Well, the last person on Days of Our Lives who we expected to figure out the truth about Arnold replacing Rafe, may have just figured out what was going on. At least, she was the last person until we started thinking about it some more. Because after Stephanie’s, “Oh my God! What if it’s not Rafe??” realization today, we suddenly realized there was no one else who could have seen the truth! (You can find out what happened in Monday’s recap here.)
First off, we really had hopes that Gabi, during her talk with Javi today, might at least hit close upon the truth about Rafe. She, of all people, knows about the DiMeras’ propensity to mind-control and brainwashing. She knows what Rolf is capable of, especially since she once tried to force him to undo what he’d done to a newly resurrected Stefan.
And while Gabi’s brother now, was neither brainwashed, nor mind-controlled, at least if Gabi started to think that, she’d get suspicious enough to look into what EJ’s up to. But no, instead, she went with delayed coma reaction. Which… no. But thanks for playing, Gabi.
But there was one person who had such an uncomfortable encounter with RoboRafe that she actually figured out what was going on: Stephanie! She went to confront him over his treatment of her best friend, only for “Rafe” to force himself on her and, as she told Alex, stick his tongue down her throat. Steph responded brilliantly, by nailing him in the groin, telling him off and storming off, but then, once she got back to Alex, she finally put everything together.
The last time Rafe was acting like this, he wasn’t actually Rafe. He was someone, she told Alex… named Arnold Feniger.
And honestly, it makes sense that Stephanie would get to the truth when everyone else remains utterly clueless. Last time around, Bo and Hope figured out what was going on and, with some help from Sami, took Arnold down. None of them are around anymore, though. And last time around, Arnold also went after two other women: Nicole and Stephanie. And by “went after,” we mean tried forcing himself on.
Nicole, too, is gone, so Steph is really the only one left who had a close encounter with the creep back during his first Salem run-through. Since that is the only time she ever had a sexual/romantic/any kind of run-in with “Rafe” outside of casual friendship, it makes sense that Arnold’s pass at her would take her right back to the last time.
Now we just need Stephanie to trust her gut and keep digging. Everyone knows “Rafe” is connected to EJ, thanks to the phony story of Rafe being hired by the former DA to dig up dirt on Jada. And even if everyone thinks Arnold is dead, the DiMeras had someone get plastic surgery to look like Rafe before, why not again?
Regardless of how Stephanie ends up getting to the truth, it’s now absolutely clear that Arnold’s time in Salem is just about up. Once she takes her suspicions to her dad, she and Steve are going to get to the bottom of what’s going on! At that point, it’s bye-bye Arnold, and, if the Johnsons have their way, EJ will go down right with his pawn.