Kate's vote blindsided Jake, all of Sami's exes met for a drink, Gwen and Xander played hide the body on the sofa, while Brady and Philip both vied for Chloe's affections this week in Salem.

Our TV Fanatics, Jack and Christine, are joined by Kpatch from MyHourglass, a Days of Our Lives fan forum, to debate Kate's plan, if. EJ knows the truth about Sami and Lucas, what Xander and Gwen will do with Snyder's body, and more!

Kate blindsided (pun intended) Jake by not voting for him as Dimera Enterprises CEO. React!

Kpatch: I feel like she may as well reveal she's not blind. This is a red flag to Jake and Gabi that she isn't in love with Jake since she sold him out.

Jack: I wasn't surprised by this, but I hope she did it for her own reasons and not because Chad threatened her. Chad's blackmail threat was extraordinarily weak, and normally Kate is not a weak woman.

Why would Jake even listen to Chad's claims about Kate's blindness? But she also does want to get revenge, so hopefully, she thought it over and realized this WAS a great way to do it, especially after the way Gabi was gloating.

Christine: Oh, that was a fun moment. I'm just hoping that this means Kate pretending to be blind is over and done.

If Kate really wanted revenge against Jake, this was probably the best way to get it. He was going to eventually catch on to her fake blindness and go back to Gabi, whereas taking Dimera Enterprises away from him has longer-term consequences.

Does EJ already know about Sami and Lucas? Is he playing Sami, or is he really in the dark about Sami having cheated on him?

Kpatch: I'm not sure if he knows. I think he suspects because he's seen them having clandestine conversations.

Jack: I have had no doubt from the beginning that EJ knows about Sami and Lucas. Dimeras have their ways of finding things out, and the Kristen mention cemented it for me. I'm sure, if nothing else, she told him the truth.

EJ wants control over Sami, so what better way to exercise it than keeping her on pins and needles worrying about him finding out about her affair with Lucas when he has known for weeks, if not months?

Christine: The only way he could know is if Kristen told him, but wouldn't he know how to get in touch with Kristen for the Dimera vote? EJ could know, or he could just be obnoxious and controlling. He hasn't been around for quite a while, so it's difficult to tell the difference.

Which one of Sami's exes do you like the most as a character? Who do you think she should be paired with?

Kpatch: I've always liked Lucas. I like Rafe too but not with Sami. Frankly, I don't see Sami's appeal, but that's another story. Lucas is the only one she has ever had a real spark with, and they are entertaining to watch.

Jack: Lucas and Rafe are both great characters (at least when Rafe isn't paired with Hope. He became insufferable then.) But I have always shipped Sami/Lucas. She and Lucas "get" each other in a way that no one else does and can talk each other down when they're about to do something crazy and self-destructive.

For some reason, DAYS is now pushing this idea that Sami and Lucas "fight all the time," but it's contrary to history. Yes, they were bitter enemies during the Will custody storyline, but that was a long time ago, and none of that would have happened if...

1) Sami hadn't tried to pass off Will as Austin's and...2) Kate hadn't been determined to break Sami and Lucas up.

Anyway, they've made up since, and their so-called fighting is really the bantering and affectionate bickering of a long-married couple even though they are not married.

Plus, since Nicole and Rafe seem to have feelings for each other, the last thing we need is Sami redeveloping feelings for Rafe too. However, I wouldn't mind if Lucas pretended to be into Nicole to get Sami jealous enough to admit she wants him.

Christine: Rafe has never been a favorite of mine, but I never disliked him before being paired with Hope. They were awful. But Rafe and Sami just don't work long-term. They see the world in different ways.

I love Lucas and Sami as co-parents and friends. They understand one another because they grew up together and know and accept one another's flaws. They'd do anything for one another, but at times, I've found them boring as a couple.

Sami and EJ have the most intriguing chemistry, perhaps because they both walk such a moral gray area. Before EJ "died," I thought they'd really found their stride as a couple. However, I'm not feeling that with the recast.

If James Scott were to return, I'd love to see EJ and Sami back as a power couple.

What do you think Xander and Gwen will do with Dr. Snyder? Where do you think this plot is headed?

Kpatch: They are definitely going to cover up his death, but they should both be smart enough to know that the truth will come out. They'd be better off telling the authorities and getting it over with, but they won't.

Jack: Summer previews mentioned a body in the lake, so I'm guessing that's where Snyder is going to end up.

This whole thing is ridiculous. Xander was right. Just call 911 and say this doctor came making a house call and collapsed on the couch. No need to mention the letter opener incident.

And if this turns out to be yet another "Oops! The body we hid was not actually dead!" story, I'm going to puke.

It also seems like this is the beginning of Gwen and Xander falling for each other because nothing says true love like hiding a body together (except maybe being held prisoner together.)

Christine: Yeah, calling 911 immediately was the most straightforward solution but leave it to Gwen and Xander to make things far more complicated than they have to be.

I can't believe they think they can get away with this after Julie saw the man on the sofa. She's eventually going to hear that he's missing or has turned up dead and point the finger at the two of them.

But so far, the show seems to be playing this for laughs, and I'm on board for it. Getting rid of Dr. Snyder's body could be just the game of Hide & Seek we need for some summer fun.

