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Stephen Nichols Returns To DAYS In Cliffhanger As ‘The Phoenix Always Rises From The Ashes’

Courtesy/NBC

Now that DAYS will preempted over the Thanksgiving holiday break, leave it to head writer Ron Carlivati and his team to come up with a creative way to usher in the highly-anticipated return of fan favorite, Stephen Nichols and with a doozy of a cliffhanger.

Nichols, who has played Steve “Patch” Johnson on and off for decades, was revealed in story at the end of Wednesday’s episode as Princess Gina (Kristian Alfonso) completes her painting of “Steffy”. Next thing you know, we see Steve, or is it Stefano with a face change, who is wearing a suit and shooting a look over to Gina? The episode fades to black.

Courtesy/NBC

Then, on the heels of the reveal, NBC released next week’s official DAYS promo which has a voice-over of the character of John Black (Drake Hogestyn) saying “The phoenix always rises from the ashes” Next you hear Stefano (aka Nichols) saying “I now have Steve Johnson’s face.”  While Gina wants to know what Stefano’s plan is, he exclaims, “It’s good to be back.”

Watch the exciting promo below, and then let us know what you think of the story twist,  and if you are happy to see Stephen Nichols back on-screen via the comment section below.

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What an ending! Can’t wait till Kayla finds out he’s back

Dumb

Days is getting boring again, princess Gina repeated storyline with that terrible accent lol. The time jump will be the demise of Days. I hate the stupid time jump, one year later. Joseph Mascolo was terrific, as Stefano. Dimera. Joseph must be rolling in his grave, to see Stephen Nichols play the new Stefano.

Totally agree, I hate this time jump thing and bringing back the dead… Please! Give us back real life, and romance! Same old stuff producer is just dragging all the drama out… move on and let at least one couple be happy! Expose Gabi!! I’m ready to stop watching what used to be my favorite Soap! Johnny you may be correct this time jump will be this soaps demise!

Yes agreed they need new writers this is the same over and over just with diffrent cast. New writers is a must if Dool is to survive .This time jump is stupendous the writers need a dose of Dr Rolfs serum so they can write new material for the cast.

At least the writers have Eric know the truth about Micky. Now bring back Tony and Anna

I agree Sandra, expose Gabi and more romance and better storylines. Princess Gina is a lush and loves to smoke lol.

Thought it was stupid to do that
Up that far ahead
At first I was totally list of what was going on

I am willing to give this Stefano with Steve Johnson’s face story line a chance. But who is this Gina person

Agree….very

Then don’t watch!

What a total dishonor to Joe Mascolo (sp). I love stephen but as patch!

It’s not Stephen as Stefano. It’s Stephen as Steve as Stefano.

Hate it..have stopped watching. 3 ppl in prison. Kayla with Justin is just gross. The show is completely ruined by all of it. HALEY DEAD, JJ BACK ON DRUGS.repeat ON DRUGS..Simply stupid. Too far fetched to enjoy.

if Justin and Kayla are happy in each other’s company what is the problem? Kayla is divorced from Steve Johnson. She is no longer legally married. Justin is a widower. Why shouldn’t these two people be allowed happiness!

If Stefano has returned with Steve Johnson’a face Kayla is for a real surprise

I definitely wasn’t expecting THAT reveal. I’m glad that it’s really Stefano with plastic surgery instead of Steve Johnson with some brain “retooling” like Franco on GH being implanted with Drew’s memories. But I’m also not sure how I feel about Stefano being “recast,” which is essentially what this move is. Also, how are they going to explain “Steve’s” lack of a patch?

Remember steve got the eye surgery therefore didnt have the patch anymore before he left

Yes he did

That’s not correct.

