DAYS Recap, April 23: DiMera Machinations Take Over Salem

On the April 23 episode of Days of our Lives, Kristen toys with everyone, Holly and Tate make eyes at one another, Brady and Nicole make up, Theresa plays nice, and Eric makes a discovery.

The Games DiMeras Play

Kristen (Stacy Haiduk) started her day in the DiMera living room antagonizing EJ (Daniel Feuerriegel). He expected to become the new permanent CEO of DiMera Enterprises, but Kristen wasn’t so sure. She tried to make a little small talk about Stefan and The Bistro, but EJ wasn’t very interested and tried leaving for his meeting.

The siblings were certainly amused by the idea of Stefan (Brandon Barash) actually having to work for a living, but Kristen was curious as to why EJ gave their brother such a sweet deal. She knew there was more to it and was determined to get to the bottom of what really happened. She was sure he was playing the long game and knew he had something else in mind for Stefan. EJ just called Kristen’s theories fan fiction and made a hasty exit.

Holly and Tate’s Pub Encounter

Holly (Ashley Puzemis) and Nicole (Arianne Zucker) spent some time in Horton Square where Holly told her mom that school was ok the day before, just not fantastic. Nicole was pleased with the report and gave Holly her phone back so she could stay in contact when she wasn’t home. Nicole felt it was an opportunity for Holly to earn her trust back.

Holly promised to be more trustworthy just as her friend came along and asked Holly to study with her over some lattes.

Brady (Eric Martsolf) and Tate (Leo Howard) had their own bonding session over coffee at The Brady Pub. He was helping his Uncle Roman and told Brady to go deliver Rachel (Finley Rose Slater) a scone. Did she need some Boba tea too?

When Holly and her pal walked in, they found Tate hard at work. Tate handed the girls a menu but made sure to slip a note in there for Holly so she could see he had a new phone and phone number. Holly was soon stunned to learn that her friend thought Tate was hot. After the girl left the table, Tate wondered if Holly told them they were seeing each other. She said she did not because she feared that it would get back to their parents.

Brady Arrives And Is Surprised

Kristen was finally happy to be rid of Stefan, but then Brady arrived with his scone looking for Rachel. He was supposed to take her to school but Kristen had to inform him that she left early for an art class. Brady was angry that Kristen didn’t text him but Kristen put on a smile and asked her ex to stay for breakfast.

Brady wasn’t interested but Kristen felt they had to discuss Rachel and her math problems. When Brady tried to leave, Kristen conveniently brought up Alex (Robert Scott Wilson) and told Brady how much he had become a part of Rachel’s life. That got Brady’s attention, just as Kristen wanted.

Brady was just leaving when Nicole returned home. Nicole decided this was an excellent time to talk and clear the air. After all, they were old friends and ex-lovers. It was a little awkward at first when they discussed Tate and Holly, but Nicole broke the ice and told him she understood why their two teens couldn’t be friends for now. She also hoped she and Brady could be friends again and Brady was all for it.

Eric Demands More Answers

When Eric (Greg Vaughan) returned from a walk with Jude, he once again wanted to discuss finances with Sloan (Jessica Serfaty), as well as what he heard Leo say when he was on the phone at The Spectator. Eric knew he was talking to Sloan, but she denied it like she denies every sneaky thing that she does.

Finally, Sloan confessed that she spoke to Leo and said he owed her for going above and beyond as his lawyer. She just wanted to help and see Eric’s photography business take off. Eric fell for yet another lie as Sloan called them the next power couple of Salem.

Eric soon moved on to the topic of finances. Theirs were still a mess and Sloan once again tried to make light of things. Eric insisted the numbers weren’t adding up and that Sloan tried playing tricks with the numbers the other day. That sadly didn’t make any money magically appear.

Eric then wondered if Sloan had a shopping or gambling addiction. She couldn’t believe her ears and scoffed at the idea. Sloan was forced to make up more stories to cover for herself so she blamed Eric for their financial troubles. She accused him of pretending he wanted to work when he just wanted to stay home all day with the baby. Eric was determined to disprove this theory.

He was going to get a job at The Spectator no matter what. Little did he know that Nicole planned to do the same. Later, Eric opened up Sloan’s mail and saw the bill for Leo’s (Greg Rikaart) room at The Salem Inn.

Theresa Soothes Alex

Alex wasn’t pleased with the press release about Bella Magazine shutting down, but was distracted when he saw Theresa (Emily O’Brien) in her workout attire. He told her he wasn’t happy she ran straight to Maggie (Suzanne Rogers) with the news of Bella’s closure but she explained that she was very upset and going to see her sponsor was an act of self-care.

Alex tried to be understanding but it was easier said than done. He was still upset about his own business failure and surprised when Maggie stopped by to gloat and insist he give re-hire her at Titan. Surprisingly, he said yes so she wouldn’t go to the board and cause trouble. Theresa thought that was a great idea and praised Alex for giving Maggie another chance.

Theresa admitted she wanted to help the Bella employees find new work, impressing Alex because she actually cared for people. She asked Alex to move people around in the company so nobody would be without a job. When Alex said that offer was only for her, Theresa declined and wondered what her next chapter would be.

Soon, Theresa brought up Maggie again and wondered how much of her they would see now that she was engaged to Konstantin (John Kapelos). Alex had no idea Maggie planned to marry this man and was stunned when Theresa mentioned it. He wanted to know what on Earth Maggie could be thinking. She managed to calm him down with a massage before leaving for the gym.

Don’t forget to stream new episodes of Days of our Lives each weekday on Peacock starting at 6 AM EST.