Days Of Our Lives

John Aniston’s Final Days of our Lives Episode Reminds Us There Was Nothing Better Than His Delivery of Victor’s One-Liners

December 26, 2022

Cortesy/CordayProductions

Monday’s Christmas episode of Days of our Lives brought it with it plenty of laughter and plenty of tears as this would be the final appearance of John Aniston in his iconic role of Victor Kiriakis.

The Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award winner in 2022, passed away in November at the age of 89. Aniston’s Victor had been a key character on the Salem canvas since he first appeared in the role back in 1985.

Courtesy/CordayProductions

So just how did Aniston’s final appearance stack up with how we love to see Victor? IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE EPISODE YET, PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW.

As fate would have it, Victor’s final on-screen foil would be none other than Leo Stark (played to the hilt by Greg Rikaart). In the Christmas set up, Leo stayed overnight at the Kiriakis mansion unbeknownst to Victor. When Leo greets Victor on Christmas morning in his holiday jammies, he is not one bit amused. Leo asks, “So when do we open the presents?” To which Victor replies, “About an hour after we throw you out on your sugar-plum ass.” When Victor tells his longtime butler, Henderson to throw Leo out the front door, including demanding that Leo “scamper back to Whoville”, in walks Sonny (Zach Tinker).

Victor is horrified to learn that his nephew invited Leo to stay. Then, Victor reads off a laundry list of Leo’s crimes to Sonny as only he can: “Have you completely lost your senses? The man blackmailed you into marriage … almost destroyed our company with a fraudulent lawsuit … it was just last year that he drugged you and took comprising pictures of you and then sold them to the tabloids … why in God’s name would you forgive this creep!?””

Eventually, Victor gives Sonny an ultimatum: either get rid of Leo or he would fire him from his job at Titan. Sonny stands up to Victor! Telling his Uncle that he forgave Leo for his past transgressions just like many people have forgiven Victor for his over the years. Sonny goes on to say that he and Leo are starting over and that, in fact, he would call them “friends” to which Victor, in the best dead-pan delivery, says, “That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.”

Soon after, Victor reneges and not only allows Leo to stay, but allows Sonny to keep his job, stating, “I changed my mind because I have a heart of gold.” And, ain’t that the truth, that is why we have always loved Victor and John’s portrayal of the Greek tycoon. Leo promises Victor he will not hurt Sonny ever again, to which Victor replies, “I don’t know how you expect me to take you seriously when you are sitting there in baby jam jams.” In an ominous warning to Sonny and in Aniston’s last scene, Victor says, “Tell me Sonny, what does your husband think of your little sleep over party?”

Courtesy/CordayProductions

As the episode came to its conclusion, Days of our Lives included a heartfelt montage as a tribute to John and the complex character of Victor Kiriakis. From clips with Vic’s many wives including: Carly, Vivian, Kate, Nicole, Maggie, to his classic one-liners, to some of his most villainous turns, to illustrating that Victor at his core was an enduring family man, the series captured the essence of this one-of-a-kind actor.

In very moving fashion, the end of the montage featured a younger Victor sailing away on his yacht named, “Victor”. No word yet on how and when DAYS will deal with the death of Aniston on-screen.

Aniston’s final scenes truly showcased all of his strengths, that classic delivery, his humor, his strength, and most of all his humanness.

To pay tribute to John throughout Monday on the Days of our Lives YouTube page and their social platforms, looks for special messages from the cast honoring the late actor’s memory and legacy. You can check out one below from John’s on-screen son, Peter Reckell (Bo Brady).

So, what did you think of John Aniston’s final episode of Days of our Lives? The montage? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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Guest

Jamie Holland

The tribute at the end was great. I loved seeing the Victor/Stephano scene. Joe and John at thier finest. Also, you can tell by on the tributes from different cast members what an impact he had on them personally. These tributes are truly heartfelt.

Guest

Moto62

Honestly Michael, no wonder you don’t cover Days Of Our Lives much. 1 comment at the time of my writing! That’s ridiculous. Maybe we don’t deserve you.
The tribute today was perfect. I loved seeing Victor at sea on his boat. I’ll truly miss the character. His final jab at Sonny today about Will was flawless.

Author

Michael

Hi Moto62:

Thank you for your comment. This has been my dilemma. When i do cover this show and take the time to do recaps, write-ups, etc, at least through commenting there is a general lack of interest. And it’s getting to the point where I have to reassess cost/benefit ratio of doing coverage at all, if no is interested or appreciative of my coverage. Clearly they have many choices in the digital space of where they may prefer to comment or read. Happy holidays to you.

Guest

Albert Guajardo

Thanks, Michael! I appreciate this review and your coverage of the DOOL.

Guest

Steven

It was a very nice episode! We will miss him greatly… love watching days on peacock and can’t wait to see what they do in February! Thank you Michael for your coverage! Sorry I read everything just don’t always comment I will try and do better!

