Days of our Lives EXPOSED: Crazy Storylines That Prove Salem Is the Wildest Town on Daytime TV

TL;DR: For decades, Days of our Lives has pushed narrative limits with outlandish plots like Marlena Evans’s demonic possession, Stefano DiMera’s countless resurrections, and the great Salem Stalker twist, proving Salem’s status as the wildest town on TV.

Marlena’s Devil Possession

The demonic possession of Dr. Marlena Evans is one of the most iconic and frequently cited plots in the history of Days of our Lives. The storyline occurred twice, first in the mid-1990s and then with a revival of the plot in 2021.

The original arc, from 1994 to 1995, began when archvillain Stefano DiMera used mind-altering drugs and hypnosis on Marlena, leaving her vulnerable to a demonic entity. The plot culminated in scenes that have since become legendary in soap opera history, including Marlena levitating over her bed with glowing yellow eyes. Her character was ultimately saved when her love interest, John Black, who was a priest at the time, performed an emergency exorcism.

The decision to embark on this bizarre supernatural narrative was a direct response to the O.J. Simpson murder trial, which was consuming daytime television in the mid-1990s. By introducing a bold, supernatural plot, head writer James E. Reilly created a unique, high-stakes narrative that successfully drew viewers back to scripted programming.

The second possession storyline, which began in late 2021, was a creative revival designed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original arc. This time, the devil first possessed Doug Williams before once again inhabiting Marlena. This repetition of an iconic plot leveraged audience nostalgia and generated significant media attention as the show transitioned to a new streaming service.

Stefano DiMera: The Phoenix Who Never Stayed Dead

The character of Stefano DiMera, portrayed by the late Joseph Mascolo, holds the record for the most resurrections in daytime television. The legendary nickname, “The Phoenix,” was given to him by original writer Pat Falken Smith because of his consistent ability to “rise from the ashes” after every apparent death. This symbolic motif was so integral to the character that a phoenix tattoo was a key plot point in the John Black/Roman Brady identity storyline.

Stefano’s many demises and subsequent returns were central to his character, establishing him not merely as a criminal mastermind but as an almost mythical figure. He has been presumed dead multiple times under bizarre and violent circumstances, including a car plunging into a harbor in 1984, being shot and falling from a catwalk in 1985, and a plane explosion in 1996.

His final on-screen death as portrayed by Joseph Mascolo occurred in 2016 when he was killed by Hope Brady, coinciding with the actor’s retirement and real-life passing. After Mascolo’s death, the writers found a novel way to bring the villain back to life: Stefano’s “essence” was transferred to a microchip and implanted into the body of Steve Johnson, who became known as “Stevano”.

The Salem Stalker and Melaswen Island

The Salem Stalker plot is one of the most controversial and fan-angering storylines in the show’s history. This arc, which began in the fall of 2003, saw a mysterious serial killer terrorize the town, seemingly murdering dozens of beloved characters one by one. The identity of the killer was ultimately revealed to be Dr. Marlena Evans, a shocking twist that led to a dramatic on-screen death for the character.

The storyline’s second major twist, which angered many fans, occurred on May 25, 2004, when all the “victims,” including Marlena, were revealed to be alive and well on a tropical island named “Melaswen,” which is “New Salem” spelled backward. The entire murder spree was a sinister ruse orchestrated by André DiMera, who brainwashed Marlena into believing she was the killer.

He had created an exact replica of Salem on the island to torment his enemies. The resolution was widely seen as a “cop-out” because it broke the implicit social contract between a show and its audience, making viewers feel their emotional investment had been for naught.

John Black or Roman Brady? The Identity Switch From Hell

When John Black was introduced in 1985, he was an amnesiac known as “The Pawn” due to his love of chess. Over the course of five years, the audience was led to believe that John was actually Roman Brady, who had been presumed dead and had extensive plastic surgery. The character, played by Drake Hogestyn, took on Roman’s life, reuniting with his wife, Marlena, and fathering their daughter, Belle.

The “identity switch from hell” occurred in 1991 with the planned return of the original Roman Brady actor, Wayne Northrop. To keep Drake Hogestyn on the show, the writers performed a classic soap opera retcon, revealing that Hogestyn’s character was not Roman at all but a separate individual, John Black, a soldier brainwashed by Stefano DiMera to believe he was Roman. The complicated love story and eventual marriage between John and Marlena—a consequence of the retcon—cemented them as one of the show’s most iconic supercouples, affectionately known as “Jarlena”.

