Days of our Lives Recap, May 9, 2025: EJ tells Johnny he remembers

Here's the DOOL recap for the Days of our Lives episode that aired Friday, May 9, 2025.

What happened on Days of our Lives

As Stephanie stirred awake in bed, she noticed that Alex was reading her romance novel. “I thought I’d read a chapter or two, but honestly, I can’t put this thing down,” Alex admitted. Alex confessed he had been reading the book all night. “I want Titan-DiMera to publish it,” Alex said. Stephanie noted that she was flattered, but she refused. Stephanie explained that she did not want her PR clients to know that she wrote romance novels.

“If my clients were to catch wind of this, they wouldn’t take me seriously,” Stephanie said. Alex suggested that Stephanie publish under a pseudonym. After a moment, Stephanie asked Alex what he thought about the name Harper. Alex argued that only pop stars had one name, not romance novelists. Stephanie agreed.

While Stephanie made coffee, Alex checked his voicemail, and he heard Xander’s urgent message to pursue the purchase of the hospital. Alex told Stephanie that he had set up a meeting with the board to purchase the hospital. “All that Titan-DiMera has to do is liquidate a few assets and we can get it handled. Only issue is EJ DiMera also put in an offer,” Alex explained. “So there will be a bidding war?” Stephanie asked. Alex said no, because Kayla had turned down EJ’s offer. Stephanie was surprised. Alex asked Stephanie to put in a good word with Kayla about the bid, and Stephanie agreed.

Inside the Brady Pub, EJ met up with Johnny. “Uncle Chad and Grandma Marlena both encouraged me to hear you out. And while I respect them both, I realize I don’t want to be here. See, I just can’t stand to be around you,” Johnny said. Johnny started to leave, but EJ asked him to stay. “I forgive you,” EJ said. Johnny was taken aback.

“You forgive me? Why?” Johnny asked. “I think you know why. But rest assured, I will not mention this. Not to anyone. Come hell or high water, I’ll protect you, Johnny, with my life if necessary,” EJ said. Confused, Johnny asked EJ if he had remembered the night of the shooting, and EJ said yes. “I can explain,” Johnny said. EJ shook his head no.

“I understand. And I imagine the events of that night have been weighing heavily on you. In fact, I suspect it has a lot to do with why you backed out of the adoption,” EJ said. “You’re right. Yeah, it did,” Johnny admitted. EJ apologized. “You are a wonderful person who deserves happiness and a family of his own,” EJ said. Johnny agreed. “And just so we’re clear, I’m not sorry for anything that happened that night,” Johnny added. EJ nodded.

“Let me guess. Your only regret is that I lived. I hear you’ve been telling that to just about anyone who will listen,” EJ said. “It’s the truth,” Johnny said. Hurt, EJ asked Johnny if he hated him that much. EJ pointed out that he had been there for Johnny his whole life and had given him the world. “That is irrelevant now! You understand that? I look at you, all I feel is disgust. I hate you. I always will,” Johnny said. EJ gripped the handle of his cane, and his eyes flared with anger.

“I suggest you tread carefully, Johnny,” EJ growled. “Or what? See, I thought you just said that you were going to protect me,” Johnny noted. EJ stressed that he had his limits. Johnny smirked. “I’ve done some things in my life that I’m not proud of, but one thing I’m not is a doormat,” EJ stressed. Johnny shook his head, and he noted that he knew EJ’s claim to be a changed man would be short-lived. “I know you’ve been going around telling everybody that. That ever since the shooting, you’re enlightened or whatever,” Johnny muttered. EJ said it was the truth, but Johnny disagreed.

“Or is it just a charade to get everyone to let their guard down like my Aunt Belle?” Johnny asked. EJ said no. “Being in a coma can change a person. Profoundly,” EJ argued. “Even if this coma did change you, the real you is still in there. Just waiting to take over. I mean, just a minute ago, I saw it in your eyes,” Johnny said. Johnny reminded EJ that he was very familiar with the anger that he had seen on EJ’s face.

“Well, my own son just said he hates me and will always hate me, and you expect me to be, I don’t know, just okay with that?” EJ asked. “You can react however you want. I don’t care what you think anymore. I want you out of my life for good,” Johnny said. “You certainly almost got your wish, didn’t you?” EJ said with disgust. With a scoff, Johnny muttered that he knew he should not have agreed to talk to his father. Johnny started to leave, but he stopped at the door.

