The quote, "No man is completely useless; he can always serve as a bad example," came to mind when I was kindly reminded by a couple of fans with better memories than mine that Phyllis did not murder Dr. Tim as I had stated in my last column. She intended to, but Dr. Tim overdosed on Viagra before she could. Phyllis and Kevin hid the body so it appeared that she had murdered him.
My statement that Phyllis did the crime just proves that my "selective" memory won out. I remembered that Phyllis intended to murder Dr. Tim and I remembered that she had hidden the body. I just "conveniently" forgot the in-between. Thank goodness for fans like Bessie and Maria!
Other fans will be as glad as I am that the fake rape storyline is over. Melissa's lie was one of the first to be revealed last week as she recanted her accusation against Adam and slunk out of town. Nobody liked that story, and nobody liked her. Thank you, writers, for letting that tawdry scenario die a quick death!
We also had confirmation that Hilary is Anne Turner, the blogger, and that she and Mason, the former Jabot model and current bartender at the Underground, are in cahoots. And although the Winters clan has finally figured out that Anne Turner is the angry blogger, they are slow to figure out that she and Hilary are one and the same.
Lily doesn't like Hilary and will hopefully soon tumble over the fact that Hilary and the blogger arrived in Genoa City shortly after Anne Turner left London. I think that Lily's explanation to Cane, when Lily said that she was not jealous and that her reasons for distrusting Hilary were based on Lily's knowledge of how woman do things, was right on-target. My experience has been that most (though not all) men are lovely, sweet, straight-line thinkers, who totally fail to recognize the Byzantine depths of womanly deception, even when we only do it for their own good or because we love them. (Just ask my bridge partners!)
When we use our feminine charms for selfish purposes, as Hilary is doing her best to demonstrate, it can get downright cruel and ugly. (Just ask my bridge opponents!) I don't think that there has been even one positive letter about this story, so I'm on the side of the majority. Catch Hilary, get her some therapy, and move on!
Another story that most (though not all) of you want ended is the one about Summer's two dads. I don't think that's going to happen because I think that it is part of the setup for the upcoming mega clash between titans Victor and Jack. I expect all to be revealed when that battle gets to the ranting, raging, and gnashing stage.
Before Summer's true paternity is revealed, expect Dylan and/or Adam to find out who really fathered Chelsea's baby, recently diagnosed with a genetic eye disorder. Will Dylan get wise and help Chelsea keep Connor from Adam, or will both men find out the truth? I think the answer lies with Dylan's character.
In the past, I suggested than in order for Dylan to become a long-term citizen of Genoa City, he had to become part of one of the core families. Although I had suggested he be another son of Victor's to compete with Nick and Adam, it now appears that Dylan will turn out to be Nikki's long-lost son.
As soon as Nick introduced Nikki to Dylan on Thursday's episode, I was sure that he would be the son she had given up for adoption. Having Dylan be Nikki's son is even better than if he were Victor's. I'm excited about that because it opens a whole world of storytelling possibilities and relationships.
To begin with, if Dylan did not know before now that he was adopted, that revelation on the heels of finding out that he is not Connor's father could trigger a PTSD episode and lead to a very compelling story about the plight of returning vets. Deborah made this impassioned plea to the show's writers. Perhaps the new head writers will read it, or perhaps they have already decided to go in the direction that Deborah suggests!
"Would you consider doing a storyline about PTSD around Dylan? So many of our servicemen and women suffer from this, including my husband. He is an Iraqi war veteran. Both of us would be glad to share our experiences about the PTSD episodes. The added stress of a new baby would be a good start. Not all PTSD sufferers are violent, so the baby and Chelsea's safety would not be at stake. Maybe you could bring awareness to this condition that afflicts so many and the public knows so little about it. Thanks for your time."
My heart goes out to both Deborah and her husband. I applaud them for their courage, their service to our country, and the willingness to share their true-life experience with us.
As far as Dylan's character goes, I know that Steve Burton can act, and I am very hopeful that he will soon have a fantastically riveting storyline that will showcase his considerable talent and raise Dylan's IQ several points as he shares screen time with Nikki. I can see the potential for many good stories, especially if Dylan leaves Chelsea because of her lies and finds comfort in Avery's arms. That would allow Adam and Chelsea to reunite, and we could see the side of Adam that is not cold and ruthless.
