Daily Update for Friday Mar. 26, 2010

Arianna responds favorably to Brady's declaration of love and decides to go ahead with the wedding despite Nicole's intrusion. Desperate Nicole reverts to her old ways and tries to derail the nuptials when Fay shows up and stops her. Meanwhile, the wedding ceremony is delayed by a hotel catastrophe. Nicole takes heart, but as the about-to-be-newlyweds head off to their room for some premarital romance, Fay gives her daughter a good talking-to and seems to convince her to let Brady go. Brady and Arianna are ready to tie the knot when they encounter another obstacle to their wedded bliss.

Rafe questions EJ about Anna and indicates his conviction that she was working with someone. EJ covers his own role effectively. Rafe and EJ go to Stefano and ask him what he knows. Stefano is shocked to learn that Anna kidnapped Sydney, and he convinces Rafe of his own innocence. Rafe makes a plan to go to Santo Domingo to grill Nicole about her ties to Anna, but there's a hitch in his plans. Meanwhile, Anna lands in her tropical paradise, apparently home free.

Will returns his Christmas gift to his grandmother and says he can't let her and Stefano near Sydney again. He explains that his mom and EJ gave him hell for it. Stefano apologizes for his son's behavior and says he will make sure EJ does not speak to Will like that again. Will confides to Kate that Mia was two-timing him, and he broke up with her. Meanwhile, Mia tells Chad that she broke up with Will. Gabi comes upon them and exchanges words with Mia about Will. Chad overhears the truth and dumps Mia, who's gone from having two guys to having none in record time. Meanwhile, Gabi runs into Will, who thanks her for doing him a favor.

NEXT UPDATE FOR: MONDAY MARCH 29, 2010

DOOL Famous Plots: Death Row Sami

1999 was a tough year for Sami Brady. She was embroiled in a bitter custody battle with Lucas and struggling to find love and acceptance. When her relationship with Austin took a turn for the worse, she turned to Franco Kelly for comfort and support. Franco took advantage of her vulnerability and saw it as a perfect chance to get his green card. He proposed marriage and she happily accepted. Kate, however, knew about Franco's plans and tried to expose Franco as a con artist. Franco attempted to permanently silence Kate but Lucas fatally shot him before he could kill her. When Sami saw her fiance dead on the floor, she blacked out. Thinking quickly, Kate wiped the fingerprints off the gun and planted it in Sami's hand! When she awoke, Sami didn't remember a thing; she was convicted of murdering Franco and sentenced to death by lethal injection.

From her cell, Sami fought to clear her name and urged Austin to stay with Carrie so that they would get custody of Will. She watched the court case via television and was devastated when Nicole and Lucas were awarded custody of Will. She faked an anxiety attack and was rushed to the hospital where she poisoned a guard, stole his uniform and escaped. She kidnapped Will and fled to Cananda with Austin, the only person who believed in her innocence. Roman managed to convince her to return to Salem to fight for her freedom. Once in custody, however, DA Palmer persuaded the judge to order her immediate execution and the countdown began!

Meanwhile, Roman began questioning Roberto about Franco's murder. Kate prevented him from speaking and give him a coma inducing injection of saline. When he awoke, she desperately attempted to bribe him into taking the fall for Franco's murder.

Back at the prison, Sami was strapped to the deathbed while her friends and family watched in silence. Tears streamed down her face as the lethal drugs were injected into her veins. All of a sudden, Lucas burst through the doors and confessed to killing Franco. At the same time, the governor called to stop the execution. Moreover, Kate announced that Roberto had confessed to the murder before dying! Sami went into cardiac arrest but was revived back at the hospital. The DA dropped all charges against her and Lucas quickly recanted his confession when he discovered that Roberto took the fall for the murder. Roman, however, was determined to uncover the truth and refused to drop the investigation.

Austin picked Sami up from the hospital and they had a heartfelt reunion. As a free woman, Sami thanked Kate for her assistance (shocking!) and she devoted her energy to working things out with Lucas for Will's sake. However, the mystery of Franco's murder was far from over.

DOOL Famous Plots: Marlena Two

Dr. Marlena Evans arrived in Salem in 1976 to treat the recently institutionalized Mickey Horton. Her psychiatric expertise and strong commitment to friends and family made her a welcome addition to the community. Unbeknownst to the people of Salem, however, Marlena had a jealous twin who would come close to ruining her happy life!

