We have to talk about the absolute insanity coming to Salem next week. I am exhausted just looking at these spoilers for July 13 to 17, but I can’t look away. EJ and Kristen are officially going to war, and their new shocking plans are going to blow up everything. Let’s get right into the mess.
So, let’s start with the biggest piece of news hitting the canvas next week. Rachel Black is finally getting released from Bay View. Yes, Laurelai Olivia Moat is back and out of the facility. And honestly, I have so many mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I am glad the kid is getting out because a mental health facility is no place for a child to grow up. But on the other hand, is she actually better? Because the last time we saw her, she was completely devastated over the news that her best friend Sophia Choy was dead. She was crying her eyes out, terrified that her recovery was doomed. And we all know who actually killed Sophia.
Kristen, her own mother. Kristen literally bashed Sophia’s head in with a rock, tossed her in the Salem River, and then stood there and held a crying Rachel while hiding the truth. It is so sick. It really is. But now Rachel is coming home and that changes the entire dynamic of the Demra mansion. And uh Kristen is terrified. The spoilers for next week say Kristen is going to be incredibly nervous about Rachel’s safety now that she is back under the Dearra roof, but she isn’t worried about random criminals or kidnappers. No, she is worried about her own brother, EJ De. Because EJ knows what Kristen did. EJ knows that Kristen manipulated Sophia into trying to murder his son Johnny. And uh EJ went absolutely ballistic a few weeks ago. He was screaming in Kristen’s face in a blind rage. We even saw EJ plotting to have Kristen kidnapped to teach her a lesson. So, now that Rachel is back in the picture, Kristen is terrified that EJ is going to use Rachel to get his ultimate revenge. And honestly, I don’t blame her for being scared. EJ is ruthless right now. He is backed into a corner with this whole Coral drug scandal. And a desperate EJ is a very dangerous EJ.
But would EJ actually hurt a little girl? Would he actually harm his own niece to get back at his sister? Let’s be real for a second. EJ is a lot of things. He is a criminal, a manipulator, a terrible CEO, and a pretty bad brother. But I just don’t see him physically hurting Rachel. Maybe I’m being too harsh on him, but EJ loves his kids. He loves Johnny and Sydney. I think Kristen’s paranoia is just getting the best of her. Or maybe she thinks EJ will try to take custody of Rachel away from her or turn Rachel against her by revealing the truth about Sophia’s murder. Can you imagine if EJ just casually drops the bomb that Kristen killed Sophia? Rachel would absolutely shatter. She would hate Kristen forever. And that is Kristen’s worst nightmare. So Kristen is in full panic mode. So what does Kristen do when she panics? She runs and she runs straight to Xander Kuryakis. Again, the spoilers reveal that Kristen is going to reach out to Xander for help and protection to make sure EJ doesn’t lay a finger on Rachel. We saw this start a few weeks ago when she scampered out of the mansion and begged him to be her bodyguard against the big bad EJ. And Xander, being the macho guy he is, puffed his chest out like King Kong and agreed. But this is getting so complicated. Xander is currently staying at the Kuryaki’s mansion trying to play house with Sarah and baby Victoria. He is literally helping Sarah investigate the Dearra drug scandal right now. Grady and Xander just had a tense runin at the hospital over this exact thing.
So Xander is playing both sides. He is helping Sarah take down DeA pharmaceuticals while simultaneously climbing into bed with Kristen Dera. What is he thinking? And this is where the spoilers get really wild because apparently Xander and Kristen are going to surprise themselves by how deep their connection is getting. Wait, what? Are they actually falling for each other? I am reading this and I just can’t believe it. A real relationship between Xander and Kristen. I mean, they started out as just a casual hookup, a transactional thing. Kristen wanted protection and someone to do her dirty work, and Xander wanted, well, Xander just makes terrible decisions. But now that writers are hinting that this could turn into a genuine romance and I am honestly torn, part of me hates it. It feels so gross. Xander belongs with Sarah. We have spent years watching Xander try to redeem himself for Sarah. But then another part of me is like, okay, wait. Xander and Kristen are both former villains. They both have this dark twisted side. Maybe they actually make sense together. Okay, that sounded dramatic, but you get what I mean. They are both chaotic.
