needed to borrow Arnold’s clothes.

At Stephanie’s apartment, Jada read the old newspaper article about Arnold and absorbed the news that “Rafe” might really be Arnold. She deemed it “plausible,” and Stephanie offered some cold comfort: if her theory was true, then Rafe didn’t cheat on Jada. Just then, a shirtless Shawn emerged from the bathroom. Stephanie’s eyes widened and she mused, “But maybe you just cheated on him.” As Shawn dressed, he reminded Stephanie that Rafe had ended things with Jada.

Stephanie made a comment about Rafe possibly not being Rafe. When Shawn asked Jada what Stephanie meant, Jada handed him the tablet with the newspaper article about Arnold. After reading it, Shawn said he remembered Arnold, but the man was dead. Stephanie presented her theory that Stefano and EJ had “disappeared” Arnold and faked his death, in the event they needed his services again. Shawn conceded that with the DiMeras, “anything’s possible.”

Shawn asked Jada what she believed. She thought Stephanie’s theory made sense; if Jada had known about Arnold’s existence earlier, she likely would have figured it out herself. She reasoned that the switch likely occurred when Rafe had suddenly vanished and had supposedly gone out of town on a Black Patch assignment. Jada recounted how Rafe had eventually claimed he was working for EJ. Jada was stricken as she realized that the whole situation was likely because of EJ’s desire to get revenge on her.

Jada felt guilty because she had hated Rafe for assuming the worst about her when she had assumed the worst about him. Shawn reiterated that they needed proof to determine if the claims were true. Jada agreed and affirmed their first priority should be finding the whereabouts of “the real Rafe.” She asked Stephanie where Rafe had been kept the last time he was held hostage. Shawn got on his phone and vowed to find out.

Jada had a more direct idea. They would go to the source himself: Arnold. As Shawn and she prepared to leave, Gabi arrived and updated the gathering on her confrontation with “Rafe.” While Arnold had denied his identity, Gabi affirmed, “If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, son of a bitch has feathers and a beak.”

Shawn and Jada wanted to get answers for themselves. When Stephanie cautioned them to be careful, Shawn patted his gun in acknowledgment and departed with Jada. Afterward, Gabi and Stephanie briefly discussed the developments. Gabi then declared she needed to get to the hospital. She had a DNA test to run.

Back at Rafe's house, “Arnold” awoke from where he had been placed at the kitchen table. Shawn and Jada opened the door and immediately demanded “Arnold” tell them what he had done with Rafe. “Who’s Rafe?” the groggy man at the table inquired.

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