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And with that, Eric and Nicole have officially left Salem as Arianne Zucker’s time with Days of Our Lives has come to a close. It was a relatively quick exit, even though we’ve known it was coming for some time.
Once the truth came out about Jude, Nicole ditched EJ and moved on with Eric, giving them the (almost) happy ending “Ericole” fans have always wanted. They now get to start a new life as a family (while poor Holly stays behind with grandma Maggie). Unfortunately, that means they’ve ridden off into the sunset together and said fans won’t get to enjoy it that much.
In any case, today’s episode sent them off to Paris as their friends and family threw a little going away party — after they finally slept together again and reveled in their reunion! It was a small affair, but Marlena’s toast really said it all: “To Eric and Nicole. They’ve weathered so many storms just to be together. You are strong, you are resilient and we are so proud of you. Who said dreams don’t come true? We’re going to miss you so much, but there will be lots of calls and lots of video chats.”
She ended it by saying what fans most definitely echo, “I do hope that you get to come back sometime soon. But until that time, we wish you love and peace on this amazing journey you are taking together! Finally! To my son, Eric, and to Nicole, the love of his life.” You can read the full recap here.
And while Eric leaves with Nicole, sources say this won’t be the last we’ll see of him. And while we’d love to see him again, hopefully that doesn’t come at the cost of their newfound happiness. Eric has a bad habit of uniting with Nicole only to leave her in the dust!
As for returns, though, Nicole is another matter entirely. While the show certainly left the door open for both returns — in fact, leaving unresolved business like the fact that they’re both still trying to get divorces from their respective spouses — Zucker’s return as Nicole seems far less likely.
The show may have been written and filmed before any of the legal drama, but as folks know, Zucker is currently involved in a lawsuit against Days of Our Lives producers and production companies alleging she was let go from the show in retaliation for speaking up about former executive producer Albert Alarr and his allegations.
Someday down the line, perhaps, if things are settled fairly amicably, it’s not impossible to think she could return. But as things stand right now, it seems unlikely, at best. But at least they get a happy ending and Vaughan will be bringing Eric back to Salem at some point!
For now, though, we’ll just leave it with Eric and Nicole’s final lines. “Are you ready to go?” he asked. “I’ve never been more ready,” Nicole replied with a gentle smile.
