Days of our Lives Recap, April 16, 2025: The Hernandez siblings hit rough romantic waters

Here's your Days of our Lives recap for Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

What happened on Days of our Lives

At the Kiriakis mansion, Philip hung up on a hostile Melinda, who was threatening to sue Titan for the loss of her job. His demeanor quickly changed when Maggie arrived home from her visit with daughter Melissa. Maggie informed Philip she’d heard the news about DiMera Enterprises. With a glance at Victor’s portrait, she told Philip his father would be proud. The duo shared a hug.

Maggie pulled back and suggested Philip and she have a celebratory breakfast. Philip said he had something else he needed to tell Maggie. Before he could make his disclosure, a robe-clad Vivian made a dramatic entrance and exclaimed she was “famished” for breakfast.

Maggie immediately demanded to know why Vivian was in her home and was incredulous to learn Vivian had stayed the night. The women exchanged barbs, which included Maggie labeling Vivian a “vampire,” a “psychopath,” and a “vile intruder.” She commanded Philip to get rid of the woman by the time she returned from a visit upstairs with her granddaughter.

After Maggie left, Vivian launched into a complaint about her. Philip snapped that Vivian was responsible for all the tension in his life, and he asked if she would blow it up further by revealing his deception. Vivian assured him she wouldn’t, so long as Kate disposed of “that idiot brother of yours.” Philip insisted that neither Kate nor he would be killing Xander. Philip just needed time to liquidate assets and get Vivian her cut.

Vivian didn’t want to hear excuses, and she still wasn’t content with only getting half of Philip’s fortune. Philip turned the tables and threatened that if Vivian blabbed, she would get nothing — and she would likely go to prison again for fraud. Vivian got hostile at the threat and at Philip’s perceived ungratefulness. Philip pledged Vivian would get her due if only she remained patient. “Patience is not my strong suit,” Vivian warned.

Philip dialed up the charm and said he wasn’t ungrateful to Vivian for “carrying me in your womb.” He promised he would expedite the process of getting her money, and he would even sweeten the deal by buying her a mansion. Vivian’s outrage returned as she realized Philip was essentially throwing her out of the Kiriakis mansion. Philip insisted it would be “best for everyone” if she left, and he offered to take her to the Salem Inn. “I can get there myself,” Vivian harshly rebuffed before storming out.

Later, Maggie came back into the room and found everyone gone. A letter from Vivian was waiting for her, however. It read, “Farewell, Maggie, and good riddance; Philip has made me realize there is only one thing for me to do. P.S.: The top of the bookcase needs dusting.” Maggie crumpled the letter.

At DiMera Enterprises, Xander bragged to Kristen that Philip and he had seized a “window of opportunity.” Making reference to her own “opportunity,” Kristen pulled out her gun and pointed it at Xander. He asked what she was doing. Kristen reasoned that since her gun had been cleared in EJ's shooting, she could put it to better use. When Xander suggested that Kristen wouldn’t shoot him, she retrained the weapon and affirmed that Xander had “poked the sleeping bear.”

As her rage grew, Kristen talked about having to “claw” her way to the top and all the people who had stood in the way of her rightful place at DiMera. She would not be unseated by her “incompetent former henchman.” Xander tried to approach and claimed they could work it out, but Kristen warned him off.

Kristen said he could do one thing: call Wei Shin and insist that a mistake had been made and that Kristen should be reinstated as CEO. Xander moved toward the phone and picked it up, then hesitated and firmly set it back down. He turned back to Kristen and stated, “I’m not making that call.”

Kristen raised the gun again and said that since Xander hadn’t “seen the light,” she’d introduce him to “the lights of hell.” Xander implored Kristen to think about what she stood to lose. Kristen reasoned she had nothing to lose, since she’d already lost Brady, her mother, and her company. After Xander brought up little Rachel and raised the possibility of Kristen losing more time with her girl, Kristen’s anger increased. She harshly reminded Xander that she’d lost the first year of Rachel’s life because of Xander’s lies.

Xander softened and said he’d cared deeply about Rachel during that time, just as he currently did for his daughter. He knew Kristen felt the same way about Rachel and that she loved her daughter fiercely. Xander was certain Kristen wanted the best for Rachel and that she would not want to be separated from her little girl again.

