Days of Our Lives : As Gwen’s Plan for Dimitri Takes Off, Emily O’Brien Reveals the True Cost of War

Salem has always thrived on secrets, betrayals, and power plays that leave emotional wreckage in their wake. But on Days of Our Lives, the latest storm brewing inside the imposing world of the Von Leuschner empire feels different—darker, colder, and far more personal. As Gwen Rizczech’s carefully calculated scheme against Dimitri Von Leuschner begins to accelerate, what started as a ruthless corporate battle is rapidly transforming into a devastating psychological war. And according to Emily O’Brien, the actress behind Gwen, the price of this conflict may ultimately be far higher than either side ever imagined.

At the heart of this explosive storyline is a clash not just of wealth and legacy, but of identity. Gwen and Dimitri aren’t simply enemies fighting over power—they are two deeply damaged souls, shaped by trauma, entitlement, and the belief that survival requires dominance. In Salem’s gilded boardrooms and shadowy corridors, legal contracts and corporate maneuvers have become weapons just as lethal as any poison or dagger the town has seen before. This is warfare fought with secrets, manipulation, and the relentless rewriting of the past.

What viewers have watched unfold over recent months is Gwen’s relentless dismantling of Dimitri’s world. Armed with information, strategy, and an unlikely ally in Leo Stark—Dimitri’s half-brother, whose existence alone rattles the foundations of the Von Leuschner dynasty—Gwen has steadily chipped away at Dimitri’s control. She has exploited his blind spots, exposed his insecurities, and even maneuvered his powerful father, Victor, into becoming an unwitting pawn. Each move has been deliberate, precise, and increasingly merciless.

But now, according to hints from behind the scenes, Gwen is preparing to deploy her most devastating tactic yet—a so-called “nuclear option” that could obliterate Dimitri’s standing once and for all. Emily O’Brien teases that Gwen has been quietly gathering fragments of buried history, piecing together secrets long thought lost. These aren’t just financial loopholes or hostile takeover strategies. This is about altering Dimitri’s very sense of self.

Rumors suggest that Gwen’s ultimate weapon involves a scandal buried deep in the Von Leuschner family’s past—one powerful enough to strip Dimitri of his inheritance and permanently taint the family name. It’s the kind of revelation that doesn’t just topple empires; it rewrites personal history and leaves nothing intact. Even Leo, who has often supported Gwen’s schemes, may be stunned by how far she’s willing to go this time. Gwen isn’t interested in small victories anymore. This is all-out war.

Emily O’Brien confirms that this phase of the storyline marks a turning point. Gwen isn’t fighting just to win—she’s fighting to erase Dimitri’s legacy and replace it with her own. She wants to rise from the ruins she creates, convinced she finally has the blueprint to build a dynasty that can never be taken from her. But as thrilling as the plot twists may be, O’Brien emphasizes that the real story lies in the emotional fallout.

Rather than painting Gwen as a straightforward villain, O’Brien describes both Gwen and Dimitri as reflections of one another—two people forged by similar wounds. Both were shaped by childhoods steeped in conditional love, where worth was measured by name, money, and power. Survival meant becoming sharper, colder, and more ruthless than everyone else in the room. When two people like that collide, the result isn’t just conflict—it’s mutual annihilation.

What makes their rivalry so compelling, and so tragic, is that they recognize themselves in each other. They see the damage, the insecurity, the hunger for validation. But instead of offering understanding, they weaponize those weaknesses. Each attack cuts deeper because it’s aimed with intimate precision. The war becomes a feedback loop of pain, escalating with every encounter.

Upcoming episodes will reportedly push Gwen into uncharted emotional territory. For the first time, she begins to question the person she’s becoming. O’Brien reveals that Gwen will face a rare moment of self-awareness—a crisis where she looks at herself and no longer sees the powerful avenger she’s crafted, but a woman hollowed out by her own ambition. Every lie she’s told, every genuine connection she’s sacrificed, leaves behind another scar. Gwen is operating in what O’Brien calls a “vacuum of decency,” a place where morality no longer exists. And while it grants power, it also breeds profound loneliness.

This internal reckoning doesn’t mean Gwen suddenly abandons her plan. If anything, it makes her more dangerous. She knows the cost—and she’s choosing to pay it. But the emotional weight is undeniable. Gwen’s victories feel increasingly empty, and the question looming over her is no longer whether she can win, but whether she’ll recognize herself if she does.

For Emily O’Brien, portraying this descent has been both exhilarating and exhausting. She admits that living inside Gwen’s mindset—constantly calculating, suppressing fury, and channeling pain—takes a real toll. Scenes opposite Peter Porte, who plays Dimitri, often end in heavy silence, as both actors decompress from the dark emotional space they’ve explored together. There’s a mutual respect there, born from carrying characters bound by shared trauma.

O’Brien credits the writers for crafting a rivalry that goes far beyond cartoonish villainy. Every cutting remark, every charged glance between Gwen and Dimitri carries history and meaning. This isn’t a simple battle of good versus evil—it’s two wounded people using the only tools they were ever taught to value: power, wealth, and manipulation. The true tragedy, O’Brien suggests, is that under different circumstances, Gwen and Dimitri might have been the only ones capable of truly understanding each other.

As Gwen’s plan accelerates, the consequences will ripple far beyond the Von Leuschner family. Salem rarely allows a war of this magnitude to remain contained. Expect unlikely alliances to emerge as fallout spreads. Characters like Xander and Sarah may find themselves drawn into the chaos, their futures unexpectedly tied to the Von Leuschner fortune. Every decision Gwen makes sends shockwaves through the town, forcing others to choose sides—or become collateral damage.

And then there’s Megan Hathaway, the ever-present shadow lurking behind the scenes. O’Brien hints that while Gwen believes she’s orchestrating the endgame, she may not be the ultimate puppet master. Salem is full of bigger predators, and just when Gwen thinks she’s reached the top, she could discover she’s merely another piece on someone else’s board.

Perhaps the most tantalizing tease involves the volatile chemistry between Gwen and Dimitri. Their relationship crackles with intensity, fueled by hatred, obsession, and the recognition of a worthy equal. O’Brien suggests that the line between enemies and something far more dangerous is razor-thin. Conflict has a way of mutating into obsession, and obsession can morph into a twisted form of passion. Could that explosive energy shift directions? Could it derail both of their carefully laid plans? The possibility alone adds another layer of unpredictability to an already combustible storyline.

In the end, O’Brien frames the story around a haunting question. Gwen has long asked herself, “What is my life worth if I don’t claim what’s mine?” But now, a more painful realization is setting in: what has she had to become to claim it? Whether Gwen emerges victorious or not, the damage is already done. The true climax of this saga won’t be a shocking document reveal or a dramatic boardroom coup. It will be the moment Gwen and Dimitri are forced to look at the wreckage they’ve created and decide whether the throne they fought for is worth occupying alone.

As Days of Our Lives continues this gripping chapter, one truth becomes impossible to ignore. In the battle for the Von Leuschner legacy, there may be no real winners—only survivors marked by the scars of a war they were born into. And through Emily O’Brien’s layered, fearless performance, viewers are invited to witness every devastating, mesmerizing step of that journey.v