Days of Our Lives Reunites a Much-Missed Familiar Face With Kayla
Friday, February 3rd, 2023
Dare we trust our eyes?
If there’s one good thing that’s come out of Kayla, Kate and Marlena dying, it’s that we’ve been getting some trips down Memory Lane and we’ve gotten to see some familiar characters who’ve passed on in the afterlife — characters like Adrienne!
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Though Judi Evans has been around playing Adrienne’s double, Bonnie (and even, in part taking over her life in the Kiriakis family and marrying Justin), for the last few years the two women are very different, and it just hasn’t quite been the same. Adrienne, after all, has been gone since she was killed in a car accident during the Days of Our Lives time jump three years ago.
But in the Friday, February 3 episode, she reunited with Kayla in heaven. Because where else would she be? “Spending time with you has really warmed my heart.”
And then the show pulled the rug out from under us once again as Adrienne asked Kayla to sign a contract (never a good sign) and then sent her off on the next leg of her journey. That’s when Adrienne’s voice dropped a few octaves and she chuckled at how gullible Kayla was. So we were back to the devil again. The same as Jordan. And Susan. We think. Maybe? Maybe not?
Days of Our Lives‘ version of the devil really likes possessing people, but can he do the same thing with the souls of the dearly departed?
To muddy things a bit further, in the current issue of Soap Opera Digest, headwriter Ron Carlivati teased the afterlife storyline by saying, ““We had quite a bit of fun trying to figure out who they might meet up with in the afterworld and who might be an ally or who might be a villain that we could play. I don’t want to give away too much, but these women will encounter some familiar faces.”
Is it the real Adrienne just being controlled by the devil? Is it some other trick or a test of some kind? Whoever’s behind this said that wasn’t Adrienne, but were they lying? And is this the devil the mastermind after all? The end of Friday’s episode left it vague as to who “It’s you,” was as “Susan” revealed her true self off-screen.
Still, Satan seems like the best bet… and he is the Father of Lies. But we’re really hoping the obvious twist isn’t what’s going on.
But if it truly wasn’t Adrienne, it sounds like there’s still room for “some familiar faces,” so will we be seeing the real Adrienne before this saga is over? It would seem such a horrible shame to waste a reunion like this on a trick. So right now, we’re going to cross our fingers and hope that one way or another our beloved Adrienne will make an appearance!
Check out our photo gallery of all the actors who’ve returned or are returning to Days of Our Lives.
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<p>The OG cast member, who played unlucky-in-love ex-nun Marie from 1965-73 and from 1994-2010, was among the alumni set to return for the soap’s farewell to the late Bill Hayes and his character, Doug.</p>
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<p>Also headed back for the show’s tribute to Hayes was this fan favorite, who played Doug’s granddaughter, Ciara.</p>
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<p>No way could <em>Days of Our Lives</em> say goodbye to Doug without bringing home Belle and Shawn for the occasion.</p>
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<p>Eli and Lani booked a flight back to Salem, too, so that they could be there to support his grandmother Julie in her hour of need.</p>
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<p>On April 10, 2024, <em>Days of Our Lives</em> announced that “we’re seeing some newcomers in Salem” and shared a photo of two them. One was this alum of Apple TV+’s <em>Nova Vita</em> with Marci Miller (ex-Abigail). Who was Jimenez playing, though? The show wouldn’t say, although it seemed likely that she was going to be Camila Banus’ successor as Gabi. In the picture with Jimenez was another fresh face…</p>
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<p>This new arrival on previously appeared on such series as <em>The Haves and the Have Nots</em> and <em>The Dead Girls Detective Agency.</em> He was also one of the few good things about <em>The Walking Dead: World Beyond</em>. (He’s wearing his soldier-boy garb from that show above). The identity of his new character was also kept secret. Gabi’s brother, Dario, maybe? A re-recast Sonny?</p>
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<p>In time for Thanksgiving, the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> veteran was said to be reclaiming her role of Jennifer from Cady McClain, who won an Emmy for her take on the character. <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/comings-and-goings/725085/jennifer-reeves-return-jennifer-horton/" target="_blank">Per TV Insider</a>, Reeves would also be on hand for episodes dealing with the death of the late Bill Hayes’ Doug.</p>
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<p>Needless to say, if Jennifer was coming back, Jack would be, too.</p>
