Let’s begin with the disaster class in executive management currently being taught by EJ DiMera — and by “taught,” I mean bungled so spectacularly that Stefano is likely spinning in an unmarked grave somewhere in the Mediterranean.

The raw spoilers for Wednesday reveal that EJ is about to make a ruthless move that catches Gwen Rizczech completely off guard. With Lexi Carver now physically awake and walking around, and the dark secret of that hospital basement pod exposed to the light of day, EJ is scrambling to protect his assets and salvage whatever remains of his reputation. And his solution? Play dirty. Try to cut Gwen out of the massive arrangement they forged together.

Let’s be clear about what this means. Gwen poured a fortune into this resurrection project. She funded Dr. Rolf’s mad science. She bankrolled the pod, the life support, the entire operation that kept Lexi suspended between death and waking. She did not write those checks out of the goodness of her heart — she wrote them expecting to collect the same benefits EJ promised himself. And now that Lexi is up and walking, EJ wants to rip her off. Cheat her out of every dollar and every ounce of leverage she paid for.

But Gwen Rizczech does not roll over. She expects to reap exactly what EJ reaps, and she refuses to let him walk all over her. This sets the stage for a confrontation that promises to be nothing short of volcanic.

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EJ IS LOSING HIS GRIP — AND HE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW IT YET

I honestly believe EJ has lost his mind. Dan Feuerriegel is delivering some phenomenal work right now, giving us every inch of that classic DiMera arrogance in his performance. But the writers have painted EJ into a corner where he’s acting like a desperate amateur, not the master strategist he imagines himself to be.

Think about the position he’s in. That god complex he’s been strutting around with just exploded in his face when Lexi literally unhooked herself from life support, navigated those pitch-black DiMera tunnels in a hospital gown, and crashed Stefano’s will reading like a ghost come to collect. He’s currently cornered by a furious Chad. He’s being interrogated by Cat Greene. And now, with enemies closing in from every direction, he thinks it’s a brilliant strategic move to betray Gwen?

Are you kidding me?

Gwen Rizczech is the last person in Salem you want to double-cross. Emily O’Brien plays Gwen with such a brilliantly toxic edge that you can never quite predict where the venom will land. She is a woman who thrives on revenge — it’s practically her love language. If you look back at her history, Gwen has destroyed entire lives for offenses far smaller than what EJ is about to pull. She tore the DiMera family apart out of pure spite. She has burned down houses, literally and figuratively.

EJ is severely underestimating her. I think he assumes that because Gwen is newly wealthy from her divorce settlement with Dmitri von Leuschner, she’ll just take the financial hit and walk away quietly. After all, rich people absorb losses, right?

Wrong.

Gwen didn’t fund Dr. Rolf’s mad science for a financial return. She funded it for power. She wanted permanent leverage over the DiMera empire — a card she could play whenever she needed to remind the most powerful family in Salem that she owned a piece of their darkest secret. By trying to cut her out, EJ is handing Gwen the exact motivation she needs to team up with someone like Xander Kiriakis or even Tony DiMera to completely dismantle his position as CEO.

EJ is acting like a cornered rat who thinks he’s Stefano reborn. But Stefano always knew how to manage his allies, how to keep his enemies close and his investments closer. Stefano played the long game. EJ is just burning bridges because he’s panicking, and panicking DiMeras make catastrophic decisions.

When Gwen realizes EJ is trying to cheat her — and she will realize it — she is going to unleash absolute hell. We are in the middle of sweeps month. A scorned Gwen Rizczech with millions of dollars at her disposal is a terrifying force of nature. EJ better sleep with one eye open. And let’s not forget that Gwen’s best friend is Leo Stark, who is currently creeping around the DiMera mansion, eavesdropping on every conversation between EJ and Chad. If Gwen wants dirt to leverage against EJ, Leo will happily supply it with a flourish and a snarky commentary track.

EJ is assembling a massive army of enemies with every move he makes, and Gwen