Rex rolled off his bunk when he heard the prison guard opening the cell door. Tony hugged Rex and told him that he was taking him home. As they happily prepared to go, Bo came in and menacingly told Rex that there was no way that he was walking out. Hope was right behind Bo, and tried to stop him when he shed his gun and badge to attack Rex. She reminded Bo that the truth was that the DiMeras could actually be innocent. Bo received a call from Roman and on the way out he ordered a police officer to put a tail on the DiMeras. A while later, Rex and Tony walked by the Brady Pub and Rex reveled in the feeling of freedom. He told Tony that he had a stop to make before he headed home, and he and Tony went into the Pub to pay their last respects to Caroline.
At Caroline's wake, Celeste stood at the casket and spoke to Caroline who had opened her eyes and warned of other deaths to come. While Celeste tried to find out who would be next, Marlena collapsed to the floor. Roman rushed to call an ambulance, but it was delayed by other emergencies in the city. They moved Marlena to another room, and Lexie worked quickly to find out the problem. When Roman tried to take Marlena to the hospital, she went into a seizure, and Lexie tried to locate the problem. Mimi worried about the best way to tell Belle that her mom was the killer's next victim, but couldn't reach her on the phone. Will overheard his grandma's plight, and hurried to tell his mother the news about Marlena.
Around the corner, Sami and Will walked toward the Pub and Will pestered his mom about whether or not she and Lucas would get back together someday. Sami told him that they were never together in the first place, but Will didn't understand and kept asking if there was any chance that they would reconcile. When she said they would not be a couple, Will compared them to Marlena and Roman, but Sami insisted that they were different and actually stood a chance of a relationship. Impatient with the questions, Sami sent Will inside and turned to see Kate and John arrive. She informed them that they were not welcome at her grandmother's wake, and tried to get them to leave. John defended Kate when Sami tried to get her to come clean about her secret regarding Stefano and her life as a call girl. Sami wouldn't come out and say it though, because she said if she did Kate would sic Victor on her. John stopped Sami and Kate from a potential catfight, and Sami told them that both of their relationships were doomed and that they would pay for the unforgivable way they had treated her. She stomped inside only to find that her shoe was broken. As she tried to fix it, Kate and John came in and Sami launched her high heel at Kate. John retrieved the shoe and fixed it, but Sami stepped in front of them and tried to refuse them passage. John reminded her that he raised her and asked why she was so angry at him when all he had tried to do is love her. Sami told them that her parents loved each other and that Kate and John were simply in the way. Just then, Will ran down the stairs crying, "Grandma's dead!" After explaining that it was Grandma Marlena, John and Sami were shocked to silence.
Lexie told Roman that she thought they had lost Marlena, and Roman ran crying to hold Marlena and said "I love you!" just as Kate, Sami and John arrived in the doorway. Sami gloated at her father's proclamation. John went to the bedside and begged Marlena to hold on. Then he ordered Lexie to check Marlena's vitals. They were improving and finally stabilized. Sami cried and ran to ask her mother to please return to them. All the while, Kate watched as Roman hurried to get Marlena help. They told Marlena that they needed her to wake up so that they could find out how she had become sick. In her coma, Marlena remembered eating dip from the table downstairs right before she collapsed. She tried to speak to tell them the culprit, but couldn't move her mouth or open her eyes. Downstairs, Caroline told Celeste that she had to convince Lexie to do something quickly or Marlena wouldn't make it. Celeste told Lexie of speaking to Caroline. She was skeptical at first, but then after Roman and John had subliminal messages from Caroline, they insisted that she do something also.
In the entryway, Shawn Sr. saw Tony and Rex and began yelling at them at their nerve for coming to a Brady's wake. As he became angrier, he also collapsed, and Kim asked them to leave. Before he could find Mimi, who had angrily left earlier because Rex wouldn't admit who his parents were, Bo stopped Rex. He said that since he had done a complex analysis before on the killer and knew his next victim, did he know who the next victim would be? To which Rex replied, "Yes, I do know."
