Thrill: to cause to experience a sudden sharp feeling of excitement. Chill: a checking or dampening of enthusiasm, spirit, or joy. Spill: to kill or cause to be lost by wounding. Those words seemed a perfect way to describe what's happening in Genoa City these days.
The mini-week was only three days long, but the scribes packed in a full week's portion of thrills, chills, and spills aplenty! So, in no particular order, and without rhyme nor reason, these are my picks for Genoa City Thrills, Chills, and Spills.
Summer may have begun the cyber bullying of Jamie, but I have a sinking sensation Fenmore is going to continue it. Like a few other fans, my initial impression of Fen wasn't very favorable. I quickly wrote him off as a wholesome, goody-goody two-shoes, suspecting he'd be little more than a weak, nondescript foil for the more dominating Summer. I saw myself suffering bravely through Fen's every scene, rolling my eyes and sighing heavily in exaggerated boredom, as I resisted the fast-forward arrow on my remote. Well, after this week, I'm convinced I sorely underestimated Fen's talent. Because the look in Fen's eyes when he realized Summer might be beginning to have fond feelings for Jamie doesn't bode well for Jamie's future well-being in cyberspace, or in Genoa City.
I must admit it would be a delicious irony to discover Fen has inherited a darker, more malevolent side from his parents. After all, Lauren once took great and prolonged pleasure in tormenting and bullying Tracy Abbott for years. And Michael's dark side is covered by a very thin veneer of respectability -- a veneer that is easily eroded the moment a family member or good friend finds themselves floundering in uncomfortably warm legal waters. By the way, how hilarious was it to hear Michael refer to his best friend's daughter as the wrong crowd for his son? It now looks like Fen might be the one who is the wrong crowd for Summer.
Speaking of Phyllis, surprisingly, I am completely on her side of the fence when it comes to her opposition to Avery's relationship with Nick. Now, normally, I don't have much of a problem with soaps skirting the very fine line of incestuous-like behavior when it comes to the revolving door of romance. After all, soap casts are not limitless. There are only so many potential pair-ups at any given time. And it's not as if Genoa City siblings haven't sampled their sister or brother's sweet treat before. For instance, Olivia had a one-night stand with Neil when he was no longer married to her sister, Dru. Ashley wed her sister's former husband, Brad. And Neil went after two of his brother's women.
But Avery and Phyllis' situation doesn't quite fit the usual mold. For one thing, Phyllis and Nick aren't even divorced. The water flowing beneath their particular bridge is barely a trickle, and Avery is already pounding territorial stakes into the still-hard ground. Then, pouring salt into her sister's still-seeping wounds, Avery chides Phyllis for objecting to her pursuit of Nick and acts as if Phyllis should be A-Okay with it all. And, as I mentioned before, sometimes I get the sense that Avery is not as innocent as she pretends. She may have originally reached out to Summer at Phyllis' request, but there have been times when it appears Avery is deliberately trying to insert herself between mother and daughter. I don't blame Phyllis for believing Avery wants to live her life.
While I'm on the subject of mother and child, "Wow!" was my immediate reaction to the long-awaited, wonderful moments between Noah and Sharon. I was beginning to fear I would grow ancient and die before witnessing their loving reconciliation. I know quite a few fans have nothing but hate for Sharon. They would say she deserves not only Noah's lifelong disdain, but everyone else's as well. For them, I expect nothing short of Sharon's permanent removal would leave them with a feeling of satisfaction. But as a Mom, it has always seriously offended my sensibilities that Noah was so quick to offer his allegiance to the "other" woman over his own Mom. No matter how the Sharon tales were spun, that was just not realistic to me. But, he has been so sweet and tender with his sick Mom, I have totally forgiven him for his past treatment.
Okay, I know Chelsea has a large number of enthusiastic fans in her cheering section, especially since she's been paired with Adam, but I like her less and less as the days go by. Although she's relatively new to Genoa City, it hasn't taken her long to subscribe to the "good for the goose, but the gander can't have any" sentiment. She said she hated that her mother put conditions on her love. Yet, she's doing exactly the same thing by demanding Adam turn his back on Sharon in order to keep receiving her love. She claims Sharon is the one she distrusts, not Adam. But if she really trusted Adam and believed that he loved her, nothing Sharon tried would change anything.
I know Chelsea has a compassionate side. She's shown it to Victoria over Johnny, but her harshness toward the clearly emotionally challenged Sharon paints her as an insecure bully. Yes, I know, Sharon haters and Chelsea fans will insist she's well within her rights to defend her turf, and I don't disagree with that, but it's still an unbecoming look for her.
Having said that, however, I can't fault Chelsea for wanting to remove what she sees as a threat to her happiness. She's right on another count too. Once Adam had set up Sharon's alibi and her therapy, there really was no more reason for Sharon to remain in that drab little cottage. Now that Noah is in her corner, it was time for Sharon to go home.
Of course, just because Sharon's out of sight doesn't mean she's going to be out of Adam's mind. Or Chelsea's, either, for that matter. Adam is not likely to completely abandon Sharon, no matter how much Chelsea badgers and threatens him. So, it's only a matter of time before these two women have words again. It's unfortunate that Adam had to tell Chelsea about covering for Sharon. Because you know there will come a time when Chelsea will wield that information like a club over Sharon's head.