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<p>While visiting <em>The Locher Room</em> in early April, Deidre Hall (Marlena) revealed that her long-ago co-star would be passing through Salem for the first time since Liz Chandler was last seen leaving town after her divorce in 1986.</p>
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<p>During a spring visit to <em>The Locher Room</em>, <em>Another World</em> legend Stephen Schnetzer (Cass) disclosed that he’d be briefly reprising his role of Julie’s brother, Steve, which he played from 1978-80.</p>
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<p>With Jamie Martin Mann taking his leave to focus on college, the <em>Legacies</em> head turner was tapped to step in as Brady and Theresa’s son, Tate.</p>
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<p>The burning down of the Hortons’ home during February sweeps stirred up a lot of warm memories — many of which would be brought to life in newly created Tom and Alice flashbacks with Syndey K. Smith and Zach Chyz stepping in for the young versions of Frances Reid and Macdonald Carey’s iconic characters.</p>
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<p>Less than a month after the actresses took off so that Nicole could get daughter Holly into rehab, they were back. But, given <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/soapbox/717325/arianne-zucker/" target="_blank">what was going on behind the scenes</a>, how long Zucker would be sticking around remained a big question mark.</p>
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<p>New year, new star power! As 2023 was on its way out, <em>Days of Our Lives</em> revealed that the alum of primetime’s <em>Dallas</em> and <em>90210</em> reboots was on her way in as the intoxicating Marin.</p>
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<p>The scene-stealing <em>Young & Restless</em> star gave <em>Days of Our Lives</em> an early Christmas present in December when she teased a return to Salem as Leo’s Mommie Dearest, Diana.</p>
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<p>SORAS hit Brady and Theresa’s son Tate hard, transforming the legacy character from a little boy to a young man in the fall of 2023.</p>
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<p>Coincidentally — or not! — Nicole’s daughter with the late Daniel Jonas underwent a gorgeous growth spurt at about the same time.</p>
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<p>“How,” you ask, “is Emily O’Brien joining the cast when she’s already playing Gwen?” Whelp, in early October, the news broke that she’d also be taking on Jen Lilley’s role of Theresa. How’d that happen? <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/comings-and-goings/690205/theresa-recast-emily-obrien/" target="_blank">Let Lilley explain here.</a></p>
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<p>Uh, guys, that wasn’t the kind of gun show we had in mind. Nonetheless, as autumn neared, we were ready to “fall” for Paul and Andrew all over again.</p>
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<p>One award short to be an EGOT winner, the entertainment legend began an unforgettable run as <span style="text-decoration: line-through">an amnesiac</span> John’s real father in the fall of 2023. Something told us he’d soon be adding a Daytime Emmy to his trophy case.</p>
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<p>The credits for an accidentally uploaded episode of <em>Days of Our Lives</em> revealed that Chelsea’s former portrayer was going to be putting in an appearance as Victor’s granddaughter.</p>
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<p>The nip in the air didn’t just signal fall’s imminent arrival, it also meant that the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> legend was winging her way back to Salem so that her character could pay her respects to ex-husband Victor.</p>
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<p>After five years away from Salem, the Hallmark regular was set to reprise her role of Theresa the week of August 28 so that Shane and Kimberly’s daughter could attend Victor’s memorial.</p>
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<p>Ava may be down, but she ain’t out. In fact, in August, the news broke that Harris would be bumping into her in Bayview, aka the show’s new… hot spot?</p>
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<p>Eli came back to Salem for for a double whammy starting with the town’s Juneteenth celebration. Then, he returned to play hero just as he was heading out when he got the news that Lani was missing!</p>
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<p>In July, word broke that the <em>One Life to Live</em> alum would be bringing Philip back to Salem instead of Jay Kenneth Johnson.</p>
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<p>With dad Abe supposedly “dead,” Lani was given a prison furlough that lasted just long enough for her to smell a rat… named Whitley.</p>
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<p>Ha — good casting! To play Jerry, Whitley’s fake Theo, <em>Days of Our Lives</em> brought in the actor who’d played Lexie and Abe’s real son from 2008-15. Of course, he’d look a mite older than this…</p>
