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DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Ben Wants To Be A Good Man! Will He Find Redemption, Or Does He Have Everyone Fooled?

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/NBC

Just how was NBC’s Days of Our Lives going to bring Ben Weston (Rob Scott Wilson) back onto the canvas after he had been a necktie serial strangler?  Well, by having Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) be the psychiatrist who evaluates him to see if there’s any reason he should not be released back into society.

In an interrogation room, Marlena is there to assess if “Killer” Ben has found his sanity.  When she speaks with him, Ben admits how sorry he is for the hurt he has caused so many people along the way.  When Marlena questions him when he realized right from wrong, he shocks her by saying it was six months ago, when her daughter, Sami (Alison Sweeney) returned to Salem, kidnapped him, and forced him to strangle Will (Chandler Massey) again.  If you recall, this plot was perpetrated by Sami, to try to shock Will into regaining his memory, since he’s been suffering from amnesia for quite some time. Ben tells Marlena, it was at that point, when he was strangling Will for a second time, that he realized the horror of what he had done.  He just couldn’t go on … he couldn’t finish the job and strangle him to death. Then Ben adds, that he realizes he’s ruined lives, and there’s no forgiveness, and that he’ll spend his life trying to make peace with what he’s done.

But later, Marlena goes for the jugular, when she takes out of her bag a folder containing headshots of those that Ben killed which included: Serena, Paige, Wendy, and the attempted murder of Will.  Ben starts to get jittery, rubbing his brow, and becoming exceedingly nervous. He calls himself a “monster.” However, when he saw that Will was alive, and found out the intel, and came back to tell everyone, (even though he ruined the double wedding of Sonny and Paul, and Chad and Abigail, as he crashed it), it changed everything for him.  He says it gives him hope. He wants a new start, and to be a “good man.” But, is Ben to be trusted?

At the end of the episode, Marlena goes to see Hope (Kristian Alfonso) and Rafe (Galen Gering) with the update about her visit with Ben.  She says, she cannot file an objection with the court, because she clearly feels he is not delusional, and he is remorseful for his crimes.  Rafe and Hope think he’s absolutely lying and manipulating her. Marlena fires back: “I can’t file the objection in good conscience” leaving Hope and Rafe stunned that Ben will be released into society, and back to Salem, where he has harmed so many people.

How great was it to see Rob Scott Wilson back as Ben?  And now to play the beats of a redemption storyline… or is it?  What will Ben’s psychological makeup actually be moving forward?  Share your thoughts on the Marlena and Ben psych eval scenes. Will he be the good man he promises her that he will be … or … will he still turn out to have that “killer” instinct?  Comment below.

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I think Rob Wilson is the best young actor on daytime. I thought he was overlooked for an Emmy the year he became unhinged. I look forward to this storyline and hope to see Ciara and Ben mix it up. It will bring a new dimension to her character and get her involved in an adult storyline outside of Claire. I like Ciara with Tripp too, so it will be interesting how the story evolves. For the fans who think he can’t be redeemed, remember that EJ raped Sami and they went on to become the best couple of the past 10 years.

I saw the preview of Ben and Ciara. Bo’s gorgeous rebel has found her (dark) Prince and they are the next Day’s supercouple!

Really, Karen? Wow….who woukd have “thunk”. I am floored.
Yet, I feel badly for Tripp—this will leave the door open gor Claire. Ugh!!!!!!!
This girl has the power to spin the wheels in my brain …..the cogs going haywire, everywhichway…..Do not like her or her manipulative manner…..

Juxtaposing Ben’s return with a psychiatrist deeming him fit to re-enter society with Abigail only avoiding jail time after she committed murder, due to an apparent mental illness was very smart of the writers. If viewers can except that Abby is not guilty by reason of insanity, it makes it easier to believe the same can be said for Ben. I am in no way saying their crimes are remotely similar. But it was made very clear when Ben first became a killer that he was not in his right mind.

Moreover, it’s completely ignored that if he triggered her breakdown then she could have triggered or at least contributed to
his. If she is curable, then so is he…though I have my doubts about them both.

I hope Ben is not brought back just to fool us. We already went that cycle of terrorism. It would be such a siin…..waste of THE BEST young actor on soaps……lest I forget—-soooo hooottt-everything about him is deliciously exquisite—even his shoulders. I am fascinated with very masculine, great-looking, toned, slim shoulders…..Just as Xander’s …..I am spoiled!! Yum!!
Robert, will mesmerize us—-just as Ben did pre-good guy pulling a Salem Strangler.