Samantha Evans arrived in Salem from Denver, Colorado, in 1977 and was determined to take over her twin sister's life. Samantha began to impersonate Marlena and took the scam far enough to get her commited to the Bayview Sanitarium! With the real Marlena locked away, Samantha literally became Dr. Evans. Fortunately for Marlena, her lover, Don Craig, figured out the switch and had Samantha arrested. After resuming her identity, Marlena eventually found it in her heart to reconcile with her twin sister. A few years later, the Salem Strangler murdered Samantha.

DOOL Famous Plots: A Tale of Two Romans

In 1986, a mysterious man suffering from severe amnesia stumbled into Salem. Dr. Marlena Evans worked with the stranger to slowly recover his memory and was shocked when certain familiar patterns started to emerge. When she discovered that he had undergone extensive plastic surgery, she paid a visit to the surgeon; there she discovered pictures of her missing husband, Roman Brady! She was convinced that she had found Roman and readily welcomed the stranger in to her home, her bed, and her life.

'Roman Brady' resumed his role as parent and husband for the next five years, until the real Roman Brady returned to Salem in 1991! Roman had finally escaped from captivity and determined to reclaim his rightful position in Marlena's life. The mysterious stranger adopted the name John Black and moved out of the house confused and alone. John struggled with his identity  until discovering that he was Forrest, the presumed dead brother of Lawrence Alamain. With his identity established, John reclaimed his inheritance from Vivian and worked to establish himself in Salem.

John, however, was still in love with Marlena and had difficulty moving out of her life. When he announced that he was moving away from Salem, he and Marlena shared one last night of passion. That night they conceived a child (Belle) and John ultimately decided to stay. Roman and John continued to compete for Marlena's love over the next several years. Although they both shared a name and a common role in Marlena's life, she now loves each man separately as Roman and John.

Daily Update for Thursday Mar. 25, 2010

Rafe and EJ both ponder the implications of what Anna has done. In Santo Domingo, Nicole realizes Brady is getting married. She considers leaving, but he sees her and when he does she decides to go full out, hiding the fact that she knew he was about to wed. Arianna is shocked by Nicole's arrival. She worries about marrying Brady now, but he insists he still wishes to do it, much to Nicole's dismay. Meanwhile, EJ learns the damage control Anna has done and does some himself with Rafe and Sami. Sami vows vengeance on Anna. Later, Rafe realizes Nicole is in Santo Domingo - but why?

Justin confronts Hope about tricking Adrienne into coming to Salem. Adrienne realizes that Justin is in love with Hope. Adrienne realizes Hope is trying to make things right for her and Justin because she couldn't with Bo. Adrienne feels somewhat for Hope but warns her she must live with the consequences of her actions. Meanwhile, Vivian has it out with Bo and Carly and ends up giving up on killing her. She returns to Victor and takes him up on his marriage proposal. However, she vows to Victor that she will still emotionally bring Carly down.

NEXT UPDATE FOR: FRIDAY MARCH 26, 2010

DOOL Famous Plots: Princess Gina

The saga began in the summer of 1998 when Hope Brady traveled to Europe to look for answers about her past life as Princess Gina. Her quest brought her to Lugano, Switzerland where she came in contact with Lilli Faversham, a friend from Gina's past. In 1994, the real Princess Gina mysteriously disappeared from a cocktail party that Lilli was hosting. When Lilli saw Hope, she instantly recognized her as the missing Gina and celebrated her safe return. She was anxious to return Hope/Gina back to her original royal state; Lilli hired a tailor to make a wardrobe fit for a princess and a hair stylist to put the signature blonde streaks in Gina's hair. Hope traveled to Budapest aboard the Empress Express where she seemingly recreated Gina's past. Her life in Salem was left behind as she started to exhibit the unmistakable characteristics of Princess Gina - she started playing baccarat, ordering champagne, drinks and charmed every man in her presence. When Stefano confronted Hope about her transformation, Gina snarled back! She was losing control.

Unable to take any risks with Hope/Gina's returning memory, Stefano arranged to have the train derailed. After the accident, Hope returned to Salem and was reacquainted with her normal life. When Greta arrived in town, however, Gina-in-Hope reemerged. She began experiencing vivid memories of her past life and, when Shawn-Douglas was kidnapped, Hope snapped. She confronted Stefano about her son's disappearance and her love/hate relationship with him was exposed. She remembered that Stefano had trained her to be an art thief and that she had stolen priceless works of art from Lilli and replaced them with forgeries. She even recalled being intimate with Stefano! Unbeknownst to her, Stefano had planted a computer chip in her skull a few years earlier. It was only a matter of time before Stefano and Rolf decided to reactivate the chip. Princess Gina was reborn!

