Much of Salem suffered after Theo was shot, Kate took action to keep from being blamed, and Will insisted he was really EJ Dimera on Days of Our Lives.

Our TV Fanatics Jack Ori and Christine Orlando are joined by Wendylou and Leslie from MyHourglass a Days of Our Lives fan forum to debate JJ seeing Theo's face, Kate blackmailing Tripp, Susan and Sami's fight, who will get through to Will and why Paul is the most hated man in Salem!

Do you think that JJ really did see Theo’s face as he took the shot, or is he simply remembering it that way now that he knows it was Theo?

Wendylou: No. I don't think he saw his face. People often mis-remember things that happened in a stressful moment.

Jack: I don't think JJ is remembering correctly. I think he is suffering from some PTSD related to knowing he potentially took a life along with it being drilled into his head by Abe and Lani that he shot Theo on purpose, so his guilt and fear are causing him to remember incorrectly.

Leslie: I can't see how JJ saw his face. It was literally a split second and he is just doubting himself from the guilt right now.

Christine: People will frequently swear to something they aren't remembering correctly. I agree that Abe has planted the thought in JJ's head and the guilt and trauma have helped it grow. This is a horrible tragedy but it wasn't JJ's fault on any level. 

Could Tripp have done anything other than given Kate that cell phone? What should he do now?

Wendylou: It certainly seems like he had little choice. I DO think there's nothing stopping him from secretly tipping off the police though. I am glad he gave her the phone to protect Kayla and not himself.

Jack: I wish Tripp had recorded Kate's demands instead of giving in. I don't know why no one ever thinks of that.

It would have been especially awesome for him to have unlocked Theo's phone once he got the passcode from Claire and recorded Kate's threats on Theo's phone then handed the phone over to the police.

Tripp should also, at this point, tell Steve under the guise of wanting him to warn Kayla about Kate but really so Steve can investigate this.

Leslie: A real techie could still find those deleted messages, but Kate sure guilted him into it. I hope now he goes to Steve and tells him the whole truth of what happened. Steve may have a plan of how to get even.

Christine: Tripp really didn't have a chance against Kate. She's got decades of blackmail and manipulation under her built. 

But he should go to Steve and let him know what happened. Steve and Kayla need to know that Kate knows the truth, and Steve can let Hope know to have tech pull up the deleted messages, which they can certainly do. 

Given what Susan said to Sami, did she deserve that punch?

Wendylou: It was pretty disgusting. I think that combined with stealing Will and poisoning him against her was not smart on Susan's part. It's hard to blame Sami for losing it for a minute.

Jack: This was one time I didn't blame Sami for losing her temper. I'd prefer not to see Sami be endlessly paraded in and out of jail, but Susan was definitely goading her, even if Sami should be able to control her temper by now.

Leslie: Absolutely. Susan is cruel and mean, mean, mean!

Christine: I don't want to condone violence, but I think almost anyone would have punched Susan after that little speech. 

What or whom do you think will finally get through to Will?

Wendylou: I think seeing his daughter should spark a memory in him. I'm surprised no one at least tried to show him a picture of her with him.

Jack: I think the fact that these people are so darn persistent and Susan is not giving him answers to his questions is making him wonder what's really going on.

Also maybe if he goes back to Salem, particularly if he goes to the Dimera mansion and meets Andre, it will do something for him. It would be sweet if seeing Ari break the brainwashing but I hate to see her be put through this in case it doesn't.

Leslie: I believe going back to Salem, seeing stuff on a computer, pictures, Arianna & maybe even Ben.

Christine: I think we all hope that Ari gets through to him if nothing else does, but I think it was silly not to have Marlena speak to Will. Not only were the two very close, but Marlena's a psychiatrist. Let her help!

Are people making too much of Paul hiding that Will was alive for less than a day?

Wendylou: Yes! Especially Sami of all people. This woman has spent half her life scheming and lying and she's indignant with Paul's momentary weakness? Please.

I also think Sonny is being very selfish. Paul has been so understanding and generous through all of this and Sonny has barely thought of what he's going though. I honestly feel right now like Paul is too good for Sonny.

Jack: Yes. Paul did need some time to process and he did do the right thing in the end.

I'm surprised that almost NO ONE has tried to justify Paul's behavior and, except for John, seem to be getting in line to paint him as a villain.

