Days of Our Lives’ Paul Telfer Celebrates the Killing Blow That ‘Put the Audience Out of Their Misery’

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We think it’s safe to say that the vast majority of Days of Our Lives fans are not violent people, even when it comes to fictional characters. But sometimes, a character just pushes all their buttons to the point that the only way out is by killing them off. That’s pretty much where Konstantin ended up. He may be gone, but he most definitely is not forgotten. And all that he’s done is likely to linger for some time as well.

We’re already seeing that today, because as Xander made clear to Maggie, he shot Konstantin out of pure rage. Theresa being in danger had nothing to do with it, and Xander could have done have a dozen other things besides put Konstantin in the ground. Maggie, though, just wishes she could have sent the man to hell herself.

Sure, that’s harsh, but as we said at the start, it’s a sentiment we think might be shared by a number of viewers! Paul Telfer might have put it best when he and Linsey Godfrey (Sarah) chatted with Soaps.com: “I can’t remember the last time we had a character on this show that the fans so unanimously just despise the way they went after Konstantin,” he chuckled. “I mean, John [Kapelos] is such a fantastic actor. Just making everybody’s skin crawl with the way he was doing it. It was great.”

And finding out that Xander would be “the guy that puts the audience out of their misery, it was like the easiest win ever for sending a double whammy of me getting what I want, but the audience getting what they want and now bizarrely, Xander gets to be a hero for… I don’t know. However long until he messes it all up again.”

In fact, it was so great that just learning of what was to come turned everything around for Telfer. Godfrey read through the script first, while Xander’s portrayer was mostly just trying to get through his day, in a foul mood because… Well, he can’t even remember why anymore.

“I’m usually pretty happy-go-lucky, but this time I was in a grump about something,” he shared. “I guess Lindsey read [the script] first and she was like, ‘You’re gonna be so happy!’ I was like, ‘I doubt it!’ And she was like, ‘No, you’re so bad ass in it. You take control and you get to kill him!’ And I was like, ‘Really? And he stays dead?!’

Yes, and yes! At least, we’re really hoping that the second question is an affirmative. So far, we can’t see any reason why Konstantin would pop back up into the land of the living. And having Xander actually, truly kill someone horrible is something Telfer has been pushing for for some time.

“That was super satisfying because again, it’s just been one of those things that I’ve been putting out there for years,” he explained. “I thought it made sense if you’re gonna try and you know, defang a nasty villain like Xander a little bit by just making him into a softy, it makes more sense to still allow him to do bad things, but you can do them to bad people.”

And part of that is doing what no one else can — or will!

“It’s a decision to take somebody’s life,” Godfrey pointed out. And characters like Alex and Brady are “‘goodies.’ Alex’s worst thing is that he can’t keep it in his pants. And Brady’s worst thing is that he’s a pushover really. So neither of them would make that choice even to rescue Teresa who they both have a history with. It’s a choice to shoot someone. Like, there’s a reason people hesitate before doing it and in movies. So the idea that Xander would just be like, ‘Oh God, give me the gun already!’ [was great].”

We certainly agree! And it wasn’t just satisfying watching Xander walk in, grab the gun and take control. It also, as Telfer suggested, made so much sense for his character to be the one to do that. For all he’d been through, for Victoria’s kidnapping, Maggie’s near murder and Victor’s murder — Xander was the most likely one to put an end to Konstantin.

“I did feel bad for Eric [Martsolf] and Rob [Scott Wilson],” Telfer joked. “They’re just supposed to stand there and just be useless.” But he doesn’t feel the same way for their characters — especially when Brady, Alex and Theresa tried throwing him under the bus!

Because, as Telfer points out, it was “super justified! At least it was until they all wanted to re-litigate it in the next episode and try to make it out that he was wrong for doing it. But even that was really satisfying because I saw all the fans go, ‘Leave Xander alone!’”

Even more importantly, though, with Konstantin dead, that’s just one less obstacle to Xander finding out his true heritage. And when that finally happens, we have a feeling the fans will be right there in the front row cheering him on once again. Brady, Alex and Theresa, though, are another matter.