Homecoming king

Will Abe's return bring celebration or more heartache? Will he get his memory back in time to remember the names of all the babies due? And will all of those babies actually make it? Let's help Abe reacclimatize to Salem in this week's Two Scoops.

Finally! Our Abraham is home! I really enjoyed this storyline -- camp and all. I love that Abe's return gave all characters a chance to shine.

I love that Theo was with Chad when he got the news about Abe. I'm thankful that Chad drove Theo to the hospital. And I appreciated that Theo had the moment with Kayla where he got to state that the way he treated Ciara when she had amnesia wasn't the most stand-up-worthy. Kayla was right to walk that back a bit because Theo didn't have criminal intent. But still. Yup, Theo, that was not cool. Glad that you own that.

While John and Steve were playing Candy Crush in an airport in L.A., Marlena and Kayla solved this case and saved the whole darn day. From researching Nurse Whitley's file, to breaking into her apartment, to being ready with the antidote for the drugs, these two were on fire this week. For the record, Kayla was the one who told Rafe and Jada that Abe was alive. I loved every part of it.

I have to hand it to DAYS, too. They brought it home with a believable reason for Nurse Whitley to be insane. I can't imagine a woman not snapping if she were to walk into her home and see her husband and her beloved pets dead, exactly in the same spots where she'd left them. I actually felt bad for her. Abe being Abe, I wouldn't be surprised if he draws upon his own experience of losing a spouse and completely forgives Whitley, sending her off to Bayview to bunk with Jason Michael. Errr...Harris Morgan. Whatever.

That's not to say I didn't cheer on Paulina when she read Nurse Whitley for filth. Yes, Paulina is one hundred percent entitled to those feelings. I loved this performance from Jacke Harry, too. As wild and flamboyant as her portrayal of Paulina usually is, for this scene, she brought it down and focused it in a way that made her fear and rage palpable. She was speaking for all of us. How dare this woman take Abe from us?!

And that leads me to Lani. Bringing her back was so smart because she's the heart of the audience here. She has no biological connection to Abe. Neither do we. Yet we all adore this man and want him fiercely protected. She went after him just like we would have. I love how Lani doesn't miss a beat and still refers to Abe as "Dad" and "my father." Lani does get to see Abe before she goes back to prison. He doesn't remember that she's his daughter, but he does remember that she rescued him! I adored this touch. The love between them shifted into a different form for a minute, but it didn't go away.

Abe may not have his memory back yet, but that's just fine with me. I want this revelation to happen on-screen with Theo, Paulina, and Chanel present. Chanel was the one who realized his amnesia, so it would be nice to have her there for the revelation that he has his memory back.

In other family news, Sloan is all of five minutes pregnant, and the two are telling the whole town. Cool. That's probably totally fine. Those people who wait until the end of the first trimester are just being overly cautious and silly. Yup, that's it.

The second Sloan heard that Nicole was running a DNA profile, she got in her magical flying car that can fly over traffic and beat Nicole to the hospital. A nurse who clearly should be fired handed over Nicole's file. And then, we learned that E.J. is not a biological match for Nicole's baby.

First, what a relief! This is the right call. Nicole having a baby with E.J. was unnecessary. They aren't each other's best (or even second best) match. They don't need to be connected forever. And let's face it, we've got a surplus of DiMeras around town right now that we're already not using, not to mention poor Sydney, who's floating around out there. We don't need to add another. That DiMera share math needs to chill for a bit.

Second, am I a card-carrying Ericole fan. But am I crazy for holding back just a little joy until we can get a confirmed match for Eric? I know Nicole didn't willingly sleep with anyone else. But these DAYS, with Rolf running around, anything is possible. What's to say she's not doing something like carrying the embryo Dr. Rolf whipped up using Kristen's eggs, or something like that.

But, sure. The likely answer is that Nicole is carrying Eric's baby. That's great for my Ericole fandom. It's also a lot more fun down the line if Nicole is the mother of Sami's niece or nephew. That keeps these two connected tighter, which never disappoints.

The only remaining question is whether both babies will actually make it. It would be horrific of the show to have Nicole lose a third baby, especially after all the specialists giving her the green light. The soapy road would seem to be that Sloan loses her baby and then steals Nicole's. But DAYS might zag and have both babies born and the two women compete for Eric's attention. Sloan's been the most tolerable when she's opposite Nicole. This would be a way to do that. So, go on, dueling pregnancy storyline!

One storyline I am nervous about continuing is this whole Dimitri/Gwen/Leo triangle. I just can't find anyone to root for here. Sure, Gwen's being wronged. But she's been so terrible, and she's such a certified moron here that I don't feel sorry for her. Leo's sacrificing all his previous karma points for this fling with Dimitri. It's not a shock, but it's a bummer. So, I'm not rooting for him to find any happiness from this.

