Satan and the city

And just like that, El Diablo's not done with Salem yet! Sorta. While Kristen continued to make Brady and Rachel's lives a living hell, Abe's loved ones rallied to make sure there was hell to pay for Nurse Whitley. Plus, there were several "What the hell!?" moments! Let's discuss how the devil might have done Abe dirty and all of the other sordid things our saucy Salemites are up to in this week's devilish DAYS Two Scoops!

And just when you thought it was safe to put away your exorcism equipment again, the devil's all like, "Hey gurl!" Sorta. It seems like nutty Nurse Whitley might have gotten a smidge of satanic advice from the Prince of Darkness during her darkest hours a few years back. Nope. 2021 will never go away. Ever. Soap Gods help us all. But first things first...

Kayla and company MIGHT want to check all of Marlena's medical records from say, the fall of 2021 until Tripp thrashed himself out of St. Luke's best stained-glass window o'clock. Whit-Whit might not be the only Salemite who got some wildly bad advice from El Diablo Doc. I shudder to think what else went off the rails because of those Lucifer-laced sittings. I think tracking down that unlucky lot of ill-informed therapy seekers might be a storyline in and of itself. Ron does like umbrella storylines, and this is a smart use of history that leans into the good, bad, and bizarre of the show. Well played, Team DAYS.

Though, really, someone should get checking on those Satan sessions, like, now-ish.

Meanwhile back in present day Salem, I was all like, "Yes! Yes, Lani, yes!" when she snarled at Whitley, "This woman is your worst nightmare." Again, "Yaz, Lani! You go!" And then she went and turned her back on Nurse Nutterface. Did everyone watching facepalm in unison, because I'm pretty sure I heard a collective slap followed by a groan across the DAYS-verse.

Look, I know Lani's been out of practice for a while, but for one of Salem's former best detectives who's been in the federal pokey system while keeping a watchful eye out for Vivian Alamain to strike, well, that was weak sauce. Never turn your back on the Cray Cray of the Day, Lani. Never. You're still a hero, though. We love you. You meant well! There's that.

Still, I love how much Lani loves Abe. Sal Stowers did such an amazing job with the material! Her performances were equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. One could tell that it crushed Lani that her daddy didn't remember her, but she stayed strong because she knew he eventually would. It was about him at that moment, not her. And that's what makes Lani a hero. Oh, and she better be okay after that jab or else Whit and I will have more of a problem. You're on notice, nurse.

Full disclosure. Nurse King's backstory gave me a case of the sads. I mean, she's nutty, needs help, and should never harm anyone again, of course, but her husband and three cats met very un-soapy demises. That scenario could happen to any of us.

One day, you're living large with your person and furry family members. The heat goes out. You improvise as best as you can with a space heater while you await repairs. Then, hoping to save your loved ones from the cold leads to the accidental end of your life as you know it because of a faulty device. Oof. That's all so tragic. It's no wonder Whit snapped. I don't know how one bounces back from that without lifelong therapy sessions. Oh, right. She got that. With Satan!

So, the devil didn't make-make Whit do it, that we know of, but I'm betting El Diablo didn't help matters. I wonder what kind of wicked advice she did get, though. Did Satan tell her to replace her family? Did Diablo direct Whitley toward Abe? Is she actually allergic to cats, or was that a lie, too!? I kind of want to know these things. I guess we'll have to wait for the Peacock spinoff Sessions with Satan for those answers, perhaps.

In any event, even the saddest backstory and satanic twist doesn't justify hurting the Carver-Price family so deeply. Paulina's "It's too much" breakdown had me choked up. Unfortunately, I think most of us have been in that overwhelming, unbearable place where everything is bleak and crashing down. Jacke slayed those sorrowful scenes. Still...

"You mean the way you found Abe!?" Ouch, Paulina. I felt for Rafe, even though I knew her snappiness was coming from a place of grief. Ex-Commish knew this, too, and his compassion was super sweet. I'm also super glad she apologized. All things turned out super...ish.

Okay. Auntie P can be a little harsh toward Rafe-A-Roni, but is she all that wrong? Is she!? I mean, he couldn't find Philip because there's no Philly to be found in the river, but I don't think keeping Lani's disappearance a secret helped anyone, especially Lani. One-hundo percent his heart was in the right place. I don't doubt that. Be that as it may, one ping from her ankle monitor, and she could have been saved in a speedy manner.

That makes me think there's some Naked Gun-type scene of Rafe accidentally running down his deceased fiance, Emily Hudson, but he keeps backing over her body every time he tries to go get help. Rafers, bud, maybe don't right now. You're not on a roll, except romantically, as you have one hullva catch in Jada. Don't blow that. Or run it over.

