Days of our Lives Performer of the Week: Stacy Haiduk as Kristen DiMera

We've seen Days of our Lives star Stacy Haiduk shoot fire from her eyes as Kristen DiMera executes her many schemes. This time, however, she burned brightly for a different reason -- Kristen confessed to shooting EJ to keep her daughter, Rachel, from taking the fall. Soap Central is bestowing Performer of the Week honors for DAYS on Haiduk for Kristen's passionate courtroom confession!

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Haiduk is celebrating 7 years on Days of our Lives, but it's the viewers who got the gift this week when Kristen learned that Rachel (Alice Halsey) had blocked from her mind that she was the one who plugged uncle EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) with lead.

Instead of going into denial or attack mode, Haiduk embraced her character's maternal instincts to protect her daughter. She didn't lose her calculating edge as Kristen begged EJ for more time so she could figure out the best course of action. Haiduk brought a mix of rage and fear to her eyes when EJ informed his sister it was up to her how to make sure Johnny (Carson Boatman) wasn't convicted.

EJ wasn't able to give Kristen much time as the clock was ticking. The jury was coming back with its verdict. Kristen tried flattery by telling her brother that there was no way the jury would convict Johnny. (Haiduk never fails to remember that Kristen is one of the most manipulative characters in Salem!) Alas, she didn't have time to bribe the judge, something Haiduk made Kristen play as a viable option.

The best EJ could tell his sister was that he would testify that Rachel shot him by accident, and, given Rachel's age, she likely wouldn't be sent to jail. But Kristen was concerned about Rachel's mental health as well as her physical well-being.

The writers set the stage for Kristen to feel all kinds of emotions (fear, rage, love, desperation), and the actress brought all of them to our screens.

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EJ proposed to Kristen that she find a sacrificial lamb to pin his shooting on. Stefano's daughter did just that -- only in this case, it was a sacrificial lioness! Kristen burst into the courtroom just as the verdict in Johnny's trial was about to be read and confessed to the shooting.

Kristen shot a look at EJ that screamed she was lying, but the judge took the Days of our Lives villainess at her word and had her taken in for questioning.

Just as Haiduk committed to the material, Kristen, likewise, devoted herself to a script she'd written in her head. She came up with a plausible scenario in which she fired the gun at her brother. "Something just came over me, and I reached for the gun, picked it up, and I pointed it at my brother," Kristen lied. "The gun went off. It was an accident."

Haiduk had Kristen's voice crack as she showed genuine fear over the situation. But Kristen wasn't scared for herself; she was deeply afraid that her story might not sound valid, and attention would then turn to Rachel.

Ironically, Kristen won the admiration of her longtime nemesis, Marlena (Deidre Hall), who told her that she couldn't go through with her confession. "I don't have the right to ask you this, but I'm going to ask you anyway," Kristen said to Marlena, as she requested that she look after her daughter while Kristen was in prison.

Haiduk had Kristen break down after she came to realize the circumstances of her last-minute confession would make Brady (Eric Martsolf) hate her. It was then that Haiduk tapped into her character's vulnerable side on an even deeper level. "If I can help my daughter, then it's a sacrifice I am willing to make," Kristen shared. "My daughter means more to me than anything else in this world."

Kudos to Haiduk for showing that Kristen has many facets to her persona, including that of a loving mother who would sacrifice her own freedom so that her daughter could be safe.

Catch all-new episodes of Days of our Lives weekdays on Peacock.

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