Days Of Our Lives
Ron Carlivati Teases That Coming Up on DAYS: “Another Major Character is Going to be Killed in the Fairly Near Future”
Today, Monday July 11th is the premiere of the Peacock streaming series, Days of our Lives: Beyond Salem Chapter Two” featuring Peter Reckell, Kristian Alfonso, Steve Burton, Eileen Davidson, Christopher Sean, Deidre Hall, Drake Hogestyn, Rob Scott Wilson, Victoria Konefal, Mary Beth Evans, Stephen Nichols and many, many more.
Michael Fairman chatted recently with Days of our Lives and Beyond Salem head writer, Ron Carlivati about crafting the limited series that drops one episode per day through July 15th, plus what’s to come this summer on the mothership of the long-running NBC soap opera. Carlivati and the DAYS writing team are also coming off their Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Writing Team for a Drama Series.
During the interview on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel when Carlivati teased whats coming up later this summer on DAYS, he revealed: “Another major character is going to be killed, like, in the fairly near future.” This comes on the heels of viewers seeing the character of Abigail Deveraux DiMera murdered on the series.
He notes that this character will wind up ‘dead-dead’, adding: “They will be killed and it leads to big story, not a murder mystery.”
When asked, the head writer clarified it was he who made the decision to have the character leave the Salem canvas, thus it was storyline-dictated, and not about another actors desire to exit the show to work on other projects; such was the case of the recent on-screen departures of: Lamon Archey (Eli), Sal Stowers (Lani), Marci Miller (Abigail), and Victoria Konefal (Ciara).
Carlivati, added one more clue: “It’s not Marlena, I’ll just say that.”
So, who do you think will be next to die on DAYS? Share your theories via the comment section below, and make sure to check out the full conversation with Ron below.
Dead dead, huh? Does that happen in Salem?
I think Kate will be murdered.
I really enjoyed this interview. Every time Carlivati said, “Beyond Salem,” I was hearing “Beyonce!” Saw the first episode today — was impressed.
But I could do without Steve Burton. And the wonderful, generous things Carlivati said about Burton ring hollow, given the choices he made in his last months starring at GH (endangering the lives of other cast members by his refusal to vaccinate himself), leading to his dismissal.
Hi Jamesj75. When he says another major person on DAYS to be eliminated, could that include the writer himself? Please?
Hi Soaphound
Am hoping Leo or Gwen unless they aren’t major playors, just major pain in the butt.
Violet, you know Greg Rikaart and Emily O’Brien (Leo and Gwen) were my favorite couple years ago on Y&R, Kevin and Jana. I bet they’re happy to be on the same show again. I always picture them swapping great memories of better days on soaps.
Soaphound
Hey, remember the Chipmonk Roberies? I think that was with Chloe though. Don’t know about you but I can’t stand Chloe or Chelsea these days, oh and Victoria, Nicki, Sally,Phyllis, Diane and new Summer is inching in as is helicopter Sharon with Noah. So far she’s pretty much left the newlyweds alone. Sorry, I was so long winded.
Look! I have a friendly, rational person with whom to respond! Good one, Soaphound! We have to be careful because some people here have no sense of humor… But I also question the writing. Back-to-back murders is overkill — pardon the pun! The exit door is swinging fast and furious at the moment. I hope the viewers don’t also leave in droves. Take care, Friend!
Not to mention the way ReRon treated Steve/Jason after the regime took over GH in February 2012. Jason was immediately thrown under the bus, his child snatched by one of the OLTL pets & another one coming between him and Sam. And by the time that ridiculous story was finally resolved, Sam & Jason literally had one day together with their baby before Jason was literally tossed overboard with a bullet in his back.
Burton still playing the same old role. Hardly the best actor. Days should have saved their money to give favorites their due air time
Since you went there: His body, his choice. Isn’t that what they say, or does that only apply if it fits the narrative? You should leave the politics to political message boards, and let the rest of us enjoy our entertainment.
Karen, while I appreciate your reply — different point of view though it might be — Burton’s actions, including his firing to which I alluded, were major news, including at this website, reported by Michael Fairman. So the “politics” aspect of this story were there long before I commented on it. Please, by all means, feel free to enjoy your entertainment.
But you responded with your opinion which may not be facts or the truth. Sounds like you have an ax to grind. You don’t like Steve Burton and it has nothing to do with his acting. All political. How sad.
darladays, how sad, indeed…
PS: I don’t like his acting either.