Luckily, Rafe, Jada, and Sam Gerard have found Lani, and I'm crossing everything that they'll be able to save her. Having her die but Abe live seems like something that might happen these days. Sort of like, say, a celebrated supercouple reuniting after nearly a decade and then one of them slipping into a coma after being shot by their son. Yeah. Happy endings aren't assured in Salem these days, but I digress...

Did anyone else do a double take when Jada ignored Steve's call and just walked away? Detective Hunter. I know you are fabulous enough to walk and talk at the same time. C'mon now. If this is the reason Whitley gets away with Abe and things get prolonged, I'm going to be upset with Jada, and I don't want that to happen. At all. We're in a good place. Pals, even. So, let's hope that Black Patch makes remarkable time back to Salem and rescues our guy!

Now, from Satan-ish to the hellscape that is Brady and Kristen! Lemme tell you. Despite whatever crazy is coming from the characters' mouths, Eric Martsolf and Stacy Haiduk deserve nothing less than a standing ovation. They. Were. Fantastic. Wowza. And more on that in a bit.

Not so fantastic, though, I'm weary from watching Kristen exploit her daughter. She looked so happy that RACH3L didn't want to go with Brady. Like, gleeful. That's especially sick, given the circumstances. I can't condone violence, but even a saint would eventually snap when dealing with Kristen and the way she gaslighted their daughter. I get why Brady's beyond fed up. I hope Mar can help Rachie someday, and I'm glad Brady has his sis in his corner...

To loop back to celebratory "Yeses!" from earlier, you. Go. Belle! Way to blast that nutso Special K. That scene was spectacular.

And bingo! Brady co-wins the day. He actually said, "I'm not going to lie. The truth has a way of coming out." What a refreshing statement from a soap character. That allows us to focus on the fallout instead of flowcharting flawed fibs until the truth does, in fact, come out. Way to go, Brady!

As if we needed another reason to love Jada, she owns her mistakes. I loved everything about her scene with Belle, especially when she took said accountability for her own actions. I wouldn't mind it if Jada and Belle became besties and invited Chloe into the fold. Detective Hunter's cool enough to become an honorary "Last Blaster!"

"Okay. You couldn't even tell me to take it easy when you were my boss. What makes you think you can do it as a civilian?" Ha! Yep. I officially love Jada. That was great. She and Rafe are fun together.

Holy last nerve, Lockhart. Can Big Mouth Bonnie be any more exasperating? Sadly, I'm betting on, well, "Probably yes!" Her irritations know no boundaries.

Conversely, do we care-care about Sarah's baby-sized bombshell? I like Sarah. I'm enjoying Xander and Chloe but don't care-care if they break up. Even they've been fairly candid about their hearts belonging to the ones who've gotten away. So, aside from Xander being upset that a mostly off-screen Sarah's kept this secret, is the impact really THAT impactful? It's cool as an audience that we're "in the know" about her secret, but edge of my seat cliffhung I'm not.

Then again, the Rafe and Jada fraternizing thingy didn't seem like a big deal at first, second, or even third through thirty, but the eventual revel was a frenzy of "OMGs!" in the best way possible. So, okay, Team DAYS. You have my renewed trust in this one, too.

Regarding babies, Eric and Sloan seem to be expecting. I expect this to be a disaster. I mean. Congrats?

The Stefan and Gabi "We're Greater Together Tour" is running wild and selling out sentimental stadiums. I love their love for one another, but Mr. Foreshadowing is not being the least bit subtle here. Statements like, "Stop putting yourself in danger" and "You're not invincible" come across like a sledgehammer smashing down on a sheet of steel. Dong! We get it. This isn't going to end well. The more they talk about losing one another, the more certain I am one of them is going to be lost, and, let's face it, it's not going to be the one most of us would rather see go.

Who else cracked up when E.J. went on about "family loyalty" and Stefan being a lot like Stefano!? Sure, Eej. Sure. You're thinking is totes logical. Whatever gets you through the day, good sir.

Meanwhile, back in reality, I do believe the DiMeras have a code of loyalty toward family members in the first-person sense. As in, they're loyal to themselves, and they're part of the DiMera family. So, he's kind of not wrong-wrong.

More so, Stefan was lauded as this big bad corporate shark when, in reality, Vivian and Andre did all the heavy lifting for him. Stefano was a self-made sinister mo-fo. Sorry, Stefan, you're fine-ish and all, but you, sir -- and excuse my use of the word -- ain't no Phoenix. Not even close.

Nice try, though, Elvis. I'm glad you two have patched things up! That's sure to last until the end of cocktail hour.

