The idea of Stephanie revisiting her abusive relationship with Jeremy made me nervous.
As both a survivor and advocate for people who have experienced domestic violence, I cringe at the way Days of Our Lives often handles these types of stories.
I was pleasantly surprised by Stephanie and Alex’s conversation about her past, and grateful that we got a real conversation about the effects of domestic violence during Domestic Violence Awareness Month — but how long will that last?
Stephanie’s Domestic Violence History Didn’t Come Out Of Nowhere
Days of Our Lives’ newest writing team built on Stephanie’s previous relationship with Jeremy, which made her dilemma feel more authentic.
When soaps give someone this type of history without it playing out on-screen, it cheapens it.
It can feel like agenda-driven writing or, worse, something written for shock and drama rather than to make a serious point.
Fortunately, this time, that didn’t happen.
In 2007, Stephanie briefly dated Jeremy. During that relationship, there was at least one incident of serious physical abuse: Jeremy lost his temper and put his hands around Stephanie’s neck in a hot tub, pushing her under the water and nearly drowning her.
Soon after, Jeremy ran away from Salem, leaving the story unfinished until now… and there were several sets of writers who I would not have trusted to do it justice.
It Was Refreshing For This Followup Story To Focus on The Victim
I have to admit, I didn’t like this story about Stephanie as a magically bestselling steamy romance author, mostly because it makes it look like writing, getting published, and getting your book noticed are easy.
I’d rather have a story about Stephanie, a successful PR agent, struggling to get her book noticed and feeling doubly frustrated because she felt she should know what to do.
Are you passionate about Days of Our Lives, other soaps, and primetime dramas too?
Our newsletter was written with you in mind. Hit the subscribe button at the top right to get our hottest articles delivered right to your inbox.
However, the Jeremy angle gives more meaning to this story and allows Stephanie to explore what it’s like to be a survivor of this type of abuse.
One of the reasons Stephanie used a pen name (besides being embarrassed about writing erotica) is that she was afraid her abusive ex would read the book, recognize himself in it, and bother her some more.
While that initial fear could have been explored more deeply, Stephanie’s reactions when she learned Jeremy was on his way back to Salem were perfect, and it was so refreshing to have an abuse story be about the victim.
Too many times, the story is about how hard it is to be accused of abuse or how unfair it is that no one believes the abuser has changed.
Or the survivor and abuser fall hard for each other, like Sami and EJ, and it takes years before anyone acknowledges that anything untoward happened.
But not this time… at least not yet.
Stephanie’s Words Helped Me Feel Less Alone
The most important part of this story so far was Stephanie’s discussion with Alex about her experience.
Stephanie: When things were good, they were great. But when they were bad… they were awful.
I really appreciated these scenes because they reflected how I felt when I was in a similar situation, and it helped to realize I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
That’s how powerful TV can be.
It can promote healing, make people feel supported, and like they aren’t the only one in the world who has experienced something.
I Have Mixed Feelings About the Follow-up To This
Friday’s episode ended with Jeremy coming to Stephanie’s door, holding flowers.
These scenes could have been an opportunity to show that the effects of abuse linger years after the fact.
Love my unique takes on Days of Our Lives? Help me be able to write more of them!
Just leave a comment and share this article with like-minded friends. The more people engage, the more likely I am to keep writing these articles.
It’s rare in real life that an abuser changes their ways and no longer represents the threat they once were.
Soap operas do it all the time, and sometimes it works out. As much as I’m against the poor depiction of rape and sexual assault on Days of Our Lives, I love Jack’s redemption story.
Still, in this case, I’d have preferred Stephanie to show more fear of a guy who went to all the trouble of getting her address and stalking her boyfriend to find out which apartment she lived in.
Talking to Alex should have left her more triggered. She should have, at the very least, checked who it was before opening the door out of fear that it was Jeremy.
And she absolutely should not have let him in, no matter how much he begged.
I have a feeling that Days of Our Lives may be heading towards a weird love triangle, where Jeremy has changed and Stephanie now has to choose between him and Alex, but I’d rather they continue down the path they started.
It would make for a more effective story for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
What Do You Think?
Whether you agree, disagree, or hard disagree, I want to know your opinion! Your voice is what keeps the lights on at TV Fanatic, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hit the comments with your thoughts.
We have other articles about soap operas that you might enjoy.
You may be especially interested in my recent article about the real-life deaths of long-running soap stars.
If you also watch General Hospital, please check out our previous coverage and let us know if you’d like us to write more about it.
-
Days of Our Lives Spoilers For The Week of 10-06-25 Suggest Sophia’s Lies Continue To Unravel, But This Story Isn’t Ending Quickly Enough
Days of Our Lives spoilers for the week of 10-06-25 say that Sophia’s world is about to fall apart. Let’s get there already.
-
When Soap Stars Die: How Tributes on DAYS and GH Show Soaps’ Hidden Superpowers
General Hospital’s heartbreaking tribute to Monica Quartermaine is yet another example of why soaps are so powerful.
-
Days of Our Lives Spoilers For The Week of 9-29-25 Suggest Sophia Will Get Away With Her Awful Plan… Or Will She?
Days of Our Lives spoilers for the week of 9-29-25 suggest Sophia comes out on top, but maybe things aren’t as bleak as they seem.
TV Fanatic is searching for passionate contributors to share their voices across various article types. Think you have what it takes to be a TV Fanatic? Click here for more information and next steps.
The post Days of Our Lives FINALLY Gets Domestic Violence Right… For Now, Anyway appeared first on TV Fanatic.