Days of Our Lives Early Weekly Spoilers: Holly Explodes at EJ, Stephanie Makes a Costly Mistake and Salem Honors Lexie

Days of Our Lives is heading into an emotional and potentially relationship-shattering week as Salem deals with grief, secrets, jealousy and several dangerous mysteries.

Early spoilers for the week of August 31 through September 4 tease Holly Jonas reaching her breaking point with EJ DiMera, Stephanie Johnson making a decision that could seriously damage her marriage to Alex, and Abe Carver struggling to move forward after the loss of Lexie.

Meanwhile, EJ faces growing pressure over his secrets, Cat worries about what he may remember, the mysterious Stefano chess set continues pulling several Salem residents toward Italy, and Philip prepares for a high-stakes trip to Monte Carlo.

Here is what viewers can expect.

Salem gathers to celebrate Lexie’s life

One of the most emotional storylines centers on Abe Carver and the people who loved Lexie.

Roman Brady steps in to help his longtime friend organize a celebration of Lexie’s life. Rather than wanting a traditional funeral, Lexie apparently left instructions that she wanted those closest to her to gather and remember her with joy.

That does not make the occasion any less heartbreaking.

For Abe, the event represents another painful goodbye to the woman who played such a defining role in his life.

Roman may help host the gathering, possibly at the Brady Pub, while Salem’s residents come together to honor Lexie’s memory.

Paulina will undoubtedly want to support Abe, but their own relationship remains complicated.

Abe may eventually find his way back to Paulina, but after everything that has happened, it would be difficult for him to simply resume their marriage as if nothing changed.

For now, grief has to come first.

Stephanie turns to Theo as problems with Alex get worse

Stephanie and Alex appear to be entering one of the most dangerous periods of their relationship.

Stephanie is already upset after seeing Alex share an emotional moment with Joy.

What she does not fully understand is the medical crisis surrounding Joy and the possibility that surgery could leave her with devastating complications.

Alex has plenty on his mind, especially because he also needs to be there for Kelsey.

Stephanie, however, is becoming increasingly jealous and frustrated.

She tells Alex that they cannot keep going on like this, leaving him wondering exactly what she means for their future.

Instead of working things out immediately with her husband, Stephanie turns to Theo for emotional support.

That could prove to be a major mistake.

Theo is also grieving Lexie, meaning both he and Stephanie are in vulnerable emotional states.

If alcohol becomes involved during or after the memorial, boundaries could become blurred.

Actor comments surrounding the storyline have already suggested that Stephanie makes a poor decision that deeply disappoints Alex.

It may not necessarily involve sleeping with Theo, but whatever happens appears serious enough to cause major problems in her marriage.

Can Stephanie save her marriage?

Things become even more painful because Alex is actively trying to reconnect with Stephanie.

He arranges for Bonnie to look after baby Kelsey so he can spend some private time with his wife.

But what happens if Alex goes looking for Stephanie and discovers her with Theo?

Even if nothing physical happens, emotional intimacy can still feel like betrayal.

Stephanie may realize too late that she allowed jealousy to push her into a situation that looks far worse than she intended.

And with Joy about to undergo potentially life-changing surgery, Alex may have very little patience for unnecessary drama.

Stephanie needs to make a choice quickly.

If she continues acting out instead of listening to Alex, she could end up causing exactly the breakup she fears.

Holly unleashes her fury on EJ

EJ is also about to face a furious Holly Jonas.

Holly has plenty of reasons to be angry.

She is expected to confront EJ over the poisoning scandal and the drugs that were allegedly planted in her belongings.

If Holly believes EJ manipulated the situation and used her as part of his cover-up, forgiveness may be almost impossible.

EJ is unlikely to simply admit everything.

His usual strategy is to control the narrative, deny what cannot be proven and use his resources to contain whatever evidence remains.

That may explain another tense phone call he makes, apparently ordering someone to ensure the situation does not spiral further out of control.

But Holly is no longer willing to quietly accept his explanations.

She may force EJ into one of his most uncomfortable confrontations yet.

Cat fears EJ remembers too much

Cat has a different reason to worry about EJ.

During hypnosis, Cat recovered significant memories involving her past, including the fact that she had been working for the ISA.

She is now concerned that EJ may remember hearing her admit that she was a spy.

The problem is that EJ’s own memories of the clinic remain incomplete.

He desperately wants answers, but Marlena has explained that because he was unconscious for part of what happened, his brain may not have properly stored those events.