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<p>Theo’s stepping in for his missing dad to deliver the Juneteenth speech in Salem, but is he just back for comfort or could he help bring Abe back home safely? </p>
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<p>The <em>Living Single</em> vet returned to the small screen in a big way as Nurse Whitley.</p>
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<p>The <em>Young & Restless</em> alum signed a contract to bring back Dimitri just in time to heat up the summer of 2023 in Salem.</p>
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<p>As spring got ready to be sprung in 2023, all dressed up with someplace to go — Salem — were the head turners who play Andrew and Paul.</p>
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<p>Turned out, when Victoria Konefal came back as Ciara, her leading man was going to be pulling double duty as not only Alex but Ben. Wonder if <em>then</em> anyone will notice how much the characters resemble one another.</p>
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<p>At least some of March’s madness was destined to be inspired by the Emmy winner, who was set to reprise his role of Harris on the 20th.</p>
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<p>That late-winter chill viewers felt as February brrreezed into March wasn’t only to do with the weather. Megan’s portrayer was back in action to bring the villainess’ chilling plot to fruition.</p>
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<p>Like a bad penny, Nick turned back up in the hereafter and gave Marlena, Kate and Kayla — as well as viewers — a hell of a shock.</p>
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<p>As Marlena, Kate and Kayla began their new lives — well, afterlives, anyway — headed there way was a blast from the past: Jordan. Something tells us it’s gonna take her more than a few Hail Marys to get past the pearly gates.</p>
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<p>Aw, hell! No sooner had Susan turned up in heaven than it was revealed that the character we were really seeing had more in common with devilish Kristen than her sister!</p>
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<p>After pulling her life back together in New York with big brother Mike, Jennifer’s returning from rehab to spend the holidays with the Horton clan.</p>
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<p>What would the holidays be without cute kids to dote on? Thankfully, Julie wouldn’t have to find out since grandson Eli is returning to Salem at the end of December to let her bask in the “Christmas presence” of his and Lani’s twins.</p>
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<p>At the soap’s Day of <em>Days</em> event in the fall of 2022, Bo and Hope’s portrayers revealed that they were returning to their iconic roles. They weren’t the only comeback kids, either…</p>
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<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ winter preview gave us an early Christmas present: the news that Ciara would soon be among Salem’s lot again.</p>
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<p>In November 2022, NBC disclosed that it had rehired the Emmy winner as Harris Michaels, the character he originated back in 1988 and played again in Chapter 2 of <em>Beyond Salem.</em></p>
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<p>After more than two decades away from Salem — not counting a quick visit in 2010 — the fan fave, who succeeded Michael T. Weiss as Mike, finally retraced his steps and headed home in the fall of 2022. </p>
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<p>With not only Kayla but Marlena and Kate ailing thanks to Orpheus, the need for Dr. Rex on the canvas was obvious as the summer came to an end.</p>
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<p>If Rex couldn’t save Steve’s “Sweetness,” maybe his son Tripp could. ’Cause yep, his portrayer was making a comeback, too. And he wasn’t alone.</p>
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<p>James Lastovic’s replacement, who made his debut in <em>Beyond Salem, Chapter 2</em>, was slated to bring Joey, aka Tripp’s half brother and Steve and Kayla’s son, to the mother ship in the fall.</p>
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<p>The soap newcomer — as well as the best thing to hit daytime in ages! — made such an impression as Li’s sister, Wendy, in <em>Beyond Salem, Chapter 2</em>, that she was brought back for the show’s permanent move to Peacock.</p>
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<p>You’ve heard of a kiss before dying, right? Well, <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ preview promo for the fall of 2022 included a kiss <em>after</em> dying for ill-fated Abigail, whose widower Chad was said to have figured out who killed her.</p>
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<p>Here, Sonny demonstrates the incredulous look that we’d have worn, if less handsomely, had hubby Will not made tracks back to Salem after his better half was stabbed in the back in a non-metaphorical way.</p>
