Victoria Konefal Returns to DAYS OF OUR LIVES!

File this one under dead doesn’t mean much in daytime: Victoria Konefal is bringing Ciara back to DAYS OF OUR LIVES — and not just as a figment of Ben’s imagination! Konefal exited the soap back in September when her alter ego was abducted by Vincent and presumed dead in a fiery car explosion. In the months since then, a heartbroken Ben refused to believe that his soulmate was gone. As he frequently “saw” visions of his wife, Konefal has continued to sporadically appear as Ciara.

Meanwhile, Ciara’s mom, Hope, however, never gave up hope (see what we did there?) that her daughter was still alive. The detective left Salem to search for Ciara, a plot point that facilitated portrayer Kristian Alfonso’s exit from the sudser after 30 years. And Hope’s motherly instincts were right: According to Soap Opera Digest, Konefal is set to return to DAYS beginning Thursday, Jan. 28 — and as more than an apparition.

While Ciara may indeed be alive, whether or not she is well is another story. In related casting news, Soap Opera Digest is also reporting that Jason Downs has been tapped to play Rhodes, a handsome stranger with a mysterious connection to Ciara. Downs previously played a concierge on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL back in 2014 in an episode surrounding the Forrester Creations photo shoot in Amsterdam. The actor/singer has had guest spots on NCIS: NEW ORLEANS, NCIS: LOS ANGELES and K.C. UNDERCOVER, and starred in Racing Daylight opposite Melissa Leo (Linda, ALL MY CHILDREN) and Giancarlo Esposito. Look for Downs to make his DAYS debut before the end of January.

We suspect that this isn’t going to be a pick-up-where-they-left-off reunion for Ben and Ciara, who barely had time to send out their wedding thank-yous before the new Mrs. Weston went missing and was supposedly died! There’s no word yet on how long Konefal or Downs will be on screen, but we can’t wait to see how Ciara’s return to Salem unfolds!