Actually there was some dumb storyline where John was somehow being blackmailed into killing Steve slowly with poison. John eventually fessed up to the plot, so the antidote was given in time to save Steve’s life. But the poison had already taken its toll and he lost his vision in his one GOOD eye. So that eye was removed and replaced with the “bionic” eye. Nobody ever questioned at the time why they didn’t simply install TWO bionic eyes. Maybe such a procedure would require a live optic nerve to attach to, and Steve’s other eye socket had been empty for decades.

Steve did lose the patch briefly during his initial run in the early 1990s, but the “patch” was an iconic part of the character and the fans hated it. So the storyline was written that there was some sort of accident which damaged his eye socket to the point where it could no longer support the glass eye and the patch was back.

Presumably the storyline now will be that Rolf – ever the diligent mad scientist – will have found a way to restore Steve’s long dead optic nerve from the missing eye, and install a second bionic eye in the socket. Given Rolf’s abilities to wake the dead & install brain chips in people to give them false identies, a mere skull procedure to fix Steve’s eye socket would be no big deal for him.

He always had the Patch,even after the surgery he had.

Stefano had 2 eyes!!!!!
Steve got his sight back and last we knew, was not wearing patch

Brilliant and creative! I can’t wait to see how this plays out.

Same on boring storylines. Days need to let dead peoples stay dead

Where is the fun in that?

Dumb..enough said!!!

U just summed it up!!stupid is the correct description I hate days now and I’ve watched it my whole life

I have been a fan for about over 40th year and I dont like the jumping a year ahead and I dont like hope becoming Princess Gain and really dont like Steve Johnson becoming The Phoenix and dont like Justin and Kayla being together. At the end of all of this I was want to be that Jennifer will have a dream like in dallas.what I did like was when Hope shot Stefano and got away with killing him.

I agree..been watching off and on since it went on the air. Story lines are plain stupid. Acting has deteriorated ie. Hope’s horrid accent as gina! So disappointed kn DOOL. They should have ended on a high note, not a stupid one.

I agree Madeline

Its a bad move. Days of our lives should of stayed current leave Stephano dead and buried, dont revise his character again let Steve come back as himself. Kayla needs to be with Steve. Writers what are yall doing?

The question is whether or not Stephen Nichols wants to continue being Kayla’s husband on DOOL. Stephen may have only agreed to return to Days if Steve and Kayla were no longer a couple. We don’t know what the current deal that Stephen made with Days is.

It’s great to have Stephen back but not for this story. We all know there is one Stefano and that is Joe Mascolo. Sorry, but this story is not going to gain new viewers.

OR keep the ones it has

I don’t miss this story

This is so stupid, but so Days

U don’t like Steve being Stefano. I wanted him back as Kayla husband

I don’t like Steve being in role of Phoenix. I’ve been a fan for years and don’t like what is going on now. Jumping a year. Bring back t old days it was

I love it. I hope its really Stefano with Steve’s face. I also hope they show flashbacks with Joe as Stefano also. I can’t help but think that Steve is on his way back. In the time jump promo Kayla was asking a man dressed as Santa who he was. We all know Steve and Kayla are end game.

I don’t like the time jump at all. I don’t like JJ getting back on drugs or that his girl died. It’s crazy that Lani and Kristin are in a convent. Will in jail for killing Sonny’s mother? It’s all so stupid and I don’t know why whoever wrote this did it. Please make it stop. Guess they couldn’t think of another story so they just dreamed up this one.

I don’t like all that you wrote. Plus I do not like Sarah with Xander. I also don’t like hearing the baby Mickey might be Brady and Kristen’s baby. I’ve stopped watching it.

Brady and Kristen’s baby? Now that is just way too convoluted!

Considering ReRon likes baby switch storylines as much as he loves masks, dopplegangers, and alternate personalities, you could probably bet your soul that some sort of “surprise” is in store with baby “Mickey”. (and I don’t mean Eric being the daddy rather than Xander, because nobody was ever supposed to believe that!)

