Days of Our Lives Review for the Week of 12-18-23: A Sentimental Christmas Eve Honors the Past

I did not have excessive hopes for the Christmas Eve episode this yr. Days of Our Lives has made Christmas an afterthought too many occasions, and the promo recommended a small affair full of individuals who had nothing to do with the Hortons.

But the Christmas Eve celebration on Days of Our Lives throughout the week of 12-18-23 was way more in the vacation spirit than I’d anticipated. The flashbacks of Alice and Tom and Julie’s ideas about how they’d have felt about the measurement of their once-small household made this one of the finest Horton Christmas tales.

There had been some hiccups (in some way Julie known as Roman to order pies for additional visitors that she did not know had been coming) and a few notable absences — the place had been the Deverauxes or Maggie’s different kids and grandchildren? But the emphasis on household and love was what viewers wanted this vacation season.

Christmas could be a bittersweet time for individuals who have misplaced family members, and Days of Our Lives captured that completely by means of Julie’s emphasis on Tom and Alice.

Christmas was their vacation, so Julie would naturally miss her grandparents this time of yr.

The flashbacks additionally solidified the hyperlink between the generations. Julie and Doug had been as soon as the beloved youthful era who visited Tom and Alice for Christmas, however now they’re the household matriarchs entertaining kids and grandchildren of their very own.

Most of the motion came about at the Horton House, and other people put apart their variations for the sake of the vacation. This can also be a Days of Our Lives custom; Christmas is nearly all the time a break from the drama, and Jennifer as soon as invited Theresa though the two could not stand one another.

Doug and Julie’s asides about the visitors had been typically hilarious and helped transfer the story alongside.

Maggie: I’ve been an honorary Horton so long as I can bear in mind.
Julie: Maggie! There’s nothing honorary about it. YOu married in. You’re one of us. And we Hortons stick collectively like glue. If you harm one of us, you harm all of us.

They had been quietly protecting of Maggie, too. Even although this was a Christmas episode, there was loads of story motion as a number of individuals voiced suspicions of Konstantin.

I beloved the quiet, refined method that Doug and Julie put him on discover. Xander did the identical, however what occurred after he recommended that Konstantin might need been concerned with kidnapping child Victoria?

The story moved onto one other scene, and later, Xander and Sarah talked about Konstantin, but when the Greek troublemaker responded to Xander’s accusation, it was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it second that I missed.

That felt like a free finish. Surely, Konstantin has some silly plan in thoughts to neutralize Xander now.

I’m glad Chad and Stephanie put apart their variations for the children’ sake. It wasn’t proper for Stephanie to vanish into skinny air; it is unhealthy sufficient we’re coping with the fallout from an identical state of affairs on Neighbours with out each my soaps having a narrative like that!

The children wanted closure and reassurance that Stephanie would proceed to be a component of their lives, and that was the finest Christmas current — even when Thomas’ response to not with the ability to open his actual Christmas current was solely unrealistic.

Do the writers have children? A little one who meekly accepts being instructed to attend to open presents and does not even attempt to shake or prod the reward to see what it’s is uncommon.

Everett and Chad managed to be civil with one another, too. Chad is performing extra mature now that he and Stephanie have damaged up.

While this felt like a cut up for the sake of drama, it additionally appeared like with out the strain of a relationship hanging over their heads, Chad and Stephanie are way more capable of act like first rate human beings.

But what the heck was the level of Everett coming to Christmas Eve? He did not do a lot however stand round and stroll Stephanie dwelling when the celebration ended. He would possibly as properly have stayed dwelling.

His presence was additionally the set-up for the finest in-joke that by no means occurred. Doug or Julie might have felt unhealthy that he could not take part of their decoration hanging and requested him to hold Nick’s decoration so he may very well be concerned.

I additionally do not understand how I really feel about Everett being the first Jewish character Days of Our Lives has had since Robin Jacobs in the late Eighties.

On the one hand, I’m glad that the sequence lastly acknowledged that not everyone seems to be Catholic. That’s felt unrealistic for the final a number of years. And it is essential to incorporate Jewish characters on TV now when anti-semitism is hitting highs not seen since Germany in the Nineteen Thirties.

But Everett is not an upstanding citizen, not less than not to this point.

He provides off stalker vibes, has used not less than two completely different names, and returned to Salem with a most definitely made-up story about having been in a coma for the final a number of years. Making a sleazy, dishonest character the solely Jewish character in Salem reinforces stereotypes at a time when the reverse is required.

Days of Our Lives did this as soon as earlier than by suggesting Anne Milbauer may be Jewish. While she was solely Jewish-coded and never explicitly a member of the faith, it despatched that very same unfavourable message.

To be clear, there’s nothing mistaken with having some Jewish characters who’re shady or obnoxious.

Making everybody who’s a member of a marginalized group squeaky clear is as unhealthy as making all of them evil. But when there is just one Jewish character, giving them lots of unfavourable traits reinforces stereotypes.

Maybe Everett will shock me and be solely on the up-and-up. I hope so, although that bizarre coma story makes so little sense that I doubt it. And what’s up with him utilizing the identify Bobby to wed after which divorce Jada?