The Faces of Deception: Hattie Adams, Susan Banks, and the Doppelgänger Circus

The character of Hattie Adams, a lookalike for Marlena Evans, was initially portrayed by Deidre Hall’s real-life twin sister, Andrea Hall. The plot was a classic Stefano DiMera scheme, in which he hired his mad scientist, Dr. Wilhelm Rolf, to perform plastic surgery on Hattie to make her a perfect double for Marlena for his own nefarious purposes.

Similarly, the Susan Banks storyline involved another iconic actress, Eileen Davidson, playing multiple roles. Davidson originally played the villainous Kristen DiMera, but she later portrayed Kristen’s quirky doppelgänger, Susan Banks, at her own request. The use of one actress playing multiple characters became a trademark of this era of the show, as Eileen Davidson ended up playing a total of five characters, including Kristen, Susan, and her siblings, Sister Mary Moira Banks and Thomas Banks. The Susan Banks plot was created to provide a surrogate for Kristen and John to have a child, but the baby was actually Stefano’s son, Elvis “EJ” DiMera.

The Gemini Twins’ Unconventional Origin

We can’t help but mention the Gemini Twins, Rex and Cassie. The twins, who crash-landed during a meteor shower in 2002, were initially suspected to be extraterrestrials. This “alien” theory was, in fact, a red herring designed to capture the audience’s attention before the real, more complex plot was revealed.

The truth was that Rex and Cassie were not aliens at all but genetically engineered humans. They were the products of a classic Stefano DiMera plot, executed with the help of his mad scientist, Dr. Wilhelm Rolf. Their creation was a culmination of a multi-part scheme: the twins were conceived from a stolen sperm sample from Roman Brady and eggs from Kate Roberts, and the resulting embryos were implanted into Marlena Evans, who acted as a surrogate while in a coma for four years.

This storyline showcases the show’s willingness to abandon one high-concept sci-fi idea (aliens) for another (genetic engineering) in order to create new characters and familial ties without a traditional romantic plot.

Fact vs. Fiction: The Case of Dr. Drake Ramoray and Friends

When it comes to outrageous Days of our Lives storylines, fans might be surprised to learn that one of the most memorable “characters” never actually existed on the soap at all. Enter Dr. Drake Ramoray—the fictional neurosurgeon played by Joey Tribbiani on Friends.

Joey’s soap persona wasn’t just a throwaway gag. His first name, “Drake,” was a deliberate wink to Drake Hogestyn, who spent decades playing John Black on Days. That subtle nod made the parody feel authentic, blurring the line between sitcom satire and real soap opera drama. The connection was so convincing that some casual viewers actually believed Dr. Ramoray was part of the official Days universe.

Behind the scenes, the cast of Days of our Lives reportedly loved the spoof and would tune in weekly to watch Joey’s antics. And in true soap opera fashion, Dr. Ramoray’s fate was as shocking as it was absurd: he was killed off by falling down an elevator shaft. That over-the-top exit wasn’t just random—it mirrored a famous TV moment from L.A. Law, where Rosalind Shays met the exact same end.

It was a perfect parody of the kind of outrageous deaths and resurrections that soaps are known for, further cementing Dr. Ramoray’s place in the larger-than-life history of Days of our Lives—even if he never technically walked through Salem.

Days of our Lives’ Many Deaths of Salem’s Finest

In Salem, death is more of a suggestion than a final curtain call. If there’s one rule in Days of our Lives, it’s that nobody stays buried for long.

The most infamous example, of course, is Stefano DiMera, whose legendary resurrections made him practically immortal. But he’s far from the only one. Time and again, beloved characters have been mourned, only to reappear in the most outrageous ways.

The Salem Stalker storyline pushed this trope to its limit. Over a dozen characters were “murdered” in shocking, gruesome fashion, sending fans into a frenzy—until the big twist revealed they were alive and hidden away on a remote island. It was peak Days: equal parts campy, clever, and completely over-the-top.

Even central heroines haven’t escaped this revolving door with the Grim Reaper. Hope Williams Brady has been presumed dead more times than most fans can count, each “return” more dramatic than the last. And Dr. Marlena Evans? She’s practically Salem’s queen of resurrection, repeatedly written off only to come back stronger, often at the center of yet another wild storyline.

This constant cycle of death, rebirth, and reinvention is baked into the DNA of Days of our Lives. It’s what keeps the drama high, the fans talking, and Salem forever unpredictable.