TL;DR: Marlena Evans’ demonic possession remains DAYS‘ most jaw-dropping storyline ever, and with Dr. Evans having “Queen of the Night” dreams again, it’s the perfect time to spill the holy water on what really went down behind the scenes during daytime TV’s most unholy moment.
The Storyline That Wouldn’t Die
What was originally planned as a neat seasonal arc became the storyline that refused to die. The possession began in 1994 around Halloween and was supposed to end with a Christmas miracle. Instead, James E. Reilly dragged the supernatural chaos well into 1995, giving viewers months of the most outrageous daytime television ever produced.
The man took what could have been a simple three-month story and turned it into a soap opera marathon that had America simultaneously horrified and absolutely hooked. When you can make levitation and demonic possession appointment television, you know you’ve struck storytelling gold.
Deidre Hall’s Real Levitation Magic
When Deidre Hall (Marlena Evans) tells people she literally levitated off that bed, she’s not being metaphorical. The woman actually performed what she calls “a circus trick” to achieve one of daytime television’s most iconic moments. On Christmas Eve 1994, while the rest of Salem was peacefully attending church service, Marlena was floating several feet above her bed like some sort of unholy snow angel.
Hall broke down the logistics on The Kelly Clarkson Show with typical understatement: “It was Christmas Eve and everybody was in church, and I was home alone, and there it went. Oops! She’s off the bed.” Oops? Lady, you just redefined what daytime drama could do with a bedroom scene.
The actress confirmed she actually lifted off the bed for the scene, making it genuine physical television magic rather than simple camera tricks.
Holy Water Insurance Policies
Here’s where things get deliciously meta: When the show decided to revisit the possession storyline in 2021, Ken Corday literally sent Deidre Hall holy water and a crucifix. Not as props—as protection. Hall would bring them on set every single day they filmed possession scenes, offering holy water to anyone who wanted some spiritual backup.
Spoiler alert: Everyone said yes. Hall explained on The Kelly Clarkson Show: “When we embarked on the storyline, our executive producer and showrunner, Ken Corday, actually sent over holy water and a crucifix. And every time we do a scene where I’m possessed, I’ve taken it on stage and offered it to anybody who would like to have some holy water—and everybody says yes.”
When your lead actress is handing out blessed water like it’s craft services, you know you’re dealing with storyline material that even the cast finds slightly unsettling.
The Yellow Contact Lens Chronicles
Those terrifying yellow eyes weren’t CGI magic—they were contact lenses that transformed Salem’s beloved psychiatrist into something that would make The Exorcist proud. The visual effects team knew exactly what they were doing when they chose that particular shade of demonic amber. It was the perfect way to let viewers know when Satan had clocked in for his shift.
The contacts became so iconic that when the show brought back the possession in 2021, they upgraded the special effects. Hall noted that the new version had “much better special effects” including moments where possessed Marlena gets hit by holy water and “her skin sizzles” with enhanced visual effects.
Stefano’s Plan Backfired Spectacularly
Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo) thought he was being clever when he started hypnotizing Marlena to make her fall in love with him as his “Queen of the Night.” According to the show’s official description, the hypnosis “meant to make her fall in love with him left her open to demonic possession and ultimately led to Marlena becoming possessed by the devil.”
But here’s where Stefano’s scheme went sideways: Satan basically hijacked his brainwashing operation and turned it into his own personal takeover. The joke was definitely on Stefano because once Satan took control, his Queen of the Night fantasy was over.
The Most Anticlimactic Exorcism Ever
After months of levitation, chandelier-dropping, and altar-chaining chaos, the initial possession ended with what many fans considered an underwhelming conclusion. John Black (Drake Hogestyn), who had been established as a former priest, performed the exorcism that freed Marlena’s soul in the summer of 1995.
DAYS fans felt the ending was too simple after experiencing such an elaborate supernatural storyline, but it set the stage for John and Marlena’s enduring love story.
Modern Special Effects Upgrades
When the possession returned in 2021, Hall was impressed by the technological improvements. “We have much better special effects now!” she noted. “This time, we also brought in big fan machines and lights. It’s been fabulously entertaining and very cleverly done!”
The updated version included enhanced visual effects for moments like when the holy water burned possessed Marlena’s skin, showing how far daytime television production had advanced in 25 years.
Why Marlena Evans’ Posession Is Relevant Again in 2025
Marlena’s recent “Queen of the Night” dreams have longtime viewers reaching for their own holy water. The show has been dropping breadcrumbs about Marlena’s soul being in danger, and Kayla Johnson (Mary Beth Evans) has been asking the questions we’re all thinking: Is possession round three on the horizon?
While Marlena insists these dreams are different from her previous demonic encounters, Salem residents know better than to trust anything involving supernatural forces. With mysterious dreams stirring up trouble, Dr. Evans might want to keep that holy water close at hand.
The possession storyline remains the gold standard for soap opera supernatural storytelling—a perfect storm of religious controversy, groundbreaking special effects, and Deidre Hall’s fearless performance that launched a thousand Halloween reruns. Whether Satan makes another appearance or not, Marlena’s original possession will always be the storyline that proved daytime drama could literally go to hell and back with viewers cheering all the way.
