Monday, January 26th is shaping up to be one of those Days of Our Lives episodes that quietly sets fire to Salem and then walks away. On the surface, the storylines appear simple: Kristen issues a warning, EJ returns with his usual storm-cloud energy, and everyone else tries to live their lives as if chaos isn’t lurking just around the corner. But in Salem, “normal” is merely the pause before devastation.

At the heart of the episode is Kristen DiMera — freshly recovered from kidnapping and infection, and completely unchanged in spirit. While most people might reflect after surviving trauma, Kristen does what she always does best: she seeks control. And this time, her target is Sarah Horton.

Kristen’s warning to Sarah about getting involved with Brady is framed as concern, even responsibility. She presents herself as a mother protecting her child, a woman trying to prevent history from repeating itself. But beneath that carefully crafted narrative lies something far more dangerous. Kristen isn’t warning Sarah to save her — she’s warning her to retreat.

Kristen understands one brutal truth about Salem: fear is more effective than threats. She doesn’t tell Sarah she’ll ruin her life. Instead, she introduces a moral dilemma. Stay with Brady, and you risk harming Rachel. Walk away, and you preserve your conscience. It’s psychological warfare disguised as parental concern, and it’s one of Kristen’s most lethal tactics.

Rachel, of course, is the unspoken weapon in this scenario. Kristen points to her daughter’s past behavior as proof that Sarah will never truly be accepted. But what Kristen never acknowledges is her own role in shaping Rachel’s instability. Rachel has grown up learning that love means possession, that desire equals entitlement, and that obstacles should be eliminated — not negotiated with.

By invoking Rachel as a warning, Kristen isn’t trying to calm the situation. She’s reinforcing it. An unstable Rachel keeps Brady emotionally tethered. An unstable Rachel ensures that any woman who enters Brady’s life feels constantly unsafe. And most importantly, an unstable Rachel keeps Kristen relevant.

The chilling possibility is that Kristen may quietly encourage Rachel’s obsession while publicly claiming concern. If Rachel acts out again, Kristen can simply say, “I warned you,” positioning herself as the grieving, helpless mother while secretly pulling the strings behind the scenes.

For Sarah, this warning lands differently than it might with other Salem residents. She isn’t impulsive or reckless. She thinks in terms of consequences and long-term damage. She has seen what the DiMera gravitational pull does to everyone who gets too close. Kristen’s words may not scare her — but exhaustion might.

The real question isn’t whether Sarah fears Kristen. It’s whether she believes Brady is worth a lifetime of emotional landmines. Kristen paints a future where Sarah is forever the outsider, forever blamed when Rachel spirals, forever competing with a child’s loyalty. It’s a brutal vision — and it may be enough to make Sarah walk away.

While emotional manipulation unfolds on one front, EJ DiMera storms back into Salem on another. His return isn’t subtle. EJ doesn’t just want power — he wants the performance of power. He wants rooms to go silent when he enters, for people to adjust their behavior around his presence.

Gwen, who stepped up while EJ was away, is now firmly in his crosshairs. Not because she betrayed him, but because she dared to function independently. In EJ’s world, competence without permission is treason.

Gwen’s position is perilous. She’s useful — but not respected. And in Salem, that’s the most dangerous place to be. EJ doesn’t see her as a partner; he sees her as a tool that forgot its place. Whether his next plan succeeds or fails, Gwen is likely to pay the price. If it collapses, she becomes the scapegoat. If it works, EJ will claim full credit and remind her how easily she can be replaced.

Meanwhile, Rafa and Cat continue their attempt to bring EJ down, though Salem law enforcement remains notoriously ineffective. They are always one step behind, arriving after the damage has been done. Cat’s wildcard instincts may eventually spot a pattern, but likely not before someone else suffers real consequences.

EJ’s actions suggest a long game. He may be orchestrating a framing operation, manipulating evidence, or building leverage over multiple people at once. One thing is certain: EJ doesn’t just want to win — he wants his enemies humiliated.

Amid all this darkness, Days offers a deceptive moment of warmth through Chanel and Johnny. Their attempts at romance feel fragile, especially with hints of a possible pregnancy looming. On this show, pregnancy is never just a baby — it’s a catalyst for secrets, moral dilemmas, and explosive confrontations.

If Chanel is pregnant, the fallout will be massive. Johnny’s family legacy will complicate everything. Questions will arise about timing, stability, and trust. The baby could easily become leverage in a much larger conflict. And the fact that Theo notices Chanel’s condition suggests that secrets won’t stay buried for long.

When you zoom out, a clear theme emerges: control. Kristen wants control over Brady’s future by manipulating fear and loyalty. EJ wants control over Salem by rewriting narratives and punishing independence. Rafa and Cat want control over chaos but remain reactive rather than proactive. Chanel and Johnny want control over a small pocket of happiness — but Salem rarely allows peace to last.

The most terrifying ticking time bomb isn’t EJ’s schemes or Chanel’s pregnancy. It’s Rachel — a child absorbing Kristen’s worldview and potentially turning it into action. That’s a long-term horror Salem continues to ignore.

If Sarah believes she can love Brady without entering the blast radius, she’s fooling herself. In Salem, the blast radius is the relationship.

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