It would also ramp up the sibling rivalry potential. I think Victoria will be overjoyed to find out that Dylan is her brother, and so will Billy, but Nick will be jealous about more than Avery. I don't think that he will be happy about sharing mama Nikki, and he will consider Dylan an interloper. Victor might not be pleased either, though I suspect he will support Nikki. Surely by now they have been married enough times to get through whatever is thrown their way!
Billy, who is not lying about anything at the moment, is a terrific father. He gave Dylan great advice on parenting. I can't think of anything better to say to a new parent than to tell them to spend time with their child and to value whatever that child creates, even if no one else will.
Expect that the bookcase that Billy is trying to recreate for Victoria will trigger something in Dylan. One possibility is that Dylan's father built the original one as a gift for Nikki. If so, perhaps Dylan is the product of a union between Nikki and Dylan's father and was later adopted by Dylan's father's wife. Anyone have any thoughts on this? At a minimum, I think we had all better get set for a whole lot of Dylan in the coming weeks. Even if you think that you don't like him, give Dylan a chance for Nikki's sake!
Getting back to lying liars, Chloe and Chelsea are the "dumb and dumber" comic relief. I really don't understand how Chloe can cross a street without help, because she is the most misguided, illogical, totally clueless person on the planet, and Chelsea is her willing dupe. They were laughable as Chloe told Chelsea why she should have hung Adam out to dry and Chelsea explained why she didn't.
At least Chloe had the good grace to look embarrassed when she was at the Chancellor mansion and Esther mentioned the missing donation box intended for charity that Chloe and Kevin had stolen. I'm surprised that her convoluted logic has not worn off on Delia, but maybe Billy is keeping Delia grounded.
On the soaps, bad people can be good parents. I don't really see how that can be when a saying like "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" pops to mind. However, I suspend my disbelief, because soaps, like football teams, can only have a finite number of players on the roster, and some of them have to serve more than one purpose.
That is the rationale that lets me accept that a character like Sharon can be doing harmful things to others while trying her best to do the right thing by her child. Opinions about Sharon are mixed. Here is Jeanna's take on Sharon's story:
"When Sharon confessed (out loud to herself) that she had switched the paternity results on Nick, I decided to stop watching the show. ... I couldn't believe they would do that to her character!! I'm not a big Sharon fan nor do I want Nick to go back with her or Adam, for that matter. I just think that Y & R could do much better handling her storyline given that the character is now diagnosed with bi-polar... With bi-polar, she could have hallucinations -- which is what I think Cassie probably is for her. But, she never sees her doctor anymore for therapy, and while I realize that one has to "suspend disbelief" to follow storylines on a soap opera, I think there needs to be a little more accountability for "true life" in a story line about mental illness. For years, Soaps have tackled many issues that viewers relate to in their own lives. Please Y & R, since your writing team is changing, begin to write more realistically for Sharon's character. Sharon Case, the actress, deserves better material, at the very least. At the most, viewers deserve to see a more full view of someone suffering from mental illness and treatments/support that one can get in the 21st century."
Erica said:
"I have never been a fan of Phyllis and Nick. I think that Sharon has been dealt a bad deal over the years. Nick does not need to marry Phyllis's sister. Give us a break!"
One of Sharon's most ardent defenders was Judi, who wrote:
"Why is everyone allowed to get away with trashing Sharon? There is no one in this town that is not responsible for paternity mix-ups, fortunes changing hands, property destruction and DEATHS! They have all done it. Spousal cheating is a nearly daily affair (pun intended). But the only one always held to account and expected to apologize for merely existing is Sharon (and Adam). Sharon did NOT destroy Newman. That was Nick and Vicki and Tucker all play[ing] mind games with Sharon and abusing an obviously sick woman. With a large dose of Avery, guilty of MAJOR malpractice as Sharon's lawyer, aiding and abetting the other side. I sincerely hope Sharon can be redeemed, helped and given a strong-woman story line because this is just disgusting. I am so tired of the pots calling the kettle black I just change channels."
As I said earlier, I think it will be a while before Sharon's lie is completely exposed, though we may see it chipped away little by little as she scrambles to hold on to her delusion. Summer's paternity is the bone in the next dogfight between Victor and Jack, so until those two do more than skirmish, Sharon's lie will stand. Personally, I'm with Judi: give me some strong woman storylines!