At the Kiriakis Mansion, Nicole confided to Brady her fear that she would never find the same love as Marlena and John's. Hedging questions about Chloe, Nicole tried to suggest that her chance at love might still be possible with Brady. Victor interrupted a near kiss between them, to deliver news of Chloe's return. Victor warned Brady not to lose the true love of his life, as Victor had lost Caroline. Victor's secret plan to protect Brady from Nicole was ensured by threatening his wife into silence, saying, "Dead wives tell no tales."
Upstairs at the Brady Pub, Marlena's recollection of tasting the dip came back as she regained consciousness. Meanwhile, Celeste's warning of impending death nearby interrupted Hope's tasting the tainted dip herself. Incredulous at Celeste's claim of speaking with Caroline, Hope was nearly poisoned before Bo stopped her from eating the dip.
While John prepared some soup from a recovering Marlena, Roman reminisced with her about their past. Sami tried to bring her parents closer with Caroline's family photo album. Outside Kate and John watched Roman hold Marlena kissing her forehead, while Sami claimed their love would last forever. John told a worried Kate he had faith in Marlena saying no one could ever change it. But Kate's concern was that with Sami as an enemy, it was either kill or be killed.
Bo still suspected and accused Rex of the murders. Hope convinced Bo to wait for evidence. But she couldn't convince him about Celeste's premonitions, until he saw Caroline step out of her coffin with attitude. A shocked Bo heard his mother tell him to solve the crime before it's too late. With those words two pictures fell from a table and shattered, one of Bo and Hope and one of Roman. Celeste called it an omen
While Lexie continued defending the DiMeras, Sami hinted that Cassie and Rex might not be DiMeras. Rex's threat to shut her up made him more seem guilty in Bo's eyes. But Rex offered his help in analyzing facts to help. His opinion was the next victim could be Bo, Hope or Roman. As Caroline told Celeste that John would kill Marlena, Marlena was leaving, unsteady on her feet, after drinking John's soup. Furious at seeing her mother with John, Sami accused Rex of wanting to get rid of Roman. In tears, Sami revealed that Rex is Roman's son.
Sami drops the huge bombshell: Cassie/Rex are not Tony DiMera's children. They have Brady DNA. Roman Brady is the Twins' biological father! Everyone reels. Rex stares daggers at Sami. Cassie, Mimi, Shawn overhear. Shawn is shocked: he's related to his sworn enemy, Rex. And Mimi has known all along! John realizes Tony must've been the one who stole the results of Rex's lie detector test since he doesn't seem surprised -- that was the first inkling they had that Rex was lying about his parentage. Roman berates Sami for keeping this huge secret. Sami defends, says she didn't want to break her father's heart. Sami tries to turn the situation to her own advantage. She encourages her mom/dad to get closer to help the Twins. Marlena thinks it's still possible she could be the Twins' mom; she gave birth to them, after all. Sami tries to use the Twins to reunite the family she wants, with Marlena and Roman back together again.
Encouraged by Mimi to be honest, the Twins admit it's true, but they were determined to remain DiMeras. The Twins assure Tony that they want nothing to do with the Bradys. They still want to be DiMeras. Tony tells them they will always be family to him. Finally, Cassie drops a second bomb: Marlena is not their mother, Kate Roberts is! Sami panics: the last thing she wants is for the twins to bring Roman/Kate closer! Sami pitches a fit! Caroline's ghost warns Celeste that Sami's fury will grow after John kills Marlena.
Shawn is convinced the DiMeras are responsible for the serial killings and is worried about Mimi, who he views to be in love with a psycho-killer.
Tony steals a private moment with Marlena. He expects her to gloat, but she can't. Marlena supports Tony in his grief. John comforts Doc. She still feels bonded with the Twins, but at least her parental tie with Tony is no more. John/Marlena draw closer and embrace.
Roman/Kate talk in private about the shocking news. Kate is as stunned as Roman. They had no idea that Stefano could have used them in such a horrible way. Now they have grown children who hate them. Kate/Roman inevitably grow closer, sharing their parental despair. Finally, Roman and Kate kiss and are reunited.
