Will Xander kill Phillip? Days of our Lives Two Scoops for the week of May 12, 2025

Xander finally figured out that Philip was the one who stole the Versavix. He calmly took his coat off as he explained that he used to kill people for a living. Phil was starting to get extremely nervous when Xander told him he was going to remove him from the face of the Earth, then promptly proceeded to punch Philip in the face, and knocked him out! He’s made no bones about killing his brother, so that could be next...

Elsewhere, on the good news front, Marlena got a phone call from Paul. She started crying but then told him to thank everybody for her and said she was relieved. She told Susan Banks that John was found, and they rejoiced. However, Susan suddenly got the feeling that someone had walked over her grave! That most likely means John’s unfortunate end is near.

Kate confronted Roman because his gun box was missing, and we finally got the answer we were looking for. Roman found it missing the night of the shooting, and worried that Johnny was going to do something drastic, he went to the DiMera mansion. There, he found it in a planter, and although it was stupid to have told Johnny about the gun, Roman did the smart thing by wiping off all prints and hiding it somewhere else. Finally, a smart move by someone!

Johnny told Paulina that he didn't shoot EJ. The way he said it, he had a kindly smirk on his face, which made me think he was telling the truth. However, when Paulina hugged him, the look on her face said she didn’t believe him. Hmmm...

LOOSE ENDS

I’m sorry, but when Roman found his gun at the DiMeras', he should have smelled it to see if it had been fired recently. It would have smelled like acrid, burnt gunpowder. Also, he should have known how many bullets were in it, so at the very least he could have checked to see if any were missing. At least the mystery of why we saw him putting it back was solved. He told Kate that he didn’t think Johnny shot EJ, and Roman’s hunches are usually spot on.

What’s going on with Cat and EJ? They bumped into each other in the town Square, and it seemed like the two had a little chemistry going on. But shortly after their conversation, she got a call and told the person on the other end to stop calling her and that she wasn’t interested. What could that be about?

Speaking of sparks, they were flying between Alex and Gabby when they were on their $15,000 “date.” She suggested that they do it again sometime, and he told her he would if she ponied up another 15 grand. Perhaps this is also a chemistry test?

EXTRA SCOOPS

REFERENCES

I’m changing up the extra scoops once again. I’ve added in ‘References’ because the show always makes some kind of pop culture reference, and ‘Shot of the Week,’ to highlight a cool shot or two.

First up, it seems to me that they’re making several General Hospital references. Last week, I noticed it but didn’t think it was worthy of a mention, but one character mentioned the names Jason and Robin. I figured it was a coincidence, but there were a few more this week. Philip’s old friend (you know, the one who stole the Versavix) was named Kevin Lambert. This seemed to me to be an amalgam of Dr. Kevin Collins and Dr. Eve Lambert, who had a romance on the GH spinoff, Port Charles.

Two characters in Stephanie’s novel are named Portia and Charles. Is that a reference to GH’s Dr. Portia Robinson and Charlie’s Pub (a favorite hangout on the soap), or a play on the name Port Charles? Head writers Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford never wrote for GH, but Ford has mentioned that she really likes the show, so that could be an explanation.

Paulina and Johnny were having a nice conversation, and as they got on the topic of him hating EJ, she told him that she had read a book called Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. She gave a bit of his wise advice: “The best revenge against your enemy is to not become like your enemy.” Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher. The quote means that a person must retain their integrity and virtue, even if they encounter injustice.

A tearful Kristen insulted Brady by calling him “Daddy Drunkest.” That was an obvious reference to 1981’s disturbing film, Mommie Dearest, which was about the life of screen legend Joan Crawford and how she allegedly abused her kids. Yep, I saw that in the theater as a kid and was scarred for life.

Marlena and Susan Banks were having a meal out in Horton Square, and Susan was going on and on about her boyfriend, Roger, and said, “Here I am running my mouth about my hubby, and you’re on pins and needles about your hubby. Missing-in-action hero, John Black.” Obviously, a reference to the classic Chuck Norris action film, Missing in Action (1984).

SHOT OF THE WEEK

On Monday’s episode, Paulina had a nice talk with Johnny and Chanel in the Square. Paulina stepped away to let the couple talk, but you could see her in the background. Chanel asked Johnny to move back home, and the two embraced with Paulina far in the back. Even though she was out of focus, you could see her smile. I like that they didn’t have to adjust the focus and bring her fully into the shot. It was very subtle and nicely framed.

LINE(S) OF THE WEEK

Rachel had an Alice in Wonderland-themed birthday party, but her classmates didn’t show up. So, Brady, EJ, and Belle joined her and Kristen. Rachel walked away at one point, and when Belle asked why there were no other kids there, Brady explained that she wasn’t the most popular girl in her class. EJ snarkily replied, “Oh, shocker, what with that winning personality of hers.” Belle promptly elbowed him for it.