As horrible as Kristen is with mothering, she's much more suited as an aunt. I like her alliance with Dimitri. Special K plotting for power and control of the company is much more entertaining to watch than her special brand of parenting.

Does anyone else believe Leo's ChapStick might be the "smoking gun" that Gwen will find in Dimitri's room? I can't feel sympathy for anyone in this equation, though, even Ms. Rizzy-Chick. Didn't Forest Gump say something like, "Terrible is as terrible does," and they're all pretty terrible Salemites.

If Melinda and Li don't work out, I wouldn't mind her next date being with Sam Gerard. He seems like the no-nonsense-about-work guy she'd appreciate. I'm sure he also has a softer side outside of the job. Kind of like Melinda. Let's hope Cheryl Angel can make that match.

Also. Let's unpack more about Melinda. One, her timeline is a mess. When did she have Haley Chen? When was she married? After she graduated top of her class and biked Napa while wine journaling. Okay. I'm jealous of that part of her life, but I digress.

I'm thinking she had Haley, moved to the US, went to college, law school, Napa, and then started working and got married to the abusive terrible Mr. Trask? That. Maybe.

Next, if Melinda is so worried about appearances, why did she want Stefan so badly!? We get it. He looks like Brandon Barash. But! She flung herself at him pre-blotto biscuiting. She's always fancied him, so slow your roll on that noise, Mel.

Finally, Mel needs to shut down the "we were both 'Stabi' collateral damage." Girl. You and Li both willingly put yourselves under that bus. Um. Under that 'ship. Li's entire existence was to keep Stefan and Gabi apart because HE KNEW she would choose him. D.A. Don't Act Dumb Now also knew who made Mr. DiMera's heart go pitter-Gabber. So, this "'Stabi' crushed us" stuff needs to be tossed into the bin with Colin Bedford's bogus beef and Kristen's victim act, because, sister, none of this is being pulled off successfully.

Then again, it seems like her good time with Li was a surprise to her until she not-really surprised him by revealing she was playing him for a confession. Well. Maybe she can at least write off the dinner as a work expense.

Who else is betting now that Melinda's abusive ex is totally going to show up in Salem again soon!?

Hold the phone! Melinda has an abusive ex. She's a lawyer. She likes herself some DiMera men. Peter Blake is a DiMera and an attorney. He was also a bit of a baddie, especially when suffering from "Jungle Madness," though he gaslighted Laura and such, so he's really not generally that nice of a guy, but anyway -- could they have crossed paths!? It's not like that shady yet studly son of a Stefano wouldn't be above using a fake name like "Trask." Hmm.

I wonder if Philip's private psych ward is in Alamainia and, if so, if Vivian's been to visit! She does consider him a son, since she carried him and all. Kate loves that, of course. His name has been popping up a lot lately. He's totally coming home soon, right? If so, I'm worried. Belle and Shawn are in a rough patch, and that usually means she leans on Philip's shoulder and, well, keeps leaning. Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself -- again.

Stephanie cracked me up when she said, "Dude, I'm in the room!" as Chad and Alex had their testosterone throwdown. I'm totally Team Sunroof Lil' Sweetness here. She's made her choice of mates. She moved in with Chad and his children! That's a huge commitment. Chad needs to lower his defenses and have confidence in Steph, or else he deserves what he gets if he lets jealousy or insecurity win over their love and commitment.

Though, is Chad being insecure, or is Alex just annoying? That's a fair question, methinks. The latter is a solid reason for not wanting him around. And I totally get it, Chadsworth.

A very small part of me believes that Alex is just lonely, but the larger part of me thinks that he knew exactly what he was doing by being so invasive. He actually seemed to enjoy himself. Those types of people are exasperating. They needle someone until that person snaps, and they play the victim card and feign innocence and confusion. "I didn't do anything. I just kept doing that thing that irritates them, but I pretend I don't know it irritates them, and they snapped at me." Rrriiiggghhhttt. This is going to be a long lease cycle for all parties involved -- and viewers who have to watch.

Speaking of awkward living situations, I don't envy Wendy and Tripp. Yes. Living with your dashing doctor boyfriend who's completely committed to you sounds wonderful, but I'd like to add "someday." Out of the dating gates, well, I want to be able to put on a green facemask, eat junk food, and watch what I want without the worry he'll come home and catch me. Luckily for Wen, Tripp is basically a Golden Retriever and doesn't care what you do as long as you love him and, I suspect, give him belly rubs.

