Days of our Lives Recap September 28 to October 2: Secrets, Lies, and Alice Horton's Very Special Donuts

On Days of our Lives, the week of September 28th through October 2nd, 2026, Joy tampered with her nerve test, Marlena learned a horrifying secret, Johnny confessed to Rafe despite Sydney’s objections, Melinda publicly accused Sarah of wrongdoing, Leo launched his podcast, Philip tempted his addiction, and Mason extended an olive branch.

All About Joy

Joy took some muscle relaxers | Image: Peacock

Joy pretended that she had not recovered the use of her legs. At Joy’s request, Craig mailed a bottle of muscle relaxants to his daughter. Joy took a pill before the nerve conduction study to interfere with the results of the test so that she could continue to pretend she had no feeling in her legs. After the procedure, Joy was groggy and Kayla noticed.

Alex refused to let Stephanie help him with the baby, because he did not want to affect the custody agreement. Stephanie complained to Kayla that Alex was unwilling to let her near Kelsey even when no one else was around. Stephanie confessed to her mother that she almost kissed Theo. Stephanie and Theo agreed that their close moment had been a mistake.

Johnny Got Daring

Johnny confessed the truth to Rafe | Image: Peacock

Chanel asked Gabi if she would be willing to take over as CEO at DiMera so that Johnny could quit. Gabi said she did not want the job, but that she wished Johnny luck with his escape. Chanel asked Johnny to tell her why Theo had quit, but Johnny refused to implicate Chanel in the situation. Chanel told Johnny she trusted him to tell her the truth when he was ready. Theo assured Paulina that although he could not work with Johnny, he believed that Johnny would do whatever it took to protect Chanel and the kids.

Johnny learned about the lawsuit against Sarah, and he left a voicemail for EJ asking him not to frame Sarah. Panicked, Johnny consulted with Sydney about his next move. Sydney asked Johnny not to throw their father under the bus, but Johnny insisted that he needed to go to the police before more people got hurt. Johnny met with Rafe, and he confessed to everything about the cover-up and manufactured lawsuit.

Sarah told Xander about the lawsuit. Xander insisted he would seek justice, but Brady cautioned Xander to let him take the lead on the forensics. Xander agreed. Frustrated, Xander confronted EJ about the lawsuit. EJ claimed that Sarah was to blame for Destiny’s death and that he had nothing to do with the lawsuit.

Surprise, EJ

Xander and Philip handed EJ proof that they had paid off the loan for Titan | Image: Peacock

EJ returned Johnny’s call, and he asked him to call back to discuss the lawsuit. EJ watched Melinda’s press conference about Destiny, where she accused Sarah of having altered medical records to hide the truth. EJ paid Melinda for her work. Xander comforted Sarah after Melinda finished reading her statement on TV. As payback for EJ’s televised stunt, Philip and Xander told EJ that they had paid off the loan. Xander told EJ that EJ would pay for hurting Sarah as well.

Leo told Philip about his investigation into the counterfeit handbag ring, and Philip offered to help Leo track the money. Philip was leery to contact his old acquaintances in the gambling world, but he promised Gabi he would not gamble if he did reach out to them.

Kate was concerned when Philip told her that he had gambled to save Titan. Philip promised that he would not gamble again, and that he would attend meetings to keep his gambling addiction in check. Philip asked Kate to rejoin Titan, but she rejected Philip’s job offer. Kate was suspicious of Leo’s conversation with Philip, but Philip lied and said Leo had asked him to be on the podcast. Philip returned Maggie’s ring, and he explained why he had borrowed it. Maggie was thrilled to learn that Philip and Gabi were back together.

Cat told Rafe she had quit her job with EJ, but that she refused to give up on her mission to take EJ down. Cat told Rafe that she believed that EJ had come to rely on her, and he would miss her. When Cat saw EJ in the square, she pointedly ignored him.

Shower Time

Everyone had fun at Chanel's baby shower | Image: Peacock

Lani talked to Eli about Paulina’s plan to ask the governor for a pardon. Lani said she was concerned that it could hurt Paulina’s career. Eli encouraged Lani to think about it. On Leo’s podcast, Leo and Lani discussed why she was no longer a cop. Lani admitted that she missed the job, and Leo talked about how great Lani had been in her former role as a detective.

Paulina threw Chanel a surprise baby shower, and Chanel grudgingly admitted that her mother had been right to do it. Lani told Paulina that she appreciated her offer to talk to the governor about a pardon. Abe attended the baby shower, and he and Paulina got along well. Sydney accidentally handed out donuts laced with marijuana rather than the donuts that Julie had prepared for the shower. Everyone had a great time.

Tate trained Holly in self-defense. While she was in the locker room, Mason stopped in to sign up for training. Tate paused when he saw the name on Mason’s ID. Holly told Mason he should sign up, and she left. Tate and Mason had a heart to heart, and he admitted that he should not have taken his anger out on Holly. Tate told Holly about his conversation with Mason. Holly admitted that she felt responsible for Sophia’s death, but Tate counseled Holly not to accept the blame for Sophia’s decisions.

Marlena Wants Answers

Marlena confronted Rita about Dominic's birth certificate | Image: Peacock

Marlena learned that she was listed on Dominic’s birth certificate as his mother. Marlena refused to believe that the revelation was true. Steve said that the certificate seemed legitimate, but that they needed to do a DNA test. Marlena grudgingly admitted that Dominic could be her son. Steve promised to fight for the truth like John would have. Marlena asked Steve to keep Dominic a secret while Steve and Brady investigated.

After Marlena spent the night crying, Belle called Brady to tell him she was concerned. Marlena talked to Brady about Dominic. Brady promised to confirm the truth. Marlena said she grieved for lost time with Dominic if he was her son. Belle regretted that she had pursued Stefano’s game, but Marlena assured Belle that everything would have happened anyway. Brady kept Belle in the dark about Marlena’s secret.

EJ complained to Rita about how the Kiriakis brothers and Dominic had bested him. Rita continued to tell EJ that she did not have any information about Dominic and that she was loyal to the DiMera family. When Marlena later accused Rita of providing the clues to Belle that had led to Dominic, Rita feigned ignorance. EJ overheard Marlena demand that Rita confirm that Dominic was Marlena and Stefano’s son.

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