Carly Snyder has never been what one would call a truly law-abiding gal. But, I don't want to see her sent to the hoosegow for falling in love with a jewel thief and trying to help him escape. Carly has broken plenty of laws in the past, but I hate to see her sent away for a crime of passion.

On the other hand, perhaps it's time Simon does a stint behind bars and learns that his actions have consequences. Then, maybe he'll stop getting Oakdale's prettiest blondes involved in his schemes year after year. I'm nervous that my beloved Henry is going down in this mess, too. If that happens, there will be no place for Katie to hide from my verbal wrath. Yes, Simon and Carly broke the law. And yes, they deserve to get caught. But, do we really want to see Carly and Henry in the slammer? In a word, no.

Crime doesn't pay in Oakdale - unless you're Paul, or Emily or Dusty. Those folks plotted attempted murder and are all walking around free, simply because someone "dropped the charges." Perhaps, Carly can work her magic on the prince and get him to "drop the charges," too. In the Oakdale justice system, she and Simon could be free by next week!

In other observations: --Katie has missed her calling. She should have followed in big sister Margo's footsteps and pursued a career in law enforcement. Her detective skills put poor Jack's to shame. However, he gets points this week for figuring out Henry's password is "Bubbles."

--I'm with Will. If I were footing the bill for all of Adam's necessary work "expenses," I'd be ticked, too. How did Margo and Hal raise such a whiny brat?

--The new rapidly aged kids in town all seem to have new attitudes. Faith and Parker both are sporting scowls that indicate problems are on the horizon. Faith is being rude to her mother, and Parker is obviously having some problems dealing with J.J. I predict some interesting parenting storylines in the future.

--I heard from plenty of you about the new direction Craig has taken. You're mad as..., well, you get the point. I hear you, Scoopers, and I couldn't agree more. Turning Craig completely evil is not consistent with this character's history. The beauty of Craig has always been that despite his mistakes, he had a rooting value, because his misdeeds were driven by love and he was charismatic. Making him a full-on baddie isn't winning him any fans or empathy.

--Thumbs up to the writers for starting out the new year Henry heavy. I hope this is a sign that Henry might actually get his own plot line this year, complete with a leading lady. Paging Vienna or Meg!

--Does Paul have ESP? It sure seems that way. This could be the most exciting story to hit Oakdale in years and one to actually make me care about Paul again. I'm open to anything that will spare me from having to watch Paul fall in love again, profess his undying love to yet another woman and evade yet another near-death experience. This ESP storyline is unique, and I look forward to seeing it play out. But don't tell Henry that Paul may have "the gift." Otherwise, he'll be dragging Paul to the track to predict the next winner.

--Now that Meg is single again, can she please have some more screen time with Dusty? Those two have serious chemistry.

--I give up! I've ranted repeatedly about this plot point, but no one seems to be listening. Apparently, Craig is responsible for the death of his son Bryant, according to the writers. What's next? He offed Jimmy Hoffa, too? Since the ATWT honchos don't seem to remember their show history and repeatedly tell us that Craig killed Bryant, we may as well add this to the ATWT drinking game. Take a drink every time someone blames Craig for Bryant's death. You'll be pickled in no time.

--Did anyone else's jaw drop when Jade, a teeny size 2, pulled out a bottle of diet pills? That girl doesn't look like she's ever had a weight problem in her life.

--I couldn't help but laugh when Paul dismissed Dr. Susan from his hospital room, so that he could talk to Meg. Only in Oakdale. Having spent the last week in the hospital visiting a family member, I can tell you that normal people can barely get the doctor in the room for a few brief moments to discuss their illness, and they certainly don't tell the doctor to leave so they can visit with a friend.

--Casey's gambling storyline has real potential for Maddie, too. We learned this week that her mother obviously is a gambling addict, and that's the reason Maddie came to Oakdale. Henry also seems to share this addiction. This gambling plot could be a great storyline for the Colemans, too.

--Henry and Simon are finally getting some screen time. Yay! It's too bad it's happening just as Simon is leaving town.

--OK, Katie, now Henry is your "best friend?" If that were true, and Katie was truly a "best friend" she would have been around when Henry's sister turned out to be a psycho killer and when he found out that his other sister was raped. Now, it appears Katie may have implicated Henry in the crime to hide Simon. Way to go, Bubbles. With a "friend" like you, Henry could be sharing a jail cell with Carly.

