Mark our words! Next year, Days of our Lives Wally Kurth (Justin Kiriakis) will once again be nominated for a Daytime Emmy for this week’s emotional and deeply-touching work on key episodes of the NBC daytime drama series.

As viewers saw, this was to be the happy nuptials of Justin and Kayla (Mary Beth Evans), who found love again after losing the previous loves of their lives.  They were dear friends to begin with, who through a set of horrific circumstances, found comfort with one another which eventually turned to love.

Photo: JPi

Problem was; Justin overheard Jennifer (Melissa Reeves) and Hope (Kristian Alfonso) before the ceremony discussing Steve’s (Stephen Nichols) feelings for Kayla and that he wants her back; something Kayla is unaware of.  So what will he do?  The noble thing and tell her the truth, or keep it to himself and marry her anyway?

As the Intel of what he learned weighed heavier and heavier on Justin, in the most dramatic of moments (when he was to say his “I do’s”), Justin stopped the ceremony and bared all to Kayla: that Steve wants her back and how Steve saw him propose to her and that is why he backed off.  Armed with the knowledge and that her friends and family kept it from her, Kayla does not know what to do.  Justin helps made it easy and clear for her when he questions her … if they would be standing here getting married, if Steve had told her his true feelings before Justin proposed to her?

Justin goes on to say to Kayla that maybe she has been avoiding her true feelings for Steve, because she did not want to hurt him.  Then Justin tells Kayla that he visited his late wife Adrienne’s (Judi Evans) grave, and told her that if things were different, and if she was alive they would still be married, and Kayla would be their dear, dear friend.

Photo: JPI

With seeing the look on Kayla’s eyes, Justin knows she loves Steve.  Heartbroken, but caught in an untenable situation, Justin tells Kayla he is happy for her.  Kayla wraps her arms around Justin as they both cry.  Kayla says she never wanted to hurt him, and when Wally as Justin says, “I know, honey,” it was one of the most honest and ten-hankie moments of the entire scenario.   Justin kisses her, tells the guests there will be no wedding today, and exits the Kiriakis mansion.

The emotional drama continues in the aftermath as Justin is at Kayla’s apartment boxing up all of his belongings and tears up recalling their nights together listening to jazz and cooking dinner.  Sonny (Freddie Smith) finds his dad, and tells him he did the noble thing and that time will heal all wounds, but after Sonny leaves, Justin breaks down a bit further before exiting Kayla’s for good.

And if that was not enough, Justin goes back to Adrienne’s gravesite to update her on the wedding that did not happen.   He talks to her that he understands Kayla and Steve’s deep and enduring love, which was just like theirs was.  Next, Justin thinks he is seeing Adrienne, when none other than Bonnie Lockhart (Judi Evans) reveals she is back in Salem – talk about kicking a guy when he is down!

Photo: JPI

Throughout this entire saga, moment to moment, Kurth delivered raw, genuine, adult emotions, in a very complex adult story and relationship.   In fact, the cast and crew thought so, too!  When Wally as Justin told Kayla that he can’t marry her and the speech that followed and his exit from the mansion that followed, all those on set applauded for him.  His work was that moving.   Wally was ably assisted throughout by the outstanding work of Mary Beth Evans in these scenes.

2020, while a difficult year for everyone thus far, has been a particular great year for Kurth on Days; as over the last six months he has really had a chance to shine in this story.  So for all of these reasons and more, Michael Fairman TV gives the “Power Performance of the Week” kudos to Wally Kurth.

Did you love Wally’s performance this week on Days? Did you reach for the hankies? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.