Salem’s a town where you can barely order a coffee at the Brady Pub without bumping into an ex, a secret admirer, or a clandestine hook-up. And Thursday on “Days of Our Lives,” the romantic entanglements and near-misses are firing on all cylinders.
Chanel and Johnny’s relationship continues its uneven trajectory, thanks to Johnny’s less-than-forthcoming nature about his night with Joy. As any soap opera veteran knows, secrets in Salem have a lifespan roughly equivalent to a carton of milk. With Nancy Miller back in town and her suspicion radar fully activated, Johnny’s truth bomb seems poised to detonate at any moment.
An awkward encounter at the Brady Pub, involving Chanel, Johnny, and a visibly uncomfortable Joy, suggests things are about to get even more complicated. Nancy’s questions about a certain wedding ring could be the catalyst that throws everything into chaos.
Elsewhere in Salem, heartbreak and new beginnings awkwardly coexist. Gabi, ever the supportive friend, finds herself comforting a newly single Javi, blissfully unaware that he’s about to be swept off his feet (or, at least, mildly nudged in a new romantic direction).
Enter Leo Stark, whose charms seem to work on everyone except, well, Gabi. Their flirty exchange sets the stage for what’s sure to be a messy triangle, complete with Gabi’s increasingly frantic attempts to steer Javi away from Leo’s orbit.
Alex and Stephanie find themselves in the familiar dance of unresolved feelings, making their attempts at friendship look about as convincing as a Salem mayoral election. Rafe and Jada, meanwhile, provide a brief respite from the relationship drama with their engagement celebration, giving Gabi a much-needed distraction from her own tangled love life.
Days of Our Lives airs weekdays on Peacock.
