Soap Opera
‘Days of our Lives’ Favorite Explains Why Nobody Can Ever Really Die in Salem
On ‘Days of our Lives’, death is rarely permanent. Greg Rikaart and Emily O’Brien explain why no one in Salem stays gone for good.
While back-from-the-dead plots sometimes feel like a dime a dozen on soaps, Days of our Lives has cornered the market on them. The audience can watch a beloved character die in a loved one’s arms only for them to return years later. On a recent episode of his podcast, Soapy, soap vet Greg Rikaart explained why death is only temporary in Salem, at least for the most part.
Gone For Good on Days of our Lives?
While interviewing DAYS co-star Emily O’Brien, Rikaart and his co-host, Rebecca Budig (Taylor, The Bold and the Beautiful), asked about the two roles that O’Brien has played in Salem. O’Brien began her DAYS career as Gwen Rizczech, a character she again plays in 2026, but had a nine-month stint as Theresa Donovan, a completely unrelated character, for which she donned a blonde wig and feigned a Southern California accent. Budig asked if Theresa was gone for good, so Rikaart had to chime in and explain how things work on the Peacock soap.
“No one’s ever gone for good,” O’Brien replied, to which Rikaart agreed.
“Especially on our show,” he said. “We have this guy named Dr. Rolf (Richard Wharton) that has a serum that can relive you, reanimate you if you are dead, so literally, nobody is ever really dead.”
Sadly, Rikaart is not completely correct, as beloved actor deaths have necessitated character deaths in recent years, especially after the passings of John Aniston (Victor Kiriakis), Bill Hayes (Doug Williams), and Drake Hogestyn (John Black). Rolf has resurrected numerous characters using various serums and techniques.
Rolf was able to bring Stefan DiMera (Brandon Barash) back to life when he didn’t even have a heart. He was also able to resurrect Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) and Lexie Carver (Nikki Crawford), who had died from brain tumors. Unfortunately, Lexie’s resurrection is slated to be short-lived, but since this is Days of our Lives, she could get a third chance at life down the line. After all, her father was Stefano DiMera, the soap opera villain known as the Phoenix who rose from the ashes again and again.
