Last week, Days of Our Lives answered the question hovering over the show since April — who shot EJ DiMera? — with the reveal that the person who pulled the trigger was none other than the victim’s young niece, Rachel Black. Though that mystery has been solved, the drama is far from over. Soap Opera Digest got the inside scoop on the fallout for EJ (Dan Feuerriegel), Rachel, Kristen (Stacy Haiduk), Marlena (Deidre Hall) and more from DAYS Head Writers Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford.
When you took over as head writers, this whodunit was already underway. Was Rachel being the shooter the plan from the beginning, or did you decide to go in a different direction once the story was in your hands?
Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford: One of the only things we changed about the story was the culprit.
Digest: Did you mull over multiple options? How did you settle on Rachel as the culprit?
Cwikly and Ford: There were many viable suspects to consider. We ultimately settled on Rachel because we felt the fallout would have the most impact across multiple characters on the canvas.
Digest: What intrigued you about the narrative possibilities that came with Rachel being the shooter?
Cwikly and Ford: Brady and Kristen, for all their faults as parents, have always tried to shield Rachel from the c
onsequences of her own actions. While they believed they were protecting her, the lack of natural consequences created a ticking time bomb that seemed bound to explode at some point.
Digest: Once you settled on a culprit, did you always know that the audience would learn the truth via EJ’s recovered memory?
Cwikly and Ford: No. We started with broad character/emotional arcs before we went back and filled in the plot details. Because so many suspects and clues had been established before we started — and we did not know all of the original plans — we had a lot of logistics to work out.
Digest: Why did you feel that this past week was the right time for the truth to be revealed to the audience?
Cwikly and Ford: EJ was shot in April, shortly before we took the reins as head writers. Our main stories were put on hold to an extent in May-June as we dealt with the fallout from John’s death. The trial was not a part of our original plan, and it took some time to dispense with all of the established suspects and plot points. When that was finally accomplished, it was time to reveal the shooter.
Digest: EJ remembering that Rachel is the person who shot him obviously kicks off a new chapter in this saga. What can you tease about how possessing this information will impact EJ moving forward as the story continues to unfold?
Cwikly and Ford: EJ loves his niece, but he will do anything to protect his son and rehabilitate their relationship. The tension between EJ and Kristen as a result of the shooting will continue to reverberate through a series of ensuing events.
Digest: As you see it, what are the pros and cons of EJ revealing the truth versus keeping it to himself (or using it as leverage)?
Cwikly and Ford: EJ is not seen as the most honorable person in Salem — especially after the stunts he pulled at the trial — and he’s not sure he would be believed if he reveals the truth. Holding it over Kristen’s head is far more useful to him right now.
Digest: What impact does knowing her daughter pulled the trigger have on Kristen? What can you say about what we’ll see her go through, as the mother of the assailant and sister of the victim?
Cwikly and Ford: Kristen is mired in guilt over Rachel’s situation but feels there’s plenty of blame to go around. She is angry and desperate, and this revelation is a catalyst for her to let go of some old obsessions and grievances… as well as find new ones…
Digest: Marlena suspected that Rachel was responsible, and now she knows she was right. As both a family member and a therapist, will Marlena be involved in the next chapter of this story?
Cwikly and Ford: Marlena has to make some difficult choices going forward that cause her to doubt her own competence. As she deals with grief and ill health, she is further weighed down by the burden of the many secrets she’s keeping.
Digest: How will Johnny and Chanel be affected by the ordeal of the trial? Will it bring them closer together or present new wrinkles in their relationship?
Cwikly and Ford: Johnny and Chanel are more bonded than ever in the aftermath of the trial.
Digest: At this point, Rachel doesn’t remember pulling the trigger. What can you tease about what fans can expect for this character in the next chunk of the story?
Cwikly and Ford: Buried secrets always come out, usually in the most devastating way possible.
