If there is one thing Days of Our Lives does better than any other soap, it is turning ordinary moments into emotional landmines—and Monday’s episode proves just how volatile Salem has become. On the surface, January 26 may look like a collection of disconnected confrontations, power plays, and romantic interludes. But beneath that calm veneer, every storyline is bound by one haunting theme: control.

Kristen DiMera’s calculated warning to Sarah, EJ DiMera’s theatrical return to power, the quiet but dangerous presence of Rachel, and the slow-burn mystery surrounding Chanel’s possible pregnancy all weave together into a web of fear, obsession, and manipulation. This is not a day of random chaos. This is a day where the lines of battle are drawn—and the fallout will be devastating.

Kristen vs. Sarah: Not Jealousy—A Psychological War

Kristen DiMera doesn’t threaten women simply because she’s territorial. She does it because she cannot survive irrelevance. After surviving kidnapping, illness, and betrayal, Kristen emerges not humbled—but sharpened. And when Brady draws a line and insists they make it clear to Rachel that they are never getting back together, Kristen doesn’t hear closure. She hears opportunity.

Why? Because Brady still frames their history as something to be “managed,” not escaped. In Kristen’s mind, that means she still has influence. And influence, to Kristen, is power.

So when she confronts Sarah with a chilling warning about dating Brady, it isn’t about jealousy—it’s strategy. Kristen is rewriting the emotional narrative. She wants Sarah to feel like the outsider, the intruder in a family Kristen still claims as hers. Her message is brutal but subtle:
If you stay with Brady, you’re hurting Rachel. And if Rachel suffers, it’s your fault.

It’s a moral trap. Kristen is no longer the villain in her own story—she’s the “concerned mother.” And that is when she is most dangerous.

Rachel: The Weapon No One Dares Disarm

Kristen’s warning holds weight because Rachel is no innocent bystander. In Salem, a child with a dark history is never just a child—they are a ticking time bomb. Rachel has grown up learning that love means possession, and possession means destruction. Every time Kristen says “I want,” Rachel learns that wanting is justification.

Kristen insists she’s protecting her daughter, but the truth is far more sinister. Rachel’s instability keeps Brady tethered. It keeps every woman in his life walking on eggshells. And it keeps Kristen necessary.

The darker truth? Kristen benefits from Rachel’s volatility. She may pretend to warn Sarah, but behind the scenes, she is likely reinforcing Rachel’s obsession—quietly validating her fears and rage. And when the next explosion happens, Kristen will stand back and say, I tried to warn you.

Sarah’s Crossroads: Love or Survival?

Sarah is not naive. She is analytical, cautious, and emotionally exhausted. Kristen’s words strike not because Sarah is weak—but because she is tired of being collateral damage in someone else’s generational trauma.

Kristen paints a terrifying future:
A lifetime of being the outsider.
A child who may never accept her.
A woman blamed every time Rachel spirals.

The real question is not whether Sarah is afraid—it’s whether she decides Brady is worth the chaos. And that decision will echo across Salem.

EJ DiMera Returns: Power Must Be Performed

While Kristen wages emotional war, EJ DiMera storms back into Salem with the arrogance of a man who believes the town is his stage. Furious that Gwen handled business in his absence, EJ doesn’t see initiative—he sees treason.

EJ doesn’t just want control. He wants the performance of control. He wants rooms to go silent when he enters. Gwen’s competence without him is unforgivable—not because she failed, but because she succeeded.

And that makes her disposable.

Gwen: Useful Until the Knife Comes Out

Gwen stands in the most dangerous position in Salem—useful, but not respected. EJ will never view her as a partner. She is a tool that dared to act like a player.

If EJ’s next scheme succeeds, he will take full credit. If it fails, Gwen will be the fall. Either way, her days are numbered.

Rafa and Cat: Always One Step Behind

Rafa and Cat continue circling EJ, trying to expose his schemes—but Salem law enforcement has a tragic pattern of arriving after the damage is done. Their failure suggests EJ isn’t committing random crimes—he’s planning something surgical.

He’s building leverage. He’s rewriting narratives. He’s likely preparing a framing operation that will humiliate his enemies and reassert his dominance.

Cat may eventually see the pattern—but only after someone pays the price.

Chanel and Johnny: Love Before the Storm

Amid the darkness, Chanel and Johnny cling to moments of tenderness—but Salem never allows happiness without consequences. Theo’s subtle observation that Chanel may be pregnant changes everything.

On Days, pregnancy is never just a baby—it’s a battlefield. Secrets. Scandals. Paternity questions. Emotional warfare. If Chanel is pregnant, that child will become leverage in a much larger conflict.

Johnny’s DiMera bloodline alone guarantees complications. And the mention of Trey lurking offscreen is a red flag—because in Salem, “fine” is code for disaster.

The Bigger Picture: Control Is the Real Villain

When you step back, every story this week revolves around control:

• Kristen controls through fear and emotional manipulation.
• EJ controls through power, intimidation, and narrative dominance.
• Rachel is shaped by control and becomes a tool of it.
• Chanel’s possible pregnancy will soon be controlled by secrets and lies.

Salem isn’t just a town—it’s a chessboard. And every character is either moving a piece…or becoming one.

Monday’s episode isn’t the climax—it’s the fuse. And once it burns down, nothing will ever be the same.