Why Is Days of our Lives Lying To Us About John’s Return?

Actor Drake Hogysten died from pancreatic cancer on September 28, 2024 at the age of 70 years. At that time, his Days of our Lives character, John Black, was offscreen on top-secret saving-the-world business. When Drake taped his last episode, the show knew he wasn’t coming back.

They wrote him off a hero, and kept referring to him on-screen as being away. But now, they’re saying John is coming home. Which is a stake to the heart for fans who know that will never, ever happen now.

Off Screen

First, John kept in touch with his beloved wife, Marlena (Deidre Hall), and presumably his children, Brady (Eric Martsolf), Paul (Sean Christopher) and Belle (Martha Madison), and maybe even his grandchildren, Tate (Leo Howard) and Rachel (Alice Halsey), and his Claire-Bear, who is also currently offscreen.

But then, a few months ago, we learned that John had embarked on an even more secret mission, and soon after, he was declared missing in action. Marlena and Steve (Stephen Nichols) went looking for him in Eastern Europe.

They found Orpheus (George DelHoyo), who, once again, wanted to destroy the man he blamed for destroying his life—but not John. So they kept looking, and viewers kept suffering.

Time To Say Good-Bye

Marlena, Brady, Belle, and the rest of Salem may not know that John is never coming home, but we do.

And it’s torture watching them hope and prepare for John’s return — Brady hung up a sign, Belle made cupcakes! — only to anticipate how much more devastated they’re going to be eventually.

We’ve started our morning process, but the characters haven’t. because they’re still expecting a happy ending.

Prepare to Launch

DAYS knew this was coming. Shouldn’t we go ahead and rip off the band-aid now? It’s going to hurt. A lot. Let’s get to it. John deserves all the praise coming his way. And so does Drake.