'Days of our Lives' 2017 Preview

2016 ended on Days of our Lives, with Paul (Christopher Sean) and Sonny (Freddie Smith) and Chad (Billy Flynn) and Abigail (Marci Miller) sharing a kiss. What can we expect on DAYS in 2017? Romance, return of beloved characters, and a long-awaited wedding are on the horizon.

* Marlena (Deidre Hall), Steve (Stephen Nichols), Rafe (Galen Gering), and Paul fight to get Hope released from prison, and go to Prauge to get proof that Stefano is alive. Sonny and Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) follow, and while there, romance blooms for 'PaulSon' and 'Stayla'.

* Hope escapes from prison after she finds herself the victim of a violent situation. Who will come to her rescue?

* Chad finds himself torn between Gabi (Camila Banus) and Abby (Marci Miller). Can Chad and Abby reclaim the life they once shared?

* Nicole (Ari Zucker) and Deimos (Vincent Irizary) become engaged, but an unexpected revelation shakes up the new couple.

'Days of our Lives' Casts New Role

Photo By Gabriel Goldberg

Actor Scott Shilstone, who played adult Zack Brady In Hope's (Kristian Alfonso) dream this past summer, is returning to Days of our Lives in a new role.

According to IMDB, Shilstone has been cast in the role of Wyatt. Look for him to show up as Wyatt in early 2017.

Who will Wyatt be interacting with? Stay tuned!

Can the Character of Hope be Saved on 'Days of our Lives'?

Howard Wise/JPI Studios

Today on the June 8, 2016 episode of Days of our Lives, Hope (Kristian Alfonso) spends time at the Horton Cabin so she can sort out her feelings for Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering), and Aiden Jennings (Daniel Cosgrove). This episode will focus entirely on Hope.

As Hope struggles to make this important decision, she is visited by the ghosts of her late husband Bo Brady (Peter Reckell), her first husband Larry Welch (Andrew Masset), Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo), and by her now grown son Zack (Scott Shilstone).

Alfonso tells Soap Opera Digest, "I think the decision that Hope makes as she's leaving the cabin is not really the decision that everyone thinks it's going to be. She may hurt a couple of people in the process, but she needs to get to the bottom of what, or who, Aiden really is. It may appear to the audience that Hope is totally confused in her thought process, but things that transpire, and the decision that she makes along the way, are not always what they appear to be."

It will be nice to see Bo and Hope interacting again, but I can't help but think this entire episode makes Hope seem incredibly shallow. Instead of obsessing over her love life, she needs to be focusing on her daughter Ciara (Vivian Jovanni). Her daughter was recently raped, and has now developed an unhealthy attachment to the married Chad (Billy Flynn).

Can the character of Hope be saved? Only if she drops both men, and finally starts focusing on her family. Unfortunately, I don't think this will be happening anytime soon.