After reuniting with Sarah and welcoming their daughter, Victoria, Xander underwent a complete metamorphosis on Days of our Lives. He gave up his callous Neanderthal ways, began behaving better and more responsibly, and was on his way to becoming model Salem citizen.

The character’s steady maturation and transformation upon acquiring the family and happy life he’d always dreamed of was a welcome development. That’s why seeing him revert back to the mean, menacing Xander of old has been so difficult to watch, and it’s not the man DAYS fans want to see.

Cause for Change

Granted, Xander had plenty of reason to be upset when he learned that Philip (John-Paul Lavoisier) had duped him out of half of his inheritance. He’d come to genuinely like his newfound brother while they were running Titan Industries together and, in the process, slowly bonding.

And finding out Sarah (Linsey Godfrey) knew about Philip’s deception and kept mum, fearing what the repercussions might be if Xander learned the truth, was an even worse betrayal. It proved that the woman Xander loved and thought believed in his new, improved self clearly didn’t at all.

About-Face

However, Xander’s drastic about-face has been a shocking and unwelcome development. Viewers never got to see how genuinely hurt or brokenhearted he was. Instead, the character rapidly went from zero to 180, from good guy to scoundrel, in a matter of a few short episodes. Seemingly overnight, he was sneering and snarling at Maggie (Suzanne Rogers), a woman he’s always loved like a mother. He was cold and callous toward his soulmate Sarah, barking and making veiled threats at her.

It was too fast and furious, and more importantly, way too extreme. The overnight switch completely negated all the positive strides Xander had made during the past couple of years, and it sadly depicted someone who’d learned absolutely nothing about being a good decent person.

Viewers Betrayed

Just as Xander has felt betrayed by Philip and Sarah, viewers are feeling betrayed by Xander. Fans had totally invested in the new, improved version of the character as a respectable, good guy, a man who’d learned some hard life lessons and really changed. They were rooting for Xander as a potential, albeit improbable hero, and for Xander and Sarah as a couple.

Yet, now, all fans feel is duped every time Xander growls, grumbles, or threatens someone. After having witnessed and loved him as a devoted husband and father, it’s hard to watch him revert to his detached and repugnant old self.