Thank you Karen! His body, his choice.
I will reply to myself on this one! It’s always nice to see replies from Soaphound and Satan, among so many others in other threads.
We all know what happened with Steve Burton’s firing from GH. Unfortunately, there are still vaccine deniers among us; those who ignore science; those who made the pandemic (and economy) worse by refusing the vaccine; those who support an ex-president who, among so many other crimes and mistakes, made the pandemic worse by his ineptitude, inaction, lies, and delays, who, while refusing to concede an election he lost, instigated an insurrection to overthrow our government in order to remain in power — and yet, he has his minions.
And Steve Burton has his fans, many of whom agree with his stance on not being vaccinated. As someone recently pointed out to me, that is his choice. But I submit it was a selfish one, one that ignored his work colleagues and his fellow man. Whether or not I like a particular actor really doesn’t matter. But human decency, truth, and keeping our democracy alive DO matter. And those things are way more important than any one person, any soap opera, and they are worth fighting for.
You need to turn off your TV and do some real research, my friend. You’re just spouting regurgitated CNN lies. Ignore the science?? What science? The science that renamed the common cold and then whipped the public into a fear-mongered state of paranoia and hysteria? Or the science that says you will need “vaccines” for the rest of your life to be “safe”? Or …. the science of knowing exactly what is in the vaccine? Oh yeah … no one will tell us what is in it, so there’s not much science there.
How about the science that has turned formerly normal people into mask-wearing, hostile, vicious, oxygen deprived lunatics? Now there’s some science that can be proven!!
I am confused. If all his cast mates were vaccinated, and he was healthy, how would he exactly be endangering their lives? LMAO.
You need to rethink what you just typed and stop spreading misinformation.
Kate
Knowing how much he hates Lucas and keeps throwing him under the bus I would think it might be Lucas – but who knows?
Ron is a terrible headwriter and I don’t care about his Emmy win – selecting a few episodes for Emmy consideration is not the same as writing great overall storyline arcs and respecting the history of the show.
Emmy’s have become a bad joke. There are so few soaps left they pretty much rotate the awards and are given by whomever is being promoted by a network.
Ron is beginning to dismantle DAYS the same way he did GH. He has decimated the Horton family, notably by killing Laura and Abigail. His stories are disgusting and inappropriate. And he laughs and brags about them. New writer time!
Could it be Kayla, Kristen or Gwen???
Kristen being “dead dead” would make me happy so I think we can rule that one out! (;
I love Emily O’Brien but there is no real reason for her to continue to be on the show. Another possibility: Leo. I just don’t want it to be Ron’s punching bag Lucas, who I love even if Ron doesn’t.
I think victor
He said killed. I can’t imagine Victor Kiriakis leaving the show as a murder victim with the current actor. Days just doesn’t operate that way with its long time cast members.
Again, Ron says another “major character will be killed”. He didn’t say possibly die of old age. I don’t think anyone wants to kill Victor.
Chloe…Kristen wants her away from Brady . (If spoilers right)
Mary Ramsey
Let’s do one better, how about a twofer? Have Clyde kill Chloe’s pain in the butt mother and than if Rafe can be found, he might get Clyde or that other slimeball friend of his & son, still in jail, escape who’ll probably show up in town looking for the baby.
I do hope it is Qwen
carol green
I don’t mind if she rots in jail as long as we never have to see her. I keep waiting for J.J to pay her a visit before he leaves Salem again.
Why are so many Days stars leaving?Beats me.
I think victor
As someone just said, this person is to be “killed” not just pass away from old age or heart arrack, as I imagine Victor might go, at his age.
Jan
ReRon’s not going to kill Jan. She’s the new “Heather Webber”. He’s going to drag her out once or twice a year to do the same stupid psycho things for a few weeks to fill the holes between other storylines. Then she’ll disappear again…. the coma gag only worked the first three times, so now she has to “die” in some odd way (like drowning), but of course without any body found, so we know she’s eventually coming back… and doesn’t even have to be a Rolf zombie.
