Abigail was shocked that Chad didn’t run into Gabi’s arms, Tripp began to wonder if Steve was telling him the truth, and a villain from the past turned up to torment Nicole and Brady on Days of Our Lives. 

Our TV Fanatics Jack Ori and Christine Orlando are joined by Mikey from MyHourglass a Days of Our Lives fan forum to debate if Abigail is being clueless, Lani’s undercover mission gone wrong, and the return of Xander!

Is Abigail being foolish believing her marriage should be effortless?

Mikey: It might be a little naive of her, but I also don't think it's ridiculous. She isn't asking for effortless -- she's asking for a spouse who isn't in love with someone else. 

What's undercutting the entire story is that I don't even believe Chad *is* in love with Gabi. It seems like he genuinely wants to be with Abigail. 

There have been so many weird shifts and leaps that I barely understand what we're supposed to think or feel, but I'm choosing to believe that a huge part of this is that Abigail feels guilty because of what she did (becoming unstable and faking her death) and is using Gabi as an excuse to push Chad away because she feels unworthy of happiness.

Jack: Abigail is being so immature and ridiculous. I didn't like it a few months ago when Gabi broke up with JJ because she didn't want to put any work into a relationship and I don't like this now. Abby is not a teenager, and if she thinks this way she is not marriage material at all.

Christine: At least Gabi and JJ were just dating. Abigail is married with a young child! 

She actually said that if Chad really loved her they wouldn’t have to work at their marriage, and that she learned this nugget of wisdom from watching movies and reading romance novels. 

Abigail is being incredibly naive. All marriages have problems and she and Chad have been through hell. They should be in counseling.

Rate your surprise 1 (saw it coming) to 10 (shocked) in finding that Xander was the assailant in the mask.

Mikey: I'll go with 5. I read casting spoilers, so I knew Xander was returning. If I hadn't known that, I think I would've been surprised. It was playing as if they wanted us to think it was either Deimos or a random goon. 

I actually thought the build up and reveal were pretty soapy and dramatic, and I say that having not been able to tolerate anything happening in that Canadian cabin in weeks.

Jack:  I was not at all shocked. I knew Xander was returning and who else would waste all that time sneaking around endlessly before causing trouble?

Christine:  A 3. I didn’t know Xander was returning but the moment I saw the man in the ski mask I knew it was him. He has a very distinctive face, even when it’s covered!

If Brady survives, do you think that he and Nicole have a future together as a couple?

Mikey: Short-term, sure. Long-term, no way. Behind-the-scenes stuff aside, this whole thing feels strangely rushed. 

These two have such a history, and the actors have chemistry, but this is the third "great love" that Nicole has proclaimed in just over a year! 

And Brady is still reeling from Theresa's disappearance, even if he never mentions or seems to remember her these days. It feels like a rebound, which is weird for two people who actually do make a lot of sense together.

Jack: I doubt it. I have a feeling getting shot will somehow lead to Brady having no more interest in Nicole.

Christine: On paper these two should work but for all the reasons stated above, this feels like a short-term romance. I’m expecting a Nicole/Eric/Jennifer triangle some time in the near future. 

Should Sonny move in with Paul at the B&B?

Mikey: Sonny seems way more interested in taking down Deimos and taking over Titan than he does in Paul, so I'm gonna say this was a good call. I'm not even sure why Paul is hanging around him right now.

Jack: I think they're moving a little fast, and Sonny is doing the obnoxious overprotective thing, so no.

Christine: These two had a lot better chemistry before Sonny left Salem. Now Sonny seems more interested in work than in Paul, and I’m not sure if moving in together will change that. 

Dario-Abigail-Chad-Gabi-Eli. Are you rooting for any of these possible pairings?

Mikey: I'm rooting for Chad/Abigail to become rootable again, because of their history and sharing a child and the fact that both actors are good. 

Like I said earlier, I barely understand why they're apart, because Gabi feels like such a non-obstacle and the writing keeps shifting. 

I also like Gabi/Eli so far. It's a much more interesting pairing, and I like that these two people going through trauma are finding someone to lean on. I thought their first kiss moment worked very well.

Jack: I'm rooting for Dario and Gabi to discover they are not actually brother and sister. They have the best chemistry out of anyone in this mess.

Christine: I liked what Chad and Abigail used to be, but find their current chemistry lacking, and Abigail is on my last nerve. 

Eli and Gabi are turning out to be surprisingly entertaining. They’re both being open and honest about their issues, which is incredibly refreshing on a soap opera.

But I also think that Chad and Gabi could be the Salem power couple as they're both willing to walk in the gray area when it comes to business, whereas Abigail will always judge Chad for his misdeeds. 

What, if anything disappointed you this week in Salem?

Mikey: I was disappointed that they put Lani in the situation they put her in. I understand the need for drama, and they went out of their way to specify that she hadn't been sexually assaulted, but I'm really tired of rape and sexual assault on this show.

They use them as plot devices and then don't address the aftermath. I think there were other ways to go about this.

Jack: That no one made the connection between what happened to Lani and what she did to JJ. More gratuitous violence. And the most unrealistic, stereotypical cop scenes ever, along with everyone telling Lani not to do her job.

Christine: Yeah, Lani’s undercover case was the worst. First they made us worry that yet another woman in Salem had been raped, then JJ acted like Lani couldn’t make decisions about doing her job. 

And where was Raines in all of this? Shouldn’t their boss be told when one of his undercover officers has been assaulted? The whole thing was ridiculous and annoying. 

What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline from the week on Days of Our Lives?

Mikey: I really enjoyed Abigail talking to both Maggie and Jennifer. None of it was crucial to plot, but it's nice to see Maggie back in Horton mode a bit, and I liked Abigail realizing there's something between Jennifer and Eric. I hadn't realized that was something that had been skipped until they actually addressed it. 

I also find myself liking a lot of the Tripp stuff, because the actor is strong and it's showcasing Kayla's ability to be compassionate without being an idiot.

Jack: I was thrilled that the writers finally remembered that Steve is JJ's uncle.

Christine: I enjoyed the scenes between Tripp, Kayla, and Roman. It’s great to see a young actor (Lucas Adams) who can hold his own with these veteran actors. There’s too little of that in Salem right now. 

Need to read more about the happenings in Salem? Check out Jack Ori’s Days of Our Lives review here at TV Fanatic. 

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.