By 
The Other Sister
After eight years, Belle Brady returned home to Salem for Bo Brady’s funeral. With a newly teenaged Claire Brady in tow, Belle was back with even more spunk than we’re used to. And I, unlike a smattering of DAYS fans, did not mind that one bit. I came into DAYS during EJ Dimera’s moonlighting as The Glove-Handed Hospital Test Switcher – or whatever – where Belle Brady as well as Mimi Lockhart, Philip Kiriakis and Shawn Brady all played integral parts. Back then, I saw Belle as a bit of a wet blanket and through my time pouring over classic clips, teenage Belle was just a nosy meddler but now it’s a different story.
Belle gets sucked into Sami’s mess.
Though possibly not as overbearing, Belle seems to be a bit more headstrong now like her sister Sami Brady. I could be wrong, please do correct me if so. Either way, it’s been eight real life years since she’s been gone and probably more in Salem time considering her toddler is now a teenager so she’s bound to change. This week, we saw Belle easily admit to having an affair behind Shawn’s back which is the basis for their pending divorce. Marlena Evans and John Black are both surprised at their daughter – but only for a second or two for a text from Sami soon took precedence much to Belle’s distaste. Unfortunately for Belle, this won’t be the last time that Sami puts her on a ride even from across the world. She soon gets wrapped up in her big sister’s scheme of ruining the Dimera family. Through text, Sami informs Belle that she stashed hundreds of millions of dollars in offshore accounts under Belle’s name. I’m sure Belle would have been fine if her other big sister, Carrie Reed, had decided to give her millions because at least they wouldn’t be tied to a criminal mastermind.
After getting in touch with Sami’s CPA, Belle decides to keep the money hidden even with the risk of getting disbarred (she’s a lawyer now!) or killed. And also because she knows Sami has no other friends. Ha! Honestly, if I were in Belle’s place then I’d be throwing down with Sami right now. Yes, maybe Belle’s character was a little different years ago but not even factoring in the passing of time, she’s had to grow up with Sami Brady as a sister. The Sami Brady that once sold her on the black market, the Sami Brady that went undercover as a man for a good year, the Sami Brady who has committed multiple felonies – pretty much everyone lived in this woman’s shadow in Salem! It makes perfect sense for Belle to be a bit bitter should their parents prioritize her sister’s issues. But in turn there was some warmth when Sami’s CPA brought up Will, as well as Sami’s love for Belle. There’s no doubt that Belle stills cares very much for her sister.
I’m not exactly sure where this story is going and whether or not I like it, but Belle’s tenacity has made her interesting for the first time for me. Martha Madison seems to have taken some of her Miranda Winterthorne to Salem, and I’m not complaining! I cannot wait to see more of her relationship with daughter, Claire too. They seem close but Belle also seems to be a bit rigid with her, almost cold. Does Claire know about the affair? Maybe there’s a little more to the story that we don’t know yet… Either way, watching Claire find her way into the new teen scene (especially with her younger aunt, Ciara) will be fun to see. Olivia Rose Keegan’s already fitting into scenes very naturally even with Jason Cook, her TV dad, that was sadly on his way out as she came in.
What do you think about Belle getting wrapped up in Sami’s Dimera drama? Any first impressions on Claire yet?
This coming week on Days of our Lives, Theo receives a hateful text, Eduardo and Kate get to know one another, Andre goes after Belle in place of Sami, Philip comes home, Steve and Kayla finally make love as Ava arrives in Salem!
As usual, if I missed something you really wanted to talk about or if I missed something important in my recap, let’s start a discussion! Comment below, tweet me and let’s chat!
Photos and video courtesy of NBC.
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