I wonder what Eve will think when Ben is released…he murdered Paige-her daughter!!!

Hi Celia. I’m thrilled with Robert’s return. I don’t usually go for bad boys (I’ve known too many in real life), but Ben turns me on (minus the violent bits). Robert SW is the whole package. Too bad Y&R, so desperately in need of hot guys who can act, didn’t grab him.

I think he will have everyone believe he is not the same person who committed all of those murders.I dont think he has changed one single bit,I just wonder what will happen when Abby gets back to Salem. Will this trigger off another set back, If he has changed good because it has Ben a long time since we saw the Ben from when he first arrived in Salem

Days Of Our Lives

‘Days of our Lives’ Leo Howard Joins Cast for ‘Yellowjackets’ Fourth and Final Season

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Leo Howard

Yellowjackets announced its full cast and new additions for its upcoming fourth and final season. None other than Days of our Lives favorite Leo Howard (Tate Black) will be featured in an exciting and undisclosed role on the Paramount+ streaming series.

Howard’s casting comes after he was one of four Days of our Lives cast members pink-slipped from the Peacock soap opera back in January of 2026. Due to Days of our Lives advanced tape to streaming episodes, Leo is also still appearing on the soap.

Viewers will need to tune-in to see how Tate, Holly (Ashley Puzemis), Johnny (Carson Boatman) and Chanel’s (Raven Bowens) storylines resolve before they all exit the canvas. No word on when Howard’s last DAYS episode airs as of yet.

Tate and Holly

Photo: JPI

YELLOWJACKETS CAST ADDITIONS FOR FINAL SEASON

The official Yellowjackets Instagram account welcomed a slew of new cast members for the upcoming fourth and final season which included Howard accompanying the post were, “The wilderness welcomes these new faces to the cast of #yellowjackets season 4.”

Leo joins Molly Ringwald, Eric Stoltz, June Squibb, Dulé Hill, Devon Sawa, Ken Marino, Aaron Staton, Cynthia Stevenson, Patricia De Leon, Noah Harpster, Sam Braun, and John Emmet Tracy for Yellowjackets final season which will premiere on November 22, 2026.

For those who may not be aware, Yellowjackets, was created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, and follows a high school girls soccer team after its plane crashes in the remote northern wilderness. The series moves between the teenagers’ increasingly brutal fight for survival and the lives the survivors have attempted to rebuild nearly 25 years later, proving that what happened in the past is far from buried.

Back on August 20, Paramount+ revealed that Yellowjackets will conclude with season 4 offering up a chilling teaser with former MTV VJ, Kurt Loder seen as a newscaster announcing, “We are live with breaking news: The Wiskayok Yellowjackets have been found.” From there, the season will deal with the aftermath of the soccer team’s eventual rescue.

Michael Fairman TV will keep you posted when Howard’s first episode of Yellowjackets will stream on Paramount+.

Now let us know, glad to see Leo landing a role in Yellowjackets? Will you miss him on Days of our Lives? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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Beyond the Gates

Federal Film and TV Tax Credit Bill Hits Congress; Daytime Dramas Not Eligible

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Daytime Dramas and Congress

In an effort to bring back productions to the United States and offering incentives to keep them from going abroad, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress has introduced proposed legislation to establish a federal film and television tax credit. It is being touted as a landmark moment for Hollywood Workers and small businesses.

The Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, led by Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.), Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas), Rep. Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Brian Jack (R-Ga.) in the House of Representatives, would establish a 20 percent base tax credit on labor expenses and a potential rebate of 30% if signed into law. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are spearheading an identical bill in the Senate.

To be eligible, productions must have a minimum spend of $1 million (per film or per TV season), and at least 75% of production days must be in the U.S. For animation, 75% of the production cost must be in the U.S.

Beyond the Gates

Photo: CBS

SOAP OPERAS AND OTHER FORMS OF PROGRAMMING WILL NOT BE PART OF THE BILL

The federal incentive would be eligible to be stacked on top of individual state tax incentives, much like the current system in Canada and Australia. In the new bill, postproduction and special visual effects labor costs can be counted as eligible expenses.

However, the lawmakers proposed bill does not include the following type of shows: Daytime dramas, porn, commercials, talk shows, interview shows, game shows, award shows, news programming, live sports, corporate/industrial videos, and social media videos,

TV AND FILM PROJECTS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE HOPE TO BRING BUSINESS AND JOBS BACK TO THE U.S.

