John and Marlena mull over the possibilities of the Phoenix having risen from the ashes once again...
Like Dr. Rolf did with Hope, Steve seems to face a similar scenario, as Stefano has emerged looking like Patch
Princess Gina and Stefano toast to their reign, and she wonders what her "Steffie" has planned for Salem this time
Stefano muses that "It's good to be back," while John and Marlena sound the alarms that Stefano has returned
Eric is proud to introduce Marlena to her new granddaughter, Mickey, but Doc is quickly alarmed by the baby's feverish condition
Many curious Salemites find Kate's new position rather alarming and wonder what her agenda will be serving up this time
Will's time might be up when shiv-sporting Clyde wants to show him the harsh realities of standing up to him
Hoping to help Will, Ben attempts to make Clyde stand down, which only enrages his father, and the two begin to scuffle
Clyde's attempt on Will's life may not have gone down as he planned, but Clyde promises much more pain for Will (and Ben)
Hoping to be spared from another night of painful memories of Will and his mother's death, Sonny sees Evan once again
While Sonny seems to be enjoying his time with his new friend, an enthusiastic Evan puts his kiss on Sonny's lips
One surly Salemite is certainly stunned about Sonny's smooch while Ciara finally unlocks the stunning secrets of Xander's lockbox
Eric stuns Sarah with a custody demand -- he'll merrily share Mickey if Sarah severs ties with Xander
Sarah is shaken by Eric's demands as she -- and Mickey -- have grown so close to Xander over the past year
Despite being on the shakiest of ground with Eric, Nicole remains hopeful that he can forgive her and they can still be together
Now that their shakier times have passed, old pals Nicole and Brady find common footage again as they lament on loss
Brady also unloads to Rafe who has some sage suggestions for his friend, while Nicole finds herself in hot water once again
The bad blood between Xander and Nicole boils over again, as he's not happy with his ex-wife's accusations
A tormented J.J. continues to accuse Kristen of killing his love, and he hopes to track down the dirty DiMera who did Haley in
J.J.'s condition torments Jennifer, but she's up for the challenge of attempting to save her son from himself
An optimistic Jennifer has a candid conversation with her son, and it doesn't exactly go the way she'd hoped
J.J.'s hopes to find Kristen begin to take form when he realizes that Eli might be the key to coming face to face with his foe
Following Sister Kristen's words of wisdom, Lani finally phones Abe and stuns her father with an update on her life
Abe is surely surprised by Lani's newfound devotion, and he also makes contact with one of his other children
Though she's been hiding away in the convent, Lani encounters Eli as an unforgiving J.J. circles in on Kristen
Eli's orders from Gabi inadvertently send him into dangerous territory as Gabi readies herself for the fight of her professional life
Gabi isn't taking Chad and Abigail's attempts to regain control of DiMera Enterprises standing still, and war is waged
While the hate between Gabi and Chad intensifies, Justin and Kayla's relationship does, as well, and they're ready for the next step -- cohabitation
Hoping to take a step closer to discovering what happened to her mother, Abigail asks Hope for help with her investigation
Abigail is perplexed by Hope's hesitancies, while the night of the fall begins coming back to a determined Jennifer
Days of our Lives brings former The Young and the Restless star Emily O'Brien to Salem
REPORT: Jay Kenneth Johnson returns to Days of our Lives as Philip Kiriakis?
Multiple recasts come with Days of our Lives' time jump storyline
Stephen Nichols returns to Days of our Lives
Abigail becomes a royal pain for Princess Gina when she brings Jennifer back to the balcony in hopes her mother will remember the fall
A panicked Princess Gina ponders her next move -- leave Salem or kill those standing in her way
Kate's true intentions come into focus, and a fierce Kate also becomes focused on Sonny and Evan's connection
Tension is in the air when Will and Justin encounter one another, while Lani becomes tense upon hearing about Eli and Gabi's relationship
A fiery J.J.'s intense confrontation with Kristen nearly burns out of control, but his former flame might be his (and Kristen's) saving grace
Plagued by a parent's worst nightmare, Eric and Sarah must come to an understanding when given heartrending news about Mickey
Justin and Kayla reach a new phase in their relationship as a wary Xander reaches a conclusion about Ciara that may not bode well for his cousin
Related: Days of our Lives renewed for a 56th season
Related: Exec says Days of our Lives time jump is impetus for even MORE major changes to Salem
One once-sweet Salemite child has certainly experienced growing pains (and might become a general pain)
Salem's revolving door will be rotating in full effect this fall and a prodigal son may return
It's a homecoming for one Salem hero, but he may bring mystery back to town with him
Just as one sordid scheme seems to be coming to an end, a deadly twist changes everything
The holiday season isn't always merry and bright in Salem, and New Year's, especially, will certainly begin with a bang
