nancy craig clyde mashup days jpi
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI (3)

How much more can she take?

All it took was one single “No,” for Days of Our Lives to shatter our hearts. It happened, of course, on the show’s Monday, September 26 episode as Nancy fought valiantly against Justin’s accusations. He’d just told her that Clyde had stabbed Sonny and killed Abigail, but she wouldn’t, couldn’t go down that path.

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Nancy went on to vehemently push back against the idea that her husband-to-be was a murderer, but you could see in that moment as her face crumbled and she uttered that denial that she already knew the truth. And it was breaking her.

The next time she spoke that “No” to Rafe and Jada, her protests had finally broken in the face of the overwhelming evidence against him. It was heartbreaking to watch. Nancy has plenty of fans, and somehow the show even began to win folks over to team Clyde as he seemed to be genuinely good for her. (Don’t worry, though, he still had plenty of haters.)

Just a few short days ago, Packbrewfan Tweeted that, “It was so nice to see Nancy get a moment of happiness. I really hope that it lasts. Nancy and Clyde are an amazing couple.”

It was a sentiment echoed by plenty of folks… but one which, sadly, hasn’t aged well. That happiness didn’t last. And on Monday’s episode, Bonnie put into words exactly what we’ve been thinking: “How in the world is she going to handle getting her heart broken all over again?”

Ever since her return last spring, Nancy has had her life shattered over and over again. And just when we thought she was bouncing back, moving on and feeling good about herself again, the rug was pulled out from under her even more violently than before.

Baconsmoothie13 Tweeted that while they never cared much for Nancy, “watching her break down at hearing about how Clyde is guilty of murder is still kinda heartbreaking. She doesn’t deserve this.”

Losing your longtime husband is devastating no matter how strong you are, and then finding out that your rebound love is a lying murderer, well, can anyone blame her for breaking down? The show keeps breaking Nancy’s heart and with it ours. So it’s no surprise that folks are already looking for a way for her to recover from this and, naturally, looking towards a familiar face to ease her pain — like Mike Horton!

And that would be an interesting twist. His return right as Nancy is at her most vulnerable seems too convenient to be a coincidence. There was a time she and Craig schemed against Mike to ensure that Dr. Wesley got the Chief of Staff position at the hospital. All their dirty tricks failed, even the ones that risked his relationship with Carrie.

There’s never been much but bad blood between Nancy and Mike, but the years have softened Nancy’s more devious edges and both characters have split from the partners they once loved with all their hearts.

At first glance, Mike forgiving Nancy as the two develop feelings for each other seems like it could be the perfect opportunity for healing to start for her. But she shouldn’t have to count on a man to give her validation or help her heal. That’s what happened with Clyde, and the confidence she gained with him wasn’t earned, but borrowed.

The end result left her even more vulnerable, which may be why fans like BodieGracie tweeted, “The ruination of Nancy Wesley is now complete. She went from being a self-assured (albeit scheming) woman to a sobbing self-pitying mess. The writers really did her a disservice!”

Clyde proposes to Nancy at Brady's Pub

True happiness isn’t found in a ring.

Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI

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Of course, a disservice for Nancy means acting gold for Patrika Darbo, who has been knocking our socks off with her heartbreaking performance — but it’s time for this to be rock bottom. Nancy’s second act didn’t work out, so let’s get her a third one. And in this one, she can get back to the self-assured woman she was without needing a man’s help in validating her.

That doesn’t mean she shouldn’t find the love she deserves eventually — maybe even with a genuinely good guy like Mike — but that’s not what she needs right now.

Yes, she has been torn down, but that doesn’t mean this needs to be her ruination. Instead, it can be a chance for her be reborn anew and come back stronger and more confident than ever. It may take time, but that just gives Darbo more of a chance to show off her acting chops as Nancy claws her way back to herself on her own terms, in her own time. She deserves it, and so do her fans.

Days of Our Lives now exclusively airs on Peacock. To make sure you never miss an episode, click here. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Take a look at our photo gallery of 10 Days of Our Lives characters who, unlike Clyde, actually did go from bad to good! (Even if some have backslid a bit…)