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And just like that, EJ looks to be trying to kill two (or more) birds with one stone on Days of Our Lives! On Wednesday, Jada and Belle finally watched the memory card footage, only to see Chanel threatening EJ’s life in clearly edited footage! Well, it’s clear to us, because we saw what really happened, but it sure looks damning for Chanel!

The thing is, by throwing Chanel under the bus as a suspect in his shooting, EJ’s not just hoping to get Johnny off, but pull him squarely into the DiMera fold.

He’s a good enough lawyer to know that this new evidence won’t necessarily result in Chanel being charged and convicted for his shooting, but it could cast reasonable doubt that Johnny did it. And as he made clear after his talk with Tony, he’s also very much aware that it could do serious damage to Johnny and Chanel’s marriage. If doubt about his own wife starts creeping into Johnny’s mind, it could be tough to shake.

Potentially undermining his son’s marriage to keep him out of jail is… a choice, but if their marriage does implode, who would Johnny have left to turn to but his dad, who’s stuck with him even when he thought his son tried to murder him? It could be a win/win for EJ — if it doesn’t blow up in his face. Once Johnny’s in the clear and forced back home, EJ may be able to convince Tony to give him a chance as DiMera CEO.

And more importantly to that plan, if he’s convinced to renew his loyalty to his family, Johnny could be convinced to give it a try. And his position in Titan/DiMera could dovetail perfectly with Tony’s plan to find someone working for Xander and Philip to undermine and sabotage them.

Johnny’s always tried going his own way and staying out of his family drama, but this may be EJ’s best chance to finally mold him into a true DiMera heir. The one problem? EJ’s real shooter is still out there.

Sooner or later we’re going to figure out who did it, and once we — and everyone in Salem — knows, EJ’s machinations may just crumble under the truth of what happened. If Johnny has no reason to doubt Chanel, their marriage shouldn’t be in trouble. And if EJ’s manipulation of the truth comes to light, not only will he be in legal trouble, but Johnny could turn on his dad once again.