Why Stephen Schnetzer's Steve Olson is needed on Days of our Lives

When Stephen Schnetzer made his brief return to Days of our Lives on December 2, 2024, it had been nearly 45 years since he last appeared as Julie's brother, Steven Olson.

After his first DAYS stint ended, Schnetzer went on to make a name for himself on soaps as Cass Winthrop on Another World, from 1982 to 1999. During those 17 years, NBC soap fans couldn't get enough of Schnetzer's (and Cass') quick wit and charm, which were in abundance when he brought Steven back to Salem for Doug's funeral.

Days of our Lives needs more Hortons

Since he was never a character who stuck around for long, it's easy to forget that Steven is Tom (Macdonald Carey) and Alice Horton's (Frances Reid) oldest grandson. With so few Hortons left on the soap, DAYS can use as many members of the original core family as it can get.

Plus, Steven is the perfect confidante for Julie. Without Doug and with a new con artist in her life, she needs a family member close by with whom she can talk and trade barbs. The warmth we saw between Schnetzer and Susan Seaforth Hayes was palpable, and we couldn't get enough of their scenes.

Leo needs a friend

Giving Steven a few casual scenes with Leo (Greg Rikaart) allowed us to learn more about who Steven is in 2024 and showed us an easy friendship chemistry with Leo. We even discovered that Steven has a son named Spencer, who is gay. Steven thought he would make a perfect match for Leo, which only left us more intrigued.

Steven's last words to Leo about his son felt like breadcrumbs for more to come, making us wonder if we'll meet Spencer Olson one day soon. It feels cruel for DAYS to tease us with the prospect of a new Horton and then just drop the ball.

History worth exploring

DAYS fans got a quick history lesson when Steven was in town. He ran from Salem in 1980 after destroying Julie's antique business with his criminal activity, and we barely knew he even existed until he climbed through Julie's window last week.

Steven announced he had only recently changed his ways after having a spiritual awakening in India, but what led him there? Who did he marry? Is his son just like him? What has he been up to all these years?

Rather than dropping new characters into the plot that we have never seen before, why not bring back core family characters who can bring rich new stories for characters we have loved for years? With Schnetzer saying he is open to another return, maybe our wish will come true.

Catch all-new episodes of Days of our Lives weekdays on Peacock.