I will be glad when this crap is over I dont like change much but days has just gone stupid as hell now steve the character is the new stuffy get done where this crap.iam about to stop watching after 55 years

Steve is not going to be Stefano, Stefano is using Steve’s face they probably have Steve locked up somewhere,just like they did Rafe and half the people on Days.

That’s Steve. It’s a brain chip, just like the one in Hope’s head. There’s only ONE Stefano, and trust me, he’s not currently located in Salem, or anywhere else on your side of Earth’s crust.

I have watched Day’s of our lives since I was 12 im 64 now just deleted it stupid stupid stuff going on writters killing the show princess Gina Steven as Stefino r u kidding over no night 3 people killed people jailed just about as stupid as I have ever seen been nice watching it all these years

ron c brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Omg I honestly thought it was going to be Rolf !!!

Not even Rolf can put a brain chip in his own head!

I agree the time jump and Nichols as Stefano, and Princess Gina, too stupid for anyone. About ready to bail for good.. Real life situations are horrifying enough, pick a few from the news. Why do we need complete ridiculousness?

I’m glad that Steve is back but not as stefeno.i think that is as stupid as the time jump.ive been watching days of our lives all my life.(I’m 53) and I think that Steve should of never come back as stefeno at all not should hope be Gina again.

Great, now grab Kayla and get the hell out you are both dull!

This is the most craziest crap I have ever seen on days. I missed 1 episode,& everything went in to the twilight zone. Don’t like any of this.It makes me not want to watch any more of this stupid show.

Mr. Carlivati, Please pay attention to the negative reviews. If DOOL is to succeed, the writers have to listen to the viewers,or a tombstone will be awaiting in the soap graveyard that houses ATWT, AW, PASSIONS, GL, AMC & OLTL and so many more.

Wow what a brilliant twist. Can’t wait to see how all this plays out.

Everyone is tripping about this time jump. Lol has everyone forgotten how Sami and Eric went from teens to adults? Poor Eric went upstairs and was never seen for ages. EJ went from being a baby to old enough to marry Sami. Belle went from a baby that Sami kidnapped to a teenager. I doubt 1 year will matter.

I haven’t watched the show in years because all the younger actors were taking over storylines and they sucked. Replacing old casts as new characters like we were supposed to forget who they were before just got old. As for this story definitely an unexpected twist. Would have preferred Stephano stayed dead. No one can ever replace him. Not even our beloved Steve.

The Belle SORASing was the most amusing, because she literally went from the 4 year old flower girl at her parents wedding to a 16 year old by the time they got back from their honeymoon. Granted, it WAS an extended honeymoon, given the previous episode of “Princess Brain Chip” and the infamous submarine sexcapades and all that, but it wasn’t 12 years, for Hell’s sake!

Elvis Jr being a 9 year old with an MBA, a law degree, and a shelf of F1 racing trophies was kind of ridiculous, but the all time SORASing record on this show had to be Nicholas Alamain, who went from a 9 year old in his initial appearance, to a 30 something banging Kate Roberts on the desk at Titan and then somehow deSORASed over a decade later when he returned briefly to escort his mom Carly and the EggChild Melanie off the screen.

For someone who hasn’t “watched in years” you sure seem to be up to date on everything. Your secret is safe with us, Natasha.
As for the younger actors taking over for the older ones, you do know that Tom and Alice had to die sometime, didn’t you?

He’s BACK. Don’t really care how. Just so HAPPY that he is BACK. JUST LOVE STEVE(PATCH)

Could be interesting

I don’t like this storyline with Princess Gina and Stefano having Steve Johnson’s face. Stefano is dead; I think this dishonors the original actor who played Stefano. Why keep bringing all these characters back who have been dead? Makes no sense and it’s repetition of old storylines. It’s getting boring and I’m surprised NBC renewed DOOL again.

Hate, hate, hate when days brings back characters from the dead and gives them new faces. Come on guys put yr thinking caps on and come up with a better story line, please.