Guest

Rodd

Most of his scenes were in the first half of the show and I so wanted to see more of him in the second half. Still, it was vintage! I loved the tribute at the end. So much to cover. Well done! I know a lot of people were so broken up about watching his last scenes. It makes me wonder where Victor was going to be for the next four or five months if they taped so far ahead and this was his last day of shooting before he passed. He cannot be replaced; Victor cannot be recast. NO… Read more »

Guest

Anne

John Aniston made DOOL worth watching

Guest

Satan

Though it was obvious the last couple of years that John wasn’t physically doing all that well (all his scenes were shot with him sitting) mentally, he never lost a step even up until his last day on the job, delivering those one liners, and I’d be willing to bet a few souls that some of those were ad-libbed. Why not? It’s not like anybody was going to cut them from the scenes, as great as they were. Just as it was with Joe Mascolo before him, John leaves a hole in the Salem canvas that isn’t going to filled… Read more »

Guest

Kourtney Christopher Paige

A Great Actor Period.

Guest

Iris

Hi Michael, I thought the tributes to Mr. John Aniston were extremely moving and touching. He was such a presence that will be forever missed on Days. But Days honors their character’s so I am sure John and Victor will not be forgotten thankfully. Just a note, that although I don’t comment a lot, it does not mean that I, and I am sure many others, don’t appreciate all of your coverage, especially on Days. We do. Thank you for all the hard work you do. Hope you are feeling better and wishing you a very happy, healthy,, and peaceful… Read more »

Guest

NanaT

I wish they would air this on regular peacock just for this episode

Days Of Our Lives

Chrishell Stause Makes a Return to Days of our Lives

January 27, 2023

You just never know who you will find in purgatory (ah-hem) on Days of our Lives ! And now, in a surprise return, Chrishell Stause reprises her role of Jordan Ridgeway in all new episodes on the Peacock streaming soap opera.

In the latest promo released on Friday, Chrishell is seen in the ‘afterlife’ as Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow) runs into Jordan … her old arch-nemesis! Let the games begin.

Stause, who is one of the mainstays of the Netflix reality series, Selling Sunset, comes back to her old stomping grounds at DAYS just as Kayla (Mary Beth Evans), Marlena (Deidre Hall) and Kate have ‘died’ and have all landed in this white space which looks to be heaven, but really is hell in disguise, especially given Marlena’s latest visit with Susan Banks (Stacy Haiduk), who seemingly reveals herself to be possessed by Satan.

Chrishell made her DAYS debut back in August of 2013 and exited the series on March 9th of 2015. Stause returned in 2019 until Jordan finally met her demise. She returned once again in 2020 in a series of flashbacks.

Watch the promo for next week’s DAYS below.

Now let us know, what do you think of Chrishell returning to DAYS to raise some hell for Kate and company? Comment below.

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Zach Tinker Joins the Cast of CBS ‘Fire Country’

January 27, 2023

Zach Tinker (Sonny, Days and Fenmore, Y&R) has joined the cast of CBS’ freshmen drama Fire Country. Primetime viewers previously saw him on the season premiere of ABC’s Big Sky.

According to Deadline: Tinker will make his series debut this weekend in a special episode that airs immediately following the AFC Championship game on Sunday night, January 29th.

In Fire Country, Tinker takes on the role of Collin, who is said to be a humble, charming, and talented probie firefighter. In addition, it turns out the Collin is the son of a firefighting hero and he now is trying to live up to dear old dad’s name.

Photo: CBS

The series is centered around young convict Bode Donovan (Max Thieriot) who joins a firefighting program that returns him to his small Northern California hometown, where he and other inmates work alongside elite firefighters to extinguish massive blazes across the region.

Will you be checking out Zach in his new role on CBS’ Fire Country? Comment below.

Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives Receives WGA Nomination for Daytime Drama Series

January 11, 2023

UPDATED: On Wednesday, the nominations were unveiled for the 75th annual Writers Guild Awards to be held on Sunday, March 5 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East announced nominations for outstanding achievement in television, new media, news, radio/audio, and promotional writing during 2022.

Courtesy/WGA

In the category of Daytime Drama, only Days of our Lives was nominated, thus DAYS becomes the automatic winner as the sole nominee.

The nominated and winning DAYS writing team consists of: Head Writer Ron Carlivati; Writers Lorraine Broderick, Jazmen Darnell Brown, Joanna Cohen, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Cheryl Davis, Kirk Doering, Christopher Dunn, Jamey Giddens, David Kreizman, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine D. Schock.

DAYS head writer, Ron Carlivati shared in a statement: “My team and I are thrilled to be nominated for the 2023 Writers Guild Award for Daytime. We submitted three scripts from the storyline about Craig’s late-in-life coming out, the impact it had on his wife, Nancy, and of course, his ill-fated romance with the ever-scheming Leo. We felt that these episodes were a good representation of what Days of our Lives does best: high-stakes family drama with a comedic twist.”

Photo: JPI

The episodes DAYS submitted for competition were #14320 which aired 4/19/2022, #14321 which aired 4/20/2022 and show #14331 that aired 5/4/2022. They also featured the disastrous double wedding of Leo and Craig and Xander and Gwen, and its fallout.

To view all the WGA nominees click here.

So, what do you think about DAYS being the only entry and thus becoming the winning writing team at this year’s WGA Awards? What do you think of the storyline chosen to represent the show for competition? Comment below.