A hush settles over Salem as the clock ticks toward a week that promises to rearrange every relationship, every pact, and every whispered rumor in town. The host of the channel returns with a spark of feverish anticipation, ready to thread together the threads of a saga that feels less like fiction and more like a living explosion. January 26, 2026 stands on the horizon like a loaded gun, and the promise of what’s coming next feels both thrilling and terrifying.

First, the bones speak. Rafa Hernandez, the steadfast commissioner who has learned to measure fear with his calm, delivers a revelation that stuns the city: the remains unearthed are tied somehow to Stefano DiMera. The words hang in the air with the cold finality of a verdict: Stefano’s bones, real or a red herring, cast a pall over EJ and Chad, whose entire sense of reality has always rested on the ghostly weight of a man who seemed immortal. The notion of Stefano as a literal skeleton in the closet shatters the mythology that surrounded him for decades. Is this the skeleton of a man who once ruled Salem, or a carefully constructed illusion designed to pull apart the Dera brothers’ trust?

Skepticism is the necessary chorus. The viewers point out what many have always known about Salem: DNA tests here are as fallible as predictions in a hurricane. The theory grows more tangled: what if these bones are not the anchor of truth, but a decoy crafted to draw attention away from the true Phoenix, the real power behind the throne? Doctor Ralph re-enters the stage, his presence a spark that hints at laboratory miracles and terrifying experiments. The possibility that Stefano’s legacy could be reimagined with a different face—an actor stepping into the role or a CGI echo—looms like a careful tightrope walk. Fans debate fiercely: is this reverent homage or a risky gamble that could ignite a fan rebellion if the homage falters?

Meanwhile, the drama lifts from the dead into a living flame: Vivian Alamain—fiercely romantic, ruthlessly calculating—reappears with Gwen at her side, a reunion that promises chaos as undeniable as gravity. The moment Gwen hands the reins to Vivian feels almost ceremonial, a passing of power from one schemer to another. Vivian’s return is not simply a comeback; it’s a declaration of intent: she seeks not merely revenge but restoration of influence, a bid to reclaim the dynasty she once controlled. Gwen, dazzling and dangerous, strides forward as Vivian’s ally for now, their alliance a volatile blend of glittering ambition and strategic danger. The pair are a classic duet of enemies who play as friends when it serves the larger conspiracy—Vivian guiding Gwen to dismantle enemies, Gwen seizing her shot at a throne that glitters with carats and menace.

Yet Vivian’s appetite isn’t sated by personal vendettas alone. The whispers hint at a larger target: Dimitri. Vivian’s aim feels almost ceremonial, as if she’s determined to retake the entire family line, to bend the Albans and Demares to her will, using Gwen as a practical instrument and a living shield. The allegiance, though, is as thin as a thread: the moment Gwen outlives her usefulness, Vivian will cast her aside without a second thought. The game is ruthless, and the players are hungry for control.

The laboratory’s glow returns to the foreground. Doctor Ralph—once the kindly inventor in a world gone mad—has rekindled his darker ambitions. His mice, his serums, his experiments in a basement that feels like a cathedral of hubris, are everywhere. He’s supposedly crafting a serum for EJ, a resurrection or enhancement that could tilt the scale of power in Salem’s wars. The question isn’t just whether EJ needs revival or strength; it’s whether the town is ready to accept a man reborn through the cold precision of science, a man whose appetite for leverage could redefine how power is wielded in this sprawling soap opera of lies and loyalties. If Ralph’s serum works, if EJ can be restored or enhanced, the balance of control shifts to a new, chilling axis—one where science becomes a weapon of destiny.

Julius-like judgments echo around the Brady Pub and the nearby book club as Julie Williams stands at the center of a social storm. Julie’s status as a pillar of the community makes every misstep feel like a fracture in the town’s foundation. The confrontation with Marlene, fierce and raw, exposes the fragility beneath Julie’s polished exterior. Grief—over Doug—has peeled back layers, and Julie’s bluntness lands hard on those