EJ Gives Jake a Courtesy Warning of the Planned Coup Against Him and Then Meets With Sami’s Exes to Hash Out Business of Another Kind

EJ, Tony and Chad gather for a meeting in the DiMera living room where, cocktails in hand, they plot the downfall of Jake. EJ reveals that all they need is for three DiMeras to step forward and voice “no confidence” in Jake’s abilities to run the company. As it happens, they just happen to be three DiMeras willing to do exactly that! But they have to act quick, because a new product is about to launch and EJ is pretty sure that there will be nothing left of the company or Stefano’s legacy. Reading between the lines, Tony quips, “I love how we say ‘legacy’ when we really mean ‘money!’” With Chad’s vote secured, the trio — already showing signs that their might be cracks in their unholy union — set their plan in motion.

Once EJ leaves to “fire the opening salvo,” Tony asks Chad if Abigail knows about his plan to go back to work. Chad says his wife essentially told him to do what he wanted, admitting he doesn’t know if or when she’ll be coming back. Tony suggests that having gone through so much of late, perhaps Abigail simply isn’t interested in DiMera intrigue. But Chad wonders if she’s even interested in their marriage. Tony suggests Chad should not pass go, not collect $200 and instead go directly to Boston and deal with his marital issues. “She doesn’t want to see me,” Chad sighs. “If I can’t get my wife back, I’m going to focus on Jake and getting him the hell outta our company!”

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Kate calls Jake to try and guilt him into coming over to have dinner. (It’s worth noting that while on the phone, she’s flipping through the pages of a magazine loudly… as in louder than one might if one were pretending to be blind!) “I hate being this needy,” Kate says, not hating it one bit, convincing Jake to come home and join her for dinner in bed. “You can cut my steak, and I’ll provide the dessert.” Fresh off the call, Kate — hearing Gabi approach — hides her magazine and pretends to still be on the phone flirting with Jake. Gabi comes bearing tea — poison-free — and suggests they need to have a little chat.

Speaking of chats, EJ shows up at Jake’s office (just barely clearing the door… the dude is tall!) and the two size one another up. “It’s been a while since a new DiMera came out of the woodwork,” says EJ. After discussing Kate, EJ explains he is simply there to make a courtesy call to say, in essence, “I’m back, you’re out.” Informed that EJ and the others are planning a coup, Jake finds it curious that they didn’t keep it secret. EJ then says — with a totally straight face — that he gave Jake a head’s up out of “the DiMera sense of fair play.”

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Gabi says she and Kate need to have a “woman-to-woman” chat about the guy they both love. “Jake wants me to feel sorry for you because you’re blind and memory impaired, but if you remembered walking in on us making love… “ says Gabi, conveniently stopping her sentence enough for a series of extensive flashbacks to exactly what Kate definitely remembers having walked in on. Gabi says if Kate could recall that moment, she’d know who Jake really loves, adding that he feels obliged to be with Kate out of guilt. “I feel for you,” says Gabi. “I actually pity you. We both know you’re going to have to let him go.”

The two women continue exchanging barbs, with each warning the other is heading for heartache. Kate hopes her rival won’t let rejection make her bitter, while Gabi warns that being in Jake’s bed is, for Kate, a temporary situation. As Gabi leaves in a snit, Kate laughs to herself and admits that was “so much fun.”

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Sami swings by the pub to tell Roman that she and EJ are going to be sticking around Salem and moving back into the DiMera mansion. “I made a solemn vow that I’m not going to let anything come between us again,” vows Sami. “Not even… Lucas!” Roman says as her ex walks in. Things are tense between Sami and Lucas, which her dad immediately picks up on. Lucas eventually exits, leaving Roman to ask what the heck is up between him and Sami. She explains they bonded in captivity — not going to so far as to detail what she means by “bonding!” — but that since EJ has returned, the truce is over. “Lucas and I are back to our bickering ways,” she concludes. Roman isn’t entirely buying what his daughter’s trying to sell, but eventually stops the “interrogation” so as not to damage their relationship. He suggests they have dinner together, but she has to get back to manse for a “major DiMera state dinner.”

Rafe and Lucas cross in the Town Square, where the cop learns that his sister kicked Lucas out of the mansion and that EJ is back in town. “If you’re wondering, he’s still the same swine he always was,” says Lucas. Their meeting of the “I Hate EJ DiMera” club mainly consists of Lucas catching Rafe up on the fact that Sami will be moving back into the mansion with “his family and my blind mother and your sister and that creepy picture of Stefano staring down at everybody!” (FYI, it’s worth watching this whole episode if only for the scenes in which Lucas imitates his nemesis.) Of course, EJ walks up right as Lucas and Rafe are at their trash-talkiest.

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After acknowledging how much they hate one another (“Yeah, I actually do take issues with someone who hired someone to cut off my euphemism,” admits Rafe), EJ says they need to figure out how to co-exist, if at all possible, for Sami’s sake. He offers to buy them drinks (always a good place to start) and they agree, if only to figure out what he’s up to. (Rafe orders a beer, because only on television can you say “beer” as opposed to, say, “Bud” or “Rolling Rock.”) The three men try to hammer out a deal, with EJ insisting that Lucas keep his interactions with Sami as limited as possible. Of course, Sami walks up and is shocked to find her three ex-husbands together. “What the hell’s going on?” she insists. EJ promises to explain on the way home.

As EJ and Sami return home, EJ explains he was only trying to make living in Salem easier for her. Sami thinks the only way for that to happen is if he stays away from Rafe and Lucas. EJ says, fine, and grabs her arm. As long as she does the same. Sami whips her arm away, warning EJ not to threaten her. EJ apologizes. He just doesn’t want the past to screw up their future… again. Sami says EJ wouldn’t be himself if he wasn’t a little bit bossy. They kiss and she heads upstairs.

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Fresh off her chat with Kate, Gabi storms over and insists she and Jake are going to make love right now, right there, on top of his desk. Upon learning the others are conspiring to get Jake fired, Gabi vows to help fight them. In side-by-side scenes, Gabi and Jake use a whiteboard to count votes while Chad and Tony use chess pieces. Things get complicated when Gabi begins explaining the family tree to Jake. (“Who the hell’s Benji… the family dog?” he asks upon learning about the son of yet another dead brother he didn’t know existed.) They also discuss Kristen, as well as Peter (“Nobody ever talks about him for some reason!”). It soon becomes clear that it could all come down to Kate who, as Andre’s widow, has a vote.

Chad visits Kate to ask if he can count on her vote. She says… not so much. “You’ll pretend to be blind to punish Jake, but you won’t vote against him?” asks the stunned DiMera. Kate explains that she hates Jake but he doesn’t know… and her voting against him would tip her hand. “Kate, I say this with all the respect in the world, but grow up,” suggests Jake, adding that she should just let EJ grind Jake into the ground. Of course, Chad has the upper hand, threatening to reveal that she’s faking her blindness if she doesn’t do his bidding. And should the truth come out, he warns, people will think of Kate as “some kooky, desperate, pathetic old woman.” Chad and Tony reconvene in the living room where Tony confirms he’s secured Theo’s vote. Kate, warns Chad, could go either way. Needing to secure their position, Tony phones Peter. Chad finds EJ and tells him the vote will be close. EJ says it’s now or never and calls Mr. Shin.

Finally, Jake returns to Kate in the bedroom. He tells her they need to talk about DiMera business…

Next on Days of Our Lives: EJ reaches out to Kristen and Nicole questions Lucas about Sami.

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