After the transformation, Hope/Gina treated Bo like a stranger and withdrew into her own world. Confused by her behavior, Bo began researching Hope's missing years (1990-1994). Hope/Gina resumed painting forgeries for Stefano who ordered her to use them to replace Vivian's originals. At the same time, Hope/Gina rediscovered her attraction for John; the real Princess Gina and John had been art thieves together in the past. Stefano agreed to retransform John into an art thief so that he could work with Hope/Gina to steal the last truly original painting in Europe. Hope/Gina, however, wanted John all for herself!

She lured John into the woods and used the bright light from her compact mirror to initiate his transformation. John returned home and married Marlena but that didn't stop Hope/Gina's determination. She sabotaged John's honeymoon in Hawaii by luring him into the ocean where she kidnapped him and took him to her secret submarine. For two days, the couple made passionate love until Stefano caught them in the act. John was thrown overboard, but not before telling Hope/Gina to travel to Paris to find a "letter." Once on dry land, Hope/Gina left for France.

Meanwhile, the real Princess Gina was alive and wasting away in the turret of the Chateau des Reves. After fifteen years of waiting, the real Gina was longing to reunite with her daughter Greta and her lover, John Black. A decade and a half of confinement, however, had taken its toll on her mental health. Greta and Eric arrived at the Chateau des Reves in search for information about Princess Gina's past. At one point, the real Gina escaped and tried to make contact with Greta but Kurt quickly returned her to the turret. Greta sensed her mother's presence, however, and believed she was still alive. Meanwhile, Bo was coming closer to the truth and Stefano enlisted Hope/Gina's help to drug him. At the same time, Hope/Gina was slipping further from reality and sturggled to maintain her connection to Bo.

With Kurt's help, Gina escaped and returned to Salem to win back John Black's love. When Marlena put an end to that possibility, Gina turned her sights on Bo Brady. Acting as Hope, Gina was successful in seducing Bo and the couple soon exchanged wedding vows. At the reception, however, a scuffle broke out and Gina shot Shawn before John came to the rescue. In the struggle Gina was shot and died before revealing her true identity. At the crematorium, Lilli noticed a scar on the corpse and was able to confirm it was not Hope's body!

The Salemites flew to France to rescue the real Hope and bury Princess Gina. DiMera sabotaged  the flight, however, and the plane crashed into an ocean near a deserted island. John went into mercenary mode and managed to save the Salemites. A boat transported them off the island and the mission continued.

Back in France, Kurt held both Stefano and Hope/Gina captive in the turret! During their weeks in captivity, Stefano and Hope/Gina formed a deep and meaningful bond. Despite their many creative attempts to escape, however, they were trapped. When Hope became violently ill and discovered that she was pregnant, Stefano seized the opportunity to let Kurt into the turret. Stefano and Kurt were both shot in the escape attempt but Stefano rose to fight after seeing a vision of a Phoenix. The turret caught fire just as John and Bo arrived to pull Hope and Stefano out of the flames. Princess Gina's body was finally laid to rest and Kurt was imprisoned.

All the Salemites boarded a plane and returend home and put the incident behind them. Hope was reunited with Shawn and Bo; they moved into a new home and arranged an intimate ceremony where they exchanged vows in front of their friends and family.

DOOL Famous Plots: The Desecrator

Where there is evil, one will find Stefano DiMera lurking close behind. After all, it was his nightly seductions of Marlena that left her open to demonic possession. Stefano placed Marlena into a trance, and night after night would lead her to his secret, underground world. He gained access to her bedroom by purchasing the neighboring apartment and creating a passageway through the closet. He referred to Marlena as "The Queen of the Night" and was well on his way to seducing her when Satan stepped in. 

Strange occurrences began happening in Salem, beginning with the burning of the Tom Horton Memorial Christmas Tree and followed by the torching of the gifts that the Horton Center was collecting for children. "The Desecrator" had arrived! Meanwhile, Father Francis began receiving mysterious items in his mail, including a strange wooden box and three ancient sealed scrolls. Immediately after translating the scrolls, Father Francis felt an evil presence. Kristen discovered him choking on the floor and rushed him to the hospital. Also, a stranger turned up in Salem going by the name of Gabe, and began offering John spiritual advice. 

