If EJ Took Rita’s Memory-Wiping Pills, How Long Will the Effect Last on Days of Our Lives?

EJ DiMera may have finally met his match, and it came in the form of a little pill from Rita. After using CRS-17 to erase other people’s memories, EJ may now be walking around Salem with holes in his own past. The big question is: If EJ took the memory-wiping drug, how long will it last? And could we be about to see a very different EJ DiMera?

The answer may depend on exactly how much CRS-17 Rita gave him.

EJ May Have Taken the Same Drug He Used on Rafe

On Friday, Rita (Maggie Carney) gave EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) what she claimed was medication for his worsening illness. The bottle, however, contained CRS-17, a memory-erasing drug. Rita had just used it on Devlin St. John (John Oliver), who subsequently had no memory of how he ended up at the DiMera mansion.

That creates an especially interesting possibility for EJ because he already knows exactly what CRS-17 can do. He previously used it on Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering), hoping to erase Rafe’s memories of his captivity and prevent him from exposing what EJ had done. 

But CRS-17 did not necessarily work in a simple, permanent way as Rafe eventually recovered many of his memories — so there is precedent for someone receiving CRS-17 and eventually recovering at least some memories.

But This May Not Be the Same CRS-17

Rafe’s experience suggested that some memories could return, while other portions remained inaccessible. Rachel Blake, meanwhile, avoided the effects entirely after discovering what EJ was planning and replacing the serum with a placebo.

The current storyline also makes clear that Rita has access to the drug and knows exactly what it does. She used it on Devlin before apparently giving EJ a dose from the same supply.

That doesn’t necessarily mean EJ will wake up with a completely blank mind. He could forget a specific period of time. He could forget Devlin, or he could forget what happened in the tunnels. Or the drug could affect a much larger portion of his memory.

And that is where the story could become very interesting. EJ has spent months accumulating potential charges against him. Rafe is still pursuing the case against him, Cat has been working undercover, Gwen is supposed to turn on him, and Jada is set to question EJ later in the week.

What happens when someone asks EJ about something he genuinely doesn’t remember?

Could We See a New EJ?

Possibly — but probably not in the sense that EJ suddenly becomes a completely different person. Memory loss doesn’t automatically erase someone’s personality. EJ would still be EJ. His instincts, temperament, intelligence and complicated DiMera history would still be part of him.

What could change is his relationship to the things he has done recently. Imagine EJ waking up without remembering resurrecting Lexie. His lack of remorse wouldn’t exactly be a trait considered out of character. 

But on the other hand, EJ not remembering he called in the Titan loan — or that he even acquired it — could be a very good solution for the Kiriakises. At least, temporarily.

Rita may be the only person who knows exactly what EJ has forgotten, but given that it would mean that she’d have to reveal Devlin’s fate when explaining why EJ got the CRS-17, it might be better if she let some things slide.

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