I also think this is stupid. I love patch but with Kayla. Kayla and Justin don’t go together. The real Stefano is dead No one will ever be able to replace him. Maybe u should of put EJ to take over Stefanos place. Bring Hope back as Hope and get rid of Gina. Bring back Adrienne and say it was Bonnie that died, and let Gabi already get caught for everything she’s done and let Lani finally tell Eli the truth. Enough of the stupid stuff already give us hope someone is just dreaming this stuff and the wake up soon.

The story line on DOOL is extremely stupid NOT watching ANY more

I have been trying to separate myself from watching this show that I have watched since first day it was put on my TV set. Guess what they made it easy this time. So far fetched with this time capsule. Princess Jeana and Stephano. Viewers just started accepting Stephen O and now this. I am done, thank you to the brain that came up with this

Hope as Princess Gina is so stupid. So many ridiculous story lines lately. If DOOL goes off air it wont be suprising. I started watching this soap since 60’s but, it’s too ridiculous lately. .
By the way, How did Hailey die???
This jumping ahead a year and losing 5 main characters and no explanation is frustrating. I’m done!!

The time jump has got to go and there will never be a replacement for the first Stefano. Let him go already….geez

Love the twist!!! Days has done it again. Love that they are always coming up with ways to keep me hooked!

Having Steve be Stefano stinks. Only one man can be Stefano. How has no one questioned Hope’s behavior? How did Adrienne and Haley die? I believe the ending rumors and time-jump was a way to win viewers. Do not abuse the loyalty of the faithful viewers as myself. This better turn out agreeable for us.

The show is so stupid . They need new writers and stop with the ridiculous story lines. It was bad many years ago and still is. And to top it off they jumped ahead a year. Clean up the act . Maybe get kids to write the storylinesame. Maybe things would be more real.

Madeline, I agree. It’s really getting stupid. I don’t even worry if I miss an episode or two. Maybe I’ll stop watching it.
.

Madeline, I agree with you. Stupid story lines all around.
I don’t worry about missing an episode or two. Losing interest in it. Maybe I’ll tune in, in about 3 months & it will be the year before.

That was not a good move,How can you take good and turn it into evil.Be careful I have so many long time watchers of DOOL about to stop watching. The cass can’t live forever as in real life nobody does.

Exciting! I am enjoying the anticipation of what each day will bring.

I can’t wait! Love Stephen Nichols soooo much! He has the “it” factor, star charisma, presence and gravitas as did Stefano!

THIS is so sad. Going backwards to old storylines like trying to redo classics Tv shows. I’m down to watching on Wed & Fridays pretty soon will be 0 days

I am very happy to see Stephen Nichols back at Days. He is one of my favorites. He is a great actor.

cannot believe all of the negativity the show is great everyone wants the same old thing hats off to ron c and the creativity the time jump will not be the demise it is 2019 so embrace the change

I’m not seeing “everyone wants the same old thing” in the comments, Richard–in fact, I’m seeing just the opposite: this feels like “more of the same,” and they’d like a shift to something that they can relate to a little better. I have to agree with that, and not just in regard to Days, but in regard to all the soaps (yeah, I’m looking at you, General Hospital).

I’m more Ron C.-positive than most people, but I have to say I don’t think this Stefan quasi-resurrection is one of his better ideas (assuming it was his at all; it could have been foisted upon him by Sony or NBC or the producers). Stefano was great originally, but less so as time wore on, but at least his inevitable returns always meant we got the phenomenal Joe Mascolo, so there was a real compensation. I like Stephen Nichols, but good grief: Stefano had run his course and should have been allowed to stay dead once Mr. Mascolo was no longer around to portray him.

