Jennifer receives sad news about a loved one – the death of Bill Horton; Doug reflects on his 50 years in Salem (Bill Hayes’s 50th anniversary episode); As Bill Hayes celebrates 50 years on Days, he’s honored when his character Doug has an unexpected death in the family which causes him to reminisce about when he first came to Salem; Rafe arrests Gabi!; Lani attempts to explain her actions to Eli.
‘Steve’ explodes at Anna, and Eli dreams of Lani; John and “Steve” run into familiar faces as they search for Stefano; Kate realizes Marlena is in danger; Gina is rattled when Shawn arrives in Salem at Rafe’s behest which brings Brandon Beemer back to Days of our Lives; Lani learns Eli and Gabi are getting married.
Julie and Doug’s New Year’s Eve party is crashed by an unexpected couple; Eli receives surprising news about the person who threw a rock through the Gabi Chic window; Kayla, Justin, Marlena, and John share theories about who might’ve been the mystery Santa Claus; Kristen is tormented by the thought of Brady being with Nicole; Eve leaves Salem after wreaking havoc on Salemites when Kassie DePaiva exits Days of our Lives