Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI (3)
And then there were none? Whenever a soap opera is around long enough, characters don’t just come and go, but sometimes so, too, do entire families. Days of our Lives is no exception, and after introducing us to the Shins, it looks like their time in Salem may have come to an end.
First Li was stabbed in the back (in the most literal sense), sending Gabi to prison for a crime she (most likely) didn’t commit. And now, on the Friday, January 5 episode, Wendy said a tearful goodbye as she left for China… and Tripp told her he had to stay behind.
But is this really the end of the Shins?
The long and the short of it is: No. We know from spoilers that Tripp’s getting one heck of a surprise come Monday, so Wendy doesn’t seem to be out of here quite yet. And if just about the only person in Salem who does care about Li’s death is still around, there’s a good chance we may get him back as well.
Between Remington Hoffman’s tease, our theory about who is responsible for his stabbing and, let’s be honest, our own sneaking suspicions that there’s something more behind his death, we certainly won’t be surprised if his murder was faked.
Rafe’s been far too preoccupied with the town’s new drug problem, Holly’s overdosing and EJ’s vendetta to get to the bottom of proving Gabi innocent. And while Wendy’s happy to lay the blame of her brother’s murder at Gabi’s feet, if she helps Tripp get to the bottom of Ava’s troubles — and somehow helps to fix them — putting an end to the drug problem would free up Rafe to get back to the murder case. The Salem PD doesn’t exactly have a stellar track record, but Rafe’s got a personal stake in setting this right.
Also, he should probably get on that before he’s down another cop in a few months when Harris leaves! On the other hand, Wendy’s proven herself pretty adept at snooping around herself and conducting her own investigations. Wouldn’t that be one heck of a twist if she was the one who reluctantly ended up proving Gabi innocent? After all, working with Tripp to help his mom will also put her on a collision course with Stefan… and possible Gabi herself!
The long and the short of it is: Don’t count the Shins down and out just yet! Though if Li does turn up alive after faking the whole thing, whether Wendy would forgive such cruelty is another question entirely. At the very least, we’d be sure to get the return of the fiery, take no prisoners Wendy we first met!