Ron is so cute
Days Of Our Lives
‘Days of our Lives’ Rachel Boyd on the Return of Sophia Choi as She Makes Her Way To Salem: ‘I Wanted Her to Come Back Stronger Than Ever’
Next week on all-new episodes of Days of our Lives, the Peacock streaming soap opera will pick right back up from where Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk) has tracked down a very much alive, Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd) in a diner in Kentucky. But what will happen when Sophia returns to her old stomping grounds of Salem?
In official spoilers for the week of October 12-16, look for Kristen to make a deal with the woman she supposedly killed, and by week’s end for the once-conniving Sophia to make her way back to Salem. Meanwhile, in a new interview with TV Insider heralding her return, Rachel Boyd, who did a tremendous job with Sophia’s original exit story, explains how she thinks this version of Sophia will be different than the last.
The exit story had Sophia setting out to kill Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) by a demand made by Kristen DiMera. Sophia failed to end Johny’s life and Kristen lured Sophia to the bridge and clunked her over the head with a rock and pushed her over the rails to the steely waters below.
Photo: Corday Productions
Sophia’s body was never found, but she was declared dead. At the time, Boyd thought Sophia might be ‘dead-dead’ but in soap opera’s and especially Days of our Lives, nobody really ever truly dies!
WHAT’S DIFFERENT WITH SOPHIA CHOI COME FALL OF 2026?
Reflecting on her first run, which featured many an emotional scene, Rachel recalled: “As crazy as some storylines can be, working on a soap opera is truly a boot camp in acting because you’re given one take and you have to tackle really hard circumstances.”
Those dramatic circumstances included: “Giving birth in my bedroom alone, penning a suicide note, or even attempting to murder someone by blowing him up are all things a younger version of myself would be so intimidated by,” expressed Boyd. “But I learned that preparation is everything and as long as I do the hard work before I show up to set, then I am capable of it.”
Rachel ended her first run back in December of 2025, but due to DAYS tape schedule, the character of Sophia “died” five months ago on episodes on Peacock. Once she returned to the set for her second-go round, it was all systems go. “It was more like being thrown into the deep end, which honestly worked for me. I enjoy working under pressure and with momentum.”
The actress hopes viewers will see the internal change with the character as things move forward. “I knew I wanted her to feel distinctly different,” she explained. “I’ve always tried to keep the character constantly evolving and changing as she experiences new things and responds to trauma. But now that the audience hasn’t seen her for months, I had a great opportunity to fill in those blanks for myself and come back in a whole new way.”
DAYS fans should really began to notice the change on next week’s episodes. “I wanted her to come back stronger than ever,” admits Boyd. “Now that she’s survived a near-death experience and kept herself alive and hidden for six months, this version of Sophia is going to be much more independent and a fighter. I can’t say exactly what is going to happen, but as long as Sophia’s alive, chaos will follow!”
So, are you glad that Rachel Boyd is back as Days of our Lives Sophia Choi? What do you think she will do once she gets back to Salem? Turn a new leaf or be back to her scheming ways? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Breaking News
2026 Daytime Emmys Gold & Silver Circle Inductees: Francesca James, Patrika Darbo and Meredith Vieira Among Those Being Honored
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced on Thursday, October 8, the 2026 Gold & Silver Circle Inductees who will be celebrated at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, October 30.
This year’s honor roll features industry professionals that have made contributions across daytime television, including daytime dramas, talk shows, comedy, and more.
The Gold inductees include: Meredith Vieira (former c0-host of The View, journalist and EP and CEO, Meredith Vieira Productions),Patrika Darbo (ex-Nancy, Days of our Lives and Shirley, The Bold and the Beautiful, soon to be seen reprising her role of Shirley on Y&R), three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Francesca James (ex-Kitty/Kelly, All My Children, and ex-Marcy Wade, One Life to Live, plus director and/or producer at All My Children, General Hospital, Loving, Santa Barbara et al), and finally Byron Allen (Founder, Chairman & CEO Allen Media Group).
It should be noted that Vieira made guest appearances on both All My Children and General Hospital throughout her career. On GH, she played madam Bree Flanders in 2003 and 2012. She also appeared as a wedding planner on All My Children back in 2001.
Photo: NATAS
The Silver inductees are: Stephen Brown (VP Programming and Development, Fox Television Stations) and Rubin Ervin (Announcer/Warm-Up Host for Family Feud, The Bachelor and more).The Gold and Silver Circle Society Inductees are deemed by NATAS as “exceptional professionals who have performed distinguished service within the television industry, setting standards for achievement, mentoring, leadership and professional accolades for 50 or 25 years, respectively. They represent the best and brightest in the industry.”
