DAYS: July 2025 Discussion Thread

Today was a little slow.

But Ari sure loves her some Doug III. Too bad that he had to shoot her down 😂😂😂

Ari's definitely the kind of kid that Will and Gabi would have lol and the actress has been doing a pretty good job too. I'm interested in seeing where she, Doug III, and the rest of the younger crowd go from here. This has the potential to become such a messy mess and I hope the new writers go all out with every dynamic of this storyline, in addition to what we saw in the spoiler promo.

Everything surrounding Johnny's arrest was the best part of today, even though Kristen was a little annoying. There really has been no change in her since the new writers came in. I have mixed feelings about EJ being Johnny's lawyer though. It could be pretty interesting, especially if it leads to conflict for him and Chanel but idk. I just don't love it. I still say that roles that Johnny and Chanel are playing should be reversed though.

And, Tate and Sophia were actually kind of nice today too, so I'm not really sure why she's going to do what we saw she was going to do. 

This episode seems to want us to take Brady’s side over Belle's in the argument over Rachel. But it’s hard to square that with what’s actually happening. Belle is the prosecutor on Johnny’s case. She’s also his aunt, and she’s dating EJ. It’s messy, but she’s doing her job, and she’s doing it clean. Brady (and possibly Marlena), on the other hand, is actively hiding Rachel’s eyewitness statement.

And yet, the story tilts toward Brady, giving him the emotional upper hand. His argument is that he’s protecting Rachel. But if CPS learned that a child witnessed a shooting and her father helped conceal it, that makes him look less like a protector and more like someone with something to hide. The irony is that telling the truth might be the only thing that keeps Rachel out of CPS jurisdiction.

The larger issue is how the show handles Belle’s intelligence. She’s meant to be experienced lawyer, but she’s always the last to know. She’s written like a functionary, not like a lead. And when everyone around her—her mother, her brother, her partner—has more information than she does, it flattens her role in the story. She stops being a character with agency and starts being someone the story leaves out of the loop for plot convenience.

15 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

I have mixed feelings about EJ being Johnny's lawyer though.

Let's set aside that Johnny is EJ's son.  Can you imagine any court in our universe that would allow the victim of an attempted murder to defend the person accused of shooting him?

It's a Boy!

I could've sworn that in the spoiler video, they said girl, but whatevs. This is speculation, but I'm assuming that somewhere down the line, he's going to be named after John. But damn, that was the quickest labor ever lol. I have to admit that I'm not really a fan of what Sophia did today though. I know that she didn't want the baby but the way that it was all handled still seemed very sudden and random to me. And so clunky too. Even clunkier than the Jude baby switch. I hope it ends up working out though... and, in terms of the storyline, makes the whole messy teen situation ever messier.

Especially now that Tate and Holly are reuniting. They were really sweet today. But at the same time, I have to say that maybe their reunion would have been a much better catalyst for Sophia's actions today. 

And I'm definitely not sure about Leo and Javi's part in the whole baby situation. Again, Ron is gone. Things like this don't need to happen anymore. Javi did look good in his uniform though 😊😊😊

But poor Doug III

Because of the situation that he's in and because of the actor that he had to work with today. Dude was as cliche as that Carmine guy from a few years ago. But I did enjoy his scenes with Julie, even though she shut him down again. Peyton Meyer and Susan Seaforth Hayes do work really well together, and I hope that Julie forgives him at some point. And I'm glad that Steve was able to finally find the necklace for her.

Speaking of actors working well together, I can say the same thing about Suzanne Rogers and Lindsey Godfrey. I loved their conversation about their love for Victor and Xander, and the type of men that they were. It was such an honest, in depth conversation and it was definitely one of the highlights of today. I'm really looking forward to seeing #Xarah and their storyline play out for the rest of the year.

3 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

It's a Boy!