The Desecrator meant to get rid of John Black. Things began to heat up when Kristen was found naked and handcuffed to the church altar. Pentagrams had been painted on her back. John discovered her there and was able to pick the lock on the handcuffs by using his belt buckle. Tony arrived on the scene, but Stefano, who had been skulking around outside and saw the whole thing, stalled him. When Tony finally entered the church, John and Kristen were no where to be found. The Desecrator became enraged and swore revenge on John. 

In a second attempt, Marlena was transformed into Kristen and went to John's apartment to seduce him. Once again, Tony was the pawn in The Desecrator's plans. A message had been left on his answering machine informing him that he could find his wife at John's loft. In a rage, he burst in to find "Kristen" semi naked and in John's arms. When a fight broke out between the men, "Kristen" made her exit and turned back into Marlena. The real Kristen was having car trouble and was stuck on the road. Gabe appeared out of nowhere and, magically, Kristen's car was working again. Kristen was caught off guard when Tony arrived back home and began yelling at her about the events of the night. He did not believe her story of car trouble; after all, if it wasn't Kristen in John's arms, who was it? 

Poor Marlena! The possession was wreaking havoc on her normal life. Between her double life as The Desecrator and Stefano's nightly visits, she wasn't getting any rest. The exhaustion began to show and her friends were continually worried about her. They constantly urged her to get more rest. But sleep was no sanction for Marlena's troubles. 

Celeste continually begged Stefano to forgo his plans for Marlena; she felt the presence of evil and feared the worst. Ignoring Celeste warnings, he continued to visit Marlena's room. One night while Stefano was caressing her cheek, she awoke, revealing her demon-possessed green eyes before she began choking him. A struggle ensued, but Celeste was able to release Marlena's hold by begging for God's help. Marlena instantly fell into a deep, lifeless sleep, allowing Celeste to pull Stefano out of the room before being discovered by John. Assuming that an assault had taken place, John phoned for an ambulance. Mike performed tests on Marlena's blood, and was shocked to find her anemic. A blood transfusion was necessary to keep her alive. 

Father Francis was receiving visits by a demon in his hospital room and his health continued to teeter. Kristin made constant visits to him where he urged her towards spiritual guidance. Meanwhile, Marlena began to make a remarkable recovery and John took her home to finish recuperating. 

Stefano was now, more than ever, determined to win Marlena over. He made another attempt to enter her room, but The Desecrator had other plans. While John was helping Kristen and Tony to renew their wedding vows, Marlena jammed the doors and set the church on fire. Stefano was on the pier looking for Marlena when he caught the scent of smoke. Following the odor, Stefano and Celeste saw a green-eyed Marlena lurking in the bushes. John and Tony attempted to open the door, but to no avail. Fortunately, Bo, Peter and Lucas arrived on the scene to rescue them. The Desecrator was not pleased. 

John donated a holy statue that had been in his family for years to St. Luke's. He planned on using it to trap The Desecrator and it worked. Hiding in a back room of the church, John jumped The Desecrator and a fight ensued. John managed to remove the cape and was shocked to discover it was Marlena. While his back was turned, she tried to strangle him. Fortunately for John, Mike arrived and was able to knock Marlena out with a syringe from his bag. Later, Abe discovered evidence that linked Marlena to the church fire and he was forced to arrest her. Stefano overheard and made plans to kidnap her. Celeste continued to beg Stefano to back off. 

When the opportunity arose, Stefano removed a sleeping Marlena from her room. He forged a note from Marlena claiming that she had left town. He'd hired four look-a-likes to roam the country and claim to be Marlena Evans. When he returned home, he found Celeste passed out on the floor. She claimed to have been thrown across the room by Marlena. Stefano did not believe her and accused her of being drunk. 

Bo and Billie's wedding took place at St. Luke's and the reception was held in the Penthouse Grill. All of Salem was in attendance - including a stark naked Marlena! Mike and Laura rushed over to find her dazed and unresponsive. They insisted that Marlena be brought to the hospital, much to the displeasure of DA Pat Hamilton, who had just announced to everyone that Marlena was suspected of being The Desecrator. 

Mike had begun to suspect that Marlena may have a tumor, but tests proved negative and he feared he would not be able to help her. Father Francis overhead this and entered her room with a vial of holy water. The Devil in Marlena warned the priest against attacking him, but the Father was able to cast the holy water at him. The Devil screamed and threw him across the room. John and Kristen heard the commotion, but when they entered the room, Marlena appeared to be sleeping peacefully. It wasn't until later that a nurse discovered what appeared to be burn marks on Marlena's hands. Everyone was mystified as to how she got them. The Devil decided he needed some help and called on his old friend, Stefano. 