By the way, what's with all the awkward family moments between Jeff and Anita McGreedy, and Adam and Chelsea? The ladies are all linked-arms chummy, and Jeff is this suddenly supportive Dad who apparently can't pop in on his daughter without his ex-wife in tow. Those two are acting as if Jeff is married to Anita instead of Gloria. I don't know about any other fan, but this foursome feels weird and forced to me.
Which brings me to Adam Newman. He continues to deliver chills and thrills and unexpected delight. A juggler with all his balls in the air at once. Chelsea on one side. Sharon on the other. Jack bellowing threats in his right ear. Phyllis whispering warnings in his left. And, through it all, Adam remains ... unflappable. I can't take my eyes off this guy!
Devon's unrelenting judgment calls are really making me cranky. Doesn't he ever get a crick in his neck from standing way up there on that pedestal, looking down disdainfully at Tucker? Did Tucker make some bad choices? Of course he did. Did he fail to turn over every single rock to find his son? Maybe, but it wasn't as if he didn't try.
Harmony always knew exactly where both Devon and Tucker were, yet Devon eventually forgave her. Abby purposely tried to kill Tucker, yet Devon holds no ill will toward her. Kay abandoned Tucker, sided with Victor to try to steal the company from her comatose son, but Devon still holds her in high esteem. And finally, though Neil's history is sprinkled with character-marring transgressions, Devon repeatedly proclaims him both Father and Man of the Year. It must be wearying being so perfect all the time.
By the way, Cane's reaction to Devon accepting Neil's offer to join the rest of the family at Jabot came in quite a few levels below thrilled. I predict future job-related problems in the Ashby marriage paradise.
Speaking of Neil, fans don't seem to be very enthusiastic about Neil and Leslie's possible pair-up, but I'm not one of them. I actually thought the two originally had a crackle or two of chemistry together, until the then-scribes decided to put Neil in that awkward position atop his brother's fiancée. That betrayal might have been somewhat in Neil's character, given that it wasn't the first time he attended that type of rodeo, but it was a colossal fail, cute little Moses notwithstanding. I'm glad Neil and Leslie are getting another grab at the merry-go-round's brass ring. Besides, Lily could use a female friend, something she hasn't had since Colleen was eliminated from the canvas.
Well, there will be no ring, brass or otherwise, for everyone's second-choice, Nina. Am I surprised at the recent turn of events? Not really. Because it really has been the story of Nina's life, almost from the moment she arrived in Genoa City. Paul isn't the first man Nina fell for that was already in love with Chris. I want to feel sorry for her, but it's difficult, since I never felt there was a love connection between Paul and Nina.
Paul has been sweet on Chris almost as long as Danny has, and Nina was well aware of that. Paul might no longer publicly carry a flaming torch for Chris, but privately, we knew that flame still burned as brightly as ever. On a related note, thank goodness Michael dropped all charges against Paul. And with the end of the case, all the unexplained loose ends have also met a merciful death.
I always love the brother vibe between Kevin and Michael, but Kevin's constant complaining, whining, and whimpering is wearing thin for me. I can't believe he's still slapping that worn and torn Terrible Tom card down on the table in front of Michael. Michael might have been the brother who left, but Gloria was the one wed to the abusive man. Besides, Michael has rescued his petulant brother so many times, I've lost count. Kevin needs to choke down a chunk of cheese with that whine, and move on.
In other, almost-family news, I practically stood up and cheered at Jill's compassion for Tucker. Jill has become quite the class act over the years, and I absolutely love the way she's been treating both Kay and Tucker. I'm really warming to the chemistry between these three loners. For far too long, Kay has been reduced to thrusting pom-poms in the air, either for Nikki or Victor, or both at the same time. I'm glad she's going back to running Chancellor, because she's got a lot more in her than just rah-rah-rah-ing for the Newmans.
Another by the way -- I wondered how long it would be before Tucker started tugging on that long string he had tied to the shares he combined with Jack's in the Newman Enterprises takeover. Jack better put those pills away. He's going to need a clear head in order to hold on to the prize he finally wrangled away from Victor.
I wasn't expecting the kiss between Jack and Phyllis so soon, and I'm not sure how much heat it might lead to. With both on the outs with their families, and at loose, unconnected romantic ends, rebounding toward each other while getting over their separate heartache is a real possibility. So, I am withholding early judgment on any romance between them, and plan to just enjoy the renewing of their friendship for now.
Last but not least -- Victoria's kidnapping. It's a good thing I didn't take a long nap, or I might have missed this one completely. Don't get me wrong. That is not a complaint. Of course, I know it's not over. Clearly, the kidnapping was only the introduction to this story. I'm guessing the real story will be Victor's determination to end this marriage once and for all. If Billy's unsavory gambling past isn't enough to send Victoria running into her father's arms, Victor's probable revelation about Billy's part in the California plot could be the final nail in the coffin. My only question is: who will end up with little Johnny?
Well, I'm hopping off my soapbox now and reluctantly returning to the real world. Until my return to this space, please enjoy some fan comments from the e-bag, and keep those comments coming. We love them, and your comments could pop up in a future column!