The time jump itself, I’m neutral on (for the moment). It may work, it may not. It’s certainly upending a long-time soap convention, since time has generally moved incredibly slowly on the soaps (didn’t Passions viewers point out that at one point, a single day had stretched across 27 episodes or something like that?). Innovation isn’t always a bad thing, but you do have to be very careful where the soaps are concerned, because the conventions exist for a reason and have the weight of a half-century or more behind them. It’s not inherently wrong, in my opinion, to decide you’re not going to do something just because it’s always been done a certain way and that you’re going to try to do something fresh and different, but when you do, the burden of proof is on you to demonstrate that it can work. So we’ll see. “Fresh and innovative” can morph into “epic fail” pretty quickly if things tank. Most of what the soaps have done over the last two decades in the realm of “innovation” (mostly to try to attract younger viewers) has been a disaster, and the four remaining soaps are much weaker as a result; let’s see if this latest innovation works or just continues the damage.

I think my days of watching “Days” might be ending. The show is beyond ridiculous and reminds me of “Passions.” Where do I start? Hattie can make everyone think she is Marlena. Bonnie can make everyone think she is Adrienne. Gina can make everyone think she is Hope. Steve can make everyone think he is Stefano? This has been in past three years. In addition, Diana, Anjelica and Vivian were brought back with re-written history. The show kills off the most popular male lead (Stefan) because it tapes so far ahead they didn’t know he and Gabi would become such a super-couple. Kayla mopes for Steve for two years. Then, we are supposed to believe that she falls in love with Justin mere months after Adrienne dies. The Sonny/Will storyline is so boring that the new character/nanny feels like the same storyline as Paul. I am just not finding any of these storylines intriguing enough to lure new viewers or keep long-term ones. I would love to see a storyline that is realistic, a story that does not involve a baby switch, characters that are not cartoon villains (i.e. Kristen, Vivian). Mostly, I would love to see the show move into the future without it revolving around Stefano. Joseph M is dead and the character needs to be retired as well.

Interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!

This all has to be in the still comatose Jennifer Rose’s dreams. I hope this isn’t all a dream a la Dallas.

I really am weary of ‘new reconstructed faces,’ doppelgangers, and lost/forgotten twins. The world is full of stories to tell. These over-the-top tropes do not shock or surprise anymore. If anything, they are desperate devices to capture past glories and to re-establish a time/place that was, not is or will be. I understand it’s an arrow in the quiver of writers, but I am sorry. I want something more real and human.

Days has not jump the ship on this they have sunk it. This entire Princess Gina/Stefano storyline is just recycled trash that was ill conceived back in the day. The writers had a chance to give new life to Days with this time jump but instead wasted it with this moronic storyline. To those who were “killed off” during the time jump consider your deaths to be merciful. Since Days is taped so far in advance, those who are still watching are having to endure these worn-out storylines. If there is a Christmas miracle, Jennifer will wake up again and this will all have been a dream “Its a Wonderful Life” style. I could go on but I think my point has come across. This guilty pleasure is no longer a pleasure but just guilty of uncreative, overpaid writers who can not develop new innovative, audience loving storylines.

Gina is very definitely one disturbed person. Has she always been this warped?

The REAL Princess Gina was a very warped individual, as was Hope the previous time she was under the brain chipped delusion of being Gina.

Biggest problem this time around is that we’re supposed to believe that (due to the time jump) over a year has passed without anybody realizing that Hope ain’t acting like Hope… and even when they DO have suspicions, such as Marlena, nobody asks the obvious questions… even though Marlena was around for both the real Gina and the previous Brain Chip “Gina”.

Not to mention that, as a trained psychiatrist, Doc Evans should know an “alternate” personality when she sees one by now.

Breaking News

51st Daytime Emmys: Eric Braeden, Scott Clifton, Thorsten Kaye, John McCook and Eric Martsolf Score Lead Actor Nominations

Ahead of the full list of 51st annual Daytime Emmy Award Nominations to be revealed tomorrow on Friday, April 19th, Extra’s Melvin Roberts unveiled the nominations in the highly-coveted Outstanding Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actor.