“There is one more thing I’d like to tell you. I thought you’d like to know that Xander Kiriakis has been courting me for a job at Titan-DiMera,” Johnny said. “And why would Xander hire you?” EJ asked. Johnny admitted that Xander had made the offer to annoy EJ. “And I assume you turned him down. After all, you’ve never really had any interest in the family business,” EJ said. With a chuckle, Johnny noted that his conversation with EJ had convinced him to take the job.

Outside the Brady Pub, Leo asked Javi whether he had decided to quit his job or not. “I just don’t want to let my cousin down. It seems like a betrayal,” Javi said. “Well, it’s a self-betrayal if you continue doing something that’s not making you happy,” Leo countered. Leo argued that Gabi had been wasting Javi’s talents.

In the square, Sarah appeared to be having an allergic reaction to the scone she had eaten. A panicked Xander screamed for help. Cat called 911. As Sarah gasped, Leo and Javi entered the square. Javi rushed to Sarah and examined her. “She’s in anaphylactic shock,” Javi said. Sarah nodded in agreement. Xander confirmed that Sarah had never had an allergic reaction this severe before. Javi pointed out the hives on Sarah’s arms.

“Does she have an EPIPen?” Javi asked. “In her purse,” Xander said. Javi grabbed the EPIPen and injected it into Sarah’s leg. After a moment, Sarah’s breathing calmed. “Thank god, I think it’s working,” Xander said. Cat retrieved a cup of water for Sarah, and Sarah confirmed that she felt better. Chad remarked that they were lucky that Javi had realized that Sarah was having an allergic response and knew what to do. Before Xander could thank Javi, Javi had run off.

Chanel and Felicity rushed out of the bakery, and Chanel asked what had happened. Xander explained that Sarah had suffered an allergic reaction to her scone. “Wait, Sarah, did you once tell me that you were allergic to pistachios?” Chanel asked. Sarah said yes. Chanel dropped her face into her hands and sighed. “The vegan scones, they’re made with pistachio milk,” Chanel said. Chanel looked at the dropped scone, and she admitted that there could have been a mix-up.

“Let me go inside and figure out what happened,” Chanel said. Chanel ran into the bakery, and Xander saw Felicity. “You’re the one who brought us our order, right? Did you give us the wrong scones?” Xander asked. “Please be careful how you speak to my sister,” Cat warned Xander. Xander argued that he had a right to be upset about carelessness. “I wasn’t careless!” Felicity objected. Chad accused Xander of having upset Felicity.

“I don’t mean to upset anyone, but I’m pretty upset myself. My wife could have just died right now,” Xander countered. “I get it, but that’s enough!” Chad yelled. Cat consoled her sister. Chanel returned, and she said, “I am so sorry. It is all my fault.” Chanel explained that she must have been distracted. “I take full responsibility,” Chanel said. “It’s okay, Chanel. It was an accident,” Sarah said. Cat asked Xander to apologize to Felicity.

Xander started to respond, but he saw the paramedics arrive, and he raced over to meet them. After the paramedics took Sarah away, Chad stressed to Felicity that Sarah would be okay. “I hope so. She’s always so nice to me,” Felicity said. “Well, her husband on the other hand, wasn’t being very nice,” Chad said. Cat reminded Felicity that she was not to blame.

“I always try to do my best,” Felicity said. “You’re amazing,” Cat said. Cat recited all of Felicity’s accomplishments. Chad agreed with Cat, and he advised Felicity not to let other people make her doubt herself. Chanel returned to the square after the ambulance left. Chanel noted that Sarah was okay. “And Felicity, I’m so sorry that you got blamed for something I did. I hope you know that none of this is your fault,” Chanel said. Felicity nodded yes. Chanel announced that she was going to close the bakery for the day, and she promised to pay Felicity for the full shift.

When Leo caught up to Javi in the park, he said, “That was amazing! You just saved Sarah’s life!” Javi noted that he had not done anything extraordinary, but Leo argued that no one had known what to do until Javi had taken control of the situation. “You’re a hero!” Leo said. Javi disagreed. Leo asked Javi why he had run off. “I don’t know. I just didn’t want all the attention,” Javi said. Javi asked Leo to forget the situation. Suspicious, Leo asked what Javi was hiding.