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<p>It was hardly the first time that Jan had “gone overboard.” But when she made a splash off the side of Ben and Ciara’s boat, we thought maybe she’d stay sunk. We thought wrong.</p>
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<p>When opportunity <span style="text-decoration: line-through">knocked</span> phoned in the summer of 2022, the actor answered — and was revealed to be returning as Rex in especially creative fashion. (<a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/comings-and-goings/640174/days-of-our-lives-kyle-lowder-returns-rex-stephen-nichols-video/" target="_blank">See how here.</a>)</p>
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<p>No shackles were needed to keep Ben’s portrayer in Salem. Not as far as we know, anyway! After “Cin” set sail, the actor simply dropped anchor and took on the new role of Alexander Kiriakis.</p>
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<p>No, <em>Days of Our Lives</em> didn’t get a new leading man. That’s just the Emmy winner who originated the role of Kristen getting into another (chest) hairy situation as Susan’s brother, Thomas, in <em>Beyond Salem, Chapter 2.</em></p>
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<p>Like a bad penny, he just keeps turning up. In Chapter 2 of <em>Beyond Salem</em>, ill-fated villain Larry Welch was given the power to once again meddle in Bo and Hope’s affairs.</p>
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<p>OK, so technically, the actor didn’t leave <em>Days of Our Lives</em> as Roman. But he did return via <em>Beyond Salem</em> as, confusingly, his original character on the show — Chris Kositchek.</p>
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<p>Apparently, Megan takes after Daddy Dearest Stefano. In Chapter 2 of <em>Beyond Salem</em>, viewers discovered that Hope’s onetime rival for Bo was alive and, well, as scheming as ever.</p>
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<p>If there was one upside to Leo’s revenge plot, it was that it promised to reunite “WilSon” on screen. Now if only the show would let us keep them!</p>
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<p>Through the revolving door the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> vet was set to pass once again over the summer of 2022. Could Sami, with whom Lucas left Salem, be far behind?</p>
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<p>If it had been April Fool’s Day, we wouldn’t have believed that the news was real. But since it was April 18, 2022, that <em>Days of Our Live</em>s announced that Hope and Bo’s portrayers were returning for <em>Beyond Salem: Chapter 2</em>, we simply cheered.</p>
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<p>Eric fans prayers were answered in the spring of 2022 when it was revealed that only was he headed home to Salem but a major change of direction was in store for Nicole’s true love. (<a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/627855/days-of-our-lives-greg-vaughan-previews-eric-brady-return-family-crisis/" target="_blank">Read all about it here.</a>)</p>
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<p>Though the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> superstar has made it clear that she has no intention of returning full-time as Sami, a February 2022 Instastory hinted that she had <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/comings-and-goings/621771/days-of-our-lives-alison-sweeney-not-coming-back-as-sami-full-time/" target="_blank">at least been back on the set</a>, stirring the pot as her incorrigible character. We’re guessing about the “stirring the pot” part, but c’mon, when has the scheme queen not?</p>
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<p>No way would Jack miss buddy Xander’s wedding to Gwen. So he and Jennifer, despite her history with the bride, made tracks back to Salem for a ceremony that was sure to leave people saying, <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/628638/days-of-our-lives-preview-xander-gwen-craig-leo-break-up-double-wedding/" target="_blank">“I do… not believe this is really happening.”</a></p>
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<p>After making her <em>Days of Our Lives</em> debut on <em>Beyond Salem</em>, the onetime <em>RuPaul’s Drag Race</em> contestant — and ace impersonator of Lisa Rinna (Billie) — was invited to appear on the NBC soap itself in spring 2022.</p>
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<p>You don’t need the glasses, Jan, we already know you’re as “shady” as they come. And when the bad penny turned up anew, she wasn’t alone — she was carrying Shawn’s baby. D’oh!</p>
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<p>Don’t look so glum. The <em>Young & Restless</em> alum (ex-Fen) made such a big impression as a recast Sonny on Peacock’s <em>Beyond Salem</em> that when Will’s handsome hubby was needed on the main show again, it knew just the actor to call.</p>
