Well, Owen’s big secret is finally out on Days of Our Lives. Dr. Rolf found Stephanie and Jeremy and ran straight to EJ with the news. Sure, he could have freed them, but that would jeopardize all their hard work! First, he had to talk to his boss. And that boss all but told Dr. Rolf that the only way out of this was to kill the captives.

Yes, it looks like EJ’s ordered the murders of two innocent people to keep his little project going. We’re pretty darn sure Stephanie and Jeremy won’t die, but that’s beside the point: EJ has crossed a line, even for him. These aren’t enemies of the family or rivals. It’s two people (one of whom EJ actually kind of likes) who just got caught up in something much bigger than themselves.

How did we get here? What happened to that changed EJ — the kinder, gentler one — who emerged after his shooting? Well, when we posed the question to Dan Feuerriegel, he acknowledged that, “It’s always there, but I think with everything that he’s doing and no one believing him, even though he’s trying really hard to be a changed person, I think the evil side slowly creeps back in and takes hold of him.”

So yes, it is “there, but not really,” he laughed. “It’s buried.” Right now, it’s buried real deep. Because we aren’t just talking dark or ruthless. We’re talking evil.

This is the point where viewers might be wondering if we’re even dealing with EJ anymore. EJ’s seemed off since he put on his father’s Phoenix ring, and Susan just about lost it from the evil she sensed when she first ran into her son wearing it. Some more exotic fan theories wonder if Stefano’s spirit or essence or something has infected his son.

But this week may have just proved that all bunk. Right now, Feuerriegel says, EJ’s “investment is financial. He does believe that” bringing Lexie back and developing this treatment “could benefit people, but he’s going to reap those rewards that come with that.”

That became chillingly clear when he shrugged off the possibility of losing Lexie. A worried Gwen asked what they’d do if Paulina didn’t keep her mouth shut, and they’d have to abandon resurrecting Lexie. EJ’s response? They have other subjects. The work must continue, no matter who it’s with. And more specifically, the investment must continue.

But, as EJ said, Stefano’s last, dying wish was to bring Lexie back. It wasn’t to make boatloads of money. It was to right the wrong that he felt crushingly guilty over. Stefano wouldn’t just shrug at the prospect of losing Lexie. He would move heaven and earth to make sure there’s no chance of it happening.

So there might not be any quick “Get out of jail” card for EJ when this is all said and done. It looks like EJ’s evil may be all his own. And that could be the most horrifying prospect of all as we all wait helplessly to see how far it creeps into his soul this time around.