Thursday marked Joseph Mascolo's last appearance on the decades-running soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” where he played arch-villain Stefano DiMera. Mascolo passed away in December at the age of 87.
Mascolo originated the role of Stefano in 1982. DiMera was one of the biggest soap opera villains to ever grace daytime television, engineering countless murders, kidnappings, and love triangles. He disappeared and reappeared numerous times, and even supposed death could not keep him from coming back again and again no matter what various police and other villains did to him.
In Mascolo’s last-ever episode, characters Rafe, Marlena, and Anna all confronted Stefano about all the horrible things he did to them over the years, ending with Marlena setting a chess piece on a bar of his jail cell and saying, “Checkmate.” But Stefano had the last hurrah, escaping from the cell and disappearing before the episode ended.
It was a perfect ending for the character, and doubtless “Days” can get fodder from his character’s disappearance for years to come.
The Twitter reaction was filled with glee over Mascolo's triumphant exit and sadness that this chapter has come to a close.
The episode was dedicated to Mascolo’s memory.