Days of Our Lives Recap October 23, 2026: Xander Kiriakis Takes a Bullet for Sarah Horton

DAYS OF OUR LIVES RECAP: XANDER SHIELDS SARAH, TAKES A BULLET AND FIRES BACK AT GEORGE

TL;DR: Your Days of Our Lives recap for October 23, 2026. Johnny gets Xander and Sarah into the DiMera lab, they find George’s laptop, George pulls a gun, and Xander takes a bullet for Sarah before firing back.

Days of Our Lives Recap: Xander Kiriakis Takes a Bullet for Sarah Horton

The Days of Our Lives recap October 23, 2026 belongs to Xander Kiriakis. He went into the DiMera lab with his ex-wife Sarah Horton to find the laptop she needs, and he walked in armed.

The gun startled Sarah. Xander told her it was for protection, not revenge. Then they got lucky. The laptop was hidden behind a framed chart on the wall, and they found it.

They never made it out the door. George O’Halloran caught them and demanded his laptop back. Sarah dared him to call the police. George pulled a gun instead.

Xander moved in front of Sarah and took a bullet to the abdomen. Wounded, he fired back at point-blank range, and George went down. In the space of a few seconds, a search for evidence turned into two men shot inside the DiMera lab, with Sarah still in the room.

It is the kind of moment Salem remembers. Xander has a long history with Sarah, most of it messy, and he has spent months insisting he is a different man. He did not make a speech this time. He just stepped into the line of fire.

Was Xander Kiriakis Shot on Days of Our Lives?

Yes. Last week a photo had Xander out cold in that lab and no preview would say why, and our Xander Kiriakis preview kept it at that. Now the answer is in: he took the bullet on purpose, for Sarah. How badly he is hurt, the episode did not say. Our Days of Our Lives spoilers will track what comes next.

Days of Our Lives Recap: How Johnny DiMera Got Them Inside

None of this happens without Johnny DiMera. He disabled the security cameras so Xander and Sarah could get into the lab and search it.

Johnny has a reason to want that laptop out. On Thursday his plan was to find it and clear Sarah, and Steve Johnson was his eyes on George. That plan went sideways when someone tased Steve outside George’s house while he was on the phone with Johnny. Nobody has seen who did it. With Steve out of the picture, Sarah and Xander went in themselves.

Why George O’Halloran Wanted That Laptop So Badly

Johnny fired George on Monday, and that same day George told EJ DiMera that Destiny’s medical forgery is just the tip of what is on that laptop, his words. On Thursday George said it was hidden in the lab and that he had cloned his key card to get it out. EJ offered him money and a new identity to leave Salem once he had it.

So George walked into his old lab expecting to pick up his ticket out of town. He found Sarah and Xander holding it instead, and he chose the gun.

Days of Our Lives Recap: What We Still Do Not Know

Plenty. The episode did not say how badly either man is hurt, so nobody should be planning a funeral yet. It did not show who leaves the lab with the laptop. And Steve’s attacker is still a mystery. Friday’s previews also promised Johnny’s 911 call and Kayla putting Joy to the test, and we will add those scenes once the full recaps show how they played.

One thing is settled. The hunt for the evidence Sarah needs just became a crime scene, and Xander is the one bleeding for it.

Did Xander just earn Sarah back? Write to Amber Sinclair at amber@soapoperamagazine.com and make your case.

Who walks out of that lab with the laptop? Tell us in the comments.

More Days of Our Lives coverage is waiting right here.

Xander Kiriakis Just Gave Sarah Horton a Reason to Look Again

Our take: Xander has spent months telling Sarah he has changed. Words never moved her, and she had good reasons not to be moved. Stepping in front of a gun is a different kind of argument, and it is hard to see her forgetting it. The catch is the laptop. If it clears Sarah, it could land hard on George, and anyone who helped him bury the truth is about to get nervous.

Find more Salem coverage here, and catch every episode in our daily recaps. Team Xander now? Tell us on our Facebook page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Xander Kiriakis shot on Days of Our Lives?

Yes. On October 23, George O’Halloran pulled a gun in the DiMera lab and Xander stepped in front of Sarah and took a bullet to the abdomen.

Did Xander shoot George on Days of Our Lives?

Yes. After he was hit, Xander fired back at point-blank range and George went down. His condition was not shown.

Did Xander and Sarah find George’s laptop?

Yes. They found it hidden behind a framed chart in the lab, just before George caught them.