Friday’s episode of Days of Our Lives promises a masterclass in tension, heartbreak, and psychological intrigue. December 5th is not just another day in Salem—it’s a turning point, a day where buried memories resurface, dangerous secrets are revealed, and the lives of the Demra family hang by a thread. EJ Deare faces the disorienting pull of forgotten truths, Cat Green takes a shocking step to protect and manipulate simultaneously, and deep within a hidden crypt, Chad uncovers the shocking reason behind his disappearance. This episode is a relentless, edge-of-your-seat journey through fear, loyalty, and vengeance.

🧠 EJ Deare Descends into a Psychological Maze

The episode opens with an eerie stillness inside EJ Deare’s office. The room is dimly lit, papers scattered haphazardly across his desk, reflecting the chaos of his mind. EJ paces, gripping his suit jacket tightly, a man straining to hold himself together. For days, he has sensed a pull in his consciousness, a whisper of a memory he couldn’t quite grasp—but today, it crashes over him like a tidal wave.

The memory strikes with vivid intensity: Cat Green in a mysterious Italian clinic, her soft, almost hypnotic voice reading to him, guiding him in a manner both comforting and controlling. EJ relives the moment in painstaking detail—the subtle touch of her hand, the firm tone that wasn’t optional, the disorientation upon waking.

Three emotions collide violently in him: anxiety that coils in his chest like a living thing; a chilling sense of familiarity, as if the moments he barely remembers were more intimate than he realized; and suspicion, sharp and cold, that Cat’s presence was never innocent.

EJ questions everything: Did Cat manipulate him? Was she working for someone else? Did the clinic hide something from him? Every sound, every echo of her voice, is a puzzle piece that refuses to fit neatly, pushing him deeper into confusion and dread. By the episode’s midpoint, EJ is propelled into a psychological labyrinth, determined to uncover the truth, yet aware that each revelation could shatter his present and destabilize those around him.

😨 Cat Green’s Desperate Bargain

While EJ wrestles with the shadows of his past, Cat Green delivers one of the most unnerving confrontations of the week at the Horton residence. Jennifer opens the door, bracing for the usual tension, but what she encounters is unsettlingly calm. Cat’s demeanor is measured, eerily composed, a stark contrast to her usual impulsive self.

She lays her proposition bare: Cat is willing to step completely away from Chad, severing all ties to the Demra family and removing herself from the custody battle entirely—but only if Jennifer and Jack withdraw their lawsuit. Jennifer is stunned. This is not manipulation, not an attempt to bribe or intimidate—this is surrender, total and unexpected.

Then Cat softens, her voice trembling: Chad didn’t abandon his children. Something is wrong. She is terrified—not of losing custody, not of losing Chad, but of time itself. She warns Jennifer to delay the hearing, to allow space for truth to surface, hinting at a danger Jennifer cannot yet see. This revelation plants seeds of doubt that will ripple through the Horton family, challenging assumptions and redefining trust.

👨‍👩‍👧 Horton Family Tensions: Innocence and Fear

Inside the Horton home, the emotional fallout from Chad’s absence continues. Thomas sits quietly, gripping a pillow, struggling to articulate the ache in his heart. He asks the questions that echo in every child’s mind when a parent is absent: Does Dad still love us? Will he ever leave us for good? Jack’s reassurances, while heartfelt, cannot erase the uncertainty gnawing at Thomas and Charlotte.

The episode brilliantly illustrates that this custody conflict is no longer just legal. It is emotional, a slowly widening chasm between a father trapped in a crypt and his children, who are beginning to internalize his disappearance as abandonment. The longer Chad remains missing, the deeper the emotional scars become—a reminder that even well-intentioned legal maneuvers can have devastating psychological consequences.

⚡ Gabby Hernandez Confronts Theo Carver

Across Salem, tensions spike as Gabby Hernandez tracks down Theo Carver near the DeRa building. She confronts him with the hard truth: EJ is distracted, unstable, and dangerously obsessed with resurfacing memories from Italy. Theo, initially defensive, begins to realize the gravity of her warning.

Gabby’s words hit hard: when a Demra unravels, they pull others into their chaos. Theo’s professional judgment clashes with a dawning awareness that he may already be a pawn in a perilous game. This confrontation heightens suspense and underscores the interconnected web of danger surrounding EJ’s unraveling mind.

🔒 Chad Discovers the Truth in the Crypt

The episode’s most harrowing scenes unfold deep in the suffocating darkness of the Demra crypt. Chad, battered and exhausted, listens as Tony and Kristen finally reveal the truth: his disappearance was not random. Someone orchestrated every detail, from his capture to the fabricated messages to Jennifer and Jack.

The realization strikes Chad like a thunderbolt—this was a calculated move to erase him from his family, timed to strike when the custody hearing threatened to secure his children. The revelation ignites a furious determination within him. Rage and purpose replace despair; he vows to expose everyone responsible. The camera lingers on his eyes, smoldering with intensity, a promise that Salem is about to witness a Demra pushed to his breaking point.