Days of Our Lives has always loved epic battles of good and evil.

Whether it’s a supernatural creature like the Devil or a run-of-the-mill abuser like TR Coates, NBC’s longest-running soap has always thrived upon bad guys almost winning, only to get their comeuppance after all.

On Days of Our Lives during the week of 5-02-22, the Devil managed to run away with Ciara’s baby, and TR convinced Paulina to go away with him for the weekend. But with Abe and Ben both showing up at their loves’ doorsteps, the good guys have to be about to snatch victory back from the evil ones.

“Allie” kidnapping Ciara so that the Devil could steal her baby was ridiculous, but at least this silly story is almost over!

Ciara should have realized that Allie was up to no good. Ben disappearing and then supposedly dying happened just as Allie began coming around with her magic tea, and afterward, Allie attached herself to Ciara and wouldn’t let go.

Those should have been giant red flags for Ciara from the beginning, especially since Ben’s “murder” didn’t make any sense.

He disappeared without a trace, only to reappear “dead” on Ciara’s living room floor while she was out looking for him. Ciara should have wondered where he had been all this time and how it was possible that he’d disappeared into thin air but was found dead at home.

The Devil faked Rafe’s voice on the phone several times to try to convince Ciara to stay at the cabin with “Allie.”

But Rafe isn’t the only cop in town. Why didn’t Ciara once try to get in touch with her brother? Shawn would be desperate to protect her if she were in danger, and Ciara should have been equally eager to get ahold of him.

And with Allie being so insistent that Ciara stay with her at the cabin, alarm bells should have been going off in Ciara’s head. Not only has Allie not been a major part of her life prior to this, but Ciara has been kidnapped about half a dozen times, and that’s only in the last couple of years!

You’d think that Bo and Hope’s daughter, who was a firecracker of a child, would grow up with a ton of street smarts and that after multiple kidnappings, she’d be traumatized enough to be hypervigilant rather than super trusting.

While Allie is her cousin, they’ve never been particularly close, and Allie appointing herself as Ciara’s new best friend should have made Ciara suspicious.

Ciara’s sudden stupidity about this was irritating enough without throwing in this campy version of psychic connections.

Abby: Any leads?
Jennifer: No. The world has gone mad. Ciara is missing, Christian Maddox is on the loose, and Allie is possessed by the Devil.

If Ben never recites those lines from Romeo and Juliet or mentions that book as a conduit to Ciara’s mind again, it won’t be soon enough. And Johnny’s attempts to reach Allie with his mind weren’t much better.

In both cases, the “psychic connection” was so strong that the person seemed to get into their loved one’s mind, while the Devil — who is supposed to be an all-knowing, all-powerful evil demon — somehow failed to account for this possibility not once, but twice.

I’m all for good overcoming evil, but it’s not fun when everyone turns stupid for the sake of the plot. Plus, the psychic connection stuff was so campy and mainly consisted of over-the-top Susan coaching Ben and Johnny to get into their loved ones’ brains.

This Devil story has been more of a supernatural DID story than anything else, and these last scenes were no exception. But what happened after Allie tried to fight the Devil?

Allie told the Devil she wasn’t letting it take Ciara’s baby, and then after the commercial, Ciara was alone in the cabin, and “Allie” had absconded with the newborn. The Devil overpowered its host again, but the disconnect between these two scenes made it seem like viewers had missed something.

It was unsurprising that the Devil got away with the baby for now.

It’s a rare baby in Salem that goes home with its parents after birth. The majority of babies seem to get switched at birth or kidnapped. And in Ciara’s case, it was doubly likely this would happen.

First of all, Ciara herself had the baby while being held prisoner, even if she didn’t know she’d been kidnapped. These kinds of gimmicky birth scenes often result in stolen babies.

In addition, this scene closely mirrored serial killer Ben kidnapping a pregnant Abigail and stealing her baby. So now that the baby’s gone, Ben can feel that this is his karma for what he did to Abigail.

Besides, if the Devil didn’t temporarily get its hands on Ciara’s baby, we might never learn what the hell it wanted with the child in the first place.

Hopefully, the cops will find Allie, along with a trained exorcist, and this time they’ll manage to banish the Devil for good. After all, without the baby that it had come for, there’s no point in the evil demon hanging around Salem.

Meanwhile, a devil of a very different sort tricked Paulina into agreeing to a weekend away.

TR is a seriously creepy villain. He pours on the charm when needed and can switch to threatening and violent at a moment’s notice.

Abe: It seems to me that Paulina and TR are becoming romantic again. If you ask me, it’s a bad idea.
Julie: It’s more than a bad idea. It’s stupid. And it’s high time you did something about it!
Abe: What do you mean?
Julie: It’s as plain as the nose on my face that you still love Paulina. So it’s time for you to get over yourself and go win her back.

Paulina should have known better than to let him back into her life. She was so scared of him that she hid her pregnancy all those years ago. That choice led to her and Abe breaking up when he found out she had let him think he was Lani’s father and that Tamara was the mother.

All that sacrifice was for nothing if Paulina lets herself get sucked back into TR’s trap now. Plus, TR is setting off so many red flags.

He’s in a hurry to marry Paulina, and he won’t take ‘No’ for an answer. He manipulated her into letting him come to her house and into this weekend away, and he tried to pressure her into marrying him when they’d only been in each other’s lives again for a few weeks.

Paulina had the sense to turn down his marriage proposal, but Julie was right that getting involved with TR again was stupid.