When Xander saw that he had succeeded in talking Kristen down, he demanded that she leave before he called the cops. Kristen put the gun in her purse and switched tactics. Xander and she didn’t need to engage in negotiations "under duress." Xander couldn’t believe Kristen thought he’d negotiate with her after what she’d done. Kristen made the case that she knew DiMera better than anyone, and certainly better than Wei Shin.

Kristen tried to persuade Xander to let her maintain the day-to-day operations at DiMera while Philip and he focused on Titan. Kristen confirmed she was proposing a business partnership, and Xander promptly put a stake in the idea. He would never team up with “a snake” like Kristen. She reminded him that Sarah would still be paralyzed if it weren’t for her. Xander shot back that Kristen had only given up the serum because of Brady.

Xander didn’t believe Kristen’s claims of altruistic motives and reinforced that he’d never be her friend, confidante, or partner. Kristen said she'd content herself with becoming Xander’s sworn enemy. She vowed to take both DiMera and Titan and to leave Xander and Philip with nothing.

“We’ll see about that,” Xander said, accepting the challenge. He again ordered Kristen out, but not before handing her the CEO placard with her name on it. “Throw it in the trash on your way out,” he suggested.

Later, Xander made a call requesting stronger security measures. “I can’t just have anyone wandering in off the street,” he said. Just then, a smiling Vivian strolled into the office.

At the Brady Pub, Kate was on a phone call with Lucas. She assured her son that he was safe from EJ’s threats because someone had shot EJ. Lucas apparently asked Kate if she had done it; she scoffed and claimed she hadn’t. Just as she ended the call, Sami approached and grabbed an extra cup of coffee. When Kate said she had been talking to Sami’s ex-husband, Sami cracked, “The one that kidnapped me?”

Kate reminded Sami that Lucas “wasn’t in his right mind” at the time and that he deeply regretted his actions. Sami mused that she had plenty of regrets, too, especially when it came to her “catastrophic” relationships. The talk turned to Roman, and Kate proclaimed that her husband had taught her what love truly meant. Sami sincerely said she was happy for both her dad and Kate.

“Of course, if you hurt him, I’ll have to kill you,” Sami added before taking a sip of her drink. Kate retorted, “Not if I shoot you first.” The women shared a smile and then settled at a table. Sami again reassured Kate that she had no hard feelings for Kate revealing the truth about EJ to Johnny. Kate had noticed Sami hadn’t stayed at the pub the previous night and asked where she had been.

Sami’s answer of “with Rafe” surprised and intrigued Kate. Sami said she’d gone to thank Rafe for advocating for her with Johnny. Kate said Johnny was lucky to have someone he trusted like Rafe in his life, just as Sami was lucky to still have such a friendly relationship with her ex. While Kate didn’t want to make insinuations, she reminded Sami that Rafe had a fiancée. Sami smirked and declared that the relationship likely wouldn’t work out.

Kate had thought Rafe and Jada were trying to reconcile. They had been, Sami clarified, until Rafe found out that Jada had slept with Shawn. Kate was taken aback at the bit of gossip, and she pondered if Rafe had known before EJ was shot. Sami asked Kate what she was implying. Kate theorized that if EJ had hurt her the way he had hurt Rafe and Jada, she would want to make him pay.

Sami incredulously asked if Kate really believed Rafe could have shot EJ. Kate said it was a “moot point” since Kristen was the main suspect. Sami suggested she would be happy and relieved if Kristen were the shooter. The comment made Kate curious, so Sami confided that she’d worried about Johnny possibly pulling the trigger. Kate concurred with Rafe’s assertion that Johnny wouldn’t have gone so far with his father.

Later, Philip went to the pub and updated Kate on his conversation with Vivian. He was confident he had the woman under control.

Meanwhile, in Horton Town Square, Sami ended a call with Marlena only to run into Kristen. The women had a frosty exchange in which Kristen informed Sami that she’d been cleared in EJ’s shooting. Kristen added that her money was on Gabi as the shooter.

At the police station, Gabi balked at JJ’s assertion that she was a suspect in EJ’s shooting. Her outrage grew when she realized JJ was the one who had questions about her culpability. When Gabi challenged him on why he thought she could be guilty, JJ said she’d tried to kill EJ before. Gabi was confused until JJ brought up her taking Rafe’s gun and holding it on EJ. JJ believed his presence had been the only deterrent from Gabi shooting EJ at the time.