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS shared, “This year’s Gold & Silver honorees are recognized for their continued exceptional contributions to our television industry. We are proud to honor a class of honorees from diverse career paths across many daytime genres. Their impact is evident in programming every day, inspiring generations and enriching the lives of countless viewers.”
MORE ON THE 53RD ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMYS
NATAS previously announced that soap opera icon Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital) will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during this year’s ceremonies.
The 2026 Daytime Emmys will be held at the historic Hollywood Palladium and will stream live on the NATAS YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@theemmys and watch.TheEmmys.tv.
The annual awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be a single ceremony in 2026, produced by NATAS Productions. Adam Sharp and Lara Gates are executive producers, with Leon Knoles returning to direct for a fifth straight year. Rachel Schwartz serves as Head of Daytime, and the firm of Lutz & Carr, LLP, provides accounting services for the competition.
So, what do you think of this year’s Gold & Silver Inductees? Happy to see some of the names that will be recognized on October 30? Who in the future who has had enduring contributions to daytime television or the soap opera genre, would you like to see receive these honors in years to come? Let us know via the comment section below.
This week on Days of our Lives, Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti) surprises Sydney DiMera (Sydney Malakeh) when he arrives in Salem, while the woman he loves Sami Brady is over in Italy, Viewers are becoming quite suspicious of Dante, who seemed to be in collusion with Dominic Marino, leading us to try to surmise just what are Dante’s true intentions to coming to Salem? To meet Sami’s family, or so he says?
Meanwhile, Sami Brady has spoken! In a new video that dropped on Wednesday October 7 on the official Days of our Lives Instagram account, Alison Sweeney appears for what is being called as Sami Brady’s Confessions from Italy or Salem Confessionals!
In character, Sweeney talks to camera explaining Sami’s perspective on her engagement to Dante, and how she feels about him coming to Salem without her to meet the Brady clan. Sami says, “This is such a crazy time. I’m engaged, but I’m not ready to be older. It’s just been my reputation in the past. I’ve always been in such a hurry to sort of like, get it done because it hasn’t always worked out. I’m engaged to a wonderful man named Dante. He’s Italian. He’s dreamy and fabulous. I’m enjoying all of it, like the whole thing. Being engaged, being in love, dating, it’s a new thing for me.”
Photo: Corday Productions
DANTE’S ARRIVAL IN SALEM
Sweeney as Sami continues to explain and rationalize, “Dante, hired my daughter, Sydney, to work for him, which has been amazing. She actually likes him. She’s approved of this relationship, which I’m very happy about. But I will be honest, I’m a little nervous because my fiancé is going to meet my family in Salem without me. I think that’s a good idea. I’m nervous because my family, you know, knows a lot about me. But, I have told Dante everything. I mean, okay, not like literally everything, but a lot of. No, not a lot. Some, you know, enough and he doesn’t want to know the rest.”
All in all, it seems like Sami thinks she has found happiness with the guy, but she made be in for rude awakening as she brings up her manipulative past with the loves of Sami’s life. “He’s (Dante) happy and he loves me and I’m not like that anymore, so it’s fine,” explains Sami. “But I’m just saying that things might come up, um, because my family doesn’t forget either. I’m nervous for them to just like him. I’m nervous for them to be happy for me. I want them to be happy for me, and for us ,and for them to see that this is different for me. I understand why they don’t believe that. I understand why they would be, you know, suspicious of my intentions.”
Photo: Days Peacock IG
IT’S LOVE FOR SAMI
Sami shares she has fallen hard for Dante! “All I can say is I’m in love. It’s amazing. I recommend it. I really hope that Dante wins over my family, and they can all be happy for me. I do hope to get married sometime and celebrate that with my family. That’s what I want. That’s honestly actually what I’ve always wanted and now I think it’s really gonna happen.”
As previously reported, Alison Sweeney will be back on-screen come June of 2027 on the Peacock streaming soap opera, when Sami returns in story along with Christie Clark (Carrie Brady), Chandler Massey (Will Horton) and Bryan Dattilo (Lucas Horton).
So, what did you think of Sami’s confessions from Italy? Do you think Sami will be duped by Dante? Will their love conquer all, or is Dante even in love with Sami? Stay tuned.
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