Salem is no stranger to chaos, betrayal, and resurrection, but Tuesday’s episode of Days of Our Lives promises to push the town into one of its most emotionally devastating chapters in years. The January 27, 2026 episode doesn’t just advance ongoing storylines — it detonates them. Long-buried secrets finally surface, alliances crumble, and beloved characters walk blindly into traps that could permanently alter their lives. This isn’t just another dramatic Tuesday in Salem. This is a turning point that will ripple across generations.

At the heart of the storm lies a revelation that fans have waited years to confront: the truth about the bones hidden in the DiMera crypt.

The DiMera Crypt Mystery: The Phoenix Finally Falls?

For months, the discovery of skeletal remains beneath the DiMera wine cellar lingered in the background like a ghost Salem refused to acknowledge. When Theo was held captive and stumbled across the bones, the moment was brushed aside in the panic surrounding his kidnapping. But now, Salem PD has finally delivered the results — and the identity of the remains sends shockwaves through the entire town.

The bones belong to Stefano DiMera.

Yes, the Phoenix himself.

The man who has died more times than most people change their wardrobes. The mastermind who once transferred his consciousness into microchips, portraits, and other people’s bodies. The man whose presence haunted Salem even in death. And now, according to official lab confirmation, Stefano has been rotting in his own family crypt.

If this is truly the end, it’s the most disturbingly quiet ending imaginable for one of daytime’s greatest villains.

But in Salem, death is never simple.

Fans are already questioning whether this is the real Stefano or another elaborate illusion engineered by the ever-unhinged Dr. Rolf. With Rolf once again lurking in Salem, the idea that he planted fake remains to “finalize” Stefano’s death while preserving him in some hidden laboratory feels terrifyingly plausible.

If these bones are real, the psychological impact on the DiMera family is catastrophic. Stefano wasn’t just dead — he was forgotten, buried beneath the very home where his children lived, schemed, and fought for power.

The DiMeras didn’t lose their father.

They were living on top of his grave.

Kristen vs. EJ: Grief Turns Into War

The news reaches the DiMera mansion via Rafe Hernandez, and what should be a moment of shared grief instantly becomes something far darker. Kristen DiMera, already emotionally shattered after believing she lost her brother Peter, completely rejects EJ’s attempt at comfort.

Not out of anger.

Out of disgust.

Kristen doesn’t see a brother in EJ — she sees a replacement Stefano. Another man trying to control the narrative, manage the pain, and claim authority over the family’s grief. But Kristen doesn’t want leadership. She wants a father. And EJ’s cold, composed response feels less like compassion and more like a corporate press release.

Her rejection is more than emotional.

It’s political.

With Stefano officially dead, the DiMera throne is vacant — and both Kristen and EJ know it. This moment marks the true beginning of a civil war for control of DiMera Enterprises. What starts as mourning will quickly evolve into manipulation, sabotage, and ruthless power plays that could tear the family apart permanently.

Stefano’s death doesn’t unite his children.

It weaponizes them.

Chad’s Dangerous Secret: Protection or Control?

While the rest of the DiMeras spiral, Chad DiMera makes a decision that may haunt him forever. After learning the truth about Stefano’s remains, Chad chooses not to tell Theo immediately.

On the surface, it seems compassionate. Theo is still traumatized from his kidnapping and was the one who discovered the bones in the first place. Chad convinces himself he’s protecting Theo from more pain.

But deep down, it’s something else.

It’s control.

Chad is doing what DiMeras always do — deciding what other people are “ready” to know. By withholding the truth, he denies Theo closure and robs him of the right to process his own trauma. And when Theo eventually learns that Chad knew and kept silent, the betrayal will cut far deeper than the bones ever did.

It also forces Chad to confront a terrifying reality: if Stefano is truly dead, Chad can no longer blame his father for the darkness in his own bloodline.

The excuse is gone.

Now, he must face who he is without Stefano’s shadow to hide behind.

Abe and Liam: The Most Heartbreaking Betrayal

While the DiMeras implode, a far more intimate tragedy is unfolding elsewhere in Salem — and it’s arguably the cruelest storyline of the episode.

Rafe uncovers evidence proving that Liam was involved in Theo’s kidnapping.

But Abe Carver doesn’t know.

In fact, Abe is currently mentoring Liam, offering him guidance, support, and second chances through therapy sessions. Abe believes Liam is a troubled young man searching for redemption.

The audience knows the truth.

Liam isn’t seeking redemption.

He’s infiltrating.

The psychological horror of this storyline is unbearable. Liam is sitting across from the father of the man he helped terrorize — accepting kindness, advice, and emotional vulnerability without flinching.

This isn’t guilt.

It’s sociopathy.

When the truth finally explodes — when Rafe exposes Liam’s involvement — Abe’s world will collapse. Abe prides himself on being a good judge of character, a moral compass for Salem. To realize he invited a predator into his inner circle could shatter him emotionally and physically.

Given Abe’s past medical scares, this revelation could quite literally put his life at risk.

This isn’t just betrayal.

It’s emotional assassination.

Chanel, Johnny, and the Hospital Mystery

As if Salem needed more emotional devastation, Johnny and Chanel unexpectedly run into Paulina at the hospital — and the reason Chanel is there remains a mystery.

Two theories dominate fan speculation.

The first is pregnancy — a classic soap twist that would dramatically complicate Johnny and Chanel’s already turbulent relationship. A baby would force them into a future neither is emotionally prepared for, especially as the DiMera drama threatens to swallow Johnny’s family whole.

The second possibility is far darker: long-term health consequences from the radiation sludge storyline. If Chanel is seriously ill, the story could ground the show in devastating realism — forcing Paulina to abandon her political games and face the possibility of losing her daughter.

Either way, this hospital visit is not casual.

It’s a setup for heartbreak.

The Fallout That Will Reshape Salem

What makes the January 27 episode so powerful isn’t just the number of reveals — it’s how deeply they intertwine.

Stefano’s death destabilizes the DiMeras.
Kristen and EJ’s war reshapes corporate power.
Chad’s secret fractures trust.
Abe’s betrayal threatens his very soul.
Chanel’s mystery introduces new emotional stakes.

These aren’t isolated events.

They are dominoes.

Every storyline feeds into the next, creating a web of consequences that will haunt Salem for months, possibly years.

This is classic Days of Our Lives at its best — generational trauma, moral ambiguity, psychological warfare, and emotional devastation wrapped in high-stakes drama.

And at the center of it all lies one terrifying truth:

Salem isn’t healing.

It’s unraveling.

The Phoenix may have finally fallen — but his ashes are still burning everything in their path.