That leaves Cat in an impossible position.

If EJ remembers her confession, her cover may already be compromised.

If he does not, telling him too much could expose her unnecessarily.

Cat may also have to decide whether to report the situation to Andrew Donovan.

Doing so could mean admitting that she violated protocol.

And if Marlena becomes concerned enough, she could decide to alert Andrew herself.

The Stefano chess mystery deepens

Another DiMera mystery continues to develop around Stefano’s chess set.

EJ questions Chad about it while Marlena worries about Belle’s plans involving Italy.

The mystery appears to have originally been intended for Marlena and John, making its connection to Stefano particularly intriguing.

Julie has already warned Chad not to travel to Italy.

Even Chad’s children have weighed in on his potential trip.

Thomas and Charlotte apparently tell him they can handle him being gone briefly, but the timing may still create criticism considering how much time Chad has already spent away from them.

Belle could choose to investigate with or without him.

Whatever they find in Italy may reveal another piece of Stefano’s long shadow over Salem.

Johnny may finally have to tell Chanel the truth

Paulina encourages Johnny to come clean to Chanel.

The secret may involve Johnny knowing that Lexie was hidden inside the DiMera mansion.

If that is what Johnny confesses, he may have one important defense: he was honoring Lexie’s own wishes.

Chanel may still feel hurt that he kept such an enormous secret from her, but the circumstances could make his decision easier to understand.

Their daughter’s name, Olivia Alexandra DiMera, also gives the storyline an emotional connection to the family’s history.

Xander struggles as Sarah moves forward

Xander continues dealing with the consequences of losing the family home and watching Sarah build a different life.

Sarah and Victoria are moving in with Brady, and the news clearly hurts Xander.

Still, he manages to control his temper when Sarah tells him.

For someone with Xander’s history, that restraint matters.

He may be devastated, but he appears determined not to make the situation worse.

There will also be a father-daughter dance involving Xander and Victoria, giving him an opportunity to focus on what matters most: maintaining his bond with his daughter.

Philip and Gabi head toward a huge Monte Carlo gamble

Philip’s financial problems are about to take him far outside Salem.

He plans to travel to Monte Carlo with Gabi, who will pose as his fiancée while he attempts a high-stakes gamble that could potentially save the family.

It is essentially a desperation move.

Gabi has already put money into the plan, so she also has plenty to lose if Philip fails.

Even if Philip wins, there is still a major question about whether he can possibly win enough to solve a financial disaster of this magnitude.

The storyline could become either an unbelievable comeback or another catastrophic mistake.

Leo returns to the fake designer bag mystery

Leo will also return to investigating the counterfeit designer bags connected to Gabi.

With Gabi preparing to leave town, Leo may have to continue digging on his own.

The investigation could eventually lead somewhere no one expects.

At the same time, Leo’s personal life may start moving again.

Javi could eventually approach him about repairing their relationship after Leo deliberately gave him space following his breakup with Gus.

There may still be feelings between them, but rebuilding trust will take work.

Campus life creates another emotional complication

Ari, Holly and the others prepare for college move-in, while Tate may begin feeling increasingly left behind.

He has already had moments where he seemed excluded while the others discussed their sophomore year.

That sense of isolation could grow as everyone begins moving forward with their own lives.

And with Holly already emotionally overwhelmed by her confrontation with EJ, the transition to college could become even more complicated.

A new face is coming to Salem

Salem is also preparing for another arrival.

A new character is expected to appear shortly after this week’s episodes, adding another mystery to the canvas.

Speculation is already growing about who the newcomer could be and whether she may have ties to one of Salem’s most powerful families.

Whatever the answer, her arrival could open another major storyline heading into September.

Salem’s secrets are reaching the breaking point

The week of August 31 promises to be driven by consequences.

Stephanie’s jealousy could damage her marriage.

Holly’s anger may force EJ to answer for his actions.

Cat could accidentally expose her ISA history.

Chad and Belle may continue chasing a mystery tied to Stefano.

And Abe must somehow begin rebuilding his life after saying goodbye to Lexie.

At the same time, Philip is gambling with Gabi’s money, Leo is digging into another mystery, and Paulina is trying to hold several fractured relationships together.

The biggest question may be whether Stephanie can stop herself before she crosses a line that Alex cannot forgive.

Because once Alex learns what she has done, an apology may not be enough to put their marriage back together.