So long to the beloved and very unpredictable Victor Kiriakis: John Aniston’s final episode of Days of Our Lives dropped today on Peacock.
DOOL announced before Christmas that it would pay tribute on December 26 to Aniston, the veteran soap actor best known for his 30-plus-year run as the soap’s crime boss and in his personal life as the father of Jennifer Aniston.
He died November 11 at age 89.
As was typically the case for his character, Aniston’s final scenes as Victor were filled with both anger and comic relief. While stewing over the notion that his nephew Sonny (Freddie Smith) invited his ex-hubby Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart) into the Kiriakis household for the holidays, Victor threatened to throw the cute cad out “on your sugar plum ass.” He then chastised Leo for “wearing baby jam jams” around the house. (They were actually holiday PJs but don’t try telling that to Victor).
Ultimately, Victor forgives Sonny for inviting in the “man who blackmailed you into your marriage,” not to mention having drugged Sonny and sold compromising pictures of him to the tabloids. Believing Sonny when he said he and Leo were now friends, Victor allowed the baby jam-jam-wearing Leo to stay. Even old mobsters can forgive and forget!
At the end of the episode, DOOL featured a montage of past Aniston clips, including scenes from his marriages (boy, were there a lot), some of his funnier moments that included a spit take, and a minute when his character reflects on a life well led. “Old age has a way of softening you,” his characters says. “At the end of the day it’s family that counts.”
The final image of the episode features Victor motoring away on his yacht named (what else?) Victor.
Aniston joined Days of our Lives in 1985. He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 Daytime Emmys. He is survived by daughter Jennifer Aniston, son Alexander, and his wife Sherry Rooney.
