As the week of September 8, 2025, dawns on Days of Our Lives, Salem is once again abuzz with secrets, reunions, and the sort of tangled drama that has kept viewers glued to their screens for decades. The latest episodes promise a whirlwind of revelations: a long-lost son returns, a baby’s mysterious parentage comes under scrutiny, and the youngest residents of Salem grapple with guilt, loss, and the consequences of adult decisions.
The big headline for fans is the return of Theo Carver to Salem. According to CTS, Tony DiMera opens his door to find Theo, and the two share a heartfelt embrace. Theo’s reappearance is bound to stir up old relationships and inject fresh energy into ongoing storylines. For long-time viewers, his return is more than just a nostalgic nod; it signals that the writers are ready to shake up the status quo and perhaps revisit unresolved threads from Theo’s past in Salem.
But it’s not just returning faces causing a stir. The fate of baby Tesoro is at the heart of this week’s most compelling storyline. As CTS reports, Tesoro’s biological parents have lost their rights, and the child is now officially up for adoption. This development has the town’s would-be parents in a frenzy. Javi Hernandez and Leo Stark are quick to note that "everyone is going to want to adopt the cutest baby in the world." Chanel Dupree-DiMera, bakery owner and wife to Johnny DiMera, is particularly keen—she tells Johnny she already has a specific baby in mind, and it’s clear she’s thinking of Tesoro. Could this be the moment Chanel and Johnny finally grow their family in the way they’ve always dreamed?
Yet, nothing in Salem is ever simple. Rafe Hernandez, played by Galen Gering, is seen taking a secret DNA swab from Tesoro. The clandestine nature of this act suggests that not all is as it appears with the baby’s backstory. The question on everyone’s lips: why the secrecy, and what will the DNA test reveal? As Soap Hub highlights, the storyline about the baby’s adoption is progressing rapidly, with Steve Johnson and Brady Black connecting the dots about Sophia and the baby she supposedly gave up for adoption. In a humorous twist, it’s revealed that the photo of the couple who allegedly adopted Tate and Sophia’s baby is nothing more than a generic stock image—a plot point that drew chuckles from fans and critics alike. "Finding out that the photo of the couple was a stock image was funny. On top of that, it’s great that DOOL is moving this story along," Soap Hub notes.
Meanwhile, Brady Black is hot on the trail of the truth. He confides in Steve Johnson about the mysterious "firehouse baby," and their investigation could be the key to unraveling the tangled web around Tesoro’s origins. The stakes are high, and as Rafe wonders aloud if "he could be right," viewers are left on the edge of their seats, speculating about potential bombshells that could upend more than one Salem family.
Amidst all the intrigue, the emotional fallout for Salem’s residents is palpable. Maggie Horton Kiriakis and Julie Williams, both widows, reconnect and reflect on their losses. Maggie muses that time seems to fly by, but Julie counters, "it goes fast for some, but slowly for others." Their conversation is a poignant reminder that, for all the high-stakes drama, Days of Our Lives is also about the quieter moments of connection and healing.
But it’s the younger generation that faces some of the most intense challenges this week. Rachel Black, portrayed by Alice Halsey, is at the center of a storm of guilt and confusion. As CTS details, Rachel confronts her father, Brady, demanding, "How long?! How long, daddy?!" when told that her mother, Kristen DiMera, is serving a six-year prison sentence. The news devastates her, and later, in a heart-to-heart with Holly Jonas, Rachel confesses that she feels responsible for her mother’s imprisonment. "It’s her fault that her mother is in prison," Rachel admits, suggesting she may know more than she’s let on. The question remains: will Rachel do the right thing and confess everything she remembers?
Rachel’s storyline has not gone unnoticed by critics. Soap Hub singles out Alice Halsey for her nuanced performance, noting, "Rachel Black is a character surrounded by drama, not only of her own making. She shot EJ and doesn’t remember (at least, we think she doesn’t remember). Her mom just confessed and is going to jail. Plus, she lost her Grandpa John, and her Grandma Rachel isn’t allowed in Salem thanks to EJ. She has a pet snake and doesn’t really hang out with kids her age. It’s a lot, but Alice Halsey, who plays Rachel, is doing a wonderful job handling it all." It’s no wonder Halsey is also set to play Laura Ingalls in Netflix’s upcoming Little House on the Prairie reboot—a testament to her rising star power.
Not every plot twist has been met with universal acclaim. Soap Hub points out a misstep in the adoption storyline, criticizing Melinda Trask for using a stock image to represent the supposed adoptive couple. "We expected so much more from Melinda Trask. To simply pass a generic stock image couple as the couple who ‘adopted’ Tate’s and Sophia’s baby wasn’t smart. Melinda can be devious, destructive, snide, and spiteful. But she’s an extremely smart and capable woman. She’s sneaky! We’re surprised she didn’t have an actual couple waiting to play the fake parents." This moment of levity, however, doesn’t detract from the overall momentum of the story, which continues to captivate viewers.
As the week unfolds, the residents of Salem are forced to confront secrets, reckon with their past choices, and make decisions that could shape their futures forever. Whether it’s Maggie and Julie finding solace in shared grief, Chanel and Johnny daring to dream of a bigger family, or Rachel wrestling with the weight of her conscience, the stories are as rich and complex as ever.
For fans, this is classic Days of Our Lives: a tapestry of intertwined lives, where every revelation leads to new questions, and every answer brings its own set of complications. With Theo’s return, a baby’s fate hanging in the balance, and secrets threatening to come to light, Salem is once again the place where anything can happen—and usually does.
