What You Don't Know About Days Of Our Lives' Infamous Melaswen Island
Longtime "Days of Our Lives" viewers have witnessed a lot of drama in Salem over the years. Some of the scariest and most thrilling storylines have involved serial killers. One of the creepiest "DOOL" serial killers of all time was Jake Kositchek. In 1982, Jake began his reign of terror as a killer dubbed "The Salem Strangler" when he murdered three women, Lorie Masters, Denise Peterson, and Mary Anderson. He later set his sights on Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), per Soap Central.
Fans were stunned when it appeared that Jake had finally gotten to Marlena and her lifeless body was found. Many viewers didn't hesitate to speak out about Marlena's presumed death, and some fans even picketed outside of the studio (via Soap Digest). However, there was a sigh of relief when "Days of Our Lives" revealed that Jake had mistakenly killed Marlena's twin sister, Samantha, who he believed to be Marlena.
Ben Weston's arc as the Necktie Killer also proved to be intriguing for fans. Ben killed off characters such as Serena Mason, Paige Larson, Wendy Taylor, and even legacy character, Will Horton (who was later brought back to life by Dr. Rolf's resurrection serum), per Soaps.
However, many "DOOL" fans believe the most shocking serial killer storyline to be the Salem Stalker arc, which introduced fans to Melaswen Island.
This wild storyline brought DOOL viewers to Melaswen Island
Back in 2003, "Days of Our Lives" viewers were glued to their television screens as a spooky new storyline took shape. Salem was stunned when many members of the community were tragically and horrifically killed by a serial killer who was named the Salem Stalker, per Entertainment Weekly. Viewers spent months trying to figure out who the killer could be, as they were only shown a pair of black gloves killing off some of the NBC soap opera's most beloved characters (via Soaps). Everyone seemed to have their opinions and theories about the identity of the killer. However, many viewers were completely shocked when it was revealed that the serial killer was none other than Dr. Marlena Evans, one of Salem's most loved and well-respected citizens.
After fans found out that Marlena had been the person terrorizing Salem, her husband John Black (Drake Hogestyn) also began to get suspicious of his wife. Finally, after months of murder and mayhem, Marlena was revealed to everyone in Salem as the serial killer. Those closest to the psychiatrist were stunned, and after she was outed as a murderer, the cops were hot on her trail and eventually shot and killed her on the roof of the police station (via Soaps).
Many beloved characters were sent to Melaswen Island
During Marlena Evans' shocking stint as the Salem Stalker, "Days of Our Lives" fans watched her brutally murder many of her friends. It all started with Abe Carver (James Reynolds), who was shot just outside of his front door. The murder rocked Salem, and the stalker then moved on to Maggie Horton (Suzanne Rogers), whom she bludgeoned to death with a bottle. Later, Marlena also killed Roman Brady and Kate Robert's daughter, Cassie (Alexis Thorpe), whose body she stuffed in a turkey pinata to be gruesomely revealed on Thanksgiving Day, per Entertainment Weekly.
Marlena also murdered many others during the spooky arc, including Jack Deveraux (Matthew Ashford), Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston), Caroline Brady (Peggy McCay), Tony DiMera (Thaao Penghlis), Doug Williams (Bill Hayes), Roman Brady (Josh Taylor), and even Salem's beloved Alice Horton (Francis Reid), per Soaps.
However, after the murders and the presumed death of Marlena, "DOOL" fans found out that no one was actually dead. Instead, they were alive and well on a tropic island that had been designed to look exactly like Salem. The island's name also reflected it's parallels to the characters' hometown, being named Melaswen, or "new Salem" spelled backwards.
Who was behind Melaswen Island?
"Days of Our Lives" fans were happy to see that the NBC soap opera's plethora of veteran actors was not killed off the show. Instead, their characters were alive on Melaswen Island after seemingly being murdered by Marlena Evans. Once Marlena got to the tropical location and realized she didn't kill her friends in cold blood, the truth about the situation was uncovered. Tony DiMera was actually Andre DiMera and had been the person drugging all of Marlena's supposed victims in Salem (via Soaps). He was also responsible for brainwashing Marlena into believing that she was a killer. Of course, Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo) was the real mastermind behind the island, as he made it his mission to ruin the lives of many during his days in Salem, per Fame 10.
After months on the island, the victims planned their escape and Andre was ready. He set off a device that caused an explosion leaving the escapees to fight for their lives (via Soap Central).
What happened when the victims returned home from Melaswen Island?
When the presumed victims of the Salem Stalker, as well as Marlena Evans, returned home to Salem following the drama on Melaswen Island, their friends and family members were shocked and in disbelief. Marlena was cleared of the murders and all was seemingly forgiven, per Soaps.
People were shocked to find out that Tony DiMera wasn't who he said he was during his time in Salem (via Soap Central). Instead, Salem citizens were stunned when it was revealed that Andre DiMera had been masquerading as Tony and worked hand-in-hand with Stefano to devise the devilish plan.
In addition, Maggie Horton returned home to find that her husband Mickey had completely moved on, per Soap Central. Maggie was heartbroken to learn that Mickey had not only moved on but also remarried after he believed her to be dead. When Maggie returned to Salem, Mickey was already wed to the couple's former housekeeper, the loud and colorful Bonnie Lockhart (Judi Evans), Soaps in Depth notes. A love triangle ensued, but Mickey eventually divorced Bonnie and reunited with Maggie.
After all was said and done, "Days of Our Lives" fans had a lot of opinions about how the long storyline played out.
The Melaswen Island storyline was controversial among fans
"Days of Our Lives" is known for pushing boundaries and has offered viewers plenty of shocking moments over the years. The NBC sudser has written storylines about people being buried alive, getting possessed by the devil, being brainwashed, and more. However, the Salem Stalker and Melaswen Island drama were some of the most talked-about and controversial episodes of the 2000s. Some fans loved the drama, others were happy that their favorite characters were still alive, and some were annoyed that "DOOL" had brought them through a rollercoaster of emotions without any real payoff (via Fame 10).
However, the soap opera has become notorious for bringing characters back from the dead and has done so too many times to count in the past (via Nine). While it's hard to please all viewers, "DOOL" continues to deliver the drama. Meanwhile, the Melaswen Island arc is definitely one of the most memorable "Days of Our Lives" plots of all time.