Break out the bubbly. (Or beer, as the case may be.) I love a good party, and it's been too long since the denizens of Oakdale all showed up at the same soiree to toss longing looks to former lovers, throw out some insults to enemies, and show off their rock-hard bodies and fashion sense. For this reason alone, I'm over the moon that Metro reopened. (Well, OK, it may have a little something to do, too, with the fact that I'm sick of seeing so many scenes take place at the Snyder farm, the hospital, or the Lakeview.)

Party scenes involving the majority of the cast are always my favorites, and it's been too long since we've had a good one on ATWT. General Hospital used to do these scenes so well in the '90s, when every Friday the entire town would gather at Luke's Club to trade dirty looks and gossip, and listen to the band. I want Metro to become the Luke's of Oakdale. Wouldn't it be great if Carly could get "Eddie Maine," formerly of GH, to perform every week? Sure, he looks exactly like Sam, the guy who died in her club, but I'd be willing to ignore that fact if it meant Wally Kurth could come back to town.

Let's hope that this time Metro is a smashing success. I'd like to see Carly actually succeed at one of her many careers for once, and I'd like to see a place for the Oakdale gang to hang out regularly. And if it gives them a reason to dress up, even better!

Meanwhile:
--It's official. They're making ice cubes in Hell, because the impossible has happened. Brad Snyder is becoming (gulp) responsible. He was actually worried about the housing market this week. What's next, Brad on a mission trip to Darfur?

--Note to Casey. It's not appropriate to wear a sleeveless muscle shirt to the office, even if you did sleep there the night before. (Unless you're Hulk Hogan and your office is a wrestling ring.)

--Someone call a therapist. Paul Ryan has absolutely gone off the deep end. Can you say stalker? When he showed up at the Snyder farm and was sitting in the field waiting for Meg, I almost expected him to pull out a bottle of Chianti and start talking about fava beans. Yes, I think he's "Silence of the Lambs" crazy and perhaps on the road to becoming the town's next James Stenbeck.

--I know this is going to generate a lot of hate mail, but I'm going there anyway. I absolutely LOVE Casey and Emily's scenes together. I'm digging Casey playing Jimmy Olsen to Emily's Lois Lane. And it's not what you're thinking. I'm not talking about any kind of romantic storyline, although it sort of looks like that's where this may be headed. I'm talking about the fact that for the first time in a long time, Casey seems to have his head on straight. He has a good job, he's working hard, and he seems to be regaining some of the integrity he lost previously. He chased down criminal and former friend, Elwood, this week and heroically tackled him to the ground! Maybe he'll follow in his mother's crime-fighting shoes after all. The bottom line is that Casey and Emily are fun to watch, especially when Margo is around and losing her mind at the thought of her son having any kind of relationship with Em. I haven't been this interested in Emily in, well, I can't remember.

--Hello new Lily! I know it's early, and for most of us, it will take a while to get used to a new Lily Snyder. However, I have to say I'm pleased so far with the recast. She's stunningly beautiful, elegant, and seems to have a spark with Holden. Of course, he seems to be sparking a little too much with Carly these days, if you ask me, but it's great to see Lily back home and wanting to reclaim her man.

--Where is Vienna? Henry seems to be running the diner alone lately. (A thought that frankly frightens me to no end.) Then, she and Henry didn't show up at the Metro opening with the rest of the town. If anyone deserves a night out, it's Henry and Vienna. They've been in that kitchen slaving away for months.

--Liberty is a chip off the old block. (Which block though is yet to be determined.) Brad Snyder's daughter is a wild child. We all know he has quite a wild history, but it seems Liberty's mother, "Juicy Janet," has had a colorful past as well. I don't think Brad and Katie have any idea what they're in for when it comes to this troublesome teen. She lies better than seasoned politicians.

--I love Julie Pinson, but it's a little strange seeing her play the former lover of Austin Peck, who used to play her brother on Days of Our Lives. Still, Janet is shaking things up, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

--Oh, Katie. Sometimes I want to smack her. She goes from hot to cold in a second with Brad. One minute she wants to slug him, the next she wants to kiss him. It's not Brad's fault this his daughter that he never knew showed up in town and that her mother still has a thing for him. Yet, Katie seems to think it is, sometimes. I guess the honeymoon is over.