Sami watches both couples, seething. She vows she'll get her parents back together again. John and Kate will not stand in her way. Sami will kill to get what she wants!
Bo/Hope remember Rex's prediction that Bo, Hope, or Roman, could be the next victim. Bo gets a PDA message from the killer: the Bradys Thanksgiving is cancelled due to a death in the family. Bo wonders if another murder is about to take place. Hope thinks the killer is taunting them about losing Caroline. Hope vows they will celebrate Thanksgiving, after all. As Bo/Hope kiss, we see another ominous message from the killer. Meanwhile, Cassie figures out who the killer is!
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, all soaps will be pre-empted on Thursday, November 27th. These pre-emptions were accounted for during production and scheduling, so there will be be no missed or "lost" episodes.
For a complete holiday programming schedule, please see our news coverage located at: https://www.soapcentral.com/soapcentral/news/2003/1124-thanksgiving.php
On behalf of everyone at Soap Opera Central, we would like to thank you for taking time out of your normal routine to spend some time with us today -- and every day. We wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday.
After a romantic night together, Roman and Kate were coming to terms with their relationship. Kate was disappointed that Roman could not remove her from the List of Suspects. Promising to stand by her no matter what, Roman assured Kate he had never stopped loving her, and that Marlena was in his past, but not his future. While Roman felt a new bond being the parents of Cassie and Rex, Kate's insecurities about Sami placed blame on her as the murderer. With Roman out of the room, Kate placed a call.
Unable to deal with Caroline's death, Shawn, Sr. remained home with Kim and Kayla. Bo and Hope planned Thanksgiving dinner at their home for the children's sake, to continue Caroline's tradition. Celeste came to the Brady's to tell of her latest vision. She had seen blood dripping from a Fall Festival sign in Salem Place and a bloody, torn piñata. Recalling Caroline's words from the coffin that blood would stain the Thanksgiving celebration, Celeste warned of her fear that a murder would take place there. Consumed with grief and anger, Bo angrily refused Celeste's warnings, but Alice believed her.
Sami was taking out her frustrations on a turkey tenderizing it to perfection with a mallet. When Lucas arrived at Will's invitation, she told him about Marlena being a surrogate mother to the Twins. Learning that Kate was their biological mother, a shocked Lucas now realized he had almost made love to Cassie, his half- sister. Lucas made a phone call outside Sami's apartment, while Sami simultaneously ran to dial her phone inside. Later, Sami fantasized Kate's head on top of the turkey taunting her about becoming Roman's wife, and getting Sami accused as the murderess. Hearing Kate rhyming that Sami took an ax and gave Abe Carver 40 whacks, Sami chopped off the fantasized head.
At the DiMera Mansion, after having premonition nightmares, Cassie decided against leaving a voicemail for Rex. Sure now of her brother's innocence, she sent him an email saying she knew the killer's identity and how Maggie's blood had been planted on his clothes. Planning to expose and stop the killer, Cassie wrote that she knew this revelation would "destroy so many lives." Tearfully, she wrote of doing the right thing by protecting her brother. A phone call from the killer frightened Cassie to blurt out her plans to tell the police. Hearing the phone ring again, a panicked Cassie pulled out the cord, and left her room.
Deciding to bond with their newfound children, Roman suggested inviting the Twins to the Brady Thanksgiving dinner. Leaving a message for Cassie, Roman found a message from her on his cell phone. Hearing that she was on her way to the Salem PD to reveal the killer's identity, Roman put out an All Points Bulletin to find her for her protection. Frantically searching for her, Roman reached a children's event in Salem Place. Shawn ran into Sami, suspicious that her alibi about buying a pie seemed to be a lie.
Children participated in a Fall Festival celebration, taking turns at a turkey-shaped piñata. Roman and Lucas watched from a distance as blood started oozing through the piñata. Within seconds it broke releasing Cassie's cut-up, lifeless body. Standing nearby, was a shocked Kate, holding a bloodied knife in her hand.