The biggest reveal of the week is that Jack is the money behind Adam, exactly as I had predicted in my last two columns -- I have to tell you when I saw the end of Friday's episode, I was torn between relief that I had gone out on a limb and it had not been sawed off, and the desire to gloat over the possibility that I might have been the first fan to figure it out! I'm so competitive! If you figured it out before me, please, please, please let me wallow in my delusion for a day or two longer!
For those of you, and me, who have been bemoaning the fact that nobody was going to the workplace anymore, it's time to get ourselves over to the Newman boardroom because we are about to get Clash of the Titans, Part (fill in the blank). How many times have Jack and Victor gone head to head for control of all the businesses in Genoa City anyway? Somebody out there got a guess?
In the past, nothing was more exciting to me than Jack and Victor squaring off and taking shots at each other, so I'm practically salivating. This time around, with Adam thrown into the mix, we ought to see some very spectacular verbal fireworks. I think we can all agree that these are three incredible actors with awesome range. Nobody can chew the scenery like these acting powerhouses. Get set to take sides, or remain neutral and enjoy a ringside seat as these sworn enemies do battle on both the personal and professional level.
Many of you have written impassioned defenses in support of Adam and lobbied that Adam's love for Chelsea showed his human side, especially when Chelsea was pregnant the first time. I hope to see that part of Adam for myself very soon. Because, honestly, Adam is coming across to me as a spoiled, selfish brat determined to take his father down, while pretending to have his back. My Loki alarm is clanging like crazy.
In support of Adam, some viewers have recounted Victor's crimes against his other children. I appreciate your point of view, but I respectfully submit that what Victor did or did not do as a parent to Victoria and Nick has no bearing on the way he has treated Adam since Adam saved Victor's life.
I believe that it meant everything to Victor that Adam saved Victor's life while knowingly jeopardizing his own. I believe that Victor understands and values that kind of sacrifice. Victor showed his love and support for Adam in a very big way when he announced publicly that he stood behind Adam and that Melanie's rape charges were false. Victor did not waver in his public support. Privately, Victor was just as sure of Adam's innocence, which he demonstrated in a conversation with Nick.
Despite Victor's actions and assurances, Adam refused to believe that Victor meant what he said. He did not accept the facts or Victor's public support as proof of Victor's faith. I don't know what else Victor could have done. Adam's actions hearken back to the idea that I expressed earlier about preconceived notions and selective memories. Adam made up his mind about Victor and could not accept any reality except his own, even when the proof was on TV and in the news. How sad.
Recently, during a two-day visit, someone in my family, whom I have seen for only a handful of days during the last 30 years, told me, after a brief conversation, that I came across as bitter and negative. I was astounded. I thought that I had been engaging and witty. That assessment was nowhere close to the image that I had of myself.
It was painful, but I had to consider whether or not that statement had validity, if only for my own peace of mind. Adam has a similar quandary. He needs to allow for the pleasant possibility that Victor's love is genuine, just like I had to allow for an unpleasant possibility. Whether or not Adam can do that is still to be determined and is the stuff of good soap opera.
Clearly, since Victor is not a fool, he will take steps to protect himself and his business, even when the threat is from the son who saved his life. Victor is a wily old coot who has been at the top of the food chain for a long while. He is very competitive and not easily fooled. He knows that when "trust me" is the first thing someone says to you, it's the last thing that you should do. Trustworthy people don't mind proving that they are. It's the untrustworthy ones who try to guilt you into a shortcut.
I've had that experience, and if I were in Victor's business position, I think that I would feel perfectly justified in hiring someone to find out the truth, especially when I knew for sure that I had demonstrated my good faith and all that I was getting in return was lies and evasions. The truth is a funny thing. The more you tell it and mean it, the easier it is to know instinctively when you are not hearing it.
Adam has an agenda. Victor knows it. I think it is extremely crass of Adam to attempt a takeover of Chancellor without any consideration of Victor's friendship with Katherine -- and before the memorial service has been held and the will has been read. For all Adam knows, Katherine might have left Chancellor to Victor. It seems like Adam should know who owns the company before trying to buy it.