The federal film and television tax credit will be available for: films, TV shows – scripted and unscripted (4-episode minimum), TV pilots, animation, above-the-line wages (producers, writers, directors, actors, etc.) and below-the-line wages (crew), and standalone post-production and visual effects.

If passed, the legislation could offer much needed help for workers who have been rocked by recent unsteady times in show business. In all, runaway productions, strikes and a contraction in the business have dashed many job opportunities in recent years, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics finding that jobs in the motion picture and video industries have declined by more than 100,000 since 2022.

Click here to review the entire proposed bill from congress.

So, what do you think of the new bill on the table in the U.S. congress? Glad to know that it could, if passed, help some types of projects? What do you think about how the soaps are excluded and deemed not eligible? Does it continue to seem to you, that no matter what, those that work within the continuous tightened budget of daytime dramas can never catch a break? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

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Days Of Our Lives

‘Days of our Lives’ Preview: Will Dominic Marino Turn Out to Be Marlena’s Son With Stefano DiMera?

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Deidre Hall and Joseph Mascolo

All signs point to that Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) at some juncture had Stefano DiMera’s (the late Joseph Mascolo) baby, but will it ultimately prove to be true, especially when the man in question is Dominic Marino? The last name Marino could also be the clue which its first half contains Marlena, the last half Stefano!

For several weeks, Marlena has been grappling with some vague memories and things she doesn’t seem to want to remember or can’t. We know that when Belle (Martha Madison) and Chad (Conner Floyd) made it to Italy, they found hidden in the replica chess set, just like the one Stefano “gifted” Marlena and John, that a secret compartment revealed a photo of Stefano holding a young boy with the picture dated on the back “1992.”

Now, in all-new episodes of Days of our Lives streaming next week on Peacock, the official promo ends with quite the shock for Marlena. First, Steve (Stephen Nichols) pays her a visit with an update that they were able to track down the birth certificate of Dominic Marino. As she reads the certificate, Marlena says out loud that Stefano is listed as the father, but stops dead in her tracks when she reads the mother’s name, and the promo goes to black!

Courtesy/Peacock

Will Marlena learn she has another child out there, who seemingly was in cahoots with Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti) in Monte Carlo? Or, is this all one last evil plan from the dead from Stefano to make Marlena believe she is the biological mother of his child? Stay tuned.

Elsewhere in Salem, Philip (John-Paul Lavoisier) races home to the Kiriakis mansion ready to save it, and the family business. after gambling it all in Monte Carlo. Sadly, when he walks in to the family home, it’s completely empty!

In addition, the machinations of Joy Wesley (AlexAnn Hopkins) continue as she concocts another scheme when she researches, “nerve conduction studies.” Could it be she is going to fake her paralysis? Then, Mason (Brandon Butler) and Holly (Ashley Puzemis) finally have s showdown, where she asks, “Do you think I’m to blame for Sophia’s death?” It appears Mason believes she had a lot to do with it.

Now below, check out additional Days of our Lives spoilers for the week of September 21-15.

Monday, September 21

Xander (Paul Telfer) and Brady (Eric Martsolf) decide to join forces as Sarah (Linsey Godfrey) finds herself in legal trouble.

Tuesday, September 22

Xander and Philip face a very disapproving Maggie (Suzanne Rogers), while Black Patch partners, Brady and Steve , continue their investigation into Dominic Marino.

Wednesday, September 23

Belle and Marlena share their concerns with Sydney (Sydney Malakeh), but is it about Dante, or what Belle and Chad uncovered in Italy?

Thursday, September 24

EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) questions Cat’s (AnnaLynne Cipriani) loyalty. Will these two be able to clarify their relationship with one another once and for all? Meanwhile, Leo (Greg Rikaart) and Javi (Jacob Martinez) test the waters to see if there is a chance at ever getting back together.

Friday, September 25

Chad welcomes Kate (Lauren Koslow) to The Spectator. How will Chad and Kate do working side by side? Marlena is disturbed by a harrowing dream. Steve gets unsettling news from Bo and Hope, while Sarah and Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) suspect something is amiss.

Check out the official DAYS promo, “Cold and Frank” below.

Now weigh-in: Did Marlena have Stefano’s son? Do you think it’s a set up … or the truth? If so, who do you hope is revealed to be Dominic Marino? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below.

 

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