Whether you love it or hate it, there's no denying that Days of our Lives' serial killer storyline has got people talking... a lot of people talking. Since the big reveal that Marlena is the serial killer, it seems that you can't turn on the television or read a magazine without seeing some sort of mention of the sensational plot.

If NBC had had its way, the secret that Marlena was the killer would have been kept more of a secret. Instead, as you may know, a fired star revealed that plot twist during an interview. NBC execs immediately moved to do damage control. In the flood of publicity, Days of our Lives' head writer, James E. Reilly, revealed that there would be two equally major surprises in DAYS' future.

DAYS fans have been speculating what the next secret might be ever since. In recent weeks, fans have begun speculating that the only original DAYS cast member, Frances Reid (Alice Horton) might fall victim to the serial killer storyline. Messages have appeared on virtually every DAYS-related message board - including our Message Central boards - stating that Alice was a goner. Alice's death would surely be a major surprise... wouldn't it?

Reilly had originally promised that the next shocking plot twist would come in late-June, just before the Wimbledon tennis tournament. June is still a few months away... so what else could Reilly possibly have in store?

There are more explanations for the serial killer plot than there have been victims - and that's quite a lot. Here are some of the more prevalent theories:

MARLENA'S TWIN
Marlena has had more than one look-alike. Her twin sister, Samantha Evans, was killed in 1982 by - you guessed it! - a serial killer. Recently, a look-alike named Hattie was created by an evil doctor.

In some scenarios, fans say it was Marlena that was killed in 1982 and Samantha is the person fans are seeing on-screen. In others, Samantha was never killed.

Others speculate that Hattie has returned, imprisoned Marlena and is killing people off in an attempt to dispose of Marlena once and for all.

MARLENA'S MENTAL STATE
As mentioned above, Marlena's twin sister was killed by a serial killer. Though Marlena's actions are more accurately described as mass murders - serial killers usually tend to kill or dispose each of their victims in a similar manner - some are wondering if Marlena "snapped" and is now killing people as a way to avenge her sister's death. Of course, some wonder if it's possible two lose grip of reality 20-some years after the fact.

Another popular theory says that Stefano DiMera planted a computer chip in Marlena's brain, one that has now been activated and is causing her to kill people. DAYS had made a previous deal with CBS's The Bold and the Beautiful to allow Joseph Mascolo (ex-Stefano) to return to DAYS for a handful of appearance. NBC has yet to collect on the deal.

IS SALEM ANYWHERE NEAR DALLAS?
Is it possible that the killings are all a dream? An entire season of the primetime soap Dallas turned out to be a dream... so why not apply the same principle to a soap? Head writer Reilly has denied that the show is some sort of dream. However, he has also said that Marlena really is the killer and that it is not a look-alike or twin.

A new theory that has been bandied about is that Marlena is, in fact, dead herself. The theory applies the basic plot of the hit film The Sixth Sense. Perhaps, the theorists say, Marlena was somehow killed and is now killing people in her mind because she has not accepted her own death.