If you caught Tuesday’s episode of Days of our Lives, it proved to be one of the more dramatic and emotional episodes of the year in soaps; featuring stellar performances from the cast.  First, knocking it out of the park was Stephen Nichols (Steve), who while in the hospital and regaining his true self back, learns from the love of his life, his sweetness, Kayla (Mary Beth), that she has moved on with another man in his absence.  Then, when Kayla admits she has been involved with Justin (Wally Kurth), he immediately questions her, “What about my sister? Did they split up again?” Confused and shocked, he tells Kayla she would never have an affair on Justin.  With nothing left to do but tell Steve the truth, Kayla has the painstaking task of telling him that his beloved sister, Adrienne died and the events that led to her death. Steve is gut-punched and breakdowns in tears over his sister’s death and that he was not there for her.  When Steve says she was such a good sister it is crushing moment as he says he will always love her.

Photo: JPI

Later, when Jennifer (Melissa Reeves) and Jack (Matthew Ashford) visit Steve in his hospital room, Steve hides his face.  Jack learns that Steve knows about Adrienne, as he sees Steve just overcome with grief, and goes to hug and comfort his brother.  Jack also tried to help Steve understand how Justin was devastated when Adrienne was killed and that Kayla was grieving the loss of her relationship with Steve, knowing she signed the divorce papers and he went MIA from Salem and did not contact her.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Sarah (Linsey Godfrey) is supposed to start her wedding to Xander  (Paul Telfer), but now she is armed with the truth that he switched her and Eric’s (Greg Vaughan) baby, with Brady (Eric Martsolf) and Kristen’s (Stacy Haiduk) … and her little girl actually died.  As Justin presides over their nuptials, Sarah is filled with moments of anger, hatred, and shock towards Xander.  He is not sure what is going on with her.  When it gets to the vows, Sarah finally blurts  “How could I marry you after what you did?” It is then he learns she knows he switched babies and let her fall in love with a child that was not hers!

Photo: JPI

Sarah reveals to Xander that Eric told her everything on how he covered his tracks and passed off Brady and Kristen’s baby as hers, Justin leaves and once he’s gone, Xander tries to explain he did the switch for her, because he loves her and she had gone through so much.  Sarah, who is an emotionally fragile state, hears Xander suggest that they take Mickey and run away.  She tells him she is going upstairs with Mickey (Rachel) and when she comes down she wants him gone and she never wants to see him again.  Realizing he has been found out and his plans have blown up in his face, Xander collapses to the floor.  Upstairs with the baby, Sarah doesn’t know how to let her go.  And in the cliffhanger of the entire episode, an overwrought Xander turns and sees that Eric has showed up, ready for a confrontation …. and to see Sarah.

Photo: JPI

Brady, who has been through an emotional rollercoaster learning from Eric and Nicole (Arianne Zuvker) that baby Rachel is alive, and that it is now his brother, Eric who is grieving the loss of a child, goes to find Kristen to tell her the shocking, and yet wonderful news.  He finds her at the gravesite of their believed-to-be-dead daughter.  As she continue to grieve the loss of their child, it is then Brady tells her that their little girl is alive!. Kristen begins to understand the revelation when Brady reveals that “Mackenzie” has the same birthmark as Rachel. and he has DNA test results to prove she’s theirs.  At first, Kristen is too scared to believe this could be true, but she reads the DNA results and is overjoyed.  Just then, Eric and Nicole arrive at the gravesite. Brady hugs his brother and Kristen tells Eric how sorry she is, even though she knows he does not like her for what she has done in the past to him.   Then, Eric and Nicole have a moment at the gravesite, as an emotional Eric says goodbye to his daughter.

Later at their home, Kristen says she wants to go get Rachel.  Brady says they need to give Sarah and Eric a day to grieve before barging over to the Kiriakis mansion to claim their baby.  Kristen tells Brady she is not sure she can wait another day.  When she starts questioning how the hospital messed up the birth of the babies, it is then she learns that Xander was behind the baby switch; and as expected, that was not going to sit well with Kristen!

Photo: JPI

Kudos to Eric Martsolf, Lindsey Godfrey, Greg Vaugha, Stacy Haiduk, Paul Telfer, Mary Beth Evans and the aforementioned Nichols for their performances in this episode that featured several hankie x 10 moments.

So, what did you think of this episode of DAYS? Were you emotional through it? Did you enjoy the work of the cast? Comment below.