During the week when Salem was trying to mend its relationships, the youth team threw in another wave: Tate delivered bad news to Holly.

It wasn’t the kind of cheesy bad news meant for teen drama, but bad news delivered at a sensitive time, instantly dampening Holly’s spirits.

Tate spoke directly, without beating around the bush, and the way she said it made it clear this was hard to swallow.

For Holly, the holiday season was already chaotic, and hearing such news was like being doused with cold water while trying to stay calm.

At the same time, Gwen and Gabi had a commiserate moment, complaining about how tired and frustrated they were. But anyone who’s watched Days for a long time will understand that Gwen and Gabi rarely complain just for the sake of complaining. They usually complain because something is weighing them down, a secret or a failure they can’t share with others. Gwen is often dragged into complicated love and money situations. Gabi, needless to say, always feels like she’s standing on the edge of a precipice, just waiting for a slight push to fall. The two of them sitting together means this storm could involve both of them.

And just when you think this is just a casual chat, Salem drops a sharp knife: Leo plans to defeat EJ. Leo isn’t the type to be forceful; he’s powerful through his words and information. And EJ is in an extremely vulnerable state this week: caught up in the crypt saga and facing the aftershocks of a breach of trust. In that situation, if Leo strikes at the right moment, EJ will not only lose face, but could lose their entire position.