It hasn’t been easy being a Days of Our Lives fan lately, as real-life goodbyes have continued echoing through Salem. The losses of John Aniston, who gave us the cunning Victor Kiriakis, and Bill Hayes, the ever-charming Doug Williams, felt like the end of cherished chapters. However, for many, the most difficult goodbye came with the death of Drake Hogestyn. As John Black, he was the ultimate soap opera hero — fearless, steadfast, and larger than life. His recent final storyline felt like saying goodbye to a part of our own past, stirring deep emotions and memories in longtime viewers, and one shared what everyone was feeling.
A Farewell Felt by All
On the DAYS Reddit page, a fan posted a loving reaction to how several characters reacted to John’s demise. “The performances throughout today’s episode were so real and strong from all actors,” they wrote, noting that Deidre Hall (Marlena) had a standout performance that “couldn’t have been easy for her as she was probably the closest to Drake.”
The fan also praised the writing and several cast members, including Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie), Dan Feuerriegel (EJ), Josh Taylor (Roman), Eric Martsolf (Brady), and Mary Beth Evans (Kayla). They noted that “The conversation between their characters, Roman and Kayla, was so moving and it must be difficult for them both as he was like a brother to them that they never had, and John once replaced Roman.”
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Real Tears, Real Loss
Noting that “Marlena and Julie’s grief felt real and personal,” the fan concluded with, “Overall, it was a great episode.” The viewers felt Hall deserved a Daytime Emmy for her performance, with one commenting, “She has been doing a phenomenal job throughout this story.” When one praised Stephen Nichols (Steve) for effectively emoting, another followed that up with, “That’s exactly it. I don’t think they were acting. This was their real emotional pain of losing their dear friend and co-worker who was probably like family to them.”
Another fan remarked that they’ve been watching the show for 40 years, and wrote, “I’ve been balling my eyes out between yesterday’s episode and today’s. I was so sad to hear about Drake’s passing. I literally grew up watching John and Marlena. You could see Deidre Hall’s pain and you could feel it.” And one summed things up nicely with, “Breaks my heart.”
