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In today’s Days of our Lives recap for Monday, November 2, 2026, Stephanie gets the ammunition she needs, Philip succumbs to temptation, and Belle and EJ have unsettling sightings of a mystery man.
Devil in Disguise
At the DiMera mansion, Cat joined EJ for their Halloween movie date night. He promptly turned the meeting into a make-out session on the couch…which a devil costume-donning Sydney soon unapologetically interrupted. As the couple separated themselves, Sydney mused that she was surprised her cousin Shawn hadn’t come back to make good on his promise of arresting EJ, who blustered about the detective’s lack of a case against him. The awkward banter shifted when Sydney revealed she’d come to investigate a potential intruder she’d seen on the DiMera grounds. EJ seemed thrown when Sydney presented a dark feather she’d found outside during her investigation.
After Sydney left, EJ admitted to Cat that he, too, had believed he’d seen someone at the window when he’d awakened – someone in a feathered costume. But just as quickly as his eyes had focused, the image had disappeared, leading him to think he’d imagined it. Cat and EJ settled back in for their movie night, and things got hot and heavy again. EJ made an offer for Cat to join him upstairs. But as she prepared to take him up on his invitation, she suddenly claimed she’d forgotten about needing to chauffeur her sister to a Halloween party.
EJ said he understood, and the two parted ways. EJ returned to his examination of the feather and appeared rattled again. Outside the door, Cat approached the mirror, seemingly equally rattled, but perhaps for different reasons.
Devil on the Shoulder
At Small Bar, Philip found Stephanie nursing a drink. He decided to keep her company as she lamented whether it was more depressing to sit alone at home – or at a bar – on Halloween. The friends commiserated about Steve’s and Xander’s recoveries. Stephanie added that Joy regaining feeling in her legs could be counted among the good news as well. She felt a little guilty because she’d honestly been convinced that Joy was faking.
Stephanie explained what had led her to the assumption, including what she’d researched about the impact of muscle relaxants on nerve tests. Philip’s ears perked up at the disclosure, and he told Stephanie about finding the bottle of muscle relaxants on Joy. The revelation that Joy had secured the medication from her father sealed the deal for Stephanie. Joy had been faking, and Stephanie would call her out on it immediately. Philip jokingly suggested he come along so he could bring the popcorn.
Philip stayed behind, though, just in time to receive another tableside guest in the form of Sydney. She said she was meeting someone for a hopeful big payday. A phone call soon dashed those hopes. Sydney complained that one of the players she’d planned to meet for poker in the backroom of the bar had canceled on her. Philip was intrigued that such a game took place secretly at Small Bar but hesitant when Sydney proposed he take the other player’s place.
Philip said he didn’t have any money on him, and Sydney quickly countered that she’d lend him the money. Sydney said she wanted a chance to earn back some of the winnings he’d gotten from her, but Philip still demurred. Sydney upped her game and began talking up the rush and the irreplaceable high of an impossible victory. Philip listened intently and eventually succumbed to the pitch. “I’m in,” he sighed.
Busted!
In Horton Town Square, Alex and Joy finished up their trick-or-treating rounds, which Kelsey had entirely slept through. Alex announced it was time to take the little girl home and get her into bed, but Joy suggested they not end the evening just yet. Alex agreed to accompany Joy over to the Day of the Dead memorial. Joy marveled at the display and explained the ceremony of leaving behind messages for loved ones who had passed away. Alex was moved and decided to write a note of remembrance to Adrienne.
Once he finished, Alex opened up about the special relationship he’d had with his “mom.” She’d always been there for him, and he missed her every day. Joy sympathized but then brought up the close familial relationship between Alex, Adrienne…and Stephanie, Adrienne’s niece. “Isn’t it a little incestuous?” Joy asked. Alex argued that although Adrienne was his mom in all the ways that counted, she wasn’t his biological mom, so Stephanie and he shared no blood ties. Besides, they hadn’t grown up together or been around each other enough when they were younger to view each other as family.
