She has been a polarizing character since her arrival in Salem, with some fans screaming Gwen is sucking up too much airtime. HOWEVER, the performances by Emily O’Brien (Gwen) show an actress on top of her craft who can play, as Gwen called herself, “A miserable, vindictive bitch”, or a young woman so deeply-emotionally wounded that you might just come around and eventually feel some empathy for her.
Last week, while the soaps were pre-empted for most of the week due to the senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, DAYS posted all of its weekly episodes online on NBC.com, the NBC app, or on the Peacock streaming platform, and O’Brien’s work was a standout.

Photo: JPI
It all came to a boiling point when Laura (Jaime Lyn Bauer) and Gwen have the long-awaited confrontation in Gwen’s room at the Salem Inn, where O’Brien goes from Gwen baiting Laura to tell her dirty secret of her long-ago affair with Jack (Matthew Ashford), to her utter anger at how because of it, Laura trashed Gwen’s entire life.
Laura reveals the guilt she felt for sleeping with Jack, so much so, that she would do anything to save Jennifer (Cady McClain) and Jack’s marriage. In delight at getting to the root of the truth, Gwen responds: “You slept with Jack? That is just perfect! My father slept with his mother-in-law!”
Then, Laura shares how it happened. They were both at the “Meadows” finding their ‘truest selves’ and they were both using other names – she, Monica and he, Clark, and Laura had never seen a photo of Jack before to know it was him! Gwen wants to burst out in hysterical laughter, but then she becomes filled with rage knowing that if Laura hadn’t bought off her birth mother, Tiffany, her own life would have been very different. She goes on to say that she and Abigail (Marci Miller) might even be close as sisters, but instead of “borrowing her clothes, she borrowed her husband” alluding to sleeping with Chad (Billy Flynn). Next, Gwen wants to make Laura pay and lets Laura know that, “All the damage that you did, can’t be undone.” When Laura tries to leave, Gwen stops her and says in no uncertain terms, “I want revenge, because you ruined my life and you’re not going to get away with it!”

Photo: JPI
Next, we see that there had been a struggle with Laura dead on the floor bleeding out of her head. A freaked-out Gwen does not know what to do. She realizes she will be accused of murder. With no one in town to call, she decides to call her father, Jack. When he shows up at the Salem Inn, Jack is shocked, and grief-stricken to see his mother-in-law, dead. Gwen swears to Jack this was an accident and that she did not kill Laura, and that he has to believe her. Jack decides he will stand by his daughter. Gwen wants to get rid of the body, Jack says he can’t be involved in a cover-up, so he calls Rafe (Galen Gering). When Rafe arrives at the crime scene he is very suspicious of Gwen, and takes her down to the station.
Scene after scene, O’Brien layered her performances with venomous and ominous undertones, illustrating a woman with so much emotional baggage who becomes desperate to save herself. For all these reasons, Michael Fairman TV names Emily’s work, The Power Performance of the Week.
What did you think of Emily O’Brien’s key scenes? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
aww they are so cute!! I am glad they are back!!!
Carrie and Austin are the main reason I’m watching Days again!