“If I’m being honest, I have some medical training,” Javi admitted. Javi explained that he had trained to be an EMT, but he had quit. Leo asked why. Javi told Leo that it was a painful memory, and he asked if they could talk about it another day. Reluctantly, Leo agreed.

Outside the bakery, Cat thanked Chad for defending her sister. “You did a pretty good job of that yourself,” Chad said. Chad added that although he understood why Xander was upset, he had been out of line to blame Felicity. “I’m just glad Sarah’s okay,” Cat said. “The way you stepped in and took charge under pressure, I was pretty impressed,” Chad said. With a smirk, Cat noted that living with three younger siblings had trained her well.

Chad changed the subject to their bachelor auction date, and he asked Cat to go to a Cubs game with him. “I’ve honestly always thought that a baseball game would be the most perfectly romantic date,” Cat confessed. “So we’ll just have to come up with something that is completely platonic and um, not very romanticky,” Chad said. Cat started to suggest skydiving when Felicity returned with Chanel.

After Chad left with Cat and Felicity, an upset Chanel sat on the bench and dropped her head into her hands. Johnny saw Chanel, and he asked if she was okay. “No, I’m not,” Chanel stammered before she broke down in tears. Johnny rushed over to her, and he put his arms around her. Chanel cried on Johnny’s shoulder. When Chanel calmed down, she told Johnny what had happened with Sarah. “It was just such a stupid mistake. And this is my bakery,” Chanel said. Johnny assured Chanel that Sarah and Xander would forgive her. Johnny cracked a joke and made Chanel smile.

“Before, when I was in your arms, it felt right. I’ve missed that,” Chanel admitted. “Me too. I’m really glad that I can be here for you,” Johnny said. Chanel told Johnny that she had been blindsided by Johnny’s decision to call off the adoption, and that it had been painful for her. “But after doing some reflecting, I realized that you made the right decision. And I think that I may be ready to forgive you and for you to come back home,” Chanel said. Johnny was surprised. “Before that, I have a question for you,” Chanel said. Johnny agreed to answer any question honestly. “Did you shoot your father?” Chanel asked. Johnny’s smile disappeared.

As Chad walked Cat and Felicity to their car, they passed the Brady Pub. Chad stopped to look at his phone as EJ exited the pub and called out to him. EJ asked for a private word. “Our car is just right over there. We’re good,” Cat assured Chad.

After Cat and Felicity walked away, EJ smirked and asked, “Are you sure you’re not smitten with Ms. Greene?” Chad asked EJ what he wanted. EJ explained that he wanted to buy the hospital and save it, but Kayla was opposed to the idea. “How can I help you?” Chad asked. EJ asked Chad to sway the hospital board since Chad was a member. Chad agreed.

“But you’re gonna have to move quick. I just got a text from the hospital that there’s a potential buyer that wants to meet with the board because they’re ready to make an offer,” Chad said. Chad confirmed that Xander was the bidder. “With Sarah and Maggie on his side, it’s going to be an uphill battle,” Chad said.

In Sarah’s hospital room, Xander told her that he had called Maggie and explained what had happened. Xander added that he had canceled their hotel reservation. “It’s probably for the best. They’re gonna release me in a couple hours, but I’m not up for a road trip. I’m so sorry,” Sarah said. Xander told Sarah not to apologize.

“All I care about is that you’re okay. You have no idea how worried I was,” Xander said. With a shake of his head, Xander lamented that he had not realized what had happened. “You’ve never seen me have a reaction like that before. How would you know?” Sarah asked. Sarah noted that she was grateful that Javi had appeared at the right moment. Xander suggested they send Javi a thank you gift. After a moment, Xander admitted that he felt guilty for how he had talked to Felicity. “You and Victoria are everything to me. I can’t live without you, Sarah,” Xander said. “I feel the same way about you, my love,” Sarah said.

In the park, Javi and Leo sat on the bench and ate ice cream. “I promise I won’t grill you any more about why you quit, but can I ask you some questions about what it was like being a firefighter EMT?” Leo asked. Reluctantly, Javi said yes. Leo asked about whether Javi had ever modeled for a calendar or kept his uniform so that he could model it. “How come you ask so many ridiculous questions?” Javi said with a laugh. Leo and Javi cracked firefighter puns to one another, and they kissed.

After Javi left for work, Leo sighed. “Should I do it? No. Am I gonna to do it? Yeah, of course I am,” Leo said. Leo looked Javi up on the internet to find out more information about his work as an EMT in Texas.

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