Here’s a taste of what happened on Days of Our Lives in December. Clyde Weston started the month as a dangerous fugitive but ended it in a coma. Rafe came face-to-face with his doppelganger. Tate found out Sofia was pregnant. And Xander and Philip split up Titan per a judge who made a Solomon-like ruling. In December, Salem also said goodbye to one of their own, Doug Williams.

The December 2024 Performer of the Month nominees are all soap vets, but two of them briefly returned to Salem after being gone. And in one case, the character had been absent from the canvas for over four decades.

In 2024, Greg Rikaart won Performer of the Month in June and August. In December, he did what he always does as Leo Stark. He handled difficult dialogue beautifully, and he had us feeling for him as Leo tried to figure out who was messing with his work life.

The remaining three nominees had to tackle emotional material while their characters paid homage to the great Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes). After 45 years, Stephen Schnetzer returned to Salem as Julie’s brother, Steve Olson. He seamlessly blended back into Salem as Steve reconnected with and supported his sister. Meanwhile, Kristian Alfonso’s return happened after the funeral, but Hope’s graveside goodbye to her dad was a standout.

However, DAYS fans were decisive. They mostly voted for Susan Seaforth Hayes to take the top spot in Soap Hub’s December Performer of the Month poll. How could she not win the honor for the second month in a row? As Julie, she had to somehow say goodbye to the love of her life. We saw her grief and the character’s strength as Julie navigated this difficult time.

Julie also dealt with Doug’s sudden grandson and the priceless necklace that disappeared. But the scene that had to earn Seaforth Hayes the POTM title was Julie’s heartfelt and heartbreaking eulogy at Doug’s funeral. Her emotional words and beautiful description of her husband for five decades had her friends, family, and us in tears.