If Salem has one character whose every appearance doubles the drama, it’s undoubtedly Kristen DiMera.

This time is no different. After being imprisoned in the catacombs with other members of the DiMera family, Kristen is finally brought to the surface.

One might think her narrow escape would calm her down and make her appreciate her newfound life.

But anyone who knows Kristen understands: survival only gives her more reason to stir up trouble.

And Kristen’s target this time is clear: Rachel.

Rachel – Brady and Kristen’s daughter – is currently in Bayview, struggling with serious psychological issues after a series of family tragedies, constantly being tossed back and forth between her parents, between the DiMera family and the rest of Salem. Bayview is designed to help patients like Rachel stabilize, but it’s not a warm place. Locked doors, cold corridors, strict rules, the faces of other patients – all created a world where Rachel, no matter how strong-willed, was just a child abandoned in a strange environment.

In that context, Kristen saw Bayview not as a hospital, but as a prison. She believed her daughter didn’t belong there. In Kristen’s eyes, everything bad in Rachel’s life stemmed from others daring to interfere in their mother-daughter relationship: the doctors, the judge, Brady, even his friends. The moment she emerged from the crypt, Kristen’s first thought was to go to Rachel, see her with her own eyes, and if necessary, get her out of Bayview at all costs.