Has anyone guessed I'm a spoiler junkie yet? I sometimes so busy I miss the show, but if I know what's going to happen I can try to plan my schedule on around episodes that look good. It looks like a lot of action is happening the next few weeks!

 

 

Monday, August 4
E.J. tells Ava there's a new judge on her case who can't be bribed; Hope is upset Bo risked his reputation and career to help Philip; Philip tells Morgan he had a dream that she was falling in love with him; Max tells Melanie he is her older brother.

Tuesday, August 5
Stefano secretly wakes up from his coma and vows to get revenge; John is upset that Ava left him; Hope talks to Philip about why he threatened Paul; Stephanie and Melanie do not get along; Melanie is arrested.

Wednesday, August 6
Stefano continues to pretend he's unconscious; E.J. visits Stefano and is shocked when Stefano speaks to him; Kayla, Maggie, Julie and Chelsea help Hope prepare for a big night; a person in a ski mask enters Marlena's home.

Thursday, August 7
Bo tells Hope he wants them to renew their wedding vows; E.J. and Tony realize Stefano has spoken to both of them in secret; Anna demands Tony tell Lexie the truth about Stefano; Marlena is confronted by a masked intruder.

Friday, August 8
A reporter accuses Bo of suppressing evidence in the Hollingsworth case; Melanie is accused of stealing Tiffany's bracelet; Stefano tells Tony and E.J. he's going to get revenge on Marlena; Marlena tries to call for help, but is paralyzed.


CDN TV Guide

Monday, August 4
Episode: "Hope is Upset at Bo"
Hope believes Bo has risked his career and repuation by hiding evidence; Nick watches Melanie's video and tries to reach Max.

Tuesday, August 5
Episode: "Philip Leaves the Hospital"
Philip checks out of the hospital; John threatens to kill his brother.

Wednesday, August 6
Episode: "Marlena is Stalked"
Marlena is stalked by a mysterious person in a ski mask; Kayla, Maggie, Julie and Chelsea help Hope prepare for her big night.

 

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SOW (8/5)

 

Sneak Peeks

Week of July 28
Victor flatlines when Kate tells him Philip was shot
Marlena questions EJ about his feelings for Sami
Daniel laces into Kate, stunning Chelsea
Max receives a warning about Melanie
Sami rushes to a beaten Lucas' bedside

Week of August 4
Stefano's back?!
Max and Melanie meet
Nurse Morgan promises to care for Philip
Hope gets a surprise

John sets up Philip and Paul's alive

John's scheme against Philip is revealed this week, when Paul turns up alive and well - as John's hostage.

"John had his men follow the Vitali goons and fish Paul out of the river, believing Paul was much more useful to him alive than dead," explains Drake Hogestyn (John). John's plan is to set Philip up for Paul's "murder."

"It all goes back to Philip and the games he was playing, angling for position on the docks," notes Hogestyn. "It got out of control when Paul became a traitor, took Philip's money, and started playing John and Philip against each other. Paul planted cocaine on John's ships, impounded his cargo and set fire to it."

John blames Philip for all of it. Meanwhile, the cops are closing in on John, believing he may have eliminated Paul, which worries Ava. "John tells Ava not to worry," says Hogestyn. "He's got an ace up his sleeve. He exposes that ace while leading Ava to a room downstairs in the mansion, opening the door and revealing Paul lying on a cot.

"Ava's taken aback," admits the actor. "Paul starts whining, he tells John he did everything he wanted him to do - he wrote those letters to Morgan, he made the tape of Philip threatening to kill him..." John points out that the incriminating tape has yet to surface, but Paul swears he put it in an envelope he sent to Morgan and says he wants to be let go.

"John has his first explosion," recounts Hogestyn. "He tells Paul he's damned lucky he's not dead and should be grateful John's men pulled him out of the river. John says Paul isn't going anywhere, because Philip can't be framed for his murder if he's still alive."

John whispers something to Ava, and she heads to the Java Cafe. "John wants her to send an e-mail to the Salem PD, noting there's another piece of evidence out there about Paul's disappearance and Philip's involvement in it," explains Hogestyn.

