In November 2011, it was announced that Brynn Thayer would take over the role of Susan, since Davidson was committed to The Young and the Restless.

In January 2014, it was announced that Davidson would be returning to Days for a three-month story arc after having departed with the show in November 2013.

[1] In late September 2014, it was announced that Davidson would reprise her role as Susan Banks; her first time portraying the character in 16 years.

The decision to create a storyline in which Stefano hires a doppelganger to impersonate Kristen Blake demanded that the Days producers cast an actress who resembled Davidson.

[3] On rehearsing, Davidson related: “I had a tape recorder and I would read the scene and turn it off when the character I was supposed to be talked.

Post-Days, head writer James E. Reilly called Davidson personally to apologize for working her ‘into the ground.’ He told her that he couldn't help it; he felt inspired by her.

[2] In 2011, Days was unable to obtain Davidson, who was working on The Young and the Restless at the time, to reprise the role of Susan.

However, in September 2013, a tribute of sorts was made to the late James E. Reilly when Kristen, who needs to go undercover, uses Susan's teeth as a disguise.

[12] In 2017, head writer Ron Carlivati discussed the decision behind having Susan Banks being responsible for Will Horton's disappearance and resurrection, stating: "When we went to explore who might have a motivation to initiate Will's disappearance or Will's death, Susan came to mind, and we came up with a story that would require [Eileen Davidson] involved."

Carlivati admitted his reluctance to this decision, due to Davidson's commitment to The Young and the Restless, even considering a recast for the role, however, deemed that "trickier".

[13] Davidson announced that her scenes became a collaborative effort as Carlivati was unfamiliar with Susan and was relying on others to fill him in – "But who better than, you know, the person that played her?

After being rejected by John due to her scheming, Kristen's failed attempt to kill Marlena lands her in jail.

[25][26] In December 2011, Bo (Peter Reckell) and Hope (Kristian Alfonso) come across an ornament owned by Alice Horton.

Tucked inside it they find a letter written by Susan asking Alice for help with Elvis who was sick and needed a doctor.

Bo finds Susan's phone number in the United Kingdom and Hope decides to call her.

Hope inquires as to the significance of the letter to Susan (Brynn Thayer) who becomes nervous that Elvis is in trouble.

[27] In 2014, Susan (Davidson) turns up on the DiMera Mansion doorstep, having come to visit EJ, as she has had a premonition that he's in grave danger.

While toting a rifle and standing in a bedroom whose walls are adorned with the initials "EJ", Susan reveals that she paid Dr. Wilhelm Rolf to revive Will as part of a revenge plot against Sami.

Susan holds Sami responsible for EJ's death; it's caused her to spiral out of control as well as ended her marriage to Edmund.

Will keeps tabs on Susan's progress through Roger, learning that she's been institutionalized and that on New Year's Eve she's suffered a relapse after receiving a visitor in her hospital room.

Months later, a recovered Susan (Stacy Haiduk) arrives back in Salem on Will's doorstep to make amends.

Kristen (Haiduk) catches Susan alone and forces her at knife-point to switch places with her so she can attend the wedding undetected.

Sami tracks down a patient in a secret facility Kristen has been running with Dr. Rolf in Nashville and rescues him, but not before he's severely burned.

In 2019, after being double-crossed by Xander Kiriakis (Paul Telfer), Kristen, who has returned to Salem as Nicole Walker (Arianne Zucker), decides to disguise herself, once again, as Susan.

Susan returns to Salem in February 2021 to warn Marlena about a premonition she has in which Brady Black is shot.

She later helps Ben Weston discover that Ciara Brady, his wife, is alive and held captive through her abilities.

It's revealed that unbeknownst to her, Clyde Weston had some men take her from the crash site and sent to Edmund, who was told not to tell anyone of her whereabouts.

Davidson's performance earned her her first Daytime Emmy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1998.