I could've sworn that in the spoiler video, they said girl, but whatevs. This is speculation, but I'm assuming that somewhere down the line, he's going to be named after John. But damn, that was the quickest labor ever lol. I have to admit that I'm not really a fan of what Sophia did today though. I know that she didn't want the baby but the way that it was all handled still seemed very sudden and random to me. And so clunky too. Even clunkier than the Jude baby switch. I hope it ends up working out though... and, in terms of the storyline, makes the whole messy teen situation ever messier.

Especially now that Tate and Holly are reuniting. They were really sweet today. But at the same time, I have to say that maybe their reunion would have been a much better catalyst for Sophia's actions today. 

And I'm definitely not sure about Leo and Javi's part in the whole baby situation. Again, Ron is gone. Things like this don't need to happen anymore. Javi did look good in his uniform though 😊😊😊

But poor Doug III

Because of the situation that he's in and because of the actor that he had to work with today. Dude was as cliche as that Carmine guy from a few years ago. But I did enjoy his scenes with Julie, even though she shut him down again. Peyton Meyer and Susan Seaforth Hayes do work really well together, and I hope that Julie forgives him at some point. And I'm glad that Steve was able to finally find the necklace for her.

Speaking of actors working well together, I can say the same thing about Suzanne Rogers and Lindsey Godfrey. I loved their conversation about their love for Victor and Xander, and the type of men that they were. It was such an honest, in depth conversation and it was definitely one of the highlights of today. I'm really looking forward to seeing #Xarah and their storyline play out for the rest of the year.

I really hope they come up with an original name for the kid, especially since it's a boy. 

OMG! Tate & Sofia's baby boy, now the mystery male infant & Javi took him home to Leo. What is hard to understand about the real fans of this show wanting LESS Leo, not more?!!!! I could not be more disgruntled if ... Josh Taylor was nominated for an Emmy for not playing Roman!

What bothers me is how the show’s framing Sophia.

She was clear about her decision. She wanted to give the baby up for adoption and even sought legal help. Now, instead of letting that play out, they have her give birth alone in her bedroom and, based on the promo, leave the baby at a fire station. It’s like they’re turning a mature, thoughtful decision into a sign of coldness. 

Today’s storyline flips a law meant to protect women into a device for demonizing them, and it targets a female character who’s been portrayed as clear-headed and thoughtful. That shift is not just unfair to Sophia, it’s a betrayal of the audience.

• Sophia reached out to Melinda, got referrals, had resources and emotional support.

• She gave birth in her bedroom—ok, dramatic, but plausible for a teen who’s afraid, not clueless.

• Then the writers have her use a Safe Haven box—a law for desperate moms—and not present that choice as protective, but cruel, as if she abandoned her child.

• That allows them to recast Sofia's choice as abandonment, rather than helping an adoptive couple start a family 

The messaging is blunt and disturbing: A woman who chooses adoption is cold, villainous, someone to fear. And we’re supposed to feel sympathy for Tate, who’s being written as emotionally tortured for legally exercising his right to consent or not—casting that questioning as heroism, even though it’s rigged to manipulate him into feeling Sophia's choices are wrong.

And it’s all to make Tate’s feelings look more sympathetic. His late-stage “I want to be a dad” energy gets treated like it’s noble. Meanwhile, Sophia is painted as heartless for not changing her mind. It’s such a lopsided way to write this. Like the guy’s feelings matter more than the girl’s plan.

I just don’t like how fast they’re flattening her into a villain. The triangle had enough juice without needing to do that.

Edited July 2Jul 2 by j swift

It’s obvious that Leo isn’t going anywhere. Thank you, Paula & Jeanne!!!
That said, they need to work on realism. In this episode, a baby is born, left with cord intact, is given the a physical so Javi can take him home. WTF???? Unrealistic. I’m not impressed with the new team. 

2 hours ago, j swift said:

What bothers me is how the show’s framing Sophia.

She was clear about her decision. She wanted to give the baby up for adoption and even sought legal help. Now, instead of letting that play out, they have her give birth alone in her bedroom and, based on the promo, leave the baby at a fire station. It’s like they’re turning a mature, thoughtful decision into a sign of coldness. 