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<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> didn’t just bring the actors back as Chloe’s parents in 2022, it brought them back for a polarizing storyline in which Craig was forced to break it to wife Nancy that he was gay. But wait, there was more!</p>
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<p>No sooner had Craig revealed that he was in love with the <em>Young & Restless</em> star’s scheming Leo than half the canvas — Chad included, obviously — began going to extremes to break them up.</p>
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<p>Masks. Alternate personalities. Baby talk. Heavens to Brady, there was nothing that wasn’t thrown at the fan favorite when at last Sarah’s portrayer was returned to the playing field in 2022.</p>
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<p>What could be worse than being thrown behind bars for a crime you didn’t commit? Being thrown behind bars for a crime you didn’t commit with your own “killer” as your cellmate! So EJ was poised to learn when Clyde’s portrayer returned in winter 2022 to make the jailhouse rock.</p>
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<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ original Kristen had already returned for <em>Beyond Salem</em>, but that in no way, shape or form prepared us for the “What the hell?!?”-ness of the devil transforming into the old version of the character, not Stacy Haiduk’s, in order to tempt John during its 2021 reign of terror.</p>
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<p>More than a year after the soap mainstay left <em>Days of Our Lives</em> — bequeathing her long-running role of Jennifer to Cady McClain, who subsequently won a Daytime Emmy for her work — it was announced that she’d be <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/comings-and-goings/606494/days-of-our-lives-melissa-reeves-returning-jennifer-christmas/" target="_blank">home in Salem for the holidays</a>.</p>
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<p>Trick or treat, indeed! Though it was Eileen Davidson who had played Kristen in <em>Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem</em>, it was <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/comings-and-goings/612191/days-of-our-lives-kristen-returns-visit-ej-victor-searches/" target="_blank">the troublemaker’s subsequent portrayer</a> — one of daytime’s most underrated actors, if you ask us — who’d be reprising the role as Halloween 2021 drew near. Hope the vixen remembered to pack her extensive mask collection!</p>
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<p>As May 2021 drew to a close, viewers gasped at <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ latest promo, which revealed that the Emmy winner would be reprising his role of Eric — and just in time to learn that bride Nicole had already broken their wedding vows, too!</p>
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<p>The daytime vet (perhaps best known for her run as vixenish Lorie on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>) kicked off 2021 by announcing that she’d soon be back on <em>Days of Our Lives</em>, where she’d last played Jennifer’s mom, Laura, in 2018.</p>
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<p>When the fan fave left <em>Days of Our Lives</em> as the “late” Ciara, she made it clear that <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/comings-and-goings/571461/days-of-our-lives-victoria-konefal-exit-ciara-brady/" target="_blank">she hoped to work again with her castmates</a> down the road. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that she’d be popping in at Christmastime in 2020 so that her character could offer “widower” Ben — and, in a way, all of us — a bit of holiday cheer.</p>
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<p>That same promo — seriously, that thing was<em> jam-packed</em> with spoilers — previewed a return to Salem for the indefatigable scheme team of Tony and Anna, who seemed to know more about Gwen than the rest of us. At the very <em>least</em> more than Abby!</p>
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<p>That same promo video teased a happy homecoming for the legacy character played by this three-time Emmy winner. But would Will be visiting Salem with better half Sonny? <em>That</em> question remained unanswered. Credit where credit is due: The show even builds cliffhangers into its ads!</p>
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<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=921Tfv3oYGU" target="_blank"><em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ promo for winter 2020</a> revealed that Steve and Kayla’s son would be receiving a Get Out of Jail Free Card for Christmas: Since Ava wasn’t dead, Joey obviously hadn’t murdered her!</p>
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<p>In late October of 2020, the <em>Melrose Place</em> alum revealed via social media that she had returned to work at <em>Days of Our Lives — </em>and just in time for Valerie to be on hand for the birth of her grandbabies, too.</p>