Gabi argued that she’d had a reason for holding a gun on EJ then: to find out Rafe’s whereabouts. She asked JJ what reason she could have for the latest incident. JJ directly supplied vengeance as a motive, both for Rafe and for herself. Gabi grew emotional and said she would never risk prison and time away from her daughter again after having been wrongly incarcerated. JJ said they could end the discussion immediately if Gabi could provide an alibi for the night of the shooting.

Gabi claimed she had been home all night after a long day at work. JJ revealed he’d stopped by and found the house dark and no one home. Gabi insisted she must have been asleep upstairs, and JJ equally insisted she hadn’t been there. “Are you calling me a liar?” Gabi challenged. “I’m sorry, but yes, I am,” JJ replied.

JJ reminded Gabi that he’d run into her in Horton Town Square that night. Gabi defended that she’d forgotten and she had only gone to the square to retrieve a lost planner. She angrily asked JJ if the other cops knew he’d brought his “latest conquest" in for questioning. JJ insisted it wasn’t easy for him either, but Gabi had motive and opportunity. “It’s not looking good,” he admitted.

“What’s not looking good,” Gabi icily responded, “is the man I’m dating treating me like a common criminal.” She had honestly believed JJ cared about her and had wanted to protect her. JJ said it wasn’t personal. “It’s just business,” Gabi finished, hurt. She informed JJ she was done talking and if he wanted to communicate with her any further, to do it through her lawyer. Gabi left the interrogation room with an emphatic door slam.

At Small Bar, Jada greeted Rafe and expressed how happy she was that he had come. Rafe tersely returned the greeting and took a seat. Jada said she’d wanted to talk more about Rafe’s anger at her for sleeping with Shawn. Rafe interrupted and said he wasn’t just angry about that encounter. He stunned Jada by suggesting her affair with Shawn was ongoing.

Jada was confused, so Rabe elaborated that he’d found Jada’s blouse among Shawn’s things after he’d talked with Shawn. He’d left so as not to “get in the middle” of their “little affair.” Jada realized the misunderstanding and told Rafe he’d gotten it “all wrong.” She filled him in on the events of the previous night, beginning with her drowning her sorrows at the bar after Rafe had suggested she not come home. Shawn had located her and told her about EJ’s shooting.

Jada continued that Shawn had offered up his place so she could “sleep off” her drunken state. Rafe made a few skeptical comments, and Jada asked if he believed her account. After a few beats, Rafe said he did. He wondered why Shawn hadn’t told him about Jada spending the night, and Jada said that Shawn hadn’t wanted Rafe to get even more upset. Rafe chastised himself for not staying and for jumping to the wrong conclusion.

If only Rafe had confronted Shawn, then – “Then what?” Jada wanted to know. Rafe hedged and said he was the one who needed to ask for “understanding.” Jada pressed him on what he meant, so Rafe told her about Sami’s visit the previous night. He explained that Sami had wanted to thank him for something that had happened with Johnny.

Rafe then stressed that both Sami and he were in a “bad place.” Jada grew impatient with Rafe’s delay tactics and asked what any of it had to do with her. Rafe confessed he’d slept with Sami. As Jada absorbed the news, Rafe apologized and attributed his mistake to a “misunderstanding.” Jada bristled at Rafe’s choice of words and reminded him of how he’d announced he would never forgive her for a similar misunderstanding.

Rafe insisted those words were said in anger. Gabi and Javi had helped him realize that he was wrong. Rafe reaffirmed his love for Jada and asked her if they could get past it all. Jada teared up. She’d told Rafe the truth and promised him he was the only man in her heart, but he’d still thought the worst of her.

Jada didn’t see how they could move past the betrayal. Rafe reminded Jada that she, too, had thought the worst about him. Jada accused Rafe of false equivalency because Arnold had fooled everyone in Rafe’s life. Jada had endured a man with Rafe’s face, body, and voice destroying her life.

Rafe’s “misunderstanding,” on the other hand, had been because of “a damn blouse.” When Rafe tried another plea, Jada jerked her hand away and rose from the table. “You needed your space, and now I need mine,” she said. Jada walked away, leaving Rafe alone at the table.

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