Leslie: Absolutely. If they had put themselves in Paul's shoes, they would have the same struggle he dealt with. Plus it was such a short time and he knew he couldn't live with that lie.

Christine: Paul kept that news to himself for less than a day. Does that even quantify as a secret in Salem? Sami is the biggest hypocrite as she has kept huge secrets for years!

And Paul deserves so much better from Sonny. Maybe it's just easier for Sonny to be mad at Paul so that he doesn't need to feel like the bad guy himself for wanting to go back to Will.

What, if anything, disappointed you this week in Salem?

Wendylou: It was a pretty good week so there weren't many things but I definitely think they showed Theo's shooting scenes way too many times. They were powerful and memorable enough on their own. We didn't need to see them over and over.

I also thought Claire's repeated fainting episodes were a bit silly.

Jack: I thought John gave Paul some bad advice. Competing with Will and fighting for Sonny has never done Paul any favors, ever.

Also, while I loved seeing his family support him, I kind of wish Marlena had been among the visitors to the scene of Theo's shooting to try to help JJ, especially since Jen is worried about his mental state.

Finally, Abe, get over yourself already. Theo is not blameless in this, and Abe is just alienating and accusing EVERYONE of conspiring to hurt his son. As a former cop, Abe should be able to see both sides a little more easily than he does, despite his grief and anger over Theo's condition.

Plus it was ridiculous for him to tell Lani that she couldn't speak about what happened since she wasn't there when Theo was shot, then proceeded to say in the next breath that what they did know was that JJ was in the wrong when he wasn't there either.

Leslie: So far, everyone blaming Andre for Theo being shot & also blaming him for the sabotage of DiMera Enterprises. You can see how hurt he was that even Chad believed the worst about him.

Christine: It was a good week overall, but Claire's fainting spells were a little over the top. 

And I expect better from Abe being that he was a cop for decades. JJ followed procedure, but Abe was ordering Hope to break it in order to railroad JJ, just so he could believe that Theo was completely blameless. 

What was your favorite quote, scene or storyline for the week on Days of Our Lives?

Wendylou: Between Will and Theo/JJ's storylines I thought this was a really dramatic, soapy week. I was honestly pretty impressed with the whole week. I really enjoyed Abby and JJ's scenes as well as Eric and Jen.

Jack: So much good stuff happening in the aftermath of Theo's shooting! JJ had some powerful scenes this week. I was especially thrilled that he told Jennifer that they can't pretend nothing happened, which is an argument I've been wanting him to have with her since 2014 or so.

JJ: Mom, just leave me alone, okay?
Jennifer: JJ, please, just come home with me. Please!
JJ: No!
Jennifer: Chad will let us know if anything happens. Please just go with me.
JJ: Don't you get it? We can't just act like nothing happened.
Jennifer: I'm not doing that.
JJ: I shot him. I put him in a coma. I have to live with that for the rest of my life.

• Permalink: I shot him. I put him in a coma. I have to live with that for the rest of my life.

On the lighter side, that cop in Memphis' summary of Sami's seemingly ludicrous claims in this Days of Our Lives quote was hilarious.

Sami: It's so unfair. I can't believe I had to spend the night in jail. I didn't do anything wrong.
Cop: Oh, you mean aside from assaulting a woman and giving her a black eye?
Sami: That woman kidnapped my son and held him against his will and oh, I have to be the one to go to jail, and she gets to go free.
Cop: And this young man you claim was kidnapped? He's dead.
Sami: No, my son is not dead. As it turns out, he's alive.
Cop: Okay, so let me see if I can get this straight. Your son, Will Horton, was raised from the dead, brainwashed, now he has amnesia, and thinks he is a guy named EJ Dimera, who by the way you used to be married to.

• Permalink: Okay, so let me see if I can get this straight. Your son, Will Horton, was raised from the...

Leslie: I like how Eric has been there for Jennifer & her family. The friendship between these two is so sweet and caring. It is so much better seeing Eric this way instead of moping over Nicole.

Christine: I loved how Abigail was there for her brother, and Eric was supportive of Jennifer. I also appreciated the conversation between Hope and Jennifer. I love it when they remember that these women are cousins and life long friends.

Want to chat more about the happenings in Salem? Check out Jack Ori's Days of Our Lives review here at TV Fanatic.

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.