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DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Stefan is Brain-Dead After Getting In Lani’s Line Of Fire

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: JPI

If you caught last Friday’s Days of our Lives, and as we head into a new and dramatic-filled week ahead in Salem, after jumping in front of a bullet meant for Vivian (Robin Strasser), Stefan (Brandon Barash) has been shot badly – he has a gun shot wound to the neck through the carotid artery.

Lani (Sal Stowers), who fired the shot in an effort to stop and take down Vivian for her crimes against Kate (Lauren Koslow), et al, now finds herself in very, very hot water, and none more so than with Stefan’s wife, Gabi (Camila Banus).

Photo: JPI

In the waiting area, Gabi shows up and confronts Lani. However, Lani and Abe (James Reynolds) try to explain it was an accident.  Gabi reminds him of how he felt after Theo was shot.  As Gabi runs off to see Stefan, Lani cries, “What if he dies?”

When Gabi arrives in the trauma room, she is told by Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) and team that they worked on Stefan for over 20 minutes but he is brain-dead. Vivian, who alerted Gabi to what happened, and showed up at the hospital incognito in her scrubs to check up on the fate of her son, is trying to make her escape plan from Salem

Meanwhile, Julie (Susan Seaforth Hayes) is MIA from her hospital room as she and Doug (Bill Hayes) go to Doug’s Place.  She wants to breathe her last breath there, and wants one last night with her beloved husband.  Julie asks Doug, if she has been a good wife to him, knowing the end is near. After reminiscing of their past and flashbacks, and Julie wanting to have one last dance, she passes out

Photo: JPI

Next, Hope (Kristian Alfonso) and Eli (Lamon Archey) arrive at Doug’s Place and find Doug crying.  They tells him that they need to  get Julie back to the hospital but Doug says it’s too late. Everyone is heartbroken.

So, what have you thoughts of the twist? Stefan brain-dead? Gabi on the warpath? Julie’s plight and its toll on Doug? How do you think this will all play itself out? Could Stefan come back to life as others have via Dr. Rolf? Share your thoughts below.

But first, for a preview of what’s to come check out the latest DAYS promo from NBC.

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Stefan’s going to have a hard time coming back from the dead without his heart. Which will be located in Julie’s chest very soon.

Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of Stefan down here. His father will finally get to meet him.

As most people already know, Gabi will do the right thing for once and donate Stefan’s heart to Julie. I for one would have preferred it was the other way around. He had more heart than she ever did.I guess they thought it would be of greater value to keep her around to cause misery to everyone than to keep B.B which a lot of us were getting to like in the role of Stefan.

Oh, mo God…this is shocking!!! I did not want this to end for Stefan this way. I hate Brandon Barash left the show because he really fit the role just like he did when he was at GH. But the way this story is being told, I do have to admit that DAYS is still on fire. It’s going to be interesting to see where all this leads now that these shocking events have unfolded.

Hope this frees him up for the return of Johnny Z to Port Charles!!!

Hey Shay
From your mouth to TPTB at GH.

Hi, Vi!!! Even though I despise mafioso characters on soap operas—think GH’s Sonny!!!—-I’ve always had a soft spot for that reluctant mob prince, Johnny Z. He had such possibilities in the beginning when he was a piano playing, car racing rebel who was wooing TruLu, which made his decline into a vicious killer all the more tragic…Then again, with a father/grandfather/role model like the insanely violent Anthony, could his life have really ended up any other way??? (Not to mention having a SisterMama like the tough as nails Claudia….How I loathed that woman! There was never a better use of an axe handle than when Michael cracked her in the noggin with it!) P.S. Be sure to refer back to our lengthy conversation thread…we done got spanked for going off-topic, Violet!!! Oh. My!

Shay,
Glad to finally hear from you after our reprimand from M.F.I answered your last reply, but guess it went astray, ha.I too love and miss Johnny Z. He was something else and so sexy. I liked him and Olivia together, and his father/grandfather was a piece of work. I don’t know how he could ever return to P.C as Johnny, but we know in Soaps never say never, right? I never saw Claudia, and know only what I’ve heard or read about her. By the time I’d gotten back to GH, after many years, she was gone and Michael had just gotten sent to prison. Laura Wright is also the only Carly I’ve seen. It was like watching a whole new show to me.Gosh, I think the only ones left from the old days was Monica, Scotty, Luke and Laura.
I am enjoying the SLs now, I know a lot of fans are bored, but I am anxious to see how the baby Wylie thing turns out, and though I am not crazy about nuNina, I like the possibility of she and Jax, while hopefully getting rid of Valentin and the return of Nickolas, as long as they don’t pair him up with Ava. I do feel sorry for Sasha, but am still excited for the reveal of Willow being Nina’s real daughter. Well, hope you get this reply, as I didn’t go off topic once!

