Along with Marlena and Roman, and Hope and Bo, Steve and Kayla were one of Days of our Lives’ biggest super-couples of the early 1980s. Things didn’t start off well. Kayla was a sweet nurse, a member of one of Salem’s nicest families. Steve didn’t even have a first name. He went by “Patch.” Because he…wore an eye patch. He was a thug working for Victor Kiriakis, helping Savannah Wilder run drugs. Yes, Victor used to be a not-very-nice man. And Steve wasn’t very nice, either.
Steve Johnson: Rap Sheet
Steve (Stephen Nichols) tied up Hope (Kristian Alfonso) under a pot of water he claimed contained acid. He terrorized a blind Kimberly (Patricia Pease). He snarled at Bo (Peter Reckell). But then he met Kayla (Mary Beth Evans). And the chemistry was off the charts.
No one denies that their chemistry was off the charts. So time to redeem bad boy Patch! First, he got an actual name — Steve. Then he agreed to help trap a former Nazi. Because Steve was against Nazis! Then we learned he’d had a sad, abused childhood. (Nichols’ real-life son played a teen-weeny adorable pre-teen Steve in flashbacks.)
DAYS: All Is Forgiven
Steve fell in love with Kayla, made up with Bo, and all was forgiven. Except by me. Steve and Kayla really annoyed me. Because I felt like they’d been shoved down my throat. When Steve died, I shrugged, and went on with my life.
The Great Days of our Lives Return
Young Steve and Kayla worked my last nerve. But grown-up Steve and Kayla…that was a different story. When Steve came back from the dead, the chemistry with Kayla was still there. And now the actors had something new to play: regret for all the years they’d missed. Young Steve and Kayla were just oh, so very, very happy. Mature Steve and Kayla were…actually interesting.
I fell in love with Steve and Kayla about a quarter of a century after I was supposed to. Steve’s grieving Kayla feels genuine after everything they’ve gone through. When Steve died, I shrugged and went on with my life. Now that Kayla is dead, I am actually actively rooting for them to reunite. Because now, I care.
Days of our Lives airs weekdays on Peacock+ in the U.S. and The W Network or Global TV App in Canada. For more about what’s coming up in Salem, check out all the latest DAYS spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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