Today’s storyline flips a law meant to protect women into a device for demonizing them, and it targets a female character who’s been portrayed as clear-headed and thoughtful. That shift is not just unfair to Sophia, it’s a betrayal of the audience.

Thank you!  I agree.  She shouldn't be demonized for refusing motherhood, and trying to find a home for the child.  It was the right choice for her. 

4 minutes ago, janea4old said:

Thank you!  I agree.  She shouldn't be demonized for refusing motherhood, and trying to find a home for the child.  It was the right choice for her. 

I do not see that. Instead what I see is two people who tried very hard to be thoughtful & also deliberate in their actions who were met with roadblocks at every juncture & then when they were still not ready, events overtook them & literally chaos ruled & we're going to see them pay in terms of repercussions. IOW, despite the best laid plans, sh*t happens. 

The only thing I do not understand is why didn't she call Tate to come help, now, stat?

She needed it to be very clinical & it was very messy. 

3 minutes ago, Contessa Donatella said:

The only thing I do not understand is why didn't she call Tate to come help, now, stat?

I don't know.  At this point she probably feels that the less people know the better.  This way, nobody can question Tate.  Sophia doesn't want anyone to try to manipulate her or Tate to taking the child back.  She just wants the child placed safely, and since nobody would help, she chose the firestation safe haven.  She chose anonymity so that the child would not be sent back to her.  A reasonable choice for a teen.

I appreciate the thoughtful responses here, especially the recognition that Sophia shouldn't be punished for refusing motherhood. I just keep thinking about how completely the system failed her, and how that failure gets erased in the way the show is using this as character motivation for Sofia to become more of an antagonist.

First, Tate assured her that his condom was the only protection that was necessary to avoid pregnancy.  Then, Sophia was denied access to abortion. She was blocked from pursuing adoption when Brady threatened Melinda, the one lawyer who was willing to help her. We’ve seen no infrastructure of social workers, no real medical support, and apparently no adult guidance that wasn’t punitive or self-interested. And now that she's out of options, the narrative flips and frames her as the problem?

It’s not just that Sophia put her baby in a Safe Haven box. It’s that she did so after being cornered at every turn. That choice, in context, feels like a last resort — one that’s legal and protective — but it’s getting treated like an act of abandonment. The show doesn’t seem interested in why she felt she had no other choice. Instead, we cut straight to Tate’s hurt feelings, like that’s the real tragedy; as if the final obstacle she faced wasn’t a failing institution, but a teenage boy who supported her for nine months only to change his mind, literary at the moment of her first false contraction.

I’m not saying the show needs to write a PSA about teen pregnancy. But if they’re going to use a story like this, they could at least tell the truth about where the breakdowns happened — legal, medical, familial — instead of just flattening Sophia into a villain.

Edited July 2Jul 2 by j swift

7 hours ago, MissPhoenixGirl92 said:

I really hope they come up with an original name for the kid, especially since it's a boy. 

I'm speculating John Brady Black, and they'll call him JB for short 😂😂

3 hours ago, j swift said:

It’s like they’re turning a mature, thoughtful decision into a sign of coldness. 

Agreed.

They needed to establish a much better and much stronger reason why Sophia left the baby at the firehouse. One that didn't make her look a villain

15 minutes ago, j swift said:

First, Tate assured her that his condom was the only protection that was necessary to avoid pregnancy.  Then, Sophia was denied access to abortion. She was blocked from pursuing adoption when Brady threatened the one lawyer who was willing to help her. We’ve seen no infrastructure of social workers, no real medical support, and apparently no adult guidance that wasn’t punitive or self-interested. And now that she's out of options, the narrative flips and frames her as the problem?

I agree fully with this and your entire take on this baby delivery.

I am really pissed off by what I'm watching for all the reasons you detailed. I'm also disgusted they're giving the baby to Javi and Leo. Not only that, but just an hour after delivery. In what frickin universe....