Salem’s streets are heating up this summer, and it’s not because of the weather! Just when you thought things were calming down, Days of Our Lives unleashes a wave of casting shake-ups, surprise returns, spiritual warnings, and shadowy secrets crawling right beneath the surface of your favorite characters’ lives.

Peacock’s fan-favorite soap is delivering a wicked cocktail of nostalgia, mystery, and supernatural suspicion that is sure to leave fans gasping. So buckle in, soap lovers — what starts with casting news spirals into a psychological thriller with one chilling twist: Susan Banks feels a dark presence…and she might be the only one who can stop it.

📚 INTELLECTUAL INTRIGUE: WHO IS FOSTER AND WHAT SECRETS LURK IN HIS BOOKSTORE?

Kicking off the week of July 28, Miles Anderson makes his sizzling debut as Foster, a seemingly sweet bookstore owner with a love for rare manuscripts and forgotten histories. But this is Salem, and no one’s ever just a bookworm, are they?

Foster’s bookstore—up for sale in the shifting economy—becomes more than just a cozy corner of town. It might just be the key to unlocking family secrets long buried under layers of dust and deception. Paired with the iconic Susan Seaforth Hayes as Julie Williams, sparks fly fast. Witty banter? ✔️
Hidden agendas? ✔️
Secret romantic pasts? ❓😏

Could this bookstore turn into the next hub for clandestine meetings or dark revelations? Don’t blink. Salem’s about to open a new chapter… and it’s anything but peaceful.

👀 DOUBLE TROUBLE: SUSAN BANKS RETURNS AND THE VIBES GET WEIRD — FAST!

Hold onto your wigs, Salemites, because Stacy Haiduk is BACK — not just as one, but two unforgettable faces: the hilariously unhinged Susan Banks and the dangerously calculated Kristen DiMera. 🔥🔥

Susan storms back into town on July 30 and 31 like a psychic tornado with mismatched earrings and a third eye that’s been itching since breakfast. She’s already catching strange vibes—specifically from Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), who’s been acting… off. But more on that in a minute.

Meanwhile, Chad DiMera and EJ are about to get tangled up in Susan’s cosmic web. A mistaken identity? A family heirloom gone missing? Or a supernatural slip-up? Anything’s possible when Susan’s in the room—and with Kristen’s shadow lurking behind the scenes, this is a powder keg waiting to blow.

😌 THE RETURN OF TONY: SMOOTH, SUAVE, AND POSSIBLY DEADLY?

Oh yes, he’s back! Tao Penghlis slides effortlessly into the silk shoes of Tony DiMera starting Monday, July 28, bringing with him a trail of exotic secrets and mysterious souvenirs from lands far away. 🌍

But Tony’s return isn’t just about charm and champagne. No, he’s re-entering the DiMera mansion right in time for power plays, loyalty shifts, and perhaps a few backdoor betrayals. Tony might have all the answers—or none. But make no mistake: he’s always playing the long game. 🕴️♟️

📉 THE QUIET ONES TO WATCH: RITA, RACHEL & THE JUDGE

Amid the chaos, a few low-key players step into the spotlight—and they may just hold the keys to the kingdom.

• Maggie Carney’s Rita, the razor-sharp assistant to the DiMeras, steps back into action on August 1. But is she just a loyal aide, or a power broker with secrets of her own?

• The talented Alice Hollyy brings youthful charm as a new Rachel Black, interacting with Aunt Marlena in ways that could stir up old family ghosts.

• And don’t overlook Carol Foreman as Judge Dabney, returning July 29 to preside over the trial of Johnny DiMera. Justice or personal vendetta? Her rulings may echo far beyond the courtroom…

  

👁️ A KNOCK, A WHISPER, A WARNING: SUSAN’S SIXTH SENSE IGNITES A SUPERNATURAL FIRESTORM

But let’s talk about the moment that blew the roof off of Salem—the one that fans are already calling the spiritual earthquake of the summer. 💥

It started quietly. Belle sits with her mother Marlena—grieving, concerned, and curious about EJ’s sudden memory lapses. Is it trauma? Or… something worse? Marlena, normally the pillar of calm wisdom, seems detached. Distant. Not herself. Belle senses it. The audience feels it.

Then—BANG. Enter Susan Banks.

She bursts into the apartment like a psychic hurricane, cinnamon candle revelations in tow, and immediately zeroes in on Marlena. She doesn’t just sense sadness. She senses… something crawling under her skin. Not physically. Spiritually. 😨

“You’re here,” she tells Marlena, voice trembling, “but you’re also… not.”

😵 “OH LORD, HAVE MERCY!” – MARLENA’S DARK PRESENCE EXPOSED?

What happens next? CHILLING.

As Susan hugs Marlena, she suddenly freezes. Eyes wide. Her body stiffens. “Oh Lord, have mercy,” she gasps.

Whatever Susan felt—it wasn’t grief. It wasn’t trauma. It was a spiritual darkness, something watching her from behind Marlena’s eyes.

Marlena brushes it off. Smiles a hollow smile. Mocking. But Susan won’t back down.

“Your soul feels dim,” she whispers. “Your mind, your body, and your spirit—they’re not in harmony.”

The room goes ice cold. Even Belle’s tone changes. Firm. Protective. Urging Susan to leave.

But Susan’s final warning is a dagger cloaked in Southern charm:

“And if you feel the urge to scream into a mirror at midnight—don’t ignore it.” 🔮

🌑 THE DARKNESS LINGERS… EVEN AFTER THE DOOR CLOSES

Once Susan leaves, the mask drops. Belle sees it. The vacancy in Marlena’s eyes. The subtle twitch in her smile. The way her voice feels… rehearsed. Like someone is wearing her mother’s skin.

Could it be happening again?

Longtime viewers remember Marlena’s battles with demonic possession. They remember the signs. The slow unraveling. The chilling descent.

And now, Belle sees them again.

📞 SUSAN’S SECRET CALL: “CALL FATHER ERIC. AND CELESTE.”

Outside, Susan stands frozen in the hallway, hand over her chest.

“That ain’t grief,” she murmurs. “That’s something darker.”

She dials her phone.

“It’s me. I need to talk to Father Eric. And call Celeste… Something’s coming. And it’s already here.” 🕯️👁️

❓IS MARLENA STILL MARLENA? OR HAS SOMETHING ELSE RETURNED TO SALEM?

Back inside, Belle watches her mother retreat to her bedroom. The room feels colder. Heavier. The woman she hugged earlier? That wasn’t the mother she remembered.

There’s a fracture—a fissure between soul and self.

And Belle isn’t the only one who sees it. Susan felt it too. And Salem… well, Salem has a long, cursed history of ignoring early warnings.

🫣 COMING NEXT: POSSESSION? PARANOIA? OR SOMETHING EVEN WORSE?

What started as cheerful casting news has spiraled into a psychological thriller with spiritual stakes. And this is just the beginning.

Is Marlena falling under dark influence once again?
Can Susan’s psychic alarm bells save the town in time?
And what did Tony bring back from his travels that might tie into all this? 🤔

Salem’s storm is building. The winds have shifted. The doors are creaking open—and something not of this world is stepping through.

🕯️✨ Stay tuned… because next time, someone might not be who they say they are.
And in Salem, that usually means it’s already too late. 😱