If Mr. Foreshadowing is testing a little something-something between Johnny and Talia, I'm going to slide this note that states "Johnny and Chanel, please" across the table and cross my fingers for the best. Though, I absolutely applauded Jo-Ro in these scenes. I thought it was fair to state he didn't hate Talia because he doesn't know her well enough, but he hated what she did to Chanel. Can we get this mindful version of Johnny all the time, please?

I kind of love Rafe and Johnny remembering their special bond. I especially loved the "Sad Guy Poker." Hilarious!

HOT Martsolf. Haiduk. Again, "Wowza!" They were wonderful! Just wowing. Brady and Kristen's fight was one of the most intense, beautifully acted, enthrallingly ugly scenes ever. Get them the awards. All the awards.

Bonus! We got some Martha M. marvelousness added in, and it was even more magical! Yep. ALL the awards.

NOT Really, Li? Should Melinda "smile more often." Your misogyny is showing, Shin. Shut it down.

LINE(S) OF THE WEEK "I swear to you on everything that's holy, if I ever get my hands on that slime bucket, I will rip that stupid ponytail off his head and strangle him with it." Gabi to Li regarding Dr. Rolf

"Way to go, buddy." Johnny to Rafe

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Double dang! I am totally calling John next time I need a door kicked in. You go, Agent Black.

Can we please -- pretty, pretty, pretty please -- get Adrienne back already!?

Dimitri is a well-mannered monster. I love that he addresses his kin by "Uncle E.J.," "Aunt Kristen," and so on. I'd like to see that happen in the Horton home, where Shawn-D must muster up the energy for a "Hello Half-aunt and step grandmother Julie!" Poor Claire. That gal would need a flow chart.

Also, Claire Bear! Aww. We need to catch up with her soon.

I enjoy Paulina and Kate's friendship. It tracks. Plus, Ms. Roberts might be the only other Salemite to out-crazy some of Paulina's craziest stories.

"I adore my daughter Sydney," said E.J. Quick, Elvis Jr. Where is she and what is she doing!?

The stuffed cat behind Abe is, well, I can't not laugh at that.

If Rafe and Johnny played "Sad Guy Poker," I think Kristen and Alex should play "Poor Me Poker." They both have a false sense of victimhood, and at least this way, it would be amusing.

Yes! We have got another Peter Blake mention. Soon enough, he'll spontaneously appear like Beetlejuice. Say it two more times, Special K.

"Daddy. You are Abraham Carver. You are my father and my hero. You are the finest man I have ever known." Preach it, Sister Lani!

Rafe has a drama-free relationship with Jada!? The dude was fired for fraternizing with her. At least he'll have more time to cook for her. He's amazing at that. Congrats, Jada.

I kind of love that Li wrote Wendy a note instead of texting her. Old school. Nice. Then again, she's steamed at him still. She might have blocked his number. Maybe not so nice, after all.

Is anyone going to be shocked when someday it's revealed that Paulina was friends with or related to Emily Hudson, and she still holds a grudge against Rafe? Maybe she's the one who sent Meredith and her trusty brick. Ah, memories! Nevertheless, there's some deep-seeded shade there.

Okay. So, Salem is close to Chicago. This we know. Now it appears that Maryland is within earshot. Well. At least within driving distance before sundown. I think it's safe to say Salem is a floating city in the clouds, perhaps.

It's weird that E.J. didn't go to Abe's funeral, right? He's a former brother-in-law and Theo's uncle.

I get a chuckle when Team DAYS decorates sets with pictures of the places the scenes are supposed to take place. Paul's apartment has the "San Francisco" artwork. Last week there was a "California" piece at the bus stop.

On topic, the bus stop set was great, but I must wonder, are all bus depots in Cali that nice?

Has anyone checked on Tater Tot lately!? I know Theresa wouldn't let anything happen to him, per se, but I wouldn't be shocked if RACH3L had them both locked in a secret room or attic in L.A. With or without ears. Eek!

Oh, shut up, Li. We all know your favorite movies are the Twilight saga. All that fanfic written by "DefinitelyNotLiShin" in your exact vernacular posted moments after you get off your phone. That's not you? Okay, Li. We believe you. *exaggerated stage wink*

As much as I loved "Sad Guy Poker" between Rafe and Johnny, somewhere in Statesville, I could almost hear Lucas lament, "You mean there's a game I could actually win, and I can't even play it!?" Followed by him releasing a Lucille Ball-like cry.

PARTING THOUGHTS

So, friends and fellow fans, that's it for July 24. Methinks I better manage the review of Marlena's medical records myself, so while I'm off doing that, the heavenly Laurisa will be back next week with a (hopefully) Satan-Free Two Scoops! As always, thank you for reading, and "That's a fact."

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