Joy dropped the subject, and Alex and she resumed their friendly chat. Stephanie’s arrival put an abrupt end to the excursion, however. As she saw Stephanie approaching, Joy reminded her rival that she needed to stay ten feet away. Stephanie was fine if that’s what Joy wanted, since she was more than willing to yell out what she had to say for all the trick-or-treaters to hear. To Alex and Joy’s astonishment, Stephanie then declared Joy a fraud and a liar.
Before Alex could stop her, Stephanie accused Joy of faking her paralysis. She revealed Joy’s usage of muscle relaxants, which could be leveraged to feign lack of movement. Stephanie knew she had seen Joy move her leg, and she had been right. Joy started to defend herself and claim that she’d only gotten the muscle relaxants for after she’d been released from the hospital, but Alex halted her impromptu defense. He turned to Stephanie and said it wasn’t the time or place for the discussion.
Stephanie incredulously asked him when and where would be better, since she couldn’t be within ten feet of Kelsey. Joy launched into an impassioned ‘how could you?’ defense of herself. How could Stephanie possibly believe Joy was “sick” enough to take herself away from her daughter and subject herself to such misery, all for Alex’s benefit? Afterwards, Stephanie sarcastically applauded Joy’s speech as a “Daytime Emmy-worthy performance.” Joy accused Stephanie of trying to turn Alex against her.
Stephanie shot back that Joy was accomplishing that goal all on her own – until she saw Alex’s hesitation. Joy put on the tears and asked Alex to take her home, as Stephanie had ruined her daughter’s first Halloween. Alex asked Stephanie if they could talk about it later, but Stephanie testily reminded him that he had Kelsey for the night; therefore, Stephanie couldn’t stay in her own apartment or sleep in her own bed. “I’ll see you…whenever,” Stephanie snarked before walking off. Joy transformed her smirk into a look of distress before Alex looked back at her.
Prodigal Son
At Marlena’s place, Belle saw a bright side to the lack of trick-or-treaters: more candy for Marlena and herself. Belle insisted she was fine spending Halloween night with Marlena. She and Chad had decided to take things slow as far as family outings went for Thomas and Charlotte's sake.
The light conversation took a serious turn when Belle admitted to Marlena that EJ now knew about Dominic Marino and the birth certificate. Belle saw EJ’s reaction to the news as a sign that he likewise had no knowledge of Dominic and that he shared the family’s reservations about the man. Marlena took no comfort in being on the same side as EJ for once. Mother and daughter discussed the DiMera’s latest misdeeds.
Belle surmised that Xander had ironically done EJ a favor by disposing of George O’Halloran, since the deceased man represented the best means to finally bring down EJ. Marlena likened EJ to his father in their mutual ability to avoid accountability. Belle urged Marlena not to be ashamed about what Stefano had potentially done in regards to Dominic. Marlena stressed she didn’t feel shame but rather anger – anger at Stefano for keeping this life-changing information secret and for disclosing it in such a callous and sinister way. She told Belle about reaching out to Dominic via phone.
Although she hadn’t directly spoken with the man, Marlena had felt something hearing his voice: she was surprised at his deeply British accent and gripped by the concrete reality of her possible son’s existence. The arrival of another trick-or-treater disrupted the chat. When Belle went to the door, she greeted a little girl in a witch’s costume. Behind the girl stood the man in the feathered costume. He met Belle’s gaze before departing.
The encounter caught Belle off guard, and she filled Marlena in when she returned to the couch. Marlena theorized the man could have been the girl’s father or someone returning from a party elsewhere in the building. Belle uncertainly concurred with her mother.
Trending
Meanwhile, at the Salem Inn, the costumed man entered a room. Rita was waiting for him and asked “Dominic” if Salem had met all his expectations. Dominic removed his mask and, with a smile, replied, “I think I’m going to like it here.”
Does Dominic have cruel intentions in mind for his family? Are Stephanie and Alex headed for divorce court? And will Philip’s lucky streak come to a crashing halt? Sound off in the comments.
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