I’m keen for Jada and Everett to cross paths.

Jada is just not that fascinating a personality proper now — she’s caught in a non-story about how she does not wish to transfer in with Rafe but, and he accepts her selection. (Though giving her a set of home keys for Christmas comes near crossing a line when she mentioned she does not wish to transfer in with Rafe.)

Bobby/Everett’s existence might shake that up, so let’s get on with it.

 Theresa was capable of have a good time Christmas Eve with Tate and Brady, however nobody is aware of the bullet she dodged — or is she nonetheless in hassle?

Andrew visited briefly, to not spend time along with his household for Christmas, however to tell Theresa that he knew she had kidnapped child Victoria.

After a ridiculous half-truth about how she helped Konstantin with this in order that he might impress Maggie, Andrew agreed to not inform on Theresa if she minimize ties with Konstantin.

Surprise, shock (NOT!), Konstantin instantly known as and threatened Theresa — and we do not know what occurred subsequent as a result of the writers did not share it with us.

The clever factor to do would have been to inform Andrew that Konstantin is bothering her,  however Theresa possible will not do this. She’s too afraid of the reality popping out, though Konstantin was the one who did the precise forgery.

Ironically, Brady’s feedback about Theresa being a gold digger would have been off-base, even when he knew the full story. She did not forge the letter as a result of she needed to marry Alex for his cash. She did it as a result of she thinks he is extra deserving than Xander.

But nobody will see it that method when the reality lastly involves mild, particularly not Brady and Alex. Theresa will possible be a pariah on par with Nicole and people shredded paperwork in 2014.

Tate’s changing into a robust character who is not afraid to face as much as customers like Holly or his mother and father once they’re performing like kids. Let’s hope he sticks to his resolve about Holly even after Theresa’s pep speak.

Holly sank to a brand new low together with her drunken name to Johnny.

It was unhappy that nobody remembered her birthday — and I do not discover it plausible that Nicole would go away city with out acknowledging it, regardless of how depressed Nicole was — however individuals serving to themselves to alcohol the second one thing goes mistaken is a drained cleaning soap trope that should go.

If Johnny did not suppose Holly was into him earlier than, he ought to now, in any case that discuss how she’s now legally capable of consent to intercourse.

I’m additionally drained of this sample the place Johnny frequently ditches the lady he is with to take care of another person’s wants. Chanel’s mom in the hospital ought to have taken precedence, particularly after discovering Holly handed out.

Once Johnny made certain she was not in danger of choking on her vomit, he ought to have headed again to the hospital as a substitute of sitting there doing nothing.

Paulina’s story appeared like a public service announcement about most cancers screenings. I’m not a fan of these sorts of uber-realistic terminal sickness tales, so let’s hope that she does not have a critical sickness, particularly not throughout the holidays.

Several DAYS vets gathered for a pre-Christmas dinner the place they strolled down reminiscence lane. I beloved the flashbacks and the friendship — these varieties of scenes was the spine of life in Salem, however they have been MIA lately.

John: You know, if you happen to’d instructed me again then that many years later we might all be sitting round swappinn’ reminiscences as lifelong mates…
Roman: THose had been some arduous occasions again then.
John: As you recognize, I did not have any reminiscences of earlier than I used to be John Black. I’m simply so glad that I discovered my actual father and know I come from good individuals and am not associated to that monster Yo Ling. That John Black, he’s one rattling fortunate man.

I’d have most well-liked extra flashbacks from years in the past, although. John and Marlena obtained some good ones. I particularly beloved the appeal bracelet flashback. But Kate’s flashback was from solely a yr in the past, and there was just one Steve/Kayla flashback.

Focusing on John’s previous appeared like a set-up for some future story. I hope they do not undo Dick Van Dyke being John’s dad.

Abe was additionally conspicuously absent from these scenes. He might have associated to John’s lack of reminiscences from the previous, and he is been an vital member of this group of mates for years. So the place was he?

I want Nicole had gotten her child again for this yr’s Christmas miracle as a substitute of Sloan threatening her and EJ believing that Nicole has misplaced her thoughts.

But if Santa might convey viewers only one current, it could be to finish this ridiculous Stefan/Ava storyline. 

It’s unhealthy sufficient that these two seasoned mobsters cannot work out find out how to cope with Clyde’s weak-sauce threats. But now Harris shared a drunken kiss with Stephanie solely to provide Ava an excuse to interrupt up with him.

Ava breaking issues off will not cease Harris from investigating the place medication are coming from. If something, this was a self-defeating transfer as a result of if Harris is concerned with Ava, he is much less prone to wish to consider she’s behind the drug commerce. Plus, he would possibly really feel a sure loyalty to the relationship.

Now, he has no motive to not throw the e-book at Ava if he finds out the reality. Listening to Stefan was a horrible concept.

Your flip, Days of Our Lives fanatics. Hit the huge, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and tell us what you thought of the Christmas episode and the lead into it.

For extra Days of Our Lives chat, try the newest Days of Our Lives Round Table dialogue submit, up to date on Sunday.

Days of Our Lives streams completely on Peacock. New episodes drop on weekdays at 6/5c.

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