Stefano was delighted to hear from "Marlena" and promised to help her. The Devil continually made Marlena butter up Stefano by proclaiming that she trusted him and that she counted on him. Stefano had long been enamoured by Marlena and felt that he finally had a chance to have her. Celeste repeatedly tried to convince Stefano to stay out of it and even refused to obey his orders. She swore she'd be damned forever if she helped Stefano help the Devil. 

John was beginning to get suspicious and began investigating the various tenants in Marlena's building. He assumed that the resident in the apartment next to Marlena's was Stefano. He began searching and found the entrance. Tony and Stefano were barely able to make it out of the apartment before John broke through the secret passageway. John discovered proof that it was indeed Stefano's apartment. 

Earlier, Kristen had left a rosary with Marlena and it appeared to be agitating the demon inside of her. Momentarily she was able to fight him off, but in her weakened state, it didn't last long and she went into cardiac arrest. Fortunately, Mike was nearby and was able to help her. Meanwhile, an APB had been issued for Stefano and guards were placed all over the hospital. It was assumed that Stefano had given Marlena drugs that caused her erratic behavior. This did not keep Stefano from disguising himself and entering the hospital. He led the police on a wild goose chase and was able to sneak Marlena out of the hospital. 

Once at the lighthouse hideaway, Stefano left Celeste alone with Marlena. The devil began provoking and threatening Celeste to do his bidding. He informed Celeste of his demonic plans for both John and Stefano. She rushed to her car in an attempt to warn Stefano, but the devil used his evil powers to cause her car to careen off the road. Meanwhile, Stefano returned to the lighthouse and questioned Marlena about Celeste's whereabouts. As he was preparing to take Marlena, John showed up and a fight ensued. The devil kept mentally urging John to kill Stefano, in hopes that he could get him to break his priestly vows. Kristen and Tony arrived and were able to keep John from killing him. Stefano was arrested and Marlena was returned to the hospital 

A battery of tests was run on Marlena and it was discovered she needed another blood transfusion. The hospital was low on her particular blood type and the only matching donor was Stefano. He professed that he had done nothing to hurt Marlena and would give his life to help her. Marlena's inner battle to cast out the demon continued 

Father Francis continued his efforts to make others aware of Marlena's possession, but he was still weak and unable to communicate. He was only able to point out the word "succubus" in a dictionary to a couple of nurses who informed Father Jansen. They all believed that Father Francis was trying to tell them something. Meanwhile, the devil made a phone call to Celeste and coerced her into obtaining some colored contact lenses. Marlena's eyes needed to be covered as they glowed green while she was possessed. Celeste came through and was able to sneak them to the devil after Marlena was returned home. 

The devil continued to try and force John to break his priestly vow of celibacy. It almost worked, too, for it was difficult for John to refrain. John was tricked into joining Marlena at the Horton Cabin on Smith Island. The devil continually sent images to John of his past romantic life with Marlena and even took her body out skinny-dipping in an attempt to lure him. Fortunately, Kristen arrived before John could succumb. She reminded John of Father Francis pointing out the word "succubus," but he insisted the situation was his fault. Kristen attempted to prove once and for all the Marlena was possessed and threw holy water on her. Nothing happened, as the devil had switched the water. John scolded Kristen for taking things too far. Unbeknownst to them, back at University Hospital, Father Francis was making a miraculous recovery. 

Marlena's soul was finally able to resurface and resume control over her body. She jumped into the boat that Kristen had used to reach Smith Island and raced off. The devil sent a ghastly wind in hot pursuit of her. On land, she stumbled to her car, refusing to give in to the devil, but the wind continued to follow her. She managed to make it to a church and began running towards the safety it provided her. She was unprepared for the evil that met her at the door. It was none other than Curtis Reed - straight out of Hell to do the devil's bidding! Marlena was saved when Father Francis threw open the doors of the church and beckoned her to come to him. Once in the church, he instructed Marlena to prey to God for forgiveness while he went to fetch John for help. He urged her to stay inside the church, as she would be safe there. But, Curtis scared her out of the church by threatening Sami and the devil had possession of Marlena once again. Father Francis never made it to John as he was knocked out by debris flying around the street. 