Lani: I understand your concerns, but since the shooting TR has really been great. I really think he’s changed.
Abe: I know from talking with Kate and Nicole that men like this rarely change.
Lani: And my experience as a cop tells me the same. But what if he’s the exception?
Abe: What if he’s not?

Abe and Julie seem to be the only ones who see through TR’s “reformed nice guy” act. Thank goodness Abe showed up at Paulina’s door!

The net seems to be closing around TR despite his ability to manipulate Paulina. Not only is his worst enemy at his door, but Eli is awake and remembers who shot him.

Lani was also suspicious about Beth’s sudden desire to leave town and refusal to tell her what she wanted to talk to her about, and if Eli remembers that Beth told him the truth about TR, that’s it.

No one is more dangerous than a cornered abuser, though.TR isn’t going down without a fight.

Let’s hope that Abe and Paulina come out of this in better shape than Beth did!

It was frustrating as hell that TR was able to intimidate Beth into keeping her mouth shut and leaving town.

Sadly, it’s realistic for someone to be so afraid of their abuser that they rebuff all attempts at getting them help and just go along with what the abuser says.

Even so, I wish Beth had defied TR. Lani called while she was on her way out of town. She could have told Lani the truth and then gone to LA so that she’d be out of harm’s way by the time TR was arrested. Even if he got out on bail, he wouldn’t be able to get to her easily.

That would have prevented this whole messed-up situation that’s happening now. TR is anxious because Elli could finger him any moment for the shooting (and, in fact, already did!). He is also desperate, as his dealer or whoever he owes money to wants that money NOW.

Anxious and desperate is a bad combination. TR will get violent with anyone who gets in his way, and right now, that’s Abe.

At least TR doesn’t appear to be headed to the hospital to smother Eli before Eli can tell the truth. That’s another overused trope on Days of Our Lives, and it’s a pleasant surprise when it doesn’t happen!

I’m also relieved it’s not Chanel at the door. Chanel has been through enough without getting caught in the crossfire.

She has every right to throw Paulina’s words about not getting sucked back in with Johnny in Paulina’s face when this is done, though. Paulina should have taken her own advice!

It’s annoying that Paulina keeps treating Chanel like a teenager. Although she means well, and most of her advice makes sense, Chanel is a grown woman who owns a bakery. She should be a little beyond Paulina telling her she can’t have Tripp in her room or that she can’t go help Johnny.

That said, Paulina’s instincts are correct. Chanel makes impulsive decisions that get her into trouble.

Now that she’s put the scams she used to run behind her, she needs to stay away from bad influences and ideas and focus on running that bakery!

Chanel’s reconciliation with Johnny was fast, but it was understandable. Once she understood that it was the Devil that had twice broken her heart and not Johnny or Allie, she was willing to give Johnny a second chance.

Once Allie is also un-Deviled, what will Chanel do? At that point, she has a real choice to make.

Johnny was her first love, and I think Allie was a rebound. But Chanel does have feelings for both twins, and she didn’t get a chance to see where her relationship with Allie could go before the Devil interfered.

That should make for compelling drama!

The most disappointing development was Craig’s decision to leave town.

If he’d stayed in Salem, Leo might have continued to pursue him, but there were also other storyline possibilities.

One interesting avenue that didn’t get pursued would have been if Craig, as Chief of Staff, ended up mentoring new doctor Tripp.

Craig took Kayla’s old job, and Kayla believes he stole it from her. He also had a heart-to-heart with Tripp right before Tripp proposed to Allie.

All of that would have led to some compelling drama if Craig became Tripp’s mentor, as it would have put Tripp squarely in the middle between Craig and Kayla.

At least Craig got some nice goodbye scenes. I’m glad that he and Nancy could part ways as friends and that Nancy was supportive of Craig in the end.

Unfortunately, now Chloe has a new project to deal with: her mother dating Clyde Weston.

I know that it’s hard for you to see me moving on from your father. But what’s good for the gander is good for the goose, especially when the gander likes other ganders.

Nancy

Chloe has even more reason to be worried than she did with Craig and Leo.

Clyde is a murderer and kidnapper. He’s already tried to get EJ to help him reopen his drug dealing business. And he’s just as abusive as TR when he wants to be.

Nancy could be walking into a dangerous situation.

Still, though, Chloe comes off as a bratty teenager who has way too much invested in her parents’ lives rather than a 40-something who is merely concerned.

There has to be something she can do in Salem besides interfere in her parents’ new relationships.

Meanwhile, Leo has sworn to get revenge now that Craig won’t take him back. Although Leo is supposed to be the bad guy here, I can’t help rooting for him!

Chad and Sonny might be right that Leo started out scamming Craig, but so did a million other Salemites who then fell in love. Does the name Doug Williams ring a bell for anybody?

Besides, they are being insufferable. They gloated and needled Leo about his loss over and over during that annoying conversation about it. None of that was necessary, and it didn’t make them sympathetic. They came off as bullies who were kicking a man when he was down.

Your turn, Days of Our Lives fanatics. Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know your thoughts about all the goings-on in Salem during the week of 5-02-22.

If you’re eager for even more Days of Our Lives chat, check out the latest Days of Our Lives Round Table discussion.

Days of Our Lives airs on NBC on weekday afternoons. Check your local listings for airtimes or watch on Peacock TV on weeknights after 8 PM EST / 5 PM PST.

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