That said, I'm hoping that the end result of this struggle will be a lasting bond between Adam and Victor, which will open up even more storyline possibilities.
Certainly we are going to see some powerful actors get to strut their stuff as this never-ending struggle between the Abbotts and the Newmans ignites on both the business and the personal fronts. On the personal front, we can be pretty sure that Victor will be victorious because we know that Summer has been Nick's all along. That will inevitably lead to some kind of Romeo/Juliet (without the dying) story for Kyle and Summer, and continue the feud between Victor and Jack.
On the business side, who will outmaneuver who is anybody's guess. I give a slight edge to Victor because Jack has a way of snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory.
It is my fervent hope that Adam will reunite with Chelsea and his child. And, as a result, in my scenario, he will finally understand what Victor meant when Victor explained the meaning of family to Adam. Adam will suddenly understand how much Victor loves him and will switch sides. Adam will give Victor whatever he needs to defeat Jack, just as Jack is about to devour Newman Enterprises. Adam and Victor will hug and live happily ever after. Well, maybe "triumphantly" is a better word, at least until they find something else to feud about or have another common enemy to defeat.
The secret of Carmine's whereabouts was also exposed, thanks to Kevin. While Alex was following a false lead in Chicago that the FBI had uncovered, Kevin found Carmine in Genoa City. Paul got to Michael and Lauren's apartment and arrested Carmine, seconds after Michael had subdued Carmine and talked Lauren out of shooting her erstwhile stalker and would-be murderer.
I can't blame Lauren for wanting to put a bullet in Carmine's head. It must be horrible to have someone so attracted to you that they become crazed enough to post a sex video on the Internet, break into your apartment, attack your husband, turn on the gas, and then tell you that you are going to die with him so that you can spend eternity together. What can you say to a psycho? "Thanks, but no thanks." "I'm flattered, but you can really do so much better." "It's been a gas, but I've fish to fry!"
Fortunately for Lauren, Michael was not the wimp that Carmine thought that he was. Michael fought his way back from a concussion and physically subdued Carmine. Good going, Michael, but stay in shape, because I don't think we've heard the last of Carmine. He might not be back for a while, but soap villains rarely fade away, and many times they are resurrected from the dead. Escaping from a soap prison should be a snap for Carmine, and besides, he still has to get to his account in the Bank of Psychos to withdraw enough money for a Billy mask so he can...
I haven't said much about Katherine's sendoff, which is still going on and will continue into next week. I think that Y&R is doing a great job of honoring both the character and the actress. I can hardly wait to read what Teddi has to say about it in her column next time. It will be a "Don't miss!" and I won't.
I have one more mea culpa. I would like to offer a sincere apology to viewer Julie, who sent me this email:
"As a cousin of a strong, intelligent woman who suffers from bi-polar disorder, I am beyond disappointed to read the following comment in this week's Two Scoops:'Sharon is out of her mind. Sharon is legally, and probably clinically, insane, no matter how normal she seems.'
Insane is a very strong word and one, in my opinion, that isn't appropriate in this situation. Sharon has a mental health disease as a result of the chemicals in her brain, which is not functioning properly. This does not mean she is insane. Such strong language does nothing towards assisting those with mental illnesses and only furthers the stigma and lack of knowledge and understanding."
On rereading what I wrote, I can see that my tongue-in-cheek attempt to support Sharon and her situation fell flat. I am deeply sorry if I gave offense and very, very glad that I did not use the term "bat (expletive) crazy" that one reader suggested in regard to Sharon's behavior. I am sympathetic to the plight of the mentally ill. My intent was to make fun of the way that Sharon's illness has been portrayed, not the illness itself. Clearly I failed with at least one knowledgeable viewer.
Finally, I do think that the writing on Y&R is getting better. My favorite line last week was when Avery admitted to Nick that she had yelled at Sharon to "Stay away from my fiancé!" and then had immediately walked out the door. Nick was smiling when he said that Avery could have shouted that from a car. Avery's reply that a "drive-by shouting" would have been more effective and less embarrassing made me laugh out loud. Here's to more drive-by shoutings, less drive-by shootings, and a lot more laughing out loud.
Until next time, fellow fan addicts, I look forward to hearing your thoughts and predictions. And as always, may the soaps be with you!