Hi, Shay. There are strong indications Brandon has already returned to DAYS. Maybe the upcoming “time jump” (November 8th, DAYS’ 54th anniversary) will explain Stefan’s supposed death. Stefan and Gabi are too popular to let go.

@4everDAYS….Thank you for the info, even though I haven’t watched Days in probably two decades!!!! Despite that fact, I still find myself being able to follow many of their current characters because (unlike GH…) this soap actually honors its past by keeping old favorites and consistently adding to their legacy families…there are still plenty of Salemites who are related to at least one Brady, Horton, DiMera, Williams, et al. As far as Brandon goes, I’m glad his Stefan is so popular with the Days crowd, but I’m always up for Johnny Z to resurface in Port Charles…he is missed!

I’m crying. I like Stefan and Gabi together. Don’t want them to end.

I agree with you Momo. Stefan and Gabi are cute together. I think their marriage is good for both of them.

The only thing I can hope for is that somehow Gabi is pregnant.

I am extremely disappointed to see Stefan go. TPTB didn’t think this through. There is so much potential story for Stefan. He carried the genes of two important villains from the show’s history. He came into the show as a dark, isolated, ruthless and destructive force. His marriage to Gabi has turned into a genuine and loving connection. There are so many potential stories for Stefan as he struggles to find a balance between his dark, destructive side and being a loving husband and father. I believe Gabi and Stefan really do love each other. We already know he’s a push over for children. He’d be a very loving stepfather to Gabi’s daughter. And then, they could have their own child or children. I’ve read that Chad and Abigail are coming back. There is another story that could be told as Stefan tried to repair his relationship with them.
From where I sit, killing Stefan is throwing away an important future of the show.

Agree!!!

I am sorry to see Stefan dead.What a shock.I wonder if Vivian will come back.If not she didnt last to long either.One more thing I saw Gabi in a Lifetime movie I think it was called Killer Caregiver of course she was a bad girl and committed murder.She is a great actress I only hope they can do something for Stefan,Days is like a new Dark Shadows people are always returning from the dead.

How is he breathing if he is brain dead???

Technically he isn’t. He’s hooked up to machines which are forcing air in and out of his lungs and circulating his blood. It’s standard practice with brain dead patients, for two reasons: First it gives family members time to say their goodbyes, and more importantly in this case, it keeps organs alive so they are viable for donation. It was a one in 666 million chance that Stefan jumped in front of a gun and was “lucky” enough to take one in the throat, rather than the chest, which obviously would have been a much bigger target.

One very odd thing I observed in how this whole thing was written on screen….

Kristen only learns of Stefan’s death by reading about it online??

Now I realize that Kristen isn’t the most popular mortal in Salem, but I was under the impression that hospitals always make a “good faith effort” to contact all known relatives of the deceased before reporting the death to the media. So all DiMera family members known to be alive – which would be Kristen, Chad, and Tony at the most recent count – should have been contacted before the death was made public.

Hateful or not, nobody should hear about the death of a sibling from the media.

Satan
You are very knowledgeable, so I wonder if you have any thoughts about Dr.Rolfe using stem-cell via Kristen’s baby to resurrect Stefan although they are not blood related.
I also thought that having Kristen find out about Stefan dying that way, was very insensitive of the writers.Actually none of his living relatives were notified. What about E.J who is back with the living and as far as we know with Sammy and not a vegetable.

Stem-cell technology isn’t really capable of reproducing vital organs yet but I guess it’s really not anymore ridiculous than any of Rolfe’s other medical experiments. So if Stefan shows up a few months from now with a brand new heart (and presumably that hole in his throat fixed) I wouldn’t be surprised.

And yeah, good catch on EJ… forgot about him, since he disappeared so soon after he was found in that weird warehouse/hospital.

Satan,
Thanks for the info. I have read rumours of Stephan returning, with Tyler Christopher in the saddle again, with a couple of variations. The stem cell was one of them. Funny thing about that old hoot Rolfe, I kind of like him, crazy as he is.

Hopefully Tyler is on his way back to Port Charles where he really belongs. Because the anvils have been dropping from the sky on an almost daily basis, regarding Nikolas Cassadine not being dead, and the last attempted recast of that character was every bit as horrible as the recasts that ReRon has done on Days (with Brandon Barash being the one exception)

All the rumors I’ve heard of Stefan (or somebody who looks like Stefan, at least) returning to Salem have been about Brandon, rather than TC in the role.

Satan,
I agree. I would rather see T.C in P.C than Salem. I hope what I read was really just rumour and not a spoiler. It said he could also be a Stefan twin. I was really starting to like Stefan when played by B.B, except for his last romantic choice.

@ Michael Fairman
Michael, what can you tell us about the DOOL time jump that is supposed to be happening soon? Is it fact or fiction?

Since Michael hasn’t chimed in here yet, I’ll take the question….