Going for gold are Eric Braeden (Victor, The Young and the Restless), Scott Clifton (Liam, The Bold and the Beautiful), John McCook (Eric, The Bold and the Beautiful), Thorsten Kaye (Ridge, The Bold and the Beautiful) and Eric Martsolf (Brady, Days of our Lives).

All five of the nominees are previous Daytime Emmy winners, with Eric Martsolf the only won in the group to have won his previous Emmy for work in the Supporting Actor category.

Photo: JPI

B&B could make it three years in a row as the reigning champs in the actor race, having won in 2022 with John McCook and 2023 with Thorsten Kaye.

In addition, as previously announced, the Michael Fairman Channel will play host to its 10th annual Daytime Emmy Nominations special featuring several of the nominees for the 51st annual Daytime Emmys which happens live tomorrow Friday, April 19th beginning at 8 pm ET/5pm PT.

Check out Extra’s announcement of this year’s Daytime Emmy nominees for Lead Actor, then let us know in the comment section, which of the five do you hope takes home the prize?

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Days Of Our Lives

DAYS Alum Tanner Stine to Appear in ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ Starring Nicholas Chavez

Another face familiar to daytime fans has already boarded Ryan Murphy’s limited series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story which stars General Hospital favorite, Nicholas Chavez (Spencer Cassadine) in the role of Lyle.

Tanner Stine who played Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) and Steve’s (Stephen Nichols) son, Joey Johnson on Days of our Lives will also appear in the series.

In ‘Monsters’, look for Stine to portray the role of Perry Berman, who was Lyle and Erik’s friend and former tennis coach. In the story, Perry found himself at the epicenter of the murder mystery when he had accepted a phone call from Lyle shortly before the brutal murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez.

Photo: JPI

Other previously announced castings included: Cooper Koch (who plays Erik), Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny as parents Jose and Kitty Menendez, Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne, Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson, and Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth.

Photo: IMDb

In the series, the two wealthy brothers stand trial for shooting their parents in Beverly Hills, amid claims of self-defense after years of abuse, while prosecutors alleged that greed was the motives for the killing. Lyle and Erik Menendez have been behind bars in California for more than three decades for the 1989 killing of their parents.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story will debut later in 2024 on Netflix.

What do you think about Tanner Stine being part of the all-star cast for ‘Monsters’? Miss Joey on Days of our Lives? Comment below.

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Breaking News

51st Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Set to Be Announced

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences revealed on Wednesday via X, that this year’s 51st annual Daytime Emmy Nominations are set to be announced in full on Friday, April 19th at 12 pm ET/9 am PT.

However, four of the top award category nominations will be revealed on Thursday, April 18th across four entertainment news programs to kick things off.

Those include this Thursday episodes of Access Hollywood, E! News, Entertainment Tonight and Extra. Over the past few years, NATAS has often let the syndicated entertainment news program handle the duties of revealing the top actor and actress in a daytime drama series, but we shall see which categories the shows unveil this year.

Photo/AP

As previously announced, the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be presented in ceremonies on Friday night, June 7th on CBS (8 – 10 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+*.

The awards will be back at The Bonaventure hotel in downtown Los Angeles, where (the delayed due to the actors and writers strike) 50th annual Daytime Emmy Awards were held back in December of 2023.

Look for the full nominations to be posted right here at Michael Fairman TV and you can follow along on Friday on the Daytime Emmys social platforms as well.

Photo: AP

The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of categories, including daytime dramas, talk shows, instructional programming, hosting, culinary, and legal/courtroom programs. In 2021, NATAS and the Television Academy jointly announced plans to realign the Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards to be organized by content genre, as opposed to program airtime.

The 51st Daytime Emmy Nominations will honor the work and achievement from the calendar year of 2023.

So, who would you like to see in the running for gold when the Daytime Emmy nominations in the key acting and show categories are revealed? Share your thoughts below.

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