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<p>Just in time for Halloween, the veteran actor was slated to return the villainous Orpheus to the canvas (along with James Read as Clyde and William Utay as Rolf). Call us paranoid, but something tells us that Salem’s own Evil League of Evil isn’t getting together again to carve pumpkins and hand out candy.</p>
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<p>Only the good die young. So it was a safe bet that when this Emmy winner returned as manipulative Ava Vitali, as was announced in early September, the character was gonna have a pulse. And also an agenda. (She <em>is</em> manipulative!)</p>
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<p>“Here comes trouble,” you can just hear all of Salem grumble whenever the veteran actor brings back mad scientist Dr. Rolf, as he was set to do in September. Then again, you can also hear <em>viewers</em> going, “This is gonna be fun!” </p>
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<p>According to <em>Days of our Lives</em>’ fall-preview video, JJ Deveraux is getting out of Africa and returning home. Fingers crossed he forgets to pack the hangdog expression with which he’d stuck his handsome mug for so long!</p>
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<p>All aboard the crazy train! After Lindell reprised her memorable role of loco-en-la-cabeza Jan Spears in <em>Days of our Lives</em>’ <em>Last Blast Reunion</em> digital series in early 2020, it was announced that she’d be bringing our favorite nut (other than cashew) back to Salem.</p>
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<p>Thrilled as we were to hear that <em>Days of our Lives</em> was getting another visit from the actress, a favorite since her run as <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Patty and Emily, a part of us wanted to just say, “But… but can’t we <em>keep</em> her?” Whether Kristen’s gone off the deep end or is toeing the line, we’re crazy about her.</p>
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<p>Who knew that Tripp’s full name was actually <em>Return</em> Tripp? We sure didn’t — not until it was announced that his portrayer was bringing Steve’s son back to Salem. The question then became… hmm, which gal was going to make his pulse race? <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/574857/days-of-our-lives-lucas-adams-tripp-allie-babydaddy/" target="_blank">(Read our educated guesses here.)</a></p>
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<p>After being off the <em>Days of our Lives</em> canvas for two months — wait, did it only <em>feel</em> like two years?!? — Brady’s portrayer was scheduled to make his return to Salem in late August. We, in turn, were scheduled to set our DVRs. Well, <em>double</em>-set them; we’d never miss an episode!</p>
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<p>We’re always in favor of our soaps doing long-term planning — and even more so when that long-term planning involves a visit from an actress as beloved as Sami’s portrayer that’s going to extend through most of the following year! We predict that, by the time her mischief-making character is done, there won’t be a pot in Salem that hasn’t been stirred!</p>
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<p>“Are we being punked?” We couldn’t help but ask when, right after it was announced that Camila Banus was returning before Gabi had even left Salem, the news broke that Rafe’s portrayer was <em>also</em> homeward bound. Oh, and to be clear, anytime a soap wants to punk us by bringing back actors that we’d miss if they left and stayed gone, that’s 100-percent fine by us!</p>
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<p>Now <em>that’s</em> the kinda exit we can get behind! Even before the actress had aired for the last time as Gabi Hernandez, the news broke that when <em>Days of our Lives</em> resumed production in September, she’d be back on the set as if she’d never even left. Perfect.</p>
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<p><em>Days of our Lives</em> without Maggie Kiriakis is like an hourglass without sand. So we were awfully relieved to learn that Rogers, a cast member since 1973 (yet <em>not</em> <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/574692/longest-serving-soap-opera-actors-list-photos/" target="_blank">the soap’s longest-running cast member</a>), would be back in action in late summer.</p>
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<p>Apparently, death becomes her. Though the ingenue was killed off <em>Days of our Lives</em> five years ago, when Paige Larson learned in the worst way possible what Ben’s favorite fashion accessory was, she reappeared, at least briefly, in August.</p>
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<p>Ain’t no stinkin’ prison cell that can hold Eduardo Hernandez for long — and we couldn’t happier! His kids, on the other hand… eh, <em>they</em> may wish those bars had been reinforced. When Dad returned to Salem in late August, it was, as his portrayer put it, to “blow up the lives of two of his children, harder and colder about it than when last we saw him.” Yikes.</p>
