If you think Salem has been teetering on the edge of chaos lately, brace yourself. The week of December 15–19, 2025, pushes every storyline to the brink as carefully laid schemes unravel,

terrifying new villains emerge, and old secrets resurface with devastating force. This is the week where friendships fracture, alliances mutate, and the very soul of the town is threatened

by shadows long thought buried. Below is the full breakdown of everything headed your way—and why these developments will permanently reshape the future of Days of Our Lives.

A Chilling Transformation at Bayview: Rachel Black Falls Under a Dark Influence

Bayview is supposed to be a place of healing—a sanctuary where fractured minds find stability. But this week, it becomes the epicenter of one of the most disturbing psychological arcs DOOL has introduced in years.

To Brady Black, Rachel’s progress seems miraculous. She’s calmer, cooperative, even sweet. Her tears have stopped. Her anger has faded. He dares to hope his daughter is finally turning a corner.

But viewers can see what Brady cannot: Rachel isn’t healing—she’s being rewritten.

The architect of her transformation is the unsettling and enigmatic Sophia Choi.

Rachel tells Brady she’s simply made a friend… but she hides the truth with a disturbingly practiced smile. She doesn’t reveal that Sophia—once believed to be nonverbal—now speaks with perfect clarity. She doesn’t describe the unsettling intensity in Sophia’s eyes, or the way Sophia studies her as though she’s selecting the perfect piece in a puzzle only she understands.

For the first time, Rachel lies to Brady. Not out of fear or rebellion… but to protect Sophia.

This is where the storyline turns chilling.

Rachel is emotionally isolated, desperate for validation, and starved for connection. Sophia provides all of that—but with the calculated precision of a predator. She mirrors Rachel’s emotions. She flatters her. She draws her in like a master psychologist shaping clay.

Sophia doesn’t want a friend.
She wants a recruit.

The turning point comes when Sophia escapes Bayview—not in panic, but casually—for fast food. The act is a test. A thrill. An experiment in control.

Rachel isn’t horrified.
She’s thrilled.

Sophia laughs off the danger, promising more secret missions, more rule-breaking, more adventures only the two of them can share. This is grooming in real time, and Rachel, fragile and desperate for belonging, absorbs every word.

Brady leaves Bayview believing his daughter is on the mend.

But viewers know the truth:

Bayview may soon become the place where Rachel’s innocence is permanently destroyed—unless someone stops Sophia’s tightening grip.

Expect more lies, more psychological manipulation, and a dangerous bond that could explode into criminal territory long before anyone sees the warning signs.

Alex Kiriakis Targeted in a Terrifying Attack — A Stalker Escalates His Game

One of this week’s most explosive moments erupts from a seemingly mundane task.

Alex Kiriakis sorts through his mail—and opens a letter that sprays white powder directly into his face.

Chaos erupts instantly.

Alex stumbles back, gasping for breath, his skin and hair covered in the unknown substance. His instincts fire, and he shouts for Stephanie Johnson to stay away. His protective instinct overrides his fear.

Stephanie freezes, horrified and helpless, unable to go near him in case the substance is deadly.

Her voice trembles as she calls 911.

This isn’t a prank.
This isn’t a misunderstanding.
This is a bioterror threat.

Detective Jada Hunter responds with immediate urgency, calling in the fire department and hospital hazmat teams.

And viewers know exactly who’s behind this attack:

Stephanie’s stalker.

He didn’t intend to kill Alex.
He intended to terrorize him—and show Stephanie that anyone close to her is within his reach.

When tests confirm Alex will survive, it’s a relief—but also a sinister revelation:

The stalker achieved exactly what he wanted.

Step 1: Frighten Alex.
Step 2: Isolate Stephanie through fear.
Step 3: Execute the real endgame—her kidnapping, which spoilers confirm is approaching.

This storyline isn’t about physical harm alone. It’s psychological warfare, designed to dismantle Stephanie’s security and push her relationship with Alex into dangerous emotional territory.

The attack is merely the opening act.

Leo Stark Cracks the Code — Gwen & EJ’s Alliance Exposed

In the midst of Salem’s growing danger, Leo Stark becomes the unexpected truth-seeker of the week. Despite his comedic persona, Leo is one of the most observant characters on the canvas, and he begins picking up on troubling inconsistencies surrounding Gwen von Leiner.

Her movements line up too neatly with EJ DiMera’s recent power plays. Her behavior is too calculated. Her timing is too perfect.

Leo connects the dots and reaches a stunning—but accurate—conclusion:

Gwen and EJ are secretly working together.

This partnership is volatile for several reasons:

• Gwen is unpredictable and emotionally driven.
• EJ is ruthless and uses allies until the moment they stop being useful.
• Together, they form a manipulative force capable of destabilizing multiple storylines at once.

Leo confronting Gwen will trigger a chain reaction—exposing secrets, reshaping alliances, and placing Leo himself in unexpected danger.

He knows Gwen too well.
He knows EJ not at all.
And that makes him the perfect target.

The DiMeras Wake in a Crypt — and Peter Blake Returns

The biggest storyline of the week—and possibly the winter—erupts when EJ, Kristen, Chad, Tony, and Theo DiMera awaken in darkness.

They’re trapped in the DiMera crypt.

The setting is symbolic. Horrifying. A message carved in stone. This is the place where Stefano once blurred the line between life and death—a location drenched in betrayal, secrets, and resurrection.

Footsteps echo. A figure emerges.

And DOOL drops its biggest bomb in years:

Peter Blake returns—now portrayed by Dan Gauthier.

Peter’s calm composure is more terrifying than any grand entrance. He isn’t confused or desperate. He’s in complete control.

The question is why.

Why now?
Why the crypt?
Why these five DiMeras?

Is Peter the mastermind?
Or is he merely the frontman for a much darker, unseen force connected to Stefano’s legacy?

His return shatters the DiMera family tree and signals the beginning of a storyline that blends nostalgia, danger, and high-stakes power struggles.

This is not a rescue.
This is not a reunion.
This is an execution chamber—and Peter may be the executioner.

A Dark New Era Begins in Salem

Every storyline this week carries a shared theme:

Salem is entering a darker, more interconnected era.

• Rachel is being psychologically groomed.
• Alex becomes the target of a rising stalker.
• Gwen and EJ form a secret power alliance.
• The DiMeras awaken in their own family tomb.
• Peter Blake rises from the shadows with unknown intentions.

No character is safe.
No storyline exists in isolation.
Every move is part of a bigger, more dangerous design.