The angst, drama, tears, and revenge continued this week on NBC’s Days of our Lives with the stirring portrayal of grief-stricken young woman; who is hell-bent on making everyone around her suffer for the loss of her husband in a fatal gunshot that left him brain-dead.  Of course, we are talking about Camila Banus (Gabi), who turned in bravura performances this week, and there are four moments that really stood out to us that showed the range and depth of Banus’ work.

In the hospital chapel, Gabi talks to God and prayed to him that he will make Stefan (Brandon Barash) whole again.  There has been one through-line for Gabi throughout her life – she seems to have everything and everyone she loves taken away from her, even if some of the decisions she makes along the way have a cause/effect that leaves her feeling completely alone, and ready to lash out at the world for what has transpired.  In the chapel, she asks God through her tears, “Why do you hate me so much?” Gabi tells God she went to Sunday school as a little girl and still she has lost God and her husband.  Gabi cannot even get herself to look at Stefan’s things when Sonny (Freddie Smith) and Will (Chandler Massey) try to share them with her as she slaps the envelope out of their hands.

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In another heartbreaking scene, Gabi is in the bed she shared with Stefan. She flashes to kissing the love of her life.  Next, Gabi breaks down in tears, and throws things around in the bedroom before slumping to the floor.  She sobs and says, “Why did you give me your heart, Stefan, if you weren’t going to be around to love me with it?”

Photo: JPI

Later, Gabi talks to Stefan in her sleep as she hugs his pillow. When she wakes up she cries as Kate (Lauren Koslow) arrives to check on her.  Gabi lets Kate have it, and at first blames Kate for the whole mess with Stefan.  Gabi lashes out that if it wasn’t for Stefan getting in between Kate’s feud with Vivian (Robin Strasser), he’d still be alive.  Kate knows Gabi is in despair and hugs her.  Then, Gabi channels her angst towards Lani (Sal Stowers) promising to make her suffer.

And on Friday’s episode, Gabi is ramping us some sort of revenge plan promising Stefan his legacy will live on. Earlier, Gabi was present with Lani and Eli (Lamon Archey) when Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) informed them that Julie (Susan Seaforth Hayes) will need a special pacemaker, even after receiving Stefan’s heart. Somehow, Gabi found a file on Visionary Bionics, the company that makes this unique medical device, and recalls Kayla saying she’ll do the procedure on Julie tomorrow. Gabi makes a mysterious call.  What is she about to do?

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Through all of the emotional drama, Banus sustained a level of performance that is no easy feat. That is why Michael Fairman TV names Camila’s work The Power Performance of the Week.

Let us know if you agree with our pick, and what you thought of Camila’s performances, and what you think Gabi might do next, via the comment section below.

Be on the lookout on Friday’s October 18th episode of Days of our Lives for one of the shows “superfans” who pops in Salem.  That is when the father of DAYS head writer, Ron Carlivati appears as an extra on the NBC soap opera.

Carlivati Sr., who is very proud of his son, looks to be donning a medical lab coat as a physician in a photo shared on social media along with Kayla (Mary Beth Evans), one of Salem’s most busy and most respected doctors.

Ron told SOD about his dad appearing on the show that he writes: “It’s funny because I’ve been in soaps for over 20 years and my dad would watch to see my name on the credits but rarely get into the show. Somehow, I don’t know what clicked in for him, he’s obsessed with Days of our Lives. He does not miss it.”

As to how his dad became an extra for the day: “We were at the studio and Albert Alarr, our co-executive producer, comes up and meets my parents and turns to my dad and says, ‘We’re gonna be shooting some scenes in the hospital next. How would you like to be in them?’ I honestly had no idea this was coming. I also fainted.”

Make sure to check out today’s episode of Days of our Lives for this fun moment with Ron’s dad! Comment below.

In the latest can’t miss ‘Inside Salem: Days of our Lives‘ podcast, two major interviews are the focus of the episode.  First, Camila Banus who had been turning in bravura performances as Gabi, discusses with host. Michael Fairman, her reaction to finding out that Brandon Barash (Stefan) was being killed-off the NBC soap opera, now that Gabi’s love, Stefan is brain-dead.

The duo who became so popular as “Stabi” reveals why Gabi and Stefan’s love/hate relationship worked so well, and those sexed up love scenes.  Later in the interview Camila discusses her recent scenes with Sal Stowers (Lani) where Gabi wants Lani to get down on her knees and beg for forgiveness for Lani shooting Stefan, even though he got in the line of fire to save his mother, Vivian (Robin Strasser).  In addition, Camila talks about working with Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie) and how Julie hurled some minority slurs at Gabi shortly before her heart-attack.

Then in a very special roundtable chat, Matthew Ashford (Jack) and Melissa Reeves (Jennifer) chat with Fairman about playing those key scenes where Jack rescues Jennifer from Dr. Shah, hits his head, and then finally his memories come flooding back.   The duo known as ‘JnJ” talk about their storied on-screen history, and tease what may happen in the next leg in their storylines.

To listen to the latest episode of ‘Inside Salem’ download it now on iTunes here, or head on over to NBC.com/Inside Salem.

So, what did you think of the conversations with Camila and Matt and Melissa? What do you hope happens next for Gabi  … for Jack and Jennifer? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.