I was disappointed by how far Xander went on Days of Our Lives—kicking Philip when he was already down felt cruel, even for him

Discord is slated to take a sinister turn in the Kiriakis household on Days of Our Lives after Xander and Philip have a very physical confrontation. While the former's dislike for his half-brother is understandable, the extent of his aversion may come as a surprise to many fans.

Longtime fans like me have seen Xander's evolution from a mercenary and a crook to a loving husband, father, and a savvy businessman. His dedication towards wife Sarah, daughter Victoria, cousin Alex and the family business has been impeccable. Moreover, before learning about the forgery, he was also a great brother to Philip.

However, his recent strife with Philip may be painful for many viewers since it brings out the wrong side of the likeable character.

Meanwhile, other residents of Salem will continue to face frictions and enjoy alliances on Days of Our Lives, one of the longest-running daily soaps, airing on Peacock.

Disclaimer: This article contains the author's personal opinions.

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Days of Our Lives: What is Xander doing to Philip?

Recently on Days of Our Lives, Philip Kiriakis made a foolhardy plan of asking his friend, Kevin Lambert, to steal the Versavix. He wanted to give part of the drug to Bo while reverse-engineering the remaining to get to the formula. He hoped to hand over the formula to Xander and win the approval of his angry brother.

However, his plan failed when Shawn and Steve entered the lab at the same time that Kevin was there. As such, the latter ran off with the whole box. With Dr. Russell's return, the hospital started a search for the drug and its thief. Philip asked a panicking Kevin to stay put till he arrived.

However, as Friday's episode, dated May 16, 2025, showed, Xander learned about the chaos and guessed it to be his half-brother. He arrived at Philip's Inn suite and asked for honest answers. The latter did not deny the allegations, infuriating Xander, who promised to set aside his role as the suave CEO and go back to being the mercenary that he was.

When Philip asked him the meaning of his statement, Xander answered by punching him. The soap's spoilers show Xander Kiriakis hitting and beating Philip till he falls to the floor. Finally, as Philip tries to crawl away from his brother and inform him about his intentions, Xander declares that nothing could save him. With that, he kicks Philip in the ribs and walks out on the bloodied victim.

The upcoming episodes in the week of May 19, 2025, will find Kate Roberts discovering Philip in a dire state and dialling 911. However, Philip will likely fight for his life at the hospital with severe injuries. As the spoilers hint, Xander will dodge questions from Maggie and Sarah.

Meanwhile, Kevin, who is stranded with Versavix, may need to come up with a plan since Philip will not respond to his phone calls. At the same time, Steve and Shawn may have a counterplan to negotiate with the thief and save Bo Brady. As such, Hope and Ciara's prayers may yet bring results on Days of Our Lives.

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Xander's reaction on Days of Our Lives is brutal

While Philip may pull through this ordeal with broken ribs and injuries, Xander's response to Philip's mistake seems too harsh for fans like me who have watched the character's transformation over the years. Although he was a mercenary, he has overcome his ruthlessness in the past few years.

Clearly, his anguish at being deceived by a forged letter, robbed of his inheritance and having to tolerate in silence for the DiMera deal, had to burst out some time. However, his chilling viciousness when declaring the attack, and later, the callousness of walking out on the unconscious Philip, may unnerve many of his fans.

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Continue watching Days of Our Lives to find out Philip's predicament and how Xander handles questions.