On the November 12 episode of Days of our Lives, Marlena shoved aside her own grief and exhaustion to be there for Leo as he mourned the loss of his foster son, Tesoro, now officially John III a.k.a. Trey. Considering that this is a week of flashbacks and looking back at Salem history, we were surprised Marlena didn’t share her own experience with an eerily similar situation.
Key Takeaways
- Marlena lost an infant son.
- Marlena lost her foster son.
- You won’t believe what his name was!
Tales of Tragedy
Before John (Drake Hogsyten), before Roman (Wayne Northrup and Josh Taylor), Marlena (Deidre Hall — here’s why her role is iconic) was married to Don (Jed Allen, CC on Santa Barbara; Edward on General Hospital). The couple had their share of soapy conflicts, including Don’s bitchy teen daughter, Donna (Tracy Bregman,Lauren on Y&R).
But the true heartbreak of Marlena and Don’s marriage came in 1980, when their three-month-old son, Donald Jr. a.k.a. DJ, died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The devastating loss ended Marlena and Don’s marriage, especially since, in his grief, Don accused Marlena of being so obsessed with work that DJ was born prematurely, and that’s what led to his death.
Giving Back
After DJ’s death, Marlena was awkward and hesitant around all children, until she met an abandoned pre-teen boy whom she took in and fostered for almost two years — including during the period when she was stalked by the Salem Strangler. Marlena’s life had barely settled down when her foster son’s biological mother returned, and he was sent to live with her, forcing Marlena to lose yet another son.
Name of the Game
And what was the little guy’s name? Why, Johnny (Jeremy Schoenberg, also the voice of Linus on multiple Peanuts animated TV specials)! Yes, Marlena’s life included John Black, Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman), John III… and Johnny Stockton!
We wish that, while comforting Leo (Greg Rikaart), Marlena had shared her own experience with losing a strangely similarly named foster son. And that we’d gotten a flashback to their tear-filled good-bye. ‘Tis the week to celebrate all things DAYS!