According to Jason 47 at soapcentral.com, the “time jump” period is apparently one year into the future. The pretense for the missing year will be an un-named character waking up from a coma. And over the coming Helliday season there will be several “flashbacks” from the missing previous year.

That’s about all I know at the moment, but hopefully fast-forwarding through the current pregancy storylines on the show will prevent ReRon from dragging out one of his favorite recycled storylines, the tired “baby switch” gimmick.

Satan
Once again thanks again for the info. I thought this sounded so interesting. I’ve never seen it done before on soaps, only other TV fare. Now I am going crazy trying to imagine who the coma person is you mentioned. You said un-named. Does that mean someone we know or someone that doesn’t exist yet? Sorry, I know I’m driving you nuts!

Hi again, just read that Ciara or Rafe is poisened by that crazy Jordan at the B.D party, so maybe one if these will be the coma victim.

Breaking News

53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Presenters Announced

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Daytime Emmy Presenters

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) revealed on Thursday, the lineup of presenters for 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards taking place on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California.

The ceremony will stream live on the NATAS YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@theemmys and watch.TheEmmys.tv.

Scheduled to present from the current soaps are: Katelyn MacMullen (Willow, General Hospital), Delon de Metz (Zende, The Bold and the Beautiful), James Preston (Nick, The Bay), Paul Telfer (Xander, Days of our Lives), Tamara Tunie (Anita, Beyond the Gates) and Susan Walters (Diane, The Young and the Restless).

Genie Francis

Photo: NATAS

In addition soap alums, Crystal Chappell, Lesli Kay, Joe Lando, Eva LaRue, who is also a nominee this year,  A Martinez, Juliet Mills, and Alicia Leigh Willis, will also be on hand to present.

The ceremony which celebrates nominated lifestyle programs and dramas will also include presenters: Eva zu Beck (Superskilled with Eva zu Beck), Danielle Chang (Lucky Chow), Sunny Hostin (The View), Derek Hough (Extra), Pati Jinich (Pati’s Mexican Table), Star Jones (Divorce Court), Michael Jr. (Stand Up and Do Something), Judge Greg Mathis (Mathis Court with Judge Mathis), Keke Palmer (Glam Through the Ages), Nischelle Turner (Entertainment Tonight), and Andrew Zimmern (Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen).

The 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards will bring together an exciting mix of presenters representing the full spectrum of daytime television,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO of NATAS. “From familiar faces in daytime drama to the personalities and creative voices behind talk shows and lifestyle programming, this year’s lineup reflects the breadth of talent that makes daytime so special. We look forward to celebrating the people who continue to shape the genre.”

Matthew Hoffman (Love Island USA, Cheap A$$ Beach Houses) will serve as the ceremony’s Voice of God, bringing his signature comedic narration to the evening’s celebrations. As previously announced, Lifetime Achievement honoree Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital) will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by her husband, Jonathan Frakes.

So, what do you think about the list of presenters for the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards? Let us know who you are looking forward to seeing via the comment section below.

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Days Of Our Lives

‘Days of our Lives’ Reveals Kyle Pryor Cast as Dominic Marino

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Kyle Pryor

For months now, Days of our Lives has teased the character of Dominic Marino. In recent weeks, viewers learned that Marino is on the down low working with Sami Brady’s (Alison Sweeney) apparent fiancé ‘Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti), and that he is the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)!

Up until now, the Peacock streaming soap opera has never revealed his face, but that all seemed to change on the Tuesday, October 2o episode of DAYS. In story, Dante met Sami’s parents for the first time, Roman (Josh Taylor) and Marlena.

He shows them a photo of Dominic, which he happened to have on his own phone and even commented he kind of looked like he could be Marlena’s son. The photo, which has quickly made it around Soap Twitter/X, revealed that British-born actor Kyle Pryor is the man in the photo and eagle-eyed viewers actually located said photo on Pryor’s Instagram.

Dominix

Photo: Peacock

Deadline revealed Pryor started taping at the end of 2025 and will first be seen in the role, on air Monday, November 2.  In addition, Days will celebrate its 61st Anniversary with two special episodes featuring Dominic’s arrival, as well the returns of Tony and Anna DiMera, played respectively by Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley, on Friday, November 6 and Monday, November 9.

Those in the know, are are that Pryor previously held series regular roles on Australia’s Home and Away, and the UK’s Hollyoaks and guest starred on Emmerdale. In an ironic twist, Pryor appeared in the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand which is the same action series his apparent TV brother, Dan Feuerriegel (EJ DiMera), once appeared in before coming to DAYS.

So excited to see Kyle Pryor take on the role of Dominic Marino as Days of our Lives sets its anniversary story to kick-off with is arrival in Salem? Share your thoughts in the comment section. And in case you missed our latest conversation with Conner Floyd (Chad DiMera) he weighs-in on how Dominic’s appearance will shake things up in Salem. You can check that out below.