Hope and Roman receive the e-mail and trace it to a computer at Java. Hope heads there, watches surveillance video, sees Ava at a computer, and realizes she's a direct link to John. Then, she confronts Bo about the missing evidence, and he admits tampering with it to protect Philip. Meanwhile, John learns via a informant at the Cop Shop that Ava's e-mail has been received.

"John wants to expose the tape," sums up Hogestyn. "He wants Philip to pay for everything he's put him through. He wants to make his life miserable and bring him to his knees."

A Closer Look: Nicole

Nicole confesses her big secret to EJ this week: Trent is her husband. Arianne Zucker discusses the surprise story turn and its implications.

SOW: The week begins with Trent catching Nicole with EJ again and reminding her he has something on her. Does Nicole cower?

AZ: Totally. It's like when you go to your parent's house and revert to that kid again. She wants to stand up to him and does at times, but then she regresses, Trent has that power over her.

SOW: Trent tells Nicole he knows Max is in France and wants her to find out why. Does she?

AZ: Nicole is reluctant. "Screw you. Do you own dirty work! I've done enough." Nicole tries, but she's not a big help.

SOW: Ultimately, Nicole decides to tell EJ the truth about Trent. What prompts that?

AZ: The trauma with Philip getting shot and Lucas getting beat up in prison. Nicole sees how much Chloe feels for both guys and tells her you never realize how much someone means to you until you are about to lose them. Nicole realizes she should take her own advice. So she goes to talk to the one person who won't judge her.

SOW: What does she say?

AZ: Nicole explains she met Trent when she was in college and fell for him. He manipulated her and she was vulnerable to it, because of "her porn past" with her father. They ended up getting married. Then, one day, Nicole packed her bags, left and didn't look back. She figured Trent would have divorced her on grounds of abandonment, but he never did. She didn't know they were still married.

SOW: What's EJ's reaction?

AZ: He's not shocked. He could tell there was something major going on between Nicole and Trent. EJ keeps cool.

SOW: Nicole's concerned about how this affects her divorce settlement from Victor, right?

AZ: Yes. Because it Nicole is married to Trent, her relationship with Victor is void. She's worried about keeping the settlement. EJ agrees to help her work things out. He can get Nicole out of this.

SOW: What's EJ's response when Nicole reveals Trent ordered her to stay away from him?

AZ: Part of him knew that. Nicole is finally being honest with him.

SOW: Could EJ and Nicole actually be together?

AZ: One would hope. Nicole is relieved she has someone on her side. Hopefully, she can get on with her life with EJ and have a life of love, instead of the life she's been living all these years - which has been all about money.

AR-Ava-Derci: Hogestyn on Braun's leaving

Just as his storyline with Ava was heating up, Drake Hogestyn heard Tamara Braun was leaving the show.

"I was blind-sided," reveals Hogestyn. "I never, ever talk contracts or situations with actors."

He learned the news when someone behind the scenes mentioned that it was Braun's last day. "I was like, 'What are you talking about? No way! You're kidding me!'" Needless to say, Hogestyn is sad to be losing Braun.

"As far as our characters go, right up until the last minute we were working on our interpretation of what we wanted out of scenes. We were fighting for what we thought was right, as actor's do," he says. "There was momentum building. People around us would comment on it. Was it an unusual pairing? Absolutely. John's a little off-center, and Ava's very free. But the bottom line is, Ava was the only person who never compared him to the 'old John.' He embraced that and felt more comfortable around Ava than anybody else. She brought out a side of John the audience needed to see."

As for the professional side of Braun, "She's a fantastic actress and is going to be missed," he praises. "I've always had fun over the years with working with a new actress. It's a chance to explore and create. I'm all about embracing story and taking chances."

He acknowledges that not all Days' fans embraced the pairing.

"A lot of people are into the security of what a group of fans think. Just be a super-couple and that's it," muses Hogestyn. "But you have to have conflict. If you don't have conflict, and you don't bring something to the table every day that is interesting and provocative, the audience will turn the other way."