Chloe woke up! Nicole and Deimos got engaged and Hope unwittingly escaped from prison this week in Salem.

TV Fanatic Jack Ori needed the week off so I’m jumping in for this week’s Days of Our Lives review…

It was Kiriakis vs. Dimera once again but instead of Victor and Stefano, the faces have changed, and I find the new players a positive devlopment.

I’d rather see Victor with Maggie and his family than doing battle over microchips, and as much as the show is pushing this sham storyline of Stefano still be alive in Europe, we know he’s not coming back…unless they do something really stupid like try to recast Joseph Mascola, which would be the equivalent of soap sacrilege. 

But André and Deimos make a solid and entertaining adversarial duo and it could be fun to watch Chad and Sonny try to keep them in check. However, I do hope they make Sonny a bit stronger because André’s description was pretty spot on…

André This one is more like a boy scout, but good cheekbones.

• Permalink: André This one is more like a boy scout, but good cheekbones.

One of the best things about this microchip story is how it pulls so many characters into it. 

JJ is the new lead detective on the case and he definitely feels like he has something to prove.

On the one hand, giving Gabi the heads up about her family was a nice gesture, but I’m afraid it will only make things more complicated.

Now that Dario knows JJ is on to them, I can certainly see Dario shooting JJ without hesitation if he feels it needs to be done.

Gabi’s trying to protect her family, all while begging them to back out of this mess. She’s also attempting to stonewall JJ and his investigation, and trying to keep a family war from erupting by calling in Chad’s help. 

To say her situation is messy is an understatement. 

Abigail: The light from ordinary would take about 8 million years to reach us.
Chad: Let's get some wine, chat, talk about how my dad came back from the dead a week after my wife.

• Permalink: Let's get some wine, chat, talk about how my dad came back from the dead a week after my wife.

It was wonderful to see Chad and Abigail joking and enjoying one another again. The truth is, these two barely had time to ever be a couple because there was always some drama keeping them apart. It would be nice to see them happy for a while.

But then there’s Abigail and Dario’s budding friendship, which brought out Chad’s ire. Dario certainly isn’t the only person to keep Abby’s secret from him, but I suppose with Chad trying to forgive Abby his anger still needs an outlet. 

Over at the prison we got a bit of a break from the mind-numblingly boring plot and dialogue as Hattie broke Hope out of jail.

I have no clue where this is leading but if it ends this horrible prison storyline I’m all for it…even if that means Hope goes on the run for a few months and we don’t see her for a while. I could use a break.

The only upside was Hattie’s connection to André which should hopefully give us the fun of Hattie returning to Salem to find her lost love. I can only imagine that scenes with Hattie and André are going to be hysterical. 

And what was up with Rafe yelling at Shawn over Hope’s escape, as though it’s Shawn’s fault? He may be her son and a cop but he's not a mind reader.

I generally like Rafe but he came off as a condescending jerk in those scenes. If he wants to take some time offscreen along with Hope, I wouldn’t mind that either. 

Now for my favorite Days of Our Lives quote of the week…

Oh Anna, honey, you're in an alleyway in a foreign city with a gun and your husband's ashes. Can you hear that as a cry for help?

Marlena

• Permalink: Oh Anna, honey, you're in an alleyway in a foreign city with a gun and your husband's ashes....

Anna Dimera was back and running around Europe with a gun in one hand and Tony’s ashes in the other. It was equal parts sad and comical, as was Carrie and Austin coming to pick her up like some wayward child. 

I don’t know how long I want this trio to stick around. I don’t mind Anna but I always like her best with Tony. I’ve never been a huge fan of Carrie and Austin, mostly because I've never liked Austin.

Honestly, I remember thinking that Carrie and Rafe could make a good couple but I don’t see that happening considering he’s with Hope and Austin and Carrie have a child. 

The romp around Europe searching for Stefano was light on intrigue but compensated for it with fun. Poor Paul had no idea who half of these folks were or how they were all related.

I'll draw you a family tree later.

Steve

• Permalink: I'll draw you a family tree later.

Good luck with that. 

Finally, we get to Chloe!

She woke up, thank God. I’m not sure I could handle another week of people talking to her comatose form lying in that bed.

But will she really tell Nicole the truth? I’m guess that only happens if Nicole reacts poorly to Deimos threatening to kill someone over the phone. 

Deimos is a Kiriakis and no boy scout. I can see Victor bellowing a similar threat, so I’m not sure how seriously Nicole will take it. 

If she sweeps it under the rug, I fear Chloe will be out the door and back to Chicago to raise Holly as her own. But Nancy was right, Brady and Deimos won’t stop until they get proof of Holly’s parentage…and then what?

Will Chloe risk losing contact with this child forever in order to keep her away from Deimos? 

Now it's your turn TV Fanatics. Do you think Chloe should tell Nicole the truth?

Check back tomorrow to see what our Days of Our Lives round table team has to say on all the happenings in Salem.

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.