Kate and Abe Make a Decision

On today’s Days of Our Lives, Leo’s trying to write while Hattie sits in bed noisily enjoying her breakfast. She thanks him for looking after her after she nearly died and keeps interrupting his work. He’s working on a new Charlemagne story, giving her a doppelganger story. Hattie takes a hard pass. She already did that in the real world and ended up in prison. Plus, it’s played out.

Kate’s on the phone with Roman as she gets to the Body and Soul offices, assuring him he’s fine since she wasn’t targeted by Whitley. But then she flips over a piece of paper on her desk, and it’s a headshot with a red “X” through it. “Oh my God.” She hangs up as Abe gets in, shrugging off her concern. That photo was on Whitley’s nightstand, but she’s under 24 hour surveillance. He just left it there so Kate understands the gravity of the situation.

She doesn’t seem to. “The show must go on.” She pushes back against everything Abe brings up, from near deaths, to Justin threatening to sue them. But he keeps going, insisting there’s only one solution.

Seth Pushes Bonnie

Johnny finds Bonnie, bruised and battered in her wheelchair in the hospital reception area. He checks in with her, and Bonnie tells him her jaw was just unwired. But he’s wondering what she’s doing there. She froze when she saw the elevator, afraid Whitley is still waiting for her. Johnny insists Whitley can’t hurt them — or the show — anymore.

Seth wanders over in his robe, handing over a document for Bonnie to sign saying she doesn’t hold the hospital responsible for her accident. But Johnny stops her before she can sign. Justin should take a look through the paperwork just to make sure everything’s above board. Bonnie agrees, but Seth keeps pushing. “Things happen in this town. The psycho per capita rate is the highest in the nation.”

Plus, their futures all depend on her not suing the hospital and forcing them to withdraw from Body and Soul. Just as Bonnie’s signing, they all get texts about an all-hands meeting. Leo and Hattie arrive and they’re all freaking out, no matter Johnny’s attempts to reassure them.

Stephanie and Alex Worry About Joy

Stephanie drops into Kayla’s hospital room with some flowers. She’s feeling a lot better after the antidote, then Steph jumps right into Alex telling her he wanted to be with her. They’re both all-in on the relationship now. “That’s wonderful,” Kayla smiles. But since Steph dropped Body and Soul as a client, she and Kayla won’t be working together.

Still, Alex and Joy haven’t broken up yet. Joy’s a bit dependent on him — plus, she almost died because everyone forgot about her. Then they get a text about an emergency Body and Soul meeting.

An unsettled Joy sits in her own bed, thinking back to seeing Stephanie and Alex kissing when Alex walks in. He’s glad he and Steph found her when they did. “Right. I’m super lucky that you and Stephanie were together.” She’s eager to get out before Valentine’s Day and wants to take him out, but Alex tries to tamp her expectations down. “Unless there’s some reason that you don’t want to go out with me.”

Before Alex can talk his way out of it, they both get a text for an emergency meeting. Joy says she’ll be fine going — so long as he’s with her.

Out in reception, Joy/Alex and Kayla/Stephanie run into each other and Joy makes a few awkward mentions about Alex and Stephanie being together. But things don’t get far before Abe and Kate show up to talk to the “entire cast and crew” of Body and Soul, which apparently consists of just the Salemites we’ve seen — plus one or two others.

Body and Soul: Canceled (In Salem)

The soap’s showrunners launch right into a Whitley update and Hattie wants to know when they’re getting back to work. Well… after a lot of talk and consideration, Kate says they decided they couldn’t continue the show without creating a safe working environment. So they’re pulling the plug. Everyone starts asking shocked questions, but Abe and Kate say it’s just too dangerous.

Almost everyone there was in the hospital — but Abe assures them the story won’t end. The network didn’t want to let the show go, so they’re buying the rights and producing it themselves. In Los Angeles. And they’re willing to bring the entire cast with it, so long as everyone relocates to California.

Back in her room, Kayla muses to Stephanie about how hard that decision had to be for Abe and Kate. Then Bonnie’s wheeled in, where Kayla assures her that she’s not taking the part, much to the injured woman’s relief. Bonnie’s not sure if she’ll go, but she’ll talk it over with Justin. Plus, Alex might need her with him. Joy and Alex are both surprised by the news in her room, but she’s more excited about the L.A. prospect than he is. “We’re gonna… take the offer, right?”

Leo, Hattie and Johnny talk over what they’re going to do now. Hattie says she’s definitely going, but Johnny doesn’t really want to rock the boat with Chanel right now. Leo doesn’t want to move again, either, so Johnny suggests he just tell the network he wants to keep writing from Salem.

Back in the office, Abe worries over how disappointed everyone was. Including him, Kate points out. But, they did make a profit after the network’s buyout. They both agree they made a good team — and they had fun working on Body and Soul. Kate breaks out a bottle of… whiskey? to toast Body and Soul.

More Bad News

In the show’s final moments, Leo walks in as his bosses are toasting and thanks them for taking a chance on him. He asks if they have the network’s contacts, so he can talk to them about his ideas for the show — while working from Salem. Abe and Kate break the news that the network doesn’t want him. They got another headwriter.

Hattie and Bonnie talk over the opportunity. While Hattie’s all in, Bonnie’s still not sure about moving out there. But at least Kayla didn’t try taking the part from her. Hattie promises to keep the dressing room next to hers free, and keep it warm for Bonnie.

Alex is stunned to hear Joy wants to go. He’s got his family here. But Joy can’t help but push. “Is this really about your family? Or is this about Stephanie?” Steph, meanwhile, wonders to her mom if Alex is thinking about going. And as they’re talking, Seth wanders in to say he turned in his resignation and is moving to California to stay with Body and Soul. Kayla may want to consider it, too, seeing as how the hospital’s declaring bankruptcy.