When Kate asked Roman where his gun box had gone off to, he hesitated, and then said he sent it to a gunsmith for cleaning. And she responded, “Wow!” He asked, “Wow, what?” And she said, “It’s just a change of pace, you know, for once you’re the one lying to my face.”

Bell said to EJ, “As you know I think much of what you’ve done in the past is…reprehensible and I do think that you’re screwed up and need to work on yourself. But I don’t think you’re evil. I don’t at all.”

When Holly told New Doug that she couldn’t care less if she went to the prom, he quoted Shakespeare and said, “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.” Turns out he’s not a dumb guy after all, and really liked English Lit when he was in school. Who knew?

Holly was then telling New Doug that she felt bad for Sophia because the pregnancy was causing her to miss out on a lot of senior year milestones. Doug said that he understood how she felt, and Holly said, “Really? You were knocked up in high school, too?”

Kristen showed up at Alex’s office at Titan, and he asked her what she was doing there. She said, “Relax, Gordon Gecko. I’m not here to start trouble.” Gecko was a character in the 1987 film Wall Street, and was played by the iconic actor, Michael Douglas.

Cat asked EJ why he bid on her for the auction, and he said he didn’t wanna go out with someone who hated his guts, nor did he want to go out with a total stranger. She said they hardly knew each other, and he replied, “True. But we do have a connection. After all, you did trick people into believing you were my dead sister-in-law.”

She gasped, and he was curious why she did that. Cat explained that the stories about him around town weren’t flattering, as he probably knew. Then he said, “And I do hope you’re not buying into them. You see, I am a gem of a human being. Virtuous, moral, wise, altruistic, munificent. The list goes on and on.”

Sarah asked Xander why he didn’t tell her about the bid to take over the hospital, and he said, “I just don’t like to count my deals before they’re hatched.”

Later, Xander and Sara had a video call with Victoria, and then after it, Sara asked, “Is it me, or did she get bigger since the last time we saw her?” Xander replied, “Well, the last time we saw her was this morning.” Isn't that always the way with kids?

Paulina brought pastries over to Xander and asked him to drop any potential lawsuit against Chanel because of what happened to Sarah. She couldn’t sway him, so then she asked what favor she could do for him. He said that because Abe is on the hospital board, she could convince him to vote in his favor in his bid to buy the hospital. She felt Abe would be deeply touched by how forgiving Xander would be to Chanel. He then responded, “I can literally feel my litigiousness disappearing as we speak, along with my attitude.”

At the meal they were having with Marlena, Susan Banks commented how she liked Belle and EJ paired up as a couple. She elaborated, "Honey, honey, whatever is right is right. You can feel it in your bones. And other places, too, just like Roger.” Marlena was uncomfortable with her statement.

When Susan kept trying to feed EJ like a little kid, he firmly stated, “Mother, you do realize I’m a grown man, right?” But then he promptly let her feed him.

And at one point, Marlena yelled at Susan, “Will you stop your yammering?” That didn’t really shut her up, but Marlena did apologize for lashing out like that. Susan understood Marlena was worried about John.

REACTION OF THE WEEK

There were several hilarious reactions this week!

When EJ allowed Susan to feed him like a kid, Marlena had a great look of shock on her face.

Philip made a hysterical face when he asked Kevin to steal the Versavix from the hospital.

When Philip was on the phone with Kevin, who had to abruptly exit the lab with all of the Versavix instead of just one, Philip got really irritated as his friend kept asking how they were going to get out of the mess they had made.

And Paulina brought Xander some cake, and he realized it was to butter him up so he wouldn’t sue Chanel for accidentally giving Sarah a scone with Pistachios in it (causing her to have a severe allergic reaction). Paulina paused with a grin on her face and barely moved her lips when she asked if it was working. I laughed out loud at that.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Since Rachel’s party was Alice in Wonderland-themed, she was dressed as the Queen of Hearts, Brady the Mad Hatter, EJ with a propeller beanie as one of the Tweedle twins, and Kristen as Alice, looking very cute with her headband. It was fun seeing everyone dressed up.

Meanwhile, Steve and Shawn were on a Mission: Impossible adventure because Steve made a loop video of the lab’s security footage that lasted 10 minutes, so they could break in and steal the Versavix. However, Kevin was already in the lab taking some of the serum but had to leave as the others entered. A very tense moment.

PARTING THOUGHTS

I like where Tate and Sophia are going. He invited her over and threw a surprise birthday party for her. Marlena warned him not to lead her on, and it’s clear that the two are developing feelings for one another.

OUTRO

Join me again next time, DOOL-ers, when I try to understand why a washed pot never boils.

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