Actually, you know what? I changed my mind. I kind of love it because think about the drama. If Xander and Kristen become a real power couple, the fallout is going to be epic. What is Gwen going to do? Gwen is already super jealous and demanding more from Xander. If she finds out he is catching real feelings for Kristen, Gwen is going to lose her mind. And Sarah Sarah has been dreaming about Xander lately. She had that dream where he was in her bed. If Sarah finds out Xander is falling for the woman who has tormented her family for decades, she will be disgusted. And Brady Brady is already pressuring Kristen and refusing to let her off the hook for her bad behavior. If Brady sees Xander playing stepdaddy to Rachel, Brady’s gonna explode. The ripple effects of a Xander and Kristen romance are just too good to pass up. The fans on social media are going to riot, but I am grabbing my popcorn. But romance aside, the main focus for Kristen and Xander next week is survival and revenge. The spoilers for July 13 to 17 confirm that Kristen and Xander are going to officially team up and form an alliance against EJ.
They are going to plot his absolute downfall. And honestly, EJ is ripe for the picking right now. He is so vulnerable. He is drowning in this corial mess. He forced Johnny to break into Sarah’s hospital office to cover up the tainted drugs. Rafe and Cat Green are actively building a federal case against him. EJ is stressed. He is paranoid. and he is making massive mistakes. If Xander and Kristen push him at the exact right moment, EJ is going to crumble. But how are they going to do it? Xander is a former hitman. Is Kristen going to ask him to kill EJ? I don’t think so. I think that is too far even for this show. But Xander has skills. He knows how to dig up dirt. He knows how to intimidate people. Maybe Xander is going to find the proof that EJ knew about the tainted drugs all along. Remember, Xander was already looking into Dearra Pharmaceuticals from two years ago. He made those phone calls. He pulled those files. If Xander hands that evidence over to Rafe or uses it to blackmail EJ, that would destroy EJ’s life, EJ would lose his CEO position. He would lose his freedom and he would probably lose Johnny forever once Johnny realizes how badly his dad used him. This whole Deira sibling war is just classic days of our lives. It really is. It takes me back to the old days when Stephano used to pit his kids against each other just for fun. EJ and Kristen have always had this toxic lovehate relationship, but trying to kill each other’s kids, that is a line you just don’t cross. Kristen crossed it first with Johnny, and now she is terrified EJ will cross it with Rachel. It is a cycle of violence that is never going to end. And I just feel so bad for the kids in this situation. Johnny is being manipulated into committing crimes.
Rachel is coming out of a mental health facility only to be dropped right into a war zone. It is just sad. The writers are really leaning into the generational trauma of this family. And it is heavy stuff. And let’s talk about EJ for a second. What were they thinking when they wrote his recent storyline? He is just spiraling. He is trying to juggle the drug scandal, his weird obsession with Cat Green, his jealousy over Chad and Belle, and now a war with Kristen. The man is spread way too thin. He is going to make a fatal error. And Xander is exactly the kind of guy who will capitalize on that error. Xander is ruthless when he wants to be.
If Kristen points Xander at EJ like a loaded weapon, EJ is not going to know what hit him. But EJ is also smart. He has Rita Leslie warning him about developing problems. He has eyes everywhere. So, this is going to be a massive game of chess between EJ and the Christristen Xander Alliance. I just can’t wait to see how this plays out on screen. Paul Teler and Stacy Haiduck actually have really fun chemistry. It’s weird. It’s unexpected, but it works. When she scampered out of the mansion and begged him for help, you could see the dynamic shifting. And now with Rachel in the mix, the stakes are so much higher. Kristen has something to lose now. She isn’t just fighting for her own ego. She is fighting to protect her daughter. And a mother’s desperation is a powerful thing. Even if that mother is a total psychopath who murders teenagers with rocks, God, this show is so messed up sometimes. But that is why we watch, right? We love the mess. So yeah, next week is going to be a roller coaster. Rachel is back. Kristen is panicking. Xander is stepping up. And EJ is in the crosshairs. The Xander and Kristen romance might actually become a real thing, which is going to break the internet. And EJ’s downfall might finally be happening. I am going to be glued to my screen. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. Do you actually believe EJ would hurt Rachel? Are you here for a Xander and Christian romance or does it make you want to throw up? And how exactly do you think they are going to take EJ down? Hit the comments and let’s vent about it because I am exhausted. My brain is fried from trying to keep all these plots straight, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. See you guys in the next update.