--What kind of school are the Oakdale kids attending, where the principal doesn't even bother to call if a student is absent from class repeatedly? Now I know why all the previous teens in Oakdale went to private school.

--Let's talk fashion, since there was actually a semi-formal function this week. The Oakdale clan sure is a pretty bunch. Does anyone do eveningwear better than Carly? Wow, that woman is gorgeous. I loved Lily's dress, too. She looked phenomenal. Sofie's new-sophisticated straight hair complimented her dress well, although I didn't love the whole look, despite that fashion plate Barbara chose it. And kudos to the guys for their gorgeous eveningwear, too. Jack even combed his hair! That's reason enough to celebrate.

--Noah likes brinner! Me too. For those of you not familiar, that's the term for "breakfast for dinner." I couldn't help but chuckle when he was making pancakes for his wife for dinner.

--What is Ameera's true connection to Noah's dad? The way he spoke to her this week was beyond creepy. Theories, anyone?

--Lily came home just in time. Holden was SERIOUSLY flirting with Carly at the club. Did you see the way he was looking at her? Holden seemed more into Carly than he did Lily. This can't be good.

--Bravo to the Margo/Casey scene where he apologized. I got a little choked up. These two have had a rocky relationship, and I hope it gets back to normal soon. (Or not, considering that he's going to be hanging with Emily, much to Margo's dismay.)

--Note to new dad Brad: I don't think it's appropriate to let a teenager live alone in a hotel suite, unless you have a guard on the door. Marriage has obviously made Brad's brain go south or he would remember what it's like to be a teenager.

--What is the point of Aaron's return? He doesn't seem to be doing much of anything. He's been off screen so much lately that I thought he had gone back to see his mom or something. The sad thing is, I didn't even miss him.

--I'm enjoying Chris and Ali together, and especially Kim's wild reaction. But, apparently, Ali now has intimacy issues. I'm assuming because of her porn-star past. Or, it could be because Chris, her former fiancé, was cheating on her with her trampy sister previously. Yeah, it could be that.

--Where is Bonnie? Did she not recover from her last drinking binge with Brad? Have we even seen her since she was slumped over the bar with him a few weeks ago?

--Noah and Luke have turned into a snooze fest for me. Sorry. I think the error of this story is that the third leg of the triangle is a female. We've already seen Noah torn about his sexuality once before, during his time with Maddie, and I thought he'd come to terms with it. Now, I'm not so sure he won't be questioning it again. It's hard to invest in Noah and Luke if the audience is having doubts about Noah's commitment.

--I hope Mike gets something more to do than threaten Paul and "protect" Meg. It would be nice if Mike had some scenes with some of his old pals, and not just Paul and Meg.

--Chris Hughes wins the award for best undressed this week. Did you see those abs? Nice. I think he may go into the Mark C. Collier six-pack ab Hall of Fame.

Best Lines of the Week:
(Brad wants to take Katie to Metro for opening night on one of the first nights of their honeymoon..)
Brad: "We're going dancing at Carly's reopening."
Katie: "Oh no, I had enough of Carly on my last honeymoon, thank you very much."

(Brad tells Katie that he can compete with Katie's former husbands as quality husband material.)
Brad: "There is one way I top them three ways to Sunday."
Katie: "Oh, don't go there!"

(Ali is thrilled that Aaron and Sofie broke up.)
Ali: "You were more like her social worker than her boyfriend!"

Reader Spotlight:
(From Two Scoops reader M. Davis.)
"I'm concerned they are trying to pair Carly with her best friend's husband, Holden. Haven't they done enough messing up friendships? I love the outdoor scenes together, but let's please just keep them as good friends."

(From Two Scoops Betty.)
"I am so tired of Carly walking all over Jack. He is such a great guy and deserves someone who appreciates him! And I don't think she is all that great a mother. My mother would never treat others the way Carley treats people, especially Jack. She is very unforgiving, a terrible trait for her children to see."

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