And, I hate to say it, but Dimitri is a lot less interesting with Megan gone. I'm not sympathetic to his plight of not living your truth because the second family fortune you're in line for is at stake. I mean, the curse upon this guy. Only one family fortune...has to go through life looking like Peter Porte. Some guys just can't catch a break!

While I wanted to come through the TV and tell Chad not to neanderthal the situation...again...Stephanie sure has her act together. I love her straight talk with Alex. I hat-tipped her redirection with Chad. I cheered when she snarked at Dimitri that she'd be going nowhere around the woman who tortured Abigail. I propose she joins the Belle/Chloe/Jada brunch club. We've got a fabulous group of millennial ladies in Salem right now!

I don't dislike Melinda and Li together. But it's just that both of their characters have been extremely one-note during their tenure in Salem, so I'm unsure of the nuances that could be explored there. Still, I'm all for good wine pairings, and these two are palatable for now.

Silly Brady. He can't wave a loaded gun around and expect no consequences. Kristen's the only one who can expect no consequences around here. I'm super annoyed that Kristen can withhold Rachel, teach her to lie to the police, and then turn around and play the victim.

Here's the thing: if Kristen actually was a good mom, I'd feel different. But she isn't. She gaslights her own kid and emotionally manipulates her. She makes me yell at my TV, and not in the good Megan DiMera way. Belle is going to regret saying that the best thing for Rachel is having both parents be part of her life. She should have said, "...having her father be part of her life." I have yet to see any indication that Kristen is good for Rachel.

I still don't see why they can't tell Gwen the truth. She's been on three dates with Dimitri. He's not the love of her life. I have leftovers in my fridge older than their relationship.

HOT: I don't know what DAYS needs to do, but I'd welcome Lani and Eli on my screen all the time. Their relationship is so solid that I can relax while watching them. How many couples can you say that about? Absolutely none within their generation! Huge credit goes to Lamon Archey and Sal Stowers, who sink into favorite-sweatpants level of comfort together. I adored having them here.

NOT: Oh, Melinda. Just when I thought you were getting somewhere, you came out with the backward statement, "I saw you as the ultimate career woman!" in response to Sloan's pregnancy news. Yikes. Women can be moms and ultimate career women. I know, I know. It's devil's magic. But it's true. And you should know that. You can have all the seats with that comment, Melinda.

Furthermore, E.J. asked the doctor if he can lie to Nicole and put the traditional colors -- pink or blue -- for the nursery. Again, yikes. Why are we married to these weird ideas that limit our girls, especially in a genre that thrives on divas?

LINE OF THE WEEK:

Nicole: "Eric is a fundamentally good man who's having a baby with a tarantula."

E.J. straight-up said Nicole was upset that Sloan is going to have Eric's baby. Nicole admitted it, and E.J. handled it well.

Unintentional burn of the week:

Chad: "Steph and Alex used to date."

Theo: "Was it serious?"

Chad: "It was for him."

Steph looked amazing in that green dress.

Why is Marlena threatened by an umbrella?

That Jack of Hearts print outside of Nurse Whitley's apartment is kind of cool.

If you are going to gift the bride a piece of jewelry to wear on her wedding day, you need to start doing it before the wedding day. Do you know how long brides work on their look for the big day? Don't come in there at the last minute with your accessory additions. Those need to be in well ahead of time!

Lani may have been in rough shape when she got to the hospital, but her makeup looked fantastic.

It sounded like Whitley was reciting the 23rd Psalm while Marlena was talking to her. Could that be a nod to the last time she was counseled by the devil?

How long was Colin sent to prison? Can we hope he's on the Patrick Lockhart/Peter Blake sentencing model? Right now, that seems to be life to always.

I want to be able to pull off a statement necklace like Paulina.

Guess Salem U Hospital better ready themselves for another lawsuit. How long did Nurse Whitley treat patients while mentally ill?

Nicole's ponytail game has been on point.

As Brady was telling Eric about the whole Rachel thing and how he's actually trying to teach his daughter a lesson about being truthful, I just couldn't help but think that Brady is talking to the wrong sibling. If there ever was a time for Brady to seek out advice from Sami, it's now. She knows what it's like to fight a DiMera over custody. I'm not suggesting Brady shoot Kristen in the head while she sleeps, but Brady needs to do something other than get Eric's opinion.

I cracked up at Paulina pulling out an entire framed photo from her purse.

If Connie is into serial killers, she couldn't have picked a better town.

I had to chuckle at Rafe's pitch to Jada. Hey, babe. Now that I'm unemployed, want to date in the daylight?

For an ex-priest and member of a major family in Salem, Eric sure does have a lot of exes around town.

Slow clap started for Melinda sizing up Alex in the time it took to drink one glass of wine. Yes, it is annoying when people who don't need glasses wear them. Also, I'm not so sure if he was ever in love with Stephanie Johnson. I think he liked her more than any other girl he dated, but that's a pretty low bar.

That's it for this week! I'll be back next week to see how this double wedding ends. I'm sure it will be a grand celebration. Double weddings in Salem usually just mean double the joy!

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