The question of who gunned down EJ DiMera has haunted Salem for months, and the shocking reveal stunned fans: his own niece, Rachel Black, pulled the trigger. For new Days of Our Lives head writers Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford, making Rachel the culprit wasn’t just about surprise; it was about creating ripple effects that could shake the canvas for months. The two recently opened up about how this latest twist came about.
A Ticking Time Bomb for Rachel
Speaking with Soap Opera Digest, Cwikly and Ford revealed that when they started, they didn’t make any major changes except for who the perpetrator was. Although pretty much everyone in Salem could have been the shooter, the writers felt they needed the reveal to have an impact. “We ultimately settled on Rachel (Alice Halsey) because we felt the fallout would have the most impact across multiple characters on the canvas,” they stated.
For the writers, placing a child at the center of such a storyline added layers of drama. Acknowledging that Brady (Eric Martsolf) and Kristen’s (Stacy Haiduk) parenting skills leave much to be desired, the writers explained that the two have made a habit of insulating Rachel from the fallout of her poor choices. Thus, while thinking they were helping Rachel, “The lack of natural consequences created a ticking time bomb that seemed bound to explode at some point.”
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EJ Holds the Power, Kristen Bears the Guilt
The reveal through EJ’s (Dan Feuerriegel) recovered memory gives him leverage over Kristen, but it also forces him into murky territory. The writers explained that while EJ certainly loves his niece, his main priority is to help Johnny and mend their broken relationship. And the knowledge of the shooter is useful to him because, “Holding it over Kristen’s head is far more useful to him right now.”
Meanwhile, the whole predicament has devastated the girl’s mom. “Kristen is mired in guilt over Rachel’s situation but feels there’s plenty of blame to go around,” Cwikly and Ford admitted. They noted that the anger and desperation Kristen feels from the sticky situation will help her shed her hostilities and vendettas, although new ones may be just around the corner.
The writers also teased that it’s only a matter of time before the secret becomes public.
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