Best Lines of the Week:

(After a run-in with Katie, Henry comes into the hotel room looking for wanted criminal Simon.)
Henry: (whispering) "Freebird" (Simon comes out of hiding in the room, after a brief hesitation.)
Henry: "I thought we worked out a code."
Simon: "I thought you were bringing me coffee."
Henry: "The dining room is a little occupied right now."
Simon: "Police?"
Henry: "Perretti. I don't know which is worse."

(Craig is seated for dinner at the restaurant.)
Waiter: "Will you be dining alone?"
(Meg sits down at his table.)
Craig: "Apparently not."

Reader Spotlight:
(From Two Scoops reader Leslie.)
"I hate to disagree with you (in your Best of/Worst of wrap-up) because I love your column, but I absolutely hate the new Craig. I hate his storyline. I hate every scene he's in. My TIVO is getting a real workout. The writers have taken a character who was seriously flawed, but likeable, and turned him into pure evil -- a la James Stenbeck. In the past, Craig would do something absolutely awful, but he'd have a good reason or in the end, he'd always fall flat on his face.(He was never a successful bad guy.) I was always pulling for Craig in the past. I wanted him to learn and grow. And quite often, he did. This Craig's only purpose in Oakdale is to slash and burn. By the time this version of Craig leaves town, there will be no one left standing. I simply don't have the stomach to watch this. I miss Craig, the human being."

(From Two Scoops reader Frankie)
"Great column Jennifer! I agree with everything you said, with one exception. Although I think Jeff Meek is great, and really truly scary in the role of Craig, I am still disappointed in the direction the writers have been going with him. The character of Craig has always been a scoundrel, but a somewhat lovable one. Ever since Jeff Meek has taken over the role, Craig has become downright cruel and evil. The man no longer has even one redeeming quality. I find myself longing for the romance and especially the humor Hunt Block brought to the role. Thanks for all your hard work. Reading your column is one of the highlights of my week. Hope you have a peaceful and happy holiday."

"Dear Leslie and Frankie: You have valid points about the new Craig. I miss human Craig, too! But, I blame that more on the writing than the guy acting. He's just playing what's on the page and doing a good job of it, thus earning my best recast honor. It seems that writers have wanted to take the human out of Craig for sometime now. They consistently remind us of how awful he was, when he wasn't on screen, and they repeatedly blame him for his son's death, when it wasn't his fault. I think you're right in that this incarnation of Craig is going to be pure evil, which is a sad, sad thing, with no regard for the history of the character. But I am enjoying Meek's performance, despite this ridiculous turn. Thanks for reading and Happy New Year to you both."------Jennifer

( From Two Scoops reader Deb J:)
"Good call about "worst recast." I totally agree that the latest Adam does NOT seem like the product of Hal and Margo. However, I'd also like to nominate the new Parker, who seems so meek compared to the tough little kid we've been used to. (Remember when he pulled the toy gun on Chardonnay, and when he told Simon not to take his and Carly's friendship any further)? Now, he's concerned about what Simon will think if Jack adopts him. This meek kid is definitely not the product of tough-guy Hal and spitfire Carly!! I hope they "de-age" him and bring back the Parker we know and love."

( From Two Scoops reader Dorothy:)
"Right on, Jennifer! I agree with all you wrote so well, as well as the views of Connie. Are the writers or producers paying attention to us? I can hardly watch the show these days and simply fast forward through most of it. There is not a character to like. They made Carly a crook, Dusty an attempted killer and so on and so forth. Holden's dancing lessons were another incredibly weak plot line. I could go on and on with more complaints, but what good will it do? I guess I should be happy that I am not wasting so much time watching television! Thanks and Happy New Year."

(From Two Scoops reader Tim.) "I enoyed your 2006 hits and misses. One of ATWT misses was their Christmas show. No Nancy, no Bob, no Kim and no Lisa. They weren't on Thanksgiving either. The Hughes clan is dying . Already some viewers have no idea who Franny and Sabrina are (or Andy or Ellen Stewert for that matter). Chris Hughes needs to be brought back pronto....or at least mentioned.If ATWT would at least mention once in awhile that the Hughes exist it might be "something". Just my thoughts."

That's all for now. See ya next time Scoopers.
Jennifer Biller