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Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives’ Conner Floyd Talks Dominic Marino Mystery, Chad and Belle, and Susan Seaforth Hayes (Exclusive)

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Conner Floyd

Fasten your seat belts Days of our Lives fans, as the mystery of Dominic Marino continues to unravel on all-new episodes of the Peacock streaming soap opera. Last week, Chad DiMera (Conner Floyd) learned that he may have a half-brother, who may be the biological child of his father, the late Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), giving him great pause, because he knows Stefano had kidnapped Marlena for four years back in the late 80s and early 90s.

Chad has already been hunting down clues with his current girlfriend Belle Black (Martha Madison) in Italy and Salem, which revealed a photo of a young boy with Stefano with the date 1992 on the back of it, hidden inside Stefano’s chess set. So, what’s next?

Conner Floyd chatted on the Michael Fairman Channel in a new virtual interview released on Sunday, October 18, where he spoke on what the new addition to the DiMera family could do to the already dangerous sibling rivalries, the state of Chad’s relationship with Belle and much more.

EJ and Chad

Photo: JPI

DIMERA RIVALRY

After finding out from EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) that Dominic Marino could be the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano and Marlena, Conner Floyd explained, “I think it blows Chad’s mind a little bit. I think there’s a lot of things working there with old Chad. Obviously, bringing in another DiMera could cause some noise and the whole situation with Marlena’s a little awkward as well because he’s dating Belle, so this could cause a little tiff there. I think his head’s spinning and he does not know what to expect, but I also think he kind of expects that from Stefano, for sure.”

As to how this will change and color Chad’s relationship with EJ, Floyd responded, “Chad knows EJ’s not happy about it and I think he’s going to be real upset if this gets in his way of doing what he wants to do with the DiMera legacy and all that. However, for Chad, I think he’s just going to keep a sharp eye, see what this guy’s about, see if he’s here to cause some trouble or here to be a friend and kinda play it by ear.”

Belle and Chad

Photo: JPI

BELLE OF MY HEART

With Chad and Belle already being sleuths, Floyd says, you can look for the duo to continue getting to the truth. “I think Chad and Belle are committed to this. They’re going full National Treasure, Nicolas Cage,” says Conner. “They’re going to follow the clues. They’re going to get some answers.”

Since beginning in the role of Chad in June of 2025 and debuting on-screen back in April of 2026, the former Y&R star (where he played Chance Chancellor), says it was Madison who helped him get comfortable in his new surroundings.

“Martha is phenomenal. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to get tagged up with when I started here, just because she knows everybody,” shares Floyd. “She knows where to go, who to talk to. She’ll get the tea if you want, and so it was kind of cool. Martha took me under her wing, showed me the ropes. She’s a sweetheart.  I love working with her too. She’s a great actress.”

But, is Chad in love with Belle after such a tortured past with his beloved Abigail Deveraux DiMera? Floyd thinks so! “I think he’s into it. They’re such good friends and they have such a rich history. I think he’s in for the ride. You know, it’s one of those things you probably overlook at first and then they reconnected, and it feels easy and they’re going on these fun adventures.”

MAKING CHAD HIS OWN

Conner had the arduous task of being the successor to Billy Flynn in the role of Chad.. Flynn had played the part for 12 years before deciding to exit and head to Y&R. So, how did Conner approach learning the ins and out of Chad? Floyd shared, “I really dove into Chad when I first got this job. I liked that he kind of walks this tightrope of DiMera and not DiMera, you know. He want to so honor his family roots and really do something for the DiMera family, but he doesn’t want to fall into that trap that all the other DiMera have found themselves in. Chad is a DiMera at heart. He’s got those demons, but he’s just trying to keep them contained.”

Susan Seaforth Hayes

Photo: JPI

ICONIC

When Floyd got to DAYS, it was none other than Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) who most surprised him in the most delightful way, given that he knew Hayes was a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and the current longest-running cast member on the canvas.

“I love working with Susan Hayes! I love her. She’s a sweetheart. Susan is one of the nicest people there. I just thought she was cool and it’s Susan Hayes, you know?  We’ve had a lot of scenes together, which is nice,” explained Conner.

“We’ll go to her dressing room, we’ll run our scenes, and then we’ll spend about an hour just talking about life and she’ll tell me about a book she’s reading. She’s such a history buff, which blows my mind. She’ll start dropping all these historical facts on me. I learn something new by the time I walk out of her dressing room every time!”

Now below, check out the full conversation with Conner Floyd via the Michael Fairman Channel.

Weigh-in: Do you like Chad and Belle as couple? Do you think Chad will get to the bottom of the Dominic Marino mystery? If so, do you think Dominic is truly Stefano and Marlena’s son … and what about Rita (Maggie Carney) in all this? Let us know your theories in the comment section.

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