Days of Our Lives thrills fans as Jeremy Horton (Trevor Donovan) is back in Salem. And despite his past “psycho” behavior, he’s looking quite dapper. However, Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) is suspicious of Stephanie Johnson’s (Abigail Klein) ex-boyfriend and has asked Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) to investigate him due to his sketchy past and uncertain reformation. Let’s discuss whether Jeremy is truly a changed man or the same old villain who once terrorized Stephanie.
Days of Our Lives: A New Man or the Same Old Troublemaker?
One positive sign is that Jeremy is no longer involved in smuggling drugs and other illicit activities as a pilot. He claims he wanted to change, turned himself in, made a deal, and underwent therapy. Now, he’s apparently reformed and even working with children as a long-term substitute fifth-grade teacher for Thomas and Rachel Black (Alice Halsey). Surprisingly, not everyone in Salem is aware of his dark history.
Julie Williams (Susan Seaforth Hayes) is welcoming Jeremy with open arms, while simultaneously being critical of Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord). Jennifer Horton (Cady McClain) also expresses happiness at seeing Jeremy while also judging Cat. Perhaps Stephanie should inform Jen and Julie about Jeremy’s true nature to give them a reality check.
Days of Our Lives: Stephanie’s Fear and Steve’s Investigation
Mixed reviews surround Jeremy’s identity and character. Stephanie was understandably terrified to see her toxic ex-boyfriend at her door, recalling an incident years ago when Jeremy held her head underwater in a hot tub. While Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans) and Steve know Jeremy terrorized Stephanie, they are unaware of the full extent of his past actions.
Concerned about Jeremy’s return, Steve has enlisted his friend Rafe to discreetly investigate him. As a private investigator who lost his partner John Black (Drake Hogestyn), Steve is handling cases solo. Rafe’s FBI resources, however, could be invaluable. With Brady Black (Eric Martsolf) stepping into his father, John’s, investigative shoes, perhaps he’ll assist Steve and Rafe in uncovering more about Jeremy.
DOOL: New Roles and Hidden Motives in Salem
Given that Tony DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) is suing Xander Cook (Paul Telfer) and Phillip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier) for Titan Industries, Brady might need a new career path. It would be exciting to see him work alongside Steve at Black Patch. Brady may have more free time soon, as he recently discovered that Tesoro is not a DNA match for Tate Black (Leo Howard). Steve believes Brady is developing into a skilled investigator, inheriting his late father’s talents. Even if Brady doesn’t join the investigation, Steve and Rafe are set to delve deep into Jeremy’s activities over the past 18 years, since his departure around 2007 after the hot tub incident with Stephanie.
Days of Our Lives: Jeremy’s Apology and Stephanie’s Risky Novel
Steve knows Jeremy was trouble when he dated Stephanie, but Jeremy insists he has changed. He visited Stephanie to apologize for his past behavior, offering a genuine apology. However, Stephanie seemed fearful and was initially hesitant to let him in. She eventually relented, accepting his peace offering of pink flowers.
Things took a strange turn when Jeremy congratulated Stephanie on the success of her novel, “One Stormy Night,” recognizing intimate details from steamy chapters. He revealed he knew Stephanie was Anastasia Sans, the author. Stephanie had apparently based the scandalous novel on her own life, including personal details she had asked Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson) to remove before publication. Alex’s failure to do so led to Jeremy’s arrival, promoting his “new man” narrative.
DOOL: Kayla’s Concern and Rafe’s Deep Dive
Steve is unaware that Stephanie wrote the provocative novel, but Kayla is aware and shares Steve’s concerns about Jeremy’s presence in Salem and the potential danger to Stephanie. Steve has asked Rafe to discreetly use his federal resources to investigate Jeremy’s past. While Rafe investigates, Steve might ask Brady to keep an eye on Mr. Horton, Rachel’s new teacher.
As a parent, Brady will encounter Jeremy frequently, making him a valuable asset. Rachel, still reeling from her mother Kristen DiMera’s (Stacy Haiduk) imprisonment for shooting EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel), is a ticking time bomb and may soon remember her own involvement. Hopefully, Brady’s proximity will allow him to monitor both Rachel and Jeremy.
Days of Our Lives: Salem Elementary’s Background Check
Hopefully, Salem Elementary conducted a thorough background check on Jeremy before hiring him as a substitute. However, Rafe might uncover disturbing information from Jeremy’s past that the school missed. It will be interesting to see how Jeremy handles Rachel’s inevitable spiral and acting out. Alice Halsey is also leaving Days of Our Lives to film the new “Little House on the Prairie” reboot. Jeremy’s long absence from Salem leaves a wealth of history open for new storylines.
DOOL: Protecting Stephanie and Exposing Secrets
Jeremy initially approached Stephanie to make amends but quickly became unsettling by discussing her explicit novel, which he had read in its entirety. Stephanie mentioned she is seeing someone and had already informed Alex about her toxic past with Jeremy.
Hopefully, Alex will be on high alert to protect Stephanie along with Steve, Rafe, and others. We will have to wait and see if Jeremy’s recent past holds any sinister secrets that could indicate whether he will once again wreak havoc on Stephanie’s life now that he is back in town.