Kristen and John arrived at the church and Marlena fainted into John's arms. They rushed her and Father Francis back to the hospital, but Marlena requested to be returned home. John spent the night at Marlena's apartment where she attempted to seduce him again, but he resisted by going off to pray. Later Kristen and John discovered Marlena's sleeping body thrashing on the bed. Marlena awoke and overheard Mike suggesting she be admitted to the hospital for more tests. She refused and blamed her convulsions on the residual effects of the drugs Stefano gave her. Meanwhile, Kristen paid Stefano a visit in jail and demanded to know if he gave Marlena drugs. He professed his innocence and claimed that Marlena is possessed. 

Three religious scholars arrived in Salem to transcribe the scrolls that Father Francis had received. Their studies found that a terrific evil was about to be unleashed on the town. Kristen attempted to tell John about the prophecy, but he didn't believe her. She confronted Marlena about her belief that she was controlled by evil, but was frightened off by a deadly looking snake, which conveniently disappeared when John arrived. When John again refused Marlena's attempts to have sex, the demon decided to take out his anger by terrorizing John's loved ones. He sent a swarm of bees after Shawn, who was stung so severely he had to be taken to the hospital. Next, the devil transformed Marlena's body into that of a black panther and sent her out to stalk the three scholars. John still refused to believe that Marlena was possessed. 

Kristen confronted Marlena again and they began to fight. One of the contacts was knocked out and Kristen noticed Marlena's glowing eyes. The demon admitted to Kristen that Marlena was possessed but that it was too late to do anything about it. Later, the demon disguised Marlena's voice and phoned John, claiming to be Kristen. John rushed over to Marlena's apartment, where he found Kristen tied up and unconscious on the roof. He finally realized that she was right and they went to confront the demon. Stefano, finally out of jail on bail, arrived at the apartment, followed closely by Father Francis. When they arrived, they were shocked to find Marlena's body levitating above her bed. Father Francis used prayer and holy water to bring her back down. 

John and Father Francis left Marlena in Mike's care and went to request the bishop's permission to perform an exorcism. He required more proof of the possession, so they took him to the apartment. They arrived to find Marlena levitating in the room. The bishop granted his permission for the exorcism and Father Francis warned John that the procedure is very dangerous. It could quite possibly kill Marlena. 

The demon began to use his tricks to prevent the exorcism. He summoned up a strong wind to keep the participants out of the bedroom, taunted Caroline by claiming that Shawn would die, tormented John with images of Isabella in hell and even went so far as to tell Carrie that Austin was seeing another woman. He began to use Tony as his pawn again, and sent him images of Kristen being unfaithful with John. Though he attempted to deny the demon's version of the truth, the images of Kristen and John making love were too much for Tony to bear and he fell under the demon's spell. 

The exorcism continued and the demon appeared to be weakening, but he still had many tricks up his sleeve. He continued to cause Tony to have visions of John and Kristen kissing and urged him to kill John. Celeste managed to prevent Tony from shooting him. Meanwhile, Stefano, determined as ever to help Marlena, snuck into her room disguised as a deliveryman. Stefano untied her from her bindings and, in thanks, she turned into a hideous creature and attacked him. The demon tossed him out of the window and he was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. 

On what was to be the last day of the exorcism, the demon told Kristen that Tony replaced her birth control pills with phony ones. Tony was still being haunted by images of Kristen and John. He begged Celeste to lock him in the wine cellar before he did anything drastic. Marlena began to go into cardiac arrest during the exorcism and Mike was unable to revive her. A tearful John kissed a lifeless Marlena goodbye before she was taken away in a body bag. He vowed to continue to take down the demon. 

John found it hard to deal with Marlena's death and visited Father Francis for comfort. The Father warned John that demons play tricks and things aren't always what they seem. John decided to visit Marlena's body in the morgue one last time. It is revealed that Marlena is trapped in her body and is too weak to cry out for help. When John gave Marlena a farewell kiss, he noticed some movement and yells for help. She opened her eyes and the demon emerges, grabbing John by the throat. After a vicious battle, John begged the demon to leave Marlena alone and possess his body. The demon jumped at the opportunity. John was possessed for a brief time before he managed to drive the demon from him. He prayed to God for help and demanded that the demon be gone. Her lifeless body fell to the ground and John prayed for her wellbeing. He picked her up and carried her to the church, where all of her friends and family had gathered to honor her memory. They were all relieved and shocked to find out that she was alive. 

Marlena managed to make a remarkable recovery and was ready to be the matron-of-honor at Austin and Carrie's wedding. The memories of the possession started to return to Marlena and she felt uncomfortable about being in St. Luke's. John reassured her that nobody holds her responsible for her actions.