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<p>At least some of the sting was taken out of Kate Mansi’s departure as Abigail DiMera by the news that Miller — who’d already replaced her once before in the role — would be stepping back in. So we knew ahead of time that we were getting a recast that we’d like!</p>
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<p>Nearly a decade after he last played Philip Kiriakis, the fan favorite took part in <em>Days of our Lives</em>’ <em>Last Blast Reunion</em> digital series, then signed on to reprise his role on the actual show. Hmm… who’s thinking that Philip’s homecoming might just have <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/575730/days-of-our-lives-philip-kiriakis-chloe-lane-reunion/" target="_blank">something to do with Chloe’s?</a></p>
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<p>Just like a singer’s last song in concert isn’t <em>really</em> their final one unless it’s the second or third encore, Bjorlin’s exit in 2019 wasn’t really so much a departure as it was a “Hold my beer, I’ll be right back.” Luckily for the actress, her return as erstwhile Ghoul Girl Chloe Lane coincided with what Soaps.com predicted just might be <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/573927/days-of-our-lives-chloe-lane-biggest-storyline/" target="_blank">“her biggest storyline ever.”</a></p>
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<p>Technically, Reeves was never <em>gone</em>-gone; Jennifer Deveraux was just off the canvas for a few weeks in the summer of 2020 while she accompanied daughter Abigail to Florida for post-drugging treatment. Nonetheless, the actress and new grandmother was back in the thick of things on screen as of early August.</p>
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<p>As Ben and Ciara’s nuptials approached, he saw a familiar face in a nightmare — that of his twisted sister, Jordan Ridgeway. (If only the show hadn’t killed off her portrayer; she’s the concentrate from which good soap is mixed!) After Eve set in motion her batty revenge plot, Read was brought in to offer bride Ciara potentially valuable intel as father-in-law Clyde Weston.</p>
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<p>Ben Weston wasn’t exactly thrilled to have Eve Donovan back — and just in time for her to crash (and also <em>kaboom</em>!) his wedding to Ciara Brady, too. But the rest of us were delighted to see the actress, who since slipping into Charlotte Ross’ old role in 2014, has made it <em>so</em> her own that we hope by now she’s cut out the tags.</p>
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<p>Apparently, <em>Days of our Lives</em>’ powers that be were as intrigued by Li Shin as viewers were. A couple of months after Hoffman made his first appearance — <em>and</em> that lasting impression — as the handsome DiMera Enterprises executive, he was brought back to ensure that we’d never be… ahem… “bored” meeting.</p>
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<p>If anyone was as crushed as Justin Kiriakis when Adrienne died, it was us. What? You, too? Yeah, loving Adrienne is pretty universal. That being the case, you don’t have to imagine, you totally understand the relief and excitement that we felt when her portrayer was reintroduced to Salem’s lot, albeit as Adrienne’s mischievous lookalike, Bonnie Lockhart.</p>
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<p>Seeing the former <em>Days of our Lives</em> regular back in action as Vivian’s devoted manservant, Ivan Marais, was a revelation. The gravitas that he now possesses didn’t just make us wish he’d plant roots in Salem, it made us think he’d make a fine stand-in for <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/572139/days-of-our-lives-new-stefano-dimera-ivan/" target="_blank">the biggest, baddest Big Bad</a> in all of daytime history.</p>
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<p>Although the veteran actress’ return engagement as a vengeful Vivian Alamain was entirely too short for our liking, we’re comforted by two things: 1. It set right the mistake that was made when <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/570555/soap-opera-worst-recasts-list/" target="_blank">her iconic character was recast</a>. And 2. since Vivian’s latest “death” was as exaggerated as most of Salem’s, we’re all but <em>guaranteed</em> that she’ll be back again.</p>
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<p>Is Sami Brady ever <em>really</em> gone from <em>Days of our Lives</em>? Sure, her portrayer leaves occasionally — sometimes for far longer stretches than we’d like (no matter how big a sigh of relief Salem breathes!). But we always know that, like a bad penny, the scheme queen will turn up again, and when she does, she’ll take the cake… if only to force on sister-in-law Nicole an unwanted facial.</p>
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<p>Make room for Daddy! Shortly after a pregnant Allie Horton showed up in Salem, pop Lucas followed suit, in so doing filling a void not only in the show but in our hearts. So fingers crossed that this time around the actor, a <em>Days of our Lives</em> cast member off and on since 1993, is back for the long haul.</p>
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