Days of our Lives Recap, May 22, 2025: John Black returns to save Bo Brady

Here is your Days of our Lives recap for Thursday, May 22, 2025, when Steve called in a one-man cavalry to save the day.

What happened on Days of our Lives

Belle, Marlena, and Brady anxiously waited for John on Days of our Lives | Image: Peacock

Brady and Belle sat around Marlena's place, anxious for John to arrive. Brady noted how sick Tate remained and worried that he'd miss his high school graduation. He was also worried that Tate and Sophia might need a lawyer for their meeting with an adoption agency. Belle offered to refer someone.

Brady then tried to get Belle to tell him what she was working on for Shawn, but she didn't want to talk about it. Instead, they decorated the living room for a little welcome home party for John. Brady expressed his disgust at Belle dating EJ, but Belle defended her man and claimed that EJ just wanted to put some good into the world now.

Brady was sure that Belle was trying to get him to vote in favor of EJ buying the hospital, but Belle was sure Kristen would try to persuade him. They argued back and forth about EJ's transgressions, with Brady accusing EJ of kidnapping Kristen's mother. Belle felt that even if he did, that was before he was shot and woke up a new man.

"Wow, you've got it bad, sis. The mental gymnastics you do for this guy," Brady noted. He also didn't think EJ would do anything to help bring Rachel Blake home. "A man can only change so much, Belle," Brady added.

Brady insisted that his hospital board vote wasn't for sale, but he also defended Xander. When Belle mentioned Xander had just beaten Philip to an inch of his life, Brady said, "Well, we don't know that for sure." Belle accused Brady of being just as naive as he accused her of being.

Marlena soon returned and told Belle and Brady that she had just gotten some bad news. Roman told her that Bo was being given his last rites. Suddenly, they heard someone at the door and assumed it was John. Sadly, it was Paul who told them that John made a stop on his way home.

Steve and Shawn also sat on their laptops searching for any sign of Kevin's roommate, Asher, whom they suspected had the Versavix. Shawn was surprised when Belle called and told him that Hope had once arrested Asher when he was a teenager. Shawn quickly called Hope and asked her about the arrest.

Hope remembered the kid well because he also went to preschool with Zack years ago. Hope told Shawn that Asher wasn't a drug dealer, but he hung out with them. Shawn wondered if he took the Versavix because he was dealing drugs. When Steve learned what Asher's alias was, he remembered seeing the name on the dark web offering a new drug similar to Versavix.

Steve contacted the account with the alias and was sure the drug he was trying to sell was the one that could save Bo. Steve made plans to meet with the guy before the men told Dr. Jeffrey Russell that they'd get all the Versavix back as long as he let them take a dose to Bo.

"If this thing goes south, nobody will have to know that you willingly went along with the plan. We'll take the hit," Steve said. Dr. Russell finally agreed, so the men headed out to a dark alley behind a warehouse to meet their drug dealer, who went to preschool with Zack. Dr. Russell was horrified when Shawn mentioned his life's work was now in a meth lab.

The men tried to figure out a way into the warehouse when Hope called Shawn. She told him that a priest was on his way to give Bo last rites. Steve tried to convince Shawn to head to Greece to say goodbye, but Shawn refused. Suddenly, a man in a hoodie approached them. Dr. Russell asked who it was.

"Dr. Russell, let me introduce John Black. You can always count on him to save the day. Isn't that right, partner?" Steve asked. "That's a fact, John said."

As soon as Doug III spotted Holly walking into The Brady Pub, he hung up with the person harassing him for money. Holly was there to tutor Doug for his GED exam. Doug insisted that Holly study for her own finals and not waste time on him. Holly refused to take no for an answer.

Doug and Holly sat down for a tutoring session and decided to start with poetry. Holly was impressed by how much Doug knew about classic poets like Whitman, Emerson, and Thoreau. Holly found their poetry to be sad and lonely rather than romantic, but Doug disagreed. "You have to learn to be alone if you can't be with the person that you love," Doug explained.

When they took a French fry break, Doug told Holly that he had seen Julie earlier. It was the first time he'd seen her since she kicked him out of the Horton house, and it did not go well. "She doesn't want anything to do with the necklace if it has anything to do with me," Doug said.

Holly was surprised that Julie was still so angry, but Doug was still determined to get the necklace back. Holly was sure Julie could find it in her heart to forgive Doug. She suggested that John might be able to help him track the necklace down when he got home.

Gabi prepared a birthday cake as Arianna happily opened the door for her Grandma Marlena. Gabi thanked Marlena for coming when she must be so anxious about John. Marlena said she realized sitting at home waiting wasn't going to bring John home any faster.

Gabi lit the candles and watched Arianna make a wish. Ari, Gabi, and Marlena sat around the table and made small talk. Marlena commented that Will and Sonny would have liked her home for her birthday, but at least she'd be back soon for graduation.

Ari surprised her mother and her grandmother when she told them she'd get her diploma in the mail and had no plans on attending graduation. She felt that walking across the stage was performative, but Marlena seemed concerned that something was wrong.

Ari was thrilled that Marlena gave her a gift card for Saxon's before she left. Ari then claimed she was also tired and needed to go to bed. Later, when Gabi went to check on her, she found Arianna's empty bed and no sign of her daughter. Gabi immediately called JJ in a panic to help her try to find Ari.

It turned out Arianna was at Small Bar, where she ran into Doug after he finished his GED session with Holly. Ari immediately began flirting and told Doug it was her birthday. She even suggested he buy her a drink, which he apparently did.