Is there a character currently living outside of Salem who you'd like to see return?

Kpatch: I am dying for Sarah to return. Probably won't happen until Xander starts a relationship with Gwen, which seems inevitable. But between Gwen and Sarah, it's no contest.

Jack: I'm sure everyone is shocked by this, but... I want JJ to come home. First of all, it's annoying that the last time he visited, he had a crush on Gwen and has not been seen or heard from since it was revealed she's actually his half-sister.

It also would have been better for him as an EMT and reformed drug dealer to be helping investigate Snyder than for him to be MIA during this story.

And I would have loved him to have a reaction on-screen to Allie having told Chanel about the pot donut misadventure! JJ and Will were also close, and JJ should have a close relationship with Allie and deep mistrust of Sami because of the way she handled the whole Abigail/EJ thing.

Lucas is his uncle, too, so he should be in that story as well! And JJ supposedly rushed back to Africa because Theo needed him, but Theo has been back twice since with no mention of JJ, and now Ciara is supposedly living with Theo (and Hope visiting there), so did JJ disappear into a black hole or what?

Also, Eli and Lani live in JJ's old apartment, so there'd be potential for drama there too, and I'd love for JJ to have an opinion on Chanel.

Christine: Sarah! I miss her and Xander together, but I agree she probably won't pop up until Xander and Gwen start some sort of romance.

I'd also like to see JJ back. He and Jack never got to spend much time together, plus he has a new half-sister in Gwen. It could be fun to see JJ get along with Gwen and then walk the line between her and Abigail.

And I hope Maggie returns soon. I miss seeing her and Victor.

If you could bring one character back from the dead, who would it be?

Kpatch: Paige Larson. Her murder was unnecessary, and there was so much more that could have been done with her character.

Jack: Another big surprise here: Paige needs to be resurrected. It's beyond time DAYS stop using her death as a prop for Ben/Ciara kidnapping story nonsense.

An alive Paige competing with Tripp for Snyder's approval at rounds would have been great drama, too, especially if Paige and JJ were together because it would put JJ in the middle between his cousin and his girlfriend.

Christine: I wish Bo Brady were back. Ciara could be very different with Bo in her life.

And oddly enough, Daniel. I wasn't his biggest fan, but I liked him with Nicole more than Eric or even Rafe. And Kayla's going to need another doctor on staff now that Snyder is dead.

What was the most disappointing plot this week on Days of Our Lives?

Kpatch: I was completely bored with the overthrow of Jake and Kate's fake blindness.

Jack: The whole Snyder death thing. I was enjoying Steve and Kayla beginning to investigate, and just as the story was heating up, suddenly Snyder is dead, and we're doing yet another stupid hide-the-body story.

It was such a waste, especially since we never even learned who Snyder was giving drugs to or why he was involved in the drug trade!

This also would have been an opportunity for DAYS to do a topical storyline. There have been several doctors in the news where I live who have had legal problems after overprescribing opioids to patients who ended up overdosing.

Instead, it was handled totally unrealistically and was just a plot point to get to this stupid Xander/Gwen story.

Christine: Kayla and Steve, Brady semi-stalking Chloe, and Rafe dreaming about Nicole all bored me this week.

In contrast to the rest of my round table team, I enjoyed the Dimeras strategizing for votes, and even though Gwen and Xander playing hide-the-body was comical and kind of cute.

What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline this week in Salem?

Kpatch: I loved seeing Philip taking care of Chloe and being totally upfront about wanting a relationship with her. I also enjoyed Rafe's dream about Nicole.

And I liked Allie, Tripp and Chanel dancing. It was amusing.

Jack: I loved Lucas and Rafe bonding over their dislike for EJ and concern for Sami. It's about time these two were friends instead of rivals!

I especially cracked up at Lucas' depiction of the Dimera mansion in this Days of Our Lives quote... 

Rafe: I thought you said EJ was staying in Salem.
Lucas: Oh, he is. Turns out he wants to work on his marriage. And where does he want to work on it? At his house, with my blind mother and your sister and that creepy picture of Stefano that's watching over everything.

• Permalink: Oh, he is. Turns out he wants to work on his marriage. And where does he want to work on it?...

I've long felt that way about that portrait of Stefano!

Besides that, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this Dimera takeover story. Usually, I find these CEO tug-of-war stories yawn-worthy, but both sides whipping upvotes was fun, and more Thaao Penghlis is always a good thing.

Christine: I liked Gabi and Sami sharing a moment and remembering when Sami helped Gabi with Nick. Both Gabi and Sami could use a real girlfriend to talk to.

I also enjoyed the Dimera takeover story far more than I expected. I loved it when Gabi dragged out the whiteboard and started strategizing. And then rehashing the Dimera's crazy family tree to Jake. That was fun

And EJ, Rafe, and Lucas all at one table was priceless!

Now it's your turn, Days fans! Hit that big, blue, SHOW COMMENTS button down below to chime in with your thoughts about this week's Days of Our Lives.

And if you want to chat more about the happenings in Salem, then check out Jack Ori's Days of Our Lives review right here at TV Fanatic.

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